Sunday, June 30, 2013

Modesty is Important To Me

Hello Miss Yellow Shoes Readers,

Today I'm gonna talk about something dear to my heart. If you've been a follower on the blog or facebook or even pintrest, you'll know that I don't dress the way everyone else does. I'm a born again Christian and I think that if Christ can die on a cross for me then the least I can do is please him with my life. Part of that is the way I present myself to the world. I once heard a quote that went something like "Dress the way you would want other women to dress in front of your husband" and it really hit me. 



I love my husband and I think he's just the best thing since sliced bread. I know that he loves me more than anything too, but I also know that he's a guy and he responds to things differently than I do. He should only have eyes for me, his wife, and it's very hard not to notice the girl on the sidewalk in her mini shorts and tight shirt. 

I'm not saying that Christian girls need to run around in ankle length dresses and keep their elbows and heads covered at all times. There is a time and a place for showing off the beauty God gave to women. It's fine to look pretty and attractive, in fact I think women need to put some effort into their appearance. God made us to beautiful and I hate when women neglect themselves and run their appearance into the ground.

I could go on and one but most of you have probably already stopped reading anyway. Modesty in today's fashion isn't easy and I get terribly frustrated. Here's what I've come up with.


Crazy hot outside? No spaghetti strap tank top for me! I'll stay just as cool in my sleeveless floral shirt and grab an ice-cream with my honey. 


I bought this country jean dress for four bucks at a thrift shop. I added some ribbon and lace to the bottom for modesty and style. You wouldn't believe how many compliments I've gotten on this simple dress.


I scored when I found this fun skirt at JCPenney's for two dollars. The skirt was too short so I added on some ribbon and a bright cardigan before heading out to church. It's made out of a jersey fabric so it's super comfy to wear to work too.


I am so proud of this last skirt. I made it all from scratch with no pattern and without any sewing machine experience! It has two pleats in the front and in the back and a ruffled trim sewn into the lining. It's very vintage inspired and I didn't know how people would react to this look. Not only did several church ladies compliment me on it, but so did a complete stranger at the grocery store. 

I know that dressing in a Christ pleasing way isn't easy. It's hard and frustrating and very discouraging. Just know that you aren't alone out there.

:-)




Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Pool Noodle Background


Hello Readers,

Here's a quickie Wednesday tip for all of the teachers and parents out there. Use pool noodles as a photo backdrop for your kids!

It's so easy peasy guys, All you've gotta do it tape the noodles standing upright in any pattern onto a wall and voila! Instant backdrop. 

I like to put a sticker on the floor so my preschoolers know just were to stand while I snap away with my camera. I wish I could upload some of my pictures for you to enjoy, but I need to keep my students safe from weirdos. 



Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Fruit Loop Rainbow Craft

Good Afternoon Readers,

My, I've have had an exciting day at preschool!
With new kids coming in the doors, and summer activities taking off, I'm quite a busy girl. I am enjoying every minute of teaching, but it does feel nice to sit down and write to you all.

So we've been talking about Noah's Ark in our classroom and I needed a really cool craft to go along with our lesson. I've seen these rainbows made out of fruit loops on Pintrest and I thought, why not?


So my kids were really great and helped me sort the fruit loops during their morning play time.


I think that its always cool to see how much they want to help with "big jobs".


After our Bible time, the kids got right to work on coloring their worksheets.


Here is the rainbow that I used. You can find the original source here.
The rainbow is a promise from God that his will never again flood the entire Earth like in Genesis.


I drew a rainbow on the board to the kids could see what order the colors should go in.
Some of them got a little creative with their color choices...and I think that's okay.


Once everyone was done coloring, the children were given little paper cups. They were instructed to take turns visiting the fruit loop table. They could fill their cups with whatever color they wanted and could return to the fruit loop table as often as they wanted. 

I squirted glue onto their papers while they were fruit loop "hunting".


I'm so happy with the way this craft turned out. It's something that I plan on doing every year!


Sunday, June 16, 2013

Melted Crayon Dot Art


Good afternoon to the best readers ever!

Pintrest is full of melted crayon art.
You know, those canvases dripping with melted wax?
It's pretty cool stuff, but honestly...it's getting a little old for me.



I wanted to try something new. I love impressionist art, so these melted crayon dots seemed to be my answer. All you've got to do it  hold and twist your crayon above a candle. Allow the wax to drip onto the paper and make a pretty design. 

I made a tutorial video for you, click here to watch!



Happy Crafting! 




Saturday, June 15, 2013

Party Balloon Jar DIY


Hello Dear Readers!

It's feeling like summer outside and the family and friend cookouts are about the begin.
There's just something special about kids running around in the grass barefoot and the smell of burgers on the grill. 

Instead of using markers to label names onto those plastic red cups, why not try another classic?
The mason jar party glass!

Mason jars are terribly inexpensive and kinda in style right now. 
All you'll need for this DIY is a jar, a bag of party balloons, and some scissors. 

Pick your color (I like to layers my colors) and snip of the "neck" of the balloon. Then just stretch it over the bottom of your mason jar. 

Voila!
You've just made a fun, colorful party cup for your next BBQ.

How fun would it be to let your guests make their own cup? They could layers colored balloons to make designs or just leave it simple with one color. 

Enjoy your summer everybody!

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Funny Pages Gift Wrap

Hello dear readers,

I've had  gift shopping and crafting on my mind the past week. With Mom's birthday, Father's Day, Mike's Birthday, and our first wedding anniversary right around the corner, I've been rattling my brain for "the" perfect gift. I've been surfing through Pintrest and hunting for bargains at our mall. Thankfully I've found all of my treasures and simply need to wrap up in pretty paper.

This inspired me to share one of my favorite ways to wrap gifts. 

It's rather simple, fun, cute, and super budget friendly!


That's right people! I use the funny pages! A friend of mine "donates" his Sunday paper to me, so this gift wrap is just about free! Since I save ribbons from candles, gift bags, and other odd places, the only cost to me is the tape.


This gift wrap is quirky and unique. I've always gotten compliments on this packaging and am more than happy to share with you all!


What are some creative ways you like to gift wrap?