Hi Friends! It’s a sunny Fashion Friday, and the good vibes are already flowing!

For the last two weeks I have told you I was starting a challenge for myself, to try and get more intentional activity or exercise in my life, so I created a Facebook Group, the Thirty For Thirty Challenge, in which we are trying to commit to 30 minutes of activity for 30 days.

It started last Saturday, and we have over 100 women in it! And we are having a ball, cheering each other on to success! Every day people chime in on the page and share how it went for them. Some just drop in occasionally, and some are every day visitors. But it feels really good to see so many women carving a spot for exercise in their busy daily lives! And you know what? It inspires me! Get this! I actually have exercised at least 30 minutes a day for the last 7 days consistently! This is like a miracle… if you haven’t noticed, I have put a little weight on this past winter, and I really want to turn the Titanic around. This is helping! And the endorphins get surging so you just feel great!

My sister Susan is helping me with the admin end of things – she is awesome with people and we are having a ball doing it! Thank you so much, Susan! You make all of us feel loved and valued!

And my friend Wendy Hodges of Wendy’s Way To Health is helping with advice and encouragement on everything from staying motivated to ideas when the weather isn’t cooperating and so much more. Wendy, thank you so much for helping us find our way!

And guess what? I decided to take my own personal challenge a little bit further, and I decided to try giving up Diet Coke for 30 days as well! Now any of you who know me personally know I always seem to have a Diet Coke in my hand. The addiction is real! And I’ve heard a million reasons I should stop but never wanted to give up my tall friend in the red and silver bottle!

But I’ve even heard it can mess with your memory. They say it can make your brain smaller, and impair memory. Now there are a few parts of my body I would like to see get smaller, but my brain is not one of them!

So I thought it a good idea to pair up my commitment to exercise with giving up Diet Coke to see if I could get some good new habits in my life! And the challenge is 7 days out and I’ve not had a drop of Diet Coke! So what am I replacing it with? Water. Good Ole H2O! Think of the health benefits! Think of the money I will save! (More money for handbags and shoes, Bliss!) I’ve known I should back off a bit on my carbonated friend for a long time but now I am making some good changes!

Who knows! I may actually develop these changes as a lifestyle instead of a short term commitment! I may throw in a few more good changes and “Keep the Change!”

Kasey also benefits, as she is almost always along for the journey! This first picture was taken after I tried doing 30 minutes of Zumba and Fitness Dance videos on YouTube. This is not my gift area… but I didn’t let that stop me. I was trying to do moves that I’m not sure I’m made to do, certainly not at those speeds! And all the while get that “spicy cool” look going. You can see here that I have Kasey quite concerned! That is water in my cup!

And this is after a long brisk walk over hill and dale and creeks and rocks and mud… Kasey loved it! And yes that is water in my cup 🙂

So I would love to invite you to jump in on our Thirty for Thirty challenge if you have been wanting to try and start getting a little more activity in your life. We have all levels in this group, and ladies from all over the world which makes it really fun! if you would like to join along at your own pace, what works for you and your body and health level, we sure would love to have you along! As I said, its a Facebook Group. Just click the link and ask to join The Thirty For Thirty Challenge.

Ok, on to the fashion part of Fashion Friday! Many thanks to Troy, my husband, for the photos this week! We were glad to start to get a break in the weather yesterday so we got out there and took some photos in some pretty areas near our house.

So first off today I am sharing the Madewell Kimono Shirttail Jacket, from Nordstrom.

It has a rich pattern in earthy colors, with one button loop closure. The button is covered in a texture fabric. The colors in the pattern include a butterscotch yellow, navy blue, black, ecru  and a cinnamon color. I am showing it with the button closed, but you could wear as an open jacket easily.

The patterns and texture are so interesting. I really like this piece! It’s rather roomy, I’m wearing a medium here and I float between a medium and large so if anything, size down. It is a little boxy, but with this pattern and vibe, I like it.

Underneath is a flagship part of my wardrobe now. The Soma Seamfree Tank. It is offered in white, off white and black, and it fits beautifully and washes well. I bought the black and the white, and have already used them several times a week. That kind of wear and tear calls for a quality piece and you definitely get that with Soma!

This jacket is light weight, and the structure is truly “MadeWell”. This is a piece you could wear year round as a light jacket to keep the chill off. You could also cuff up the sleeves.

My necklace is the most used piece of jewelry I own next to my watch. It’s the perfect necklace for v-necks, scoop necks, any neckline that drops a little bit. It’s the Luna by Stella & Dot, and it is a combination of silver and gold, and it has such a nice smooth feel in your hand. It is a quality piece I’ve worn over and over. I just feel good wearing it.

My bag is one I absolutely love by TopShop but it has sold out. But check out this adorable TopShop backpack in the same beautiful rich yellow color! This backpack would be great with this jacket! So Cute! I may order it!

Next I am sharing the South Lake Military Jacket also from Madewell. Its a fresh take on a military jacket with an oversized feel, snap closures and a drawstring waist.

The fabric is extremely comfortable and soft, and the color is a lovely deep gold. I’m not sure its the best color on me, but I do think the jacket is beautiful!

Also, if you notice the bag I am carrying, its the Tilda Crossbody from Stella & Dot. Look at the two sides above and below. They are both adorable! You can wear the side out with the woven straw and cute black pom poms on it or the solid black side!

Though you can’t really see it, I am once again wearing the Soma Seamfree Tank (black) underneath.

I am grateful we are getting a few days with some sun now!

And finally I am sharing a cheerful light teal blue Halogen Long Linen Blend Cardigan. This will be another workhorse in my wardrobe this summer. Its cheerful, it has elegant long lines, which help give a more slimming look for me (signing up here and now for all the help I can get in that department!). It comes in so many beautiful colors including a black and white stripe one!

This clutch I am carrying is such a fun bag for summer! It’s called the St. Barth’s Clutch.

It has multi colored poms on a neutral body. The poms are made of various fabric textures as well, so its really a fun and interesting clutch! The colors of the poms are a light turquoise, a dusty jade, kiwi, light pink, and a deep pink.

And you can see I am once again wearing a Soma Seamfree Tank underneath, this time in white. I like that it gives enough of a scoop neck to resemble a cami without showing more than I want to show!

So this week has brought some changes for me, good changes! I use to dread change, but now I am finding it rather refreshing! It adds to the story of your life! More new things to learn and to try!

Think of that box of crayons you get when you are really young. They are the chunkier crayons with maybe 8 in the box. And they are beautiful and yours to create art with! But then one day your mom gets you the 24 pack! Now this is a happy new endeavor! And then she brings home the 48 pack, and you think, “Where have you been all my life?” And finally she brings back the 64 pack and you begin to realize the world is a whole lot bigger than you ever thought!

It’s that way in life! Sometimes we stay locked in a routine because its comfortable, and that is all we know. And maybe we haven’t had the confidence to break free into something new. And then something happens… good or bad… but change is inevitable. Sometimes we dread it. Sometimes its a lifeline! But one thing is certain, as you go through it, you develop a new normal. And part of the new is learning you are strong enough to endure the change. And part of it is discovering a whole bunch of new things you never dreamed you could do and maybe some things you actually really like! And maybe just maybe you develop an appetite to try some more new things!

Think of how cell phones and computers have changed our lives… and I was afraid I’d never understand them!

The point is that trying something new brings new breath like springtime brings the beauty of new life! And it’s so much fun! There are lots of things you can consider giving a fresh new look.

You can walk through your home and think, “hmmm if I was going to start over with a new scheme, what might I like to try?” Honestly we were very traditional in our decor for 30 years and one day I just said, “Maybe I would like to go contemporary” and I can’t tell you how much fun it was to dream and start to slowly make changes! My parents are always looking at new ways to decorate or landscape. They are 87 and 88, and you know what? It’s thrilling to them to always have something new going on!

You can look in your closet and think, “What do I love in this closet?” and then think, “What might I like to try new?” And then go into a store and ask the clerk to help you try some new fashions. And go ahead and try them on! Its really fun to see if there is something you never knew about that you might love! And if you have stacks and stacks of clothes you will never wear… its so incredibly refreshing to pack them all up and donate them somewhere! You then have new found space in your closet! And you’ve done a good thing to help your fellow man as well!

You can try a new dish or a completely new restaurant!

You could assess your health and ask if there are some things you could do to make yourself healthier. (You should see my list for that… longer than Santa’s list for Christmas!)

You could consider a new hair style! There are so many sharp new looks, sometimes just freshening it up a bit is really fun!

You could plan a trip to somewhere you’ve never been!

You could think about a career change or going back to school or starting your own business.

See, you have such intrinsic value in who you are, you are one of a kind ah-mazing!  And a life that is rich and full of delicious and beautiful and interesting variety stands right outside your door just waiting for you to open it and come explore!

I’ve had a taste of it, and I like it, so I think I’m going to “keep the change”. And maybe in a year or two I will change the change! I like the sound of that!

I hope you have a fantastic weekend! And I’ll be cheering you on to wonderful new adventures!

I’ll be back Tuesday for another Tasty Tuesday!

Love Always,

Amy

Change is hard at first, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end.   ~Robin Sharma

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