What I Wore to Thanksgiving Dinner

First, can we just talk about how Grace gave me a shout out on her blog? Yes, it's hidden in a bunch of other names, but she called me "lovely", and I am nothing but humble and always so grateful. To show my gratitude, maybe I will post another recipe sometime between soon and next year.

Also, I feel like all I've written about this month has been my clothing, creatively tagged "Fashion"... well, except for this little shout out to the lads! Oh well, off to talk about clothes some more!

I went pretty casual to Thanksgiving dinner because we were at The Woods, which is only one of my favorite places ever in the whole wide world.

My grandparent's have a cabin out in Amish country, and we have lakefront property in a heavily wooded area. It's so gorgeous there, obviously.

Cabin on the right, garage on the left, lake in the picturesque backdrop!

Nothing beats the view from my back porch lookin' in!

Our Thanksgiving days o' fun consisted of driving around the property in our golf cart turned fire truck...

Pre-Thanksgiving outfit... I had planned to go running
but obviously left that behind for my God-given talent of modeling.

...running after our cute cousins, including my always hilarious godson...

There's my actual Thanksgiving outfit! Can you see it?!

My Godson, whose name is NOT Lloyd,
told me to call him Lloyd because that is his ninja name... I don't even know...

...setting up a new swing...

Also known as me and some cousins...

...watching the men set up the new swing.

...enjoying said new swing...

Me having fun on the right in my day after Thanksgiving outfit,
also titled, "When did it suddenly become so cold outside?!?"

...working on this massive crossword puzzle which is only the greatest thing ever (except for my eyes, it's the worst)...

Crosswords are my brain break at work... it's weird, I know.

...bundling up for the cold night hike...

Always fashionable, I am.

..."Black Friday" shopping at my favorite Amish bakery and furniture store...

True story!

...oh, and eating, of course! But no one takes a picture of that, because we're eating... obviously.

What makes me a fashion icon, obviously:
Brown cable knit cardigan - Old Navy (so old that even Old Navy has forgotten about it)
Coral print faux wrap tee - Merona from Target (I love this tee so much that I have it in 3 patterns and colors...)
Trouser jeans - Old Navy (I wore them here too!)
My new kicks - Nike (bought for a steal at JCPenney Outlet)

I hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving! Be sure to go check out everyone else's leave-room-for-turkey-and-cranberry-sauce outfits, because we all love clothes that make us look good while we're chowing down.

This One's for the Boys (Being Single Series)

Ah, being single. There are so many fun things that go along with being single. Having no one to witness you eating an entire package of Oreos, for one. Oh, sure, we get the loneliness and seem to be extra super de duper vulnerable to the "He Likes Me!?, He Likes Me Not???" moments, but no big deal, right?

You know what I’m talking about. The Taylor Swift-esque “ohmygoodness he just winked at me *squeeeeeeeee*” moment that changes everything, and makes you wonder if he’s starting to see you as more than a friend. Then right when you decide that yes, yes he does see you as more than a friend and you pour out your wee little heart, you get the great big stamp of rejection. Oh so fun.

Fortunately for us single ladies, people do still date and get married, so rejection doesn’t happen all the time (right?!). So, the question is – when is he trying to show he’s interested in you and when is he just trying to be your friend? Guys, how can we tell what you mean? Us ladies tend to analyze everything, so could you just be a bit more clear?

I came across this gem this weekend, and not only did it make me laugh, but I found most of his tips from one guy to another to be pretty spot on.

So, while I typically write towards the ladies, this post is more for the lads. I thought you might be interested in having one gal's perspective on these ten tips. I don't write for all the single ladies, but I think many of us would generally have similar ideas about these tips.

I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts, though, guys and gals. What do you think of these tips? Any that you would add? How do you handle the “What is our ______-ship status” dance?

Just so you know, medium
salsa is spicy to me!

#10 - Find Out What She Likes - While I would find it sweet if you were willing to go see Twilight with me, I actually would prefer that you didn't! That being said, when I am getting to know someone, I love hearing what your interests are. Lads who are so passionate about something that they get visibly excited when telling me about said passion are medium salsa spicy to very attractive.

So, on the flip side, a lad taking the time to learn what I'm passionate about, and then taking even more time to be interested in at least hearing about what I love? That makes me feel pretty special. Even better, try out some of these things with me! This gal’s main love language (I feel lame… “love language” sounds so 1960s or something) is quality time, so if you’re willing to spend some quality time with me doing the things that I love or you love, I’m inevitably going to take an interest in you.

#9 - Encourage Her - This cannot be stressed enough! Everyone has confidence issues from time to time, and that’s why it is so important to build me up, not tear me down. Yes, I can take jokes all day and will most likely dish it back to you, but if that’s all you do, without any words of encouragement, you can bet that it will get old fast. I know that I will especially notice if a guy is encouraging to me during a time when I’m down or lacking confidence. Making me feel that who I am and what I do is of value to you or others is a sure-fire way to show some interest in me.

#8 - Compliment Her - I’m going to let you in on a secret, lads. Ladies tend to do things to impress you or gain your notice. Whether it’s making a witty comment that I know will make you laugh or wearing a shirt I know that you like, I’m guilty of this too. So when you take notice and compliment me, I notice that you noticed. Make sense?

Honestly, a compliment goes a long way. It shows me that not only do you appreciate something about me, but that you are also comfortable enough to let me know that you like how my shirt brings out my eyes or you love the brownies I baked. And the more you compliment me, the more likely I am to feel comfortable complimenting you. And guys love compliments too, right?

She's talking to me, we're besties.
Don't let "HIM!!!" be you!

#7 - Get to Know Her Family and Friends - I know that this can be tough since my family doesn’t live near me, but showing an interest in my family and friends shows that you are interested in hearing about the important people in my life. Ask how my weekend at home was with my family or about the fun plans I have with my friends that weekend. Better yet, remember the names of my sisters, other family members, or friends. Hearing that you remember that I’m hanging out with my friend Bon Qui Qui this weekend makes me realize that you were truly listening when I gave the play-by-play of my weekend plans with her earlier.

#6 - Support Your Local Chivalry - Contrary to popular belief, chivalry is not dead! Chivalry is a bit more about opening the door for a lady, though. It’s about the intention behind what you are doing - it's truly about having a servant's heart. Loving another is all about serving and putting another person’s needs above your own. “Acts of service” is another one of those fun lurve languages that I happen to like. It doesn’t have to be something huge, it's the little things that make a big difference, as long as you have the right intention. Hold the door for me. Walk me to my car. Help me put on my coat. Pay for my dinner... or ice cream... or both! When all else fails, ask: "Hey is there anything I can do to make your life as lovely as you are?" My answer: “Always, and yes, yes please.”

#5 - Don't Post Cell Phone Mirror Self Portraits on Facebook - Does anyone actually do this anymore? If you do, just stop now, and please don't ever ever ever do this again.

#4 - Don't Lay it on Too Thick - I have to disagree a bit with him here. Sure, don't be a creeper. Nobody likes a creeper. At the same time, though, it's ok to show that you are taking an interest in me, especially if you are showing that you are thinking about me when I’m not around! Text me when you see something that reminds you of me! Post a funny video to my Facebook if it made you think of the conversation we had earlier that day! Invite me to go try that new burger place you passed on your way home because you know I enjoy a good burger! Just don’t be over the top – if you find yourself wanting to lay it on thick all the time, then you should probably go read the message to the lads who are interested at the bottom.

Totally not kidding. You think I'm
kidding about not kidding, but I'm not.

#3 - Keep Your Hands to Yourself! - I'm not going to lie. I was at first offended by being compared to a candy bar. Then I realized how I get when I just HAVE TO HAVE CHOCOLATE RIGHT NOW. It's like a destructive frenzy and bless the poor souls who get in my way. Old lady in the grocery store? Who cares. I need my chocolate NOW. So when he said to remember that you always want more candy bars (except with Oreos, of course), I can relate to the difficulty of putting on the brakes. Sure, I enjoy polishing off an entire package of Oreos in 15 minutes just like the next person, but when I spread out the Oreo love over a longer period of time, I value my Oreos a lot more.

Of course, I think that this is an over-simplified version of what men (and women!) tend to go through, but I think he makes some good points. One of the best ways to show me that you’re interested – and to get me to like you in return – is to respect me – including my beliefs, my needs, and my comfort level. I know that I work hard to practice the virtue of self-control, and I can’t even begin to explain how attractive it is to me when a lad exhibits self-control as well.

All of this being said, you also don’t have to be all middle-school-dance style. As my secondary love language (again, weird) is touch, you initiating respectful physical contact, like a hug or a little brush of the arm or the hand, shows me that you’re interested in more than friendship. However, respect that I place a lot of value on certain things that are reserved for the dating stage and other things that are reserved for the marriage stage, and respect that it’s important to me to only share these valuables with someone I treasure equally as much.

#2 - Make Her Feel Safe - I think this is the tip that resonated the most with me, oddly enough. In those first stages of spending more time together, one of my first thoughts is, “I feel safe and comfortable with this person.” If I don’t/can’t trust you, I won’t feel safe being me with you and therefore sharing who I am with you. I think the best way to make me feel safe is to follow #1.

#1 - Be Her Best Friend - I feel safe with someone that I trust completely, and people that I trust are those who have taken the time to get to know me and have become a close friend. All that talk about “the friend zone” with the lads just irks me, because why would you want to waste your time with someone you don't like spending time with? Strong and lasting relationships are built on strong friendships – trust, respect, and, for me, lots of laughter! The easiest way to be my best friend? Conversation. If I can sit and have a great conversation with you before realizing that hours have passed, then chances are I trust you, and possibly have maybe even considered the thought of letting you be more than my best friend.

So here’s what it comes down to, for me and for many other single ladies that I know.

Guys, if you read only one thing in all of this post, it should be these messages to YOU. 

Here, have a beer to get you through.

Take your pick!

To the Lads who aren't interested:

Yes, keeping chivalry alive and respecting and appreciating the lasses in your life is important... but don't take it too far. To put it bluntly, being led on by a guy absolutely sucks. Doing all of these things without having any interest in me whatsoever is leading me on, and leads to rejection. It may not seem like a big deal to you, but for a girl who thinks she is being wooed - to have that suddenly ripped out from under her feet - it hurts. It’s important that you aren’t lying with your actions. Saying, “You’re a great friend!” isn’t going to cut it – your actions have to mimic your words and vice versa. So please, be gentle with our hearts. Respect and care for us, but know where the line is.

To the Lads who are interested:

Trying out the top ten things goes a long way to showing me that you care, that you appreciate me, that you respect me, that you are interested in me. But speaking from personal experience and the experiences of so many others, I’ve been hurt by men who have done many of these things without having an interest in anything other than friendship. Each time this happens, unfortunately, I start building a wall up around my heart in an attempt to keep from getting hurt again. And, if you are showing your interest in me by doing all the above things, as much as I want to think that everything you do is because you're interested, it can be difficult to tear down the wall because I’m afraid of falling for the same lies again. This leads me to the #1 tip that isn't on this list but that you need to know…

USE YOUR WORDS.

Actions can say a lot, but actually saying, "Hey, I'd like to take you out on a date on Saturday night." or even "Hey, I like you as more than a friend. How would you feel about us dating?" means so much more. If you’ve taken the time with #1 above, I am going to trust what you say. I can't question words as easily as I can wonder about your actions. Obviously, timing is everything. Take the necessary time to get to know me and show how you care, but don’t putz around either. Otherwise, I’m going to start to think that your actions are meaningless.

Nerves getting the best of you? Don’t let them. If you’ve taken the time to get to know me and become my friend, all while going above and beyond to show your interest in me, then chances are that I’ve almost 100% definitely wondered about your intentions and thought about wanting to be just more than your friend, too. After all, this video was all about 10 ways to get a girl to like you. It maybe sorta kinda works.

Just remember, nothing says "I care about you," like actually saying, "I care about you."

You could also just send me this in an email.
That was a joke. Please don't do that.
Unless you've already told me, then go right ahead. I might laugh. Maybe.

What I Wore Sunday... errrrrr, Monday!

Let me 'splain. I had planned on wearing the below photographed outfit to Mass on Sunday, but for undisclosed reasons, it didn't happen. You don't get a picture of what I actually wore to Mass because my hair was a ratty squirrel's nest, which no one needed to see (sorry people in the pew behind me!).

So, instead, you get "What I wore to work Monday and had planned on wearing to Mass on Sunday but just didn't happen", which is far too long for a link up title.

I didn't want to miss out on the linkage love with all of you ladies over at Fine Linen and Purple, so I hope you all can forgive me for posting what I actually wore on Monday. If you can't, you can kick me out or ban me from next week's post, I totally understand.

Someday I'll find a way to take a decent, not awkward, self portrait. Til then...

As I wrote about last week, I love playing with color, and I got to do that with this outfit. It might be hard to see because the lighting is so utterly terrible in my apartment, but I am wearing a new teal skirt (bought for a steal from Ross), a white tee (Van Heusen from the thrift store), a pink berry colored scarf (from a London street seller), brown boots (Merona from Target), and a yellow beaded bracelet (Kohl's). 

Yes, all these colors do go together!

Scarf-less, but always with the knee pop.

To be honest, I originally hadn't planned on wearing the scarf all day, but for some reason, my office was freezing, so it stayed put. I think it actually adds some more fun to the outfit though!

Off to put on my running clothes... but you all probably don't care because there isn't a "What I Wore to Sweat In" link-up, which is probably a good thing.

Being a Pro at Casual Work Attire

Where I work has a very, shall we say, casual work attire.

I wish I was kidding.
About the "work attire", not my awesome pose.

On a daily basis, I see people walking around the office in ratty jeans, t-shirts, sweatshirts, athletic gear, sandals, leather pants... and while others may be comfortable with this, I just feel very un-professional wearing clothing like this in a work environment. Your workplace is where you want to leave a great impression on people!

So, like the rebel I am, I rocked the business attire look for many months, but then I just started feeling like that awkward girl who shows up to a Halloween party dressed up in costume when it turns out it isn't actually a costume party.

Just like this.

So, while I want to make a good impression at work, I also don't want to stand out in a prom-dress-at-the-middle-school-dance kind of way.

I asked the lovely ladies of Fine Linen and Purple to talk about dressing "professionally" in a "casual" way... and then I ended up writing a guest post! I look forward to reading all of your thoughts and what your casual work "staples" are, but here is what I've compiled as my must-haves for keeping it classy at work...

...continue reading my tips over at Fine Linen and Purple!

Travel over to Fine Linen and Purple to see more
pictures of me awkwardly posing for all the world to see!

What I Wore Sunday

Long time, no post.

Which means you're going to get the longest post EVAH!!!

Just kidding. You get a picture of me with a few words. You are so lucky!

This week I am linking up with the ladies of Fine Linen and Purple with "What I Wore Sunday", because who doesn't love talking about their clothes.

Me and my fine posing/computer photography skillz.

What I am trending right now, H2T:

Rocking the bushy squirrel tail ponytail
Purple and white striped sweater, from Old Navy
Khaki slacks, from NY&Co, but purchased for a major major steal from my favorite thrift store, with the tags still on them!
Purple suede shoes, from Macy's

I usually rock a skirt or dress to Mass, but I went this morning instead of my usual evening Mass, so you get lazily dressed Liesl for today.

Hope all of you have had a fantastically wonderful weekend. Mine was pretty much awesome :)

Awaiting My Vocation (Being Single Series)

I liked reading Emily's post because I think us single ladies often get caught up in the idea of, "Well, once I meet my Prince Charming and we fall in love, we'll get married right away and have super cute babies!!!!" which means we forget the whole dating and engagement time are still part of the single vocation! Emily's experiences are a good reminder to live on God's timing. Even if we know our vocation, sometimes we still have to be patient.

~*~

I've been engaged for exactly 367 days. Yep, you heard that right. It's been an entire year of this engagement process. I can’t exactly say my patience has been cooperating with me (it hasn’t), and I can’t say that this journey was easy (it wasn’t), but I can say that it has taught me to appreciate my time of being single before I say I do.

Being single is that time to really think about your vocation. Married life? Single life? Religious life? At my high school we had a class dedicated solely to vocations. Discernment is a tough process, especially at high school age! For some reason, I always knew I wanted to be married and be a mother. I prayed about it a lot when I was younger. When I finally met the man I knew I wanted to marry, I wanted to start living my vocation RIGHT NOW.

Clearly that didn’t happen. We still had 21 months left of being single people. We had 21 months left of not being “One” with God. We had 21 months left of being apart, not seeing each other, and talking little during the day. But we also had 21 months left of being single people and living out that vocation for that part of our lives.

Waiting to be married meant that I can learn to appreciate the little things I may not have when I’m married. As excited as I am to be married to my love, many things will change for me. I’m learning to enjoy what I have now and to still be excited for the future at the same time.

Even if you know what you are called to do, having patience on getting there and praying to God for guidance is the best thing you can do. Waiting to live out your vocation is tough (believe me, I know!), but God is really trying to teach you something! God is teaching me patience as I am waiting (8 more months!) for our wedding. He’s teaching me to appreciate the time I do have with my fiancé because even when we are married we both will have busy schedules. He’s teaching me to be a more compassionate person.

While waiting that strenuous wait to truly live out your vocation, think of the things that you are learning from God in the process. The single life isn’t the easiest thing, but there’s a reason why we wait 20-something years to really start living out what we’re called to do. Even if the single life is for you, it still takes a lot of prayer and contemplating. Believe me; God knows what He’s doing!

~*~

Emily is a 20-something almost-Catholic who is from Ohio. She blogs about her wedding planning, conversion, and weight-loss over at Day in the Life. She cannot wait to be married to her love on May 4 next year!

Dealing with Rejection: Catholic Style! (Being Single Series)

It's basically my job to reject people.

Dream killing, it's what I do.

But getting rejected myself? Now that is not so fun.

Unfortunately, it's one of those annoying crosses of the single life to have to deal with rejection (after rejection after rejection etc. et al. la dee da). I don't have a lot of "official" dating experience, but I have been "officially" rejected more times than I would like to try counting.

Oreally?!
(P.S. I couldn't find a version of a guy saying this...
probably because this has been said by no guy ever.)

The good news is, I can always learn something new from these times of being rejected. God always wants us to get good out of suffering, right?

This post can be for the ladies who are dealing with break-ups, but it really is for those who have just been led on and/or rejected before it even got to the break-up stage. According to my spiritual director, ladies do more rejecting than men (which I've heard of never), so lads, go ahead and read these pointers if you're drowning your rejection in a tub of ice cream too.

For your benefit, I've compiled a succinct list of things that should help you if you ever get rejected, because I am pretty much an expert at it.

You're so welcome. My pain is your gain, ya?*

~*~

~ Don't write on your blog/Facebook about your rejection until you can laugh about it... it's always better to write with humor and a dash of sarcasm anyway.

~ Walk around muttering under your breath that men of this world should be more like Jesus, and Jesus would never reject you, obviously.

~ Read the Book of Job. His life was way worse. Then be thankful that your skin isn't covered in boils, because that is so unattractive.

"Oh, hey, I read Numbers all the time too!"

~ Learn to smile when he says, "You're a really great friend." And by smile, I mean think to yourself, "I hate that word."

~ Use all the free time you have now to practice those stellar Catholic pick-up lines. Always want to be prepared in case you catch the eye of a cutie two pews over at Mass.

~ Tell yourself that he's probably going to become a priest anyway... it will help you get over it faster, and Mary would be a better girlfriend for him. She has way more patience.

~ Realize that Taylor Swift songs can only be so cathartic. It doesn't matter if she was clearly thinking about your life when she wrote The Story of Us, you should probably only listen to her 10 times per day, no más.

I'm tracking how many times your watch this!

~ Pray to St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi that you can one day rebuild your friendship with him... and while you're storming heaven with your pleas, throw in one to St. Jude to help you out with this seemingly impossible cause.

~ Embrace the awkward. There's nothing you can do about it, but at least you can enjoy watching him do the awkward turtle squirm.

~ Yes, maybe your prayer led you to think that you were going to get married and have adorable babies, but no, God did not lead you on like the boy did. There's a point to all of this... probably.

No use crying over spilt... onions?

~ Get thee to a nunnery kitchen... because nothing helps you vent hurt and frustration with the male species quite like large kitchen knives and pounding on some cookie dough. I personally recommend chopping lots of onions. Lots 'n lots o' onions.

~ Go for a run in the rain. It makes your run a more dramatic interpretation of your present state of life... and it helps you sweat off the package of Oreos you ate last night.

~ Just say no to drugs hugs. That's probably part of what got you both into this mess in the first place. Don't even think about holding hands during the Our Father either.

~ Give thanks to God for destroying the illusion that Catholic men are perfect... before you had to find out the really hard way, whatever that is.

~ Realize that someone saying "No" to you now is so that you'll be available for the one who was made to say "Yes!" to you later on.

Do you have some fun tips? Add to the list!

*Disclaimer: This post was not written about or for any one particular person. Just a humorous interpretation of my experiences and observations.

P.S. I should also probably be clear that this post is written to be completely humorous, I do not hold any hurt or anger about any past rejections! Although, doing many of these things in a more serious fashion really did help me get over being rejected... especially cutting onions and running in the rain... and praying to the saints... and Taylor Swift... and so on. You get the idea.