What I Wore Sunday: Classy(ish?) Librarian Edition

I got dressed in my warmer clothes for this cold and blustery evening, and realized when I looked in the mirror that I kind of looked like a librarian. Too lazy to change? Eh. C'est la vie.

Awkward fuzzy hair tuck.

15 points to Gryffindor if you can spot the package of Oreos in that picture that came out of hiding for Sunday's chocolate feast.

Modeling my ear(rings).

Zee details:
Let's got from bottom up, today, just to be fun!

Black suede shoes - Macy's via my favorite clearance rack
Black tights - Tarjeta or Ross... who knows, I just keep buying tights!
Black and gray skirt - Jones New York via le thrift store
Purple blouse-ish - Macy's via not-the-clearance-rack (but on sale, of course!)
Earrings - Kohl's via the clearance rack... probably

Now that I think about it... the librarian look is missing something...

Every librarian needs teeny reading glasses, right?

Ah... there it is!

Gallop on over to Fine Linen and Purple for the rest!

If I eat all the chocolate in the world today...

Happy Fat Tuesday!

Who else is excited for Lent?

Offer It Up

The Bright Maidens are back to Live Lent!

Welcome back ladies, we've missed writing with you!

Our Heavenly Father... longs  to convince us of his passionate love for each one of us, that relentless mercy which calls - and enables - us to share his own divine life, that fiery outpouring of love... Let's face it, we humans really don't want God to love us that much. It's simply too demanding. Obedience is one thing, but this sort of love clearly calls for more than keeping commandments. It calls for nothing less than total self-donation. That might not be a difficult job for the three infinite Persons of the Trinity, but for creatures like us, such love is a summons to martyrdom. This invitation requires much more suffering and self-denial than simply giving up chocolate for Lent. It demands nothing less than a constant dying to self.

-Scott Hahn, A Father Who Keeps His Promises, page 18

When I was "growing up" (as in, through college!), I never really took the "Give up something for Lent" thing very seriously.

That wasn't completely honest. I never really took Lent seriously.

That wasn't completely honest either. I never really took the whole "Living the Catholic Faith" thing seriously.

Anyway, I thought Lent was just another part of the Church year where you just chug-chug-chugged along until you got to wear your brand new dress at Easter.

I would sometimes "give up" something for Lent, but I hardly ever stuck to it. Or if I did, I found ways to master my way around it.

Like that time I gave up dessert... I started eating my cake before dinner. Appetizers, anyone? I get points for creativity, right?

Christ of St. John of the Cross
by Salvador Dali

Thankfully, I've grown to learn that Lent is not just another part of the Church year. It is the Church year.

It is through Lent that we truly live out the Christian life. Suffering and sacrifice and wandering in the spiritual desert with Christ? Yes. We are all called to walk the way of the Cross.

But like at the end of Lent, we are also told that through our suffering and sacrifice and spiritual dryness, we will encounter joy and love through the Cross and ultimately with the Resurrection.

We aren't called to just chug through Lent for 40 days. We are called to live it... each and every day. Yes, the entire year!

Since I started taking Lent - and, well, this whole living Catholic thing - seriously, sacrifice and suffering for me has been focused on giving up attachments that are in some way keeping me from giving a complete gift of self to God and others. It's about giving up things that distract me and get in the way of being who I am called to be.

Here's my Lenten routine...

Give up chocolate. Chocolate and I have a very... special relationship. 

... and that's putting it mildly! All I can say is, Bless the poor souls who get to put up with me when I go all cold turkey without my chocolate.

Chocolate is an addiction for me. I crave it. I need it. I have torn apart my kitchen looking for it before. I don't know what it is, but there are times that it controls me. And after I give into the craving, I always feel a little bit sad, because I didn't have the self-control to say no!

So by giving it up for Lent, I am working on my self-control, which Lord knows is something I need... desperately. And not just with chocolate.

Give up the drinks. I love milk. I enjoy juice. I like a beer every now and then. I hate water. Hate it. It's so... boring! Seriously, something that is that good for you should at least have a taste!

So, for Lent I'm giving up all drinks except for water (and I make an exception for milk on my cereal... girl needs her multi-grain Cheerios, mkay?!). 

In addition to giving up chocolate, only drinking water helps me put some focus on not just my spiritual health, but also my physical health. My body is a temple for the Holy Spirit! After I receive the Eucharist, I am physically carrying Christ to the world! I know that I sometimes put so much effort into my spiritual workout that I just put my body to the side, but I have to remember that this body is a gift from God, and needs nurtured just like everything else.

Listen only to Christian music. I wrote about how I love my little musical guilty pleasures. I actually don't really find anything wrong with non-Christian music, but I do find something wrong with how I let it affect me sometimes.

I love love love music and how it speaks to me, but there are times when my guilty pleasures feed into my state of life - I'm talking loneliness, impatience, and lack of trust. Listening to a lot of this music (ahem, maybe mostly TSwizzle Diggity Dawg) brings all of these emotions to the forefront - even when I was feeling perfectly fine before! - and just lets that longing for wanting to be loved and cared for by another surface and bubble over. And this is when the emotional chastity goes out the door and the pity party begins.

By listening only to Christian music (or music that reminds me of God), it helps me shift that desire for another to my longing for The Other, as in God. It leads my heart and mind to be more focused in prayer, and I have to say that of all the things I've ever sacrificed, this has been the most fruitful for me in building a stronger spiritual life. It also reminds me why I struggle so much with loneliness, impatience, and lack of trust - because the desire I have for loving another is a good thing! But it also reminds me that I have to have patience, which again, Lord knows I need!

~*~

Some of you might be thinking, "Uh Liesl, did you not read your own book excerpt that you put at the beginning? Lent is more than just giving up chocolate!" And you would be right!

So, what do we do with all these little sufferings and sacrifices? OFFER IT UP! 

This is a concept that evaded me until a couple of years ago, but think about it... What did Christ do? Whine that he had to die on the Cross? H--- to the NO!

He offered it up for each and every one of us, in atonement for our sins. We are invited to join with his sacrifice by offering up our sacrificial splinters to be a part of his cross.

I offer up each of my sacrifices and sufferings for something very close to my heart, each and every time. But you can offer it up for anyone or anything you want - just don't waste your suffering! 

... Even if you are just suffering over not being able to chomp on a piece of chocolate!

It's Coming...

I know that most of us aren't ready for this discussion, but we can’t go on ignoring the elephant in the room.

Not really sure how you could ignore this cute wittle itty bitty baby ewephant!
Wook at him pwaying wif the baby birds!
What you can ignore is how annoying it was to type that baby waby voice. Please never again.

Lent begins in two weeks.

I know, I know! We’re in denial.

“We just took down the Christmas decor!” we all say!

“We also enjoy using the royal 'we'” we all also say!

But we need to bring it up because I need your help. Here cometh my plea.

One of the things I do for Lent is listen only to Christian music. In the car. Working out. While I bake. When I should be attempting to get out of bed in the morning. Those kinds of things.

This means I give up my guilty pleasures that include but are not limited to: Yellowcard and Maroon 5 and Sara B and TSwizzle Dawg and Key-$-ha-ha-ha-ha-haaaaaa-ha-ha-ha-ha and all that rap music I listen to on a daily basis. I’ve gained a lot spiritually from doing this in the past (which I then sometimes tend to lose when I pick up the Queen of Emotional Chastity’s music again [TSwizzle, in case you were confuzzled {I think I lost my parenthesis}]).

As much as I love my Christian mix of Audrey Assad (you should click on each one of these here, do it!), Matt Maher (well hello look at that, there's more), MercyMe (how can I come up with more words for you to click), Relient K (make them up laaaa deeee daaaa because I clearly love Relient K), Switchfoot (running out of words wooooooo weeeeeee), and even a dash of Chris Tomlin (and by "dash", I mostly just mean this one on repeat), it gets old after - oh... a week. And we all know all too well that Lent lasts for six looooooooooooong weeks. We know. Royally and collectively.

By the way, if you actually clicked and listened to all those music links... well, you win the coveted award for "Liesl's Favorite Person of the Day!" And now that you all have your eyes on the prize, I hear you all say...

Anyway, so I’m asking for your help. I need song recommendations! Songs that are great for morning car rides or getting pumped up for a workout or waking up in the morning or diving deeper into prayer. I need some great Christian music to listen to during Lent and beyond!

If my playlist of choice helps you understand a bit of what I like, steer that-a way. I can be kind of picky when it comes to music, especially Christian music. I like good and complex-ish lyrics (i.e. I look for a bit more than “God, You are so awesome!!!!!!”), intricate harmonies, and cool instrumental things happening in the background. I don’t usually listen to most of the “Praise and Worship” music out there, so Christian radio is usually a no-go for me.

I’m even willing to allow songs on my playlist that remind me of God or make me want to pray, even if they aren’t actually about God (or are they secretly about God, hmmmmmm...?).

Example: We Found Love by Rihanna
Counter-Example: State of Grace by Taylor Swift (I'm kind of in a relationship with this song right now... buuuuuuut, contrary to what the title suggests, this song is not about the state of your soul if you plan on receiving communion, or how awesome your life is after you go to confession. I know! I was shocked too!)

So, sendeth forth your ideas. Please make sure that your email address is linked to your comment (here’s how to do it) in case I need to follow up with you... which would happen if a) I love your suggestion and want more or b) I hate your suggestion and want to heckle you every day.

In exchange, I’m offering a little prize. Yes, before you ask, it is more than the coveted award of "Liesl's Favorite Person of the Day!", although I think that should be enough incentive...

If one of the songs that you suggest becomes my #1 favorite song of this Lenten season, then I will send you a box of personally made by me baked goods. Yummity yum yum. To be kind of scientific, I will go by the number of plays a song gets on my iPod (fair, right?). And if a song that I picked is the most listened to... well, then I will bake myself some chocolate deliciousness... after Easter.

Let the games begin. And may the iPod odds be ever in your favor.

What I Wore Sunday: Everybody Loves Pockets Edition

Yes, you read that right.

POCKETS.

I don't know about you all, but I love skirts with pockets. Love them. Maybe even agape love them.

(Kidding.)

Whoever took the pocket out of skirts was seriously disturbed. Like whoever said that orange is the new pink.

Because what lady doesn't need a pocket? I mean, I might need to carry a dainty hankie to wipe the tears from eyes because the homily was so beautiful, or a tissue because I have the sniffles, or a bag of Cheerios in case the baby in front of me is just too darn cute and loudly distracting, or some chapstick in case there's a handsome lad sitting next to me and I want to give him the Judas version of the sign of peace.

(Definitely kidding with that last one, winkity wink.) 

You just never know when you'll need a pocket!!!!

So I thought this skirt was cute when I found it at the thrift store, and then when I saw that it had pockets?!

Sold. To the lady in the second row. She's an 8, she's a 9, she's a 10, I know.

The pockets in all their beauty!

The whole ensemble, awkward poses and all.

Oh, you want to know more than just about the pockets? Alright, then...
Hair - courtesy of my mother's genetic code and old lady bun
Blouse - Fashion Bug, via Unique Thrift Store, a steal with the tags still on it for $2
Skirt with POCKETS - Ann Taylor, via Unique Thrift Store, another steal for $3
Tights - Merona, via Target
Boots - Bare Traps, via DSW, which were not a steal, but good boots come at a price.

Rocking the purple today, just for all you Fine Linen and Purple ladies. You're welcome.

40 Years of "Choice"?

I originally posted this one year ago today. I have a new post planned for the March for Life on Friday, but as today is the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, I think it's important to ask ourselves, "What kind of 'choices' are we celebrating today?" Today, and every day, we need to remember the 55 million children who have never had the chance to make their own choices, who never had the chance to live, because of the 'choices' our society has made.

Hosted by Jill Stanek

Unfortunately, evil has been present in our world since the Lucifer and his angels chose to turn away from God, and it will be present until the end of the world.

Because we have been given free will, we will always have the option to choose evil over good.

That doesn't mean evil is ever the right choice.

Society choosing evil over what is right has led to wars, genocides, the spreading of disease and famine, and a general stomping on the little guy all over the world.

No matter how you try to spin it, abortion is evil to the core. The Devil likes to disguise evil in appealing forms, but let's face it - abortion really isn't a very good disguise.

Just because we can choose evil doesn't mean we should. We have been given a choice so that we can choose to do the right thing. 

So I ask, what does "pro-choice" actually mean? Is it promoting choosing good over evil, or is it just another disguise that the Devil hides behind?

I am for choice... the right choice. I choose to always fight for life.

Don't Wait for the Wedding

It happened one Friday night.

The anticipation had been building for awhile, at least for me. I couldn't ignore the hunger any more. It felt like I had been waiting an eternity, and I just couldn't hold off any longer.

Screw waiting for the wedding!!! I thought.

So I gave in to the urge.

Wait, wait, wait... you all know what I'm talking about, right?

Be honest - how many of you are thinking that this post is about - are the kids out of the room? no? ok, I'll spell it instead - s-e-x?

I know my most read post is about porn, but c'mon y'all! Getchyour mind out of the gutter!

...I'm talking about my brand new KitchenAid Stand Mixer.

My precious.

I know. It's beautiful. It's alright if you tear up. I totally did.

Let me backtrack a bit...

I'm sure many of you know that I love to bake. Partly because I love sugar and partly because it's one of those ways that I show people that I care. Like really care.

Some of you also might know that this KitchenAid stand mixer is a baker's dream. Like heaven. On your countertop. You can make an entire batch of cookies at once!!!!!

So, it probably comes at no surprise that I've always wanted a KitchenAid stand mixer for my very own. I have great memories making batches of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with my family growing up, and ever since I became an adult, my wrist has always longed for the relief of not having to mix cookie batter with a hand mixer.

But something has always been holding me back, and that something is the idea of waiting for the wedding.

KitchenAid stand mixers do not come cheap. This one runs for a retail price of $299.99, and that's the cheapest one! So, while I've always wanted one, I've never taken the leap to buying one.

It's soooo expensive! I think.

Can I really justify spending that kind of money on something for just me? I wonder.

Because only married people
use kitchen appliances.

This is the kind of thing you put on your wedding registry, is the thought that always cinched the "Not gonna give in and buy it" mindset.

You see, for years, I've been living with the idea that there are things that I would want - things that I would use - but I haven't bought them for myself because they are the kinds of things that you register for when you get engaged.

The kinds of things that your girlfriends all chip in to buy you for your bridal shower.

Or that really expensive item that your dad's co-worker has shipped to your parents' house before the wedding all gift-wrapped in special Macy's ribbons and bows.

Or the gift that your great Aunt Ruth (who had a beard... and it felt weird...) splurges on for you because you are her favoritest great niece in the whole wide world.

It's one of those expensive gifts like nice crystal or china that you wait to buy so you can put something on your wedding registry... and if you buy it before the man comes along, then what are you supposed to register for?!

Waiting for the wedding was holding me back. It was keeping me from living my dreams... my baker's dream, that is.

And then it happened. Everything just lined up too perfectly. It's like it was God's will! All KitchenAid appliances went on sale at Kohl's. Then they had a special Ebates deal on top of that. Then there was the extra 30% off. Then there was the Kohl's cash. Then there was the mail-in rebate. You get the idea. When it all came down to it, the final price was going to be down from $299.99 to under $100. I even had some muscle who carried it to my apartment and set it up for me! How could I say not give in?

Obviously, I have a hard time saying "No!" to any great deal, but it was more than that. It was finally time for me. It was a change in my mindset.

I'm done waiting for the wedding. I have a life that's worth living now, not just someday when I get married. 

So, it did happen that one Friday night, where I didn't wait for the wedding. I had some chivalrous muscle come over to carry it up from the lobby for me, pull it out of the box, and place it ever so gently on the countertop.

It was a beautiful moment. It was everything I had hoped it would be. And it was mine. A gift for myself.

And then we made mashed potatoes.