Thoughts of the Day
My life has qualified me as "experienced" on such topics as Army life, parenting, mental health, loss and grief, multi-tasking, and adapting to all things new (good, bad, or indifferent). I will share my thoughts on these topics and hopefully you will find some calm in the chaos knowing that others have been where you are.
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Feeling Exhausted (With Rosegal) & Link Up On the Edge #63
This blogging journey that I embarked on over two years ago often forces me to a very deep place of introspection. That is a really great thing for me because I find that introspective analysis just brings me closer and closer to the best version of myself. Oftentimes, however, this kind of analysis can stir up old wounds. And stirring up old wounds, processing them, and giving myself a moment to heal once again can be absolutely exhausting. If you have followed my recent posts over the past few weeks, you know that I have been diving pretty deep. And I have been posting very frequently…nearly daily. The result: I.…
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You Can Get Anything You Want at Gram’s Diner & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #40
In a post from last week, I mentioned that I attended a meeting with a group of amazing women and two fabulous men. Today, I want to share with you a story about one of those men. So I walked into the room and I introduced myself. This guy bounced up out of his seat, vigorously shook my hand, and beamed, “I know who you are! I follow your blog!” Well, if he wanted to make a girl feel special, success has been achieved! I was floored. I was flattered. I was honored. And I was ever so grateful. It’s nearly two weeks later and I am still smiling about…
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When The Imposter Rears Her Ugly Head (with DressLily)
This past weekend that old nemesis of mine, imposter syndrome, reared her ugly head. And she sent me into a nervous whirlwind of anxiety. I wrote a post a really long time ago which talked about my lifelong struggle with self-confidence and imposter syndrome. You can read that here. If you are unfamiliar with imposter syndrome, this sums it up quite effectively… *This is a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own. *Lace Top: High Low See Through Lace Plus Size Top ($15.21) c/o DressLily. *Use code XieDressLily at check out to get an additional 10% off your purchase. So now you may be wondering what is…
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Dressing the Part with Banggood & Thursday Fashion Files with Curly Crafty Mom
Today, I am honored to be joining Carrie of Curly Crafty Mom for her weekly Thursday Fashion Files Link Up! Welcome to Thursday Fashion Files! Welcome to Thursday Fashion Files with Carrie at Curly Crafty Mom! We are excited to have you here and would love to have you link up one of your latest outfits at the bottom of this post. Carrie will be taking occasional Co-Hosts for Thursday Fashion Files, if you are interested you can email her at carrie (at) curlycraftymom (dot) com to set up a date. Dressing the Part with Banggood I am sure you have all heard that saying, “Dress for the job you…
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Facing My Fears at the Chico’s NYC Meet Up
I am a midlife fashion and lifestyle blogger. I share photographs of myself online and on social media. I have shared photographs of myself styling corsets. And just this week, I shared pictures of myself in my underwear. In a magazine. I write about sensitive and taboo topics such as mental illness, pre-menopause, sex, and pornography. I occasionally and strategically use words like fuck and vagina when I am going full force for shock value. *This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own. I have been called brave. I have been told that I have guts. It has been said that I do things…
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I Am a Published Writer!
It is officially official! It’s really real! I am a published writer. In an actual magazine. And I want to thank Celia of Resilientista Magazine for reaching out to me and asking if I would contribute to the Autumn Issue. *This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. It all began with this post on my blog which was followed up by this post. I discussed the crazy ride I was experiencing with my midlife hormones and how they were effecting my libido. And Celia loved how openly I was addressing this common but taboo topic. So she asked if I would be interested in…
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Does My Outfit Offend You? & Link Up On the Edge #61 with Gamiss
Does my outfit offend you? Yes, this outfit. A modest midi length dress for fall. With a flouncy layered skirt and a plain black knit top. Perhaps the print is too much? Probably not. The mustard cardigan too bright? Doubtful. The simple gold leaf necklace? How could that possibly be offensive? Maybe it’s the lace up low block heeled pumps? But how? *This is a sponsored post. This dress was given to my by Gamiss in exchange for this post. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own. *Dress: Leaf Print A Line Ruffle Plus Size Dress ($21.66) c/o Gamiss. Maybe I have misinterpreted your look of disdain as your…
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What Lies Within: Peacocks, Spirit Animals, and The Tarot Cafe with #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #38
You know that old adage never judge a book by its cover? It is a truth universally acknowledged but quite often forgotten in practice. Without my waxing very philosophical in this post, I am going to show you why this saying is so important for the survival of kindness among the human race. *This post is sponsored by Zaful. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own. Cape: Chiffon Peacock Design Festival Long Hooded Cape ($11.49) c/o Zaful. There’s a cafe in my small town. It’s called The Tarot Cafe. As one approaches the entrance of this unique and mysterious coffee house, you are met with a seemingly dark and…
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How To Wear White When You Have Dirty Little Boy Children
Originally, I was going to title this post How To Wear White After Labor Day, but then I thought, “Eh. Everyone is posting that topic in September.” And then I realized that the passing of Labor Day never prevented me from wearing white anyway. What caused my hesitation about white outfits was my dirty little boy children with their filthy little paws, their tendency to spill, and their all around grimy boyness. Therefore, due to my personal experiences, this is a much more appropriate way to approach the topic of a white outfit. *Scroll to the bottom of this post to see the winner of my Homecoming Dress GIVEAWAY from JJ’s House.…
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Inspired by Random-osity: Peaceful Retreat
Tamar of Random-osity shared a post about the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., a few weeks ago. It was a short post with beautiful photographs of the cathedral both inside and out and it included very few words. But these words struck a chord and sent me deep within myself and searching the furthest recesses of my memory: “[I]t’s a stunning architectural work that I found to be my peaceful retreat early in my college years. The second I entered the main chapel I sighed and felt at peace.” *This is not a sponsored post. And so the thought process began: When was the last time I had a peaceful…
