simple and sweet

 

Simple and Sweet-

Some warm weather and a sprinkler kept our Ellie entertained all afternoon- such a simple thing... Water coming out of a $2 plastic sprinkler produced such a sweet afternoon...........

The smile on her face in the last picture is precious.

Elle's daddy and I had such a fun afternoon watching you run through the sprinkler!!

 

the mare and the donkey

Since last July (13') when Matt and I celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary it feels like I have continued the celebration in my mind.
The march to 20 years of marriage (in my mind) is a milestone of sorts- Maybe not for some but it seems like it for us.
well not really a march for My Matt and I but more like stubborn sitting followed by a sharp kicking followed by wild running..
one year to another to another....
He get's annoyed and sits in place and I come by and 'WHACK'....
we're off :)
......(ok not literally a whack and he's not literally sitting- I'm using Metaphor's here)

A few years back we were in Pennsylvania Dutch Country.  We were passing farm after farm- some containing horses, some cows, some both- As we were passing a horse farm we all (the boys were with us) happened to be looking at 2 horses that were standing very close to each other- Before either one of us could blink one of the horses (Mare?) quickly backed away and delivered 2 Jacky Chan looking kicks to the side of the other horse.  Matt proudly announced to our boys (who had been watching)...
'That horse (the kicking one) is just like your mom boys- It's a Stephanie Horse!!'
Maybe it's unhealthy humor on our part, but we all laughed and I replied 'If we are labeling each other by horse names than your horse example would be a Donkey.....we all know the proper name for donkey's!!' and the laughing continued.

Certain types of Mares are described as being moody, aggressive, and strong willed
All types of Donkey's are described as being stubborn, stubborn, and more stubborn (if they do not want to do something they will literally sit on their bottoms and not move until they feel like it)

I guess as mares and donkey's get older they start settling down just a bit- a little less strong willed and a bit less stubborn...
maybe Matt and I will develop each into those passive type of horses that let children braid their hair (bleh) and are chosen to ride beginners around because we are considered so docile (double bleh)
or maybe we'll just be left out in a pasture, the two of us together.....to give tourists a good hardy laugh as we prod each other on...
one sitting and one kicking.

I love you Matthew Benjamin and consider it an honor that the Lord has chosen me to spur you on in this life....As you well know, I take this job very seriously....
I am now throwing my head back and laughing

'And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds'

Hebrews 10:24

botox, your out- wrinkled skin, your in!!

I've always said that I was going to have some sort of medical procedure done on my face when I turned 35.
So 35 came and I said this....
'If we don't end up adopting, I am going to buy a (2005 Black) BMW X5, take a 2 week trip to China with the organization 'Show Hope' and spend every minute of that time rocking and praying over all the orphaned babies in Maria's Big House of Hope, AND get some sort of laser peel done on my face.'
Praise the Lord we adopted the year I was 35
Time has marched on and so has the collagen that once graced the derma layer of my skin.  In it's place it has left age spots, wrinkles, UV Spots, garganguous pores (maybe the big pores are a result of my sis and I picking our zits faithfully every night when we were in high school), Porphyrins, and poor texture......
How do I know the word 'Porphyrins' you might ask?
(I can't remember what it means)

I went to my long awaited 'some sort of medical procedure' consultation today-
I brought my friend Deb because no woman should brave the dermatology world alone.

You start off with removing all of your makeup besides eye and lip...I guess the machine can't get a proper reading if you have on make up.
you then stick your head into a machine- The machine reminded me of the old time camera's that you would stick your head in and cover the back of your head with a black towel (my head was even covered with a black cloth napkin looking thing)....The machine takes pictures that analyze the top layer and several layers beneath that top layer of skin.....

Here's how the chips fell for me

Out of 100 ladies my age, I rank in the top 12 worst for Wrinkles, Texture to my skin, and UV spots (13% on this one)..........hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee
shoulda choose sunscreen instead of baby oil
I was also informed that I have some sort of discoloration (she used a big word) that will continue to get darker with age (and sun exposure)...the discoloration is similar to 'pregnancy mask'.
I wish I could scan the pictures in of my face so you all could see but my scanner is broken.

The attending Physician's Assistant recommended I start on an antibiotic for the (non pregnancy) pregnancy mask along with starting a skin regimen that will help lighten the skin....She said a laser peel was out of the question but that Botox was highly recommended....The Botox would relax my face muscles so that they would be virtually un useable (she showed me the botox'd areas on her face- she could not squint or lift her eyebrows)

I enjoy squinting and raising my eyebrows too much
Botox your out....wrinkled sun damaged skin, your in!!
Maybe when I get a bit older and my skin won't even register on the fancy pictures, I will qualify for my much dreamed about laser peel...
Until then I will embrace Mary Kay's full coverage foundation for all of the age spots and cut my bangs shorter to cover the wrinkles on my forehead :)

 

Below is a pic of Deb and I a few years back- We were at the beach in Maui......My un-sunscreened forehead a beacon for all kinds of sun destruction :)



p.s. thanks for going with me today deb- I love you lots!!

trip to t.j.'s

Is it too informal to call Trader Joe's T.J.'s..........I usually save the nick names for those I have known for years and have come to adore (the rule of thumb is that if you receive a little somein' somein' from Goodwill from me you know your 'in'....if I call you by a nick name AND have bought you something from Goodwill you know you've arrived....smile)

It is only recently that our town inherited Trader Joe's- Before it's local arrival it was a bit inconvenient to get to (closest one was 4 hours away) and a bit small- We would stop every once in awhile when we were in their neighborhood but were never overly impressed....Looking back, the store we were visiting was on the petite size compared to their usual store size...I had heard a ton about their wine (believe the name was five buck chuck- or two buck chuck.....maybe up chuck....hee hee hee- too lazy to google the wine name but you get my drift).  Not being a big wine drinker I decided to try their cookies and snack type stuff on that first visit.
Fast forward a few years and move your thoughts to a tropical island, far far out to sea, where the palm trees sway and the sun always shines....
Kauai
Martin and Mary were coming to visit their children Antone and Dionne- In that visit they were also going to be staying with our family.  Mary has the amazing gift of hospitality and shares it with those around her....upon her visit she brought us a slew of goodies from Trader Joe's...
Ginger Snap Cookies (the whole round carton gone in 1 day- followed by a near migraine and a sugar low- followed by wishing for another carton), smoked salmon, you name it we got it.
LOVE LOVE AND MORE LOVE
Since Mary's gift offering, Trader Joe's has been on the grocery radar for a few must have's....
After one of Ryan's doctor appointments last week he asked if we could go to Chipotle for lunch..  It was 10:45 and they did not open until 11- Ulta is Chipotle's neighbor...this is where I really wanted to go but because Ry was in tow we opted for Ulta's neighbor, T.J.'s-

In the bag when Ry and I walked out was a few recommended finds:

• Mix together their sweetened coconut flakes, raw pumpkin seeds, unsalted sunflower seeds, and cranberries- Makes a protein filled tasty snack (also good mixed into your greek yogurt in the a.m.)
• 21 Season Salute- Great over almost anything
• Raspberry/Apricot shortbread cookies- If you like a buttery shortbread this cookie is for you. 
• T.J.'s Pita Crackers served with their Colby jack sliced cheese and turkey- The Colby also makes a great grill cheese...
• Gotta go back to the coconut for a sec...I think they must deep fry it- it is DELICIOUS- crisp and crunchy with a yummy coconut taste

letters

In 2006 I went to a party at my friend Becky's house- She was hosting a 'Once Upon a Family' party.  I had never heard of the company before (the staple home parties back in the day were Tupperware, Pampered Chef, and Mary Kay) but thought it would be fun to go hang out at Becky's for an evening.
I'm so glad I went...
As the consultant started explaining about the product being sold, a box immediately caught my eye.  It was a hard cardboard box probably a foot long and six inches wide...inside was 18 envelopes and 18 stationary cards- One for each year of your child's life...the goal was that one would write their child a letter each year on their birthday- You would store them in the box until it was time to give them to your child.
In 2006 Eli was turning 10 and Ry was turning 7-
Over the course of 8 years I have written to my boys 9 letters (Ellie has 3)....
For all of my mommy friends out there- This is one of the 'I would recommend' doing for your kids... :)

Matt asked me when I was going to give Eli his- technically Eli's letters are complete
'When he's ready' was my answer.....
'How will you know when he's ready?'

I'll just know

UPDATE- June 23, 2017...Ellie has 6 letters, Ryan's last letter (he has 11 letters) was written earlier this month (his 18th birthday), and Eli has 8 letters.  For my mom friends out there- I'm still SO GLAD I did this.

for i know.

'For I know the One in whom I trust...'
It's been a heavy month.  Emotionally, Spiritually and Physically...
There are times when one or two of the above will combine and create a difficulty but it's not too often that all three mingle in the same breath...
For me, it's the inhale of an emotionally difficult situation that will determine the exhale.  How to process the knowledge of the scary and sad- things that you can not tuck away in the clean compartment of 'we will deal with this later' or 'it's not as bad as what it looks like'.
It was just past midnight last Tues. night that I woke up panicked.  Panic, Anxiety, and Fear are a natural default if I am not careful....careful to remember the One in whom I trust- careful to remember His promises- careful to remember that it is He who is in control...He who is guarding and guiding.
As I lay in the dark, staring at the reflection of the clock on the ceiling above the bed, my heart started pounding- racing really...
'What's wrong with Ryan....He's been sick for 24 days and keeps getting sicker'
'What is the reading of the MRI going to say- The picture of Ryan's feet sticking out of the machine earlier that morning was blaring in my mind- the blood draws and the 'we are not quite sure what this is' from the doctors'- I had googled enough about what was going on with Ryan to know that it was more than likely Lyme's disease.  I didn't know how far it had progressed but had read horror story after horror story to know it was serious and needed to be treated quickly..
'They just gave Malina 72 hours to live- The Leukemia had come back only this time there was no treatment left.....Jesus WHY....she's so young- she's the mommy to a daughter just 9 months older then Ellie- she needs to raise her daughter- Her husband and family have already seen her suffer so much- they need her too... please Jesus give them strength and give Malina strength....JESUS!!!'
The panic spiraled down from there.......
heart pounding, shaking, the overwhelming thoughts one after another until they seemed to create a pile up crash- the scene of what you would see on the freeway when that first car spirals out of control and there are 20 more behind that can not stop in time....

My Bible was on my nightstand- I grabbed it and put it under my pillow....
With all the panic thoughts, the consistent quiet of 2 Timothy 1:12 was being nudged on my heart...

'For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.'

The choice was mine- was I going to focus on the very real and very loud crash and burn thoughts or was I going to trust the One in whom I believe- The One who promises that He is able to handle and has under control all that is going on in our lives.  The One who promises a peace that passes all understanding during hard times...The One who promises that our home is Heaven and it is literally just a breath away...The One that promises strength to the weary and comfort to the broken hearted....the one that promises He will allow nothing into our lives that He will not use for our good and His Glory.... the I AM....

As the news that our Ryan does indeed have Lyme's Disease came in- to the degree he will have to battle it we do not know.  We do know that the Specialist is hopeful that 3 months of antibiotics will be the answer...
As the news that Malina was ushered into Heaven- That the much prayed for earthly healing had not taken place but instead her healing had come seeing her Lord and Savior face to face- Heaven, a place where there are no more tears- no more suffering-

As all of this (and more) was confirmed, there was a choice to be made- was I going to panic or commit it all to the Lord with the promise of peace....

I don't know what Ryan's Lyme's will end up looking like-
I can not even imagine the grief Malina's family is experiencing- There are no earthly words that can touch the depth of their sorrow
But what I do know is that we have the promise of a Keeper- a keeper who is able- A Keeper who gives peace to that which we commit to Him until the day He brings us to our Heavenly home.

Jesus I commit all that is going on with Ryan's health and Malina's family to you.......

'For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.' (2 Tim 1:12)

 

'

'i'm tree' (three)

Our girl is three (she say's 'I'm tree')
11:46 a.m.
Saturday June 18
5 lbs. 3 oz.
17 3/4 inches long
Three Years ago today...
Thank you Lord Jesus for the incredible blessing of Heather and Arthur's plus Matt and My Ellie Marie.
Elle's you are a treasured gift and we love you so so much.

Happy 3rd Birthday Baby Girl!

 

 

dry socket, dirty wind, and wounded brief :) :)

When the boys were little we would give each other 'Indian' names (Eli was all about watching Indian themed movies).  An Indian name in our family meant that you would receive a 'nick name' that in some way described you- It needed to have a bit of a funny edge to it because that's just how we are....
About the time we were giving each other Indian names Matt was told by the dentist that he needed to have his wisdom teeth taken out.  This is not fun when you are a teenager- this is really not fun when you are in your early 30's.  The wisdom teeth coming out was at the end of a decade long 'removal' for Matt.....Tonsils in his early twenties, Cyst at the top of his tail bone mid twenty's, now his wisdom teeth- The first 2 had produced infection afterwards so we were banking on whatever the worst case scenario short of death was, this would happen when his wisdom teeth came out......
It took a hospital visit and a very strong dose of antibiotics to get the dry socket infection under control over the course of a month after the surgery...
Matt's Indian name was: 'Dry Socket'

I think the first breath Eli took after gracing us with his presence went right through his body and settled into his intestines, only to be let out slowly in air pockets called gas............
The child was the gassiest and most colic infant on the face of this earth. this did not stop as he grew up.......
Eli's Indian name was: 'Dirty Wind'

Ryan was pretty much battling some sort of ailment throughout most of his childhood- Once he was potty trained and started wearing big boy underwear you could always count on his underwear hanging out the top of his pants- I would shove it down and somehow it would make it's way back up- resting comfortably in the middle of his back....looking back, I wonder if his underwear was too big- the fact that it could make it all the way up to the middle of his back leads me to believe this is such.......All that being said,
Ryan's Indian name was: 'Wounded Brief'

We never did get around to giving me an Indian name- by the time we would rehash the stories to Matt and the boy's Indian names we had usually lost interest and had moved on...

A couple of days ago Ellie asked if I wanted to have tea with her (we went with Cherry 7-Up in our tea cups instead of actual tea)
When I saw the 'selfie' pic I tried to take of us having tea I instantly thought of how we used to give each other Indian names......

I give myself the Indian name:
'Tea Cup Nose'......................................hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee!!

p.s.  Ellie's Indian name would be 'Wild Hair'- not because of anything in this picture but because she truly does have 'WILD HAIR'- It is amazingly curly (like her birth mom Heather) and will not be tamed by even the most expensive product.

Dry Socket married Tea Cup nose.....They went on to have Dirty Wind and Wounded Brief....By the amazing gift of adoption they were able to have Wild Hair............

Throwing my head back and laughing!!

ticks and testing

Would you believe that after 16 days my Ryan is still battling (welt looking) hives- he's working his way through his second dose of prednisone and his first round of 21 days of antibiotics.......
BUMMER.
BUMMER BUMMER..
BUMMER BUMMER BUMMER...
We have several things in the works at this point-  Due to an onset of migraine headaches (w/aura's) that seemed to ramp up about 6 weeks before all of this hive stuff, Ry will be having an MRI early next week- The Doctor said that they will be looking for blood vessels that are unusually small on the left side of Ryan's head (the migraines localize on the left side of his head once the Aura is gone).  There is a HUGE chance that the migraines are simply genetic (my side).  Once this MRI is done we will have the option to see an allergist (for the hives- they want to send Ry to an allergist with a clean bill of health).

Because (I think it's bad grammar to start out a sentence w/because) we learned that Ryan had a tick on him about a month ago,  he will go through extensive testing for Lyme's Disease with a Specialist in a town about 3 hours North of us mid next week......(thank you for the recommendation Darlene J.)
When Ryan's doctor learned about the tick he said that Lyme's disease in Oregon is VERY rare and he did not believe he had it- that being said, Dr. C wanted to be on the safe side and start him on the antibiotic regimen that one gets if they do have the beginning of Lyme's. If the Lyme's Test comes back negative we will go directly to our local Allergist to get this situation resolved.

Ryan missed close to 2 weeks of school due to being very achy w/a low grade fever along with the hives- The Antibiotics have really seemed to help those 2 symptoms and he was able to return back for this last week of school....

In other news.....
Eli's graduation ceremony was beautiful- Just before the sun set last Wed. night our first born was handed his diploma- We celebrated with lots of friends/family/ and food :)
Ryan has the privilege of participating at the 4-H Shotgun State Tournament next week- GOOD JOB RY!
Next week will also have us celebrating Ellie's 3rd Birthday (whoop whoop!!)- I think she is the smartest 3 year old in the Northern Hemisphere....maybe her superior smartness even reaches a world wide status....... (mommy loves you Elle's Marie)

Happy Tuesday Everyone!!

P.S. Malina we believe in Miracles and are praying for you!
P.S. Julie K. we are praying for your Kidney Transplant you are having today-

15 'I'm so thankful's' for you Ryan Chase- Happy Birthday

Dear Ryan Chase,

In honor of celebrating the day you were born, 15 years ago today, I'm gonna do 15 of the 'I'm so thankful for you because...' 

1. I'm so thankful for the tender heart and bond you have towards/with Ellie....your little sister does not know how awesome this is yet BUT as she gets a little older and understands all the time and attention you give her she will forever be thankful for it....I would be willing to bet you and Ellie will have a close bond your whole lives because of the time you spend with her now.
2. I'm so thankful for the respect you have towards others....you didn't know I was listening to a phone conversation you were having with a gentleman who was selling his pick up- it caught my attention when you ended the conversation with 'thank you very much sir...'- You've already learned a valuable lesson early in life....respect
3. I'm so thankful that you are a fast learner- you watch someone do something once or listen to them explain it and you pick it up fast...This might explain why you are the only person in our family to pull down a 4.0..........
4. I'm so thankful for your willingness to help out- If you see someone in need you don't shy away from lending a hand
5. Really thankful for your integrity....you don't sway- you stand......this is Jesus in you
6. Your confident in your beliefs and do not mind telling others where you stand....I'm so thankful for this in you- Even if I don't always understand or agree I admire it none the less
7. You have a quiet strength that shines.....I am not only thankful for this but I LOVE THIS about you....The Lord has already and will continue to use that strength for His Glory
8. I am so thankful that you are dependable....if you say your are going to do something you do- If you say your not going to do something, you don't
9. I am thankful that you really like spending time with older people- you will not only notice the elderly gentleman in a crowd but you will go over and talk with him....listening to his stories and telling him your stories....
10. I am thankful that you inherited mommy's coordination....this was passed down from papa Rick's side...........I hope it works out that you get to play baseball at some point in your high school years- if it does your going to do great
11. I am thankful that you inherited daddy's practical side....you also think things through like your daddy
12. I'm thankful that you have weathered some difficult times and come through the other side stronger....a bit more sarcastic.....maybe even a bit mouthier......but with a deep down grit that gives you a solid confidence.
13. I'm thankful that you have a hilarious sense of humor (and a bit annoying sometimes)- Thank you for flexing on a daily basis- smile :)
14. I'm thankful that you love Jesus.......that even without me reminding you, you do your devotions and care about what the Bible Says....
15. It's 5:37 p.m. sweetie- you were born 12 minutes ago 15 years today- I'm so thankful for your birth....that the Lord has allowed daddy and I to be your parents. 

Daddy and I love you so much Ryno-
Happy 15th Birthday,
Mommy

Ryan with his uncle Mark, Aunt Judie, Josh, and Ash

chocolate, hives, and graduation

Today started with this for breakfast:

Followed by scheduling yet another Doctors Appt. for Ryan to figure out what this hive looking rash is (that has kept him really achy with a low grade fever) for the past 10 days

Will come home from the Dr. in time to give Ellie a nap:

After Ellie wakes up from her nap we will head to Eli's High School to watch him graduate :)

Happy Chocolate, Hives, and Graduation Wednesday!!

a girls guide to goodwill....happy shopping!

What is your favorite thing to wear?  Fill in the blank and then start in that section on your visit to Goodwill

• Mine is dresses....For the most part, that is always where I start when I go into Goodwill.  The dress section is usually one of the smaller sections so is easy to make your way through piece by piece.  Some of my favorite dresses are the brands 'White House Black Market', Calvin Klein, and Max Studio....

Next I will go to the section of things needed....right now it is summer clothing- tank tops and capris.

• tank tops/shirts can be a tricky section- they are usually color sectioned instead of size. This section is usually the largest area so trying to go through each shirt to find one you like can get overwhelming.  A good way to narrow down your search is to recognize right out of gate you will probably not look at each shirt.....try to avoid looking at the colors you do not usually wear or are not comfortable in (red, yellow, and brown would be mine)- unless I have an unlimited amount of time I do not even go through those color of shirts.  Also pay attention to the fabric of the shirt- an Old Navy grade cotton shirt that has a moderate amount of wash to it will either be forming the small balls you will see on cheaper cotton or on it's way to forming them- avoid these (Gap, Banana Republic, and J.Crew have a well made grade of cotton).........Goodwill has too many 'better' options to settle for a tired looking shirt that has it's foot in the retirement door.  Polyester in shirts and dresses are easy to wash, hold their color, for the most part do not wrinkle, and can be worn dressed up or dressed down....these will usually be a good buy at a second hand store.

The pants section is a great resource for our stylish wardrobes

•  In our area the pants size is marked on the price tag.  Most of the price tags are facing the shopper...this makes it so that you do not have to piece by piece search for the pants- I will walk down the pants aisle scanning the sizes...when I see a size 12 I will pull that pant out just enough to see if it is a brand or style I like (I recently purchased 2 pair of BKE Capris that retail on the Buckle Store site for $118.each- My purchase price was $5.99 per pair- while this brand caters to more of a younger cliental their curvy fit has a versatile age look...stylish but not teenager- The name brand 'American Rag' and Bisou Bisou are the same way).  A darker washed jean is great for slimming and for dressing up an outfit.  Be careful of the 'flare' or bell bottom look (where the bottom of the jean in quite a bit wider than the calf area)- Rarely are these jeans worn in a way that makes others want to run out and copy your style...add a cheap jean fabric that shrinks just a bit and you've got high water bell bottoms..oh no no no no.  NO!!
• Capri's are versatile- they are able to be worn in the summer (to hide upper leg cellulite, white legs, and unshaven legs) with flip flops or cute sandals and also in the winter with a pair of boots.  The capri will come just low enough to tuck inside your boots and look like pants or if they are a wide leg capri you can wear them on the outside of your boot.
• If the jean or pants say 'mom cut' just walk away....really fast and do not turn back. no exception to this rule

Shoes, Shoes, and more Shoes!!!

• Yes others have worn the shoes prior to you trying on.....think of it as you are doing your part in the recycle trend- If your worried about foot disease count your blessings that we live in a era where fungal foot spray is sold over the counter at Wal Mart.
• Going through the shoe section is easy- take a quick walk through it, gazing for the cutest    pair(s) of shoes you can find- try on for size and that's that.....I've scored Tory Burch, Coach, Ugg, Cole Haan, Kate Spade, etc... in the shoe department- I've also scored some pretty cute Pay Less shoe store shoes from Goodwill......
• A bit of a heel is always good- it tends to be slimming.  Heels have come along way in the past 10 years (like pregnancy clothes)...company's like 'sofft', Born, b.o.c.,  and Naturalizer have come out with a comfortable easy to wear high heel.  Jimmy Choo and Stuart Weitzman also have a nice heel- these may be found at Goodwill stores in larger cities where these stores reside but not a high possibility of finding them at our local goodwill (if you do BUY THEM!!)

Oh la la it's the purse section.........

• These are best bought from upscale second hand stores, discount retailers like TJ Maxx or Marshalls, or flea markets in Maui that have knock off Louis Vuitton and Prada's.......Goodwill does get them in- these are the purses behind the glass counter when you check out- you don't want to be paying $24.99 for a used knock off that screams 'worn out and tired looking'
• If you do shop purses from Goodwill look for: Fossil, Lucky, Diesel, Hobo International, The brand 'Guess' and Steve Madden may be cute but can be purchased at the discount stores like Ross brand new for a Goodwill price.

Belts, Scarves, Shorts, and Skirts........

• Not my area of expertise AT ALL- I've owned the same brown belt for 5 years that was purchased from TJ Maxx- any other belt I own came on a dress I bought....scarves make me look like I have a broken neck and big shoulders so I avoid.....shorts- they hang weird....thinking it's the saddle bags (A standing ovation to Hershey and Ghirardelli for these).  Skirts are an every once in awhile buy....not enough to give any solid advise about.

The Jewelry selection at Goodwill is AWESOME- check it out!!

There is a MILLION more details I could share...if you have a specific question please feel free to ask-

Like water and chocolate, our Goodwill stores are precious resources- a resource that can breath life into anyone's wardrobe no matter what your economic status. 
I would encourage you to not let another day pass without checking out your local Goodwill-

Happy Shopping to you,
Steph

p.s. One last thing- Goodwill is a great place to shop no matter what your clothing size....

The below picture was supposed to be of my friend Deb- on Sunday at church she was wearing the most adorable White House Black Market dress purchased at Goodwill for $5.99- The pictures I took turned out blurry :(