A Pop of Color

Happy Wednesday! Sometimes you just need a bright lip and statement necklace to lighten up the week! Love a bold skirt and basic top for work and play. 

Similar patterned skirt from Zara here. Also really like this skirt option or something like this. Black T-Shirt found here. Love this black blazer. Cool necklace. This necklace works great for most outfits. Another interesting necklace option. 

Everyday Outfit

The end of April in Chicago has been COLD. Unseasonably cold and rainy. Not the most pleasant atmosphere, so it has left me resorting back to just some comfy basics. When all else fails and it feels icky outside, you can never go wrong with some black skinny jeans and a flannel shirt. Great option for a flannel shirt here. Black skinny jeans here. Leopard print flats without the gold toe here also love these. Black wrap sweater from Akira, unavailable online but similar here and love this option. 

Fingers crossed for some more beautiful weather soon! 

Let It Be Jesus

“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13 NIV.

I stumbled upon this verse yesterday and it hit me like no other. This may be one of my favorite verses in the Bible. Everything about it just makes me want to scream YES. I literally feel like I have been sucker punched after reading it. My throat gets tight. I get completely emotionally overwhelmed reading it and suddenly want to ugly cry.

Same for you? Oh, no? Ok well I am probably just a better Christian than you then.

Glad we cleared that one up.

No, but seriously back to the word of God. We can tally our ‘better Christian’ points up later.

This one hits me. Hard. Every single word cuts deep into my heart. Peter and John were ORDINARY men. Yet, they were blowing people away with their courage that could only come from JESUS. These men had BEEN WITH JESUS.

Guys.this.is.us.

Literally everything in this verse happens every single day in every single one of our ordinary lives. The great, jaw dropping moments of unexplainable selflessness that cause people to gasp are only possible because you had been with Jesus. He is the reason for all greatness and generosity in our lives, He is so good and when glorified in us ASTONISHES others.

The only good in me comes from having been with Jesus. My greatest moments of courage only happen because of JESUS. He is the source of all beauty and goodness, which He so graciously sows in our own lives.

May we spend time enamored, overwhelmed completely in awe of Jesus. May He always become greater and I become less. May our lives be so filled with the truth of Jesus that you literally leave others astonished, jaws dropped at JESUS. 

Alive and Free Out on ITunes Today

Alive and Free is out on ITunes TODAY! Head over to ITunes to pick up your own copy-click here. This past December Matt spent a week at the INDYCC conference for Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU) where they recorded a live worship album with 3,000 college students on New Year's Eve. My very favorite song that Matt wrote is 'Praise Our God'. You can watch the video from the conference of 'Praise Our God' here. I realize that I am probably a little bit subconsciously biased about this, but at the same time I feel like I am objective enough to really honestly say this album is amazing. Not just amazing because my fiance made it but actually amazing in the best sense that the songs move you into honest moments of worship. The first two songs are my favorite, also because Matt wrote them, so that's probably the biased portion of this post. Getting to see how hard he has worked on this whole project just makes it that much more special and the finished product really reflects just that. There are so many worship songs that get played over and over again, and this album really brings something different to the table. I la la love it. 

^^ Pick up your own copy from Itunes :) And if you would like to book the Matt McCoy Band for your own event email booking@mattmccoymusic.com

Comings and Goings

I am obsessed with sprinkles. They just make everything better. And I mean everything. Until April 30th, Sprinkles has its own limited edition Sprinkle Cupcake to celebrate its anniversary! (Unfortunately, I can't exactly remember what anniversary it is celebrating... is it the 10th or 20th? Oy. I don't know. Thank goodness I have a better time remembering my own anniversary.) Matt alerted me to this amazing news and then we immediately rushed over to get one. I mean you can only eat so much kale. The cupcake was amazing even more beautiful in real life. It was like a burst of funfetti perfection. Is it weird that I am this excited about a cupcake? Probably. 

^^ Morning walks through the suburbs 

^^ Such a fun night catching up with old friends (notice the kale... kale to cupcake..) 

 ^^ In the suburbs the magnolia trees are in full bloom, and it is completely amazing. They are the most beautiful trees you will ever see. I could not stop looking at them and just being completely obsessed with the pink light they give off. 

 ^^ No trip to Hinsdale is complete without a stop at Toni Marie's. The sweetest little treats. 

 ^^ The most handsome guy in the entire world with or without shoes. 

^^ Sometimes you just need to lie down in the middle of a suburban tennis court for a little quiet time. 

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend full of little treats! :) 

Favorites from the ASOS Sale

I went through the ASOS sale so that you do not have to! The following are adorable items that you can get for up to 70% off the original sale price....

This off the shoulder bohemian mid dress.

This trapeze blue and white option

This skater dress with embroidery

This red satin dress.

This red off the shoulder number. 

Umm I am completely obsessed with this. 

This bright yellow one. 

This dress is so much fun. 

I was obsessed with this dress but it was too expensive, now its half the price! 

Interesting option. 

Great option for a wedding. 

Love me a good maxi. 

Enjoy! :) xoxo

FOMO

This past weekend I got to spend some time with a few of my good friends, one engaged and the others in very serious relationships. We got to talking about our paths to our relationships and interestingly enough one major theme stuck out- before we had met this significant other person we had stepped off the social butterfly track and had become really comfortable spending nights at home alone.

The story was pretty similar for every one of us. Each of us had our time being young and new to the city. The beginning entailed lots of nights out meeting new people and going to every event that you had been invited to. Then, after the initial newness of this phase wore off, dissatisfaction began to creep in.

Our circles got smaller.

We stopped going to every huge party. We no longer wanted to attend everything and anything. Missing one of the seven, hundred person Christmas parties did not incite the same type of fear it used to. Suddenly, we were choosing to spend a Friday night in reading or working on something we enjoyed because we wanted to.

We left the stage of FOMO (fear of missing out), stopped caring whether we were seen at these events, and stayed home.

… And it was at this point in the story that we met that special person.

Looking back, this should not be surprising. We all matured enough to value actual relationships instead of just being out and about in the city. Being in a relationship requires a lot of missing out. Choosing to be with one person means that you have chosen to step away from all the other options you potentially could have.  It means sometimes missing out on things we want to do in exchange for being there for your partner.

Chose anything and it means you will miss out.

God knows our hearts so deeply that I truly believe He did not bless me with the gift of Matt until He knew that I could make sacrificial decisions. I think He needed to know that my heart was no longer to be in Chicago Social and was ready for the less glamorous but more life giving option that we are actually created for.

Choosing to be in true life giving relationships romantically or otherwise often requires missing out on potentially fun things in exchange for your attention and dedication to that person. It is the Gospel in play. Jesus didn’t use his influence to garner attention on the Corinth social scene. He died on a cross for you and me. He did not have to. He chose to. He missed out on a lot for you and I.

Actual relationships require stepping away from the excitement of what might be, into the beautiful deepness of what is. 

You say no to a whole lot of nothing to say yes to what actually matters and find that you missed out on nothing. 

Recently

This past weekend was packed full of activities. I went to Southport Grocer for the very first time and it was totally worth the wait. There is nothing better than breakfast- brunch especially.  I love how Southport Grocer sells the cutest little bottles of champagne. Plus I am mildly obsessed with the big beautiful wooden table. 

 ^^ I got the Chorizo bowl which was amazing!

^^ time spent outside on the balcony after being stuck inside for far too long. 

 ^^ The twilight hour= the best hour 

 ^^ No one works harder than this guy. 

^^ the most beautiful place in the whole wide world. 

 ^^ Celebrating Lindsey at her Bachelorette party! So much fun! Dinner and drinks at Kan Zaman. 

^^ #girlz

 ^^ Spring means that after work I get to actually see the sunset! Yay for more hours of sunlight! 

^^ my little corner of the world. 

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend out in the beautiful weather :) 

Good Skin from the Inside Out

I have gotten mildly obsessed with how what we consume affects us from the inside out. Logically it just makes sense that what you eat affects your skin and the overall health of your body. In any free time, you will probably see me googling what foods help fight cancer and are anti-aging. The research says that what you eat is just as important as any fancy cream you might buy. Prevention is always better than treatment. Cut out most processed food, pay extra money for the real stuff and fill up on lots of greens to stay healthy with beautiful skin. 

Eat these foods to fight inflammation and wrinkles: 

• Olive Oil- contains antioxidant polyphenols that fight harmful free radicals, research shows that people who had more olive oil in their diets had 31% fewer signs of aging
• Sardines- High in Omega3s, especially the Omega3 DHA which fights inflammation to keep your skin clear 
• Green Tea- high in EGCG an antioxidant that helps keep the skin healthy, research shows that people who drink a cup of green tea for 12 weeks had more elastic and smooth skin than the control group (Journal of Nutrition study done in 2011). The EGCC also helps reduce redness in the skin. I swear I notice a visible difference when a cup of hot green tea a day for a week. 
• Kale- 1 cup has 134% and 133% of the skin firming nutrients Vitamin C and A, great source of lutein which fights damaging free radicals 
• Oysters- contain tons of Zinc which helps skin cells function and grow 
• Kiwis- tons of Vitamin C, 120% of your daily needs in just one kiwi, which stimulates collagen production producing less dryness and wrinkles 
• Eggs- tons of protein for cell growth with very little fat 
• Sunflower seeds- tons of Vitamin E which helps fight off the inflammation that leads to acne and helps enhance your immune system. I also try and take a Vitamin E supplement which I swear makes a visible difference. 
• Carrots- the beta-carotene in carrots naturally flushes your skin 
• Greek Yogurt- must be low in sugar and high in protein. The high protein in greek yogurt helps the firmness of skin cells. The probiotics in greek yogurt also contribute to the detoxification of your gut and body which helps rid the skin of harmful toxins. 

Harmful for the skin- 

• Dairy- causes inflammation, switch to almond milk instead
• Sugar- high blood sugar levels cause the sugar to attach to the collagen in the skin causing it to sag. Eating foods with low glycemic levels (like oatmeal, beans, chick peas, etc.) help regulate hormone levels and fight inflammation. 
• Fat- higher fat diets have higher association with aging skin. According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a 17-gram increase in fat intake increased your odds of developing wrinkles by 28%. 

Bottomline- You need to get enough of the following nutrients in your diet- 

• Vitamin C - kiwis. blueberries, broccoli, oranges, strawberries, etc. 
• Vitamin E- almonds, avocados, sunflower seeds, etc. 
• Vitamin A- carrots, pumpkin, etc. 
• Omega-3s- salmon, flaxseed oil, walnuts, etc. 
• Zinc- fish, nuts, seeds, oysters, etc. 

And if all else fails have you heard of the beauty trick Kate Moss and the Victoria Secret Super Models swear by when they need a little extra skin boost? It is surprisingly simple and cheap..... Place a bag of ice over your face first thing in the morning for a few minutes. Fights swelling, redness and inflammation. Strange but it works! 

Pinning

^^ for more photos and outfit posts, follow the Wonder & Awe board on my Pinterest. 

I have gotten very confused by the new promotional Pinterest posts! Bottomline- they are the worst and have left me having to go back to the Pinterest boards that I want to see. 

There are a few people that I go back to time and time again like always always always Camille Styles. 

My girl obsession Sarah Tucker and Krystal Schlegel. 

As well as Lauren Nelson and for some more home inspiration and interiors Lonny Magazine and my mom! 

My favorite wedding Pinterest account is easily Stone Fox Bride. 

What are some Pinterest boards that you come back to time and time again? 

Follow me here. 

xoxoxo

For Such a Time as This

Matt and I have been going through some premarital counseling courses which have been amazing. In the middle of one of the courses,  Paul Tripp talks about how your marriage will be made up of the little moments. Sure there will be some big make it or break it decisions, but mostly it will consist in the little day-to-day interactions. The truth in that statement totally struck me.  

The little daily interactions are the legacy you and I leave behind. How I behave in the day to day. How well I make you feel loved. How interested I am in your life as opposed to mine. How much daily courtesy , kindness and grace I give in the mundane. How well I choose to be kind and extend grace when you hurt me.

I have always loved the story of Esther and the famous verse- “And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

The story is glamorous.

God exalts a beautiful obedient girl to a position of power to provide deliverance for the Jews. Esther has power and prestige and courageously steps out for God, risking her own comfort. Her destiny is dictated by that single moment of obedience, which leads to dramatic, visible results.

I guess I always wanted to be like Esther. To have my legacy determined by one single life changing decision that yielded immediate return.

 Certainly there will be many people whose legacies will be determined by a single moment of obedience. God will work major miracles through some in that way. However, for the majority of us, one moment of obedience will not lead to the freedom of a group of people.

We are called to humble ourselves in the day-to-day comings and goings of life, in many moments where the obedience will produce no visible glamorous results. Every time I choose to see the lovely in the unlovely or not strike back when hurt, the result will not be the freedom of a people group.

The reality of an obedient life and marriage made up of those daily grace-filled interactions is far less glamorous than the glamour queen in me would like to imagine it would be. Less glamorous but also more lovely.  Our lives will be determined by our day-to-day interactions. 

In God’s economy the weak are the strong. The mundane is the pivotal. The small is the big. 

The momentary is the lasting.

‘For such a time as this’ is not a singular moment but the everyday.

Backwards is forwards, the unimportant is the important. 

The momentary is the lasting. 

Little Pick Me Ups

You know when you just have one of those days when life feels super overwhelming and you just want to lie in the fetal position and never uncurl...? Hopefully those days are more the exception than the norm for you, but sometimes life just dishes out really hard seasons and you need to do everything you can to find little joys to get by. 

Thank goodness I am not currently in one of those life stages (see post about getting engaged to my soul mate in a hot air balloon) but last summer while studying for the Bar Exam and basically living as a hermit in the library, the highlight of my life was going to Pinkberry (chocolate hazelnut, raspberries, coconut thank you very much) and then running along the lake where I got oddly obsessed with taking pictures of clouds. My daily routine was go to BarBri, study in the library, come home run along the lake, and obsessively look for amazing sunsets to take pictures of. My life was totally bleak and amazing all at the same time. When life hands you one of those tough seasons you are forced to find little joys to look forward to. My life as a law student really was the best training for this skill. 

You need some little joys that make the everyday feel slightly indulgent and like you are on vacation. The following are some of my favorites- 

• Taking a walk along the lakefront with a friend 

• Grabbing a glass of wine at Eataly 

• Getting fresh flowers, peonies to be exact 

• Documenting sunsets and various ahhhmazing sky colors 

• Watching an episode of New Girl or Duck Dynasty and giggling 

• Flipping through new magazines while lighting a really good new candle

• Journaling and rewriting scripture until it begins to feel like it's sinking into your soul 

• Painting your nails a bright color

• Using brightly colored sprinkles on anything and everything 

• Trying on fun new shade of lipstick 

• Writing a letter on beautiful stationary 

• Browsing, one of my favorite places in the entire world, the Papersource, and its Lakeview equivalent Inkling.  

• Grabbing a cupcake at Sprinkles 

• Getting a blow out, a really fun braid done, or your nails painted 

• Taking a yoga class 

• Baking cookies for a friend

• and last but not least, the cure all of all cure alls, going to Pinkberry 

Seeing this list seriously just reminds me how fun life is and how much I want to do all of these things right now! 

 What are some of your favorite little joyful every day activities? 

Off the Shoulder Dresses

I have somewhat of what you could call an addictive personality, meaning when I really love something I can't get enough of it. I listen to songs I love on repeat for months. Any other normal person would get sick of hearing the same song or switch it up a little bit and listen to something else every now and then. Not me. I listen to the exact.same.song. The same thing with clothes. I find one trend that I really love and begin wearing the same thing constantly. Flashback to the stretchy fabric dresses from Artizia. I wore those on repeat. Flashback to my favorite t-shirts. Repeat, different colors same shirt. Right now I am mildly obsessed with off the shoulder everything. Dresses. Shirts. Whatever. You name it, if it is off the shoulder I want it right now. 

Literally every single one of these dresses I want. They are just so sweet and adorable! 

This printed flower option. 

This Bohemian printed option.  

This simple cinched waist option. 

This white crochet option. 

This blue or white floral lace option. 

This bright red perfect for a wedding option. 

........But seriously I could probably keep going forever! They are just so feminine, flattering and sweet. 

Pick one up for this Spring.... and hopefully we will not be wearing the same one!