Hello Lovies. What a fabulous day to be alive. I am basically dreaming of fall, though. This heat is seriously about to do me in. I love layered looks, but Arkansas summers almost make that impossible. Somehow I managed to do it anyway. A fringe top paired with a simple knee length dress gave me the perfect summer comfort and look. This is really the first time I have worn my hair down this summer. The humidity here makes fixing my hair a non-necessity. I do love the flowers and greenery on a more positive note.
I can not tell you enough how much I am loving the whole crop-top high waist combo trend. It suits my short waist perfectly. My only issue is that I don't show a lot of skin. That is why I pair dresses with crop tops or tees. It takes the current trend and modest-ifies (Is that even a word? Ha.) it. I think in past posts, I have made it clear on how I like to layer dresses and shirts. I just love the look. What can I say?
This top was actually an off the shoulder that I pinned in the center. I wanted it to have a look similar to a poncho. I considered a broach but decided against it. How do you feel about broaches? Are you going to jump on that upcoming fall trend? I am still undecided. I also wanted to make sure the top of the dress was covered. You can make these tops super easy out of an old printed tee. A little d.i.y. never hurt anybody.
So, let's get the elephant out of the room. Yes, I am not tan. As you can see, I do not always embrace the tan life. I am porcelain skinned no doubt. To be honest, though, I love to embrace it. I feel like Rose Dawson in Titanic. How beautiful is her skin? She is so pretty. I am sure that I am not the only one who just would rather be pale than go through the hassle of self-tanning. Sometimes, I am just plum lazy with it. I promote safe skin treatments, and I am anti-tanning beds. Girls, do yourself a favor, and do not use them. They are so bad. If you can't afford to self-tan, be like me and just let it shine. Glow-in-the-dark white and all. Fake tan is better than skin damage or cancer. I got called a porcelain china doll the other day. Once upon a time, I would have been so offended by that, but now it just makes me so happy. Let's all be dolls.
I don't have product links to any of this today, so sorry. These are all older pieces that I just threw together for some summer vibes. I will let you know that Nordstrom and Express are having great terrific sales! They have pieces that will be great for fall. If you are like me, you are already building your wardrobe for that time.
“The past does not have to be your prison. You have a voice in your destiny. You have a say in your life. You have a choice in the path you take.”
Today I want to jump on a soapbox for a minute to tell you about some things that really bother me... and how to fix it. But first, (no not let me take a selfie) I want you to all know that your past does not define your future. You are stronger than the problems you face, and you can change, no matter how bad you are right now.
In the times, it is so easy to get caught up in doing things that you are not proud of. Society not only condones you making a fool of yourself, it encourages it. Literally everything teaches you to be anything but moral, especially for the youth of America.
Today, it is considered "normal" to go through high school with multiple significant others. It is "normal" to be sexually active with those partners. It is "normal" to cheat on them. It is "normal" to have your friends lie to your significant other when they catch you cheating. It is "normal" to leave your s.o. when you go to college "because you're not ready to settle down". It is "normal" to have many one night stands once you are in college. It is "normal" to go to strip clubs while you are in college. It is "normal" to get so drunk that you throw up all over yourself. It is "normal" to party-hardy on Friday and Saturday, go to church hungover on Sunday, and then do it all over again. It is considered "normal" to listen to music that mocks God without you knowing it, just because " [insert artist here] is Bae". It is "normal" to talk bad about others to make yourself feel better. It is "normal" to cuss so much that you put sailors to shame. I mean come on man... f-bombs are totally rad right? Etc. etc. etc...
Are you someone who thinks these things are normal? It's okay to admit it. I was one of them too. I am here to tell you the truth. Those things are NOT normal. These are. It is normal to have trust issues and p.t.s.d. after you have been cheated on too many times to count. It is normal to have children from your one night stands in college that make you unable to finish college or find someone who wants to be with someone who already has a child. It is normal to find yourself cheating on the person that actually cares about you because that is all that you have ever known. It is normal to call your ex back when you realized that you really screwed up. It is normal to not be able to find the "right person" because you have already given your heart away too many times. It is normal for there not to be anything left to give. It is normal to settle down with someone you do not love as much as you should because you think that you will never do any better anyways. It is normal to go to party after party with tons of people and still feel alone and empty at the end of the day. It is normal to get diseases from strip clubs. it is normal that those strippers live terrible lives and for them to hate men. It is normal to not know that in the adult world, you don't get taken seriously if you can't control your mouth.
Do you see where I am going with this? You can not be what this life considers "normal". Let me tell you someone else that doesn't think that those things are "normal". God. Hang in here with me for a second. Why can it not be easy to realize that the world is against you and God is the only thing for you. It isn't too late to turn away from those things. There is something else you should know. You can not forgive yourself until you realize that The Lord has forgiven you.
With that being said, I thank you so much for stopping by, and remember that it is never too late to change. Love always, Sarah Kate