MODESTY, PURITY, AND A THANKFUL HEART

Just as we are to “put on” the armor of God, we are to “put on” our clothes as protection for us and others. Clothing ourselves with modest dress and modest actions—mercy, kindness, humility, patience, and charity—will invite the companionship of the Spirit and will positively affect those around us (see Colossians 3:12, 14).

-Robert D. Hales, “Modesty: Reverence for the Lord,” Liahona, Aug 2008, 18–23, as copied from Emily's blog...



I am FAR from the perfect model of modesty, but I do endear it and the feelings which it invokes…



Modesty manifests itself in different forms…An appropriate yet beautiful wedding dress...



A gathering of friends on a reverent Sabbath...



A homemaker...Or perhaps housekeeper...Going about her daily duties with a sense of pride and modesty...



The making of a covering...P. Buckley Moss artist





How is this young woman any less beautiful than her counterparts who choose to dress in clothing that reveals? In deed, she is MORE beautiful.







PURITY…



Have you ever noticed how pure little children are?

They just come that way…

A fresh little spirit...

Full of love and goodness…



They really don’t care WHAT they’re doing…



What OTHERS may think…



Or HOW they may look…



They just are.



Like the beauty of the season…



And the bounty of the Harvest…



Their sweet little souls bring love and joy to all around…









Apparently little Christian's truck was thirsty, as he told me here that he was giving it a drink…;)



Fall is a time of BEAUTY…



A time to GIVE THANKS…



A time to REFLECT…





Fall is a time for a HARVEST HOME…



Whatever that may be…



The WARMTH of the kitchen…



The light from HIS WORD…



And…Of course…Fall is a time for FAMILY…



I pray that we all may have a thankful heart for the many blessings which we do enjoy…



And, Yes...There are many…;)

APPROPRIATE DRESS AND APPEARANCE

Today in Relief Society (a women’s Church group), we talked about different aspects of the book for the young people of the church entitled For the Strength of Youth. The part that caught my attention today was the chapterlette on Dress and Appearance.

Below are some excerpts…

“Your body is God’s sacred creation. Respect it as a gift from God, and do not defile it in any way.”

“The way you dress is a reflection of what you are on the inside. Your dress and grooming send messages about you to others and influence the way you and others act.”

I find this very true for myself. If I am dressed in a sloppy manner, I feel the same way. If I am dressed up, I feel much better.

I think that it is important to take some time for ourselves to bathe, fix our hair, and put on a bit of makeup. I know that I feel an almost night-and-day difference in so doing.



50sgal, over at The Apron Revolution, has talked about this for a long time now and has a special time set apart for her grooming routine.

James, from Man of the 50s, is like-wise a tailored dresser and a gentleman to boot! Have you ever noticed nicely-dressed gentlemen holding the door open for a lady? On the contrary, have you ever noticed guys with the waist of their pants below their bottoms holding the door for a lady? Not that the latter doesn’t ever happen, but…

There is something to the way we dress in accordance with how we view ourselves and how we treat others.

One does not need to be a nun for sure but can be tastefully dressed AND beautiful at the same time.

“When you are well groomed and modestly dressed, you invite the companionship of the spirit and can exercise a good influence on those around you.”

“Never lower your dress standards for any occasion.”

Wow; that says volumes to me. “…for any occasion.” It continues…

“Doing so sends the message that you are using your body to get attention and approval and that modesty is important only when it is convenient.”

In today’s world of sex-sells-all, I really wonder how many decently-minded people there are left. I get so very weary of the (I won’t say the name that I’m thinking) ill-dressed women—NOT ladies—on TV. And, who is watching these shows? Your husband? Your son? Young moldable boys? It’s a shame.

“Always be neat and clean and avoid being sloppy or inappropriately casual in dress, grooming, and manners.”

If we could twinkle ourselves back to the Victorian era, these things would all be common sense.



Print by John P. O'Brien

At one point in my life, I desired a tattoo. Then, men were the main population getting them; they were not mainstream as they are now. At the time, I was dating a Marine, and I suppose that had something to do with it...

I cannot count the number of times since then that I have been so happy that I never got that tattoo!

Summertime…

I think that summertime is especially difficult in the area of dress...Or lack thereof. During this season, females all but lose any modesty that they may have once maintained.

I was sitting in my car at the school on Friday and caught, in my review mirror, a young middle-school aged girl...So, that would be 13ish. What got my attention first of all was that she was using crutches. As I started to wonder what the cause of her ailment was, the view became more clear. I could see the bottom of HER bottom sticking out of very short shorts!

I am always amazed at what is allowed not only in public but in places of learning. I’m sure that many males were happy that day, but at what cost?

To sum up these thoughts…

I am very far from perfect in this area and in many others as well, and I do not want to give the impression that I am. I do, however, strive and want to continue to do so, in my own dress and, at the same time, hopefully be an example to others that looking nice and neat and clean does not have to mean dressing like a bar-room girl.

DRESSING FOR LESS

DRESSING FOR LESS…

I really must find a better system for taking pictures, as putting my arms up to hold the camera does not allow for the correct fit of the outfit to be shown…

At any rate…Here are a couple of pictures of Thursday’s inexpensive outfit…

As mentioned before, I really don’t recall where I procured many of my clothes or what I paid, so these are guesstimates…

BLAZER…

I don't recall where I purchased this, but it would have been around $20.



BLOUSE…

Given to me by my mom...



PIN…

I THINK that Mom also gave this to me at one point...



SKIRT…

Purchased at a thrift shop for around $7...



BLACK POINTED-TOE BOOTS…

I got these at a classy second-time clothier and purchased them for $30 just over a year ago...This shop takes in only the very nicest of items and offers consignments by appointment only...

Excuse the poor photo quality...The maid forgot to clean the mirror...:/

ROUGH BREAK-DOWN…

BLAZER…

Number of times worn: 25…?
Price: $20
Today’s cost to wear: .80

BLOUSE…

Number of times worn: 30
Price: $0 (Gift)
Today’s cost to wear: $0

PIN…

Number of times worn: 30
Price: $0
Today’s cost to wear: $0

SKIRT…

Number of times worn: 20
Price: $7
Today’s cost to wear: .35

BLACK POINTED-TOE BOOTS…

Number of times worn: 20
Price $30
Today’s cost to wear: $1.50

TOTAL COST OF TODAY’S OUTFIT…

$2.65

Not bad!

The whole idea is to...

USE WHAT YOU HAVE!...

If you were given a gift, use it!

If you find something at a garage or estate sale, use it!

MIX AND MATCH...

So many outfits can be made by altering the way you wear a piece of jewelry or an item of clothing.

MAKE DO...

At one point in my life, I found myself with just the clothes on my back…literally…

For two weeks, I had one outfit to wear…It was a sundress, and a spaghetti-strap under tee…

I wore it that way or without the under tee for a bit of variation, or I would fashion the dress into a skirt by tying it a certain way, and wear the tank for a top…That gave me a total of three outfits.

There certainly was not a lot of variation each day, but it was all I had, so I made do.

Most importantly...

HAVE FUN!

TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY AND DRESS FOR LESS

TUESDAY…FRAZZLED…TUESDAY…

Tuesday found me leaving work at about 7:00 p.m. or so… I was dead tired and mentally frazzled…Going home and going to bed was my top priority…





But…My brother was in from out of town, and I wasn’t going to NOT see DB when he was going to be leaving the following day, so I went out to my folk’s to visit…

By the time I got home…It was about 9:30 p.m. and time for the housework to begin.

Dog had been on the cable all day and needed tending to…I called home to see if DS would brush him out for me, so that I wouldn’t have that to do at least…This time of year is a nightmare for pet hair!



I swept all of downstairs, cleaned the litter, and fed and watered the animals. The kitchen also got swept and the laundry put away…(I had some hanging on the dryer rack from last evening).

I did another thing or two, and it was pretty late by the time all was said and done. Although I didn’t get Tuesday’s chore—ironing—done, I did feel pretty good about my accomplishments for the day.

WEDNESDAY…



Wednesday was an off-the-record down day.

I did help hubby to get his motorcycle from shop, and I ran the dog, but other than that, it was a sharpen-the-saw day…

DRESSING FOR LESS…

I’m not sure if I’ve shown this outfit (or part of it) before…But…

Well…

Since I can’t remember…

Let’s just show it anyway! ;)

It’s all about attitude really…We don’t have to have expensive clothes to feel good or to look good for that matter.



Have you ever known anyone with really bad skin, but their smile was so engaging that you really never saw the acne? Well…That’s how it is with clothes…

Wear what you like…

Don’t worry about whether it’s “In” or not because…Well…Who really cares? I never have.

And…Make sure that you’re comfortable in your outfit.

SIDE NOTE...

A couple of ladies (who shall remain nameless) were commenting one evening on my sweater. They may have said that they liked it…I really don’t recall. What I DO recall, however, is that the one said, “I used to have a similar one”. The other replied, “So did I”. And then there was some comment about, “Well, maybe they’ll come back in.” GASP! The “IN” word! Well, was that a virtual slap in the face, or what?! (They really didn’t mean anything by it.)

So…Did I go home and promptly hide my dear sweater in the inner depths of my closet? My word, No! I still wear it and feel good…No, great...Every time I do! :0)

If you’re like me, and you don’t like to shop…



Be creative!


I am always putting together what some may call “the same ole’”…The same ole’ top…The same ole’ pants…With a different top…Or different pants…Or different jewelry…Or a different coat…Or…

Do you get the picture?

You can have a seemingly whole new outfit just by being imaginative!



Since I keep my clothes for a long time, I don't usually recall just what I paid for them...But here's a guesstimate...

Jacket—-Second-Hand Store…Probably between $4.00 and $7.00

Leopard Print Blouse-—T.J. Max (?)…I’m sure that this was under $12 and maybe less.



Heart Necklace—Second-Hand Store…$3.00



Earrings—Second-Hand Store…Between $1.00 and $3.00



Standard Narrow-Legged Pants…I don’t honestly remember where I got these other than that I believe they were given to me…Free



Black Half Boots—Maaaaaaybe WalMart…?

I have such a time finding shoes in this one-size-fits-all society. I remember growing up when they would actually measure your feet and fit a shoe exactly to your foot. I had a AA toe and a AAAA heel. Now, I have to find what I can (usually wider than I need) and make do…

So, these would have been the most expensive item at around $22.



Depreciate your clothing over the number of times that you have worn it…And, if you started off with relatively inexpensive items (quality does count, as they will last longer), then you have a nice-looking and reasonably priced outfit.

A ROUGH BREAK-DOWN…

JACKET

Number of times worn: 12 (It could be more for sure)
Price: $7.00
Today’s cost to wear: .58

LEOPARD PRINT BLOUSE

Number of times worn: 15 (Again, I’m guessing)
Price: $12.00
Today’s cost to wear: .80

HEART NECKLACE

Number of times worn: 5
Price: $3.00
Today’s cost to wear: .60

EARRINGS

Number of times worn: 5
Price: $3.00
Today’s cost to wear: .60

BLACK NARROW-LEGGED PANTS

Number of times worn: No guesses here
Price: Free
Today’s cost to wear: Free

BLACK HALF BOOTS

Number of times worn: 15 (Could very well be 20 or more)
Price: $22.00
Today’s cost to wear: 1.47

TOTAL COST OF TODAY’S OUTFIT…

$4.05

Now, that’s a deal!

Did I like it?...Yes

Was it comfortable?...Yes, and the shoes were comfortable for the amount of walking I did…(Very important little trick ladies…Wear appropriate shoes for the day’s activities)

Was it “IN”…Don’t know and Don’t care

So, see ladies (and gentlemen ;), we can all dress with respect and dignity for a very low output....

And doesn't that feel good!

THE WEEKEND…

Work, work, and more work…:/ Work I brought home and work that’s AT home…ALL waiting to be done…

And the yard to clean…and the car to wash…and the oil to change…and the draperies…and the tapestries…and…

Stop right there! We all know the saying…

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”…

Well I neither intend to be dull OR a boy, so I’m going to play a little bit with my babies at the St. Patty’s Day parade and then…

For at least part of the time this balmy Saturday afternoon…

This is where you’ll find me…