Getting Swept Away // What I Wore

"I can't decide if it's a choice
Getting swept away...

Your name has echoed through my mind

And I just think you should, think you should know
That nothing safe is worth the drive..."

~ Treacherous by Taylor Swift

Lately I'm obsessed with Taylor Swift's album, Red. I know, I know, I'm, like, three years late but better late than never, right? Between 22 (growing up, figuring out who we are and trying to find our place in the "adult" world); and songs like Begin Again or Treacherous (letting go of the past and being vulnerable again) I just relate to it so much lately! Maybe I just needed to grow up to appreciate it?

I spent so much of my life wishing I'd have someone special in it. I can't help it. I'm a hopeless romantic and I love love. I love the feeling of crushing on someone. The butterflies and blushing and feeling a bit little like a shy school girl. I love how vulnerable and raw and transparent it makes me feel

But whenever I find myself crushing on someone I almost instantly find myself wishing I didn't. As much as I love the drama and romance of it all I hate the feeling of helplessness. The waiting and worrying. Waiting for them to call me, to ask me out, etc. The worrying that I'm overreacting and I'm the only one that feels that "spark," that it's not going anywhere further. The vulnerability, rawness and transparency.

It's such conflicting feelings. I guess I just want a safe place to fall. I want a country song love. The kind where I'm just as much the only thing he can think about as he's the only thing I can think about. The kind where he shows up in a pickup truck to drive around with the windows down - and it doesn't matter where to as long as we're together.

But nothing worth having comes without risk, and so the circle starts again.

Outfit details:

shorts - Francesca's :: boots - Francesca's :: sweater - Francesca's :: necklace - Francesca's :: purse - Emma Fox via TJ Maxx :: headband - gift :: lipstick - Wet 'n Wild Mega Last lip color in Cherry Picking

Where the Corn Grows Ten Feet Tall // What I Wore + Meetup with Hannah

Holy posts, Batman! I'm so behind! These pics are from the beginning of July when I drove further into my beloved Wisconsin to meet up with Hannah of The Outfit Repeater! We spent the day thrifting, eating ah-mazing BBQ and taking outfit photos - of course!

Getting to meet online friends for the first time really is one of my favorite things to do - especially if it takes me to towns I've never been to before! Hannah was a total doll to show me around her hometown, and boy oh boy is it adorable! Nestled among farms and ranches, it's seriously one of the best towns I've been to (and did I mention the unbelievable BBQ restaurant she took me to?)

I was trying to be frugal with my money so I didn't buy a whole lot while thrifting, but I did get a frame for my art wall as well as a cute vase for on my dinning room table. After that we went to take some outfit pictures (and Hannah further proved what a doll she is by letting me borrow an SD card since I left mine at home), and then we stopped at Culver's from some much-needed frozen custard before I had to hit the road back home.

I couldn't help but stop at Big Hill Park on my way home though (what can I say? The name intrigued me) which is where the last photo was taken. The park was simply breathtaking and I can't wait to go back sometime and further explore it!

All in all it was a great day. Thanks so much for being my hostess, Hannah! We have to do it again sometime soon!

Outfit details:

jeans - Target :: shoes - target :: top - Francesca's :: sunnies - Francesca's :: purse - Francesca's

Kaleidoscope of Heartbeats // What I Wore + Meetup w/ Bramblewood Fashion

So a couple weeks ago I got a chance to meet up with Ashley and Gabby of Bramblewood Fashion in the beautiful city of Chicago, IL! After work I drove into Chicago and we grabbed Chipotle for dinner before walking to the bean and Navy Pier, which was really fun because I don't get to go into Chicago that often, and I haven't been to the bean or Navy Pier in years.

I was going back and forth for days about what to wear, and I finally ended up with one of my favorite dresses from Francesca's - which isn't actually mine. Haha! My mom bought this dress and I love borrowing it. Come to think of it, though, this outfit is actually made of most of my favorite pieces. Favorite dress; favorite sandals; and my favorite necklace. It's a locket with a heart and Mickey Mouse silhouette. My sister brought it back for me from Disney Disneyland, and I love that it adds a little something without being overwhelming.

Also this is my first post showing off my new tattoo!! It says "be Thou my vision" in it's original Gaelic, and the "t" in "Thou" is a cross! (There's a close up on my Instagram if you're interested.) It turned out better than I could have imagined, and I'm beyond thrilled with it! I'm already planning my next one!

Outfit details:

dress - Francesca's :: shoes - target :: jacket - Francesca's :: necklace - Disneyland :: purse - Emma Fox via T.J. Maxx

Whiskey in a Teacup // What I Wore

How lovely is this bridge?? It's right behind my house and I'm so excited to be able to use it for outfit photos more often.

These photos are from a while ago - last month, actually. I wore this outfit to an important interview, and I was trying to look more adult. Lately I've been feeling like I don't look as mature as I am. I mean, I'm a grown woman with a career and apartment of her own - I ought to look it! But most of the time I feel like I look more like a mature   - not really a bad look, just not what I'm going for. So pointy toed shoes, natural makeup looks, and more minimalist fashion are all quickly becoming staples in my wardrobe.

It's funny though, because this skirt is one of the oldest pieces in my wardrobe. Sometime soon I'm going to do a post of all the different ways I've worn it - there's a lot of them!

Outfit details:

skirt - handmade by me :: denim shirt - Plato's Closet :: shoes - Old Navy :: necklace - Francesca's :: lipstick - Kate Moss for Rimmel London :: bag - Francesca's

Dear Future Husband: Why I'm NOT Waiting for You

Dear future husband,

I remember writing letters to Santa Claus when I was a child (and the easter bunny, and the tooth fairy - what can I say? I had a lot of questions!). I remember that as I started to get older I started to feel like maybe they weren't real. Maybe there was no one on the other end of my letters. I feel very much the same now.

See, this time last year I thought I'd met you. I thought he and I were a match made in heaven and would spend the rest of our lives together. That's when I did something I swore I'd never do: I pinned a lot of my worth on that relationship. More than enough to make me blush when I think back to that time in my life. Then it ended. That was a healthy reminder of how finite our human nature is - and our words.

Things got worse after that, but through it all I felt the strong hand of God in my life. A constant reminder of His love and presence is our lives. He showed me first hand that I have everything I need in Him. So this letter is to explain why I'm not waiting for you.

I've spent most of my short life wondering when my life would "begin." I think somewhere in the back of my head I think I thought that meant meeting you, because when I had my first boyfriend I felt like I had somehow accomplished something. As if I was now magically closer to the life I've always wanted. I woke up six months later with no boyfriend, few friends, and no closer to the life I'd always dreamed of. That's when I realized that maybe this wasn't what God had in store for me - in more ways than one.

I don't think God meant for me to spend my time waiting for you to come into my life - in fact, I don't even know if He has a "you" planned for me! He knows every detail of my life, and if he wanted a significant other in my life at this time, you'd be here now. Since you're not, the only logical assumption is that He has something else laid out for me now, and I don't want to miss it or waste it by pining away for you!

If you're out there I know that God has a fabulous future planned for us, and I know that we'll love each other dearly - but I also know that no one will ever love either of us more than our Heavenly Father. He is more to me than you ever will be, and I hope you can say the same thing about me.

So I'm not waiting for you. I don't think about you when I get dressed and whether or not you'd like what I'm wearing. I don't think about you when I go out shopping, and whether or not this is something we could use in our future house; and I don't think about you when I'm making life decisions. The only opinion that truly matters is God's, so that's what I think about. I think about how I would feel standing before Jesus in my #ootd. I strive to make my home a warm, and welcoming place so that through it I can show His love; and I try to discern God's will for my life in all decisions. I hope you're doing the same.

I hope you're not living or waiting for me, because I know that if we are both focused only on God nothing else matters. It won't matter if you're really out there or not if I'm finding my worth in my Lord and Savior. And if you are out there, everything will happen according to His will as long as we both put Him first in our lives.

If we can serve the Lord better together than we can on our own, I know that will happen. But if we can bring more glory to God singly, then I hope I never meet you. I hope I go on living life as a single woman, doing everything I can to follow in the Lords perfect plan for me. The most important thing to me is that when I get to the pearly gates I am welcomed in as a good, and faithful servant - outside of that nothing else matters, and I hope the same is true of you.

Signed,

Your (maybe) future wife

I Choke on the Sun // What I Wore

Sleep don't visit, so I choke on sun
And the days blur into one
And the backs of my eyes hum with things I've never done

Sheets are swaying from an old clothesline
Like a row of captured ghosts over old dead grass
Was never much but we made the most
Welcome home

~ Welcome Home by Radical Face

I felt like Elizabeth from Delightfully Tacky taking these photos. (Anybody else remember when she used to take a lot of her outfit photos in that really cool alley?) I was super excited when I realized that this alley was right behind my house - for this very reason. I'm always looking for close outfit photo locations, and this place will be  a huge life saver. I already know it. I'm only disappointed that these photos turned out grainy. I have no idea what caused that, but it's very vexing. Oh well! I'll get it next time, I guess.

Kenosha is such a cute town, though - full restaurants, things to do and the of the sweetest spots for photos I can't wait to get out and explore more now that the weather is actually warming up. And while we're on that subject, I can't believe it's already May 21st! Where has this year gone?? I feel like it was just New Years Eve, and now it's already almost summer! I mean,  there are just 50 short days until Bristol Renaissance Faire opens for the season. Eep! I'm so excited. I keep looking at photos from years past and watching Miss Molly's lovely video montage in anticipation. 

What are you most excited for this summer?

Outfit Details:

jeans - Target :: lace tank -Marurice 's :: sweater wrap - Francesca's :: necklace - Francesca's :: boots  - Francesca's :: bag - Francesca's

Our Dear Ocean Town // What I Wore

Goodbye Brielle

Only whispers can tell

Of the sweet dreams that we knew so well

I'll see you around our dear ocean town

~ Brielle by Sky Sailing

Every time I'm down by the harbor I feel as if I've stepped into Anne of Green Gables or a Sky Sailing song. There's something just so romantic and old fashioned about a quaint harbor complete with pathways, lighthouses and piers. 

Needless to say, I'm loving my move. Living on my own has always been a dream of mine, but I never saw how it could be a possibility. The area I grew up in is an interesting one, and there are general two options for housing: cheap housing in less, than ideal neighborhoods (read: "not the safest of places"); or expensive housing in well-to-do towns. Neither are viable choices for a 20-something woman living on her own. Luckily some friends of mine introduced me to how amazing Wisconsin is! For some reason I used to hate the town I currently live in, but after spending a year hanging out in this area with said friends, I realized how totally cool this place is! I honestly don't even remember why I used to dislike it.

On another subject, I apologize for the (terrible) quality of these photos. I'm completely in love with this outfit (this teeshirt quite accurately describes my life!), but I had so many problems getting pictures! First of all, even though it was a very nice day, the lakefront was freezing and windy. In fact, it was so windy it blew my tripod over and sent my poor little baby crashing to the ground. My heart jumped into my throat as I heard the very distinct sound of breaking glass. God was totally with me and my camera, though, because the only thing that broke was the UV protector on the lens! Literally all these photos were taken after there fall with the same camera and lens! I will never, ever use another lens without a UV protector again!

Outfit Details:

skirt - made by me :: graphic tee - Francesca's :: denim jacket - Old Navy :: necklace - gift from Maddie :: shoes - Me Too :: sunnies - Francesca's