For Catholics, the whole winter season is filled with special feast days and Holy Days to celebrate.  My family doesn't begin celebrating Christmas (playing Christmas music, putting up our tree, etc.) until Christmas Eve, because the Advent season is traditionally the time for preparing for, not celebrating, the birth of Our Lord.  With that being said, I'm the kind of the girl who loves to celebrate everything, whether it be the leaves falling or the first day of Spring, and I love getting into the Winter/holiday mood as much as I can.  So, for today's post I thought I would share my top five ways to get into the holiday spirit!

Third on my list is decorating.  Not Christmas decorations, those are for Christmas ;).  I love any excuse for decorating, and I think Winter is a perfectly acceptable excuse for making the house look pretty.  Some years I just change our table cloth to something more cheery and warm looking, and others I decorate the whole house with fall greenery and purple cloth (to keep Advent and our preparations for Christmas foremost in our minds).  I've seen ideas on Pinterest for decorating with small pumpkins and other harvest foods, and I'm thinking about trying something like that this year.  Whatever makes you feel warm and cheery, add it to your home for the holidays! 

Hi there, ya'll! =)

I've been MIA these past few weeks because my family and I have been on vacation in Mexico! I am planning to share a vlog of our trip on my YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe so you can see it as soon as it's posted!

One of our primary jobs and gifts as women is to beautify our little sections of the world, not just in a sensual way, but by making the very lives of our loved ones beautiful.  As women, God has created us to be beautiful, the most beautiful of His creations.  He has also given us the great gift of being able to beautify anything we choose, and we must learn to use this gift for good and not evil.  Women can make things very attractive to men (look at all the advertisements directed at men that feature scantily clad women, even thought the ad has nothing whatsoever to do with them), both virtue and vice.  While men are naturally more prone to leadership (according to the Natural Law), they can be very easily swayed by us women sometimes.  It's a woman's privilege to help the men of her life stay on the path of virtue by making it so beautiful that vice isn't even alluring to him.

There are so many ways we can beautify our lives and the lives of our loved ones! The most obvious is making our home a beautiful haven of peace and love, a refuge from the noise and chaos of the world.  Little touches such as flowers in a vase, homemade curtains in the windows, and the smell of delicious food cooking when they enter the door show your family how much you love them and that you care enough to make their lives a little more "extra", if you will.  When your family has a cozy, peaceful home, filled with love and beauty in which to live, they will have no desire to leave and search for a their happiness elsewhere.  Many, if not all, of the world's problems of today are caused by broken families, where members of the family are leaving the home and separating from one another to try and find happiness out in the world, when they should be looking for within their family.  By making home an actual HOME, and not just a place to sleep at night, we are helping to heal some of that brokenness.

Another way we can use our gift of creating beauty is by using care with our own appearances.  We women are naturally beautiful, but spending a few extra minutes to enhance our beauty and put a little more effort into what we wear is a way of telling our loved ones "I love you and want to look beautiful for you." More importantly though, we should make sure our souls are beautiful to match our looks.  A virtuous woman is always beautiful, no matter what her physical appearance may be.  In the same way, an immodest or sinful woman will never be able to hide her ugliness for long, no matter how attractive she is physically.

To close, I want to say that in today's world, we women and girls are continuously being told that being beautiful and being told by men that we're beautiful is a bad thing, that it's degrading and sexist, and even a form of sexual assault (I'm not talking about catcalling or anything disrespectful, I'm referring to compliments).  This is completely ridiculous, and contrary to our nature as women.  Plus, it's incredibly insulting because the mindset behind it is that anything feminine is bad and less in dignity than what is masculine, and we must be like men to have any worth.  God has created us to be  His lovely, graceful, virtuous daughters, to use our inner and outer beauty to help our brothers in Christ stay on the path of virtue and lead godly lives.  This is one of our primary purposes in life, and is truly a great and noble one!

//Outfit Details//

Cardigan: Old Navy/ Old

Skirt: Thrifted/Talbots Brand

Tights: Gift

Boots: JustFab/$39.95

Hat: Charming Charlie (sold out, similar here)

P.S. I have been having some issues with my blog template lately, specifically with the comments you all leave me.  For some reason I am unable to respond to or publish them, so until I am able to fix this problem, you can send any questions or remarks you have to me at:

shortandsweetstyleblog@gmail.com

Hi there, ya'll! =)

Makeup can be a bit of a taboo topic among Traditional Catholic and Christian circles.  Everyone has a different opinion on wearing it, how to wear it, how much to wear, etc., ranging from "go all out and remake your whole face" to "wearing makeup is the same as lying and is inherently sinful".  Many women, (sadly) especially in the more traditional Catholic circles, are very judgmental of their sisters when they feel they wear too much, or not enough, cosmetics.  I myself have had other women and girls make uncharitable comments to me about the makeup I wear, both from those who think I wear too much and those who think I don't wear enough.

Hi there, ya'll! =) 

Today I have a new sort of post to share with you all! I've seen lots of "character inspired outfit" posts on other blogs and Instagram accounts and they've always intrigued me, so I thought I'd give it a go myself this Sunday.  I had a hard time deciding what movie or book character I would like to use for inspiration, but finally settled on a character form one of my favorite movies ever: Ella, from the 2015 "Cinderella".

If you know me at all, you know one thing in particular; I LOVE this version of Cinderella! Lily James did such a fantastic job at her role and Kenneth Branaugh managed to recreate my favorite fairy tale in the most beautiful way possible.  Until this movie was released, the only Cinderella movie I felt did the story justice was "The Slipper and The Rose", but this one is definitely my new favorite.  Creating an outfit inspired by Ella was so much fun, her costumes were some of the most beautiful I've ever seen.

One of the first things you notice about Ella is her femininity and gracefullness, so that was something I really wanted to express in this outfit.  All her clothes are blue or light pink, and very girly, but also simple and elegant.  When I first tried on this dress, I was instantly reminded of Ella; the pink roses and blue fabric just radiate simplicity and elegance!

I've never been much of a "ring" sort of girl.  I love rings, but never buy them because, to me, rings are meant to have some sort of significance and not just be for adornment.  The few rings I do own all have some special meaning to me; my consecration ring shows the world I have consecrated myself to Our Lady, my two gold dolphin rings were gifts from my older brothers years ago, my diamond solitaire was my grandmother's engagement ring, etc.  The cameo ring I wore with this outfit was a gift from my maternal grandmother, because I always admired it in her jewelry box when I was little, and makes me think of her every time I wear it. 

(Please excuse the dusty floorboards -_-)

 I've had this cardigan for years now and I think I've only worn it once (*face palm*).  

It's so, so beautiful and elegant looking, but I just couldn't find anything to wear it with! I couldn't bear to get rid of it though, so I've held onto it all this time, searching for something to pair it with.  Sunday morning I decided to try it with one of my new dresses from Neesee's and was. in. love.  The pale pink matches the roses on the dress perfectly and makes the whole outfit even more girly, which is always a good thing in my book. ;)  The color and fabric reminds me of the dress Ella was going to wear to the ball, before her fairy godmother turned it into a ballgown. What is it about pale pink that is so feminine? Whenever I wear something this shade of pink, I always feel like a princess in a fairy tale...all I need is a tiara and an animal sidekick, and I'd practically be in a Disney movie.

  

I'm sure you're all well aware of how much I love this bag by now, but I have to say it again: I LOVE this bag!!! It's so pretty and easy to carry, and goes with almost everything in my closet.  The tassels just make my heart flutter every time I see them...! Alright, I'll stop now...

This outfit was quite a bit of fun to put together so I may do more "character inspired" posts in the future! Be sure to tell me what you think, and if you have any book or movie characters you'd like me to base an outfit off of, please let me know in the comments!

What's your favorite fairy tale?

//Outfit Details//

Dress: Neesee's Dresses (sold out, similar here)

Sweater: Thrift Store

Heels: J.Cole's/$50.00

Purse: Amazon/$21.95

Earrings: Charming Charlie (sold out)

Cameo Ring: Gift

Hi there, ya'll!! =)
A few weeks ago I made an appointment (haha, just kidding, my mom made the appointment.  Making it myself would require using the phone, and this introverted lass doesn't use the phone unless absolutely necessary) with my doctor to have him look at a strange rash all over my back and legs.  Turns out it was a pretty bad Staph infection, so I have been quarantined in my room for the past couple of weeks with nothing to do but read and search Amazon Instant Video for movies to take my mind off the itching.  One of the movies I tried was the chick flick "So Undercover" with Miley Cyrus (I was REALLY bored, don't judge) and the twenty-three minutes I watched of it gave me a lot to think about.  The main character is a tough, foul mouthed, slouchy young woman who spends her days riding a motorcycle around her town and working as a private investigator.  One day an FBI agent shows up and offers her a job where she would be working undercover as a college student to infiltrate a sorority house.  After some annoying dialogue with more foul language from her to show how tough she is, she finally agrees to take the job and the agent starts working to turn her into a "girly girl" so she will fit in with the other sorority girls.  After a makeover, haircut, and a new wardrobe, she looks just like any other girl at the college.  Unfortunately, she has a hard time pretending because the other girls like to talk about things like makeup, clothes, pretty cars, purses, etc. and she prefers to discuss motorcycles, guns and defense techniques.

 The underlying message of the whole movie was that being girly, feminine, and sweet is the same as weak, silly, stupid.  You don't want to be like that, you want to be tough and grungy like the main character! She doesn't need anyone's help and can take care of herself.  She doesn't waste any time on "pretty".  She uses foul language frequently.  All the men around her are made to look like idiots by her cleverness, including her father.  In short, she is a perfect example of a feminist and a "modern woman".

After I turned the film off in disgust, I thought of how many little girls will watch this movie and be influenced by it.  How many little girls are going to feel ashamed because their natural inclination is to want to look pretty and feminine? How many of them will grow up thinking being a girly girl is inseparable from being stupid, weak, and incapable?

God has created us as women.  When He designed women, He created them to be naturally beautiful, soft, sensitive, and caring.  These qualities help her with her mission as a nurturer, care giver, and homemaker. Men He created to be protectors, leaders, and providers, so He designed them to be more assertive, physically strong, and tough, if you will.  Our femininity complements their masculinity, and vice versa.  When we embrace our femininity we encourage them to be real men, protectors, and gentlemen.  When a man treats a girl like a lady, she will start behaving more like one, and when a girl acts like a lady, the men around her are inspired to act like gentlemen.

Feminists have tried for decades to smother the natural instinct in little girls to want to be pretty and girly.  They present it as a bad thing, something wrong with them that has to be fixed.  If they want to make it in life, they have to be like men! This is a horrible, perverted lie, and really degrading to the dignity of women everywhere.  We don't have to be like men to be important, strong, or happy; we were created women and have just as much dignity and importance in the eyes of our Heavenly Father as men! A real woman isn't ashamed of who she is; she is proud of her femininity and how different she is from her father and brothers! God knew what He was doing when He created the two sexes.  If we were all the same, what a boring and uninteresting world it would be! In a godly marriage, the husband is the provider, leader, and protector while the wife is the nurturer, the homemaker, and the heart of the home.  Neither is less vital to the happiness of the home, and neither could function properly without the other.


To summarize this rant post, don't be afraid to show your feminine, girly, pink loving side; revel and delight in the way God has made you! Let your femininity shine and inspire the men and boys around you to respect you as the lady you are.  Don't be ashamed of crying over sad movies, or blushing when you receive a compliment; your sensitiveness is part of your feminine nature, not something wrong with you.  Wear ribbons in your hair, and polish on your nails, and be proud of it! Don't let anyone ever tell you that you must sacrifice your natural sweetness to be like a man.  If Our Lord felt that womanhood and femininity were degrading or less in dignity than masculinity, would He have created the most feminine, beautiful, and loving woman in the history of the world to be His own precious mother? Our Lady is the perfect model of beauty, femininity, grace, submission, sensitiveness, and all the other feminine virtues.  In these times of confusion and rampant vice, let us pray to her to help us become godly, virtuous, feminine ladies who are content and happy with the way God has created us, and who don't need to compete with our brothers in Christ to feel important and special.

//Outfit Details//
Sweater: Thrift Store
Skirt: Thrift Store/ altered by me
Sandals: Gift
Purse: Amazon/$21.95
Necklace and Earrings: Charming Charlie (sold out)

This year I have heard so much about liquid lipstick and how wonderful it is, but, to be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect when I ordered some.  I assumed it would be similar to a lip gloss, so I decided to try their "Road Trip" shade because it looked pink and girly.  Turns out, liquid lipstick goes on like a gloss, but when it dries, becomes more of a matte lipstick! It stays in place all day, and doesn't smudge at all once it dries.  The shade was a little neon for me at first, but after it dried, I loved it.  My lips stay hydrated all day when I wear it! Sometimes I'll add a little clear gloss on top, but most of the time I just wear it by itself.  I do want to point out that it is VERY important to exfoliate your lips before putting on the liquid lipstick; if you don't, your lips will look dry, flaky, and yucky, which isn't very chic at all.  I may or may not have learned this the hard way...

I had a bit of trouble deciding which Lip Glaze to order...all the shades were so, so pretty! I ended up purchasing "Prep", "Candied Hearts", and " Bubbly", and "Candied Hearts" is definitely my go to gloss now! All of the glazes go on so smoothly and look just lovely on top of lipstick, or even all by themselves! I'd never seen a container quite like theirs, but it's very practical and makes applying the glaze easy and flawless.  All you have to do is twist the bottom a couple of times, and the glaze is pushed up through the tube to saturate the brush at the end, and then you can use the brush to apply the glaze however you prefer.

Hi there, ya'll! =)

Don't you just love it when your favorite store has a huge sale??? Few things make me happier (okay, that may be a slight exaggeration, haha) than seeing an email in my inbox telling me about a big sale coming up somewhere that I love to shop.  A couple of weeks ago, Neesee's Dresses sent me one of those oh-so-happy emails to let me know they were having some great deals to celebrate Labor Day.  I had originally intended to only get one Maxi dress for my family's upcoming vacation, but when I saw all the prices and deals (including TWO FREE DRESSES, YA'LL), I ended up with several Maxi dresses, and two new Midi dresses.  I've never written a haul post before, but I think this will qualify nicely, and I can share some of my ideas for styling each dress with you all!



This dress is technically for my mom, but I love it so much I'll probably be stealing it often.  It's so flowy and elegant! I adore high waistlines, and this dress is no exception.  Plus the color is just. plain. gorgeous.  It's a tad bit too long for me (short girl problems), but if I wear heels it's not a problem.  At first I had planned to wear gold jewelry for this look, but when I tried the rose colored, I knew there was no way I was going to style it any other way!



A floppy wool hat is always a classy accessory, but I think a felt (or even a straw!) fedora would also look lovely with this dress.  As the weather gets colder, I will probably also be styling it with different scarves and boots to make it more winter appropriate.


This dress is just perfect in every way.  The sleeve length, the pattern, the colors, the neckline...what's not to love? My family is planning a vacation to Mexico this Autumn, and I have been on the lookout for a pretty maxi dress to wear when we go sight seeing, and I believe I have finally found it.


On a completely different note, I have been attempting to be more creative with my hair styles.  Normally I wear my hair down with the front pinned back, but lately I have been practicing and watching tutorials on YouTube, and have discovered several adorable and easy styles that keep my hair out of my face while still being mostly down! The style I'm wearing in the picture has been my favorite so far, and I may film a tutorial to share with you all in the future, if anyone is interested. =)


Another lovely way to style this dress would be to add a blue belt, and
possibly a shawl in the same shade!


This was my least favorite out of all the dresses I ordered, but I do still like it.  I'm not really a checkered print sort of girl, but it was free, so I decided to try and style it in a more "me" way.  The pink flowers make the whole dress more interesting and unique, which I love, and when I paired it with a black cardigan and belt, I was much happier with the whole look.


All in all, I can definitely see myself wearing this outfit for running errands, out to dinner, or maybe weekday Mass.  It probably won't be the first item I'll reach for in my closet, but it's a great back-up outfit for the days when I'm in a hurry and need something that I know I feel put together in.


Fwuffles is such a model...Every time she sees me with my camera,
she has to run into the picture and pose!


I love the print and color of this dress! It's so feminine and country looking.  Unfortunately, the top of the dress was too snug for my modesty standards, but it was easily remedied by wearing a cardigan over it.  For this look I wore my chocolate colored (doesn't that sound better than plain old "brown"?) cardigan, but I think it would look lovely with a pink sweater as well.


To dress this look up a bit, I would wear a pink cardigan, add some matching pink heels, and maybe wear some flowers in my hair to increase the "country" vibe of this dress.  I can see myself wearing this for a bridal/baby shower, or even for Easter.


This is, without a doubt, my favorite dress out of all the ones I ordered.  Just look at it!!! The color, the hemline, the SLEEVES...! I love bell sleeves, and spent the first ten minutes that I wore it twirling my arms just to watch the sleeves flutter.

Aren't they beautiful???


I love how versatile the style and colors are...I already have several ideas for how to style it for Autumn and Spring, maybe with taupe ankle boots and matching fedora for Autumn.  I was also happy to notice the roses on the dress match one of my new favorite lipstick shades perfectly! You're probably going to be seeing a LOT of this dress in the future; I didn't even want to take it off after taking pictures.



To conclude, I'd say my whole purchase was very satisfactory, and I now own several new, beautiful dresses that I can style many different ways in the upcoming months! I have linked all the dresses below in case you decide you want to purchase them too.  Just a note; while I am affiliated with Neesee's Dresses and advertise for them, I bought these dresses on my own and am not receiving any compensation for my review.  This is just my honest opinion of their products. =)

//Outfit Details//

|First Dress|
Necklace and Earring Set: Charming Charlie (sold out)
Hat: Charming Charlie (sold out)

|Second Dress|
Earrings: Charming Charlie
Mini Bar Necklace: Charming Charlie

|Third Dress|
Black Cardigan: Thrift Store
Belt: eShakti
Shoes: Amazon

|Fourth Dress|
Sweater: Thrift Store

|Fifth Dress|
Shoes: Amazon

I hope you were able to get some inspiration from these outfits for your own wardrobe!

Which was your favorite look?