Friday, September 9, 2011

Fearlessly Feminine Week

I had great intentions about doing at least quick picture posts each week for the Fearlessly Feminine Challenge over at Swinging on Small Hinges. But between being at my parents' and then going camping on Assateage Island (we had a FABULOUS time, I'll post about that soon!), it didn't happen . . . so here's a wrap-up of sorts now that the week is almost over.

First of all I should mention that I wear skirts/dresses (but mostly skirts since Little Bit still nurses and I'm too cheap  frugal to spend lots of money on nursing dresses) all the time, so this wasn't really a "challenge" for me, but I thought I'd join in and share a few pictures and such.

Sunday:
 I wore one of my favorite denim skirts and a green t-shirt. The skirt is a little bit flared and has pockets like a pair of jeans would have. Pockets were the thing I missed the most when I switched from jeans to skirts/dresses, so that was a huge selling point for me on this skirt. As you can see, I didn't remember to have someone take a picture of me, but DID remember, as I was getting ready for bed, so snapped a quick picture of the clothes at least.

My girls are all skirts/dresses only as well. I don't "require" it of my older girls, but did have them wear skirts/dresses when they were younger, and now they choose to as well. We've talked about modesty and such, and they are aware of being modest (a year or so ago, they played in a creek and got wet/muddy, so needed something dry to wear on the ride home. I didn't have 2 complete outfits in the trunk, but did have one of my wrap skirts I fashioned it into a long "halter" dress for Sassy and even just to drive home in it, she was uncomfortable with the "immodest" top of the dress. It was a huge lesson for ME on the importance of starting modest dress while children are young, and it will carry over effortlessly as they get older. Which isn't to say we'll never have disagreements on dress as they are older, but I think it at least helps.  On Sunday, Sassy was wearing a pink flowered dress, MiniMe is wearing a striped 3/4 length sleeve shirt and a long skirt, probably purple, but I don't remember. And Little Bit is wearing a little cotton "patchwork" pull-over dress.

I don't think I got any pictures on Monday. I wore a green button-down shirt and plain denim A-line skirt. I don't remember what the girls were wearing.

Tuesday we left for Assateague Island. We got there and headed straight for the beach. I was wearing a plain denim skirt and purple t-shirt. Little Bit's wearing one of her favorite dresses this summer, her "sunshine dress" (there's the outline of a sunshine stitched onto the front of the dress).MiniMe is wearing a purple shirt and a dark pink "floaty" skirt. Sassy's wearing a Gymboree playdress. All 3 girls proceeded to play in the edge of the ocean and the dig in the sand. Their clothes got wet and sandy, but dresses work great for such things. Bonus, quick and easy to pull off at the door of the motorhome.

Wednesday we were at the beach pretty much all day, so we just dressed the children in their swimsuits. All 3 girls have "rash guard" type shirts. Last fall I found a skirt on clearance at Walmart in Little Bit's size that is a "sports mesh" type material with built in shorts made out of a swimsuit type material. So it cost a couple dollars and is a great swim skirt for her. The big girls had rash guard type capri-length pants but asked to have a swim skirt like me (I have a wonderful swimsuit from Sewn By Di that I LOVE!!!), so my mom got some black (that's faded to gray) swimsuit fabric and stitched skirts onto the waistbands of their capri pants. An easy, inexpensive way to make swim skirts! So that's what the girls wore all day. I didn't get a picture taken of me. Since I wasn't planning to "swim" per se, I just wore an older broomstick skirt with a t-shirt. Comfortable and dries quickly if it DOES get wet, which it did, when I took Little Bit wading into the ocean and then a bigger wave came along and soaked me to my knees and her to her chest LOL.

Thursday we were heading home, but we had Papa snap a quick picture of the girls and I at the visitor center before we left. I was wearing another t-shirt and denim skirt, great camping clothes! Little Bit and MiniMe were my "twins" also wearing tshirts and denim a-line skirts. Sassy is my "dress girl" so she's wearing another Gymboree play dress (play dresses were easy to find up through size 6x, but are less common now that she's wearing an 8 or 10, we hit a good end of season sale at the Gymboree outlet last fall and got her a couple play dresses that she has worn constantly this summer).

Today we've been back at Mama and Papa's house. I didn't get around to taking pictures of the girls, but you get the idea of the types of clothes they wear. Although Little Bit has spent a good part of the day "dressed up" as a "baby", wearing a newborn drawstring bottom gown from the doll clothes bin (old enough to still have an actual drawstring, or it wouldn't work at all. It makes a sort of "minidress" on her LOL. I had MiniMe snap a quick picture of me, and it came out a tad blurry, but you get the idea. A purple cowl neck top and a denim tiered skirt.

Since I probably won't remember to take another picture and do another post tomorrow, I'll be wearing either the same tiered skirt I wore today or the flared denim skirt from the beginning of the week with an aqua ribbed t-shirt type shirt.

So, as you can see, denim skirts are my standby. I do sometimes wear broomstick skirts and in the winter time I have a "sweat shirt" fabric skirt that I like to wear because it's cozy and warm. I have a couple of dressier skirts and dresses for church as well. If you'd told me 10 years ago that I'd be wearing skirts every day I would have thought you were insane. But once I started to wear skirts for everyday I fell in love with it. They're cooler than pants in the summer, but somehow trap the body-heat and are warmer than pants in the winter. They're comfortable and I like the way they look. I'm surprised at how often when we're out shopping, older ladies will compliment me on dressing my girls "like little girls", it's nice to know someone notices and appreciates our modest, feminine style.

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