Red, White, Blue and Shoes

Photography by Madi Flournoy Henderson 

Dress: Pink Blush Maternity || Non-Maternity style at Pink Blush: Here || Other similar styles: Here and Here  || Shoes: Steve Madden Here 

Oh the lovely holiday of 4th of July is upon us. I love how this day revolves around everything summer. From the food to the fireworks, it just gives me all the feels. And normally I would try to find some sort of romper or shorts outfit, but the belly doesn’t do well with either of those options right now. I am thankful that Pink Blush Maternity makes such a cute chambray dress to wear for this typically hot summer celebration. They also have the exact same dress in a non-maternity option. To shop it be sure to click the link above. 

This day has the potential for so many different types of celebrations. So below I have some of my favorite Red, White, Blue and Shoes for the 4th of July. 

Taking Steps

Photography by Madi Flournoy Henderson

Dress: Pink Blush Maternity || Similar non-maternity style at Pink Blush || Similar non-maternity styles here & here || Similar shoes here

I’ve teamed up with Pink Blush Maternity to share this precious floral dress. Maternity dresses can feel all the same, so I love how Pink Blush has incorporated the cold shoulder look into such a fun pattern. This dress is super comfy and flowy – everything a pregnant gal needs to survive the summer heat. 

As a teacher, the countdown to summer starts May 1st (at the latest). That countdown seems to move oh so slowly. But, then, the second summer arrives it zooms right by! I can’t believe we are already done with June. Even though I have less going on in the summer, I feel like the days move quicker – which, on the one hand, is good because I am so ready for our “little bit” to arrive. But, on the other hand, it’s frustrating because I’m not ready for summer to be over.

It’s moments like this where I have to remind myself to stop worrying about time. Days are going to move quickly when we want them to linger, and slowly when we want things to happen fast. It just seems to be the way the world works. So, right now, I am working to remind myself that life happens at its own pace. There isn’t much I can do to control the speed of the days ahead.

When I am reminded of these life lessons, I have to also remind myself to put my trust in His timing. He knows when everything is going to happen. He knows exactly when this little girl of ours is going to enter the outside world. And He knows exactly how it’s all going to go down. In a world where we feel like we need to have control of our every step, it’s comforting to remember that we don’t have any control at all. While we should always strive to make the right decisions, even those right decisions can sometimes lead us down a path we didn’t expect.

So, if you are like me and wanting life to happen at a certain pace, I pray today that you will remember to let God direct your steps and your speed. Whatever mountain you are trying to climb, or fire you are walking through, know that He is walking it with you. And, eventually, you will get to where you truly want to be. Even if it is different from where you originally imagined.

The Boulders

Dress: Madewell || Shoes (old) Sole Society || Similar shoe styles: Here & Here || Bag: Here

Adam and I took a trip to Scottsdale, Arizona, over the Memorial Day weekend. It was much different than the normal anniversary trips we take each year. In the past, we have visited NYC, Chicago, Boston, and NYC again (because we both love that city so much). But because we were also celebrating the future arrival of our little one, this trip needed to be more low key… At least for me. Not wanting to venture back to the beach (oh, the horror!), Adam picked Scottsdale – something totally different than we have ever experienced.

We stayed about 40 minutes outside of Old Town Scottsdale in a resort called, The Boulders. At first, I was a little worried that we were so far away from the city (and in the desert, no less).  Like I said, we are used to being in the hustle and bustle, and this place was the exact opposite. But it turned out to be exactly what we needed.

We drove into “town” a couple of nights, dining at restaurants like Montauk and The Mission. We ventured to Cave Creek and had amazing pizza at Alberto Ristorante. We played Top Golf in Scottsdale (which I am now obsessed with and cannot wait for it to open in Nashville later this year). We made a late lunch stop at Shake Shack – and, let’s be honest, I could have eaten there for every meal! And of course, we made time for some of Scottsdale’s fabulous shopping at Kierland Commons.

It was there that I found (actually, Adam picked it out) this adorable chambray off-the-shoulder dress from Madewell. Upon first glance, I thought for sure it wouldn’t fit the bump but thankfully I was wrong. It is the perfect dress that can be worn casually or dressy. I recently wore it to our friend’s rehearsal dinner and just changed up the shoes to make it fancier.

With all the fun excursions, it was our resort that made us never want to leave Arizona. The Boulders is a gorgeous and was recommend by our friend and fabulous travel agent, Alex Stockton.  It makes you feel completely removed from the rest of the world. It is so quiet that when we first arrived, Adam and I were whispering to each other without even realizing it. I was obsessed with our little casita and its rustic desert vibes. We went to bed early (partly this pregnant girls fault), got up early (again…my fault) and spent the day sitting at the pool with a fantastic view of the boulders.  Yes, they do actually have boulders scattered throughout the property.

I am not used to looking at rocks, cactus, or dirt.  In Tennessee, we have grass. Normally my view of choice is the ocean. But there was something very soothing about the view of the boulders. We had plenty of downtime during this trip, which led me to pray… a lot. More than I probably have in a long time. A lot about the future, a lot about worries back home, and a whole lot about our baby girl. Being in a different but safe setting seemed to allow me to hear Him a little better.

One morning, while Adam was playing golf (which I wasn’t happy about until he offered to get me a pre-natal message), I had an abundant amount of time to myself. So, God and I spent a lot of time together… just talking… while I looked at the boulders. And those boulders started to remind me a whole lot of Jesus.

God is our rock. He is our firm foundation. He is steadfast and strong. He is the rock that is higher than I where we turn when our heart is overwhelmed (Psalm 61:2). It was not lost on me that in that moment, with that gorgeous view, that God was reminding me that He is strong enough to fight my battles. And because of that moment, I have a newfound love for boulders – and our majestic desert getaway.