A Texan Odyssey

Sweater (TJMAXX) Jeans ( TJMAXX ) Sandals (Marshalls) Necklace ( JewelMint ) Watch ( Fossil ) It's the first of November, but that doesn't mean much here in Texas. It's still warm and dressing in lovely layered fall clothes is not an option. (It's definitely NOT sweater weather !) Enter the warm weather sweater...appropriate for fall without making you sweat. Love it! (I linked similar jeans, but mine were $20 not $70!)

Dress & Sandals (TJMAXX) Plaid Shirt (Target) Purse (Ross) ...is a no no, but a sweater dress that is as comfortable as pajamas is perfectly fine! I found this one on clearance at TJMAXX recently and know I'll get a lot of use out of it this fall and winter. The above pics are from last Saturday for some errands and park time with the family, and the one below is from Sunday before church. It was a lovely weekend, despite all of us still having the sniffles. We got groceries after church, picked up lunch, and then settled in to watch the latest Doctor Who episode. (Still waiting for this season to pick up a bit...) Sean's allowed to play games on the weekend so Ryan got him set up on the computer and I got Connor down for a nap and then we enjoyed our mini date together. With iced coffee and snacks of course! Oh and speaking of snacks, I'm still trying to get back into better eating habits, I've made some progress but I'm not where I'd like to be yet....

 Shirt & Shorts (Old Navy) Boots (Marshalls) Watch ( Fossil ) I've been feeling pretty frazzled lately, especially after a weekend spent at home with a sick baby (just a cold thankfully), and then getting sick myself. Lack of sleep and falling back into poor eating habits don't help either. (Like that scone pictured above!) I've gained some weight back and that sends me into a cycle of feeling bad about myself and then eating sweets to feel better, and then feeling like a failure for not having better self-control. I need to pray for strength to do what's right for my health instead of giving into the momentary pleasure of junk food. I know I feel better and have more energy when I follow a paleo diet, but I keep slipping up and vowing to "do better tomorrow." Last week I made cookies and strawberry cobbler for the family, and today it was a toddler on a nap strike that drove me to sweets. Ryan rescued us from cabin fever after work and we went ...

Dress ( Target ) Bag (Target) Sandals (Ross) Watch ( Fossil ) I bought this dress a few months ago and finally got around to wearing it last Sunday to church with the family and then out to lunch afterwards. We put Connor down for a nap when we got home and Sean had already changed into his "soft shorts" (what he calls his comfy exercise shorts) so it was just me for the pics. I think I'll like this outfit more when it's cooler out and I can do some layering with it. Anyway, obligatory mention of fall...my DIY autumn wreath is up again. I did wait until September 1st to put it up, even if fall doesn't officially start until the 23rd (according to google).  Fall in south Texas comes even later, but when you're inside (with the a/c on!) you can fake the feeling of fall with nice scented candles, hot chocolate for the boys and maybe a pumpkin here or there.  Linking up again with the lovely Adri and Jessica from  Adri Lately...

Tee and Shorts (Old Navy) Sandals (Target) Bag (Gift) Watch (Fossil) Sunglasses (Kohl's) You know it's been hot lately when you step out into 96 degree weather and think it feels cool! The Texan temps lately have been at least 10 degrees higher than that so today was a nice reprieve. I didn't bother with any extra layers though! A soft tee and my trusty four year old denim shorts were just the thing to stay cool and comfortable while grabbing lunch with the family and running some errands. Next on the agenda is to hit up the pool when the baby wakes up! Enjoy your weekend y'all! Oh and I'm linking up to Adri Lately and Jeans and a Teacup with Flashback Fashion Fridays (a day late, oops)! Around this time four years ago I posted this outfit! It's certainly a lot more feminine than today's sporty look! (Linking up to  The Stylish Housewife  and  The Pleated Poppy )

V: Dress (TJMAXX) Sandals (Ross) Bracelets (Loft) S: Top (Gift) Pants (Target) Shoes (Target) C: Romper (Carter's) Shoes (Marshalls) Last Sunday was Sean's 5th birthday! We celebrated with family and friends on Saturday and had lots of fun! I'll put up a post soon with pics from his party. If you want mediocre ideas for a robot lego party...check back later this week! Hah! We wore these outfits to church on Sunday. Well, Sean and I did, Connor was still napping when it was time to leave so Ryan stayed home with him. Sean's been staying in the service since children's church is out for the summer, but we survived with plenty of crayons and activity books. After church we ran to Target to spend Sean's birthday money! He picked this lego set (his first big kid set) and we've been enjoying putting the different creatures together. I broke a nail trying to get two pieces apart though! A lego brick separator has already been ordered to prevent that ...

Top (Ross) Skirt ( Marshalls) Sandals (Marshalls) Watch ( Fossil ) I can't decide if this outfit is cute or cutesy. The former is definitely preferred over the latter! I'll be 30 next year (eek!) and I wondered if the silhouette of the skirt is too young. Ryan said it was fine though so I wore it and I think I agree with him after seeing the pictures. We took these today when the boys were at my Mom's house for the afternoon. It was heavenly to get a long date with Ryan! Since we already finished our whole 30 we chose sushi for lunch and picked up some ice cream too. It was like being reunited with a good friend. ;) We're pretty stoked with the outcome of our second whole 30, ten pounds down for me and fifteen for Ryan. I'm back in the 140's and pretty darn close to my goal weight! (I'm 5'10" and would like to get back down to 135, which is what I was when I got married almost 8 years ago.) If we keep the ice cream to a minimum I'm sure I...

   V: Shirt (Marshalls)   Shorts (Marshalls) Sandals (Marshalls) Watch (Fossil) S: Shirt & Shorts (Kohl's) Flip Flops (Old Navy) C: Shirt & Shorts (Carter's) Sandals (Marshalls) Oh that baby! Love his little surprised expression in the top picture! Ryan had an extra day off last week so we took advantage of the time and went out to eat together. We picked up coffee (black) and iced passionfruit tea from Starbucks (whole 30 compliant!) and then ate at Taco Palenque while the kids played on the playground. Ryan and I stuck to fajitas/onions/guacamole and the kids had beans, rice and tortillas too. It's not that hard to stick with the plan while eating out! We also ran downtown for some errands and stopped by my Mom's too. It was a nice day off!  I'm really liking my new Franco Sarto sandals with their little bit of wedge heel - just enough to feel a little more put-together than just with flats! ( similar ) I found them the other day along with th...

 V: Top (TJMAXX) Shorts (Marshalls) Sandals (Ross) Watch (Fossil) Shades (Target) S: Shirt & Shorts (Old Navy) Flip Flops (Payless) C: Onesie & Shortalls ( Osh Kosh ) Shoes (Payless) Happy Fourth of July! We had a lovely time at the family BBQ and enjoyed grilled chicken and salad with watermelon and grapes for dessert. There was corn on the cob, pork and beans, and cheesecake for the birthday girls, (which looked amaaazing) but Ryan and I are doing another Whole 30 this month so we avoided those. After lunch we dropped the boys off at my Mom's and ran a few errands and drove around and talked. I love spending time with my man! It was sad to not be able to pick up lattes like we usually do on dates though! I miss dairy! ( Whole 30 eliminates dairy, sugar, grains, and legumes for 30 days FYI.) We started on June 29th and are considering doing 60 days...we'll see! Anyway, back to my recap, we couldn't let the day go by without some sparklers, so we pulled some...

V: Tank & Shorts (Old Navy) Shirt (Target) Espadrilles (TJMAXX) Bag (Marshalls) S: Shirt ( Carters ) Shorts (Gift) Shoes ( Target ) We snapped these on the way out the door to go get some lunch sometime in May. All of June passed without any outfit pics, oops! I'd like to try to do a few outfit posts in the month of July because I really feel stuck in a rut concerning clothing. I need to put some more effort into what looks good and what works for my body type. That last picture makes me smile because Sean is staring at his shoes in an attempt to look like a fashion blogger! Silly boy! He somehow lost his lizard shirt when we went to the beach and he has requested that we go back to the store to buy another one. He knows what he likes! Have a great 4th of July weekend everyone! -Val (Linking up to  The Pleated Poppy )

V: Old Navy dress and sweater (old), Gap sandals (old) S: Old Navy shirt (current), Target shoes Baby C: Old Navy shirt (current) My sister-in-law graduated from college last Friday! We're so proud of her! We enjoyed her graduation party and snapped a few pics when we got back home.  I went to Old Navy recently and found some cute stuff for the boys on sale. They're wearing the same shirt here but in different colors... coordinated but not matching exactly!  We actually wore everything again for church on Sunday (after washing) and then to see Tomorrowland with my mom and Sean. It ended up being a little graphic (robot violence) and long for him but he said he still liked it. Anyway, I find repeating outfits on Sunday helps speed up the getting ready process. Too bad we were still a few minutes late to church!  (Linking up to The Pleated Poppy  and  Because Shanna Said So )

V: Shirt (Old Navy) Dress (TJMAXX) Sandals (Academy) S: Shirt (Target) Shorts (Ross) Shoes (Ross) I think I might start doing some outfit posts again, but I'll be doing them with my boy (or boys) in the pics along with me this time. I'd love to be able to look back and see how my babies are growing and changing rather than just a whole bunch of pics of me! Plus it's more fun than posing alone, something I've always felt awkward doing! This is what we wore to church today, and to the grocery store afterwards. Ryan took the boys to visit his parents after lunch and right now I've actually got some time to myself! I think I'll practice guitar, read a bit, and MAYBE get a workout in...fingers crossed I don't turn on Netflix instead! (Linking up to The Pleated Poppy  and Because Shanna Said So  and Perspective ) 

Thunderstorms, falling leaves, soft light, fragrant coffee, cool breezes...my favorite time of year has arrived! Spending time outside is suddenly pleasant after months of intense heat, and plans for soccer matches with family, paintball with friends and cookouts with both are being made. Our weekends have been chock-full of fun lately and since Ryan's hours have been increased at work for the rest of the year we are enjoying a little more leeway with our budget. We also didn't have as big a fee as we expected from the apartment we moved out of! I am thankful for all God's blessings. Oh and we're planning a Fall Fest costume party in November and I can't wait to start shopping for costumes! Perhaps we'll be a family of pirates. ^_^

Summer Wedding Guest by valfox Hello all! I'm just popping in to share a pretty dress that would be perfect to wear to a summer wedding! The look I put together is inspired by the TJMaxx dress I wore to my cousin's wedding last month. I can't get enough of nautical colors like navy and white together! The wedding was SO much fun. I mean seriously F.U.N. We all ended up dancing to old rock/pop classics and even doing the Macarena and the Cupid Shuffle. My mom can dance like nobody's business! Oh and my cousin and his bride make the most adorable couple ever! It is a blessing to see how much they love God and each other! They also cracked everyone up with the most amazing surprise first dance medley I've ever seen. I just wish it was on youtube so I could share the awesomeness! (Linking up to Long Distance Loving !)