Dressing for the King tip # 2

     Hello readers! I just want to start off by thanking you all for reading this blog. I appreciate the fact that I am instilling helpful information to others about how to dress in a modest and royal (ahem...since we are royalty!) way!

     It's March and since Spring will be rolling in soon, I am going to do some Spring Cleaning of my own. It's not the typical Spring Cleaning either ;). I am going au naturel...with my hair that is! "What is she thinking?!" you might be saying. Here's what Google had to say:

1. With no elaborate treatment, dressing, or preparation: "I wear my hair au naturel these days".


2. (humorous) Naked.


*No humor intended here. Don't worry, this is a modest fashion blog and I will continue to stay modest.*
 
    It seems like a lot of people want what they don't have these days. Those with straight hair want curly hair, and those with curly hair want straight. I am culpable of this. I have very curly hair (very unlike the straight hair in my profile picture). I've gone back and forth for awhile. Going from straight to curly and vise versa.  It takes a while to straighten my hair and I've worn my hair curly everyday this week so I thought I'd do Spring cleaning with my hair! I am going au naturel for the month of March! I'm very excited about this because I am wondering if I'll see some changes in my hair (Will it become curlier? Dry differently?).
    I am going to embrace my curls and thank God for giving me the hair I have. I think it is important to love what you have. Whether it's your body, face, skin color, or hair. Beauty is what you let it be. God made each and every one of us in our own special way. He didn't make a mistake when creating us.  I am loving my hair this week and I hope to love it even more by the end of this month.
    I have no idea where all of my curls came from. My mother has straight hair, my father little (if any) wave in his, and my sisters have straight hair. Go figure. Here's mine and my sisters tips and favorites when it comes to hair:

CURLY:

I have used many shampoos and conditioners in my hair and I don't think that it really matters what you use here, but here are the ones I like...

shampoos- (Biolage by Matrix) Deep Smoothing Shampoo (great for frizzy hair!), (by Ouidad) Curl-Quencher-Shampoo

conditioners- (Biolage by Matrix) Deep Smoothing Conditioner (great for frizzy hair!), (by Ouidad) Curl-Quencher-Conditioner

I like to use these products after I get out of the shower. These products go on dry hair...

after shower products- Climate-Control, Curl-Quencher-Gel, Be-Curly-Curl-Enhancer(LOVE THIS! I'm using it now!), Be-Curly-Style-Prep(LOVE!)

drying- I don't like to air dry/towel dry because I don't feel like I have much control over my hair. I prefer to blow dry my hair with a diffuser.

                                       My curly locks

STRAIGHT:

shampoos- TRESemme smoothing shampoo

conditioners- TRESemme smoothing conditioner

pre-drying products- Brilliant-Damage-Control

drying- you can either air dry/towel dry or blow dry.

                        My sister's straight-as a-board-hair

Share your hair tips! Leave a comment below telling me about your hair products, hair type and styling tips!

My Influences

     Hello and Happy Valentines Day! Since today is the day that love is in the air I figured there was no more perfect time to talk about the people that I love most in my life! So, In the spirit of love...

     Growing up my life was pretty good. Luckily I was fortunate enough to grow up in a good home. I'm thankful that my parents are still together, because I can get two very important opinions about my clothing choices. I am SO thankful that I have my grandparents because they mean everything to me, and I talk to them as if they were my parents. 
     When my sister and I were younger, we loved to go to my MawMaw and PawPaw's house. I'm talking L-O-V-E-D!  We always had the best time. We were always busy either in the kitchen baking cakes, shopping (here's where that heart for modest clothing stared to kick in) or going on some fun adventure to somewhere like the Biltmore House, or the Cherokee Reservation in North Carolina. We spent most of the summer with my MawMaw and PawPaw because my parents worked in the summer. 
     I can remember going to Vacation Bible School every week, and always looking forward to the next one. We were always involved in some kind of church function (whether it was our church or not, 'cause that's just how we do it ;). Rest assured we were always a sheep in the Christmas play, or in the choir standing next to MawMaw on Sunday's. 
     I just adore my grandparents. Everything about them is so inspiring to me. I love how big their heart is for the Lord. It certainly makes me more eager to grow in my relationship with my Savior. I can remember having so many conversation with my sweet PawPaw about Jesus, and how amazing He is. I can recall so many prayers prayed at night with my MawMaw. They have shaped me into what I am. Thank you Lord for blessing me with such amazing people!

                                    My Precious PawPaw
                                                               

                                      Lovely MawMaw

     My parents are the bomb-digity! My dad is so cool, and I love to spend time with him! I think it's good to have his perspective on things, especially regarding modesty and clothing. He can give me a males perspective on how clothing affects them. He helps me dress appropriately. My mother is my favorite shopping buddy. When I was in elementary school she would always pick out my clothes, and now I like to help her pick out cute outfits! We both have completely different styles but we do  have one in common: modest. That obviously is the most important. She helps me dress modestly cute! I always ask for my parent's input, because I value their opinion. I love that they love the Lord and that they are helping me along this journey. 

                                      Mommy and Daddy
             (Daddy has lost a ton of weight so he needs a better picture)

    I am incredibly thankful to have such amazing people in my life! I could not go on this journey without their support. They are holding me accountable for modesty, and that makes a world of a difference. 
In case you couldn't guess, my next post is about Being held Accountable! Funsies :) 


Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you all have had a wonderful day and get to end it with your loved ones. Don't forget to love on Jesus. After all he DID give you the best present ever! 

Dressing for the King tip # 1 (plus some exciting news)

 I hope you all are having a great Monday! It's always hard getting back into the weekly routine. This post isn't exactly "on schedule". I just figured I would share with you something exciting that happened over the weekend and give my first Dressing for the King tip!

   Yesterday right before Sunday school, the teacher asked to speak with me. She told me that she had come across my blog that morning before church and she asked me to speak about modesty and read my first blog post, because that was our lesson! How exciting, just one more thing that reassured me! I was a little bit nervous. Not because I'm shy (because I am the farthest thing from that). I had just never really spoken in front of a Sunday school class. So, before class actually started, I found a place to pray quietly and gather my thoughts. I asked God to give me the words He would have me to say and to help me pour my heart out about what modesty means to me. Things went great! There were about 5 girls in there and 3 boys. I got great input for the girls (and the boys too)! (One thing that I loved was that my sweet boyfriend was in there. It's so important to me that he respects my choice to be modest, and that we have the same views. It makes things a LOT easier) I hope this means that I will be doing more speaking upon the Lord's request more often! This is a bonus! The Lord laid so many other things on my heart, and I cannot wait to talk about them!

   Alright, Here's Dressing for the King tip # uno : Scarfs 

I don't know about you, but I <3 scarves! There are so many types and colors! Today I wore a scarf because it was a little bit chilly. Scarves are great because they can be used to help keep you outfit modest! If you have a scoop neck shirt that is still revealing - with a camisole (please be sure to try this first, because most likely it will fix your wardrobe malfunction ;) - cover up cleavage with a cute scarf! Scarves can also be an adorable way to keep your britches pulled up. You could always go with a belt, but why not change it up? :)

Here are some of my favorite scarves! 

     Fun winter scarves! These are great because they are thick and warm!

My "all the time" scarves. I wear these in the winter, spring, summer, and fall! 

Remember to Dress for the King. I promise my next post will be the right one! :)

My Biggest Step of Faith

   Last year my Literature teacher announced that my class would be writing a Laws of Life Essay. We would base our essay off of a quote that we believed lived by. The quote I chose was very meaningful to me at the time (and still is) because it was tied to something the Lord had been helping me to understand that year. The quote said that beauty came from within. Learning that God's children held inner beauty (that was far more important than worldly beauty) was the first "BIG" lesson He had taught me. I was so passionate about my inner, God given beauty, that I just had to share it in my essay. I ended up winning first place for my essay, and I trust that it was only because I was doing something the Lord wanted me to do. 

   ...Fast forward 2-3 months ago. It was time for lesson #2. Modesty. I knew that this would be something that the Lord wanted me to pursue. I just didn't know how. I prayed, and prayed, asking for guidance. Finally He got my attention.  I kept coming across scriptures relating to modesty, and how we females should represent ourselves. I was not only paying attention to how I dressed but especially how other girls dressed. WOW. Then, just this week I posted a status on FB saying: "Cute and adorable outfits that are modest and conservative make me feel SO good about myself! There is a way to be fashionable AND appropriate! Yay me!". After all of the positive feedback I knew something was about to happen. The Thursday of that same week my Literature teacher for this school year informed the class that we were doing...a Laws of Life Essay! (secret party inside of my brain) HELLO!!! For me this was HUGE! I felt like this was the conformation that I had be waiting for. 

   So because God was faithful to me I will be obedient to Him. Do you know how AMAZING it feels to know that you are doing something for the glory of God through your life!? It's awesome! This is the beginning of lesson #2, and hopefully the trigger to many more lessons. Be modest and dress for your King, and know that YOU are beautiful, because the Creator declares it! 

Here is my Laws of Life Essay: (I'll be using it again for this year's entry, but I'll be making many changes to it! ENJOY!)

“I sincerely feel that beauty largely comes from within.” – Christy Turlington

   My Law of life has just recently become severely important to me. In high school, it’s very obvious that if you can get someone’s attention – especially a boy’s – you’re good for something, or at least you think you are. Girls in this age and time are so naïve and have such a low level of self-respect, it’s sad. I chose this law of life because I want girls to realize they don’t have to try so hard and that they are worth so much more than they let the world determine.

Beauty is way more than a pretty face, a nice figure, and good features. Beauty is not about assets, it’s about self-worth. Girls need to realize that they are worth something, and that their actions play a big role in determining that self-worth. They need to see that they are beautiful. Makeup ads, super model magazines, or fashion billboards should not determine someone’s beauty. 

   With the change to high school and my growing relationship with God, my spectrum of “beauty” has certainly changed. Before high school I thought beauty was what you saw in magazines. The ‘glamorous’ models were the pretty ones, not normal girls like me. Then it changed again at church. I had a revelation from God. He showed me beauty was far beyond what we can see. Most of the beautiful things in life, we tend to overlook. The trees, and flowers, even the bees are beautiful. Everything God made is beautiful, and God made me; therefore I am beautiful. I learned beauty should be discovered from the inside out, rather from the outside in. I sincerely feel that beauty largely comes from within.

    For a while, I had a good grasp on beauty.

Beauty pushed itself back into my head when I came to high school. The girls in high school – most of them – don’t have self-respect. They wear shirts that are too revealing, do things their mom’s would kill them for. They have awful mouths, and a pretty bad sense of right from wrong. The way we girls show ourselves to the world each day, does not go unnoticed. If we show ourselves in a negative way, we get the response we're asking for. Boys will lust, and lose all respect they had for us, teachers will talk, and of course girls will gossip. If a boy lusts after a girl, she might be using her beauty for the wrong reasons. Many people don’t realize that beauty is a very powerful thing, and it should not be used as a weapon. However, some girls use their external beauty to get things they desire, or to make them feel less insecure about themselves.

   I know how feminist this may make me sound, but I think the marketing side of the world is to blame for most female insecurities. I believe we have let racy television shows, crude lyrics, and flashy female commercials dictate the stature of the girls, and women on this planet. People become so dependent on what the world says, that we don’t know the real meaning of beauty anymore. I want girls to see their true beauty. So, as a girl – who will soon be a woman in this ever-changing society – I’m making a vow to myself and to God, that I am beautiful. I will not let the ways of this world determine my ‘rank’ or my appearance. I want to be a beautiful person on the inside because to me, that matters the most. I believe that once you learn how beautiful you are on the inside, your internal beauty will shine through to the outside. I sincerely feel that beauty largely comes from within. 

   Being a beautiful person counts a lot more than having a beautiful face does. The way the world thinks of beauty isn’t going to cut it for me. Every girl holds her own significant beauty, and every girl is beautiful in her own way. We are good for something, and we do not need to lower our standards to the world’s liking. Beauty is what you let it be. I’m going to let my beauty shine through to the world because beauty largely comes from within.

                CHECK BACK SOON FOR POST #2: My Influences