Laura W. Godfrey

Oh, MAN am I excited about the what’s trending in the fashion world this season! Nautical and preppy is on the rise and I have all the heart eyes.

I totally fell in love with this rain (or shine!) jacket from Banana Republic Factory Store. The fabric is super sturdy but not too stiff. I paired it with my white jeans and added some blush because blush is everything.

These loafers I found at Old Navy are theeeee most comfortable shoes I own right now. I literally can’t stop wearing them, nor do I want to.

Stripe Trench || White Denim || Pink Loafers || Pink Tote

Hope you guys have a HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

When I was a little girl, my Daddy used to have a special dinner with all of us on Valentine’s Day and then he would give each of us a penny we got to redeem for a special Daddy date. Really, we could have one on one time with my Dad whenever we asked, but the penny made it seem a little more special.

I always appreciated that as I was growing up, my parents taught us the Valentine’s Day wasn’t just about celebrating romantic love. This was especially true when I was going through those awkward middle school years and I had nothing going on in the romance department. Thank goodness we had a long-standing family dinner so I didn’t just sit around feeling sorry for myself!

Our Valentine tradition is to give a small box of chocolates to the girls (momma gets the jumbo box), along with a letter from mommy and daddy and a special gift. Their special gift this year is this sweet gold heart locket from J. Crew Kids.

Reese actually saw it last time we were in the store and begged for it for Christmas. Yes, this was in January. Won’t she be pleasantly surprised when she doesn’t have to wait a year to get it?!

We also really try to place a great deal of emphasis on how much God loves them as we celebrate Valentine’s Day. We recently came across this book and have been reading it daily. It’s a simple way to explain the story of God’s plan to save us thru Jesus.

As a little added surprise this year, the girls are both getting a new pair of Hunter Rain Boots. These are the most durable and adorable pair of shoes my girls own! They love running around with their monogrammed umbrellas jumping in puddles. The muddier the better! I think we are going to go with the light pink again (they’ve both outgrown theirs!). When you’re a little girl, pink is considered a neutral in your wardrobe. Who am I kidding? Pink is a neutral in my wardrobe, too!

I hope you have a special day with all the ones you love!

If you have any fun ideas of what you like to do with your family to make Valentine’s Day special, I’d love to hear about it!

Thanks so much for reading!

Do you ever get tired of the words you have rolling around in your head?

Goodness knows I do.

Some days it feels like there’s a middle school bully up there pushing me around, calling me names, and literally just giving me a mental beat down.

I know who the bully is.

As a Christian, I know that Satan uses first person talk in my mind to make me believe lies about myself. For example it’s never “You’re not smart, pretty, worthy, loved.” No, it always turns into me taking complete ownership of the lie Satan wants me to believe “I’m not smart. I’m not pretty. I’m not worthy. I’m not loved.”

If you’ve seen the movie The Help, you’ll probably recall the very touching and memorable part where Aboline leans in to the little girl she has practically raised and says “You is Kind, You Is Smart, You is Important.”

I cry through that whole movie but especially at that part!

I love truth. I love it because it literally has the power to set us free. When we focus our minds on what is true, it changes the whole trajectory of our thinking and ultimately our lives!

The mind can be a toxic place if we aren’t careful so I wanted to quickly share some of the ways I’ve had my mental lie detector on high alert.

Listen to conviction, throw out condemnation.

Condemnation has a way of devaluing. while conviction actually adds more value. Conviction is always kind but condemnation is a bully. If you’re allowing condemnation to rule your thoughts sending you into a spiral of negative emotions, reject those ideas and replace them with the truth that you can always work harder and be better but you are loved totally and completely right where you are this very second.

Speak affirmations, silence doubt.

Affirmations are borderline cheesy but gosh are the effective! I read in a parenting book one time that you must speak the truth you wish to see in your child. They need to physically hear what you believe they are capable of. So every night before the girls go to sleep, we go through positive affirmations. Right after they’ve been disciplined for a wrong behavior, we affirm the exact opposite of that behavior. For instance, when Rowen wacks Reese over the head, after she apologizes and they hug it out, she has to hold her hands up and say “I use my hands to be kind. I do not use my hands to hit.” Whatever area you feel weakest in is the one that’s crying out to be affirmed. Wake up to your potential by literally speaking it into your reality. Our words are so powerful!

Discipline disappointments, practice being grateful.

Disappointment is a tough thing to deal with but when we have the right perspective, it can be a great teacher. Too many times we make it our enemy. It’s not! We can learn and grow from the things that let us down. But if you let your disappointments tear you apart, then you learn nothing and no one wins. Instead, have an attitude of gratitude and choose to see growth as your friend and not your enemy.

I will be the first to admit that I literally have to have the truth right in front of my face DAILY in order to not believe the lies that get conjured up in my head. I keep God’s word handy and read it out loud on the regular but especially in the moments I’m feeling down and out.

There’s a lot on the line not only for me, but also for my girls. If I’m going to teach them how to have healthy mindsets, it’s something I’m going to have to practice myself.

I hope this will help you in your thinking this week. I hope you know that

You are loved.

You are valued.

You are beautiful.

You are special.

And don’t you let anyone tell you otherwise!

Mixing patterns can be overwhelming at times. You want to pull off eclectic without achieving “hot mess”. It’s a total game of balance, really.

Stripes are obviously one of my favorite patterns. Second only to the almighty leopard print. Some people don’t like leopard because it feels a little too va va voom, if you know what I mean. With this look, I balanced the leopard out a bit by adding some preppy stripes. The collar of this button down also has a ruffle, which softens the whole look while adding texture and dimension.

The real key to mixing patterns is just having the confidence to pull it off. If you feel good in what you’ve got on, it really shows.

My general rule when mixing patterns is not to mix more than two “busy” patterns. I’ll incorporate different solids but only two actual patterns for the most part. I don’t mind pulling in textures like rhinestone cuffs and a muted snake skin clutch to keep things interesting. But showing a little self restraint when mixing patterns will really help with the balance of the whole look.

The majority of this look is from J Crew Factory. I’d recommend sizing down in this blazer. The sweater also runs a little big but I am so excited about all the different ways I can wear it this Winter and into Spring.

Sunglasses (similar) || Leopard Sweater || Striped Ruffle Button Down || Red Blazer (similar)|| Black Jeggings || Strappy Flats || Black Clutch || Rhinestone Cuffs (similar)

Hi!

Happy Friday to YOU!

It’s been a quick minute since I’ve actually done a Friday Favorites post so I’m kind of excited to bring it back. I’m sharing things I use the heck out of in hopes that maybe you’ll end up needing/loving/wondering how you ever lived without any one of these things.

Here we go!

Steamer:

I use this one to steam my clothes and it has been a life saver! I can’t tell you how much I hate ironing clothes and it’s just not always feasible to make it to the dry cleaners every week. Plus, hello, I have two toddlers that are constantly roaming in and out of my closet. My clothes don’t stay wrinkle-free for long! But this steamer that Matt got me for Christmas heats up in like 30 seconds and works like a charm!

NuMe Curling Wand:

Some of you have been requesting a hair tutorial for getting beachy waves and I will go ahead and tell you this this is my trick. I’ve used other wands in the past but the size and heat on this one is perfection. It works so efficiently that it really cuts down on how long it takes me to do my hair. Praises!

This White Layering Cami:

So yeah this is kind of a funny thing to add to a Friday Favorite list but Y’ALL. I can’t tell you how much I love this cami! It’s a blouse material, very soft, and not see through. I don’t like things super low cut so it hits at just the right spot. The price point is spot on and I promise you will love this and will literally want to wear it under every. thing.

Nike Tanjun Shoes:

If you’ve followed me for five seconds or more, you will be quick to learn how much I wear these running shoes. I own them in black and grey and they are like bedroom slippers that I can workout/run to Target in. I’m pretty sure all my sisters and my mom own a pair and they rave about them too. I’ve been around the block when it comes to running shoes and these are by FAR the most versatile and comfy pair I’ve ever owned. Get ya some.

That’s it for this week! I hope you have a great weekend! As always, thanks so much for stopping by. I’m so grateful for you!

The real title to this post is “The four questions you should ask yourself before you buy something in order to ensure you’re making the BEST purchasing decision and won’t regret it next time you get dressed.”

But that’s not super catchy.

So “How to make the best buying decisions” it is! Also not super catchy but we’re gonna roll with it.

I’ve found myself many times during the week staring at rows of clothes that I have no interest in putting on my body. I know it’s my own fault. I brought me to this place. I bought the dang clothes and now what once seemed so appealing is begging for me to throw it in the giveaway pile. I look disapprovingly at my expansive collection of button down flannels and wonder “how’d you all got here?”

If it’s me we are talking about, which we are because this is my blog, more than likely the clothes got in my closet because they were on sale. I can’t resist a sale. A bright red sale sign turns something mediocre into something must-have. I’m not proud of my obsession with a sale. But like a moth to a flame I go every time a new sale beckons me. I could probably blame it on my sever case of FOMO (fear of missing out) but the sale obsession has still gotten me into more trouble than I’d like to admit

In recent months I’ve turned everything around, or at least started to. The change in the right direction started when I cleaned out my closet. I got rid of anything I hadn’t worn in six months and anything I just didn’t like on me. This left me with not a lot of clothes. But I’m cool with that because I also started incorporating this intentional method of asking questions before I buy and it’s changed the way my closet collection is speaking to me. As in, it’s actually speaking to me.

So here’s what I ask myself prior to making a purchase:

Can it be styled in more than one way?

All clothing falls into two categories: 1) Functional and 2) Statement. I’m all about a statement piece! I love floral prints and frilly dresses. But it’s just reality that statement pieces (items that can really only be styled one way) are one and done. So when you’re getting ready to make a purchase, really quickly make a mental pinterest board of all the ways you could style the item. If you can think of more than two ways, especially if it involves clothes you already own, then you’re making a great decision. Even if it means changing up the accessories, shoes, or jacket, it still counts! A closet should be about 75% functional and 25% statement with your statement items being the ones with the largest turn over. Not a hard, fast rule, of course. But definitely something to keep in mind, especially if you’re really wanting to build those basics.

Can it be worn during more than one season?

Ok, I know that it’s a must to get warm weather clothes and winter wear, but if you’re really considering investing in something quality, and you know you can layer it or strip it down, it’s almost always a good idea! I have camis and cardis that have become great transitional pieces. I also wear jeans year round so I’m pretty much always ok with making a denim investment. If there’s one thing I will always spend more on, it’s year round basics. I wear the heck out of them so when the quality is good, they last me so much more wear and tear!

Do I love the way it fits me?

Not the way it looked on the model or on the rack. I mean, is this piece of clothing doing me favors? If the fit is just ok, send it back. If you don’t love it in the dressing room, you won’t love it at home. Maybe your experience is different than mine, but I’ve yet to try something on in a store, be kind of “eh” about it, get it home, and all of a sudden I’m in love with it. If it’s not love at first site, it’s not going to grow on you. Clothes have no redeeming qualities other than their first impression. There have been so many times that I bought something because I loved it but I didn’t like it on me. Don’t make this mistake! If the fit is no good, pass on it.

BONUS QUESTION! I imagine the freshly steamed piece of clothing all wrinkled and hanging in my closet and I ask myself “Do I love this enough to IRON or STEAM it in order to wear it?” The truth is, I’ve bought so many tops with ruffles and pleats and after one trip thru the wash, even once laid dry, it just doesn’t look quite right. This requires a lot of effort to return it to its former glory. If I love the fit of it enough to put in the time to make it look right, then I know I’ll do it. Also meaning… I know I’ll wear it.

I hope this little mental checklist helps you in making your buying decisions. I think most of us really do have a desire to make our closets work for us. I’m finally getting to the point where I get excited to get dressed because I’ve started being so much more intentional about what actually makes its way into my closet. I hope if you’re not already there, you get to that point.

To help get you started, here are a few of my BEST purchases of the year so far!

Much Love!