#ootd Day 1

In my research (on Pinterest, Stitch Fix, and other fun internet places), I learned this fabulous hashtag: #ootd. "Outfit of the Day".

So, to show my progress in my Be a Professional journey, I thought I'd post my very first #ootd. This is Spring Day 1, from Sunday, March 23. I chose to wear my Little Black Dress (lbd in fashion lingo). Then I put the aqua shrug and coordinating earrings with it. I also wore my fabulous black heels.



To make this outfit possible, I obviously learned about needing a lbd. I also learned about this season's colors (aqua and coral, which I hope to share with you later). I also learned that I have a favorite neutral -- and that EVERYONE has a favorite neutral. Who knew?! My personal favorite neutral is grey, so I plan to add more to my wardrobe as time and money allows. It was hard finding the perfect lbd, and I don't think this one is quite "it", since it's a little shorter than I'd like. The work continues!

I did have so much fun shopping! My daughter's bff, sometimes called my "other daughter", went shopping with us, and she took some hilarious pics of me while I was "modeling" some of the outfits. If I get brave, I'll share those too.

When I was working on this post, a great song kept running through my head. It's called "Day 1" by Matthew West. So inspirational, and fitting for my new adventure:

"Day one of the rest of my life,
Day one of the best of my life,
I'm marching to the beat of a brand new drum,
Here I come,
The future has begun,
Day one."

Beginning something new? Need inspiration? I recommend listening to Matthew West's "Day 1" and reading "Ordinary: How to Turn the World Upside Down" by Tony Merida. Make a new beginning!

2 Lessons from Philippians 4:13

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13

In this busy school year, I've had to rely on this verse. A LOT. At the start of this new year, a thought struck me. I have learned two important lessons from this verse this year! One lesson I even made my "New Year's Resolution". Sometimes it just takes me awhile to hear God's voice (must be what Lent is for).

So... two lessons from Phil. 4:13.



Lesson One: Just because I can do all things doesn't mean I'm being told to do ALL things!

One of my biggest weaknesses is becoming overwhelmed and over-committed. I volunteer for projects, even though I'm really busy, just because I think I must. I tell myself, "This won't get done unless I do it!" Which of course is just silly, because if it needs getting done, someone will indeed take care of it! Case in point: I volunteered to direct Junior MidWinter Camp. Direct!! Now, my thought process on this should have told me that A) camp would happen with or without me and B) directing was too big a project for me and would stress me out. But I didn't listen. Yes, camp went well. But I was a basket case until it was over!

Lesson learned: don't volunteer for anything unless you REALLY want to. Now, I've still got too much on my plate, but I'm slowly learning that listening to God's voice is different than hearing that whiny self-talk in my head. So I'm tuning out the irritating over-volunteering voice, and tuning in to the Voice of Truth.














Lesson Two: Just because I haven't done something before doesn't mean God doesn't want me to try!

I am an adult, with an adult job as a library media specialist in a small school PreK-12 and an adult position in my church as song leader. Both of these roles call for a professional, adult appearance. But seriously, I just realized it over the past two weeks. Maybe it has to do with being an "adult age" finally (you'd think by 41 I'd have this figured out). Maybe it has to do with opening my eyes to the full impact of Philippians 4:13. I can do ALL things. I can, indeed, figure out how to dress like a professional -- including wearing makeup and matching my clothes and shopping for myself.

Yipe. I had to reread that just now.

What am I getting myself into? I've never worn much makeup. For awhile, when I was helping sell Avon with my mom-in-law, I bought makeup and wore it (though not every day). But I don't think I was very good at it. At the beginning of this school year, I bought makeup and wore it until about October. My reasoning: no one even noticed when I wore it or not, so why bother. My new realization: people do notice, they're just too polite to say anything. And it shouldn't be about that, anyway; it's about a professional image.

The same is certainly true, if not more so, for my wardrobe. I have never ever been good at shopping. I have never been good at putting clothes together. However, I didn't really think anyone noticed. Until a Sunday morning about two weeks ago. One of the older ladies of the congregation pulled me aside before worship started to ask me if I knew I didn't match. Yikes! I guess I didn't really pay attention, but my daughter just shook her head. She knew. And it's not my daughter's job to make sure I match every day or to take me shopping. (I miss my mom-in-law so much -- she was so GOOD at fashion and makeup!)

But I am an adult. I am a professional. I should be able to research and make notes to figure out this makeup and fashion thing. So that's what I've been doing. Pinterest has been especially helpful. As well as Stitch Fix! And so: Tomorrow, I'm going on my first fashion shopping trip, using my research guidelines and prayerful resolve.

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."

(proof I can dress nicely and put on makeup!)












How about a book recommendation: read the Seraphina duo (Seraphina and Shadow Scale). Great for learning about your personal strengths and stepping out to be the person you were meant to be!

Teenagers, Meet the Future

Sometimes, I worry about the future.

I wonder, will our children grow up to be responsible adults? Will they carry on the traditions we treasure? Will they care about the small town where they were raised?

Watching, I wonder. Surely, at some point in their adult lives, they will come to understand the importance of family, community, and tradition. Perhaps. Right now, they seem to care about so little. (It's difficult to tell what they really care about, since they hide under layers of rudeness and spite.)

Somehow, they will surely have a teacher or parent or mentor who will get through to them. Crack their shells. Open their eyes. But that person isn't me -- at least today.

I'm trying to be optimistic. I'm trying to believe in the teenagers. But it's hard. I know, I need to read books that are a bit more optimistic, perhaps that show the positive side of teens. Perhaps that show that there is light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. I've recently finished three teen novels, all of which should make me feel hopeful. After all, they all take teens in crisis and show how they pulled through.

Two of them, however, just didn't get positive enough. Those two were This Full House by Virginia Euwer Wolff

and Stay With Me by Paul Griffin.

I would certainly recommend both of these books for teen readers. They were realistic fiction, and dealt well with the problems typical teens may face. The characters were believable, and the writing styles of each author made the books hard to put down. However, the endings of both books lacked the sort of optimism I really needed.

I will highly recommend the third book, though! It ended extremely well, considering the wacky, extreme situations faced by the main characters (teens) in the story. Trumpet fanfare: the book is How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr. (Please, not to be confused with the song by The Fray!) This novel's positive spin on teen problems make me want to reread it. I could use some positive inspiration about now.