Fashion Friday 1/30/15

Happy Friday!

One of my favorite new trends is the cape coat. I bought one around Christmas from New York & Company and I am now obsessed. Check out some of these fabulous styles, courtesy of Polyvore!

I love cape coats for a couple reasons. 1) They are inherently classy and elegant, thus they can take your look from casually average to fabulously perfect. 2) It is a cape! What little girl did not walk around wearing a cape when playing dress up? Now we get to wear capes in real life fashion and feel like superheroes or princesses just because we can!

Stay warm!

Distractions & Excuses

It's Monday again. I hit snooze. No work out. By the time I roll out of bed I have missed

One of my many distractions: puzzles!

the chance to learn Spanish and French like I had planned. On top of all that, I ran out of time to pray, yet again. Despite my list of New Year's Resolutions and my promise to myself that I would stick with them, I allowed myself to become distracted and find excuses for the things I want to do to be a better person.

It is so easy for me to find excuses to not do things. It took me a while to fall asleep last night, so I can set my alarm for later. I went to mass yesterday, so I don't need to go to the chapel today to pray. Oh, I have class tonight so I don't have time to practice piano for 30 minutes. Excuses, excuses, excuses.

On top of all the excuses, I find myself very easily distracted. Everything from a TV show, to going on dates, to just scrolling through the plethora of social media sites can distract me for hours and completely wreck any plans I had made for that day. Even if the top thing I had planned for the day was just to go to a chapel for a few minutes, I get started on other tasks or I hang out with people and I let that fall to the way side.

This time, I was fortunate enough to catch myself - not before I started to get distracted

Irrelevant but still cool photo

and make excuses, but earlier than I had ever caught myself before. It's the little things, right?! Where this was slightly unfortunate was that I did not do anything to redirect my actions until I had a very moving experience at a teaching mass on Saturday.

As part of RCIA, I was invited to attend a teaching mass given by Father Michael Joly, a legally blind priest from Virginia. The whole experience was incredibly moving because Father Michael's faith emanated so beautifully from his words and his mannerisms. It reminded me of the joy I felt when my faith came first in life and provided me with the reality check that I so desperately needed.

Take a minute to think about your daily activities. Are they balanced or are you devoting too much time to distractions and excuses? Are you lulled into complacency or focused on faith and growth experiences?

"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." ~1 Corinthians 10:13

Pax,
Kay

The Box

One of my favorite Christmas gifts this year was from J. She gave me a box with 364 notes of varying topics: adventures, bible verses, quotes, songs, etc. So, starting on January 1st, I began to read one little note a day.

Thus far I've gotten a few songs - playlist to be posted soon, a couple bible verses, a reason why J loves me, and an adventure to embark on. J included adventures because sometimes I get stuck in a rut and don't appreciate the world around me. My first adventure adventure (pictured below) is already proving to be quite a challenge, but I happily accepted it and am working on it!

So far I am on a two-day streak! We'll see how that goes!

"Help me to accomplish the purpose of my journey" ~Genesis 24:12

Pax,
Kay

Fashion Friday 1/16/15

What a week! Lots of new and exciting things have been happening, but they've unfortunately taken me away from posting as much as I'd like to. Thankfully, Fashion Friday is a quick post that I can share between the craziness!

I absolutely love this outfit. It is a perfect combination of classy, professional and feminine!

Blouse and Skirt: New York & Company, Belt: maurices, Shoes: I wish I remembered, but here's a similar pair from maurices!

Happy Friday!

Pax,
Kay

Fashion Friday 1/9/15

Happy Friday All! Here's one of my favorite looks from the very short week we had here!

This week is a bit more casual for us because the students we work with are not back on campus, so I decided to go with this casual but still professional look.

It's been so cold (outside and inside) that I just wanted to be warm and comfortable!

Boots: wet seal, Pants: gap, Sweater: Old Navy, Blouse: maurices

Pax,

Kay

Figuring it Out

One of the most difficult things I do on a daily basis is make decisions. I'm telling you, it is the hardest thing for me to decide whether or not to get coffee, what to wear, what to eat for dinner, etc. Eventually I get so frustrated I just give up and end up not eating, not getting coffee, or turning to my tips for picking an outfit. Those things I can get over. But if I struggle to make decisions like that, how am I supposed to make decisions on the bigger issues? Where do I want to be next year? What kind of person do I want to be? What kind of friendships and relationships will I allow and seek out for my life?

Before embarking on this journey (actually this is one of the things that encouraged me to turn back to faith), everyone told me to pray about my decisions and life events. So I did. I prayed constantly for guidance on jobs, friends, relationships and all the rest of the decisions that gave me copious amounts of anxiety for weeks on end.

Asking for help and saying prayers was easier than I expected - I'm the
girl who absolutely refuses to ask for help and is always determined to find her own way, so for me to suddenly be able to ask God for help was remarkable. The hardest part of all of this wasn't the asking, it was the waiting and then the understanding. Is this a test? Is this an answer? What am I supposed to do with this thought/feeling/event?

As always, when I fail to understand something, I turn to my friends for help figuring out what the thoughts I have in prayer or things brought into my life because of prayer mean and how I am supposed to react to them. These are the moments when I thank God for the amazing role models I have in my life. Liv and J never cease to have beautiful words of wisdom to calm and reassure my anxious heart and mind.

Today's message, don't be afraid to ask God for help or guidance and surround yourself with good people who will help you figure out what God is revealing to you.

"Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter, whoever finds one has found a treasure." ~Sirach 6:14

Pax,

Kay

Elizabeth Ann Seton

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

One of the first questions everyone asked me when I told them about doing RCIA was "Who is your confirmation saint?" At the time I had absolutely no idea who I would pick, but every time I thought about it, only one saint came to mind: Elizabeth Ann Seton. I knew very little about her, but her name was the first one I thought of when someone said "saint".

So I started to do some digging into the life of Elizabeth Ann Seton. I knew she would be my confirmation saint when I discovered that she was also a convert. Elizabeth was raised Episcopalian and was a socialite who did charity work and raised her family. Her husband became very ill, so they went to Italy with the hopes that he would feel better. Unfortunately they were quarantined and her husband passed away before they were able to be admitted into Italy.

Elizabeth spent time with friends in Italy and she was able to witness their incredible faith. With the support of her Italian friends, she converted to Catholicism, but her decision was not well-received by her friends and family back home. She was a teacher, but struggled to support herself and her family because parents would not allow their children to be taught by a Catholic.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Shrine

A few years after she converted, Elizabeth was given a commission by the Catholic Church to start the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph's, the first religious community for women in the United States. In addition to founding the Sisters of Charity in Emmitsburg, MD, Elizabeth Ann Seton also started a Catholic school for girls. The Sisters of Charity and their ministries, as well as the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Shrine are located just a mile away from my college and I was able to visit the shrine for one of my classes. Additionally, Elizabeth Ann Seton is the first native-born American saint, canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1975.

After discovering more about her life and having been brought to Catholicism in the area where she did her incredible works, I knew that she would be, as J calls her, "my homegirl" and confirmation saint. What religious figure have you identified with in your life?

"Put your heart at His feet. It is the gift He loves most." ~St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Pax,
Kay

Fashion Friday 1/2/15

We all have those days where we wake up in the morning and have no idea what to wear. We scour our closets only to grow frustrated, give up and end up with an outfit that just doesn't feel right all day long and messes with our mood. On those days, I turn to these tips to make sure I walk out the door feeling confident and put together - when you look good, you feel good!

1) Think about what is on your schedule for the day. Any important meetings? Presentations? Will you be walking a lot or sitting at a desk most of the day? Once you find one event of the day, focus on that to build your outfit. If you're walking a lot, find your most comfortable shoes and work your way up from there. Will it be cold when you sit at your desk? Pants and a sweater it is! Use the logistics of the day to help you create a functional ensemble.

2) Consider your self-esteem and body image at the moment. If you are struggling to feel positive about your body, I don't recommend a fitted skirt or pants that might

My go-to color!

be a little difficult to button. When I struggle with my body image, I grab a circle skirt and a light blouse. The circle skirt should sit at your waist, thus emphasizing the tiniest part of your body and the free-flowing cut will prevent you from feeling self-conscious about your hips, thighs, etc.

3) Find an inspiration. Whether you pull this inspiration from a celebrity (my go-to is an outfit that makes me feel like Rachel McAdams in the Notebook), or a part of your body that you love, use that as a springboard to create a look that rocks. When I look for inspiration, I try to find things that will make my eyes pop - my closet is full of a gorgeous shade of royal blue that gives me confidence no matter how I feel.

One of my favorite pairs of heels

4) Take extra care with your makeup. If you've grown frustrated with your closet or your body, spice up your makeup routine for an easy boost! For makeup tips, check out J's blog Unfading Beauty.

5) Wear high heels. Heels are one of my favorite ways to regain control over my body and my closet.
High heels force you to have better posture, make you look taller, and make a statement. When I slip on a good pair of heels, I feel confident, collected, and classy. Never underestimate the value of a pair of heels.

"No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, show up, and never give up"

Pax,
Kay