I left behind an 85 degree Baltimore for 60 degree Ireland. When I returned home, the temperatures came with me.

Suddenly, it was time to transition from shorter sleeves and skirts to maxis, tunics, and leggings.

The transition was much easier when I returned to my desk on Monday morning to find a new pretty I couldn't wait to wear: this mocha knit top with lace trim from Simply Bliss Boutique.

She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. –Proverbs 31:25

I see tons of cute online boutiques popping up, but never buy because 1. they have no offerings for bigger girls and 2. many of the offerings, particularly in the summertime, are more revealing than I find reasonable. I like to know I can sit down or bend over without giving someone a free show.

As a lifelong Christian, I've both chuckled and rolled my eyes at the "modest is hottest" mantra. Modest and fashionable have been mutually exclusive for way too long. As a teenager, and even an early twenty-something, I hated that modest and cute were mutually exclusive. I was pulled aside more than once for being dressed inappropriately, even though multiple other girls wearing the exact same thing were never called out simply because their body type was different. I was constantly frustrated that my choices seemed to be cute but "inappropriate" or modest but frumpy.


I'm glad to see Simply Bliss gets where I'm coming from. A lot of their items are just as cute and on trend as any shop, but you can wear them in confidence that they are modest enough to be appropriate in church, in the office, or just out and about. I'm already eyeing this adorable jacket from their collection for the fall—and why not? It's so affordable, another plus! If they can expand their curvy line to have as many offerings as the rest of their boutique, they may just be one of my new favorites!

Want to add some Simply Bliss to your fall wardrobe? Enter below for the chance to win a $25 Gift Card!

I first heard about Groupon via a news story. At the time, the site only offered one deal a day. If you didn't like the deal, you had to wait a day to see what was next. If you did like it, you had to buy it that day or you'd lose out.

Anyone else remember that? My, how times have changed.

I get multiple e-mails from them daily for deals of all kinds from two major metropolitan areas near me. I was even able to sign up for e-mails from Groupon Dublin to scour deals for our upcoming vacation (we got a killer deal on a photographer, if you were wondering. Photos are the best memories). How awesome is that?

From one deal a day to many deals to trips and actual merchandise, the savings Groupon offers are incredible! They've been my go-to deal site for years. Now they've gone a step further for online shopaholics like myself to offer savings all over the web (and in-store, but I'm all about the internet) with Groupon Coupons.

You know what I'm talking about. You load up your cart, head to checkout, then you see that "coupon code" field and rush to Google to scour for codes in order to save any amount possible. Sometimes those searches result in success, but more often then not, they result in disappointment when the old code left behind is expired or otherwise invalid for my use. Groupon knows how you feel and offers easy-to-find coupons for tons of popular stores like Kohl's and Sephora!

Groupon Coupons are verified and, most importantly, free! They're the first place I look for shopping deals now, and it's so easy!

Some really cool deals they have right now include:

• 7 day free trial at NFL Game Pass (this one is the most important—distract your man so you're free to shop all you want!)
• $20 off and free shipping at Dress Barn
• 50% off doggy day camp at PetSmart
• Up to 41% off UGG classic tall, short, and mini (you're welcome, fall lovers!)
• 67 coupons for Target—you're pretty much guaranteed savings!

I turned 31 over Labor Day weekend. I say it every year, but now I really feel like it's true: I'm officially old.

Sean planned a surprise day trip to beautiful St. Michael's on Maryland's eastern shore. It was a perfect day made more perfect with the lack of traffic and crowds due to the forecasted hurricane that didn't actually make an appearance.

another LulaRoe Carly dress—so comfy!

McHenry has made himself at home. He's gone from investigating  the house slowly and retreating to "his room" whenever Anise is present to testing his boundaries by jumping on tables and countertops before we scold him to get down (naturally, we purchased and built a cat tree for him to feed a cat's need for a place to perch, and he has no interest in it whatsoever). He and Anise aren't quite friends but have moved on to being less reactive to the sight of one another which is a step in the right direction. He even jumped onto the sofa to sniff her while she was napping one day—his first time ever approaching her.



The vacation we've dreamed of for years is finally becoming a reality. We'll be visiting Ireland for the first time this year and can't wait. Things are slowly getting ticked off our to do list in preparation, and I'm getting especially anxious about the fact that I can't find any decent boots! Cute, comfortable, waterproof, and a good fit appears to be a hard combination to find. Definitely open to suggestions of everyone's go-to boot brands!


What's been happening in your life lately?