Yet another reason I love blogging

As if I didn't have enough reasons I love blogging, yesterday gave me a new one.

Blogging lets you be completely validated in your craziness and find out you are far from alone in things.

Thank you for all of your comments and stories on yesterday's post.  Seriously made me feel better about an irrational emotional breakdown.  And it made me feel like I'm justified to some more too.  If you haven't, you should definitely read some of the comments.  I appreciated getting them in my email all day long today.

But I'm pretty sure my favorite thing about blogging is still the people that I have met through it.  And today I have a special lady for you.  If you don't know her already, you need to.  I have been reading Bonnie's blog for awhile, and being a teacher as well, I always enjoy her funny teaching stories like when she took 214 students to a movie or let them perform songs from the movie Les Mis (mind you she is not a music teacher).  But my favorite thing about Bonnie is that she is not afraid to say what is on her mind, like this post or this one, which certainly got a lot of people riled up.  So I'm really excited to introduce you to Bonnie . . .

Why hello there.

The name is Bonnie Blackburn Larsen and writing nonsense is my game.  Sometimes I get in trouble for what I write, but that's just the way the cookie crumbles.  The husband's name is Greg and I've been told I would be a fool for letting the internet Gods know my husband's name because now they can steal our identities and invade our home, GASP!  Therefore, to protect us from cyber devils and because it seems somehow hip I have named him Hubs.  I pride myself on originality.

Don't be fooled by this picture.  I've looked this good exactly once in my life.

If you are still interested in me, (oh this sounds so romantic!) you have a couple of options from here.

Option #1: I've noticed Katie is quite the fashion blogger. She finds deals and looks super styling without sweating a drop.  Well, heck, I can be a fashion blogger too!  Keep reading where I will show you how to look hot in any situation.  Trust me, you're going to want to read up.
Option #2: Visit my blog where you may read all my rambling to your heart's content.  You might wanna check out my Best of Bon page where you can find my favorite posts.

Option #3:  While at my blog, enter yesterday's giveaway- in fact, the biggest giveaway that I have ever held on my blog.  J. Crew, Sephora, Amazon, Starbucks, and Target gift cards.  Honey, you're gonna be rich!

Option #4:  All of the above

(Pick #4!  Pick #4)

Let's dive right in, shall we?

HOW TO LOOK HOT NO MATTER WHAT YOU'RE DOING

BY BONNIE BLACKBURN LARSEN

In the above picture I am playing tennis with Hubs.  My outfit is very stylin as you can tell.

I feel bad for anybody who doesn't look one hundred percent rocking 24/7.  I have the whole fashion thing down pat so I figured it's time to share my knowledge with the blogging world.  You all are clearly in need of an expert.  For Lauren and Lauren, watch out, I'm taking over your reign as cutest fashion blogger ever!

 To copy my above outfit you will need the following:

1.  A pair of ambiguous pants.  Are they long pants?  No... not quite.  Shorts?  No, not that either.  Capris?  Too baggy for that.  WHAT IN SAM'S HILL ARE THEY?  Guess we'll never know which makes them that much cuter!  Remember, the more confused people are by your look, the cuter it is!

(Answer:  They are Hubs' shorts.  And if you think it's pretty messed up that I have the same size of waist as Hubs, you are not alone.)

2. A big, brown, bulky belt.  None of these cute, skinny belts.  No cool colors like blue or orange- you will need just a big brown clunker.  This makes your waist look bigger than normal, which as we all know, is the perfect complement to any look.

3.  A shirt that is too tight for you.  Although you can't see it in this picture, a tight grey T-shirt is the best thing to wear when participating in any physical activity.  It allows for maximum under arm sweat stains that everyone can see when you raise your arms.  Tacos=the new trend in fashion.  Try to keep up, will you?

4.  Neon shoelaces.  The whole outfit should be a very blah, somber color EXCEPT the shoelaces.  Look for a gray or black outfit and then add a bit of neon to really confuse everybody who looks at you.  In my case, I chose neon pink.  Neon green and neon blue are also great.  If you're really daring you can try polka dotted or striped shoelaces to really set you apart from the crowd.

5.  Don't forget the hair barrette clipped to your pocket and the alien looking sunglasses.  These accessories really complete the outfit.  Remember, confusion=cuteness.

There you have it, folks!  How to look like a million bucks no matter what you are up to.  I'm full of stylish advice and wisdom so make sure to visit my blog often to see all my super cute looks!  Next week I might even show you the sweats, flip flops, and bandana that I wear when I wash my car.   Spicy!

Thank you Bonnie for making us laugh! I'm so happy to have you on my blog!

Comparisons and a Target Gift Card

After reading Holly's guest post, I'm even more convinced that we should be friends in real life.  I couldn't stop laughing at number six on her list of comparisons.  PLUS she is giving away a gift card to Target, which we all know we'd love to win!

Don't you just love when you stumble across a blogger where you think: "OMG, we'd totally be friends in real life!"

That's how I feel about Katie.

So often I find myself thinking, "yeah, me too!" or "that's totally me!" when reading her posts.

And the more I read her blog, the more alike I find that we really are.

Let me give you just a couple six examples:

1. We are scarf-obsessed soul mates.

2. We will both be carded well into our 50s at this rate.
Hello, 28 going on 19.

Mine // Hers

3. We take pity on "ugly" shoes.

Mine: Moxyn // Hers: Molly

4. Our dogs' names start with the letters "Mo." And they both have crazy retriever hair and are very happy pups!

5. We are bargain shoppers. Which means 99% of our clothing comes from Old Navy and Target.

6. We have cute asses. She calls hers Norman and I call mine Beyonce Jr.

I guess I should introduce myself.

I'm Holly and I blog over at Running in Stilettos.

And if you love Katie as much as I do, then you might just tolerant/like/love me, too.

Stop by any time. My door is always open thanks to this whole Internet thing.

And because you ladies deserve some goodies for having such great taste {i.e. reading Katie's fabulous blog}, I'm giving away a $10 Target gift card and 2 months {January and February} of featured ad space {300x200} on Running in Stilettos.

Good luck, silly heads!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winner will be contacted after the 24th!  Thanks for entering and thank you Holly for a great post and giveaway!

A first outfit post

A few weeks ago I shared two lovely ladies with amazing hearts.  

Today I'm so excited to have Kerrie back on my blog.  I know I said it before, but I feel lucky to have "met" her and am always encouraged by her.  And she is even doing her first outfit post on my blog today.  I'm sure you'll agree that she should do more!

Hey there Lauren & Lauren! 

(and hello to the rest of you, too)

I should start by saying, this my my VERY FIRST fashion post!

What has gotten into me??

I couldn't say.  Except, that I love Katie's blog and thought, if I'm ever going to do one, now is the time!

So go easy on me, mm'kay?

tshirt: (similar) , skinny denims: Target,  floral scarf: Target,  sandals: Roxy (circa 2009),  bracelet: Neon&Nude,  Mexico ring: Missionary Kerrie's,  clutch: Missionary Kerrie's

Have I introduced myself yet?

I'm Kerrie and I blog at The Williams' Post, where you will find bits and pieces of mine and my husband's journey -- focusing on God, married life, and missions with a few hobbies mixed in for good measure.

One thing you should know about me is that I am slightly obsessed with love the country of Mexico!

I first went in 2006 on a mission trip.  This also happens to be the trip where I met my husband!  He was in the same village with a different group and yes, we really met on a dirt road in Mexico.  And I wouldn't have it any other way.  Our first date was in Mexico (think Joya's, Takis, and sharing a seat on a cooler) and it's the best date I ever had :)  I might love him just a little.

Mexico is also where I realized God's call on my life.  I knew I wanted to be a missionary since the 3rd grade.  I later came to know, through studying God's word, that all Christians are called to be missionaries -- people who share the love and truth of Christ with the world! -- but I knew I wanted to do it full time in a foreign country.  

Together, my husband and I go to Mexico about 5 times a year, taking teams of people with us to build houses, run medical clinics, and do ministry -- all in the same village. I've had the amazing privilege of seeing babies born and grow into children, and children grow into teenagers, and teenagers become adults.  It's incredible to be a part of their lives and to have them a part of mine.

And as of next summer, my full-time missionary dream will be a reality!  That's right! We're moving to Mexico! I could not be more excited (even with the cold showers and hand washing laundry and no electricity).

Now's where I introduce you to my shop:

Missionary Kerrie's

where every single penny you spend goes directly to missions.

Earlier this year, it helped raise funds for our upcoming mission trip to India this winter.

Right now, it's helping a sweet sweet girl, Julyssa, have her Quincenera in October.

"The Callie" clutch from Missionary Kerrie's

I would love to have you visit my blog and shop.  Join us on our journey to "live life on a mission"

Katie, thank you so much for having me today! Love you bunches!

Thank you Kerrie! And I think you did an amazing job with your outfit post - maybe it's time you do a few on your own blog? : )

Kerrie has offered all of you 15% off any item in her shop using code FORLAUREN
so go check out her adorable clutches!

AND she is giving away a featured ad space on her blog!  Woohoo!
Enter below before next Tuesday:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And congratulations to Angela for winning Carly's ad space and $10 to Sephora!

Cupcake Love

I'm so excited to share another one of my blogging friends today!  Amanda from For Love of a Cupcake was one of the first girls I meet when I started my blog and she is wonderful.  We have quite a lot in common - like our love for shopping, working out, and love for our puppies!  One thing I wished I had in common with her is the ability to pull off the hippie look.  She looks adorable and is sharing her love for head wraps with you today!

 

Hey ladies!!

It's Manda from For Love of a Cupcake!

I am super duper excited to be on Katie's blog today!

She is just the sweetest ever...but you already knew that!!

......................................................

eek...it took me forever to decide what I wanted to write about lol.

Do any of you have an obsessive personality?

I am guilty!

If you've seen me over on the cupcake blog then you know I have quite a few obsessions at the moment.

One of them being head wraps.

I am up to 4!

(I would have 5 but I gave one to my little sis)

I'm sure you ladies prob have more than me tho!

Anyways...I thought I would show you my wraps!

If you think you can't wear them....you can!

You just have to 'own it'.

Don't care what others think!

So let me just say...this is the real me!
I try to pose and whatnot for my outfit posts...
but I seriously have no clue what I'm doing!

I got these at Three Bird Nest
but have some more coming from Grace and Lace!

I hope y'all enjoyed these silly photos...

xoxo

manda

Thanks for guest posting for me today Amanda!  You are the best!

Annie Love

 I'm super excited to share one of my favorite bloggers with you today while I'm off on my camping trip.  (Where I will most definitely not be wearing a cute pencil skirt like Annie).  Not only does she have a cute name, but has an amazing wardrobe and I look forward to reading her posts every morning.  I'm pretty sure I've never seen her wear the same thing twice, which is why I always tell her to send her clothes my way when she's done with them!

 Well HELLO you guys! I'm Annie and I blog over at The Other Side of Gray. I am beyond excited to be posting for Katie while she is camping! Don't you guys just love Katie? I certainly do. She always makes me laugh, or smile, or think about life....or want to eat something really delicious that she's recently made.

Anyway. I decided that I would share with you guys some of my favorite ways to wear a pencil skirt. Pencil skirts are like crack for me. And by crack I really just mean dessert (I don't know anything about crack, I swear). You see, I could eat dessert all day every day. And pencil skirts? I would wear them every day if I wasn't afraid of being judged by my co-workers. In the Spring & Summer I love pairing a bright pencil skirt with a plain tee and some statement jewelry - I think it's such an effortlessly chic look. 

Throwing some chambray in there is always an awesome option. And you can never go wrong mixing a patterned skirt with a brightly colored tee or tank. 

So there ya have it - 3 fun ways to rock a pencil skirt. Now I'm off to go find or make some dessert :)

Thanks so much for guest posting for me Annie!  I wish we lived closer so I could borrow some of those pencil skirts! 

Here & Now Love

I was so happy to find Jessica's cute blog Here & Now a few months ago, and am excited to have her on my blog today while I am camping with my family!  I can always count on Jessica to have the cutest poses, clothes and top bun (which I am quite envious of - remember my pitiful attempt?)  And I love that she shops in the kids' section sometimes. We know that I'm guilty of that too.

Hello …for Lauren and Lauren Readers. I’m Jessica from Here&Now where I blog about my daily outfits, adventures in building a stylish wardrobe (aka shopping), and of course my fur baby, Doug the Pug. I am so excited to be joining you guys over here while Katie is off having fabulous adventures with her family!

This summer I have been having so much fun with the new trends – mullet skirts, pattern mixing, colored denim, and most recently utility vests. Drooling over bloggers rocking their chic vests (usually the Old Navy one that I missed out on snatching!) has practically become my new hobby (see how cute Katie is in hers here)

{ What I Wore: J.Crew Crewcuts vest // StyleMint tee // J.Crew shorts // Minnetonka fringe booties // handmade necklaces }

After scouring the internet for awhile, I finally resorted to the kids’ section for my vest score!

Now my only problem is trying not to wear it everyday!

 

Would you wear a vest with this outfit? (I might have vest love goggles!)

What trends are you loving this season?

Come on by and chat with me and Doug the Pug {here}

xx

Jessica

Thanks Jessica!  I love your new vest and am even more in love with your shoes!