Friday Favorites

It’s Friday, so y’all know what that means! It’s time to link up with Erika and Andrea to let everybody know what some of my favorite things are right now.

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NEW DRESSES, WHO DIS?

I’m in love.  With a dress.

With 2 dresses actually.

I ordered this pintuck midi dress a couple of weeks ago, I hung it up with some of the other things I ordered, and I forgot about it.  I remembered it earlier this week, so I pulled it out to try it on, and I fell in love.  It’s more of a spring and summer dress, but I’m 100% keeping it because I know it will be a dress that I will wear for years and years to come.  And I’ll actually still wear the heck out of it the next couple of weeks.

It has pintucks, cutaway lace, and covered buttons.  It’s the exact silhouette I love in a dress.  It’s not form fitting, it has sleeves, and it falls above the knee.

Now, if you’re a tall girl, it probably won’t work on you.  I’m 5’4″ and it’s short on me, but I think all of you 5’5″ and under will love it!  For size reference, I’m wearing a medium.

pintuck midi dress / classic gold hoop earrings / necklace / cheetah wrap bracelets / cognac sandals

I’m wearing my cheetah wrap bracelets from the STMT x Victoria Emerson fall collection on repeat.

Here’s the other dress I’m in love with…

This one screams fall.

It’s a great fall floral and has adorable ruffle details at the shoulder.  It’s very soft and comfy, and I think it would be great for fall family photos!  It’s pretty roomy, so you might consider sizing down.  I’m wearing the medium here, and I would normally wear a medium in a dress like this (especially a button up), but I think I need a small.

floral dress / classic gold hoop earrings / necklace / chunky heel booties

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GAME DAY GEAR

With Carter playing football for the first time this year for his school, I realized when I was getting dressed for the 2nd game that I only had 1 blue shirt.

So after wearing the same shirt to the 1st and 2nd games, I went home and ordered some more blue shirts.  The school’s colors are navy and white, but I’m fine with any shade of blue really.

I’m sharing 3 blue tees today, but all 3 of them come in TONS of colors, and 1 of them comes in sleeveless and long sleeve options as well.  Even if you’re kid’s team colors aren’t blue, it’s possible that these tees come in a color you need as well!  I’m showing all the tees today with denim shorts, but they would of course all look great with jeans as well.

This swing peplum tee is so cute, so flattering, and so soft!  It’s great on it’s own, but it will be great layered under cardigans and jackets as well as the weather gets cooler.  I LOVE THIS TEE.  For size reference, I’m wearing a medium.

swing peplum tee /  layered necklace / chunky gold hoop earrings / cheetah bracelet / blue and white tile bracelets / denim shorts / $25 camo sneakers

Look how cute the soft pleats are on the peplum!

And when I found these blue and white tile bracelets online, I knew they would be perfect for game day!

swing peplum tee / cheetah bracelet / blue and white tile bracelets / denim shorts

This tee is lighter blue and it’s got a v neck for those of you that prefer that.  This one comes in solids, patterns, and stripes.  You need to check out all of the options!  Some of them are 20% OFF right now, making them only $15.99. For size reference, I’m wearing a medium.

v neck peplum tee /  layered necklace / chunky gold hoop earrings / cheetah bracelet / blue and white tile bracelets / denim shorts / $25 camo sneakers

This babydoll peplum top in navy is definitely a great choice for me since navy is the real team color.  I actually have this tee already in red and in blush from year’s past, so I knew I would like the style and fit.  For size reference, I’m wearing a medium.

babydoll peplum top /  layered necklace / chunky gold hoop earrings / cheetah bracelet / blue and white tile bracelets / denim shorts / $25 camo sneakers

And again, I’ll be wearing all of these tees right now with shorts…..but when it finally cools off I’ll be wearing them with jeans.

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BASIC TEES

Y’all know I don’t love a tight t-shirt, and I think these swing tees from Amazon are awesome.

They are a relaxed fit without being sloppy, and they are great on their own and layered.  I love the swingy fit.  I’m wearing a medium in the striped one here, but I’m wearing a small one in the white below if you want to see the difference in fit.

striped swing tee /  layered necklace / chunky gold hoop earrings / cheetah bracelet / blue and white tile bracelets / denim shorts / $25 camo sneakers

And here’s the white tee!  It’s a perfect layering piece for fall.  Again, I’m wearing a small here.

white swing tee /  layered necklace / chunky gold hoop earrings / cheetah bracelet / blue and white tile bracelets / denim shorts / $25 camo sneakers

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OUTFIT PICS

I’m sad I’m not able to link this sweater for y’all, but it’s from a local boutique in downtown McKinney and not available online.  Still, I wanted to show the picture for two reasons:  1) It gives you an idea for what one of my transitional fall outfits looks like these days (a lightweight short sleeved sweater, jeans, and sandals) AND it shows you the jewelry that I can’t stop wearing.

huggie earrings / necklace / cheetah double wrap bracelets (cognac bracelet sold out)

cheetah double wrap bracelets (cognac bracelet sold out)

This abstract knit pullover is a new find from Anthropologie!  I haven’t broken it out yet, but I hope to soon. I love the pattern, the colors, and the mixed media design of this lightweight sweater.  You do need to know that the arms and back are somewhat sheer, so some might prefer to wear a nude cami under it.  For size reference, I’m wearing a medium, but I actually think I would be more comfortable in the large.  Other reviewers agree that it does run small, so I would suggest sizing up at least 1 size.

I love it with the grey jeans that are 40% OFF right now.

abstract knit pullover / huggie earrings / necklace / cheetah double wrap bracelets /  grey frayed step hem skinny jeans  / leopard mules

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ASHBY AND HER BRACELET

If you read here, you know that I adore Ashby Shull.  Ashby is my friend Shay’s daughter, and I named one of my recent bracelets after her!

The girl is a force to be reckoned with.  She is 9 years old, she has been through so much, and she still manages to absolutely RADIATE JOY.  She’s like sunshine with skin on!  Due to her Klippel-Trenaunay Syndrome, she’s had over 20 surgeries in her young life, and she is without a doubt the bravest person I know.  She is tenacious, persistent, courageous, and also just incredibly sweet and loving.  Everybody needs an Ashby to look up to, and this sweet girl definitely deserves a bracelet named after her.

And listen to this, Shay told me that Ashby has been wearing her bracelet every single day!  She is the absolute sweetest and I’m just so tickled that she’s enjoying the bracelet so much.  You can find the bracelet named for Ashby HERE.

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AMAZON BRAS

I blog about alllllllllllllllll sorts of stuff on this blog.  If it makes it to the blog, it’s because I like it.  If I go on and on about it, it’s because I LOVE it.  Well, I’m going to go ahead and go on and on AND ON about my Amazon bras.  I blogged about a couple of them back in May, and then I blogged about some new ones at the beginning of this month.

Since those 2 posts have been live, I’ve fielded lots of questions about the bras and which ones are my favorites.  So I’ve blogged about 4 bras, and although I like all 4, 2 have definitely emerged as favorites: this bra and the this bra. (1 is from the post in May and 1 from the post this month.)

The first bra I’m talking about (again) today is the Warner’s Women’s Easy Does It No Bulge Wire-Free Bra .

The “rosewater” color is below, but the butterscotch and the toasted almond are my favorite colors, and most sizes are ONLY $19 today!  LADIES, there are over 20,000 5 STAR REVIEWS, so you don’t have to just take my word for it.

I. LOVE. THIS. BRA.

It’s got perfectly rounded cups (I don’t enjoy a pointy boob), and the entire thing is stretchy and feels amazing on.  And because of the stretch, the sizing is so forgiving.  This particular bra is available in a range of sizes from S to 3 XL. I’m a 34D, this chart told me to order a medium, and the medium is PERFECT for me!

Warner’s Women’s Easy Does It No Bulge Wire-Free Bra

This bra even has extra side coverage panels that smooth out underarm bulge, not that any of us have any underarm bulge. #coughcough #winkwink

Warner’s Women’s Easy Does It No Bulge Wire-Free Bra

And here’s the other bra that made it to the Top 2…

Now we’re talking about the Cloud 9 Wire-Free Comfort Bra.

This bra is amazing too.

And stupid comfortable as well.

This bra rounds me out perfectly.  It also seems to flattens me out just a tiny bit, which I actually love.  If comparing this bra with the one above, I would consider this one more of an AT HOME bra.  Let me explain more….

Cloud 9 Wire-Free Comfort Bra / No Pinching No Problems Cotton Hipster Panty

Here’s the deal, I’m not that girl that likes to take my bra off as soon as I walk through the door.  (Do I hear an audible gasp from y’all right now?  Haha!)  Even after I’m home for the evening, I prefer the girls to remain supported.  And perky.  And if a bra isn’t on my body, that ain’t happening.

So this bra allows my girls to be perky, while still allowing me to be ultra comfortable.  Like this bra is so comfy that I’ll sleep in it.  Actually, I have slept in it.  Not on purpose, but still.  That proves just how comfy it is.

So yes….I’m wearing it at home ALL THE TIME.

Like, ALL THE TIME.

I’ll wear it out as well, but I’ve actually designated this as my AT HOME BRA.  That doesn’t mean it doesn’t make an occasional trip to the grocery store, because it totally does.  And you can better believe that she goes on school carpool all the time.  So don’t worry about her, she still gets out of the house.  Haha!

Cloud 9 Wire-Free Comfort Bra / No Pinching No Problems Cotton Hipster Panty

If you want to read even more about the first bra, click HERE.

If you want to read even more about the second bra, click HERE.

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FOOTBALL

Well, I got another week as a football mama under my belt!  GO ME.  Haha!  As I told y’all last week, the boys are encouraged to dress up on game day, and I think Carter is actually enjoying it. He looked so cute before school on Tuesday, so I insisted on grabbing another pic.  He humored me.

Under Armour shirt / Under Armour pants / belt / shoes (bday gift from grandparents)

The team won, so we were pumped about that!  Carter didn’t have any real chances like he did during the first game, so we’re hopeful that next week he gets some opportunities!

BUT CHECK THIS OUT.  I thought his football pic turned out great!

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BIRTHDAY PICS

Carter turned 13 last Friday and we had a nice weekend celebrating him.  On Friday night he requested pork tenderloin and ice cream cake at home, and we were happy to oblige.  On Saturday night we went to Simply Fondue for a fancy night out.

On Sunday evening my parents picked him up and took him to Hutchin’s BBQ for a birthday dinner.  Chris’s parents took him to Hutchin’s the week before, but we forgot to get a pic.  What can I say, the boy loves Hutchins.  And so do the grandparents!

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PEDI TOOL

Ladies.

LISTEN UP.

I saw this pedi tool on an infomercial on Sunday afternoon.  I immediately hopped on Amazon, found it, ordered it, and I was using it by Sunday evening.

AND OHHHHHHHHHHHEMMMMMMMMMMMGEEEEEEEEEEE.

My heels were in bad shape.  I’ve used this tool ONCE, and they are now smooth as a baby’s butt.  FOR REAL.

You charge it with a USB charging cord and it comes with 2 different roller heads.  It removes calluses and dry cracked skin in a safe way.  I’m telling you.  BABY’S BUTT.  I also use it on the side of my big toe that tends to get rough as well.  I’m HIGHLY RECOMMENDING this pedi tool.  It’s UNDER $18 and worth every penny.

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WEEK IN REVIEW

Monday’s post was a HUGE HIT with y’all!  I took 5 different pairs of jeans and reviewed them thoroughly.  They were all Wit and Wisdom, all super flattering, and all under $80!

Here’s a side by side look at 4 out of the 5 jeans I reviewed.

Click HERE for the post. If you need a new pair of jeans or 2 for the fall, the post should be super helpful for you!  In addition to the 4 pairs seen below, I share 1 other cropped pair and 2 skinny leg options.

grey jeans / raw hem crop jeans  / girlfriend jeans / faded black jeans

If you didn’t see my post on Wednesday about the Perfect Pot, you need to go check it out now! I tell you all about the pot (spoiler alert:  it’s AMAZING), and I share a recipe.  I WAS SO PROUD OF MY FIRST EVER ROAST CHICKEN!  And seriously, the pot really is perfect.  Make sure you use the code SHEAFFER10 for 10% OFF your entire purchase (gifts cards are the only exclusion).

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BRAXTON

Okay, Ladies. This is the most important part of today’s post, so please continue reading!  We all have an opportunity today to be a part of something really special.

If you’ve been around here for a bit, then I’m sure you remember my cousin Alden and her precious son Holt.  Holt was diagnosed with cancer back in 2018, and this little community of ours prayed for him like crazy AND raised a ton of money for him.  I’m forever grateful to y’all for showing up for my family members during such a scary time.  Alden’s family used that money for travel to treatment, for treatment, and for all of the other expenses that come with treatment.  If you remember, after treatment, Holt was declared in remission! Praise God!

Ever since that declaration, Alden has been dedicated to paying it forward and helping other families, which absolutely warms my heart. I’m going to let Alden explain what she’s doing right now…

Hello, STMT community! My name is Alden Price and I am the creator, owner, and sole baker for my tiny sweets business, Feeding Friday Night Lights. However, many of you probably know me better as the mother to The Incredible Holt; the little boy you all so graciously prayed for and donated to when he was battling cancer back in 2018. Although I said this back then, I will never tire or feel like I have said this enough, so here I am saying it again: Thank you so much for all you did for Holt and my family. Thank you seems so small and yet it’s all I have, so it will have to suffice.

Since hearing the most wonderful words, “your son is in remission”, we have been looking for ways to turn our pain in to purpose. It is through my business that I feel like I have found the perfect way to do just that. Every September and March I run what I call a “Cookies for a Cause” fundraiser. I identify a local family whose child is on a difficult medical journey, figure out what their #1 need is, share their story with you, and start collecting donations on their behalf! I sell 2 dozen of my chocolate chip cookies for $25 as well as collect outright donations with no cookie order and absolutely 100% of the proceeds raised goes to the specific family that we are benefiting that month. I do not keep one single dollar for myself or take a percentage of each donation the way GoFundMe does. The fundraiser only runs for 2 weeks, so once it’s “go time” I work as hard as I can to raise as much money possible for these families. 

Just this past March, my CFC fundraiser raised almost $9,000 in only 2 weeks to purchase a service dog that sweet Greysen, a 4 year old boy with cerebral palsy, needed. His service dog, Mack, came home to him in July of this year and my goodness how it has made a difference for him! 

With September being Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, I have identified a family who is in desperate need of our help.

Heather and Pedro Piñero’s 6 year old son, Braxton, has a story unlike any other. Braxton was diagnosed in 2018 with neuroblastoma and spent the next year fighting for his life. After the long and hard treatment, scans would show that he beat neuroblastoma! However, as a side effect to some of the chemotherapies he received, he has developed pulmonary fibrosis.

The Piñero’s are awaiting results to confirm what the doctors fear to be true; that Braxton is suffering from a very specific type of pulmonary fibrosis called PPFE. PPFE is more rapidly progressive than regular PF and, and the thing that’s the hardest to hear… PPFE is ONLY developed as a side effect from some of the chemotherapies he received to battle neuroblastoma. It is terminal, incurable, aggressively progressive, and there is no long term solution or treatment. He beat one of the worst forms of cancer you can be diagnosed with as a child… and yet, he will possibly succumb to the chemotherapy. 

I am sure you can see why the success of this month’s fundraiser means so much to me. 

I have a God-sized goal to raise $31,200 in 2 weeks in order to pay for Braxton and his brother chase to attend play therapy once a week, and for Heather and Pedro to find emotional sustenance once a week, for an entire year. An average session costs $150. $150/session X 4 people= $600/week. $600/week X 52 weeks= $31,200.

I would love to have you come alongside me as we pray for this family and do our best to raise funds for them.  Thank you for taking the time to read about my cause and for all of your prayers for my Holt, my family, and for Braxton and his family.

Saying prayers of thanks for all of you, 
Alden

ALDEN!  WOW!  Braxton is so adorable, and I’m so incredibly inspired by your heart for giving back.  My family will definitely be giving and praying.

To everybody reading this, if you are considering giving to Braxton’s family, I want to share with y’all what Alden has shared with me.  The donations started rolling in several days ago, and she is already amazed at the generosity that she is seeing.  She reports that two big donations (1 for $1,000 and 1 for $500) have come in, but the rest is just people giving what they can!  And y’all, she says that all of these donations are adding up quickly and she is THRILLED with the response so far. No amount is too small!  Even if you can spare just $5 or $10, I would love for you to be a part of blessing this family.

If you would like to donate directly and forego a cookie order, that would be awesome!  Alden wouldn’t say this herself, but as of Thursday night, she had already committed to making 164 dozen cookies.  She is sooooooo happy to bake like crazy, but she is only 1 person, and I want to help her reach her goal for this precious family without having to bake night and day for weeks on end.

If you would like to give a cash donation, you can do so via the avenues listed below.  Please know that Alden is my cousin and is a Godly and trustworthy woman who will absolutely be giving 100% of the donations directly to Braxton’s family.  She chose to do it this way so every single cent given would benefit the family.

     *Venmo (@feedingfridaynightlights)

     *Zelle ([email protected])

     *PayPal ([email protected]) / Please be sure to choose “friends and family” instead of “goods and services” so PayPal won’t take a percentage of your donation.

If you would like to learn more about Braxton and his family, I would like to encourage you to go to one of Alden’s social media channels.  She’s doing a beautiful job sharing his story and will continue to share tidbits over the next couple of weeks until the fundraiser is closed. You can continue to get to know Braxton and his family on Alden’s facebook HERE and her instagram HERE.  

A couple of days ago she uploaded a super informative video to YouTube HERE.  The video will really help you get to know the family through pictures and Alden sharing their story.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, LADIES!  Let’s all join together and really bless the socks off of Braxton and his precious family!

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That’s all for today!  Have a wonderful weekend with your people!

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