Sunday's Best | It's Fall Y'all!

Happy Sunday friends! I'm back with another Sunday's Best post to get you super excited for colder days. As some of you may know, one of my favorite dress brands is Eshakti and one night after browsing their website I came across the perfect Fall dress.

Leaf Print Midi Dress

The print alone screams Fall and I'm so happy I got it because in person, this dress is absolutely perfect. The fabric is quite substantial and will definitely keep you warm all season long. I also had it completely customized to my size which means it fits like a glove. I opted for the boat neckline and the three quarter length sleeves and since Mid Calf is my favorite length on a skirt I kept that as is.

As you all know, Eshakti prints are some of my favorites and this Fall floral motif is perfect. I've been wanting to make a pumpkin colored scarf for a while now and think this is the perfect outfit to pair with it.

Love the skirt of this dress.

I paired it with my favorite Target T-Strap Heels
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This dress is one of four prints you can choose from in this style. Another one on my list is this one:

Rose Print Midi Dress

I just love all things plum colored these days! I ultimately decided on the Leaf Print one because the pattern gave me all the Fall feels!

What are you most looking forward to wearing this season?

WIP Wednesday | Cozy Blanket

After finishing the cowl from my previous post, I decided to start working on my second blanket!

This is my first time using Bernat Blanket yarn and so far I'm really liking it. I chose a looser pattern with this yarn because its easy to work up and not so hard on my hands. I'll post more progress pictures on my Instagram if you're interested in seeing it in more detail.

Bernat Easy Peasie Blanket

Hope you all have a great week!

Rosie Stitches

Hey friends! Today I'm bringing you a new project that is getting me so excited for colder days!

For a few months now I've been looking for the perfect pink chunky yarn to make a scarf for a mentor of mine at church. She is so lovely, caring and gives so much of herself that I knew I wanted to make her something as a thank you for everything she has done for me. She's a mature, elegant woman whose favorite color happens to be pink so not any 'ol pink would do for her! I stopped into Michael's to shop their sale and came across the perfect sophisticated pink! Yay!
Prior to my shopping trip, one night as I was browsing my crochet Facebook groups I came across Megan from Left in Knot's post about her newest creation. This pattern's texture and size gave me all the crochet feels and I immediately saved it onto my Ravelry account. When I saw this yarn I knew these two belonged to each other. I am so in love friends!

She went off to her new home and was instantly loved!

Stay tuned to my Instagram to see more of my current projects. What are your WIPs this week? Any fun fall patterns?

You can find Megan's Sprinkle Cowl pattern here.
My new favorite yarn is on sale at Michael's until September 16th!

Sunday's Best | Fall Florals

Hey Friends! I'm back as promised with the inaugural post for "Sunday's Best". In April I did something that my heart had been wanting for a long time. I was baptized Catholic. My whole life has changed since I entered my beautiful church and almost a year after attending my first Mass, I feel at home. I love this community that I have entered into and my spiritual growth has been amazing.

Growing up, my Mom (a southern woman), had always told me that Sunday is the day to wear your best outfits. In the rural south where she grew up there weren't many opportunities to show off your best outfits but at church. When I started going to church I wasn't sure what to wear and what was acceptable. I soon discovered that people wear pretty much whatever they want, from jeans and t-shirts to the most glamorous outfits I've seen in person.

With my love of pretty dresses, I've accumulated quite a decent size collection. I will be showcasing some of my favorite brands and outfits on this weekly ( I hope!) post. So lets get started!

Eshakti is one of my favorite clothing lines. I was first introduced to the brand when some of my blog friends had showcased their amazing custom made pieces. I had the privilege to review one of their pieces and to this day it is still one of my favorite dresses.

They have reached out to me a couple more times since then and I'm so happy to be able to showcase them again. The Rose Print Georgette Maxi Dress is such a gorgeous print! Although I wasn't sure how the style would look on me, I had to have it simply for the print alone.

It was the first cool morning we had here in Southern California in months and I was so happy to be able to pair my favorite cropped cardigan, matching scarf and hair flower with it. Unfortunately, this dress just doesn't fit me that well on the top. The custom sizing is spot on and there are no complaints there but as I said before, I got this for the print alone (and pockets!). I will still wear it regularly as the comfort and print will keep it a favorite. I'm considering taking it to a tailor to make it sleeveless or shorten the sleeves. Until then I will pair my favorite cardigan scarf combo with it all fall long!

I love the breezy skirt of this dress and how it feels when I'm moving around. Since I'm late to review this it has sold out (you can find the print in a different style here), but this style dress is an Eshakti staple and the prints they offer are gorgeous! This is one of my new Georgette favorites: 

Rose Print Georgette

As the temperature's begin to drop in the next month or so for us, I'm so looking forward to showing you some more of my favorite things to wear on my favorite day of the week. What are some of your favorite pieces from their site?

WIP Wednesday

I've been crocheting all the things lately so I thought I would share some of what I've been working on, my WIPs (Works in Progress) as the cool kids say.

For the past month I have been working on making baby hats for a parish wide baby shower at my church. So far I've made 20 cute little hats and plan on making even more by the end of September. This project has been so rewarding and I thank God everyday for blessing me with a skill that can offer comfort to so many.

I've used a couple different types of yarn for these but my favorite by far has been the Caron Baby Cakes. The yarn is so squishy and soft and the variegated colors are awesome. Thankfully I found them for 50% off at Michael's so I was able to buy more than enough for this project. Hope they make more because they have a fan for life! #yarnmakesmehappy

If you crochet and are interested in making any of these, just shoot me a comment and I'll share with you how I concocted my own pattern from a few I found.

Happy Wednesday!

Let's have a chat

It's been a while. Not sure anyone out there will read this but that's okay. I'm starting this little corner of the web back up again and hope I can stick with it a little longer this time around. So much has changed since I left my blog last. Too much to really catch up on in one post. If you follow me on the socials then you've been with me the last year and there's no need for updates! If you haven't, I will be including snippets here and there to help explain things a little better.

Blogging for me is so much bigger than what I write here. It's interacting with a group of women that have inspired me and I've come to admire. I want to make more of an effort to catch up with all of them again, that's one of the biggest reasons I came back. I also have some fun things to share with you!

Starting today I'll be working on getting weekly posts done. I want to start a fashion series called "Sunday's Best" and tell you all about what I'm wearing on Sunday's or what I've had my eye on in the current fashion market (Target fall clothes are coming!). I also want to take you into my world of crochet and showcase some of the pieces I've made, who they're for and the meaning behind why this craft is so important to me. If Wordless Wednesday is still a thing, you can count me in for some short and sweet posts on Wednesday's just to say hello.

I'm in a good place. For the first time in what feels like years, I feel like things are changing for the better. I'm changing for the better. Hope you'll join me. :)

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Thanks for the chat!

See you soon!

Wordless Wednesday

It's that time again! My team (the Los Angeles Kings) is in the first round of the playoffs and we're going into Game 4 tonight with a win under our belt. So excited!

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Changes

Hi friends! Notice anything different? I went ahead and made the changes I discussed in my previous post. Unfortunately, because I changed my URL all of bloglovin' followers are gone :(. It's fine though, hopefully after reading this post most of you will click that little button down below and I'll be back to where I was in no time!

I'm excited about the changes! It feels like a clean slate. My biggest challenge will be consistency and confidence. I know I'll get there eventually.

As far as updates go, I've started physical therapy again! I've been going twice a week for a few weeks now and I'm loving it so far! Don't get me wrong, it's hard and painful but I know it has to be like this before I start seeing results. I'm hoping to get in some aqua therapy classes too! It's all so exciting! For the first time in a long time it feels like things are moving in the right direction.

If you follow me on social media then you know that my Dad has cancer. Since his diagnosis we've had our ups and downs with his care but he's finally in an amazing facility and getting the care he needs. I have so much going on with my own care but somehow I've managed to care for him as well as myself, thanks to the support of family. Dad and I got so lucky. :)

I have been very busy with all of our appointments lately but I still manage to spend time with family and friends when I can. My cousin is getting married in a couple weeks and I'm so looking forward to the wedding and seeing all of my family from near and far again. Sooner than that I'll be going to Passover dinner at my Aunt's house this weekend. Some of my fondest childhood memories are playing "hide the matzo" with my siblings at my Aunt's house.

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I'm so happy to be in a place where I feel like change can be good. The fear and pain will always be there but I'm choosing not to let it control me anymore. I deserve so much better than that.

Thank you so much for reading this and I truly hope you choose to stick around. :)

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Re-branding?

Hey guys! It's been a little bit since I've blogged and I've gotten the itch. Lately I've been observing other bloggers and YouTuber's and how they brand themselves. Now, I don't really have any goals set yet for what I'd like my blog to grow into but if I choose to let it grow, maybe re-branding wouldn't be such a bad idea.

When I first started this blog it was to help me connect to other military spouses and it has been so wonderful for that! What I have noticed though is that with my disability, my mind is no longer where it was when I first started. I don't lead a very adventurous life and I don't really see people sticking around to hear about my day to day. What I do really like to talk about is sharing my story of living with chronic pain to maybe help others who may feel as alone as I do sometimes. I also love vintage fashion, makeup, skincare and dogs! I do a lot of research on things that work for me so why not share that advice with others.

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If I can stick with it and stay consistent I feel like my voice could be heard and I'd be able to connect with so many more people that share the same interests as I do.

With all that said, I'm going to take the steps to re-brand my little corner of the web. I'll be doing more research on changing the domain which may lead to me starting fresh with a brand new blog. I'll keep you all posted here and on social media. I'm playing around with the new blog name, Kimberly Erin. I like how it sounds together and its 100% me. I'd love to know what you all think and if you have any suggestions before I go public.

Hope you're having a great week!

Living with Chronic Pain

Do you ever feel suffocated by life? The overwhelming pressure just pushes on you and the only thing you feel like doing is running away. Maybe not, but for me that's how I've been feeling lately. There are so many factors contributing to this "pressure", but one of the main factors is that I'm no where near where I want to be in my life. I'm a planner. Losing control will send me into a panic attack or leave me so anxious I just physically shut down. Being in control is where I'm happy.

I've been living with my injury and chronic pain for 4 1/2 years now. After seeing multiple surgeons, the majority of them feel I am not a candidate for surgery. The major deciding factor? My age. Studies have shown that 10 years from now a patient who chose back surgery and one who opted out will have the same symptoms. After all the research I've done, I agree. Why have them cut me open and take out pieces of my spine when they can be saved? There are conservative forms of pain treatment though. I can have epidurals followed up by physical therapy, as well as a nerve procedure that could leave me pain free long enough to strengthen my core and body. No longer depending on pain medications to function daily would be amazing. Sounds nice doesn't it? Unfortunately, things I can't speak too publicly about are trying to prevent me from getting the care I need. Fighting this thing has become a full time job for me. I'll get there though. There has to be a light at the end of this long tunnel.

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There it is. Today is hard. It's not necessarily a high pain day, but the consequences of what this pain has done to my life is hanging heavy on my shoulders. I thought writing this would help. I haven't posted anything here in so long I'm not even sure anyone will read this. It doesn't really matter though, writing is therapeutic so I'm going to keep doing it. Maybe tomorrow will be better. :)

(Not so) Wordless Wednesday | Sister Love

Last month my whole family got together for my Aunt's 70th birthday party. For the first time in over 4 years the whole family was all together in the same place.

My big sister and I have always had our ups and downs but I swear to you, the last few years have been amazing. She's not only my sister but my best friend. She moved to Las Vegas a few months back and after a long search she finally got an amazing job! I'm so proud and know this is the fresh beginning she needed. Just thought I'd share some sister love with you all!

I hope you're all doing well! Going to try to catch up on all the blogs I follow this week. 

Happy Wednesday!

Roller Coasters

Being a grown up is hard. Decision making is the worst, especially when it's about your health. How do we ever know if we're making the right decision? This post is going to be cryptic but I need to get this out.

I'm thinking about it like this: it could be worse. I mean life can always be worse. So with this decision being made I could FINALLY be on the road to getting better. Or it could just delay things for a lot longer than I hoped. Man, if only I could see into the future. I have made my decision, but I'm scared to say it out loud. It's 10:30pm on a Wednesday night and I'm racking my brain over it. Textbook over-thinker right here! I'm going to make the call tomorrow and get the wheels turning. Once things are finalized, I plan on sharing my story here in hopes that I can help others who may find themselves in my position one day (hope not!).

I've consulted with the family and professionals and it looks like everyone is on the same page for the most part. I know life is a roller coaster and this ride has been bumpy! It'll be nice to get on the kiddie ride soon and not have to deal with so much of the scariness all at once. A break is much needed.

I don't know if this post will make sense. I just wanted to get on here and write. If you're reading this and believe in the universe or a higher power, I would love if you could put in a good word for me. Until next time loves! Hope you have a great week!

My Hiatus Explained

Did you miss me?! Lol. I haven't posted in quite some time and thought I would hop in and give a bit of an update.

After my accident in late February I went into a bit of a funk. The accident shook me up emotionally and it just made my anxiety with driving a lot worse. My husband and I went on a search for a new vehicle and once we found it, I didn't even drive it off the lot! Lol. Eventually I got more comfortable driving again and I really love all the fancy features of the car (hello sunroof!).

After the car issues, I've just been dealing with some health issues and trying to take each day as it comes. I did some traveling with family in April and May to Las Vegas and Arkansas. Traveling is hard with an injury, however I was able to communicate with airline staff a lot better this time than when I have traveled in the past. Before, I would have been too shy or embarrassed to ask for help but not this time and it was so worth it. For the most part I managed okay and my sister and mom were so accommodating when I had a visit with them. Being with your loved ones is so good for the soul. I'm very lucky.

My sister and I in windy Vegas

Mom and I on our adventure in Arkansas meeting family

Here's a little example of the measures I take when traveling:

A portable heating pad saved me both with my stomach and back aches and pains. I rely on a plug in one at home multiple times a day so discovering this little gem was such a blessing! Just trying to live as normal of a life as I can with chronic pain.

A couple weeks ago I had my 30th birthday. My best friend of 19 years made it so special for me once again. We spent a few hours at the beach during the day and enjoyed a quiet dinner with our gentlemen that night. It was a no fuss kind of day and just what I needed.

These milestone birthdays can sometimes be a bit daunting for some, at least for me this one was. Did I ever think I would be living this life when I turned 30? Absolutely not. It's just one of life's gentle reminders that things don't always go as planned. Every year I always hope that this will be my year of recovery. That living with chronic pain will be part of my past and my husband and I can finally start a family. Sadly, I know this year will be just another year in the books of my living with chronic pain journey. Like I said before, times are tough right now and this planner and worrier is doing the best I can to take each day as it comes.

I miss blogging and I miss sharing things here but life is complicated and I can't know for sure when my next post will be.  Hope you'll stick around. Looking forward to getting back to reading as well, to see what my favorite bloggers have been up to.

Accidents Happen

I'm so happy you all liked my dress! It was such a good night. On a more somber note my week did not start off well.

Yesterday I was in a car accident. Thankfully the other driver and I are fine but man is my car in bad shape. I was pretty startled and it took a while for me to calm down. I kept thinking "Why me?" but a nice talk with Wan and my mom calmed me down a bit and I realized that I'm okay and accidents happen.

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The next few weeks are going to be a bit stressful while my car is being tended to but it's nothing I know I can't handle. I'm going to deal with it the best way I know how and keep moving forward. Living in Los Angeles is hard sometimes. Although I live outside of the world you may see on TV or visit as a tourist it's still very urban here and everyone drives! I'm over it. So today while I'm dealing with estimates and claims, I'm going to think of better days ahead where I live in a peaceful place with no traffic.

I hope you have a great week! Send your good thoughts that I get through this week smoothly!

Pretty Dresses and Celebrating Four Years

This past Friday my husband and I celebrated four years as husband and wife. This year, unlike the past couple years, I decided to make an effort to dress up and go big. We have a tradition of dinner and a movie and that didn't change. I just went a little dressier than usual for our special night.

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by Eshakti to review one of their products. I had been reading their reviews for years and it felt so nice to be considered as a blogger worthy of reviewing one of their lovely designs. I knew that our anniversary would be the perfect occasion to show it off. :)

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Over the years I have acquired a small collection of vintage reproduction dresses. It's honestly no surprise that I love dresses as much as I do. My mom has been curling my hair and putting me in party dresses since I was a toddler. When I was choosing my dress I was so impressed by the large amount of vintage inspired designs that Eshakti carries and equally impressed when I discovered that all of their designs are customizable! So fun!

Floral Digital Print Bow Tie Dress

What I loved most about this dress was the print. Call me an old lady but I am a sucker for most things floral print. The pattern reminded me of everything I love about spring. I knew it would be a great transition piece to carry through all seasons.

I took advantage of the customizing option and sent them my exact measurements, requested the short sleeve option and a below the knee length. My favorite option was hands down the pockets! Perfect for carrying my phone and lipstick. :)

Pockets!

I received the dress in a week and was thrilled at the turn around time of a custom piece. The only down side of all this was that the dress was too big in the waist. I'm not sure if I didn't correctly take my measurements or if something went wrong in production. Other than that, the length, the sleeves and the fabric were wonderful. The fabric is a heavy polyester blend that not only felt luxurious but kept me warm all night.

Because I loved it so much, a quick trip to the tailor and it was perfect! I paired an old pair of Target heels with it and I not only felt pretty but stayed comfortable all night. I don't think I have loved a dress this much since my wedding. Fitting, since I wore it four years to the day of our special day.

After my mini photo shoot ;), Wan and I were off to our favorite family owned Argentinian restaurant, Pampas. We ate lots of Chimichurri covered goodness and then headed to the movies to see American Sniper. If you haven't seen this movie yet, I highly recommend it! Wan had already read the book and I'm currently half way through it. We concluded our wonderful night at Denny's for some dessert and took lots of pictures of ourselves. Lol!

I kept trying to get him to smile and was giving him the look after the fifth take! Haha!

I am so grateful to have married my best friend and look forward to many more years of nights like this with my handsome man and pretty dresses. :)

* I was sent this dress for the purpose of reviewing it and all opinions are my own. If you would like to purchase your own customizable piece from Eshakti you can enter the code 'throughtheseeyes' - exclusively created for my readers to get 10% off - valid until 2/28/14 :)

Flashback Friday | I Do!

Today is a special day for Wan and I. Four years ago today, I walked down the aisle with my blubbering dad, and met my sweet man to say our vows.

We didn't know then how trying these next four years would be and how much our vows would be put to the test. Our first year of marriage was long distance (thanks Army! Lol.) and my injury came shortly after his homecoming.

I honestly could not have gone through all of this without the love and support of my amazing husband. 

To Wan: Happy Anniversary my love! I am thankful everyday that I married the man of my dreams. You're the bestest and I'll love you forever. <3

Lazy Days

After having such busy week last week, I took advantage of the gap in my schedule these past couple days. Catching up on my favorite shows, cuddling with my pup, reading and over all just enjoying the quiet.

American Sniper by Chris Kyle
My husband finished this and handed it over to me. Really liking it so far.

Today I plan on getting in some exercise. I've been working more on my cardio and trying to strengthen my arms. I'm definitely taking baby steps but I don't have any goal in mind, I just want to keep moving.

Friday is a big day for Wan and I, we'll be celebrating our 4th wedding anniversary. Time sure does fly! We are keeping with tradition and getting dressed up for dinner and a movie. I'll have a recap of our day soon!

Hope you have a great day!

Thoughtful Thursday

This week has been flying by and I have so much on my mind. Here's a bullet point list of a lot of what's going through this crazy head of mine!

• Appointments! How did I book an appointment for everyday this week?! They are all health related and some I've been waiting on for a while. I sure am glad to be getting stuff done!

A little chronic pain funny :)
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•  The future. Is it bad to think a lot about the future? I can't help it. Sometimes I feel like life is so stagnant and I just drift off to a better time. A time I know is coming. I've been all about visualizing lately. If I think positively and surround my self with positivity then maybe something positive will happen! I'm still living the best life I can but I know there is so much more out there for me. :)

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•  Visiting my Mom. It's been almost three years since I've been to my Mom's house in Arkansas! I've seen her a lot since then but man I miss just being with her in her home. A big reason why it's been so long is because of the small town she lives in, it takes a couple planes to get there and man is it painful trying to manage all that! I do check flight prices daily though, hoping maybe a flight will be so cheap I'll just suck it up and go be with my mama. :)

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•  My amazing husband. I got so lucky with that guy. When he can, he drops everything for me and never complains! There are still a few things I can't do on my own and he is always there. I've been doing a lot of staring at him and thinking this lately. Good thing he's used to me being a weirdo! Lol.

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These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to my thoughts but it's nice to share some of them with you.

Hope you're having a great week!