Dress: last season, super similar here for $89! | Heels: Sam Edelman (LOVE THESE for $32!) | Earrings: J Crew (white tassel here) | Lipstick: MAC Snob | Necklace: Kendra Scott
God has been working on my heart the past couple months and I just wanted to share with you all for a few minutes about what I think the Lord has been revealing to me.
Blogging is something that I love. I love putting outfits together. I love going and taking pictures and posting them. I love shopping.. but that's also the part thats been weighing on me. I scroll through Instagram looking at my favorite bloggers, and I think I need what they have. I believe that I have their budget, which I DON'T. I trick my mind into thinking I HAVE to get those _______ because those are so cute on ______ and will complete all my outfits! I think we all go through this to some degree but it's been going on a little too long for my liking and my spirit has just felt so constantly convicted of it the past few months. Whether I buy the item or not... I'm still thinking about it everyday, and its sitting in my shopping cart staring at me.
I never created my blog to be a source for simply buying things to post in pictures. I want my blog to be helpful to readers about trends and sales, and cute shoes to buy for Spring and great everyday lipstick colors, but not at the expense of spending money just to try and be like someone else. I started my blog to share about my favorite fashion trends and finds, in hope that it would help others know how to pair them together and feel great about themselves getting dressed in the morning. But the past few months I feel as if I'm just comparing and trying to catch up to other people I admire, which ultimately makes blogging a big drag BECAUSE we will always be disappointed when we compare and make something other than Jesus our focus when it was never supposed to be.
Proverbs 8 "The Blessings of Wisdom" has been coming to me over and over again through this process:
"Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice?"...vs 1
"Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than chose gold, for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her." vs 10-11
"My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver." vs 19
"And now, O sons, listen to me: blessed are those who keep my ways. Hear instruction and be wise and do not neglect it. Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD, but he who fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death." vs 32-36
I want the blessings of wisdom and I want to listen carefully to what the Lord is telling me. I know right now he's asking me to be wise in my decision making and shopping so that I'm not trying to satisfy myself with "stuff." New shoes, jeans and lipsticks in and of themselves aren't bad when I keep them in line with my personal priorities of putting Jesus first and then my budget second, and then buying third. I just don't want to get things out of order and start making buying "stuff" my first priority.
"Comparrison is the thief of joy" said Theodore Roosevelt and he couldn't be more right. So what I've decided is I'm just going to go on a spending freeze and I'm going to commit to a NO SHOP APRIL. (yikes... even typing that sounds miserable.) But I'm sure it's going to be so fun! lol
So.. all this to say.. here's a big CHEERS to "NO SHOP APRIL." I don't want to do it but I'm doing it to be obedient to what the Lord is telling me right now. I hope you enjoy seeing how I'll be styling lots of pieces I currently own and mixing and matching them! I know that the Lord is working on my heart and I'm excited to see how He continues to show me more of Himself this next month, and less of me.
xo, ash
Dresses priced Low ($48) --------> High ($159)
Throwing it back to a few months ago when Chandler came and took some photos of our house as I love seeing the changes we made in the year we have lived in our home! I'm continuing the next room BEFORE/AFTER post with the living room/office area…