Hiking *with modesty and femininity*

So, this post almost didn't happen this week....because my photographer ( my sister ) has been out of town the last couple weeks.

But then I remebered, I do have other pictures..... ;)

This summer I did A LOT of hiking.

It's one of those things that you don't like to wear much....yet should haha.

First time climbing a mountain ( a small one ). In Colorado. I think my face shows it :)

Pink and green go great together ❤ ;)

Cotton skirts aren't the best for hiking :)

Perfect hiking skirt :D

Always have the water bottle handy!!!

Loved hiking with this girl!!!

The water bottle is the most essential item of the hiker's outfit!

1. Practical
If you notice, I'm wearing no jewelry, nothing extra, ( well, some would consider the skirt extra, lolol ), just what I need to make a hike.

I'm also wearing leggings under my skirt so I can practically climb, slide, run, and such with out worry or unnecessary added caution ( of my skirt flying up! Haha ).



2. Pretty
Skirt. Colorful shirts.

I didn't feel like adding any other "pretty".

Haha. No, but seriously, when hiking, this is when the practical side plays heavier.

The most important thing is confidence in appearance. If you feel like your outfit is pretty ( be it ever so simple ) it will appear to be pretty to everyone :D Truth. So, just smile, for when you hike, that's the only jewelry you need :D.



3. Comfortable
Cotton knit shirts.

Stretchy denim skirts ( with out to much extra fabric ).

Breathable leggings.

Lightweight shoes with a nice arch.

Hair back in a secure ponytail.

Comfort also plays a huge role in my decision for dressing when hiking :).



Outfits

Hat: Knitted myself
Shirts: Thrift
Skirts: Thrift
Leggings: Wal-Mart
Shoes: My dad found then somewhere:b


And don't forget the water bottle!!!!!!! Or you'll end up gasping for WATER! Haha ;)

I dress similar to this, also, when doing things like caving/ other active or dirty activities. Just might add a jacket and mud boots :D


So, what do you all think? Is the skirt a bit excessive? I must admit I got quite a few looks about that, lol....and compliments. :D

More than Modest

Hey, everyone! I hope you are having a fantastic weekend ( or whatever day it is that you are reading this ).

Modesty.

It's one of those tricky (stupid, it often seems) things.

To dress or not to dress.

( Or how much should I "over dress"? )

I've seen a lot of different opinions on this.

Mostly it seems that the issue of modesty is over stressed.

-Not saying "Modesty is in my heart, not how I dress" illogical stupidness.-

I'm saying that dressing "holy", like Amish or "modest trash" isn't the solution either.

Most of those sort of people forget to make allowance to the fact that we are girls and need to dress accordingly.

Men and women both need to dress differently, not to make one more or less inferior to the other, but because they are both different.

But how can one dress both modestly and femininely? Is it even  possible?

Some would say not.

(In my opinion) Modesty rules are stupid. Because there will always be some way to break them, abuse them or over make them.

But then, here I am, about to present my own "modesty rules" :D.

Since I still live at home I still have certain dress rules I have to follow....like skirts, sleeves, dress length, etc...

But I do believe we should have our own personal guidelines for dressing, so we don't fall to either extreme of dressing (sloppy or nothing).

I have three guidelines.

And they are very simple. Not one of the three are more or less important. If all three work together they will spell out both "modesty" and femininity, yet not once in the three will I mention modesty for the fun of it ;)

Remember these are just my own guidelines. Not neccessarily "the way",  but they might give someone some good ideas :).



1. It's gotta be practical.

Though I said none were more or less important, this one almost breaks that, by ALMOST being the most important of the three.

When I say practical, I mean practical according to the occasion.

Like don't go wearing chore clothes to a dance. ( Even if you can make them look groovy :b ).

Or a fancy gown to milk the goats. ( BTW, I made both of these dresses ;b ).

I'll wear a cotton, full skirt for horse-back riding, but a tight, denim skirt for bicycling.

I'll wear short sleeves when it's hot, a jacket when it's not.

A swimming dress for swimming, pajamas for sleeping.

It's got to work for what I'm doing or where I'm at. :D

2. Pretty as can be.

Here's where you add your personality and femininity.

Of course remember to be practical.

Say I'm hiking. I won't be wearing fancy boots or jewelry. But I can still add color by wearing a pink t-shirt.

My skirt won't be gauze or satin...but it can still be a decent skirt.

( Also, part of being "practical" will be thinking what I'll be doing. So, if I'm hiking in a skirt I'll wear leggings underneath so I can move over and through stuff comfortably.)

Things I consider "pretty" - color, scarves, lace, hats, jewelry, style, etc.

3. Comfortable for sanity's same.

Keep it practical. Keep it pretty. And remember to stay comfortable.

Of course, being comfortable doesn't mean dressing in a sack. That wouldn't be pretty.

But it definitely wouldn't be dressing like a whore. That wouldn't be practical.

For my graduation I wore a fancy dress (pictured above).

It was both pretty and practical to the occasion. Even though it was tight and the fabric wasn't just the most comforting fabric, it was a comfortable dress that I could MOVE in and DO things  in WHILE EATING and BREATHING with ease.

For everyday wear I won't wear something like that. I stick with softer fabrics and a looser fit for comfort's and practicality's sakes.

Yet, I still keep it pretty some how.




And so that's it. If it is practical, pretty and comfortable I wear it. And for me that is how I dress modestly and femininely all at once.

What do you think? What are your personal rules for dressing modestly or femininely? What do you think of my three tips?

( I think I'll do a series of blog posts, explaining how I put these three tips into my every day life, what do you think :D )

Denim And Feminine ( Fashion Post )

Hey, you all! I'm new to this blog - and since I'm new I should do this really awesome, unique post in fashion!!!😃

I should....

And I will....sometime after this post 😛. I promise, after this one I will try to do some really great ones. 

But joining suddenly like this, I didn't take the time to prepare a longer post..so, yeah... :)

So, a little about me -  I am Keturah and 19. I was homeschooled, I live in Montana, I love writing and reading, and there are a lot of crazy things about me - too much to list off, but some of which you can read about at my blog or on Facebook.

When it comes to clothes I'm opinionated, in a free manner of speaking, lol!

I believe girls should dress pretty, practical and comfortable and that all three of those are equally important. 

You can't have one without the other. And having all three should spell out modesty ;)

And I love denim. Its just so comfortable and practical - and pretty!

Cheap is vital for most girls I know  - meaning most will end up dressing "trashy" because they can't afford to dress up.

That's why I like thrift stores!!!

The hardest thing to find at thrift stores are nice skirts or dresses.

But you can find them!

This skirt was such an exciting find for me. Both of the shirts were found at thrift stores also.

One of the great things about denim skirts - they don't take much to dress up. As you can see, a colorful shirt and necklace does the trick for me.


Outfit #1:
Skirt: Thrifted
Shirt: Thrifted
Tank top: Wal-Mart
Necklace: Made
Bracelet: Plato's Closet
Flipflops: Thrifted


Outfit #2:
Skirt: Thrifted
Shirt: Thrifted
Tank top: Thrifted
Hair: Ribbon from Jo-Ann's braided into my hair


So, what do you all think? Like wearing denim skirts as well? 



~ Keturah

Handmade Travel Journal/Diary {review}

 

Hello ladies!

 Guess who's back from a week of travel and a trip to the NGJ Ozark Mountain Shindig?

 Yep, that would be yours truly! Ah what an incredible experience - everything from the travel up to Missouri, and the actual event itself - it was all a truly unforgettable week.

 

And now I be back! Back with a lovely journal review from MissJournal .

 

A few weeks ago, the shop owner Meghan sent me one of her adorable handmade journals.

I opted to use her photos since they were of considerable better quality than mine, and I figured y'all could get a better representation with better photos.

 

The shop listing for this journal reads:

Pink Floral Travel Journal- Fabric Covered and Handbound

Dimensions: 5.5" x 7.25"
Cover: Fabric
Binding: Case Binding, Bound with a sturdy, Waxed Linen Thread

• Complete with approximately 64 white, unlined pages of 100% recycled paper.
• Unlined pages give you the freedom to doodle, sketch or write without restrictions of lines in the way.

• Feminine, travel journal is the perfect size for jotting down your daily thoughts, prayers, or traveling memories.
• With its sturdy hard cover the quality feels store-bought yet the personality is clearly hand-made.
• This journal would make the perfect gift for a friend or an expecting mother on mother's day!
• Inside is covered with a soft, minty-green end paper.

 

Now, for my own thoughts on the journal.

 

I think it's beautiful! The outer fabric lining is very girly and bright. Even though I'm quite vocally not a pinks person, and will usually gravitate to blues and greens in color choices, this journal still captured my little ounce of girlishness and I found it to be very charming.

 

I love journaling. Ever since I was 8, I've kept a collection of diaries/journals. Typically, I write/fill up about one a year. I find it to be a worthy pastime in which I can sort of record my life. I hate to forget things, and I like to be able to look back and recall events and emotions I experienced in the past.

 

I also enjoy doodling and drawing. This journal allows space for both! Whether you want to keep a journal of writing ideas as you go around, travel, etc., or maybe you'd like to nature sketch, this will suit your needs either way. The clean white pages just beg to be filled with creativity!

I love clean white pages....

 

The binding is constructed well, and the journal is solid overall. It doesn't feel flimsy or lacking, like it was put together quickly in a factory in China. It's got the evident mark of craftsmanship and quality.

 

Overall? I'm a supporter of this shop. If you're looking for a new journal/diary, you need to check out Meghan's journals. They're classy, chic and crafted with excellence!

Go take a look for yourself. Now.

 

Note: I was provided this item from MissJournal in exchange for my honest review. All opinions remain mine and mine alone.

Lies We've Been Told

Marriage is not a reward.  It is not something that you can earn or work a certain formula and then just watch it happen.  It's not a guarantee no matter how beautiful and godly and vivacious you are.

I used to think it depended on me.  That if I could lose weight, I would be pretty enough to get married...but then I saw girls larger than my 125lb frame, happily married and living my dream.

I used to think that if I could just get my daily quiet time together and make it a habit that I never skipped, then God would let me get married...and I saw girls that didn't have it together as much as I did planning their weddings.  I thought that if I could just learn to be more outgoing, then I could actually hang out with the type of man I want to marry.  But every time I met him, it fell through.  I wasn't active enough, independent enough, submissive enough....I didn't debate enough to challenge him, I debated too well and he wanted to always be right....I didn't believe the right things, wear the right things, listen to the right music....or maybe, we were just "very different".

I've tried everything and yet, they keep telling me that all I have to do is trust God and He will work it out.  Put Christ first, fall in love with Him....other women have done that and within just a short time God brought along a man and they lived happily ever after.  Don't focus on getting married, go after other goals and then your husband will miraculously appear.

The truth is, there is no formula.  There is no guarantee.  No matter how hard we work at being the perfect woman, it does not depend on us.

My life has not been strewn with roses.  I have visited heartbreak hotel like so many others before me.  I know what it's like to ache inside because no matter what you do, nothing good ever seems to last.  I know how hard it is when you love someone and they leave you.  I've been there, cried out loud from the pain and then got up and gone to work the next day as if life is wonderful.

I don't have all the answers.  In fact, I really have no answers.  There is only one thing that I know will never change, one person who will never leave and one relationship that will always satisfy and you don't have to wait on him to act because He already did.  My Jesus, my Yeshua, the King of kings, Lord of lords...no matter how many times I slip away and try other things to satisfy and fix myself, He is still there through it all.  He's the only one who can heal a broken heart, turn your tears into laughter, your ugliness into beauty, your pain into something He can use to help others and with Him, there will always be a happy ending.