Maxi Skirts

Today, I bought a maxi skirt.

Now, this would ordinarily be a staple in every girl's wardrobe, but when you're 5'2 and not exactly a stick, you shy away from long skirts.

I'm here to tell the world that you don't have to be 5'9 and 120 pounds to wear a maxi skirt.

Here's what to look for if you're shaped like me (short and slightly curvy):

1. Find one that you can pull up without it wrinkling under your shirt or one that has a fold-over waistband. This way you can adjust the length and you're not drowning in the fabric.
2. Find a flattering fabric. The one I purchased is black and grey. It's got stripes that meet in a "V" in the center, but I wouldn't exactly call it chevron. Avoid straight-across stripes in order to create the illusion of narrower hips.
3. Dress it up! Find a top in a similar color to the skirt in order to avoid awkwardly dividing the midsection. Wear a cute jacket if you're self-conscious about your arms.

Wear that skirt with confidence! You are beautiful and your clothing should highlight and enhance that beauty! Don't be afraid to try new fashion trends just because of your size. As long as you wear it in a way that highlights your beauty, you'll look awesome!

Birchbox

Recently, I've started subscribing to Birchbox. Each month, you pay $10 and they send you a box of beauty products specifically tailored to you. It asks your skin tone and favorite types of products and comes up with a few samples and products for you to try. At first, I was a little worried that it was a scam, but I did my research and gave in. It is definitely not a scam. Obviously, the goal is really to get you to buy the full-sized products, but that's not why I've subscribed.

I am a make-up fanatic. I love trying new things and Birchbox allows me to do it each month on a budget. $10 is really not much when you're being sent amazing, high-priced items. My favorite product so far is a Stilla lipgloss that perfectly accents my skin tone!

I would definitely recommend trying it out if you're as make-up obsessed as me!

What Makes You Beautiful

In today's society, women are expected to be 5'8 and 115 pounds. They are expected to have painted faces and airbrushed blemishes. They wear the latest trends by the most fashionable designers, and show a large area of skin. But while that may be something to look at, it's not real beauty.

Real beauty stems from what is inside your mind. It comes from your experiences and your knowledge of the world. It comes from the way you carry yourself. It comes from your motivation and dreams and goals for your life.

Our bodies are inherently beautiful, no matter what society says.

We're beautiful because our bodies were beautifully crafted to, one day, bear children. We are special because we have the ability to become a mother. In my humble opinion, motherhood is the most beautiful thing. We need to take care of our bodies so that we can be prepared in case we decide we want to have children.

That's reason enough to love our bodies, just the way they were made. We don't need surgery to fix the blemishes. We don't need to show it off like a piece of meat in order for it to be beautiful.

If you want to become more beautiful, instead work on your mind. Learn as much as you can and show the world grace and kindness. Real men fall in love with our minds. I promise that when a man falls in love with your mind, he won't care what your body looks like.

What it Really Means to Choose Love

Let me start this off by saying that my relationship isn't perfect. We have our many flaws and we may not fight, but we do bicker at times. I am no relationship expert and I don't want to brag about my relationship. But I am happier with Jake than I have ever been with anyone else.

On my Facebook news feed, I see many blog posts and articles about how a marriage or relationship isn't successful because two people fall in love, but how they choose to love each other. Let me explain what I believe the difference between falling in love and choosing to love to be.

Falling in love is the feeling in your heart that tells you that you deeply care about your significant other. It's the feeling of attraction towards that person.

Choosing to love someone is understand that that person has imperfection. It is not looking past them. It is not staying in a relationship that doesn't benefit you because you love that person despite their huge flaws. Choosing to love someone has to be a two-way street. Your significant other must choose to love you too. It's not a difficult task either, it should not make you cry or hurt you.

It's not always an easy road to be with Jake. But our problems are simply circumstantial. They come from outside issues that we can't control and not from personality issues. Yes, he has flaws. But in my eyes, he's as close to perfect as it gets. He tries very hard to be a good person and because of this, I can choose to love him. It's a choice I make every day, but it's a choice I am happy to make.