What I Wore Sunday, How to Lose 8 Pounds Instantly and Things that Go Bump in the Night

Longest post title ever!

Linking up with Fine Linen and Purple for another What I Wore Sunday.

This Sunday, we actually went to a wonderful Mass at a wonderful parish.  The only not-wonderful thing about it, is that it's 30 minutes away from home.  I felt right at home almost immediately and the parish is full of young, growing families.  It was just a wonderful, orthodox, parish -full of life and reverence.  The priest gave a really good homily, they used bells, beautiful, (mostly) traditional music.   

Elsa got a C for Mass behavior.  I had to take her in the back, but she was fairly good in the back and considering her age, she wasn't too bad.  Everyone else was very good...of course.

And here is what I wore.

In front of a tree...always in front of a tree.  I have a thing for trees.  The shirt is from an army surplus store (it's a long story).  The skirt is Shade Clothing.  The belt is older than the hills and the shoes were given to me.   I'm still not sure if I like the belt or not. 

If I look a little tired, it's because I was up several times, hearing things that go bump in the night.  You see, yesterday, we just put our bunk beds together, and the last time Heidi slept on the top bunk, she rolled off and broke her collar bone.   So, even though we put a bed rail up, I was still nervous and throughout the night, I kept hearing those things that go bump in the night and jumping up to check on her.  All was well though..and no one fell off or broke anymore bones.  So, I suppose it was just the cat, bumping around in the night. 

And, every week I wonder why in the heck I keep doing WIWS.  I'm  not particularly fashion-conscious or that into clothes.  And most of the pictures I see...I totally cringe and am all "ugh I look terrible, I'm too fat, blah, blah, blah."  Which is exactly why I feel I keep needing to do what I wore Sunday.  It sounds trite to say that weight is just a number...but it really IS.  Which is how I lost 8 pounds instantly...simply by weighing myself on a different scale.  Yes, I have two different scales that are consistently 8-10 pounds different in weight.  Guess which one I prefer!

You see..everyone talks about losing weight and exercising to get healthy.  But, I already exercise, and I'm already fairly healthy. I think I have plenty of energy, can get a lot done, can walk miles at a time, carry babies around,  bolt bunkbeds together, put together a lawn mower (okay....so that one didn't go so well...a wheel feel off), mow the grass, cook dinner, etc., etc.   So, in all honesty, if I were to lose the 20 pounds I desperately want to...I really don't think it would make me healthier.  It would make me look better...but it wouldn't necessarily make me healthier.  I've been super skinny before, and I wasn't any healthier then, than I am now.  In fact, I was considerably less healthier because I didn't eat right, and didn't even menstruate for 1 1/2 years.   I eat much healthier now than I did back then.  So, this is a lot of blah, blah, blahing..but the point is, I'm trying to learn to accept my body as it is, instead of always wishing I could lose weight (because after all weight is just a number). In order for me to lose weight, I would have to eat less, and eating less make me miserable, which makes everyone else around me miserable...which means it may not be worth it. 

Which is why I love participating in WIWS Sunday so much.  I love seeing all the different bloggers, real women, of different shapes and sizes who aren't afraid to get photographed and showcase their style, even if they don't fit society's view of the "ideal shape"

And, that is enough blah, blah, blahing for today. 

What I Wore Sunday: It's All Smoke and Mirrors

This week, I took the kids to see a magic show...just a small ,simple one...one of those freebies libraries do during the summer. 

But, it got me thinking about magic and illusion and how in the online world...things aren't always what they seem.

And, then yesterday, I came across this article.

Seduced by the Illusion: The Truth about Transformation Photos

And, while I always knew those transformation photos weren't always what they seem...it kinda blew my mind how different the same guy could look with different poses and lighting and clothes and hair style.

And, it got me thinking about my own WIWS photos...and how each Sunday, I take no less than 1 dozen of them...from different angles in slightly different poses and then sort through to find the best...the most flattering.  It's actually pretty amazing how different someone can look in photos...how the lighting and the angle and the way you stand, make a huge difference.

And, I don't have a fancy camera, and I don't do hardly any editing...but still, I can look very different just depending on the angle and the pose. 

You see, our online selves are always an illusion.  We pick the best photos, we crop out the messy toys in the background, we change the lighting and fix the blemishes.  Few people look as good in real life as they do online. 

So, I thought that today, today...I would go past the illusion and showcase two of my past WIWS photos...the good ones..and the bad ones.   

Check out this:

vs. this:

I look much slimmer in the second photo.  And,  that's with the exact same outfit on...so think about how much illusion can occur with different outfits and lighting and real professional editing. 

And, check this out:

vs.

It's amazing how just the angle and the way I can stand can make me look thinner or fatter. 

See..it's all an illusion.

I've always tried to be very real in my blog.  I'm not a huge fan of blogs that come across as too Pinterest-y perfect.   I'm not perfect (far from it) and I try to be very real. because those are the blogs I like to read..the ones from real moms...the ones that may look a little tired, or haven't quite lost all the baby weight yet..yet they go ahead and show themselves anyway...in all their real person glory.  I'm the mom who yells too much and doesn't have the energy to make heart pancakes on Valentine's Day and Shamrock rolls on St. Patrick's Day.   The one with the the messy house and kids with messy hair and sticky faces.  And, that's okay..because I figure I was put on this earth to make others feel better about themselves. 

Now, onto what I wore today, which was actually Saturday, not Sunday. 

Since we're leaving Sunday to drive to VA so Ben can take the bar exam (begging for prayers, please), we went to the Sat. Vigil.  

Elsa got a C- for behavior...we had to take her out several times.  Granted, it was 5:00 PM and she WAS tired (from NOT napping much today)...but hey, if she napped more, she might get better grades..so that's her fault.

And, here is what I wore.  And yes...I took the best picture and discarded the rest. :)  Sorry, you don't get the bad ones from today!  This one is unflattering enough.

These pictures were taken outside our parish, right in front of the beautiful Mary garden (well that's what we call it anyway).

Looking at Elsa who is crawling between my legs
Shirt: thrifted
Tank: Wal-Mart
Pants: Given to me
Belt: Amazon
Shoes: Payless

I don't particularly care for this outfit...but I got dressed in a hurry and I clearly did not really look at myself in the mirror (and it shows) before getting dressed..  And, I think it might be better without the belt. 

And, I just have to share this picture...because it's cute. 

Greta hugging the Mary statue

Now, go check out Fine Linen and Purple to see what everyone else wore Sunday.