Introspection and Thanks

This summer has been so strange, traveling at a snail's pace one moment and blurring past the next.  The last 5 or 6 days (seriously, it's already Wednesday!?) went by like light speed and I'm floundering a bit to process it all.  Even excitement and joy need to be sorted.

I thrive on rumination, introspection and processing my feelings and thoughts-- A pensive stance is home base for me, so when things happen rapidly in succession (though I enjoy it), I need the time to sort it all out within myself.  Which is perhaps why I write.

Big time praise is in order for #sandblast14 and the way God showed himself (as always) to be thoroughly trustworthy.  The weekend was equal parts wonderful and exhausting, lived alongside amazing and authentic individuals and feeling the Spirit move deeply. I walked in partially blind on Friday, but it's become increasingly clear since, how necessary the rock and hard place circumstances of the past few months of my life have been to the plans God had for Sandblast concerning me.  Which is why I say again, my favorite times of life are when I literally have no choice in the matter.  When options don't exist and straight ahead is all there is, at least I'm going the right way.

Usually, coming home from these things is somewhat hard because of the shocking disconnection from constant community.  This year, I found that not a problem at all!  Even my first day back was relationally and spiritually full-- coffee with a newer friend who understands my depths and later, dinner with a good friend who has helped me to laugh and pursue action in life.  I could not be more thankful for being right where I am.

Father, I can't praise, thank or worship you enough.  You've taken the broken shell of a girl I once was (and occasionally still am) and reformed her-- into me, the real, joyful, confident, vivid person you created me to be.  Sometimes I'm just completely awed by the amount of healing you have done in my heart, and the work you are allowing my hands to do.  So, so blessed.

Details

{top} - Thrifted

{skort} - vintage 60's, for sale at Curio!

{sandals} - Seychelles

Whirlwind + Jeans

Wow, what a week-- what a month really.

I feel like I have been fully swept into a whirlwind sometimes.  I have always had a low threshold for busyness, and iron boundaries to boot, so this feeling is a new one to me.  Funny enough, it's all good things that are filling my time-- just more than I've balanced before.  This figurative wind has brought with it some literal chill in the past couple days too, so Autumn is feeling quite real (and strange).

Speaking of strange, I wore jeans on Friday! I actually quite like to wear jeans for a change now and then, though I do it seldom enough that the people in my life usually remark when I do.

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{dark wash jeans} - True Religion

{peach top} - thrifted

{cashmere sweater} - vintage 50's, thrifted

{sandal flats} - Modcloth

{green bead necklace} - vintage, gift

{silver watch} - antique, thrifted

Citrus Floral

It's been a little over a week since I last posted an I feel like so much has happened, mostly positive.  Sandblast was wonderful-- it's a camp for the high school kids at my church, but it was so spiritually nourishing for me as well.  I've realize lately how much my involvement in youth ministry keeps me on my toes, even just as a volunteer small group leader.  Through the teaching and worship of course, but also through the thoughts and questions that my small group girls express.

Maybe it has something to do with attending a month of sleep away camp every summer growing up, but I love the camp environment.  I'd seriously live that way if I could.  Funny enough, but I think Sandblast challenged me socially this year too-- I'm pretty standoff-ish and awkward in large group settings, but last weekend I surprised myself by being much more open and amiable.  I have no idea how that happened, but I've been praying for God to continue to thaw and sweep me up in His plans.

Ugh, there is so much more to speak of in the past week!  I'll have to save it for another post though, so this one doesn't become a novel. :)

This dress is one of my summer favorites, I wear it as much as possible (probably too much) in the warm months because I just haven't found it to be wearable in the Winter.  I'm generally not a fan of "fashion rules" about when and how things must be worn-- I wear most of my dresses year round, albeit styled differently for the current season.  This is not one of those dresses.  Come September, I'll pack it and a couple other "summer only" dresses away, and unpack my few "winter only" ones.

Hmm, though maybe if I had a rust hued pair of sweater tights...?  :)

{Dress} - vintage 60's, thrifted

{Bag} - vintage, shop stock

{Necklace} - gift from Mom

{Flats} - Modcloth

Stepping Stones

Maybe I'm unobservant for not realizing how beautiful these flowers near my front door would turn out to be, but woah!  It's funny that at the start of this blog, using my front door as a backdrop for outfits was a last resort.  I wanted on location and adventure-- still things I like, but how wonderful to see the seasonal progress in this humble little spot in my world.

Life has been interesting of late, full of unexpected ups and downs-- some exiting, some sad.  These pictures are from Sunday but things have just been too busy to post until now!  Lately God has been teaching me the value of building everything I do (not just myself) on His firm foundation.  One of the aforementioned recent changes is an internship I'll be starting in August with a company that I love!  It's a perfect example of something I feel strongly about giving to God.  After many years of being unsure of my future and feeling stuck, one by one God gave me a trail of stepping stones-- beginning small and seemingly random, growing larger as they went.  Some of those stones were not places I desired to be, but I trusted my God and endured until another door was opened for me.  This internship is a place I do desire to be!  It would be so easy for me to make it about myself and my own progress, and forget who led me here.  I want to be very intentional about that as I begin in a few weeks, planting my feet firmly on the Rock and being His hands and feet to those around me.  If you're interested in where the inspiration for these thoughts came from, check out Luke 6:46-49.

P.S.- This dress is shorts...right? Yep.

P.S.S - My henna tattoo is complete! I'll share it in my next post!

{Seersucker Romper/Dress} - 40's Vintage via Moxie

{Red Belt} - 50's Vintage thrifted

{Flats} - Modcloth

{Gold Lockett} - Grandmother's

Silver + Gold

Oh, what a weekend!  The past two days have been packed full of people I love!  I throughly enjoyed it, but my introverted self is pretty tuckered out at this point.  Saturday morning I got to meet with three of my dearest friends for our bi-weekly small group at one of my favorite local coffee shops.  That meeting every other Saturday is something I always look forward to, it's such a great source of community and mutual acceptance, laughter and accountability.  Lovlier lady friends I could not ask for. :)

Saturday afternoon, I attended a wedding and spent the evening catching up with some dear old friends.  My two best childhood friends, their families and other old neighbors.  Stories were told, photographs shown and life stories updated.  Haha, my Saturday reminds me of a song we used to sing in Girlscouts (yes, I was one): "Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold".  True words.

And of course, today was Mother's Day, which I had the opportunity to spend with my Mom!   This morning, we headed to the city for brunch at The Publican-- partially because of the great food, and partially to visit my brother who works across the street at PQM.  Afterwards, we headed to one of our favorite local antique markets and spent the afternoon browsing.  I have the most wonderful Mother, I truly don't know where I'd be without her loving, selfless, patient presence in my life.  Don't get me wrong, we have our ups and downs.  We are both flawed people, and very different individuals but I respect and love her with all my heart.

Happy Mother's Day!

{Skirt} - Vintage 40's, thrifted
{Blouse} - ? From high school
{Cardigan} - Vintage 50's, thrifted
{Tights} - Target
{Oxfords} - Zappos
{Necklace} - Seven Finches