Once She Imagined She Lived in a Castle // Daily Outfit

You know how sometimes a change creeps in very slowly, and you don't notice it until one day you wake up and think "when did that happen?!" Well, that is how I feel of late. I've spent all my life a child, and the suddenly last week I realized that I'm not one anymore. Monday was my first day as a senior in high school, and I am four months away from turning eighteen.


But it is more than that. I don't feel like a child anymore. I feel like a young woman. It's not a scary feeling, just different. I'm not used to it, but at the same time I am. Some of my best friends are in their twenties, and I am eager to start my career. I want to be married. To have a family, and I feel as if I could do all of this tomorrow. Except that I'm still in high school. Which is a bit frustrating, to say the least.

{dress/thrifted :: shoes/Merona :: tights/Simply Vera (Kohls) :: belt/thrifted :: bag/Mulberry for Target :: bow tie necklace/made by me :: sunglasses/ModCloth via my big sister}

I wore this outfit when my family went to Ravina to see the Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring movie with a live orchestra last Saturday. I got the dress from a thrift store when I visited my cousins. I didn't like the length of the skirt and sleeves, though, so I pinned them both up. Worked for the night but I definitely need to get it to a tailor to have the sleeves properly shortened (I'm not brave enough to attempt it!). Despite that, however, I did love this outfit a lot. I felt so great walking around the beautiful "grounds" of Ravina in it. And I got to wear tights! ♥

Converse

I never thought I'd be a Converse kind of girl, but after watching the second season of Doctor Who my sister and I both wanted our own pairs. We managed to get her one on sale at Target before she left, but I was still Converse-less. Finally after over a month of searching my sister found a pair at a garage sale for just $.25, which was good enough to send to me. Aren't I lucky?

A Peek into my Room: Vintage Kitty Cat Perfume Bottle

I saw this vintage, 1970's kitty cat perfume bottle at the thrift store a few weeks ago. I didn't get it the first time I saw it, or the second time, but then I decided that I just had to get it, so I made my mom drive me back and I snatched it up before anyone else could get it. I think it's a pretty awesome find! Especially for only $2.50! And I mean, come on, doesn't it look great sitting on my desk??

Blog Journal

Friday I finally decided to bite the bullet and get myself a notebook for keeping track of my ideas for Beautifully Pure. A $10 notebook and $3 pens may sound like a silly thing to think about for weeks before getting, but I have a habit of buying note books and never using them and I really didn't want to do that again.

I'm so glad I got this one, though. I really couldn't be happier with it! It's the perfect size and color and I love the scripture verses it has on each page. ♥

Music Monday - China Anne McClain's Dynamite

Here we are again: another Disney star that I just can't help but like. China Anne McClain is the star of the new Disney series, ANT Farm. A show about a group of middle schoolers attending high school through the Advanced Natural Talents program. It's actually really funny.

China Anne McClain's character, Chyna's main talent. She plays guitar, violin along with a whole bunch of other instruments - and she sings. This is the music video for the song she's sun in a couple episodes. I. Am. In. Love. I love the fun, upbeat vibe of it as well as her amazing voice - and the lyrics are pretty awesome, too! Go ahead and take a listen. ♥

A Peek into my Room: Sunglass Hangers

{sunglasses, from top left to right: Xhilaration, Xhilaration, Delia*s, Forever 21, Rue 21, ModCloth}

I needed a way to show off my sunglasses collection. Originally I wanted to hang them on a pretty ribbon, but then I saw this idea, and it seemed much easier to execute, so I went with it instead.

And do you know what's funny? I've only bought myself two pairs of sunglasses! The blue polka-dot ones were from my little sister, and all the ones on the bottom hanger are from my big sister - including my favorite, Jackie-Oval sunglasses (far left) from ModCloth!

I Had a Date // Daily Outfit

{dress/vintage ~ shoes/Merona ~ bag/from my mom ~ sunglasses/ModCloth via my big sister}

I found this great vintage dress several months ago, but it was too hot to wear it. When my dad and little sister and I decided to go see Captain America late Wednesday night, I wanted to wear something more than the tee shirt and jeans I had lazily thrown on that morning. This dress lended itself as an east to throw on, simple to style option for the night (and worked great for the next day, as pictured). It was actually pretty funny considering this dress has a such a 40's look about it, and the movie took place during the 40's. I felt so lady-like all night. ♥

Music Monday - #18 Death Cab for Cutie's Underneath the Sycamore

Yet another song my little sister got me started on. I'd never even heard of Death Cab for Cutie and I still don't know anything about them, but I like this song. It has a cool tune and I love the way the instruments and vocals sound together. Definitely worth a listen. ♥

Kiss it Goodbye

This outfit is definitely very simple, but I felt so awesome in it! I think I'm finally staring to like the way my body looks in jeans. ♥

{jeans/Old Navy ~ shirt/thrifted ~ belt/thrifted ~ necklace/ModCloth ~ shoes/Xhilaration ~ bag/Etsy}

I spent a lot of my life scared of what people would think about me. I've been hurt before, and judged a lot, and it's been a long, hard road, but with the help of some of my (awesome) friend I'm finally learning to accept that this is who I am. I'm not likely to change and that's ok. I don't have to be anything more than what I am, and let me tell you, there is no better feeling in the world than that.

Thrifting Thursdays - Hope Chest Haul

I decided to do this post in writing instead of a video because I figured I should explain the concept of a hope chest, since I'm assuming a lot of my readers don't know what it is.

A hope chest is a very old idea and is traditionally a chest filled with linens and other house hold things that a young woman takes with her when she is married. Among the Christian community it's fairly common for a girl to get such a chest and things to put in it for her eighteenth birthday. My family doesn't do that, however, and since I hate the experience of finding something I would love to use in my own home, but don't have a need for now, I decided to start my own. At the moment it's just being stored in a vintage suitcase that wasn't serving any real purpose, but I hope some day to get an actual chest that I can personalize and then use in my home once I move out.

Two weeks ago I did a lot of thrifting with my cousins, and got some real goodies for my chest, here's a few of the things I got:
{Corning mugs/$.33 a piece ~ plastic desert plates/$.39 a piece ~ Pyrex casserole dish/$3.50} The Pyrex casserole dish is by far one of my favorite finds. It's so funny because just a couple days before I found it I had been reading on Miss Indie and A is for Ampersand about Pyrex (I'd never heard of it before) and then lo and behold! I find my own! It's a good thing I have a hope chest, because I never would have been able to pass it up.

What's your best find? I'd love to hear about it!

Come with Me to the Renaissince Faire

Saturday my cousins and little sisters went to the Bristol Renaissance Faire. This was my fifth time, but only the second that I did not go in an authentic historical costume. This year I decided I wanted to wear a pretty frock, so I took my "sonic" screwdriver, my TARDIS key, and went as a time traveler.

{dress/thrifted ~ crinoline/borrowed from my cousin ~ shoes/my little sisters ~ necklace/ModCloth ~ bag (not pictured)/Etsy}

It was lots of fun, and I'm really glad I didn't dress up this time, because it was really nice parading around in my poofy dress. ♥