Spring Trends

Special Note: A portion of this post has material from a post I wrote for the RadRevolution website for teen girls in January.

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Spring is in the air!

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I don't know about you, but there's something about spring that makes me want to shop. In fact, I've been doing some "pre-shopping" just this week! Pre-shopping, you ask? That's when I find a few websites and find things I like and add them to the shopping bag as if I was actually going to buy them! Just today, when I was on my computer NOT pre-shopping (!) my husband asked me what I was shopping for...he just assumed I was at the web mall!

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Since I've been getting prepared for you, looking for the new trends and doing research on color, I thought I'd share a few things with you that you might want to look for!

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Hues like super lemon, dusty rose and vibrant green will have you looking like a fashionista who’s in the know! Other shades in plain view this spring are slate gray, fuschia red, palace blue, and lavender.But what if you’re a girl who wants to wear prints? Are they going to be popular this season? And if so, what kind should you opt for?

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Get ready for a season of bold, beautiful patterns of gorgeous florals to give your wardrobe a lift. Wear these bouquets in fabrics of soft chiffons, lightweight crepes and silky, luscious poly blends. Pair delicious floral blouses with flowing wide leg jeans, add a pair of metallic roman sandals and, girl, you will look super cute!

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Flowers not your thing? Then ride the safari bandwagon cause the animal prints have it! Giraffe prints, snake prints and leopard prints are the talk of the town! For example, feel free to wear a giraffe printed slim skirt with a lacy t-shirt top (make sure to wear a cami under it for modesty purposes!) and slip on a pair of wedge sandals to make an entrance! Or if a skirt or dress isn’t your thing, yet you want to add a little bit of safari sophistication, then find a belt or scarf with an animal print and voila, you’ve just added a dash of flash!
Sound like a fun season? I can’t wait to go out and add a little splash to my own wardrobe!

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A few other items to look for this season are soft pants and shorts. These come in natural hues and many roll up at the bottom. They sit low on your waist and are amazingly comfortable. You'll probably reach for these instead of your favorite jeans.

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Dresses are all the rage! Jessica Simpson's new collection is very chic. You'll also find great dresses at The Gap, Target and department stores like Dillards, Belk and Macy's.

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No wardrobe would be complete without a dash of color from a new pair of tennis shoes...be it the new Keds Green Collection or a pair of brightly colored Chuck Taylors!

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Well there you have it! A leg up on Spring! Start cleaning out your closet and get ready to go shopping! Even if it is some "pre" shopping! It's fun, you should try it!

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Fashionable Blessings!

Shari

Proud to be 16

So what came to mind when you read the title?

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Well I am not 16 years old, I don't have a 16 year old in my house (although he might think he is) and I don't want a 16 year old in my house for another 2 years.

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So, yea, it's about my size. Yes indeed, Size 16.

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I couldn't sleep last night as my husband has come down with this nasty respitory flu bug that ended him up in the ER on Sunday and since it also was his 55th birthday I got to thinking of the condition he is in.

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And then I got to thinking about mine.

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You see, I am quite alright to be a size 16. Seriously. I'm really not kidding you.

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In fact, I think maybe I've even come to be proud of it.

What, you ask?

Yes, proud of it. Cause really, I don't think I look like it (I might to others, but I've completely convinced myself I'm thin!) And I figure if I think I look alright, then who cares what anyone else thinks!

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But then I got to thinking. I stand in front of hundreds of women every single weekend and tell them my height (5'11") and my size.

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I do that so women will honestly know that it's not about the size of your clothes, that we are not a reflection of the number on that tag. That God gave us the exact bodies He wants us to have, the exact frame size and everything else that goes along with that. We are made in His image and we are all so incredibly beautiful! I really believe that

(and I hope you do, too!)

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But then, there he was, sick as a sickly dog, and the doctors are telling him he must lose weight and begin exercising. Yes, he had a flu bug, but it was affecting his liver and his body so severely that something had to change.

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I have (and I think my husband has as well) convinced myself that exercise is completely over-rated. I really don't like to do it. I'd really rather be shopping, or talking on the phone, or watching (not playing) a basketball game.

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But as I watched my husband in the ER I realized that we better get serious about our health...and that means we better start eating better...and exercising.

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Because we ain't young chickens anymore. But, you see, we think we are!

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But mostly, I think we, as Christian women, have a responsibility to our Lord.

He wants us to accept our bodies, the way we look, and be grateful and know we are gorgeous. BUT, He also wants us to take care of those bodies.

The size 16's the 6's, and the 26's.

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I have to tell you and fess up that I've gotten so good at saying, "I'm 5'11" and size 16 that maybe some pride has crept in.

And in the meantime, my 16 firmness has turned to 16 fluffiness!

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I probably won't EVER be a size 12, God didn't make me that way, but maybe, just maybe, I'd be healthier as a size 14. If eating better and walking a few days a week brings that, then I'm okay with it, and I'll just have to say that from the stage.

But, ya know, I'm okay with that!

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Heartfelt question for you: What size do you wear, are you okay with it and do you think if you ate a little healthier and walked a few times a week would you be the same size? Cause you might stay the same, but then again, you might not.

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Do share!

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Fashion Tip of the Week:

Bright colors are in for Spring! Go out and buy a new eye pencil in turquoise, emerald or bronze and brighten up your pretty eyes! It'll bring some new life to them.

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Beautiful Blessings,

Shari (Still a Size 16)

Top 10 things!

Oh gracious, it has been awhile since I've posted. My only excuse: I'm addicted to Facebook. What is up with that?

So, with a gentle reminder from one of my prayer partners today, I'm am posting again!

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A little update first.

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My husband is sick in bed with a chest cold and fever, my son broke 2 bones in his foot that put him out for the rest of the basketball season, my laundry needs done, my hair could use a good cut, my toes need polished, my fingernails are chipped (bad), my legs need shaved and my mailbox was run over by a drunk driver so my husband duct taped it to a tree!

You might be a redneck if...

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And you thought I lived a glamourous life!

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I did just return from the Girls Get-Away Cruise...now that was a good time! I met so many wonderful new people and had fun with my hubby, Patti and her hubby.

We rented scooters in Progreso, Mexico and wandered all over the city to places unseen by most. We were supposed to go to Cozumel but the ship had some mechanical problems and got a late start, so we went to Progreso instead. I spoke on 2 seperate ocassions and am thrilled beyond words that I didn't have to speak on Saturday night like the Spa Girls did...oh my dear, oh my dear, oh my dear.

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One of them got sea sick in the middle of their talk and ran off stage, behind the curtain to "you know what" and forgot to turn off her microphone....gag. Oh yes, indeed.

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My husband thinks maybe the stabilizers were broken on the ship! Praise God it was the last trip for that ship and next year's cruise is on a bigger and newer ship! Yippee! I will tell you, if you want to have some amazing girlfriend time...pleassseeee come next year!

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It's going to be Feb. 25-March 1st,2010 and I've been invited to come back! Renee Swope from Proverbs 31 is invited to speak, too! So get your girls and come along!

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I hope you're having a good start to 2009.

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To kick off this "starting to post again" thing, here is a top ten fashion list for you:

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1. Always push your sleeves up to look 10 pounds slimmer.

2. KNOW the 3 best colors for you...and fill your wardrobe with them.

3. Remember that black will never be on that list.

4. Never let me see your boobs coming out of your clothes.

5. Remember that your underwear is not something you wear on the outside of your clothes for all the world to see.

6. Cut the tags out of your clothes so you forget what size they are. (I shared this with

Lysa Terkeurst this week so she's quite a happy girl now!)

7. Too tight jeans make you look bigger than you are. Oh, that goes for too tight clothes of any kind.

8. If you haven't had a compliment on your hair in the last 2 weeks, make an appointment...for something new.

9. Make sure your foundation is the same color as your skin...seriously.

10. Remember you are most beautiful when you are closest to the way God created you to be! (I'll expand on that in my next post!)

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Be fashionable, be snappy, be you!

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Love you much,

Shari