Clothing and Christian Women

Hey, y'all.  I wrote today on my other blog, Dressing Room Door, and thought I would also share it with those of you who only read this one.  I've been thinking about this post for a while and a discussion this morning prompted me to write out my thoughts on this topic.  Feel free to comment on whether or not you agree or disagree!  And I'm also proud to announce that all of the pictures in this post were taken for me by my dear friend, Annie.  Go check out her blog, Annie Pliego Photography, and leave her some comment love!  The sweet girl in the photos is her little sister, Isabel.  :)

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Modesty:

[mod-UH-stee]

1.  The quality of being modest; freedom from vanity, boastfulness, etc.

2.  Regard for decency of behavior, speech, dress, etc.

3.  Simplicity, moderation

Modesty is a widely discussed and debated topic among Christians; especially among women.  There are extremes on both sides of the spectrum, and it's our duty to think carefully in regards to how we should dress.

As I was discussing this post, with my mother, and how I should go about writing it, she suggested that I research what the word "modesty" even means!  I didn't expect it would be what it was, to say the least.

When Christian women think of modesty, they think of a way of dress that covers one's body in all the places that should remain private.  However, it's actually much more than that.  Only briefly in the definition of the word is the term "dress" mentioned.  What, then, does this mean?  How are we to be truly modest?

I believe that modesty is not only a covering of our bodies, but it is also a mindset.  Thinking and praying about this post for a while, I have even had a change of heart in what I believe about fashion, as well!  

Modest dress should not be shocking or flashy.  

1 Timothy 2:9

"Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control."

If we look at the definition of modesty and this verse combined, the word "self-control" really points out what many pass over.  As modest women, should strive for, as the dictionary states, simplicity and moderation.  Does this mean we can't wear something fun and different and colorful?  Absolutely not!  

Phillipians 4:8

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

John 5:44

"How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and edo not seek the glory that comes from fthe only God?

So the key, here, is to examine our hearts.  Are we wearing these clothes on our backs to seek attention, or are we wearing them because we truly find them to be pure, lovely, commendable, and excellent?

This is where the extremes come into play.  There are many Christian women that believe in only wearing long skirts and long sleeved shirts, and other than this code they do not believe in any sort of care for our outer appearance.

I fully agree with these women in that the inner beauty is far more important.  However, these outfits can actually be, in a sense, immodest!  When a non-Christian sees one of these women, it draws attention.  My mom made an excellent point in saying that when these women go to the beach in their long-sleeved swim suits, they draw far more attention to themselves than a girl in a simple one-piece!

In that sense, dressing in a way so far distant from the culture can in itself be immodest.  Now, there's another extreme.  A lot of Christians today have so separated themselves from those women that they wear what they like, so long as they don't look cheap and so long as they don't show too much skin.  This idea can be acceptable if done correctly, but it's dangerous.  A girl could be covering up her body in purple sweatpants, but if they have "Juicy Couture" emblazoned across the behind, that's also a form of immodesty.  It draws attention to a part of the body that should not be put on display.

Modesty cannot be a set of laws.  Rules such as "skirts can only be so short so that they reach tip of the middle finger" or "shirt straps have to be at least 3/4 in. thickness" really do not get to the heart of the matter.  Certainly, covering our bodies is important!  But when it becomes distracting to be so entirely covered that we separate from the world a very great distance, it is simply another form of immodesty, and can actually prevent us from bringing our message of the Gospel to the world.

In conclusion, my main points are that we must cover our bodies in a way that prevents others, especially boys, from falling into the trap of temptation.  We must do so, however, in a way that does not make us so different from the world that we call attention to ourselves, because that, in and of itself, can be a form of pride.  We must strive to ensure that we are dressing in clothing that is lovely and excellent, but that also displays self-control.

I do hope that this post was something that made you think, and I ask that you please leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts on the issue.  Have a great day!

The Dressing Room Door

Hey y'all!  I've got an announcement to make, and I'm absolutely, positively, so very excited about it.

As you know, I'm very girly.  I love all things fashionable.  So, naturally, I tend to make friends with girls who are the same way!  Emilyann, Josie, Lizzie, Amanda, Lauren, Valentine, and I have created a new blog.  It's called The Dressing Room Door, and it's a

collaborative effort, where we post whenever we want and about whatever happens to strike our fashion fancy.


And what better way to really kick off our new blog than with a giveaway?  I've been wanting to do one on this blog for a while, and the timing was perfect because the product I wanted to give away didn't arrive until after we started our blog.  So now we have the perfect way to welcome new readers!

If you'd like to enter this great giveaway, click the button right there to head on over!

OOTD*: Simple Neutrals

Hey everyone!

Just to mix it up a bit, I decided to do an OOTD.  This was originally supposed to be also an FOTD** but my camera died before the FOTD photos downloaded to my computer.

Lace Shirt ~ Macy's

Cargo roll-ups  ~ Macy's

Nude heels ~ Kohls

Lipstick ~ Mac lipstick in Hot Tahiti

Eyeshadow ~ New York Ready to Wear in light purple, dark brown, shimmery white

Eyeliner ~ New York Ready to Wear black creme liner

Foundation ~A blend of Maybelline Dream Mousse and Aveeno anti-aging daily sunscreen

Blush ~ Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush and Mary Kay powder blush 

I was intending to wear these heels, but I changed them right before we left for lunch.  I decided I probably didn't need to wear them to go to a buffet restaurant, so I just wore some ruffled metallic Target flats.

What did you wear today?

*OOTD = Outfit of the Day
**FOTD = Face of the Day

30 Day Challenge: Day 1

Hey everyone!  Good to see ya.

I've been hanging out with my family, and will be for about a week more, so that's why the blogging is pretty slow.  I've decided, to spice it up a bit, to steal the 30 Day Project from my friend Emilyann!

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.
Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest.
Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show.
Day 04 - A picture of your night.
Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory.
Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.
Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item.
Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh.
Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most screwed up things with.
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate.
Day 12 - A picture of something you love.
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist.
Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.
Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die.
Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you.
Day 17 - A picture of something that has made an impact on your life recently.
Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity.
Day 19 - A picture of you when you were little.
Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.
Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget.
Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at.
Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book.
Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change.
Day 25 - A picture of your day.
Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you.
Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member.
Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of.
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile.
Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss.


So here we go with Day 1!

This was my favorite outfit this winter.  People kept telling me I looked very "French."  Hmm.    (And this picture turned out blurry on blogger; I'm not sure why.)

15 Things:

1.  I love to do crazy things with my makeup when no one's around to laugh at me.

2.  I like to read on my Kindle, but when I pick up a real, live book, I like to smell it and flip the pages between my fingers and listen to the binding creak as a new story is unmasked.

3.  I still have no idea what my career-calling is.  I know I want to be a wife and mother over anything else, but I have to choose something to fall back on in case that just doesn't happen.  I have so many things I'd enjoy doing for my career, that I just can't choose.

4.  When people ask for my advice in regards to style, hair, makeup, etc., it just makes my day.  I love doing that for people.

5.  I used to be really, really freckly.  I mean really, really, really freckly.  But I started wearing sunscreen every day, and now I hardly have any freckles on my face at all.  Pale as a ghost.

6.  I keep having dreams about meeting my fellow online scholars this summer in Pennsylvania.  It's going to be a blast!

7.  Lately, I've struggled with a bit of social anxiety.  I don't mind talking to grown-ups, and I don't mind talking to teens if I'm in a place where I'm comfortable and where they are the new person.  But lately I've been in situations with a bunch of new teens I've never met, and it scares the life out of me.  I'm going to get over it by making myself go to my grandparents' church's youth group on Wednesday... I just have to face the music, folks.

8.  That dog in my last post?  Yeah, sorry if there was a miscommunication, but she's not mine.  She's my grandparents'.  Boy, am I going to miss her when I go back home!

9.  I spoil that dog.

10.  I sleep in the car (accidentally) anywhere I go.  Today, on the way to dinner, I slept so hard that when I woke up, my head was just hanging down on my chest and had caused an awful crick in my neck that still hasn't gone away.  Mental note:  lean head against window.

11.  I don't know what to wear the past few days.  We packed for cold weather because that's what they were having here before we came.  Then, it got really warm and we bought a bunch of t-shirts.  Now it's in the 40s.  I have no idea how to handle this.

12.  Along the same lines, I'm no good at season changes since I grew up in Hawaii.  I keep telling my mama and Yaya what I want to buy for different styles and they keep saying "It's almost spring.  That's too wintry."  I have no idea how to handle this.

13.  I love to debate.  Most of the kids in my online school do, and I love just really getting in there on big topics.

15.  I haven't worn heels for about two months.  I was standing next to my Yaya in church and realized I felt strange, being so close to the ground.  Usually when I go to church with her, I'm towering above her because of my church heels, but I didn't bring them because of the weather/seasonal issues.  I'm 5'8, so you can imagine I might be a bit lofty in heels.


And that's all for now, folks!  I'm going to try not to do anymore lists for a few days.  See you tomorrow!

I'm POSITIVE that this will cheer you up.

Thank you all so much for your sweet comments on the last post!  Keep 'em coming, too, because I love seeing new people 'round these parts.  And thanks for not mocking me.  I would have.

Now, those of you who watched the video saw my rather... daunting ankle boots.  The heel is quite precarious, and I've been wearing them around the house here and there in order to break them in.  The problem is, we have wood flooring and it's quite slick, so I can't really walk very easily.

Because of this, I can't tell if they're so hard to walk in because of my floor, or if it's because I haven't worn heels like this since summer and I'm not used to it.  In hope that the former is the case, I'm wearing them out tonight.  Pray for my ankles, toes, and me, that we may remain friendly, or at the very least, cordial with one another.  After tonight, the odds of that are quite low.

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Lately I have been noticing a trend around younger people, my age and down into junior high/middle school.  Negativity.

I usually cringe at the term "positive thinking" because nobody really knows what that means.  It also seems a bit touchy-feely to me, and I hate cliche terms like that.  But as of late, I'm seeing why so many people are talking about it.

Constantly, I'm seeing (and in myself, too!) negativity.  "This is the worst day of my life."  "I surrender!"  "This will never get better."

It's really, in a word, ridiculous.  When I notice it in myself, I cringe.  This past week I've been trying to be a bit more "cup half full."  Or even if the cup's empty, at least we HAVE a cup to fill!

But here's my problem with the idea of Positive Thinking.  It's not a question of positive or negative.  We're not magnets, people.  It's a question of grateful, or ungrateful.

Today, I choose to be grateful!

1.  I'm grateful for my warm house when it's chilly and rainy outside.

2.  I'm grateful for my ability to purchase clothes and shoes that I think are pretty.  I'm grateful I have clothes at all.

3.  I'm grateful for my mama and daddy and their incredibly wise counsel.  I don't always listen and sometimes I run, but I find that when I sit, listen, don't argue, and apply their words to my day-to-day, my life is just so much easier and more blessed.

4.  I'm grateful for a Father in Heaven who loves me more than I can imagine.  A Father who chose me before the foundations of the earth to be his child.  A Father who bestows his grace upon my unworthy head so abundantly, though I do not deserve it.

5.  I'm grateful for this week's study on the Reformation and Calvinism.  This is the first time I've studied it where I've really sat and thought about the concepts and tried to come to terms with the ideas.  Because I struggle with letting my feelings overtake proper judgment, I had to search for proof and realize these ideas from a Biblical perspective.  I feel so much stronger in my faith just from truly understanding how blessed I am and how comforting it is to know that God is superior, God is sovereign, and there's nothing I can do to break my faith with him.

6.  I'm grateful for fresh produce.  I love going to the store across the street and picking out the freshest of veggies and fruit.  I've been going through oranges and carrots like they're going out of style.

7.  I'm grateful for my online school.  We're about to sign up for my classes for next year, and my mom and I both realized that I'm going to be a Senior.  Next school year will be my last at home, and it's a little scary.  But at Veritas Press Online Scholars Academy, I have made several great friends, and I'm so happy for the opportunity.

8.  I'm grateful for music.  If I'm having a rough patch in my day and turn on some hymns on our stereo, it immediately lifts my spirit.  And it doesn't hurt to pick out some eighties music and rock out a bit, too.  Who needs Ke$ha?

I feel better already!

Sound off in the comments.  For what are YOU grateful today??

Haul Video/Let's De-lurk

Hiya everyone!  I finally got my haul video edited and uploaded.  I only got a few things, but I loved everything I got.  I hope you enjoy the video!

And, I will just go ahead right now and apologize for my accent.  Before I filmed it, I had been listening to a podcast by two Southern ladies, and I know that I tend to get my Southern accent really strong once I hear it from other people.  I was working really hard to tamp it down, but it's fairly clear that my efforts were mightily insufficient.  And I'm trying really hard not to notice the hair in my face and the wonky arrangement of my scarf, so please, if you will, I ask that you do the same.





I am tagging some ladies, Lauren, Emilyann, Amanda, and Valentine, to make haul videos of your own, if you please.  :)  Of course, it's totally optional, but I'd love it to pieces.

Now, I said this in the video, but it was at the end.  And let's just be honest here.  Not too many of you are going to watch that whole thing.

Basically, I just wanted to shout out to my readers, especially my lurkers.  I'd love it if you quiet folks would de-lurk, because I love seeing new people.  I know I have several followers who comment, and I so appreciate it.  But if you're not a follower, or you are a follower and have never commented, please just leave a comment and say hello, because I'd love to "meet" you!

Don't be shy!

Fol-de-rol and Fiddle-dee-dee

I'm immensely pleased.

Exam week was technically over on Friday, but I had one paper due today that was quite lengthy.  I finally managed to tie up all the loose ends and I finished it last night, after copious amounts of reading and preparing.  It ended up being twelve pages which is... rather... extensive.

But, I am thrilled to say that I'm back to the usual homework grind, and it feels so good.  In comparison to the stress of exams, it's a breath of fresh air.

Plus, I got my MacBook back yesterday and I am just tickled.  I've set her back up and am now coddling her with utmost care.  Next time we go to a place that sells them, we are buying a back-up hard drive because I don't want t lose anything ever again.  It wasn't a huge deal, but I did lose a book I was writing, and although I was only on the third chapter, but it's still sort of sad.

As I've said, tomorrow Mama and I are planning on going to the outdoor thrift market.  I asked a few of my ladies what they would think about me filming a "haul" video for a Very Stylish Girls post, and they loved the idea!  So once I get the time, I'll make a video showing y'all what I got and how I plan to use each item.  I'm excited!  I've watched those sorts of videos on YouTube and I love them, so I hope you enjoy it too.

For now, I'm going to do my easy breezy non-exam-related homework and paint my fingernails.

Have a lovely day.

Squeeeeee

That, my friends, is the sound I make when I'm excited about something.  Right now, I'm excited I am excited about loads of things!

Number 1:  On Wednesday, my mom and I are hopefully going to an outdoor thrift market.  The timing finally worked out, and I'm so thrilled.  I love accessories and hope to get some good ones for not so much cash.

Number 2:  My mom just alerted me that I might possibly be able to get professional highlights in my hair soon, before we leave to visit the states.  You see, I'm very, very fair-skinned, but I have very, very dark hair.  It's so dark that it's almost black!  In the end, it's a little too strong of a contrast for my taste, so I've been highlighting it out of a box... however, we have been unable to find my favorite kind anywhere! you can imagine my delight.

Number 3:  We're visiting the states soon!  I'm not sure when exactly, but sometime next month.  I'm happy to see my brother and my grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins... plus, I'll get to visit colleges!

And, well, we all know I'm tickled to death about getting to be reunited with Starbucks.  I have wept over our vicious separation.

Number 4:  My MacBook should be back with me this afternoon.  I'm just glad Sophie's healthy.  She's been a great contribution to my life, and her poor little hard drive just couldn't take all the love I poured into it, I think.

Number 5:  My Uggs have only left my feet for showering and sleeping.  I look forward to many happy times together.

Number 6:  I know it's not for months upon months, but I'm thrilled to death about my online school's End of the Year Gathering (eotyg for short) this summer.  I can't wait to meet all my friends!

That's what I'm excited about for now, and my heart is just so happy about it all.

May you have something to get excited about,

Just some thoughts and some things.

Well, hello there, everyone!  I found a perfect spot in my day to blog, and I'm so happy about it.  I just finished the exam I was most worried about, so of course I am mightily relieved.  I'm still a bit under the weather, but I'm just so happy that stress is foisting itself off my shoulders little by little.

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While digging through the depths of my iPod, I found a new favorite band by which to study!  Normally, I listen to Frank Sinatra because I know the songs really well, so I'm not distracted by it and it's just pleasant background noise.  But this new one is perfect because you can't really understand much of what they're saying anyway.  When Will was here, he gave me some of their CDs.  The band is called Bon Iver, and so far what I've listened to is perfect for studying and schoolwork.

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I'm sorry my posts lately are just blurbs.  I haven't been up to anything significant enough about which I could write a full length post.

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My Kindle crashed the other day.  That was fun.  And then, on Sunday, we discovered my MacBook's (her name is Sophie) hard drive was defective when it decided not to turn on one day.  So they are both no longer with us... but I should get Sophie back from the technician today or tomorrow, and Amazon is sending me a replacement Kindle.  Until then, my eye is twitching.

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This weekend, if I get all my work done, I'm hoping to go to a thrift market with my mom.  I didn't catch the need-to-go-thrifting bug until we left Hawaii, and here in Rome you can by no means just drive down to a Salvation Army.  No indeed.  Italians are very into brands.  But I don't care so much, as long as the clothes are cute, so I was thrilled to hear about an open market where you can get great pieces for better prices.  I think my four cardigans need a little rest.  Let's see what I find, shall we?

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I love orange season.  Now that I'm on this health-kick, having a bowl of oranges on the dining room table, aka my school work-space, is perfect.  I have oranges right in front of my eyes, so they're the first things I think to eat, as opposed to rummaging through cabinets to find significantly fattier snacks.  And the oranges at our market are delightful; they are sort of a blood-orange/classic orange hybrid and they are unreal.

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I finally finished Twilight, but it'll be a while before I'm able to drag thoughts out of my head and paste them together coherently.  My sincerest apologies.

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I do enjoy a good historical fiction book.  If you have any to recommend, it would be much appreciated.  I'm in a rut of not exactly knowing what to read, so please, shout out to your favorite books.  Keep in mind, I very much dislike sci-fi, and Lord of the Rings was not my cup of tea.  Although, I loved the Chronicles of Narnia.  I'm nothing if not consistent.


Have a beautiful day!

Very Stylish Girls- Introduction

So, based on the positive poll results to the right, I have decided to do a series on style!

I have always had a passion for anything feminine.  I love doing hair, for myself and others, and I love doing makeup and getting dressed up.  I'd wear heels every day if I could, and I completely love to shop.

Therefore, I am starting a new series called "Very Stylish Girls."  Very stylish girl is a reference from the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's, and Audrey Hepburn was always known as this very thing after that movie, so I thought it would be a fun title because I LOVE Audrey Hepburn.  I'm really excited about this project.  I've always been inclined toward this sort of thing, and am glad to have an outlet.  My first post is going to be on this season's most popular styles.  I hope you like my series!!

I'll have a button up shortly, and you can grab it and do some stylish girl posts of your own if you like!  Just make sure you leave comments letting me know.

Love,
Caroline

This post is about fashion. Prepare yourself.

So, jeggings.

I got some.

Or, should I say, my mom got some for me.  I never would have bought them on my own.  This is not to say that I'm not willing to take risks in fashion, nay, I'm all about fashion-forwardness.  But jeggings... I was afraid.

So when my mom was in the U.S. last week (I'm a little jealous) she got to go shopping, and I had mentioned my need for some tights and some leggings to go with my fantastically wonderful Target boots.

Cute, right?  Well, they look fantastic with leggings and skinny jeans, and mine were getting worn out.  So, I gave her my list of all the things I wanted her to get from America.

I forgot to put Twizzlers on the list, darn it.  But I guess that's a good thing because JEGGINGS.  If you are not aware, jeggings are leggings that look like they are denim, or jeans.  So, maybe I shouldn't have any Twizzlers any time soon.

Moving on....  I finally tried on my jeggings today, and you know, I don't get why I was so worried.  They're really cute!  They're like any other leggings, but blue and textured.  I paired them with an oversized, pink, a-symmetrical shirt, my Alfani flats, 

a lace headband, and big earrings.  

I'm a child of the 90's, yet somehow I look like something straight out of Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Now, I shall leave you with a little helpful tidbit.  And this is not a suggestion, no, it is a command.

Do NOT ever wear leggings as pants.  They are the sister to tights, and you would never wear tights as pants, would you?  It doesn't matter if you are incredibly fit or if you're just going to work out.  Do not, I repeat, do not ever wear them unless your rump is completely invisible to the world.  A girl I know and I call that the bum rule, and it applies to everyone.

Have a lovely day.