Hi gals! Happy Saturday! I have a twofer for you today. Since I have a few things on my mind, I thought we’d start with just a brief Coffee Time, but then I’d also share my March Favorites with you. ‘Cause y’all! March has literally blown by like the wind!
A lot has transpired lately, and I just wanted share my thoughts on those milestones real quick. As many of you know, we had to have our 14 1/2 year old Shihpoo, Tommy, put to sleep last Saturday. We miss Tommy dearly, but we know we made the right decision. He had cried and cried for the last day of his life. But he had also gone almost completely blind and deaf over the past year. And we know he suffered some dementia, too.
We were concerned that his brother Benji would be terribly lonely and distraught without Tommy. Sure enough, Benji did cry when we took Tommy to the vet last Saturday. But we immediately began giving him extra loving and attention. In fact, as I followed some advice I’d read and began walking him more than usual, I think I exhausted him! Wednesday he just slept all day. So I’ve cut back on the walking distance – he is almost 15 years old! – and we continue to love on him more. He’s going to be fine.
Also this past week James and I chose to celebrate the day he was terminated from his job last year. Interestingly, it truly felt like the natural thing to do. We are genuinely happy and feel so very blessed. But who would have known a year ago that we would be celebrating this day?
All that to say, if you are going through difficult circumstances right now, press in to the Lord. He is good and He is faithful. Things don’t start to feel, look or even be better immediately. But indeed, He is able to bring beauty from ashes, joy from mourning.
Have hope, sweet gals. Don’t ever lose hope. Hope is what helps us put one foot in front of the other on the days when that’s all we can do. And you know what? Some days that’s just enough. It is quite okay to have days when all you do is the next thing you have to do. And if a few of those things go undone? That’s okay, too. Just keep your hope in Jesus.
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ~ Romans 15:13
Thanks for letting me spill the beans for a few minutes. Now, let’s check out my March Favorite Things!
Remember, these are items I’ve either purchased or used a lot of during the month of March. These aren’t just things I’m “sharing” with you. These are things I’m lovin’!
Pink Linen Blazer
While I do like my pink knit pique blazer, I’m loving this blush pink linen blazer from Target. While the price felt a little high for a Target find at first, I now feel like it was totally worth it. This blazer doesn’t look or feel like a Target purchase.
My favorite way to wear it is with this white t-shirt (another March favorite, really) and dark wash skinny jeans. I have the size 8 and it fits true to size.
Palm Adjustable Necklace
I know I’ve shared how much I’m loving my dainty gold layering necklaces. But I think I’ve talked more about this trio of necklaces than I have this adjustable palm necklace. This one is the perfect length for fitting within a standard v-neck, plus it’s adjustable. I think it looks modern and fresh, and I’m wearing it constantly.
Princess Blue Maxi Dress
I just featured this beautiful princess blue maxi dress in yesterday’s blog post, but I also wore it earlier in the week when James and I went out to dinner after our photo shoot. That’s when we were celebrating his release from his job last year and the amazing year God has blessed us with since then.
My daughter called yesterday and asked if she could have it. Um, no. I am going to enjoy wearing this dress this spring and summer. It feels amazing on. I have the small and I don’t normally wear smalls in dresses. So this one definitely runs on the large size. It’s available in other colors and in stripes. Oh, and they’re going fast.
Small Rose Studded Leather Camera Bag
If you have been around Dressed for My Day long, you know how much I love Michael Kors bags. I guess we all have a brand we gravitate toward. I used to carry on Fossil bags, and I still love the ones I own. But I’m crushing on the simple lines, elegant structure and beautiful neutrals of Michael Kors handbags these days. And I bought this pretty pale pink camera bag during the recent spring sale, in which I was able to take an additional 25% off the sale price.
I’ve used this bag almost daily since I got it. It’s that perfect splash of soft pink and the bag is just the right size for carrying the essentials. Love!
Girlfriend Chinos – All the Colors
I’m showing my pale pink girlfriend chinos here, but I actually have several pair and I’m wearing them all…a lot!
I love the light weight of the fabric in these chinos and the fit. They have a very relaxed fit and they just feel good on. Sometimes I roll the hem, and sometimes I wear them straight. I have the white, rose quartz (shown here), rocky beach and a muted red from a couple of years ago.
Big Sexy Hair Root Pump Spray Mousse
I’ve used Big Sexy Hair products for years, but I’d failed to replace this root pump spray for a while, thinking I could make do with other cheaper products. Wrong. Since my hair has thinned a little in the past year, I need all the root pumping I can get. And nothing adds body and height to my hair quite like this Big Sexy Hair Root Pump spray mousse. I’m back to my old favorite for good.
Cotton Bateau-Neck Tee
You gals know I’m on a mission to beef up my wardrobe essentials this year so that I have a versatile, working wardrobe. Well, this striped tee is proving to be a real work horse!
This 3/4 length sleeve tee is available in two other color combinations, but the navy is one of my wardrobe neutrals, so it works great for me. I wear this tee under my green cardigan, my pink denim jacket, my pink blazer, my blue denim jacket or my pink trench coat. Yep, I wear it a lot!
Button Fly Flare Cropped Jeans
I have a feeling I’m going to be wearing shorts a little less this summer than I have in seasons past. It’s just a feeling. That may change as the days get hotter! But that’s why I’m looking to denim pieces like these button fly flare cropped jeans for my everyday looks.
These have such great stretch to them. And I’ve found that wearing a button fly is not nearly as bothersome as I had imagined. In fact, it’s not bothersome at all. And button features are trending big time on jeans right now. So I’m loving wearing these cropped jeans. They run true to size. Oh, and they’re 20% off today!
Chili’s 6 oz. Classic Sirloin with Grilled Avocado
Kay, what’s this food doing on your favorites list? LOL! Well, I just finished my second serving of this tasty, low carb, healthy entree yesterday and I just had to tell you about it. My friend Annie turned me on to the 6 oz. Classic Sirloin with Grilled Avocado when we met up at Chili’s last week. But I ordered it again yesterday. Both times the steak was cooked just right and it was a wonderfully tender piece of meat. It’s topped with a yummy citrus-chile sauce. But the sides are just as delicious. The salad is topped with a delightful lime vinaigrette and the tomatoes and garlic are roasted. The steak is also topped with sliced, grilled avocado with hints of cilantro. Yum!
I’m sharing this meal because I’m often asked what I eat on low carb days on the FASTer Way to Fat Loss. And I wanted to let you know that these two days are actually some of the easiest for me to eat out on. Many restaurants have similar steak and veggie entrees, but I also often eat hearty Cobb salads on low carb days. Anyhow, this steak entree at Chili’s has become a fast go-to this month. And since James and I often get Chili’s To-Go, I imagine I’ll be chowing down on this pretty regularly.
That’s a Wrap!
I tried to be brief in my descriptions today, so let me know if you have questions I failed to answer. I’m also providing a shopping widget with all my favorites, too. Well, no Chili’s here! But everything else should be.
You gals have a great weekend! But, hey! Before you go. If you’re not registered for my daily or weekly emails, let’s take care of that right here. I gave away a $50 gift card to one subscriber today. That could be you next month!
Blessed for My Day
Quite often I awaken in the morning to a bit of despair. I dream absolutely every night. And my dreams are vivid and long and involved. And they linger with me. I wish it weren’t so, but it is. And sometimes, if my dreams have been disturbing or weighty, I awaken with sadness and heaviness of heart.
But that just won’t do. That’s why my morning quiet times with the Lord are absolutely essential to my well-being. I’ve found that if I doggedly turn to Scripture first thing in the morning…before I allow any other messages in…then God’s Word will lift my soul like nothing else. Truth counters the lies and emotions that have saturated my brain during the night. If your spirits are down, whether it’s because of bad dreams or a hard day, encourage your heart with the Word of God.
Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. ~ Psalm 116:7
Kay, Your Coffee Talk had my name all over it. Yesterday was so much harder than I expected it to be. But, because I know that God is right here with me, He will help me thru the toughest moments/days, and that Java is no longer miserable and in pain, we did the right thing l and I’m going to be okay. Right now, the house looks so empty without all of the dog things. Okay, so, I’m blaming you and Jo-Lynne Shane for making me order the bright blue Calson maxi dress from Nordstrom. I just placed my order and can’t wait for it to arrive. Have a blessed day!
Haha!! You’re going to love that dress! Thanks for sharing your hurts here. It sounds like many of us have walked a similar path recently. It’s always helpful to know other people get it. ?
Your post about your puppy just broke my heart. Our 13 year old Bella died at home in May of last year and I still miss her terribly. Her sister and littermate Lilly went through a period of mourning of several weeks, and we thought we would lose her too at that time. Well she is still hanging in there, and will be 14 next month, but we can see she is struggling. We know her passing is not too far into the future, and we are regretting it. We pray the Lord will take her peacefully in her sleep, and we don’t have to make the decision to put her down.
I am new to your blog, and really enjoy your posts. Your style is my style, although I do try to look for less expensive items in the same look. (Then I can buy more…hee hee)
Thank you for allowing me to vent, and I pray you have a great weekend. Our weather here in AZ should be wonderful!
I’m sorry about your Bella. But thank you for sharing your experience. That means so much to me. Im glad you are enjoying the blog! ?
Oh, Kay, I’m sorry about your sweet baby. You just wrote our story…..last Friday, the 22nd, we let our 17 1/2 year old Chihuahua go. He was also deaf and almost blind and had dementia. He was with us almost as long as our daughters who left for college at 18. My husband and I haven’t been “alone” in the house in 38 years! Thank you for sharing about Tommy. God bless.
Wow. That’s uncanny that we were going through the same thing at the same time. It’s a small world really. Blessings to you in your loss. ?
Thank you for sharing your heart, it’s so encouraging!
Blessings to you.
I’m so glad my words ministered to your heart. Thanks for letting me know. ?
I am so sorry about Tommy. Heartbreaking but it was kind to let him go. We have gone through that several times in the past. I always miss them so much.
Your words today were very encouraging to me. I also loved the recap of some of your favorite things.
I too dream every night and sometimes wake with a bit of despair or heavy heart from my dreams. I will take your example and go to scripture now first thing. Thank you for sharing that.
Thanks Pam. I’m glad the Blessing spoke to you too. It can be really difficult to begin the day right when we’ve already “lived through” so much junk during the night! God bless you ?
Kay, I am a new subscriber and enjoy your blog. I loved the coffee talk today. I was struck by the paragraph where you shared that you and your husband celebrated his anniversary of being terminated at work. I wish we were at the point of celebrating my husbands’s long term unemployment. I know God is good and he has a plan….but the waiting is hard! The serenity prayer is my go to. Any advice?
Hi Ally. And welcome to Dressed for My Day. I’m so sorry to hear about your husband’s unemployment. I know how that can completely turn your life upside down. It has certainly been a big adjustment for us. And while James is pastoring a new church, our income has been drastically reduced, we’re far from settled and the situation that precipitated his job loss will probably never be rectified. So I know the loss you’ve experienced. I just encourage you to lean into the Lord, praise Him for every good thing he does, and continue to believe in your husband. I know that’s not always easy in the wake of such loss and change, but it’s so crucial that you be for him and not against him. Press on, dear gal. God is working even if you can’t see it. Habakkuk 1:5.
Thank you for the kind and wise words. I appreciate them.
Very sorry to hear about Tommy, but know you made the right decision. It is not an easy one to make, but ultimately we don’t want them to suffer. I have enjoyed reading your posts having found your blog last summer. I especially enjoyed your recent post on finding your style. I am a romantic with a bit of classic. I already thought that, but was great to see it confirmed. Congratulations on your recent one year blog anniversary. By the way your posts are looking better and better all the time.
I’m so sorry to hear about Tommy. I know how difficult it is and will keep you in my prayers. Thanks for sharing your mind and heart. I enjoy your blog, you’re truly an inspiration.