Black & LuLaRoe

Black.

The color is a bit harsh, but it looks good on soo many people. I am and always have been a fan of black. It used to be because of that middle school phase I went through; black eyeliner(and lots of it), black shoes, black shirts, black jackets, and more little black details. No, I was never 'emo' or 'goth', I just thought black was a cool color. Anyways, that's beside the point... Hahaha. I just love black!

Black is very classy. You can always wear it with anything, and it's so fun to style. But I have to say, and I've said this for a few years now, black and silver is my all time favorite combination... It's simply stunning when they are paired together.

dress: LuLaRoe
shoes: Forever 21

This is my LuLaRoe dress. I'll talk about LuLaRoe in a bit, first I want to talk about my outfit:

Winter is coming aaand I am excited--I can wear dark colors once again! I love rainy, foggy, and overcast days. Fall and winter are my absolute favorite seasons. Black is a very flattering color on everyone. It's sleek and slimming. (Keep this in mind when looking for a nice outfit for any occasion!) Accessorizing a black dress is really fun. You can work with colors, or go with neutrals. I tend to go with neutrals, unless I feel like making a statement with a pop of color. Neutrals are my favorite! Especially the color grey, which is why I love silver so much. Throwing the shoes, necklace, bracelet, and earrings made this whole outfit turn out great!

Try playing around with the color black! Whether it's a black blouse or a black dress, play it up with some color, or silver or gold! Picture this dress I'm wearing with a turquoise necklace and earring, or some pink pumps along with a pink statement necklace. The possibilities are endless!

necklace: Target
earrings: Icing
bracelet: Icing

Let's talk about LuLaRoe.

You can read their story here, it's quite motivational! I love this clothing line. I found out about them through social media, through friends who had their dresses, and knowing of people who were consultants. Their consultants sell their dresses at dress parties they throw in their own home or at a hosts house, or you can buy them online at their website. I advise going to a dress party because trying on the dresses makes all the difference.

I went to a dress party in Oceanside a few weeks ago, and bought this dress and a pencil skirt. There were buckets full of dresses, skirts, leggings, and tunics. It's so fun to shuffle through the buckets and find the patterns you like in your size! I found out that this is the only dress that looks good on my figure--this is why I advise you try to go to a dress party. It's also fun to try them on and go out and show your family or friends your favorite styles!

Another huge plus to LuLaRoe is the fact that they are SO comfortable! I could literally sleep in this dress... I kid you not. Their tunics and leggings are a dream as well. I love it. I love it all.

So go check them out! Their styles differ frequently because their inventory sells out almost yearly. But checking them out is definitely worth it. I know I'll be back to a party or online for more soon. (Once I get money...Ha!)

Love, Megs. :)

Also: I'm going to try to keep up with my blog at college, I start next week(woot woot!), but we'll see how that goes. Let me know if you want more or anything specific on fashion or modesty in particular. :)

Cardigan & Maxi

Sometimes I find myself grabbing at items in my closet that don't quite go together. Sometimes I just do not care, and go with what I feel is my creative touch...and I actually liked the outcome this time! Hahaha.

I wanted to wear this new maxi skirt I got, but I also wanted to wear a cardigan of some sort. (It was just one of those days where I want to feel cozy and cute.) I was unsure as to how it would look; wearing a long cardigan with a maxi skirt or a skirt in general is difficult to style and sometimes doesn't look too great.

Let me know what you guys think of this... I loved it!...haha. :)

shirt: Merona (Target)
cardigan: H&M
skirt: Ross
shoes: American Eagle

I fell in love with this skirt when I found it at Ross in Vegas. I went shopping with my sister, Savanah, because she needed some shorts. I was NOT planning on getting anything...but then I saw this skirt, and it was like $10. Soo I got it! It was a sweet deal! I can't resist!

The cardigan is also so so much fun. I love pairing it with jeans and a t-shirt for a simple casual look. I love the floral print too. :)

I hope this stirred up some new ideas on how to style your cardigans and maxi skirts! I know it got me thinking.
Remember to stay modest my lovely friends!

Love, Megs. :)

Why Should We Be Modest?

The other day I came across this really awesome post on this blog, millennialmormons.com. I reallly loved what they had to say about modesty and WHY we make an effort to be modest as members of the LDS church.

Check it out. :)

The New Millennial Mormon Modesty Argument-

http://www.millennialmormons.com/new-millennial-mormon-modesty-argument/

They talk about modesty and the effect it has on men and women. But they also talk about how being modest is more importantly a part of keeping our covenants we've made with the Lord.

Being modest isn't something the modern fashion industry is currently into; within the last few years we've been reintroduce to certain styles that are a bit revealing and interesting--to say the least.

For girls: skinny jeans, crop tops, short/mini skirts, cutoff shorts(Daisy Duke style shorts), bandeau tops, and shirts with cut-outs. (there's probably more, as well)

For guys: skinny jeans, low-riding pants(thankfully some are catching on that it is not attractive), the tank top, the muscle t-shirt, and short shorts. (there's probably more, as well)

As the times have changed, we see the types of fashion changing as well. It's a bit interesting looking around Forever 21 at their styles they have these days. I LOVE Forever 21. You can find so many cute and modest things there, and SO many immodest and interesting clothes as well... It's hard to get around those things these days. For men and women shorts have gotten shorter, tops have gotten higher & lower, and the over all styles are changing more each year.

In our desire to be modest, it's sometimes overlooked because these new distracting styles placed before us today. It's hard to find modest clothes and still look 'cute'! But it's worth it BECAUSE we want to live our lives to please Christ and Heavenly Father--they've given us all that we have, it's the least we could do! Striving to be modest isn't easy, but we are promised blessings in return if we live worthy of our covenants.

I believe we should be modest to keep the sacred covenants we've made with the Lord, and so we are not a distraction to those around us.

I hope you all ready the blog post from the Millennial Mormons, I thought it was great!

Stay true to your selves, and remember what your purpose is here on earth!

Love this!

Love, Megs. :)

Stripes

Thrift stores are amazing, truly sent from above... In my eyes at least! Haha. I'm only kidding. But I'm partially serious...

I still marvel at the fact that I found this skirt at a thrift store in my town. So many people ask where I've gotten it, and I so wish I could tell them! The only thing I have to say to them is this: go thrift store shopping! I am a firm believer in thrift store shopping--oooobviously. :)

shirt: Madonna (it's my sisters)
skirt: Bali Emerald Design (THRIFT STORE)
shoes: Mossimo Supply Co. (Target)

>>>so I think I look like a red-head. I wish I was, that would be so awesome.

So I was down in Oceanside this past weekend, and I totally stole one of my sister Erin's shirts. For those of you who have siblings, you know that their wardrobe means a lot to you. When my older sisters left, YES I missed them so so much. But I missed their clothes as well;) hahaha.

I love love love dressing stripes! They are so fun to play with. Personally, I think every color looks great with stripes! I love putting bright bold colors with stripes for summer, it always gives it a super playful and fun look.

Accessorizing with stripes is SO FUN as well! Playing around with different colored accessories with your outfit is way fun, and stripes just make it look 100x better!

necklace: Forever 21
rings:
thumb- small shop in Gettysburg, PA
middle- Bella's Consignments in Orcutt
ring finger- CTR ring, from CTR Ring Shop

Summer is the best. You get to dress in bright and light colors and enjoy the summer heat--I love it! But MAN I seriously cannot wait for fall! I'll be spending fall and winter up at BYU Idaho so I'm more than eager to get some snow and the constant cold weather. I love love love looovveeee sweaters and dark colors for the fall and winter look, and I    can    not    wait to experience it daily!:D

SO EXCITED!

I can't believe I actually leave in ONE MONTH. I'm so beyond excited to start college and get busy. Life is just around the corner and I'm ready and excited to embrace it:) I'm so blessed to be where I'm at today. My heart is happy and full!

Have an amazing week guys, I hope the world treats you well.

Love, Megs :)

Discovering Photography

 Almost everyone who knows me knows that I'm a photographer.

I kept asking for a camera when I was about 12, and got one the Christmas after I turned 13--I think. It was so small, it broke. So I got a point-and-shoot. Then I needed to experience more, so I got a bigger camera, but still not the complete package; my parents wanted to see if this whole investment was worth it... And it turned out to be, thankfully;) And then, I finally realized I wanted to go somewhere with photography, and I was able to get a Canon t3i.

Best. Decision. Ever.

I used to take pictures like this(with my point-and-shoot):

Ignore the text, I was  o b s e s s e d  with doing that when I was like 13. Hahaha.

THEN I progressed to these...(my next camera was a step up from a point-and-shoot):

So at this point I wandered, not knowing how to excel from here. I'd wonder every now and then where this new hobby of mine came from.
A couple of years ago, I was visiting my family down in San Diego when I was about 16. One day, my family and I took a trip to see my great grandpa, who was sick with pneumonia and was 90 years old. We walked into their home, which I had been in countless times, and I suddenly noticed the pictures on the walls. My great grandpa took a trip to Spain in his later years, and had photographed some beautiful pictures from the trip. I walked around the house, looking at all of the pictures. It hit me then--this is where I got my talent of photography, I had inherited it from my great grandpa!
This moment was a huuuuuuuge moment for me... I finally figured it out, where this new hobby of mine had come from. It ingrained a new passion inside of me. It gave me reason, responsibility, and drive to move further in photography. I was, and still am, so grateful to have that link with my great grandpa.

In September of 2012, my great grandpa Judd passed away. As all people know, the passing of a family member is always a sad and hard thing to deal with. But knowing that I had photography as a connection with my great grandpa really strengthened my love and appreciation for him, even though he had left this earth. The last time we visited him was a couple months before he passed away. He was holding my hand and he told me to never give up on photography. This struck a chord, and it's stayed with me ever since. In that moment I knew that my great grandpa recognized a little photographer waiting to grow and experience life through the lens. I won't forget that visit with him that day, and I won't ever forget the new passion for photography my great grandpa has given me.
My favorite type of photography is landscape; you have to place yourself just right to get that perfect picture. You have to go out in nature and explore, and go beyond your typical limits. Photography for me is an outlet, a way to get away from the world and focus on one of the best things in this life: this WORLD given to us by our Father in Heaven. I think of the Lords creation, this earth, each time I get out and view this beautiful world we call home. I think of my sweet great grandpa for instilling within me this passion and love for viewing the world in such a different and beautiful way.

With my newest camera, a Canon t3i:

The Lord has blessed every single one of us with talents and passions, even thought we may not know of them yet. I know that through prayer and action we can discover them. If you're having a hard time figuring it out, ask Heavenly Father to help you figure out your personal talents and gifts He has given you. He's blessed me and my life with this talent, and I thank Him for that often.

When I look back at how far I've come, I remember how long it has taken me to get where I am today--and I'm still working on it. Talents only progress when you work by trial and error. But the important part is trying. When you reach goals you've made, it's the best feeling ever.

So keep moving, and keep a thankful heart in all that you do!

Love, Megs. :)

Cream Pencil Skirt

Saturday night I was planning my outfit for the next day, and I really just did not feel like making a huge effort to put together a cute outfit. SO I did this:

shirt: Target
skirt: thrift store (New York & Company)
shoes: Elle

>>>I call this the "Business" look. Haha. With some sass, which was not intentional...

I love pencil skirts, if you couldn't tell by now! I have a few plain, colorful, and patterned ones! I think it's good to have some slight variation because most of the time they can go with almost every shirt or blouse in your closet! It's fantastic! Haha. 

necklace: Forever 21
Here's a quote about modesty that I just found, I LOVE it!

"Modesty is so much more than conservative fashion! It encompasses both body and heart." --Anonymous

I really like this! It reminds me of when women would try to be as classy as they could possibly be. When women would scoff at the idea of revealing a certain part of themselves. When women wouldn't dare degrade themselves by dressing in a way that people would stare(in the bad way) or find offensive. I really miss those days. BUT it's now up to us to keep that class, and make sure that being modest in dress and manner is something we never let stray from who we are!

Love, Megs. :)

"One Step At A Time"

Over the past couple of weeks, the change is sinking in more and more...I'm leaving my home. My place of comfort. And I don't mean home, home. I mean my family, my ward, my friends, this area we live in...My home.

As the middle child, I've always been aware of the changes happening in my siblings above and below me. I've watched both of my older sisters leave home, and get married. I've watched my little brother and sister advance in school and grow literally before my eyes. And now I'm leaving, following my older sisters footsteps. Leaving my younger siblings to grow up, and I can't quite be there anymore.

My parents have guided me since I was a young teenager as to how I should live life, and how I could live life to grasp all of the happiness I possibly could obtain. Thankfully I've done so, but only because of them. I've watched them live their lives, and set amazing examples for me and my siblings to look towards. I've watched them give effortlessly to those in need, and love all who enter their lives. I'm sad to leave my little haven of comfort.

The place I'm at right now, is partially due to the people that I've been surrounded by over the past few years. I've grow up in a ward full of love, compassion, perseverance, and service. We are truly a ward family. Every time I go to church on Sunday, I look around and think about every individual and how they have impacted my life. I think about the individuals who have touched my heart thousands of times with their warm smiles, loving gestures, and open arms. I'm sad to leave them.

I have over a thousand memories with people I call my best friends. I've met a few young women who shine so bright it's almost as if they are angels sent here to better the lives of those around them. I've met a few young men who stand ready and willing to face the life placed in front of them. These youth have blessed my life beyond belief. I tear up at the thought of not seeing many of them for a few more years. I'm sad to see all of us move on.

This area I call home is an area that holds millions of memories ever since I was a child. The rolling hills, the valleys, the moody winters and summers, they have given me many reasons to be so grateful for the earth we have. My favorite thing is to be out in nature to witness and absorb this amazing world God has given us. I'm sad to leave it behind.

...

BUT, while all of this is very saddening, this is life. This is the plan the Lord has prepared for each of us to live. We are meant to learn, to love, to cry, to laugh, to trip, to fall...To grow.

He does not wish for us to sit back and continue in the place we are most comfortable in. We are to find that place and move from there, taking all that we have learned with us. We are to pave our own lives as our Heavenly Father would have us do.

This quote has been my motto for about a year now. One step at a time. We are meant to struggle, we are meant to have heart breaks, we are meant to fall time and time again... But the Lord has given us this gospel to help us push ourselves forward. We are in control. We make the moves. The Lord provides us with our plan, and it is up to us how we deal with it. As we ask for his assistance, He gives us the strength to move on one step at a time.

This struggle I am in right now is not a fun one. It's not for anyone. Changes, transitions, and new-beginnings, they are hard--but they are meant to be!

I have learned from my family, my ward, my friends, and this area we live in. Because those people and places I hold close to my heart have blessed me with strength and knowledge, I am now prepared and excited for my life to fold out in front of me!

So...

Yes, I will dreadfully miss my family. But they will always be there for me. Yes, I will dearly miss my ward. But I can, and will, always come home to them. Yes, I will seriously miss each of my friends. The ones who have touched my life will always have a place in my heart, always. And yes, I will really miss this area we live in. It's blessed me with a full heart as I've witnessed first hand the Lords creations all around me.

But I'm excited and ready to move on to new things. I'm excited to get to experience living on my own. I'm ready to better figure out how I'll be living my life from here on out. I'm excited to see what the Lord has planned for me. I'm excited to see where the Lord will take my family over the next few years. I'm excited to be able to come back to my ward and share with them my experiences, and feel their love once again. I cannot wait for the day I reunite with my friends and see how each of them are doing. I'm excited to come back a few years from now, and still return to the places that hold so many of my memories.

But I am even more excited to come back a few years from now, once I am more knowledgeable and experienced than I am today, and still be able to call this place my home.

One Day At A Time

Love, Megs. :)

Safety Town

So this last week was super fun, and super crazy! Haha. Safety Town is this little camp for kids ages 4-7 that teaches them all about being safe. Throughout the week we were able to have the Police, Firefighters, Paramedics, Humane Society, and some other people come and teach us about being safe! I've helped out with this camp twice in the past few years, but I haven't been able to for a while. So I jumped on the opportunity to volunteer at this camp when I found out I could actually go!

The woman who runs the camp is a member of my church, and we've known her for years! She's always been someone I look up to, and this week was really great, thanks to her!

There was 4 groups this week, and we were each assigned a place in the little town we set up each morning. The people who put on the camp make intersections and cross walks so the kids can learn how to safely cross the street, and how to 'drive' their bikes safely as well!

>>It's so fun seeing the kids run around the little town all week!

So here are the kids in my group!

I was really lucky to get an adorable group, just as the others! They all got to know each other very quickly, and were good friends by the middle of the week.

Sweet little Mia liked taking pictures with my phone all week. :)

My favorite thing about this camp is how much it teaches every person who is involved in it. The kids learn about safety and working with others, and the leaders learn more about patience with children! I loove kids, I babysit all the time and love it! But man, every time I do this camp I get to work on my patience and other qualities it takes to work with big groups of little kiddies. They became better at not listening as the week went on, but that's normal;) haha. They were so crazy all week, it wasn't hard at all to feed off of their energy! All around, it was so so much fun!

Sometimes it seems a bit crazy that this will be my life about 10-15 years down the road, having lots of kids! But I'm grateful that kids come one at a time. Unless I have twins or anything more than that--that'd be a trip! Everything is meant to happen for a reason, I can handle anything I set my mind to! Haha. I'm also really grateful to have such great experiences like this to prepare me for my future life. I really love being involved in events like this, they're nothing but uplifting in so many different ways!

--I volunteered at the Santa Maria Safety Town, but it originated in Santa Barbara. Click HERE for the link to their website if you have any questions or just want to check it out a bit more. :) 

Love, Megs. :)

B & W pencil skirt

I have a new love for pencil skirts. This is the outfit I wore on Sunday:

shirt: Fun & Flirt
skirt: White House | Back Market (THRIFT STORE)
shoes: Target

Cute?? Yes. Problematic?? YES. Holy cow, I can't tell you how many times I try a skirt on, thinking it's the perfect length, but then I sit down. That's  a l w a y s  the problem, for me at least. Knee length skirts are ideal for my standards, as well as the standards of modesty most of us know of!

So this skirt has an inch and a half hem on it, which means we can modify it. (We've done this with soo many skirts before it's not even funny!) So once I have that extra length from the hem, I'll have about an inch more on the bottom of the skirt, giving me more fabric to cover my knees more when I sit down.

ANOTHER huge problem I had with this skirt was a H U G E slit in the back... I have never had a slit this huge, and I realized it while I was running out the door (late for church already, I slept in 30min. more than usual because I'd felt a bit sick that weekend). So I quickly grabbed a big safety pin, but it broke off when I was walking out the door. SO I walked through church with a huge 7" slit in my skirt. Yea. I was not thrilled about this. I was walking like a robot with legs duct taped together. I asked my mom to help me pin the skirt asap. Neeeedless to say, we'll be sewing that up VERRY very soon here!

>>>Thankfully we are able to modify these major problems I'm having becasue this skirt is too cute to let go!!

necklace: Target
belt: I can't remember where I got this.

I've stated multiple times how much I love thrift store shopping. We have a Goodwill here, and it's fantastic. I go there when I want to find a certain item for an outfit or just feel like shopping--but not spending loads of money! I'm still in disbelief that I found this skirt at a thrift store! White House | Black Market is so classy and fun. I love window shopping there, but definitely not buying... Too pricey for me! BUT finding a cute item from there at a thrift store is a definite must-buy!! So thrift store shopping is well worth it. ;)

Family-Filled Weekend

This past 4th of July weekend was filled with family! Sweet little Abigail was baptized on Saturday, giving us a wonderful reason to get together.

I drove to Los Angeles to get Savanah and Cory from LAX, and holy cow was traffic AWFUL this 4th of July... No bueno. I loved getting them from the airport though, Nan and I talked the whole way home--I miss her so much!

>>>I seriously cannot wait to live in the same town as her in two months!! AHH!

So for the 4th of July we watched the Game (if you aren't familiar to my reference to 'the game', you must not be following the FIFA Soccer World Cup... But you should be.) Then after the game we went outside to play some volleyball and football, then we left for Avila Beach!

>>>please excuse the tacky cell phone quality. :)

Avila holds a farmers market every Friday night in coordinance with a few other places along the centeral coast throughout the week. We decided we'd all get dinner at the market. The fish tacos there are pretty good, but MAN are they hard to eat. Haha.

>>>a walk on the pier is completely mandatory at Avila! Loved spending it with my family, especially Nan and Cory!

Saturday was the day Abigail got baptized! Again we watched the games throughout the day, and then got ready for Abs' baptism. Mom made Abigail's dress, it's kind of a tradition in our family. Mom has made all of our dresses, so it was fun to see her make Abigails too!

Her baptism was small and intimate, and very sweet. The last of our family to be baptized, it was almost a little surreal. Haha. I felt so so much love and peace in that little room, I'm so grateful families are forever!

here's a little family photo for your enjoyment. :)

And this sweet picture of the only kids left in the Hulstine home... two gone, 3 left to go... Insanity!

>>>the three of us have gotten pretty close as we've gotten older. I love these kids with all my heart. Happy to be one of their big sisters. :)

When all was said and done, it turned out to be a pretty crazy weekend! But it was so much fun seeing some of our family there. I can't believe Abigail is 8! Time is flashing by so quickly, it's unbelievable!

Hope you all had a completely wonderful weekend, and filled it with family.

But I also hope we all remember the purpose of this holiday... There's meaning being the celebration we hold with fireworks, food, family, and vacationing. Our nation was given to us as a gift from God, and we celebrate that gift of freedom and love every 4th of July. Keep the purpose in your hearts forever!

love, megs. :)

Girlscamp Workshop

A few week ago I was asked to teach a workshop on how to dress for your body shape, and modesty! I was so so excited to have this opportunity! Being modest AND fashionable, which is sometimes seen as impossible, is something that comes after a bit of trial and error. There have been waay too many times I've tried to wear something and realize after I'd been wearing it all day long that it just does not look good on me. At all.

So to start of my workshop I asked the girls to raise their hands if they had insecurities. Yes, every single girl raised their hand--as all girls and most people would do. It's common for human beings to find fault within themselves. But I wanted to let the girls know that they are more than their faults and flaws... Then I showed the girls a video by Elaine S Dalton titled: Deep Beauty. Each of us have deep beauty. A source given to us before we came to this earth. We talked about how we're all valued daughters of God and how He made us perfectly, even though we may not think so. This is important for everyone to know!!
Then I handed them this quiz on finding your body shape. Once they quickly took the quiz I then passed out a packet that I got off of Babble. It's titled, "Celebrate Your Shape" and I totally love that! As women we need to celebrate our bodies! We are amazing!

I have some really great guy friends! I asked them some questions on modesty and girls' personalities. One question was: "What do you think the best quality is in girls?" And here are some of their answers:
Josh:  I really love it when a girl is able to have fun and knows what her boundaries are.
Allan:  I think that the greatest qualities for girls are kindness and a strong knowledge/testimony of things that are true.  I always appreciate it when girls treat everyone kindly and try to show love for those around them through their words and actions, it shows that they really care.  Also, I am always grateful when a girl knows what is right, and stands for it, even (and sometimes especially) if the world tells them that they are wrong.
Totally loved their answers. I'd share more, but they are kind of long! And I'll give their answers to the modesty questions in another post at another time...

Then I introduced modesty with this fantastic quote by our beloved Prophet...

Love. Love. Love. Love. LOVE this quote. We can dress attractively while still looking cute and fashionable! It take a bit more to get there, but it's well worth the time and efforts you put in!In the For the Strength of Youth, it states: "The fashions of the world will change, but the Lord’s standards will not change." How TRUE is that. Even though our society is going downhill in a mad craze, we are still asked to stay true to the standards set by the Lord. I went to DC this last week and saw a lot of different styles. I've noticed the Daisy Duke shorts are coming back, and even worse than before! Pockets are coming past the bottom of the shorts themselves... WHAT the heck is going on here people?! If you can see the pockets of your shorts coming out at the bottom, your shorts are too short. Current styles are getting very skimpy... It's realllly sad. So anyways, this quote is really great. It should be framed and put in all young women's rooms across the world. :)


I finished by showing the girls a few of my outfits that I've shown on my blog, and a few prom dresses. I feel like formal occasions offer the idea of getting by with immodest clothes. Again, in the For the Strength of Youth it states: "Never lower your standards of dress. Do not use a special occasion as an excuse to be immodest. When you dress immodestly, you send a message that is contrary to your identity as a son or daughter of God." I find so many girls do this and it's a bit saddening. Girls, you can still be beautiful, gorgeous, and catch peoples attention when you dress modestly!!!! In fact, I went to a High School prom when I was 16 and I got more stares that night than I have ever before in my entire life--just because I was dressed modestly. I was one of about 6 girls who had sleeves of any kind that night. At proms especially, I try to be as modest as possible! I've had many people come up to me, and not just my dates, and thank me for dressing so modestly. It makes me glad to see people notice, and that means being modest is still worth striving for.

I also showed them this video: Significant in Every Way. I am literally obsessed with this video. We are significant, and we show that by dressing modestly and showing our love and respect for our bodies that our Father in Heaven has given us! I'm so thankful for beautiful women who can say things so wonderfully like this young women in this video. They truly radiate!

So, girls, stay modest. Not for the guys only. Not for your parents only. Not for the church's standards only. But for the Lord. He has given you your body, your life, your world to live in. Show Him you are grateful for this and follow the standard He sets for us within the guidelines of the church. Being modest gives you the opportunity to show others that your love the Lord, and that you represent Christ and all that He has done for you.

Stay modest, ladies!! <3

love, megs. :)

black pencil skirt

So... Here is today's outfit!

shirt: Forever 21
skirt: Thrift store
shoes: Kohls

necklace: Target
bracelets: Forever21

Not too much to talk about today! Pretty simple outfit; made it pop with some lipstick--I never, ever, wear lipstick! Haha. So that was fun:)

One thing I want to mention is this: I've talked before about how certain shirts should be worn with shades or undershirts, and some don't exactly need that. The shirt I wore today didn't need a shade underneath because it's not sheer or see-through, it's fairly high, and modest! So I wore a tank underneath this today and it was totallly fine. :)

love, megs. :)

floral skirt

today's outfit was fun. I experimented with a skirt I got at a thrift store a few months back. most of my finds at thrift stores are bought because of this mentality that runs through my head: "IT'S LONG ENOUGH. BUY IT." --literally I kid you not, it happens soo often.

it's always interesting finding certain items of clothes at thrift stores, and sometimes they just make you cringe. I compeltely admit, this skirt is a bit 'old lady-ish', BUT it's long enough and I decided to make it work..I don't think it looks too awful. haha so I'm rollin' with it. ;p

shirt: H&M
belt: Target
skirt: thrift store (brand: Fundamental Things)
shoes: Target

it's really not that bad, is it? haha oh well! it's modest, and that's what counts for me. the different colors on the skirt allowed me some room to play with different colored tops--but I liked the dark blue the most!

I liked tying in the leather shoes and belt with this color scheme, and the floral look to it. it makes it a bit more fun!

earrings: Forever 21
necklace: Young Women Medallion
watch(pictured above): Etsy

I tend to love big accessories. I wore these huge earrings today and wanted to wear a statement necklace too, but that was waay too much going on! I usually keep to a simple necklace and some big earrings, or a statement necklace and some small earrings. it keeps things mellowed out and not too intense! haha

so I have the privilege of teaching a workshop for our Stake's Girls Camp this year! it's on how to dress your body type, and modesty. I was so excited to hear that I got to talk on these two things! I can't wait to share somethings I've gathered from it on my blog..so stay tuned!

but one quick thing I found the other day that I want to share.. "Modesty is more than a fashion statement, it's a daily decision to dress like the child of God you are." I just about died when I hear this. yes yes yes yes yes. being modest is so so much more than trying to help the boys keep clean thoughts, simply preparing for future temple ordinances because it's required, or because your parents are making you. it's showing your Father in Heaven that you respect and revere Him for giving you this life, and this glorious body. our bodies are temples, and are not to be flaunted like society can portray almost all of the time. be modest. not just for the boys, future requirements, or because you're being forced to. be modest to show your love for Christ and all He has gone through to get you where you are today. hope you all had a wonderful Sunday!

love, megs. :)

TOMS wedges

short post today, but I've been absent quite a lot lately so I'm filling in a bit. haha

here's my outfit from today!

shirt: Cotton On
skirt: Target (Merona)
shoes: TOMS

a favorite color combo of mine is camel and white--don't ask me why, I just life it. I think they're very classy together and look great! I threw in my navy striped TOMS wedges to make it a bit more exciting! haha

here's what I did with my hair:

so I've been a bit bipolar with my hair style lately. I switched to a middle-part about 9 months ago. I started not liking my naturally straight hair with the middle part, which was lame cause my hair is naturally straight. SO, I'm kind of ridiculous but I only use the middle part when I curl my hair. and I use a side part when I leave my hair straight.

anywho--this hairstyle is super simple, but I love it. I just grabbed the sides of my hair, pulled it back, twisted it, pushed it up a bit, and pinned it! I am not a fan of teasing my hair because 1) it usually never works, and 2) I'm not too into that kind of poof anyway, it's just not my thing. but that's alright!

we are individual people and like different things. I'm learning this a lot lately. I'm grateful the Lord continues to teach me things even when I thought I've known them ever since I was young. He is truly aware of what we need in our lives and at what times.

happy Sunday, all!

love, megs. :)

Prom & Modesty

so it's prom season, and I've been anticipating a post on prom for weeeks now. so obviously I'm excited to talk a bit about it:)

I was able to go to two proms this year; one prom for my school, Liahona, in Utah, and the Mormon prom down in Camarillo. both were LDS dances so I was really fortunate--personally, I am not at all a fan of high school dances. been there, done that, never want to go back..hahaha. buut that's me and my opinion!
so I want to talk about each dance, my dates, the events, and of course modesty. I can't say how proud I was of all of the girls I saw at school proms that were modest and stuck to their standards--way to go girls! I'm very proud of you all. but, I am sure your parents and your date were even more proud of you.

here's my prom picture from prom with my school. :)

a little back-story: so as most of you know, I attend Liahona Preparatory Academy. it's located in Pleasant Grove, Utah, but I watch the classes live online each day. I started going there at the start of my Junior year and I absolutely fell in love with the school! I love the teachers, the students, and the education. I've been up there 4 times in total for school events, prom being two of those.
so I got the chance to go with Jacen, one of my friends at school. he's awesome! I loved being able to get closer with him and a few of my other friends while I was there all week. I seriously do not know what I'd do without all of them. he was a great date and I'm glad I could go with him!

and here's one from Mormon prom. :)

my good friend Jake asked me to Mormon prom and I got super excited--Mormon prom is always soo much fun. and it totally was! we got to go with Jake's group of friends from church. I swear Mormon's just have the best time anywhere they go. haha. I love it! Jake was an awesome date, such a gentleman! the boys made sure us girls had a really fun time the whole night! it was such a great last prom. I'm super lucky I had the chance to go with Jake! haha

as promised, I want to talk a bit about prom and modesty. two very touchy words when used in the same sentence.
**I want to start off by saying that I am not in any way judging anyone by what they wore to prom or what they wear in general--I will be sharing my personal feelings and experiences.**

as you can see above and below, I'm covered head to toe. at dinner each night I remember sitting down and not having to worry about anything: no cleavage showing, no straps showing, no dress too short, no sleeves too short or showy--nothing. it was great.
so here's a shot of the back of my dress:

Jake looks super worried, but no I did not stab him while putting on the boutonniere..hahaha

I hate prom dress shopping, honestly. it is soo hard finding modest dresses these days, it makes me sad. I tried on about 7 but would have had to modify or alter all of them--which is very often the case, but we're beyond willing to do that for a good cause! my dress had sleeves, but they were sheer just like the rest of the top. for me, sheer tops are not modest. I found the grey top, pictured above, in a Downeast at University Mall in Provo. it's not a shade and was a bit see-through, so I wore a shade underneath. it worked perfectly!

guys, I may seem like I'm going a little over the top with this modesty thing, but I can't begin to tell you all how much of a difference it made.
I wasn't worried about my date looking at me the way I wouldn't want him to. I didn't need to worry about sitting a certain way, or hiking up my top, or pulling the bottom of my dress down because it was too short. I didn't need to worry about that the whole night! I felt so comfortable being covered.

what was really sweet was the compliments I got from my dates. they made sure to tell me that they appreciated me sticking to my standards and that they were glad I chose to dress modestly. I'm extremely lucky to have had such respectful dates, and I'm soo blessed to have such great friends that respect girls and their standards. it seriously means the world when guys notice and point out how grateful they are that young women are modest--it's a game changer for us girls because it makes us want to continue to be modest.

**what really got me though was something my younger brother said. we were talking about Mormon prom and then about how he'd be able to take a girl next year. and then he brought up modesty and the girl he would ask to prom. I was taken back when he said he would literally show his future prom date a picture of me in my prom dresses to give her an idea of what he was expecting as modest. he said, "It's not distracting when girls dress modestly." umm, I wanted to cry. I can't begin to tell you all how that made me feel. such a sweet moment. haha. guys really do get distracted when girls dress immodestly.

anyways, ladies, please make the effort to be modest. it means a lot to the guys and everyone else. it really does. I promise you have just as much fun when your mooodessttt!


*leave comments about your prom and how you tried your best to be modest!*

love, megs. :)