Every gal needs 'em

Accessories. Woman's best friend.

My life motto? Live simply. Especially with clothes. How is this made possible?

It's simple, really. You just need some accessories to "dress-up" your outfits so that you can mix-and-match. You don't need a bajillion clothes and items of jewelry to make this possible. If you have clothes and accessories that relatively match, your possibilities are endless! Take this vintage Victorian necklace for example. It automatically gives my outfit a theme, and it is just one item!

See this flower pearl necklace? I bought it at Claire's (in Dubai of course! Gotta love that place.) Why do I heart this item so dearly? Because I can also unclip the flower from the necklace and clip it on my hats or shirts. And the necklace looks cute without the flower too! This necklace can "dress-up" my outfits when I feel they are a little drab or boring. It's like splattering paint all over a plain canvas.

These gloves. I love. I got them on clearance- 70% off may I add! Yes, I am the bargain queen. I get that from my AMAZING MOTHER! (And my awesome mother-in-law!)

I always need my fingers out-n-about to grab change for the bus or my metro card. Instead of taking off my gloves all the way, I can just pull back the cute cover and button it so my fingers are free. See my poor little thumb? Too bad he doesn't get covered. Sometimes I sneak him into the cover with the other 4 fingers, but it gets a little crowded in there.

Rose bud earrings. Oh so delightful! They give my overall look the "elegant" touch. It's best to have an up-do when wearing them so everyone can actually see them. If my hair is down then I try to pin it back somewhat so the earrings are slightly visible at least.

Never. Forget. The. Power. Of. Lipstick. It shall forever be woman's number one accessory. Make sure you pick a color that looks good with your skin and hair tones. Extreme reds and pinks can clash with your face if you're not careful. Need advice? Take your bestie shopping and have her help you find the right color :)

I dressed up this cute new shirt by adding a simple flower necklace and flower hairclips. I was in fashion heaven, let me tell you!

Does this overwhelm you? Confused on how to mix-n-match? Just take it one step at a time. Go to a store like Claire's or Target, and pick out some simple items like a flower clip, pearl necklace, and scarf. Pick neutral colors to start with and see how they fit in your wardrobe. If you feel comfortable stepping out in the bolder colors (red, yellow, orange) then go for it! You can always ask your lady friends their honest opinion when in doubt :)

P.S. Sometimes my hubby doesn't like or understand my fashion choices. Once in a while I make an exception and decide to wear it anyways based on the fact that I absolutely love the item and we're just gonna have to agree to disagree!

Live, love, and look cute!

Scribbles and such

We take time regularly to slow down, turn the music up, and think about our wonderful Father. We dance, draw pictures, and sing our guts out.

When my daughter scribbles, I think they are the most beautiful scribbles on the face of this earth. I adore her scribbles. Her scribbles might as well be Van-Gogh paintings. I try to save all her scribbles and hang them anywhere and everywhere.

And yet I wonder, how often do we feel our meager attempts to serve Father are just mere "scribbles"? We chose to obey, we chose to sacrifice, we chose to love Him whole-heartedly. Small baby steps? Maybe. Little scribbles? Maybe. But I'm sure Father sees them as masterpieces. He is delighted in our weak attempts to love Him. Every baby step we take towards Father brings us closer to His heart. Every step counts. Every scribble matters.

What is your scribble? What is your offering? Remember the widow and the coins she gave? (Luke 21:1-4) You may think your small choices don't matter, but they do. Every choice you make today will eventually develop your character tomorrow.

Even in your weakness, you are lovely to Him. I'm sure all famous painters had childhood scribbles in their past. We don't just wake up someday perfected and holy. This is a journey where He continually molds and shapes us into His image.

Scribble today? Masterpiece tomorrow.

Forbidden

Another day at the baby orphanage... another piece of my heart left behind. If I keep this up, pretty soon I'm not going to have any of my heart left!

I wish I had actual pictures to share with you. Sadly, we are strictly forbidden to take photographs of the children. How I long for you to see their darling faces! How I yearn to open your eyes to what we see there.

I tried very earnestly to chat and converse with the local orphanage workers today. We want them to feel  appreciated in their work. We are only allowed to come twice a week, but these ladies are the ones who really "mother" the children day in and day out. We want them to feel special. When a woman is pampered, she often treats her family better in return. We want that same effect to ripple through this orphanage. The love and respect we show them will hopefully cause them to treat the children with deeper love and care. I was happy to be the "translator" for the day, flitting to and fro helping so-and-so talk to so-and-so. It was an honor to help bridge the communication gap between us volunteers and the workers. Their eyes brighten whenever we speak their language. It's as if all of a sudden we are no longer strangers. We are friends.

The little baby I talked about in a previous post? I thought he was a boy. But I was wrong. "He" is a she. They often shave the little babies' heads in orphanages, so it's difficult to determine the genders. I gently scooped up my baby love and cuddled her in my lap as we looked at books and toys. I was told she was found on the street.

On. The. Street.

Can you even imagine?

When it was time to feed the children, we line them all up on benches side by side and put their little bibs on. We can only feed one child at a time (there are way more children then workers), so the children waiting for their turn sit patiently with wide eyes, watching every spoonful the child next to them is getting. One little girl waited so long that she was the very last one to be fed. She is my own daughter's age. Her eyes are big and brown, her hair cut in a short bob, and her smile like the sun. She didn't make one peep waiting for her turn. As I fed her, my eyes welled up with tears wishing I could be the one to sing her to sleep every night.

All the children sleep in white cribs with white blankets and white pillows in a white room. No sweet kisses or lingering hugs at naptime, just quick placement into their cribs. There are so many babies and so much work to be done, how could the workers gently lullaby each child to sleep individually? It's not possible. They have to clean up lunch, wash the clothes, and everything else in between.

If you can, for just one moment, imagine your child, or your nephew, or your grandchild. Now imagine them as if they were in this orphanage. Does that break your heart? Every single child in this orphanage is special, worthy of love and care. They are not just another number or statistic. Each one holds a special place in my heart, but more importantly, in Father's heart.

I wish I could post some actual photographs of the children. But instead, I found some pictures online of baby orphanages around the world that are very similar to this one. Sometimes we need something visual to stimulate our minds and help us grasp a concept.

Will you take a few moments to pray? For the children, for the workers, for us. Oh how we need it.

And then ask yourself, "What can I do to help?"

Let Father speak to you as you listen, and don't be afraid of His answer.

Zooty?

SuperDan and I had a date the other night.

We didn't go anywhere. We just put our Princess to bed, lit a candle, and played Scrabble while drinking tea. It was delightful!

You see the word "zooty" up there? Ya, it's really a word. Google it. I got some major points for using a Z, and I think it was on a triple letter spot too! Score!

We played Scrabble on our first date ever. It was in Minneapolis at Barnes and Noble bookstore. Danny gave me this exact travel Scrabble game as part of my "first date" gift. Explaining our whole first date would take an entirely new blog post- maybe some other day!

Ya, we're hardcore. We use special Scrabble books and everything. Call us nerds, but we are smart nerds mind you. (Oh wait, aren't all nerds smart? Duh Casey...)

You should come on over and play with us. I guarantee you'll learn a new word or two :)

Babushka and pearls

Sitora received a darling present for her birthday. Isn't it the most adorable thing you've ever seen?

It's a Russian babushka doll necklace. A darling heart and pearl dangle on each side of the doll along the chain.  The other day I was wearing it (Girls in the same household share accessories, isn't that a well-known fact?) on the bus with Sitora on my lap. She discovered it and exclaimed, "Hey Mommy, that's my necklace! Give it back!" I chuckled and said, "You're right, honey, I'll take it off and put it on you." She wears it with a sparkle in her eye every day... it's as if she knows she's a big girl now.

I love these pearl earrings I found in a teeny-tiny shop by the underground metro station here. It's not the same pair I posted about a few months ago. They are more simple. I love the elegance I seem to walk into the minute I put them on. Coupled with my apron you might as well call me a 50's wife!

Ah, my flower pearl hairclips. A treasure find for sure. I came across them at a Christmas fair where people sell their handmade wares. The minute I laid eyes on these gorgeous clips I knew we were meant to be together. 

Funny how simple jewelry can make a girl feel special. I'm not a high maintenance kinda gal. Most of you would know that by now. But there's something about that special accessory that takes your breath away and transports you into a land of elegance and poise.

I should have been born in the era of "Pride and Prejudice" days. I would have worn the frilly dresses and pinned my hair up every single day, willingly. I would have pranced all the way home from those "match-making" dances and hummed the lasting melodies while I brushed the curls out of my hair at the vanity mirror. Here comes the hopeless romantic in me :)

Well, good thing I'm going to a high school dance this weekend! I won't be dancing for a match, but I will be dancing, that's for sure :) Now... if I could only convince "my match" to join me...

The best buddy

Sitora has a best friend. It just happens that he is a boy. She has lots of girl friends, but he by far is her best friend. They fight, they push, they yell, they hit, they say sorry, they hug, they laugh, they play, then the cycle starts all over again. I guess that's what true friends do... they aren't afraid to be themselves around each other. They show their true feelings, even if it's not pretty.

A few nights ago she put on a hat and he put on a scarf, and they took the baby out for a "walk" through the house. I couldn't help but giggle as they appeared to be playing house!

Then they laid down on the hardwood floor pretending to go to sleep. Sitora brought out blankets and pillows for the event. I guess she realized the shoe he was "sleeping" on wasn't the most comfortable. They closed their eyes, then burst out laughing. You can't expect two-year-olds to "pretend sleep" for long!

They are buddies. They've grown up together. Whenever Sitora hears a child's voice in the hallway she immediately jumps for joy thinking it's her best buddy. If we are going to see him on a particular day, I can't tell her until the very last minute or else she will put her hat and gloves on waiting at the door hours before our scheduled departure time.

Everybody needs friends. Even if you are merely two years old :)

Oh, and I did I mention the fact that they are betrothed? Ya, we've already received dowry, so it's pretty much legit.

My hodge-podge life

I'm not necessarily one of those super organized clean freaks, per say. Sure, I like a clean house. I'm grossed out by dirty dishes piled up in the sink. I hate it when oatmeal sets camp in my daughter's hair. I like to clean things up, like most of you well-mannered citizens.

But I'm not the kind of person that has a spick-and-span household where everything has it's place or else. I am more of a hodge-podge kinda gal.

Take my bedroom for example. I want to see all my lovely things daily. I don't want them stuffed away inside some neat compartment box that looks all organizey. I want to see all my necklaces, scarves, headbands, and earrings. It helps me feel creative and artistic when I wake up in the morning. It reminds me of the endless possibilities awaiting me in the cosmetology department. I'm not as inspired if I can't see my accessories.

I hang my necklaces from my wedding picture (helps me feel all lovey-dovey too). I also have this super cool picture frame with holes in it, so I put my daughter's pic in it and hang my earrings on the sides. I then clip my flower hair accessories on the top. Beautifully inspiring, I tell you. The rest of the dresser is mostly neat, but the other side has all my hair products on it though :)

In every single place we've lived in as a married couple, our fridge always looks like this. I dislike plain fridges. It's a well-known fact that the fridge is the place to display all your friends! If you give us your picture, we will put it there. I want to see all your gorgeous faces every single solitary day. I don't want to forget you. It's almost like you are sitting there in the kitchen with me. That might sound a bit creepy but.... oh well. Call me the fridge-creeper I guess!

I have tried to use our entryway shelves for the same purpose. This picture was taken during the Christmas season, so the shelves are extra crowded. I want to see my family every day when we pass through the hallway. Sitora always stops to point out the relatives and name them one-by-one. It's a brilliant way to help her remember all our family members!

So, if you haven't already, send us your picture. Don't know our address? Email me at javamammacasey at gmail and I'll give it to ya.

Hodge-podge is the life for me!

The toddler birthday par-tay!

P.S. Wanna learn how to make these super creative, super easy tissue paper decorative hanging balls? I'll post a video this week!