Being a Wise Shopper

Today I am blogging about clothes! I do love all my clothes, but it wasn’t until today that I realized how much money we spend on our clothes! I think my style is, modest but trendy. I like to dress cute and wear trendy things, but everything is covered at all times. Sometimes my friends call me a “Mom” because sometimes my outfits are more conservative than trendy! I do not consider myself a fashionista, but I am pretty good at making decisions when it comes to purchasing clothes. So I put a picture of my outfit of the day, and some tips about how to be a wise shopper!

OOTD

 ||Cream Blouse: $9.95 at H&M||

||White Camisole: $4 at H&M||

||Navy Blue Cardigan: $49.50 from Ann Taylor LOFT||

||Vigoss Boyfriend Jeans: $58 from Nordstrom||

||Pale Pink Flats:$20 from Target||

||Headband: $10 from Nordstrom||

||Calvin Klein Bra: $16 from Nordstrom Rack||

Go ahead and judge me on how much money I spend on a cardigan, or even a pair of jeans. Some things I did get off clearance and some I pay with a gift card. Needless to say I think your outfit can influence the way you feel about yourself, I believe it can help you have a better day. But have you ever put this much thought into how much you spend on a single outfit? Before you know it you are at triple digits!

BASICS

 I define basics as the basic needs you have for an outfit (i.e. camisoles, cardigans, plain t-shirts, plain long sleeved shirts etc.) This is an area that you can save a lot of money! I like to go to H&M when I shop for my basics, because you can find some really good deals, and they have great sales.  A plain white t-shirt from H&M looks the same as a plain white t-shirt from Nordstrom, be wise!!

All items from Ann Taylor LOFT

JEANS

I think it is necessary to invest in a good pair of jeans. I have a few pair of Lucky Brand Jeans, a pair of Hudson Jeans, and these Vigoss jeans shown above. You wear you jeans all the time, so why not splurge? However, make sure you love them if you buy them. If you are worried about your jeans fading during the washing process, make sure to air dry them! It doesn’t take as long as you think, and it really helps preserve your denim, the dryer is NOT your friend.

BLOUSES

Jeans (Lucky Brand), Blouse (Foreign Exchange), Cardigan (H&M), Shoes (Ann Taylor LOFT).

For blouses, it's all about the sale you can find. I have a lot of blouses from Nordstrom Rack, because they have good deals. It is all about the quality!! H&M tends to have cute tops but they are often poor quality. Before you shop, make the decision on whether you are choosing something that is high quality and more expensive, or low quality and cheaper.

SHOES

This is such a broad topic, because it really depends on the shoes. I believe that you should invest in good running shoes and boots, however, I think that a there is nothing wrong with a cheap pair of ballet flats.

Boots (Target), Pants (unknown), Oversized Cardigan (Marshalls), Blouse (Nordstrom Rack)

SHOPPING

I love to shop! Buying cute articles of clothing makes me feel better about myself. Putting my love for shopping aside, it is very important to know the difference between what you need, and what you want. I want a Louis Vuitton purse, but I am not going to buy one. I need a new pair of running shoes, so I will invest in a good pair. If I decide that I want a new pair of skinny jeans, I keep the idea in my head in a few weeks before I purchase them, so I know my desire is authentic. If you are shopping and you find a cute shirt that you don’t NEED, notice it, continue shopping, leave the store, and if you are still thinking about it before you leave, buy it! If you know you are not in the position to not spend extra money, AVOID THE MALL! When you go to the mall to shop, dress in you favorite outfit, because you are less likely to spend your money. If you don’t feel good about the outfit you have on while shopping, you are more likely to spend money in order to make up for your current outfit. Decide what areas you want to save money on, and the areas where you are willing to spend money!

BE YOU

Don’t focus on what other people like, focus on what YOUR style is. Take a moment and think of what you love about your style. I love the fact that I wear headbands. I like to think that trendy headbands complete my outfit. So find your signature, and flaunt it. You are beautiful and unique in how you present yourself, so don’t get hung up in what other people are wearing.

Encouragement

          Out of all the things that keep me motivated in life, encouragement from friends and family is one of the front-runners. I have always known this, but it wasn’t until I listened to Ray Johnston’s sermon when he spoke at Fellowship Monrovia that I gained a better understanding of how important staying encouraged is. According to Pastor Ray Johnston from Bayside Church in Granite Bay, California, encouragement is the most important thing when it comes to being a follower of Jesus. He also talks about how pastors around the world also need to stay encouraged because they are the ones keeping us encouraged. In my opinion, staying encouraged is also the most important thing in life in general. Whether it’s a small phrase or an inspirational speech, encouragement can inspire us to do anything. Also, one of my friends Chloe Conrad emailed me a few weeks ago encouraging me to blog about this topic. So thank you to Ray Johnston and Chloe Conrad, for making this post possible!

|| Click here for Pastor Ray Johnston’s sermon on Encouragement ||

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          I have been really annoyed with my twitter account lately because there are so many things that are providing negative encouragement for me. Some recent tweets that I have encountered are “Lol, are my grades April fools too or?” and “I guess I am in shape because circle is a shape.” I know the discouraging tweets we read are hilarious, but they are subconsciously lowering our expectations for ourselves, whether we are talking about self-image or school. Don’t get me wrong, it is possible for social media networks to be a place of encouragement, but the expectations that our society promotes are just tearing us down. Although, it is possible to encourage people via your social media account, it is rare that people actually use their twitter to do so. When I am working on an essay that I procrastinating on, I need someone to encourage me throughout the process instead of logging onto twitter and being drowned in negative energy. It is possible to seek encouragement in our social media accounts! There is nothing wrong with deleting people on your social media accounts that bring you down. Seek accounts that offer daily encouragement.

           We may not realize it, but as humans we feed off encouragement. It is what gets us through our day. Life is hard as it is and a little bit of encouragement can go a long way. In my life, I try to do my best to encourage people when they are in need of it. Whether it is sending a text to a friend that is awaiting test results or sending cards to my friends away at school during their finals weeks, I have made encouragement a priority because I have realized its importance. On the other hand, I am the type of person that needs constant encouragement in my life.

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One important thing you need to remember when it comes to seeking encouragement is distinguishing the difference between being guilty and being encouraged. I remember a very specific time when I was struggling with being a “luke-warm”, Christian. Francis Chan’s highly recommended book, Crazy Love, brought these feelings upon me. I texted my youth pastor, Keegan Lenker and told him about the guilt I was feeling about this subject matter. He reassured me that guilt does not come from God. God does not call us to feel guilty about our sins; he calls us to feel encouraged about making improvements. So instead of feeling guilty about something, be encouraged, it can change your outlook and attitude about your life and relationship with God.  

The great thing about the lack of encouragement in our world is that it is something that can be fixed.  I want to inspire people who are reading this to encourage five people this week. For all my avid encouragers, encourage a little more than you do already. And for those of you, who often forget to encourage people, step out of your comfort zone and shoot someone a text or even write a little letter (LETTERS ROCK). Not only will you inspire your friend to complete a task or have a better day, but it will help you too. Doing a good deed, like encouraging someone, can put you in a better mood.

 Have a topic you want me to blog about? Email me at theshelbylens@gmail.com and I will review your ideas!

Little Person: A Throw Back

HAPPY THROW BACK THURSDAY!

This post is dedicated to things I use to do, say or believe when I was younger. I named this post “Little Person” because this was one of my nicknames when I was a young girl.

LittlePerson

When I was a young girl, my mom used to call me “little girl”. I had expressed to her multiple times that I did not appreciate this nickname. So instead of “little girl”, she came up with the name “little person”. When I had AIM, my user name was “littleperson”, that was also my first email username.

Matching Swimsuits are a thing

New Testament

When I was younger, I thought that the New Testament of the bible was written in my day of age. I thought the word “new” meant brand new. I don’t know what lead me to believe this.

The Grand Canyon

I visited the Grand Canyon for the first time when I was about 6 or 7. I heard that it was a place with pretty views. I remember as I approached the edge, I looked up and my mom and said “That’s a pretty big picture”. I was completely convinced that it was painted on a huge canvas. I guess the beauty was just too remarkable for my young mind to digest.

Blood of Jesus

I always dreaded the times when I had to attend the “Family Service” at church and miss out on Sunday school. There was one time when the congregation sang “Nothing but the Blood of Jesus”. Instead of singing that lyric, I sang “Nothing’s up the butt of Jesus”. I believed this with my whole heart, apparently.

Twin Lakes

Throughout my childhood, my family often visited Twin Lakes to go camping. My parents took me to the edge of the lake and there was long grass growing from the bottom of the lake beyond the surface of the water. My mom warned me to not walk on that grass because it wasn’t on the ground it was water. I guess I didn’t believe her because I ended up falling in. I was so upset, I begged my mom to go back to camp and change my clothes. Instead, she made me wait it out and walk all the way back to camp hours later because I didn’t listen.

Me, Sydney, Alex

Being a Good Sport

I was quite the soccer star when I was younger, each game I would score four or five goals. A few months ago, my family and I were looking through old family videos, and we found one of me playing on my first soccer team. The video showed me scoring the goal and instead of joining my team in celebration of scoring, I ran to the sidelines to my family and smiled in front of them while they praised me. I guess sportsmanship just wasn’t my thing.

Another Lake Story

When I was a “little person” I obviously did not understand the concept of a lake. But what I was familiar with was the ocean. We all know that at the beach, the waves come up high and then go back down until the next wave comes. Well I thought that a lake was the same way. Before approaching the water, my mom warned me that the lake wasn’t the same as the ocean and when you enter the water, it doesn’t disappear from under you and go back down, it stays. I guess I didn’t understand such a concept. I entered the water thinking that it would disappear, and it didn’t. My mom scanned the beach looking for me and she didn’t see me. She looked in the water and saw me head deep in the water with my lips above the surface gasping for air. I don’t remember this because I was too young but my mom loves telling this story.

Yosemite

One time the five of us visited Yosemite. I remember pulling over to the side of the road to check out the view. There was no guard rail to keep you from falling off the edge, so my parents warned me to stay away. When I was younger, I must have thought I was invincible because sure enough I ran straight towards the edge of the cliff. I was one step away from falling hundreds of feet and my dad grabbed me by the hair and saved me. Thank God for that!

Our Cabin

This one is more of a sad memory. My mom's side of the family owned a cabin up in Shaver Lake, and we would visit it often. One Fourth of July we were all asleep in the middle of the night and my parents smelled fire. They woke up to our cabin up in flames. My sisters and I were pulled from our beds and brought outside. Now most of these stories I don’t remember, but there is a moment from this story that I remember clearly. I was seated in my car seat with our van door open watching as our beloved cabin burned to pieces. My brave dad attempted to put it out with our garden hose. We miss our cabin everyday but we know that everything happens for a reason.

I hope you are entertained by all of my stories. But if there is anything to learn from this it is to listen to your parents.