Conversations with a Conservative

*sorry, this was supposed to post Friday - my scheduled posts are not working :( Hello!  Welcome to the first installment of Frugal Fridays: Fashion.  First, sorry I didn't write much this week.  I had a horrible migraine on Monday and didn't even go to work.  Therefore, no pic of the new haircut for you.  Then on Tuesday, I did make it to work, but didn't love my outfit.  I didn't love it again on Wednesday.  The last couple of days it was, eh.  I haven't been feeling very inspired this week to get dressed, but I have a couple of pics for you.  I will also unveil the new 'do.  I got my haircut on Saturday, and at first I really liked it.  I hadn't had it this short in a looooooong time so it kind of surprised me.  Then, on Sunday morning I decided to style it more straight like the pic I posted last Friday, but it looked awful.  Husband called it right - he said I looked like a politician, but then I knew he meant Hil...

Okay, these are the last few of the old outfits.  I think I am going to start just posting the weeks' outfits on Friday and do a Frugal Fashion Friday type thing since I love a good deal.  We'll see how that goes! Outift breakdown: Jean Jacket, Gap (8 years old), $20 T-shirt dress, J.Crew Factory, $8 Leather Belt, J.Jill, $5 Scarf, Coldwater Creek, $5ish Leather ballet flats, American Eagle Outifitters (not Payless), $8 Outfit breakdown: White tunic top, Coldwater Creek, $10 Jeans, Talbots, $20 Leather loafer/boat shoes/wedges, Bass via ebay, $15 Necklace, Target, $4 Outfit breakdown: Cardi, Lands End Canvas, $15 Purple blouse, The Limited, $6 Zebra pencil skirt, Target via ebay, $11 Leather ballet flats, Eddie Bauer, $20 Simple, simple outfit: Dress, Old Navy, $8 Leather sandals, Lands' End Canvas, $13ish Trying to do something different... Outfit breakdown: Blazer, The Limited via TJMaxx, $20 Green top, Bitten, ...

So as I got closer to taking the PE exam, I cared less and less about clothing.  However, I did take a handful of pictures over the last few weeks I haven't shared (at least I don't think I have!)  I'm going to share those for the next couple of days, and then I'll jump into some fun home improvement projects we have been doing.  I really think the husband just finds things to do so he can buy more tools, but we expanded the patio, planted our yearly garden, updated the front flower beds, bought an old dresser to fix up, and are currently resurfacing our old broken driveway.  I probably did too much while trying to study, but it kept me sane!  Plus, my house is a mess so no one is allowed to come over for probably another week...gotta give myself some time to get back in the swing of domestic life. Anywho, here are a few outfits below (nothing super special, but always a good deal - you know me!) *some of these are back from when it was still chilly out! ...

I wanted to separate this post out from the one that just posted because they are just on completely different spectrums.  So I haven't had my haircut in 8 months.  I don't normally go that long unless I am really trying to grow my hair out (which I did only once).  I got it cut back in August and meant to again before the holidays, but then it got busy.  Then I was pretty much sick the entire month of January.  Then I started studying for the PE exam.  Then it is today. As you might imagine, my hair is out of control!  I don't blow dry it much so it doesn't take a huge beating most days and stays relatively healthy.  However, the humidity has been pretty crazy here and my curly out of control mane has looked awful down and curly.  I either put it up everyday or straighten because I feel like too much of a mess to go to work otherwise. Therefore, I am getting my haircut tomorrow morning!!! Here is what I am thinking (same cut, I...

Y'all have no idea how happy I am to be back.  You know what this means...I took the PE exam!  Now before you all get super giddy and jump up and down with excitement, I have no idea how I did yet.  Results take about 8-10 weeks to come out, but I sure hope I passed. This exam has taught me so much.  I really realized that God will use anything to draw us near to Him.  He did that so much with me during this exam journey, and I have just loved every second of knowing Him better.  I have found power in the Holy Spirit I never knew before, and I have literally felt God with me.  In fact, when I first started the exam I looked at the first couple of questions and freaked out.  I had prayed while getting ready that morning, but I quickly remembered I hadn't prayed right before starting the exam.  So, while part of me wanted to give up and just put "c" for each answer, I prayed God and the Holy Spirit would be with me, and things turned around. ...

So I said I may be MIA until after April 13th, and I have held pretty true to that!  I have been studying (or attempting to, I get distracted very easily) so I haven’t been around to blog or do much of anything.  My house – disaster.  Laundry – piled high.  Kitchen sink – thankfully the hubby keeps up on that! Anyway, I have had some realizations in just the last week that I wanted to share and jot down for my memory’s sake.  First, I realized this last week that I had to surrender this exam to God.  I didn’t really know what that meant, but anytime I felt anxious or afraid, I would pray.  I would ask that God would take this exam from me and show me how to surrender it to Him.  I would also pray that the Holy Spirit would be with me and guide me (I’m not sure if I am supposed to talk to the Holy Spirit or ask God to ask the Holy Spirit – remember, this Holy Spirit relationship is very new to me.)  Anyway, I have spent this time time trying...

This spiritual awakening God is blessing me with has been a long time coming.  I was spiritually dead for a while, but then the Holy Spirit, in spite of me, started stirring in my soul.  I don’t know why, but boy am I glad.  The stirring is what lead us to a different church, but then it felt like I was always on the brink of something big, but I could never quite breakthrough the barriers I was putting up.  Finally, at our church’s womens’ retreat last April, I sat crying and praying out to God to help me, to show me how to breakthrough and I know I finally am.  It has taken almost all of this last year, and I am still learning daily, but I am hearing the Spirit and knowing God and relying on Him in so many ways.  I feel like that is a lot of what I am writing about lately because He is finally starting to fully be part of all of my life, not just the areas I let Him in the past. Ironically, the women’s retreat this year starts on the day of the dreaded ...