Here's to Us.

I woke up this morning with a to-do list about five miles long, a to-do list so extensive that even if I found the motivation to attack it with every ounce of my being, I'm not sure if would even finish. And anyway, who really wants to sit down and bust through five or more consecutive hours of mind-numbingly boring work? Umm.. I'd rather watch Netflix.

I'm blogging today not to fulfill some responsibility, or to check something off my list (since it's been two months since my last post, I think it's safe to say that that ship sailed a long time ago), but because I needed to. I needed to connect with you guys.

They say that social media doesn't really connect us to people-- it makes us feel connected, while we isolate. On a surface level, that's something I agree with: simply scrolling through feeds and liking different posts doesn't constitute as human interaction. But blogging is different. Blogging lets us express who we are, sometimes even down to the recesses of our souls, and lets connect with other people who go through the same things.

At least, that's what it does for me.

My word for 2015 is connect. I was deciding between connect and trust, but connect came to me first, and I'm told it's better to choose the "wrong" word than not choosing one at all.

Connecting is important. Because people need people. And... I guess today, I just want to take another step forward in making it a forever-part of my lifestyle.

So here's to connecting. Here's to loving our neighbors as ourselves. Here's to rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep. Here's to fighting for what is beautiful, and never forgetting to share what we find with each other. Here's to family canoe trips and sunny days and shared memories.

Here's to you, me, and we. Here's to us.

xoxo,

Ireland

You Were Born to Bloom // Outfit Post



Downtown Southport is a beautiful place to be in late spring. Here is a snap of my mom, brother, and me in front of the Maritime Museum (which, in case you're wondering, is the place to learn about the history of Brunswick County. You'll get a solid social studies lesson, along with a few pirate yarns to add relish). Notice the beautiful purple flowers, the black iron fence, and the quaint brick buildings behind us. So pretty.



There is a charming little shop in Southport on the corner of Howe and East Moore called Bull Frog Corner. It's one of those quirky shops, crammed floor-to-ceiling with all kinds of toys, books, beach souvenirs, and candy. In fact, there's a little platform inside that leads to a room filled with everything from maple candies to gummies to chocolate-covered raisins. It's arguably the most intriguing part of the store, and that's saying something, considering there is some kind of merchandise covering every square inch of the place. Today, we got one of Jeffrey's friends a little birthday present from the toy section, and he bought himself a Star Wars staff, which he is holding in the top picture.

 

As we wandered around different places downtown, Mom took pictures of me in this bright pink ensemble. It's been a while since I did a full-on outfit post, and you seemed to enjoy those, so what better time to do another one than today? I decided to wear top-to-bottom neon pink for these shots... have I ever mentioned how much I love color?

  

In Matilda, the kind teacher who eventually adopts the poor orphan girl lives in a lovely little whitewashed house in the forest. This wall reminds me of that mental imagery my mind conjured up when I read that book... it feels so fanciful and romantic.

 

Hope you enjoyed this post! Let me know what you think!

 

Have a blessed day, today and always.

xoxo,

Ireland

Title Credit:

"Bloom" by Moriah Peters

from the album I Choose Jesus

Spring Break in Tennessee: Part 2

So last Monday (not two-days-ago-Monday but the Monday before) Nana and Pa took Jeffrey and me to the Knoxville Zoo. It was Jman's first-ever zoo experience, and when we got home he said "it was the best day of his life".
 

Here we are at Black Bear Falls.

 

* I don't know about you, but when the word "fashion" pops up, my mind does not immediately jump to the zoo... :) Sometimes function trumps style (and for good reason), so please forgive my slightly-off outfit.

 

Jeffrey #coolasever

 

 

The Elephants.

 

They have a kids' corner at the zoo... and guess WHAT?! There is a carousel! Don't you just love that word? Carousel, carousel, carousel...

Don't judge me pretending I'm five again. Just pretend with me because I know you want to.
 



Gorillas have big hands.

Hey, look, it's a curious monkey :)

 

Okay, so now I wanna know... Do you guys like going to the zoo? And do you have a favorite one? I went to the one in Washington D.C. once and it was really cool. I bet the one in NYC would be fun too... maybe that would be a fun thing to add to my bucket-list. :) Looking forward to hearing from you!

 

xoxo,

Ireland



 

Something Beautiful // Outfit Post

Good afternoon, my lovelies! It's a warm, sunny day here in Southport, North Carolina and the trees are bright and green and ALIVE. The birds are chirping outside my window, my parents are talking softly amongst themselves in the kitchen, and I have just kicked my shoes off and am now sitting here at the computer, talking to you. :)

 

I went to a coffee shop downtown with my dad earlier today and had a hot chocolate, complete with mini marshmallows and whipped cream. We sat at one of the little tables by the window and just talked about music for forty-five minutes. That is what I call a good start to Tuesday.

 

 

 

Today I'm wearing a printed blue dress with a knotted chambray button-down and blue sandals. It's casual but girly, and the little wedge heel on the shoes make me exactly the same height as my mom. (I like that. :))

 

One thing I like about my hair is that I can straighten it in the morning, wake up the next day and it looks about the same, except for a few needed touch-ups. I need to remember this blessing when I start to feel like I'm having a bad hair day!

Comment away...

xoxo,
Ireland

Credits:
Printed dress: Kohls

Chambray button-down: Charlotte Russe

Sandals: hand-me-down from mom

Title: "Something Beautiful" by NEEDTOBREATHE, from the album The Outsiders

It's Love // Outfit Post

Happy Monday, all! 

Yesterday, I wore this pretty purple maxidress to church. It's made of a really soft, drapey material, and I love how the fabric flares over the cinched waistband. Paired with tall nude peep-toes, it's more dressy than casual, but still simple in the overall feel.

 

Taking outfit pictures is not always easy on Sundays, due to church and taekwondo practice and trying to take extra time to rest, but I really liked this outfit and wanted to make sure I shared it with you guys.

 

This picture really shows off the shoes (pause for closer inspection) and the bracelet, which I made with my grandmother last year during a trip back to Tennessee :)

 

  

I'm really loving the song "Emily (It's Love)" by Francesca Battistelli featuring Dave Barnes. Here are some of the lyrics:

Emily, you will see some stormy weather
Dark and cloudy days of rain (days of rain)
But Emily, there will be summer laughter
'Cause everybody knows the seasons change

Circumstances can change your mind
And time will help you see

It's love that hung the moon and stars for you above
And stays awake to start the morning
When you feel you've had enough
He's never given up, it's love

 
I hope this will prompt you to check out the song  for yourself and let me know what you think! Also, how would you style my dress? I look forward to hearing from you...

 

xoxo,

Ireland

 

 

Outfit Credit:
Purple dress: Fiancée, via Dressing Your Truth
Bracelet: handmade

Earrings: secondhand

Shoes: borrowed



on the wings of the wind.

 

 I went to SPT Marina yesterday with my dad and we had lunch... and talked... and looked at cool boats.

 

 

Here is the awesome Happy Sandwich I made him. My sandwiches are better than my pancakes, right?

 

There's a park right across from the park, and here's... a TREE!

 



It felt so good to be on a dock, surrounded by water... We used to have a boat when I was little and spent a lot of time at the lake. Happy memories.

More boats.

 

Still more boats.

 

And now we come to the title of this post. So, Dad and I were reading all the boats' names... which is always fun... and I really liked this one: On the Wings of the Wind. We also saw one called 10 acious. Cute, right?

 

Do you love being on the water? Would you rather go surfing or boating regularly?

I look forward to reading your comments!

 

~xoxo~

Ireland

Nobody Ever Told You // Outfit Post

Hey y'all! It's Wednesday... middle of the week... how's that going for ya? I'm doubling up on algebra this week, trying to finish early for the school year. Once math and Latin are out of the way, 10th grade will be winding down and I'll be FREE from those... ahem... less desirable subjects and able to concentrate on reading Jane Austen and learning piano.

I know that a lot of people like math. I mean, I sort of wish I did-- it'd be fun to be all math-y and science-y like the people in the movies. (Think Nicholas Cage in The National Treasurer or Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man. Nerdy is cool!) But my brain just GETS English better. I guess I'm a right-brained person. Or is it left? I forget. And Latin-- well, I was excited to take Latin this year, but my enthusiasm has waned since finding out firsthand how difficult it is. Major respect to Latin scholars.

But I'm not complaining right now-- how can I, when I get to take two-hour breaks in the middle of a school day and go to the beach with my mom and brother? And take outfit pictures and look at black-and-white striped lighthouses and fly kites?  And wear banana-yellow and pink plaid and white denim while doing so?

Don't get me wrong. I know life isn't all rainbows and butterflies and soft yellow sweaters. Life is harder than algebra could ever dream of being (and algebra is pretty hard! :) ). But there is always beauty in it, too, even if we forget to notice. Like the dusky grey sky out your window. Like the raindrops slipping off the azaleas in the bushes. Like the sand between your toes and the smell of coconut sunscreen on the beach on spring break. Like the inner-knowing that even if right now is... ahem... less desirable... Jesus is always here for you, with his arms outstretched and his big, gentle voice speaking softly to your soul.

 

You can so do this week.

 

xoxo,

Ireland

 

Pink Button-Down: Aeropostale

Cropped Sweater: Ralph Lauren, thrifted

White Capris: American Eagle, thrifted

Sandals: ??? (my mom's closet)

Title: Nobody Ever Told You by Carrie Underwood

Kites & Superheroes // Outfit Post

 

Happy Belated Easter, everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Sunday. Today we went to the beach and my little brother Jeffrey got to try out his new present, a bright green Hulk kite. He did really well, and before we left, said "this might be the most fun I've ever had". Or something to that effect. He's starting to use very grown-up phrases and it's cute :)

 I wore a dark red maxi skirt with the new tank top my mom found at a consignment shop over the weekend. It's really creative-looking, like something a European girl would wear while riding her bike through a flower festival. And, of course, what says, "I live at the beach" like a maxi skirt?

 

We spent part of the time taking pictures, part of the time flying Jeffrey's new kite, and the rest trying to swat away the weird little bugs that kept sticking to our skin. In spite of the bugs, it was fun. While it was hard to leave home last year, I'd wanted to live at the beach for so long and it was an answered prayer when we finally arrived with the Penske truck in Southport. And days like today just don't happen unless you're coastal :)

Wishing you an amazing week ahead, kites optional.

xoxo,

Ireland

Still That Girl // Outfit Post

I love how colors work together. Today I'm wearing this bright pink hi-lo shirt from H&M with light blue capris and colorblock wedges-- it's bright and fun and perfect for this warm, sunny spring day.

There are only 2 H&M stores in North Carolina that I know of, and one of them is in Greensboro, where my dad had a business conference a few weeks ago. This top is my first piece from H&M, and I got it for less than fifteen dollars.

I love these earrings, and they just so happen to match my top really well. I wanted to play around with the black and white thing, so... =)










The shoes are originally from JCPenney, but I got them as a gift from my grandmother.

I would say this look is a cross between of girly and trendy. What do you think? And how would you style this shirt? Let me know in the comments.

xoxo,
Ireland

Title Credit:

"Still That Girl" by Britt Nicole

from the album Gold

Happy April // Outfit Post

Pastels? Check. Sandals? Check. Sunshine? Check.

 

Yep. It's definitely April.

 

April is famous for a certain gift-giving bunny... but most importantly, April is the month when we celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior. It's easy to get lost in the festivities, but we gotta try to stay focused on Jesus. Life is more fulfilling when we keep our eyes on Him-- something I know I need to remember.

 

Today is Wednesday, and that means a full day of homeschooling and then youth at 6:00. I'm wearing a knotted chambray top and a watercolor-print high-lo dress (worn as a skirt). It's fun but not overly dressy, and the color scheme screams SPRINGTIME!!! Which is greeeaaaat, because it's been a long winter!

This is my first outfit post on my new blog, and I would love for you guys to fill up the comments section with your input and suggestions. I plan to do more of these in the future... so here's hoping!

xoxo,
Ireland

 

Chambray shirt: Charlotte Russe

Tank top: Old Navy

Dress (worn as skirt): PacSun

Sandals: ??? um, my mom's closet