Polyvore and Pinterest Pet Peeves

Friends.  I have a small pet peeve.  I am constantly seeing Pins on Pinterest or posts on blogs that showcase cute outfits.  It is semi-disheartening and mildly annoying when I discover that these cutie pie outfits are overly expensive. Two HUNDRED and FIFTY EIGHT dollars?!  Are you kidding me?


I guess I should probably point out  that MY definition of "expensive" encompasses quite a bit more than the average Joe...or should I say Jane?  Anything over, like 20 or 30 bucks is a big deal to me, folks.  I don't think I've ever actually bought something from J.Crew or Banana Republic OR anything "designer".  I practically grew up in Wal-Mart, so Target it my idea of fancy.

Let me preface all of this by saying that I don't want to portray that having cute clothes is crazy essential.  Because it's not.  There are plenty of other (and much better) ways to allocate your money.  Let's be good stewards of what God has given us, friends.

Otteny Dress - $258 :: Ivanka Trump Wedges - $130 :: Salvatore Bag - $1316 :: Stella & Dot Earrings - $54

Untitled #67 by martha-daly-deetjen featuring genuine leather handbags

However, with all of that said, I know that there are plenty of ladies who might be interested in ways to cheat the system a bit.  Cute clothes for less.  WAY less.  Like, the dirt-cheap-kind of less.  NOW is anyone with me?  Yes?  Hooray!  Here we go...

The outfit I posted above is over $1800.  

...I think I just fainted...

Here's my version!

Peep Toe Canvas Shoes from Charlotte Russe - On sale for $25!

Mossimo Woven Tote from Target - $29

Floral Dress from Forever 21 - $24

Bling Stacked Rings from Charlotte Russe - $6

Take that, Polyvore and Pinterest!!

I hate the way I feel in heels (or wedges for that matter) so I would probably just throw on some cute sandals instead.  And I would probably skip the tote.  Newsflash: Purses do not have to match your outfit.  At least in my world, they don't.  I buy one cheap purse in some sort of neutral color and use it for every.single.outfit.  :)

Happy Friday, friends!  Don't forget to enter my giveaway!  It closes at the end of the day!!  Click HERE to enter.

Castaway Flight

Yet ANOTHER trip to Castaway.  This time it was shorter.  Like, WAY shorter.

My chauffeurs.  AKA: Mom and Dad.

Castaway from the air.  Have a great last week, friends!

Girls' Weekend!

A great girls' weekend = Starbucks ice cream, fancy DIY pedicures, a good bottle of wine, fresh veggies, a few tan lines, a great Redbox movie or two, good conversation, comfortable moments of silence, and the company of two of your besties.

This summer, I dare you to set aside one (or two!) WHOLE days for you and your most favorite friends to hang out.  Add a couple small "splurges" and enjoy every second.

Everyday Joy

There are several sweet-looking pins and art prints out there that remind us to "choose joy".  That is all well and good, but for a lady like me, joy is much more than a choice.  It is a fight.  Most days, I have to fight and go to war for joy, but more on that another time...

Today.  Today was a little bit easier.

It was a rainy day at Castaway today.  Rain.  Constantly.  All day.  Even as I write this, there's a little pitter-patter on the window sill next to me.  It's soothing and refreshing.  God's way of calming us down and giving everything a good, long drink.

It was a perfect, quiet, dreary day to get a lot of things done.  And, a perfect day to take advantage of the little coffee shop that is less than ten steps away from our little room.  I didn't even have to go outside to reach it.  Today, Rice Krispy Mochas are something to take some joy in.

True, Tuesday was seemingly uneventful, but there were certainly little bits and pieces of joy scattered throughout the day.  The Lord is so good  - kind of like a salt shaker! - seasoning every day with blessings and good things.  Sometimes we just miss them.

Did you have any "everyday" sorts of joyful moments?

Happy Father's Day

My dad is the greatest.  He is an airplane mechanic and pilot and runs an airport in Iowa.  He is a pro at fixing anything with an engine - even things most people have given up on.  He has made sleds out of car doors, resurrected countless ATVs and snowmobiles and jet skis from the junk yard, and built an airplane in our garage.  He used to be a musician in a bar - complete with long hair, hippy clothes and a guitar - and now he leads worship in my parent's church and helps at the sound board.

Like me, dad doesn't usually have a lot to say in large group settings, but if you can get him one-on-one, and if you ask him a few questions, he will surprise you with long conversations about life, history, politics, music, and memories.  Once you get to know him, you realize he's very attentive, notices the details, and is a great listener.

Dad, also affectionately known as "Dood", is the one of the most selfless people I know.  He's always been behind the scenes fixing, working, cleaning, and busting his behind day in and day out - all to set my sisters and I and my mom up for success.  He's always been available and involved in my life.  Of everyone in my family, dad and I are the most alike personality-wise, so I think he is especially neat.  But yes, I know, I am fairly biased.

Happy Father's Day, Dood!  In the words of Shane Lee, you are 'just awesome'.

Rock the block.

Simple, Everyday Prayer

Last night, the students at Young Life Camp were invited to accept Jesus as their Savior, and then they were given about 20 minutes of alone time to talk to God.  During that time, a bunch of us, including the camp volunteers and leaders, gathered in a room to pray for every camper by name - we're talking like 200+ names, folks.  ...that's a lot of names to cram into a short 20 minutes.

In the 20-30 minutes we spent praying together, I only had the time and space to pray "Jesus, save so-and-so," then quickly move on to the next camper, "Jesus, save so-and-so!"  On and on the names went... 

There was a part of me that felt guilty for such a simple prayer.  A four word prayer?  Heck, two of those words were kids' first and last names.  To make matters a little worse, I felt badly about not having much emotion in my sleepy state to put behind my prayers.  My "Jesus, save so-and-so" prayers felt empty and a little bland.

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like the pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.  Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. -from Matthew 6

Oh my goodness!  I am crazy thankful that His work doesn't depend on me having articulate, passion-filled, and elaborate prayers.

Don't have energy to pray something impressive?  Maybe you don't even feel like you know how to pray for something.  Big deal.  Pray anyway.  Heck, if it means repeating, "Jesus, save her!" or "Jesus, help me!" over and over and over again, know that He hears and delights in answering.

Let's be honest...  Which is worse: Waiting around for days for an articulate, passion-filled moment to motivate you towards prayer?  Or, just moving forward in your everyday, mundane sorts of moments and breathing simple prayers, believing God hears and responds in our weakness?

I think I'll choose door number two.

A good dad loves it when his little toddler tugs on his jeans and says, "Daddy, help me!"  A good dad finds a lot of joy in watching his children bumble around with simple steps in learning to walk.  So, the Lord delights in our small words and tiny steps of obedience.

Jesus, save so-and-so...and her...and him...and, well...all two hundred of them, please.  Amen.

On the Road Again...

Wednesday - 5 hours from Castaway to Sioux Falls.

Thursday - 1.25 hours from Sioux Falls to Sioux Center.

Thursday night late - 1.25 hours from Sioux Center to Sioux Falls.

Friday AM - 5 hours from Sioux Falls to Castaway.

To my little green iPod - Where are you?  These last few days would have been so nice with you around.  Please stop hiding.  It's not funny anymore.

Dear National Public Radio - You've been a great Plan B.  I am still trying to figure out why I like you so much.  I don't understand (or remember) half of the things you talk about.  Something about Egypt, the Euro, our crappy economy and Obama...  That's all I've got.

Dear Buick Park Avenue - You are awesome.  Long road trips with you feel like long rests in a Lazy Boy.

Dear Interstate 29 - I hate your construction.  Hurry the heck up.

To Young Life's Castaway Club - Glad to be back.  You are beautiful.

Check out todaysletters.com for other awesome letters.  They rock.

Of Freckles and Other Castaway Things

We have our own little deck at Castaway.  It is more than delightful.

The air is cool and crisp, the sun is warm, the lake is cah-razy blue.

I had some time with the Lord this morning on our cute deck and asked Him for more freckles.

Two of my goals at Castaway this month are to get slightly tan (I have given up on the actually tan thing) and to get a lot more freckles than I came with.

I might be pushing my luck, but I know that the Lord cares about the little things.  He is so nice like that.

Cute Flip-Flops for Some Littler "Piggies"

This far, we've made women's sizes in rosette flip flops.  But, take a look at these little cuties!  They're new in my shop!  GIRLS' size 8-9.  Ready to ship!  If you are in the Sioux Center or Sioux Falls area, shipping is FREE!  Just message me before you buy.

Click HERE for my Etsy shop and other details!

Happy Birthday, Micah!

Happy birthday to my baby sister, Micah!  She is 22.  

Micah is into kayaks, turtles, garage sale art, old folks, peanut butter, running in rainstorms, and laughing a lot.  She is creative, spontaneous, RANDOM, sometimes lacking common sense, hilarious, passionate, caring, and never takes herself too seriously.

If you hang out with her, you won't know what hit you.  She is a ball of crazy fun.

Happy birthday, Mook!