Riley Clay Duds for the Summer

One of my favorite brands, Riley Clay, is now a Mostaza Seed sponsor. They were kind enough to send over some of their wares and we are loving them! These tri-blend tees are super high quality and extra soft. We haven't experienced any shrinkage after a number of washes and, most importantly, this brand does such an awesome job of delivering a positive message in a fashionable way. Check their line out on Etsy, or if you live down South, in or near Georgia, you can drop by their brick and mortar shop at 118 Main Street SW, Gainesville 30501.

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Happy Friday!

Hi lovely friends,

It's Friday and weatherwise are expecting a really nice weekend in Joplin. I'm excited about that and life in general. I was laying in bed this morning and the house was momentarily quiet, the boys still sleeping and Nick had left for work. I just kept thanking God for this wonderful little family and the sweet life he has given me.

I have lots of scheming and dreaming going on in my head these days. I'm excited to share more when the time is right. For now, take a look at this beautiful sunset I captured out our West windows yesterday.

I'm sure many are familiar with the YouVersion Bible app, but did you know you can listen to audio of many of the translations? I've been listening and it's really been helpful for me to be able to internalize the Word. I'm such an auditory learner, so this should come as no surprise. It really nice to have it playing while Collin runs circles around me and I am taking care of the baby/house/business, etc.

Finally, what do y'all think of overalls being back in? I really like the idea. Here are some cute looks. I think they'd make the cutest mom-on-the-go outfit for summer, paired with some white chucks or simple sandals.

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Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Ever noticed, for the most part, guys don't compliment each other on clothing? My theory as to why: They can be fairly certain, without trying things on, that they will fit. They walk into a store, pick out a SM, MED, or LARGE shirt and a pair of jeans with the waist and length measurement for a size. 32-34, 34-36 and the like. Pretty simple, not much mystery to it. So, what's there to compliment? Not much effort went into the procurement of said articles of clothing.

Women, on the other hand, all know just how crazy sizing is for our species, so when we spot a fellow female with an outfit that is, not only cute, but fits well we celebrate it with her. Long gone are the days of custom, handmade clothing, designed to fit your body. Instead, companies ship their labor overseas and narrow their designs to a single body type. Boo!

Furthermore, a small in one store is a medium in another. It's called vanity sizing and I hate it. While, yes, I will admit it feels nice to pull on a pair of pants in one store and find them surprisingly too big, I usually know it's not because I have lost weight, it's simply because that store deflates its sizing to make women come back for that feel good buy. I'm pretty sure they mess with the dressing room mirrors too, but I'll leave that for another post.

The hardest clothing articles to find, in my opinion, are bathing suits and jeans. Can you relate?

Today, I'd like to tackle the subject of dungarees, denim pants... good ol' jeans!

Signs I may be getting old: I've reached a point in my life where, no matter how cute the jeans are, the discomfort of constantly pulling up the back of my pants is no longer worth it. I've been known to be a serial jeans buyer, but I've come to the conclusion that a drawer full of affordable, semi, ill-fitting jeans is pointless. I'd much rather own two pair of high-quality jeans that fit me like a glove, even if they cost more.

I have found "the one." Yes, the one pair that meets all my criteria:

-Mid-level rise (not too Brittany Spears, not too St. John's Bay)
-Does not get stretched out or "butt sprung" after multiple uses
-Works well for girls with hips, like myself
-Comes in longs (a necessary for me)
-Does not give me muffin top (I will say I am currently sporting a bit of one, being that I had a baby 12 weeks ago, but in a normal, non-post-partum context, these jeans do a good job hugging you in all the right places and the fact that I could pretty much wear them after giving birth says more about the jeans than my ability to bounce back)
-Has enough stretch for comfort, but not excessive, "Pajama Jean" stretchability;)

They are (drumroll, please) Anthropologie's Pilcro and the Letterpress Jeans in the Serif cut.

While they are a bit pricey, I have found them on sale from time to time and you can snag them on Ebay as well. If you don't have an Anthropologie nearby to try them on and are considering buying them online, I suggest going up a size. They seem to run a little small.

So, how about you? Have you found your perfect match in a pair of jeans or are you still searching? Please share with your fellow sisters!

Mamma Fashion... It Starts

So-- and all you mammas and mammas to be out there totally know what I mean-- from the moment you find out you are pregnant for the first time, the world of baby friendly items suddenly catch your eye! It's like these types of things never even existed before. This morning I saw a feature of a product called Chewbeads and I think they are so cool!

What are they? Baby safe teething necklaces, made of silicone, for mammas to sport and babies to chew! I may just need one in every color. Just sayin'...

Check them out at www.chewbeads.com!