Slowing Down

A few days leading up to January 1st, I started pondering on this past year, the beautiful new year ahead of us, and what that new year would mean to me. Then all of a sudden I got terrible food poisoning and I was down for 3 days straight, all day long. And holy cow, that slowed me down in a way I didn’t anticipate...but I recognized a few days in that it was so very necessary for me and my future.

Last year I had moments of intense stress that would come upon me every few weeks, and I’d hurry to act quickly to figure something out and just get whatever it was done. Often, I was a complete mess from it. Those moments were so hard for me to go through because I hated feeling so stressed and frustrated and upset. And this food poisoning had full opportunity to bring those same feelings to the surface- but it didn't happen. For some reason, I was at peace knowing this was the absolute best time I could get so incredibly sick and be down and out for 3 straight days. I hadn't started work yet, I hadn't started school yet, the things I needed to get done just had to be put on the back burner because I could do nothing productive I felt so weak. I learned a bit from those days sitting around watching all of the movies I've missed out on recently.

One of the main things I took away from this awful 3-day sickness was this: at the beginning of this new year, I really want to commit to just   s l o w  d o w n   and learn about those the imperfect moments where I can choose to breathe it out instead of stress it out.

While I was sick my sweet husband took over errands for me, was working all of that week, was studying for his future tests for Med School, and doing so much for us that he was away from home a lot. Due to his being busy for us, and my inability to do anything, we’ve had one disastrous apartment. All of the laundry I did the day we got home from the break and that day I got sick has remained in a huge (and I mean huge, it covered the surface of our queen bed with a good foot and a half on top) pile on our bedroom floor, the kitchen counters loaded with dishes and piles of things to put away from vacation, our living room table covered with our wedding thank you notes almost half-way finished (we’re getting there!!), and the floor covered with our Christmas gifts we forgot to pack for family, and more. There has been, so, much.

I share all of this with you because I think we're all in this boat at some point in time. The beginning of my new year was supposed to be cleaning and organizing all of what I just explained, which would’ve taken a day or two, on top of the to-do list once you get home from vacation. And it was a lovely to-do list, one to get me prepped for the new school year and feeling good about my goals to succeed in my classes because they're going to be hefty. But, God changed my plans. It took me a day or two of a helplessly weak body to help me to see that it is  O K A Y  to let things slide every now and then. It’s okay to leave the sink full, the laundry in a pile, and the to-do list for a few days to breathe, rest, enjoy, or reorganize priorities. I am in grateful awe at what I’ve learned about and for myself over the past weekend. It was such a crazy whirlwind, and right now it’s just me and Peter- imagine kiddos in that picture! *whew* So so many of you live this life often and are absolute rockstars for doing so. (shout out to my sisters)

Now to bring in my initial New Year thoughts before I got so very sick...

Truly, the opportunity for a new year with new and refreshed goals has never felt as beautiful to me as this new year does. I'm not sure why that is, but I am so thrilled to experience it this year. I have learned and grown so much, yet still feel the weight of my many mistakes and faults so often. But with that, I want to take this year and bloom. Every single one of us carries within us the desire to change, to become something new. But often there is oh so much holding us back. I get that. Just remember it's usually yourself, and you don't want to stop yourself from reaching your goals, new heights, and even dreams! Don’t let this year get the best of you. Let this year help you bloom- all of the rain, sunshine, dirt, bugs, and more that comes with the growth of beautiful flowers we all love. It's not always the prettiest or happiest of journeys to reach the destined stage of our blooming flower, but it's worth it and is necessary to go through those intense ups and downs. And remember to take it slow. There is no need to rush and stress through these learning and growing moments. They will fly by so quickly, you'll miss them when they're gone.

So, take it all and bloom. 🌸

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished." -Lao Tzu

I also wanted to share these photos from my favorite Instagram inspiration, Rebecca.

Her blog: Simple as That - Making Everyday Beautiful

Her Instagram: @rebecca_simpleasthat

His Ways Are Greater

The last half of the year of 2015 was filled with many ups and downs. There have been many times when I felt completely unable to control my thoughts and focus on the right thing to do--whether it be in my dealings with school or other personal, trivial matters. But let me tell you, these times were not ideal, or fun at all. These times were filled with a whole load of stresses, anxieties, and doubts. I felt like one in a million, and I wanted to give up so badly. I wanted to cave in, and just take the easy road.

This was a hard time for me. I had my life figured out and felt good about the path that I was on; but the Lord has something else, something greater, in mind for me and my life. It was only through prayer and fasting that I came to know His will was different than mine was at the time.

A few months ago I came across this quote:

"When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop our of our lives." -Ezra Taft Benson

This came at a time when I was feeling especially confused and unsure of many things going on in my life. But reading this struck a chord within me--I needed to follow Him, and I needed to do it to the very best of my ability. I knew of the reality of the Lord's plan for my life. Right when I read this quote is when I realized that it needed to become a part of my life. And so, I fully turned to God. It is not enough to do the simple primary things in the gospel: reading your scriptures, saying a daily prayer, and going about life.

Putting God first in our lives means it is all Him; everything we do and say revolves around Him, and we talk to and think of Him constantly throughout our day. That is when a change happened inside of me.

I've had a simple little reminder on my phone for a few months now that says:

"Following Christ is not a casual or occasional practice but a continuous commitment and way of life." -Dallin H. Oaks

This reminder goes off on my phone at 11:30am every day. I have one other reminder that's a quote from Marvin J. Ashton, and man, I love these little reminders! Each time they go off I am reminded of their extreme importance in my life and in the lives of all of those around us.

As I tried to change my way of life and my daily habits to revolve around the Lord, it was not an easy transition for me. Figuring that I had to shape-up, I wallowed in my sad little self for a few days. We've all been there, so don't shy away from it! Sometimes we just need to cry it out or be sad for a short time. It's just important not to stay in that state--we need to be progressing and forever moving forward and upward! With that in mind, I'm going to say this straight-up... Life is hard--really hard. It is not a simple walk in the park like we all wish it could be at times. We have faults, we let people down & people let us down, unfortunate things happen to us, some periods in our life are more stressful than others, and sometimes you are dealt trials that seem to completely surpass you. I understand this concept, I've been there multiple times in my life already. I feel like the Lord is preparing me for future events in my life, which I am okay with. Sure, I'd love to have an easy life. But He knows what is best for me, and that is something that should not be argued with. I am His daughter, and He has given me life. I trust Him and know He will do what is best for me and my future.

So amidst these hard times I was going through, I had just ended a relationship, I was working two part-time jobs Monday-Saturday, I was preparing to head back up to BYU-Idaho in a couple of months, and I was feeling more exhausted than ever. The Lord had blessed me so much with these two jobs, and I was so very grateful. But it was hard to have a social life! Haha. I love having fun and hanging out with friends, so this was kind of a bummer for me. But that was the stage I was at in life--saving money, preparing for school, and gaining life-long experiences from my jobs that would tremendously benefit my future. What I was truly grateful for at this time was the fact that I had the perfect opportunity to reflect on my life and what I needed & wanted to change about it. At that time in my life, I was not where I wanted to be personally and spiritually. And so, I used that small, spare time that I had to change my ways and more fully turn myself toward God. Making the Savior the center of my life and relying wholly on Him is what blessed me over time. Everything happens in His time. OH how I wish I could've changed instantly. But life is not like that. He has better plans in store for us! And to obtain those plans, we need to struggle and search for Him. He helps us grow as we push to make that difference in our own lives.

Another quote that greatly impacted my life...

Phillippians 4:13 is a great scripture that goes along with this quote.

With the Lord's help, we can do anything. I can testify of that! Each day is a struggle at times, but it is truly amazing to see the tender mercies that the Lord gives me every day. We can do hard things, but only through the Savior. He atoned for our sins, but also sacrificed His life so He could feel all that we have gone through--our pains, trials, joys, and so much more. HE knows. He loves us just how we are, and wants to help us overcome our trials and grasp the plan that our Father has in store for us. But this can only be done through Christ and His atonement. During this time, I used to atonement more than I ever had in my life. I relied on the Lord daily for comfort and strength because that is what I so desperately needed at that time. His enabling power is stronger than we could ever know, yet we are so blessed to feel of it's strength as we pray for it whenever we are in need.

Our Father in Heaven loves us so much, and He and His son, Jesus Christ, are truly there for us. As we show Them that we are willing to more fully commit ourselves to Their cause, I know that we will see a change within us. The results come one step and one day at a time--only through our Savior, Jesus Christ.

"Christ is always near, waiting and willing to help us!" -M. Russell Ballard

Yellow & Grey

I have to be honest, yellow is not a popular color in my closet. Grey, on the other hand, definitely is. Haha. But you all know that--too well, almost. ;)

That leads me to an important question I have for all of you!

1) Are you (those of you who read my blog) tired of my neutral-colored outfits?

2) Should I start spicing it up with some color here and there?

Let me know what you think in the comments! :)

Alright guys, here is my outfit from this last Sunday...

Blouse: Fun & Flirt
Skirt: Target
Necklace: Target

Like I said, I really don't wear a lot of yellow! So it was kind of fun to have a bit of a color pop with this outfit. This skirt is one of my very favorite pencil skirts that I have. It's long enough to be modest both when standing and sitting. Perfect! Haha. But, even though it's modest in length, it isn't so modest in how it actually fits me. Bummer, I know. It's just a biiiit too snug for me to feel comfortable. SO! My brilliant solution was this: don't tuck in the blouse and make sure it's a bit longer in the back. This would allow the blouse to hide how snug it can be around my hips at times. So, I did just that!

Here's a view of my outfit from the front & the back:

I was, and still am, very proud of this outfit! Haha. Over the last few years, I've learned a lot about my style & preferences. I'm very simplistic, but I like to have a bit of fun, too. :) This top is a bit interesting in the fact that it's short in the front and long in the back. It's a cool style when you wear it correctly! My mom and I say it has a "duck tail" Hahaha.

It works great with the pencil skirt because it hides how snug it is!

It's a bit different to wear a blouse un-tucked from a pencil skirt, but I actually like this look. I've played with it in the past, and it's always way fun!

I've mentioned in the past that pencil skirts look kind of "business-like"--and I think I'd still say that, but I'd add the word CAN-->pencil skirts can look "business-like". I've had so. much. fun. with pencils skirts! And sometimes, I make them look a bit more business-like! That's the great part about pencil skirts! So versatile. ;)

This outfit looks a bit more on the business side, and I say that's because I started my new part-time job as a receptionist the day after I wore this outfit! I was just getting in the mood to wear clothing along these lines. :) Haha.

I hope you all liked this outfit!

Don't forget to let me know if you guys like the neutrals or want more color in my outfits... Thank youu! :)

Love, Megs. :)

Neutrals & Mint

It's pretty obvious by now that I love neutrals. But sometimes I catch myself throughout my week thinking, didn't you wear the same shirt yesterday, just in a different shade? I'm so guilty! I have like 3 v-neck t-shirts from Target in different neutral colors that I wear all too often. I worry that my wardrobe is too casual! Haha. A while back I actually said I needed/wanted to start wearing more color (I think I even briefly talked about that on here). Sometimes I think I am too boring with what I wear. But those of you who actually read my blog don't see my outfits each day because I only post my cute church outfits. I'll just stick to my Sunday best for the benefit of us all. ;)

Here's my outfit from the other week!

Shirt: Forever 21
Skirt: Forever 21
Shoes: Forever 21

Hmm... Man, I'm so original. I should title this blog post, "My Forever 21 Outfit" Hahaha. I apologize. If you can look past my originality, please read on. Haha.

I hear so many people say awful things about Forever 21--don't get me wrong, I say awful things about it, too! Some of the clothes (if you can even call them "clothes") they have there are absolutely absurd. Shirts, skirts, pants, and shorts are getting less and less coverage these days. It's so sad! But really, I've found some of my favorite clothing items at Forever 21! I've seen a lot of modest skirts and dresses there, though you have to dig for them. I love finding those little hidden gems when shopping at Forever 21. Granted, when I go I usually go through the  e n t i r e  store, so it takes quite a while to shop there. Haha. But I think it's worth it! Look at how cute that skirt is! So fun and easy to make a super cute outfit with.

Now, accessories!

Earrings: Macy's
Necklace: Macy's
Bracelet: Etsy (with a short quote embedded on it)

I don't feel weird having my earrings and my necklace match because it came in a set! Haha. I got this jewelry set in my stocking last Christmas, and it's a favorite of mine now. I've always loved mint! These earrings were actually a lot bigger when I first got them; they had two more jewels below the one you see in the picture, and then another below that. So they were in a diamond formation. That was just too much for me, though. Haha. I wanted it more simple! So, I grabbed some pliers and tore off the loops that held the 3 bottom jewels to the top one, and I was left with just one. It worked quite nicely, I think! :) I don't like it when my jewelry is super busy, so I try to tone it down where and when I can.

I love how the cream, grey, and mint go together in this outfit. And I think the shoes add more to the outfit, too! I love neutrals, and it's so much fun to play around with them. You can add different shades and tones, and see what looks good together. It's an endless playing field, really!

Love, Megs. :)

My Floral Top

Today has been a great day. As I've expressed before, I love having church at 11:30am. Having most of Sunday morning open is just so nice! You have plenty of time to relax, until it's time to get ready for church. That's how today went! I got to talk with my mom, my siblings, and just relax for a bit before I needed to get serious about getting things done. ;) I'm so grateful for Sundays!

Church was great today, too. I recently decided that I'd go to the young single adult ward instead of my home ward; I hadn't been to keen on that idea until I noticed how I felt when at the YSA (young single adult) ward. You're truly independent when going to church. Your progress within the gospel is personal and you control it yourself. I have found that I am really able to feel that my personal, spiritual progress is up to me when I'm at the YSA ward. I feel like I can better focus on what I need to be doing and who I need to be for my future. It's nice, I love it. :)

Anyway, here's my outfit from today!

shirt: Kohl's
skirt:Target
shoes: TOMS

I had already picked this outfit out last Sunday, but with a different top. I didn't feel like wearing a stripped top with stripped wedges, so I added a bright floral instead. I LOVE this top. I bought it at Kohl's, and I've always loved it for this time of year. It's so vibrant! I've even seen some girls wearing it in a different color, too. I loved pairing this top with my dark khaki pencil skirt because it tones things down. Wearing statement pieces with something neutral really makes that statement piece pop--obviously. Haha. I also wore an outfit similar to this one a few months back and I looovvedd iiit...

This floral top went well with this bright cream skirt because the tones within the shirt matched the skirt, so they blended really well. I say having one floral top is necessary for every woman! Haha. They are so fun to play with--there are endless possibilities! You can pair different colored floral tops with so many different colored skirts and types of jewelry. Just make sure the colors aren't too crazy, it's nice to keep things toned down. Unless you're all for the super colorful look! In that case, go for it. :) A while back, my mom and I let out the hem on this dark khaki pencil skirt. Whenever I wore this skirt before, I'd always be pulling it down and always had to watch it whenever I sat down. When we let out the hem, it added an inch to my skirt! It's been a whole lot better ever since then. There are ways we can make those little details modest, girls! Go the extra mile, it's so worth it. :)

Now, my jewelry!

earrings: antique store
necklace: Etsy
bracelets: Forever 21

I always have a lot of fun figuring out what jewelry I want to wear with my outfits. You wear a statement necklace when your top isn't too busy, bigger earrings when you have a small necklace, and bracelets whenever you want (in my case, at least haha). Today I decided to keep it simple. Wearing a pencil skirt sometimes makes me feel business-like, but it's really fun to play with it! There are so many ways you can play with an outfit when you work with the colors, styles, and shape of each item. It's really fun! Playing dress up really does never end. Haha. ;)

I hope you guys enjoyed this little post! I've decided I'll update my blog and post whenever I like my outfit enough to do so. So sorry if you are waiting super long! Haha. I may even start to branch out and blog about other things as well--I've been feeling very passionate about certain topics in the world today; I may want to share my feelings with everyone on the subject. Haha. We will see!


Love, Megs. :)

Soft Pink Pleats

I'm baack! Now that I'm back home for break, I figured I'd start up my blog again! It's too crazy keeping up with it at school. But I think I'm going to have to get used to that if I want to keep blogging... Haha. But I'm really excited to get back to it. Enjoy!

The student ward I attended up at BYU-Idaho started at 8:20am each Sunday. Growing up, the earliest time our wards had ever started at was 9am, and that's not tooo terrible. You can sleep in until 8, shove food in your mouth, rush to get ready until you look decent (enough), and then hopefully get to church on time. (That just sounds awful, doesn't it? Haha. I'm always late to church. We're all imperfect, yes, but I recognize it's a bad habit--and I'm working on it!) When I came home I figured out when the singles ward started, and I nearly cried when someone told me it starts at 11:30. What a wonderful time to have church. I'm super happy about it!

So yesterday was Fast Sunday, and I decided to fast for job opportunities. I've applied to a few places, and I'm really crossing my fingers in hope that things will work out! Anyway, the typical Fast Sunday goes as follows: sleep in as long as you possibly can, get up and get ready, try not to think about your little sister eating chocolate-chip waffles in the kitchen, and (again) try not to be late to church. So yesterday I was laying in bed wide awake, not wanting to get up and face my growling stomach just yet. Then I got a knock on my door. My mom came in and said, "I've got some treasures for you!" She was carrying two skirts she got the other day at T.J.Maxx. My mom is awesome. When she finds modest skirts or dresses for a good price, she doesn't hesitate to buy them. She has always been one to endorse her daughters in being modest in any way that she can, and this is one way she does it! It's so very hard to come by modest clothing these days. Thankfully, my mom grabs them when she can! That being said, I wore one of the new, modest skirts to church yesterday.

t-shirt: Target
skirt: T.J.Maxx
shoes: Target

I wasn't entirely sure if I wanted to post this outfit, but I kept thinking I need to get this started up again. I also had a positive push from my dear boyfriend (thanks babe! Haha). So, here I am! I actually do like this outfit. When I think of the colors, though, all I see is my sister Savanah's wedding! Haha. We wore cream and blush pink. It was so pretty. When I picked this skirt to wear I knew I'd have to downplay the top. It is my personal opinion that you shouldn't have things get too busy when planning an outfit, especially when dressing up. For instance: you don't pair a ruffled top with a ruffled skirt. That just doesn't work! Because this skirt has pleats, I needed to calm it down on the top half of the outfit. So I went with a plain, white t-shirt. I also decided on a white t-shirt because it doesn't drown out the soft pink color, it just makes it pop! And the shoes are just fun. They go well with the rest of the outfit because their individual colors. And I think that cognac brown can go so well with a lot of bright and fun colors!

The accessories:

earrings: Kohl's
necklace: Forever 21

Once I had the outfit on, I didn't want to play it up any more. It was turning out to be a simple, pretty look. I didn't want to take away from that! So I chose simple accessories. I love gold accessories. And I thought these two went very well with the light pink and the cognac brown. So I chose my go-to Forever 21 necklace, and some simple gold studs from Kohl's. And that was it! Nice and simple Sunday dress yesterday.

Aside from my outfit, I love being home! I really miss college though. I miss my sister and her husband, my amazing boyfriend, my roommates, and even Idaho! Haha. Who would have guessed that, huh?! Haha. I love it up there, it's beautiful and so fun! But being home it really nice, too. I've missed the beach, the sun, my best friends, and my family. It'll be great to take a little rest before I'm back up in the fall and I jump right back into the craziness all over again... Until then, I'll be here!

Love, Megs. :)

From Sand to Snow

Heey! It's been awhile since I've posted on here, huh? Haha. Needless to say, my life has been a liiittle crazy over the last few months. But it's been SO great...! Here's a little update:

To start off, I just want to say that I completely L O V E Brigham Young University Idaho. I've been happier than ever since being here, and it is seriously because of this school and every single thing it has to offer. The town, the people, the education, the devotionals, the spirit, my friends, my roommates, my boyfriend, my family--EVERYTHING. I've had so many wonderful experiences, it would be an understatement just to say that my life has changed over the past 5 months. I've grown so much, and that's completely due to the good times I've had and the challenges I've gone through since being up here at BYU Idaho.

Even though there's been a few ups and downs, I wouldn't trade anything that has happened to me for anything in the world. I just started my 2nd semester up here and it's been soo (crazycrazycrazy) good! I'm grateful to have some pretty amazing people in my life right now that help me along and keep me positive! So, life has been pretty great. :)

The first few weeks of school were awesome. It came with the easiness of being a freshman--no worries, right? Sure...! Classes weren't too difficult, the weather was still nice (what, nice weather in Idaho? what? mid 60's were way nice), I loved my ward, and my roommates and I got along super well! It was great. But then it started to get cold. Like, COLD. I remember walking to class when it was 8 degrees outside... Walking to class early in the morning is the only time I angrily ask myself this question... "what are you doing here, Megan?" Just yesterday it was -2 degrees out on my way to my 8am class. While my nose and ears turn to ice, I still ask myself that question. "WHY?" Hahaha. I try to find the humor in things--with the help of my wonderfully optimistic boyfriend, I've been getting so so much better.

So most of the time it's not alll doom and gloom. Beside the fact that the wintry weather is absolutely freezing, there's a few benefits: it gets warmer when it snows, everything is gorgeous, and (my favorite part) you get to wear cute wintry clothing all the time.

Example:

Jacket: Aeropostale
Scarf: Forever 21
Boots: Sorel
Beanie: Forever 21

I've come to really love beanies. And scarves. And boots and boot socks. They are life savers. Now, if only someone could find some way to keep our noses warm without looking completely ridiculous. Hahaha.

I wasn't too sure about adjusting to the cold here in Idaho. I had heard so many different things about the weather here. It's way hot during the summer months, and it's way cold every other season--basically. Being a "California girl", you would think I wouldn't be too excited for the cold or the snow. BUT, little do people know that I actually love cold weather. I really only like hot weather when there is a large body of water nearby so I can keep cool in the heat. Other than that, I absolutely love bundling up. My favorite outfit of all time is and always will involve these items: a big sweatshirt, yoga pants, sweat pants (preferably "man pants", just men's sweat pants. If you've never tried them, do.), tube socks, slippers, or ugg boots. The signature hobo look is by far the most comfortable "outfit" I know of, and I love it. No shame! So I'm grateful Idaho provides me with the opportunity to wear this outfit almost on a nightly basis. I'm 100% okay with that.

I've been doing alright transitioning from sand to snow... I guess.

I posted this to Facebook after the first big snowfall of the semester: I wanted to go to the store, but then I check to see how much snow was on my car... NOPE! Hahaha. ;)

The worst part of living in a snowy state is when you see all of your wonderful friends at home posting pictures of the sun setting behind the ocean on the coast back home... THAT, my friends, is h a r d. But it really makes me appreciate where I call home. And also really makes me appreciate where I live now, as well. I love the snow, and I'm happy to call Idaho home for the few months I've lived here. Idaho is packed to the brim with so much beauty, people never really realize it! I've really come to love it here.

My boyfriend Greg and I went to Mesa Falls (in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest in Idaho) the weekend before the first snowfall. We got suuper lucky; it was such a nice day!

I hope I didn't ramble too much, I haven't done this in a while! Haha. And there are no promises as to when I will post next, sorrry. I'm a busy little college student trying to manage good grades in school, church callings, and a social life. Just watch Facebook for more posts or updates!

Love, Megs. :)