Post Easter Shots, As Promised!

So, I hope you had a fantastic Easter weekend!! I celebrated with dear friends in the Boulder area. Brunch, church, and some girl time at an elaborate Indian tea house…I soaked up some sunshine, held baby chicks, played with kiddos, and my heart was full! I thought I would post a couple of photos of my dress. I always post things on What to Wear Wednesday that I am currently wearing, thinking about wearing, or excited about. I am always stoked about Easter dresses!!! And this one will come with me to High River in May and out on a date with my handsome man. These are just iPhone shots I took for him. I am keeping my promise in posting what I wore though!!!

Floral dress, navy background: Target $27.99

I wore nude heels with it as well, and had a creamy colored clutch with gold hardware and a dove grey half-sweater in case I got chilled.

Here is just another shot with my friend Ally. I love her and I love this picture of us!!!

So, there you have it!!! That is enough of ME Hoping you had an awesome weekend with close friends and family! More fashion and life events to come…

Thanks, as always, for reading! Makes my heart happy!

Be You, Bravely.

 

I’ve just returned from my first run, back at high altitude. It felt amazing afterward, but I spent majority of my time gasping for breath and panting!! Ha ha ha…I needed the sunshine and the release of adrenaline…I needed to come back to reality and to let my thoughts run a bit…

Blogging is therapeutic for me…it gives me the space to unload some of what is packed in my heart, without the worry of burdening someone else or feeling like i need just the right words to express where I am at. I simply sit down and type…no notes, no plan…unless it’s for Wednesdays outfit ideas. I am perfectly fine with someone not wanting to read it. It’s mostly for me and to help me fumble through some of who I am, how I am struggling, and where I hope to be.

It has been a trying week…a lot of good, a lot of not so good. Quality time with people I am establishing relationship with and some with people who know me inside and out. I am adjusting to a new work environment, which I like, but is different. I am settling back into a semi-familiar space and town, getting a sense of the lay of the land. I’m dealing with the fact that my car may or may not have met its grave. This is yet to be determined. I have done more melting down in the past few days than I care to count. My new realities have brought out the worst in me and I can hardly be around myself…it is this weird space of being really excited about all of the good I am experiencing and the adventure and the wonder and the favor I have in Colorado and also feeling like i just need to be ok NOW. That I need to just hurry and up and love it here and love who I am here right NOW. I am known, in a few cases, but not in many. I miss my sister so much my insides hurt. I don’t know when I’ll go “home” next and this brings instant panic and watery eyes. Where IS home?! Is this home now and I just need to embrace it and own it? Is this temporary or is this long-term? My thoughts are running rampant as I type…sorry friend. I am TRYING to be strong, but I have no strength!! I’m looking forward to more quality time journaling and praying through this. It is hard for a girl who has a plan. A girl who likes to know what’s next so she can brace herself. A girl who is partly okay with letting go and partly scared to death.

I saw this pretty little saying last week. In my state of dividedness (not a word, I know), I both liked it and it made me mad:

Some days, I wake up and I feel awesome! I look thinner somehow, my hair is great, my clothes fit better than expected…I’m singing, I am eating healthy, I am full of life. I jump for joy at the sight and taste of my first cup of coffee and my planner shows a lot of good things coming in the week. I am running and creating and laughing and feeling like the best me. In fact, I like me.

This week, I was the opposite of this and the yuck outweighed the good. I was fine at work, but would come home, make dinner (sometimes healthy) and sit and watch pointless movies. My heart felt lonely. My body and my spirit both felt tired. All I wanted was to be held…to be hugged, to be walked through this…I did receive a hug from a new friend and I nearly burst into tears…I needed it more than I knew. I beat myself up for everything. My clothes felt tight, my hair was less than awesome, I was eating chocolate because I couldn’t imagine existing without it. The coffee was mediocre. I created nothing but messes. Nothing pretty or worth while.

And then there is this saying and it keeps coming back around…Be You, Bravely. There aren’t even stipulations??!! Like, be you bravely because…today you like who you are. Because it’s better than being a sulker. Because at some point, you’ll have missed out on the things happening around you because you are only thinking of you. Ouch.

Being me, bravely, is not always pretty. It is me venturing into unknowns and, quite honestly, that is a mess. Sometimes beautiful, sometimes messy, but it is me. I need to see the movie Brave, actually. I bet that girl is a mess…I bet I would identify with her. Am I willing to be brave?? Even when it is costly or painful? Even if i have to be vulnerable and to see myself there, even when I don’t FEEL it? Is being brave more than a feeling? It is simply just a choice? I even looked it up…

brave

adjective

1.

possessing or exhibiting courage or courageous endurance.

2.

making a fine appearance.

3.

Archaic. excellent; fine; admirable.

noun

4.

a brave person, such as a warrior

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That seems like a tall order…”possessing courageous endurance”…but, I want that to be me. I don’t want it to be false or to be conjured up, I want to be seen as brave and to see it in myself. I can see it in some of my choices, but I would like to see it more in the actual walking out of those choices. Yes, I do realize it is not all about me, I promise. I just so badly want to be that warrior and not coward away because of how I feel that day. Bravery comes from within and shines out of that place. It does not mean “perfect”. It does not mean “always ok, never worries or has rough patches”. It is a settled choice in my heart..I CHOOSE TO BE BRAVE. I choose to let others in when I don’t see it in myself, to call it out in me. To call it out in myself. This is who you are, Bekah…Be You, Bravely.

What To Wear Wednesday: Easter Dress Prep!

When I was little, Easter was the fashion highlight of the year. My nana would find the ultimate, most girly pattern she could and would make my sister and I dresses that were coveted by every little girl we passed. Ruffles, buttons, layer upon layer of magic and whimsy. We could hardly WAIT until Easter to put them on and to waltz around the church in high fashion Most of the time, they were floral. One year, I remember her making me a Pepto Bismol pink dress with a drop waist, a giant flower on the side, and a matching hat…I could have given the Pink Panther a run for his money!!! I adored that dress…Even once Whit and I were “too old” for Nana to make us dresses anymore, my mom would make us a skirt or we would venture out, scour the racks for beautiful patterns and color, and find ourselves the BEST Easter ensemble. As my goddaughter LillyGrey would say, “we are all about the fashion.”

I can hardly believe it is that time again!!! Spring is here and Easter is next week! I swear I was just writing about winter boots…

In any case, I am pumped!!! It is till cold here in Colorado, but the sun is shining and I am ready for some awesome dress weather! I have found a collection of ten dress (including the one at the top) that make me want to drool. Granted, this post could have contained at LEAST fifty that I found and loved. Dresses are my favorite thing, hands down. Paired with high heels or the right flats??? The best. Take a look at the few I have found! Once I find my dress for this year, I will post a photo of myself in it. I can;t just talk the talk!!! I gotta walk the walk!!

Neon!!! I am obsessed with this…fantastic!!!

I love the ruches and the fluff in the shoulders, without it looking like shoulder pads! So cute. The navy is classy and the off-beat necklace is rad.

This is so feminine and flowy!! Very girly…and I really love the mint accents…big shocker It’s always my fave!!

This has an eyelet/lacy feel to it that I really love. I also love that it is so long…and the leather belt is the cutest detail!

Classic color. Classic shape. Very pretty and simple in the BEST way!

Funky, short floral!! So stinkin cute!! Great colors and so fun. I like the cut too…

Bright colored stripes!! Best green…I am LOVING this!!! Apparently, I am diggin the leather belts with everything too

I like this so much!! It looks like one piece? You could achieve this same look with a flowy top and a pencil skirt though…again with the floral…I am an addict.

And this is the ultimate…best shape, best fabric, best color of yellow ever…paired with leather heels….sigh…I am drooling!!!

So, there you have it. My Easter picks for this year!!! Try something new, add some neon or sparkle and have fun with it. Happy Easter!!

What To Wear Wednesday: Houndstooth Print

I have always had a thing for black and white. In photography, in design, in clothing. It is clean, it is classic, it is never out of style. I have had a crush on Houndstooth for quite a long time now. In small doses…I had some tasteful note cards that had the Houndstooth only on the inside of the envelopes, which I loved. A small clutch in the pattern and a large piece of fabric in the pattern that I found in High River in June that I still am not sure how I will use.

This past weekend, my mother and I showed up to the same wedding, completely separate from one another, both wearing pieces of Houndstooth! She had on a skirt in the pattern and I was wearing my Houndstooth high heels. Classic.

On my flight on the way home from Canada this summer, I picked this up in the airport:

I am a bit late in posting this as a fall trend, obviously, but it is never out of style, in my opinion!! I have seen this pattern worn both very well and over the top! I do not have an entire collection of office supplies in it or a wall papered in it. Nor will you find me dressed like Lady Gaga in it, head to toe…

I do think it is really fun in the right context! It is especially great to wear in the fall/winter seasons. As usual, I have compiled a few photos that show Houndstooth off in a way that I LOVE!! Take a peek and let me know what you think.

Very nice in a short dress. Loving it with simple black pumps.

Well-tailored blazers are always in style!!! Loving this.

I adore Houndstooth in footwear. I have a pair of pumps in this print that I would wear everyday if I could.

SO CUTE!! Loving it with the colored skinny and the glasses. I would wear this in a heartbeat!

Leave it to John Legend to rock the Houndstooth in a peacoat!!! So handsome. LOVE.

All three of these celebrity ladies are wearing or carrying the pattern very tastefully!!!

I really loved seeing it in a larger pattern on Leighton Meester. Such a great outfit!!

I rang in the new year opening up the cafe. I decided that I needed a little a.m. pick me up, so I threw on my black leggings, a pair of little gold flats, red lips, and my Houndstooth dress!!! I had worn it in Winnipeg on a date with Caleb and thought it would be a great dress to start the year in.

Cheers to you!!! To 2013 and all that it holds!!!

Thanks for reading!!!

What To Wear Wednesday: Winter Boots

Hello friends! Okay, I know what you’re thinking…”It’s not Wednesday, it’s Friday!!!” Well, this is a very true statement, but Wednesday has come and gone and I’m still going to inform you on what to wear Hope you’re cool with that…it adds an element of surprise to your day too, so there’s that. You know I love that…okay, here we go…winter boots!!

Most of this is inspired by an epic find I had yesterday at the Capitol Hill Value Village. I went inside with my friends Steph and Vitalia to look for shoes for Steph to wear to the symphony. I was perusing the aisles and had JUST said the night before to my roommate that I should really find some awesome boots for Winnipeg in a few weeks. No more did that come out of my mouth when, just a few short hours later, sitting on a quiet shelf in the thrift store of wonder, stood the boots of my dreams. Sorels, to be exact. I have admired them from afar and even have a less-than-fantastic purple pair that I scored years and years and years ago at an REI sale for $45. I thought THAT was a deal! These bad boys cost me $15 yesterday…

Black and brown, fur at the top, tread that hasn’t even seen the outdoors!!! I am more than stoked. I am also well aware that I may be the laughing stalk of the ENTIRE Friesen family in my uber girly girl boots, but I have to stay true to who I am Hopefully, they can embrace me, even in my “city girl” attire ! (I am not too worried…I wore girly dresses the entire week I worked on the farm with them…this will just be the winter version, ha ha).

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I have Michael Buble’s Christmas album on in my ears and I’m SOOO ready for some real SNOW! I have found some smashing fashion footwear in my travels through the interwebs and thought I would shoot you a pic or two. Let me know your thoughts!!!

Cheers! To snow and to looking AMAZING while being in it Whether building a snow man, singing carols around a bonfire or…even if you’re chopping wood…

Happy holidays!!! Thanks, as always, for humoring me and reading Feelin the love!

Spotlight On: Erato

My sister and I always harmonize together…in the car, the bathroom, the kitchen. Usually my mother will join in. Followed by my younger brothers. At times, dad will sing some but, he is mostly the beat keeper. This is common place with the Smiths. And it never gets old.

I found these Swedish sisters online and they have a similar thing goin on. Okay, it is much tighter, more practiced and planned out, but the whole “raw/singing in the house/random percussion instruments/Swedish ” thing fits the same bill! I love it. Their name Erato is after a Greek muse, meaning “lovely” and was said to be the muse of lyrical poetry. These girls are so awesome!!! I just got home from work and started listening to them again. I am going to post a few videos of them so YOU will love them too. Humor me and have a listen. So. Much. Fun!

Sweden has done it again

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Swedish Rudolph!!!

Ummm….Swedish Grammys??? Yes please. I want to add a fourth chair!!!

The timing is a little funny on this one and I loathe Britney songs, but this is a fun remake.

Just good times!!

Thanks for reading. Live your life brilliantly!

Happy Trails To You!

I have always had fond memories of trailers and mobile living. I know, it’s super hispter. I don’t care. I remember one of the first trips my friend Jessica took up here from Portland, we had an at-length conversation about Airstreams, our love for them, and what we would do if we ever got our hands on one!! So fun.

A few years ago at Christmastime, my friend Angel even made a gingerbread Airstream…EPIC.

In June, I went to High River and visited Caleb’s trailer and LOVED it! Very well thought out and FANTASTIC! We are always talking about other things he can add or move around when we’re on Skype…it is such a great space! He has done a really great job with it. Here’s one of the early shots of it, right after he got his stellar couch:

I also have fond memories from when I was a little girl of the trailer my grandaddy lived in. It sat on my Papa and Nana’s property. When I was four or five, I would venture up the hill to get their mail, and I would stop by grandad’s trailer on the way back to the house. I would knock on the door and he would greet me with a smile, in his suspenders and thick-lensed glasses. We would sit at his little table, talk about the baby birds in the barn, and whatever else the day had brought. He also had the best candy stash EVER!! My favorites were the candy corn and the circus peanuts…He was the cutest man…he always told me I was “as pretty as a speckled pup”! He passed away when I was really little, so the memories I have with him in that little trailer stick with me. Such a sweetheart of a man!

With memories of grandad, after seeing Caleb’s current space, and dreaming of traveling around in an Airstream with Jess, I started doing a little research and have found some STELLAR trailer interiors that I had to share with you. Of course, Pinterest played a major role in this research project. I am just loving the diversity!!! So many styles…love, love, love… enjoy!!

This is perfect. A bit masculine, but you could easily add some feminine here and there. I would add bright flowers on the counter for sure

CHEVRON FLOOR & MUSTARD CURTAINS!!!

If I told you what I liked about this one, I would just pick everything out…so good.

Ummmm….wood stacked at the foot of the bed??? Love…just make sure there are no bugs! Yikes.

Such a great space! Love the light wood and the clean appliances.

This is such a cozy little space!!! I want to light a rad candle and snuggle up on that couch…or take the best nap of my life!

Okay–best wood paneling ever! Maybe a bit much everywhere, but in smaller doses, I quite like it.

I’m stuck on the sailboat wallpaper. I want that. This is also so clean! I love the Jetsons looking shelf on the wall.

This is a trailer??!!! Love…the wood, the neutrals, the stainless steel…The shape of that seating area is epic!!! And look! My makeup traveling case is already in the room…perfect.

This is SOOO Caleb. The warm leather, the nautical pillows, the old books and gear on the back wall

This kind of looks like a spaceship, but I like it! Needs some cozy love though…

Another great space!

So, what would YOUR trailer look like??!!!

Live your life brilliantly

P.s. This video is terrible in quality, but it fit the topic!!!