The World Was Young // Outfit Post

It's hard to believe that it is the 11th and this is only my first post of the month! I have been under so many school-related deadlines that I haven't had time to take outfit pictures or blog lately, but I'm going to be more regular in the future. Starting in May.

 

Just kidding.

 

Sort of. ☺


 

Anyway, for my first formal speech this year on Tuesday, I had to dress "professionally", so I channeled my inner businesswoman and matched my dress to my jacket and my belt to my shoes. When I got to school, my hair was clipped up (as you can see in these pictures), but one of the girls in my theatre class French-braided it for a performance, and I left it up for the rest of the day. I LOVE having my hair braided, and I can't do it myself, so whenever someone offers, I'm like YES.

Happy weekend-ing.

xoxo,

Ireland
 

 Outfit Credits:

Dress: Cynthia Rowley

Flyaway sweater: BCBGMaxAzria

Belt: Kenneth Cole Reaction

Shoes: Vince Camuto

Watch: grandmother's jewelry box

 

Title Credit:
"Beautiful" by Ben Rector

The Light In His Smile: Part 2 (Personal Reflections)

Did you catch Part 1 of the piece I wrote on my little brother? If not, click here before you continue reading.

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It hurts me to know that someday, someone will break Jeffrey’s heart. Someday, his life will fall apart, and he won’t know how to put it back together. Someday, I’ll pass him in the hallway between our two bedrooms and notice that the light in his smile has grown dim.

When that happens, I will remember his first day of kindergarten, and I will hug that memory around my soul. I will know that while his light may grow dim from time to time, it will never be extinguished. One day, it will come back in a beautiful, blazing fury, marked by the newfound maturity that comes from knowing great loss. His scars will remind him of what he has been through, but they will never define him. They can’t.

In my fourteen years of life, one of the most important things I have learned is that we are a broken people. We face extreme heartache and make haunting mistakes… but we are not defined by our past. Life is more than a series of meaningless events, and even the most difficult things we face can be used to make us stronger.

I believe that everyone has grand potential within them, and I trust that Jeffrey will make good use of his. Sometimes I look at him, see my younger self, and become afraid for both of us. But then I remember that no matter how hard life gets, we will always have each other.

And for now…

That’s enough.

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My brother means the world to me, and I know I would sacrifice for him if I needed to. Is there someone in your life with whom you share that kind of bond? That should be our goal as Christians, anyway, to lay down our lives for our friends. I have a longlonglong way to go, but I think I'm getting closer.

Think about it, and if you wouldn't mind sharing, I would love to hear from you!

xoxo,
Ireland


*Some details (names, etc.) have been changes for privacy purposes.

The Light In His Smile: Part 1 (Personal Reflections)

The following is Part 1 of 2 of a piece that I wrote about my little brother. His birthday is this week, so this is in honor of him.

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As I walk into Bellamy Elementary on my brother Jeffrey’s first "real" day of school, I smile, knowing that the next six years of his life will be more special than he knows. The hallways are enchanted with the glittery optimism of first-time students, and for one fleeting moment, I am five years old again. The world is new and exciting and beautiful, and there is nothing anyone can do to break me. Life is uncomplicated, the right thing is obvious, and loving others is easy. I’m not afraid of getting hurt, because I’ve never been hurt before.

When I come back to reality, I turn and see Jeffrey trailing behind me with our dad. I watch as he marvels at a pair of clownfish in a fish tank, and I smile when he finds his name on a bulletin board next to Room 111. Being at Bellamy reminds me how much I love the blatant joy and unaffectedness of little children. Their innocence is sacred, and I never want that to be taken away from my brother.

Jeffrey is my only sibling, and I am nine years older than him. Sometimes we bicker, sometimes we fight, and sometimes he drives me crazy, but I love him. He is an incredibly special, joyous human being, and his outlook on life is so refreshing. Many people fail to appreciate the simple mindsets of little children; if adults handled issues with half as much transparency, I think the world would be much better off for it.

We turn left and end up inside a nicely sized classroom with colorful posters on the wall. I listen to the soft chatter of his new classmates and look around for his new teacher, Mrs. Hooper. She shows us where to find his morning work and he sits down next to a boy named Carlos.

I watch Jeffrey unpack his bag, and staring me in the face is the fact that someday, my little brother won’t be so little anymore. Today he is starting kindergarten, but one day he will be graduating. I am a junior in high school, and when I look back on my life, I see a rollercoaster of ups and downs. It’s scary to think that before long, my little brother is going to be facing the same issues that I do.

As I give Jeffrey a last hug and kiss goodbye, I drink in the innocence and beauty of the children that surround me. I regret not making every second of my childhood count.  I pray that God will take care of my little brother, the brother that means so much to me, and then I slip out of the classroom with my dad.
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Come back Tuesday for the second part of this story! :) As always, I love hearing your thoughts in the comments.

xoxo,
Ireland


Disclaimer: Some details (names, etc.) have been changes for privacy purposes.

A Quick Update...

Hey, everyone! It's crazy to think that this is the longest I have ever gone without posting on the blog. I have a good excuse, though!

As of last Saturday (August 30th, 2014) my family and I have officially moved to Wilmington, North Carolina! I took these pictures yesterday at Wrightsville Beach, which is literally biking distance from our house. Is that not awesome or what?

 

I also started my junior year of high school that week (in public school, no less), so I've been swamped with homework and long to-do lists. Fortunately, some of the madness is starting to subside, and I am getting into the swing of things... More on that some other day. :)

 

The short of it is that I am back here with you and am crazy excited about it! More posts are coming your way soon, but in the meantime, I want to know...

 

How is the back-to-school season treating you so far?

 

xoxo,

 

Ireland

P.S. Shout-out to my newest follower, Sofia Nikula! I hope you enjoy what you find here!

 

 

It's That Time of the Year Again...

BTS Time!

 
Well, guys. I am officially enrolled as a student at Emsley A. Laney High School, alma mater of Michael Jordan. If all goes well, it will be where I graduate in two more years... eep!
 
Summer break is coming to a close in a few short weeks, so I compiled a short list of back-to-school reads, including So Not Happening (#1 of the Charmed Life Series) by Jenny B. Jones and Limos, Lattes, and My Life on the Fringe by Nancy Rue. Two chick lit books that I have read over and over again!

What's on your end-of-summer to-read list?
 
xoxo,
 
Ireland

Summer Break Is Here!

Please ignore the fact that my fitness plan has nothing to do with soccer.

I took my ACT today at the community college! I think I did a little better on science and a little worse in English than I was expecting. Oh, the suspense.... I wonder what score I made?!

Anyway, that final test marked the conclusion of my sophomore year of high school! Yay! I like school, but it feels great to have tenth grade under my belt... or, under my stretchy waistband. See, I'm wearing Soffe shorts. (Gasp: I just admitted I'm wearing sweats on a fashion blog. Oops. You won't hold it against me, will you? :))

I have a few goals for this summer. Including to work harder on my fitness routine. Which, as of now, is less than 2 hours a week.

So, I enlisted my lovely mom of Bodies on a Budget to make me a two-week exercise plan to get me on the road to success with fitness. (Perks of having a mother with a background in Health Education.)

Monday	40 min. interval training cardio—30 min. treadmill, 5 min. trampoline, 5 min. step	20 min. resistance (arms and abs)
Tuesday	20 min. cardio— 1.7 miles	40 min. resistance—(legs, shoulders, delts, abs)
Thursday	40 min. cardio—run 3 miles; walk the rest.	20 min. resistance (delts, back, traps)
Friday	30 min. cardio—10 min. treadmill, 10 min. tramp, 10 min. step	30 min. resistance (biceps, tris, delts, back)

Isn't she awesome?

So, now I wanna know:

What are your plans, goals, and dreams for this summer?

 

It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good.

Galatians 4:18

 

Love,
Ireland