Its Friday! Its Friday! Cheers! And its a chilly one here in the Mitten State! But its warm inside and the prospect of a fun weekend ahead, and nothing’s gonna rain on that parade!

We are celebrating my husband Troy’s birthday tomorrow night, our son who lives in Chicago is coming, and it should be a lot of fun! Its been a super busy week for me, a good week, but burning the candle at both ends, so it is nice to have some down time!

How about you? I’ve been seeing people around the country posting some unusually warm temps, so people are getting out there and enjoying the great outdoors. I hope that is your story!

I want to invite you to check back for a very special edition post I will be making this next Monday, Feb 19. As you may know, I have collaborated before with an incredible Facebook group I am a part of called “Forever Fierce: The Midlife Revolution“. The group inspires and encourages women that this can be the best time of their lives (Midlife and beyond). If you are on Facebook, its a fantastic group for women, and its growing in leaps and bounds, and I hope you will check it out. This Monday is Forever Fierce Day! And they are celebrating in a number of ways including having 50 bloggers share stories of women and how they live lives that are “Fierce” and beautiful! Their words will inspire you, from women like you and me from all over the world. I am so honored and blessed to be able to share some of these stories next Monday, so be watching for my blog post next Monday.  Also if you would like to receive my blog in your mailbox, you can click “Subscribe” at the top of this post and you will be added to the Your Favorite Chapter email list!

 

Well its a Fashion Friday, and I have some fun pieces to share with you today, but I first want to thank my son Jake who helped me with the photos this week. Whenever Jake and I take off, its always going to be an adventure! Always lots of fun, he knows all kinds of cool places to check out. We had a lot of laughs and some super inspiring conversation. So it was a double blessing!

So lets begin!

This first top is a super soft sweatshirt by Dream Scene. It almost feels like pajamas its so soft!

I just love shirts with positive affirmations! The sizing on this shirt is quite generous. I am wearing a medium and it feels pretty big on me. The pink is kind of a peachy pink. But I really love the giant bold font declaring without equivocation, “YES YOU CAN”.

I’ve never done a railroad tracks shot before! The sun was peeking in and out, and when we first got back to the car, Jake checked his camera and the shadows were messing up the shot, so we went back out and did it again! It was quite a little hike from our car, a bit icy, and freezing cold. I left my coat in the car, so I just said to myself, “Gut it out, Amy!” And that is what I did!

This next jacket I found while on a much needed girls day out with my sister Stacey. We were at the active wear department, trying all kinds of things on. I tried on this Nike Jacket and I just really liked the look.

 

We were cruising around Ypsilanti, Mi and we stumbled upon this grand old mansion.

I looked it up when we got home, and its known as “The Gilbert Mansion”, built in the 1860’s.

 

 

The mansion has gone through seasons of disarray and neglect and seasons where it has been restored and well taken care of. During the Depression, it was acquired by the city due to nonpayment of taxes. During WW2 it was a social center. It was a teen canteen in the 50’s. During the 60’s it was an activity center for the Boys Clubs of Ypsilanti. Then in 1974 the Boys Clubs moved out and the Girls Clubs moved in until 1981. Then, it was purchased privately and used for apartments! Oh the stories that Grand Old Home could tell!

I like to think of the stories it could tell in another hundred years!

And finally, I have this pretty pink jacket for spring!  

Its cheerful, and lightweight and it has pockets and a lining.

And it does have a hood! I really love the color!  

Jake pointed out the graffiti to me under the bridge (yes we walked down under the bridge over ice and me in boots with heels!) A little scary, but what an adventure and so much fun! Jake noticed the word “Beauty” on the wall. Its perfectly centered under that arch!

It was so nice to have the blues skies! And the water levels were up from melting snow.

  

It really was a lovely day.

So we got back home and I wanted to share the blouse with you I was wearing under the pink jacket, and Kasey wanted to help! This blouse is by BP, “The Perfect Shirt“. It comes in various patterns and colors, but this pink drew me in! It has a gauzy kind of feel and a nice loose fit.

I also wanted to share a couple of cute bags that are new at Stella & Dot. The larger bag is the very popular “Daytripper in Camo“, and its an extremely well made tote bag that will fit pretty much everything I take to work including my planner and laptop, or if I want to go to the gym with it. The zipper you see near the base unzips to extend the bag an additional 3” taller. Inside the bag are 1 zip pocket, 2 split pockets and 1 water bottle pocket.

I’m also holding the Crush It Pouch with a fantastic message to keep you fired up for your goals, “Smile. Crush It. Repeat.” Its the perfect size to take to the gym with your makeup or toiletries, or just a fun clutch to carry out! I love pouches for things at work like my “emergency beauty bag” which holds things like a hairbrush, lipstick, a small lint roller, a toothbrush, a small mirror, an extra pair of reading glasses, etc. (I should put an extra phone charger in there! I always forget mine!) I keep it in an overhead at my desk.

And take a look inside that camo bag, its lined with a beautiful pink floral print on the inside! Something beautiful in the irony of camo on the outside and flowers on the inside!

Jake was standing on a chair for these shots… Kasey took these pictures very seriously and she wanted to give you her very best to make your weekend! And also, Jake had some Cheezits in his pocket!

So it was a really cool day hanging with Jake while we did these pictures. At the train track, I kept thinking of the analogy of getting “back on track” when you’ve somehow fallen away from where you want to go in your life. Its a discipline… I walked those tracks and was struck by the repetition of the iron rails and the railroad ties. If you stay on the track, it will take you where you want to go.

Then the old house, built to be an iconic mansion full of grandeur. And somewhere along the way things happened and it went through some decline, but then someone bought it who believed in its potential and restored it to its beauty.

I don’t know if you have been watching the Olympics, but I was seeing stories shared on Twitter and Facebook, and one story really captured my attention. The story of Norway’s Cross Country Skier Simen Kruger this past week, and how he fell at the beginning of the race, broke his pole, and then he rallied. He refused to let the setback deter him from giving everything he had. And he came back to win the gold.

My husband and I were discussing it, and he said to me, “Imagine the people who thought, ‘that’s it for him, it’s over.’ We might even think that about ourselves in obstacles and setbacks we might face. But maybe if you get up and keep getting back up and moving forward no matter what, you might learn you have something inside you didn’t know you had.”

This is so inspiring to me. We’ve all hit roadblocks and setbacks and failures (I know I have!) on things whether they are personal in nature or professional. And it can be daunting. Maybe you’ve gotten off track, financially, physically, emotionally… and you haven’t had the faith or the heart to get back on track. But you are worth fighting for. And I know that if we get back up when we fall and persevere no matter what obstacles hit us, I know we will get farther than we ever dreamed possible! (I have a number of areas in my life I am thinking about). Sometimes the setback can become the catalyst to move us forward with supernatural strength.

So if you are wondering, “Can I move forward toward my goal?” Yes you can! And I believe you can get there!

I hope you have a great weekend!

I’ll be here Monday for the Forever Fierce Special Edition!

And of course I’ll be back Tuesday for Tasty Tuesday!

Love Always,

Amy

“Your victory is right around the corner. Never give up.”   ~Nicky Minaj

Places I link up:

Jo Lynne Shane My Life and Style 

Northwest Mountain Living and Style 

Sharing A Journey

Fashion Should Be Fun  

Not Dressed As A Lamb