The greatest blessing

 

skirt: target     cardigan: loft    necklace: groopdealz 

There are so many things I am thankful for.  My husband, my family, our house, my job, this precious baby girl that I will get to met in July. 
These things are amazing blessings that God has given me.  But without a doubt the thing that I am most thankful for, and often take for granted, is that God sent His perfect Son to pay the price for my sins so that I could spend eternity with Him.  
Reminded on this day of the price He paid for my sins and praising God for the greatest gift I could be given.

You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. (2 Colossians 2:13-14)
Happy Easter!
He is Risen.  He is Risen indeed.  

Week to Week

shirt:  shade clothing maternity    pants: kohls    scarf: gift 

I read this week that my uterus in now the size of a basketball, which is starting to feel like what I am carrying around.   I wore this shirt at 16 weeks and it's quite the change now at 24 weeks.  I'm sure others would agree that you keep thinking you look really big until you look at weeks before and realize how small you look compared to now!

I started writing this post and thought it wouldn't take me long, until I spent over 30 minutes looking through old pictures.  I was trying to find one picture and I got distracted and ended up looking through quite a few.  But it made me so thankful for pictures!  It also made me miss my tan self and summer!

Today I get to go to Lake Geneva for the night with this sweet friend.  Lake Geneva is this cute little town about 45 minutes from us in Wisconsin and I love it!

 

And the high today just may get up in the upper 40's!  Spring is getting a little closer right?  I hope you have a wonderful weekend!! 

So far . .

scarf: target    tunic: old navy maternity   boots: kohls 

So far this week has been wonderful.  I've been able to spend time with a good friend, with my mom, relaxing at home and a lot of time at my sewing machine!  I made a bumper for our crib and curtains. 

I LOVE them! Weeks like this I always think I'll spend more time on my computer, reading blogs, responding to emails, etc. but I have spent much less time doing those things and I am quite happy about it!  It's nice to have a little break! So if I haven't responded to your comments or read your blog this week I certainly will be back at it next week. 

I'm thankful to have Eliza here to make this post a little more exciting!  I love that Eliza loves scarves, stripes and sweatpants (like myself), is a talented shop owner, and has a blog that is a little bit of everything.  

Hi there! I'm Eliza, the voice behind Case Study - my lifestyle blog that focuses on my love for brunch dates, maxi skirts, and quirky homemaking. My husband + I live in a yellow house in Virginia with our dog, Nellie. I am a blogger, shop owner, Instagram enthusiast, knitter, and lover of all things wonderful. This season you'll find me working through my spring bucket list and learning to cook more plant-based meals. I hope you'll grab a mimosa (or two), enter the giveaway below, and come by + say hello!

Thanks Eliza!!  She is giving away a $20 credit to her shop and a $10 gift card to Starbucks! What a sweet prize!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you for entering!

Ignoring the weather

I got this dress almost a month ago and have been waiting until it was warm outside to wear it, but am deciding to ignore the cold weather and pretend that it really is indeed Spring outside.  I was so excited to get a chance to pick out something from a store with such fun and beautiful maternity clothes. 

Pink Blush Maternity is filled with trendy maternity clothes and I had the hardest time deciding on which item to order as there are so many cute options from dresses to tops to skirts - I would like to own a lot of them!

I am very happy with my choice and know that I will be able to wear this throughout the rest of my pregnancy.  Cute, incredibly comfortable and it could be dressy or casual.  

Pink Blush Maternity is giving one lucky reader a $25 gift card to pick out whatever maternity clothing you'd like. Enter below: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And despite what the weather around here says it is almost April.  Which means a month closer to summer vacation, a month closer to this baby coming and another month of new sponsors. 
I can honestly say that some of my favorite relationships I've made have been ones that I've meet and continued to connect with through sponsoring.  I have some large and medium ad spaces for April and would LOVE to have you! Email me this week and take 20% off either size.  (katiejvale@yahoo.com)

Currently . . .

shirt: target    belt and pants: H&M maternity   shoes: old navy   

Getting more and more used to looking down and seeing this bump. 

Wanting to make this cookie dough that doesn't use raw eggs so I can eat it all. 

source
Watching The Hart of Dixie on Netflix.  It is somewhat satisfying my need for a teen drama.  

Thrilled that I don't have to work this week.  I plan on more mornings like this and and afternoons working on things like this: 

Thankful that I got to spend Friday night and Saturday with one of my best friends Brittany.  We've been friends since freshman year of college and despite her living in Indiana her friendship is one of the most important to me. 

Thankfully both of us have matured a little since college, along with our wardrobe choices. 
Loving the gifts she made for our baby girl.  She sells her stuff at a store close to her and on facebook.  She is so talented and I can't wait until our baby girl can wear these.  

Happy Tuesday!

Round Two

scarf:  store in Lake Geneva   leggings & boots: kohls   cardigan: ? 

I started answering some of your questions in this post and figured it was time to finish the rest that were more fashion related. 

1. What would be your "go to" outfit? 
In the fall and winter it would be leggings, a dress, boots and a scarf.  Even though it's technically Spring, it's freezing outside so sadly I'm still dressing for winter.  

In the spring and summer I mostly wear skirts and dresses with sandals.   These pictures make me SO ready for warm weather!  Except I am realizing I will be 8 and 9 months pregnant and outfit picking and getting dressed won't be that fun! 

2. What time do you take your pictures? 
I usually take my picture before I leave for school.  I take my tripod on my deck and it takes less than 5 minutes.  The only downfall is that I feel like I always look tired in the morning.  But if I wait until after school my hair is usually in a messy ponytail or its dark outside.  Oh and I guess another downfall would be that all you ever see in the background is my deck and if you're lucky my backyard.  
3. How did you get your signature pose?
This question made me laugh because it's funny to me that I'd have a signature pose, but I guess I really do stand the same way each time.  I don't spend too much time trying different ways to pose, and after making these collages I clearly stick with my hands at my sides or on my hips.  
And I'd like to say Lauren in Law taught me how to pose because she has quite the skills.  

4.  How many outfits do you try on before buying one? 
I think it's safe to say that dressing room attendants hate me because I try on a lot of clothes and don't buy many.  Not sure I know a number but I rarely buy more than one or two things at a store, if that, and try on quite a few.  I have to love it, it has to be cheap and I have to have money to spend.  And yes I try on clothes even though I know I can't buy them.  
5.  How often do you go to Target? 
I know I've made plenty of jokes and comments about how often I go to Target.  In the summer I really did easily go twice a week.  I really do feel like it was some kind of stress reliever to just wander around the store.  During the school year I probably go three times a month.  Any time there is a random thing I need I choose Target just so I can go look at everything else.  
6. . Where do you find your inspiration for outfits? 
Sometimes I don't know how I would find outfits and decide what to wear if it weren't for pinterest.  I really do look at it all the time and am thankful for fashion blogs and outfits on there that give me ideas.  Now that I've had a blog for awhile I also like looking back at past outfits I've worn that I may have forgotten about if I didn't have a picture of it.  
And someday soon I'll finish the rest of the questions about my personal life and blogging related! Hope you had a good weekend!

Tender Moments

scarf: made my me (tutorial here)    top: shade clothing  skirt: target maternity  leggings: jcpenney

This whole pregnancy journey so far has been quite an emotional one.  From our long road to get here to our scary complications at the start.  There have been many moments where I've been overcome with emotions from fear to excitement.  Thankfully the majority of the overwhelming emotions lately have been due too complete tenderness and joy at the thought of bringing our daughter into our lives. 

Feeling her first movements, finding out she was a girl, Chris feeling her kick for the first time, hanging up clothes in her closet, registering for baby stuff . . . There have been so many surreal moments the last month or so that have filled my heart with excitement and joy and have brought me to tears.  

Of course I still have fears and have a handful of things that I am not enjoying, like not sleeping, being extra emotional, gaining weight and feeling out of control of changes that are happening.  

BUT I still wake up daily, feel my growing belly and praise God for this miracle.  

I want to savor these precious tender moments that are such a gift.  

After a long week I am so thankful that spring break is next week.  I have plans of sitting on my couch, watching morning shows, drinking coffee and getting a few things done around the house.  Really exciting right?  Sounds pretty wonderful to me! 
Hope you have a great weekend!

Better news than this snowy picture

This is not what the end of March should look like:

This view on a Monday morning as I walked into school did not make the start of the week any better.  And the fact that the high today wasn't even 20 degrees is not helping. 
But something that does help is that these awesome ladies are giving away some really sweet prizes this month.  I want to own this polka dot scarf as well as any gift card to Target.  
Check out these prizes and enter below!

Infinity Scarf from Ooh Baby Infinity

from Peace it all Together

$10 Target gift card from The Hinton Hookup

$15 gift card to Litva's Jewelry

$10 gift card from Everyday with the Jays

Set of personalized notecards from Social Sara

30 Day Shred workout video from The Lady Okie

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks for entering!  Winner will be contacted after the 25th! 

Late to the Party

I'm a little late to this five things sharing post, but better late than never right?  And I'm sure you're dying to hear five more random facts about me.  Thank you Shanna for tagging me!
I tried hard to think of five things I've never shared.  

sweater: target   leggings: jcpenny   boots: kohls

1.  There is still a good amount of people in my life that don't know I have a blog and every time someone finds out about it I get a little embarrassed.  

2.  I had the chicken pox when I was in second grade and from the looks of this picture I'm pretty sure it was as hard on my mom as it was on me.  
3.  I used to be the pickiest eater growing up.  Until I met Chris and he made me try different foods.  The thought of sushi used to disgust me, but now it is my favorite food. 

4.  I was in dance from about five years old to fourteen.  We wore quite the costumes and I'm pretty sure I had quite the moves.  

5.  Two of my best friends (one from high school and one from college) got married the same summer 7 years ago and both picked the same bridesmaid dress.  To a poor newly married college student this was the best news ever! 
Hope you are having a good week.  Three more work days and then Spring Break - I am very ready!!

Second Guessing

sweater: kohls    dress: c/o sugarlips    leggings: jcpenney   boots: dsw 

I've always been a sensitive person and have a hard time not over thinking things.  As I've grown older I have become more confident but still find myself with plenty of insecurities.  
In the last few weeks I feel as though my sensitivities and insecurities have been increased.  Someone can say something that should not come across offensive and I've cried.  Something can happen at work that is nothing to get stressed about and I feel inadequate or overwhelmed.  
I find myself over thinking things or feeling insecure about something I may have said or worrying more about how people perceive me.  
I'm sure you can chalk some of this up to being pregnant and all the changes that are happening physically, emotionally, thinking about our future, etc. 

But I have to say one downfall of having a blog, pregnant or not, as been the extra insecurities or over thinking that I do now.  There are many times after I post something, ranging from serious to even funny (mostly because it is probably only funny to me and my sister) that I wonder if I should have written that differently, posted that picture, think about what others will think and worry about how others may view me. 
Lately with lots of talk on other blogs about how people run their blogs, post outfits, handle sponsors, all that - it is starting to stress me out!  I hadn't worried too much in the past about these things and am finding myself getting overwhelmed with them.  I'm not sure if it is the extra pregnancy hormones and emotions or just that I've had a blog long enough now it's all crossing my mind. 
Whatever it is I am not a fan.  I need to remind myself that I am writing about, wearing and sharing what I want to, what is a reflection of me and I just need to be confident in who I am.  I am working on finding a balance between caring about what I write and put out there, but not letting it consume too much of my thoughts and time.  
So far this blog has been fun for me, is a source of encouragement, and something I really enjoy and I want to keep it that way.  So here's to continually working on throwing away insecurities and working on finding balance.  
And yes I did take a picture in the snow today.  I am pretending that it isn't snowing at the end of March.