Saturday Scripture.....A Focus on Light

Happy Saturday dear readers. Those of you who have read my blog for awhile know that for several years now, I have been following in Debbie Macomber's footsteps and choosing a word to focus on in the new year. Debbie prays each year that the Lord will reveal the focus word to her and then she meditates on the word and looks for how the Lord will work within her life in the coming year in ways that amazingly relate to that "One Perfect Word." If you missed the post I wrote last year on Debbie's book, you can read it here.

This past year, my "word" has been more of a phrase-"Make room, with gratitude." I feel that the Lord has lead me to make room in several areas of my life, from cleaning out areas of my house to changing thoughts about expectations and outcomes in certain situations and events in my life. And, no area of my life has seen the result of "making room" more than with the decision I made to retire from a career of more than 35 years. And, in doing so, I have been filled with gratitude for the blessings of a life spent doing what I have always loved...teaching. But, at the same time, I am making room (and time) for new adventures and experiences to come into my life as God sees fit. 

I typically begin to think about and pray that the Lord will reveal a new word to me in the Fall. Around this time of year. So, I have been a bit surprised that in the past weeks, which seems early, a word has begun to "speak" to me through scripture and prayer and as I enjoy nature....and that word is "Light."  I shared a scripture on Facebook recently from 1John 1:5 which I would like to share again this morning.

This then is the message which we have heard from Him and declare unto you: that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.

Time and time again in recent weeks, this scripture has spoken to my heart. And no more has it spoken to me, than in this past week with all that has gone on in our country. Now, I am not going to turn this blog into a political discussion. I know I have readers who voted on both sides of the political spectrum. All believe they had correct reasons for doing so. And it is an American right to vote the way one sees fit. I will be honest with you in saying that my vote was not on the winning side. And, yes, I am disappointed and concerned about the future of our country. But, I also know that God is ultimately in charge of not just our country....but the world. And He will hold the final victory. 



In all areas of my life I hold onto this hope: that when the clouds of our life seem dark, God's light will always be revealed and will come shining through. I hope, dear readers, that you will join me in personally answering for yourselves the questions that I am asking myself this morning: "How will I take God's light forth into the world this day and every day? How will I be the hands and feet of Jesus in the world?"

I will close with another scripture from John 1:1-5 (The Message)

The Word was first, 
the Word present to God,
God present to the Word.
The Word was God,
in readiness for God from day one.

Everything was created through him,
nothing--not one thing!---
came into being without him.
What came into existence was Life,
and the Life was Light to live by.
The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness,
the darkness couldn't put it out.

Blessings,
Debbie

(All images are either from Public Domain or pictures that I have taken and used previously on my blog.)

Spirit Lifter....Flowers From My Husband

Wordless Wednesday

Nothing lifts the spirit...or says "I love you"....like flowers.

Until Next Time,

Debbie

Restyling A Dress With Leggings

Play It Again, Sam!

Happy Thursday, everyone! Today, I'm restyling a dress that you first saw on the blog way back in the early days of Debbiethisandthat. So, yes, even though it's a misquote from Casablanca....I am "playing it again, Sam" with this dress. 

Here is how I originally styled this lovely hot pink thrifted dress. You can read the original post here. Notice that in this pic the dress is styled for much warmer weather with bare arms and legs. The nice thing about today's restyle is that it fits the cooler Fall weather we are now having.

Adding the leggings adds extra warmth and comfort, while the black jacket adds a business like look to the style. Since I was presenting to the faculty at one of my schools today, sporting a more business like look was necessary.

And, oh, the comfort of this ensemble! I was able to move throughout my day with ease. No pinching or binding of tights or hosiery. I really do enjoy wearing leggings. My legs had the right amount of warmth and I just peeled off the jacket when it got warmer in the afternoon at school. 

Getting double duty out of a favorite dress just makes me want to play in the leaves like I was a kid again!

How about you?  Do you wear dresses with leggings?  And do you enjoy getting double duty out of articles of clothing you own?  And come on.....I'll bet you like to play in the leaves, don't you?  Come on and share with me.  I'll never tell!!  

Until Next Time,
Debbie
(All images property of Debbiethisandthat.com)






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Vest, Sweater and Boots...Fall Styling

A Casual Fall Look

Hello everyone! Are you looking for a comfortable yet stylish look for the cooler Fall temperatures? How about a comfy sweater, vest and boots with a great pair of jeans? 

I love the softness of this red cowl neck sweater. The red of the cowl neck adds a wonderful pop of color that contrasts well with the white/black of the vest. The look is very stylish as well as practical for cooler weather.

This outfit is not only easy on the eyes but also easy to move in as I enjoy the great outdoors. How beautiful are the Fall leaves right now?! I definitely think we hit "peak season" for leaf color this weekend.

Hope the bears stay away from our bird feeder! Is it dry in your location? We haven't had much rain for weeks now, so we are definitely in a drought situation. While it's nice to be able to get outside, we really do need rain.

I find these knee high boots to be very comfortable. I decided to tuck the skinny jeans legs inside the boots. Like that look, as well.

I'm a recent fan of knee high boots and so glad I was able to find flat soles for ease of walking. I do love the look of boots with heels like the ones I styled last Fall, but these flat soles are sooo much easier to walk in for long periods of time. 

I accessorized the look with a favorite bracelet and onyx ring. You can see I don't mind mixing silver tones with gold tones with jewelry. Guess my orangey nails kind of clash with the red sweater, but, oh well, just more Fall colors to love, right?!

I did stick with silver for the earrings, though.

I just love shopping my closet and finding all of the "right" pieces that just go together for that perfect comfortable and seasonal look that I am wanting to wear. I do believe that this outfit is one of my "new" favorites that I will be wearing frequently. How about you? What styles do you enjoy wearing for Fall? Are you a sweater and vest fashionista like me? And what is your opinion on boots? Do you like booties better or knee high lengths? Or...do you prefer to rock shoes rather than boots? Hope you'll leave a comment. I enjoy hearing from you! Have a great week ahead!

Until Next Time,

Debbie

Shop A Similar Look:

sweater-purchased years ago at Sears. Similar here

vest-mine was thrifted REI brand, similar here

jeans-Vintage America Blues (similar to mine)

boots-Bare Traps  (these are similar to mine)

*No compensation of any kind has been received for brand names mentioned in this post. All opinions are my own.




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50 Is Not Old

October Top Posts and Wrap Up

October.....Style and Technology......Achoooo!!

Hi friends!  Are you wondering what in the world I am talking about with that title I wrote?  Well....October has just seemed to pass by in a blur and I'm not exactly sure where it went. I spent part of the month styling, most of the month fighting with technology and a whole lot of the month sneezing, sniffling, coughing and laying in bed with a fever! It's been an adventure, folks! So, let's get down to the monthly recap. I missed doing a recap last month, so I'm happy to do one for the end of October.

Favorite Post

The most clicked on post for October was the one in which I styled a classic look with white blouse, grey skirt and fantastic red heels. This blouse had been "hiding" in the back of my closet and has found new life with this thrifted skirt. Win, win, in my book! If you missed this post, check it out here.

Love these heels!  Should I click them together twice while chanting, "There's no place like home, there's no place like home..."  Sorry, it's been a loooong week!!

And In Second Place

Public Domain Image

A close second for the most clicks was my post in which I lamented my woes about using social media. At the time, I was brand new to Facebook, taking back-to-back online classes on technology and trying to figure out what in the world I was doing on Facebook and whether or not I liked using social media or not. It appears I am not alone with my apprehension and confusion about social media, as several people commented who read my post. I admitted in this post that I sometimes feel "voyeuristic" looking at people's photos and comments from their friends, many of whom I haven't been in touch with for many years. "Friends" seem to come out of the woodwork when you join Facebook. Of course, in the midst of all these technology challenges, I caught a flu-like bug which had me down for the count for a couple weeks. So, that probably didn't help my mood as I struggled to complete the technology courses, one of which required that I be on Facebook. I'm happy to report, that my Facebook woes have settled down. I actually deleted my account at one point.....and then took the advice of one of my readers who advised that I should make social media work for me the way I want it to. So, I redid my account to connect it to my blog. So....if you are on Facebook......check out Debbiethisandthat on Facebook. I put my blog posts on the site, so feel free to follow me there!

Sneaking in September!

And, since I didn't get to do a blog recap for September, I'm going to sneak in this post that I did last month which got top clicks. This post on "Styling for Late Summer, Early Fall" was a hit and even got featured on the "Thursday's Favorite Things" linkup hosted by Marilyn's Treats. If you missed the post, you can check it out here.

I was so excited and honored to be chosen!

Photo by William Ross

And, even though it wasn't the post with the most clicks, I've got to show the pumpkins, again! After all, it is October! So, that's a wrap for the October top posts and wrap up. Many thanks to Julie Wunder at Running In A Skirt for hosting. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Until Next Time,                                          

Debbie

The Pumpkins Are Coming!

It's All About The Pumpkins!

Photo by William Ross

Seems like this has been a weekend for pumpkins at my house. It all started Friday evening when Mr.thisandthat and I watched over the "Pumpkin Patch" at our church. Our congregation sells pumpkins each Fall and splits the profits with the Navajo Indians who grow the pumpkins. Our church uses the pumpkin profits for mission projects throughout the year. Doesn't looking at this pumpkin patch make you want to watch a Charlie Brown video?

And I finally got around to updating the foyer table with pumpkins and scarecrows. This is a similar look to last year, although I added some height to the look with an upturned basket to make a seat for one of my scarecrows. 

I also moved the wreath and wall hanging from the table to the door, double stacking the hangers. Here is how the table looked before.

And here is the completed look on the foyer table now. 

This pumpkin with the carving of a willow tree is one of my personal favorites that I like to display each year.  This pumpkin reminds me of a happy day with the hubby when we were just out and about one Saturday afternoon several years ago. We stopped at some shops in Biltmore Village, which is located right outside of the Biltmore House area, and found this lovely pumpkin. Unfortunately, the little shop closed soon after we bought this pumpkin, but it's still a happy memory of a fun day spent together. 

http://www.allthingsclipart.com/charlie.brown.cartoon.clipart.htm

                                   

It's been a good weekend filled with pumpkins and Fall decor. Here's hoping you have had a great weekend, also, and that your week ahead is awesome....and no one pulls the football out from under you!

Until Next Time,
Debbie

Linking With:

A Classic Skirt and Blouse Look

Styling A Classic Look

debbiethisandthat.com

What could be more classic than a grey skirt and a white blouse?

debbiethisandthat.com

The crisp, clean lines of a long sleeved white blouse is an elegant look that can be worn in any season.

debbiethisandthat.com

I've had this white blouse for many years and, until recently, had relegated it to the back of my closet. When I saw this grey skirt at a local Goodwill store, I knew the blouse and skirt would be a perfect match! The wide black belt adds a touch of class to the look, as well.

debbiethisandthat.com

To be honest, I've been a bit reluctant to tuck in shirts and blouses in recent years due to my "ahem" mid-life bulge that seems to have developed since I turned 50. However, the wide belt and grey color seem to have a slimming affect that I think looks good in this outfit.

debbiethisandthat.com

And how about the pop of red with these dynamite shoes? These thrifted shoes are Liz Clairborne Flex and add a touch of sophistication to the overall look. 

debbiethisandthat.com

Here's a close-up of these gorgeous shoes. Yes, they are "30 minute" shoes, but I've gotta tell you, they are so pretty, I think the 30 minutes will be worth it!

debbiethisandthat.com

I decided to change up the look with a different white blouse. This one has pretty designs along the scalloped edging which are meant to be seen, so no tucking. The three quarter sleeves also have lacy designs that are so feminine and pretty. Notice how changing the blouse style takes the look from an elegant, classic look to a more feminine look. This blouse was also a thrift shop purchase a couple years ago. 

debbiethisandthat.com

I also switched out the shoes to a more comfortable black pair with block heels. Definitely easier to walk in than the red pair....but not nearly as eye popping!

debbiethisandthat.com

Ah yes.....red heels....much better, don't you think?

debbiethisandthat.com

The classic look of a white blouse and grey skirt never go out of style. This look is a staple that can live in your closet and be loved and worn time and time again. Keep an eye out at the thrift stores for this look.....or shop your closet to see if, like me, an article of clothing has been pushed to the back that needs to be front and center in your closet once more!

Now friends, I know these photos are far from perfect. I shot these photos in the house after work tonight and the lighting was not the greatest. But I haven't done a style post in awhile....and I'm still coughing from the flu bug I had....and.....momma's tired.....so I'm gonna go ahead and get this post on the blog. Hope you enjoy the style anyway!

Until Next Time,

Debbie 

(All images on this post are property of Debbiethisandthat.)

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Sydney Fashion Hunter