Dresses--most-of-the-time

As those of you who see me every week, you may have noticed that I have been wearing dresses with greater frequency. It was a long and winding road getting to the conclusion that I should probably change the way I dress. Here is the journey in a nutshell. I love sweatpants (in fact, I am wearing some now, as I wait for the hot water heater to do its job so I can shower) I love t-shirts. They are quite modest and comfy. With two little boys and a home to care for I would simply roll out of bed and pull the nearest thing on and jump into my day. I was the poster child of the harried mom, complete with unwashed hair hidden under a bandanna and spit-up stains on her shirt. I came to realize that this was NOT ok---for several reasons. I appeared lazy and slovenly to those around me. As a full time homemaker I quite often feel that I am in a constant struggle with society to value and respect what I do....but I was not dressing for success. My darling husband, who loves me and thinks I am beautiful even in his castoffs, would practically cheer when I would dress up a little. I also was not very confident, and felt like I was hiding, and in turn others around me ignored me. and Finally, as a follower of the teachings of Jesus, I realized I was making Christianity/motherhood/homemaking/femininity look unattractive. The very things I held in highest esteem I was dishonoring! I am NOT going to quote the typical scriptures used for the wearing of dresses, I am not trying to convince anybody what they should do in their own walk with God. This is just where I am.

For the past 6 (?) months I have been a "Dresses-most-of-the-time" lady, and I have noticed a marked difference in my life! A skirt and blouse automatically look nicer than an old pair of sweats. And, amazingly, are just as easy to pull on in a sleep induced haze! My wonderful husband quite likes the way I look now...though I suspect it has something to do with seeing my bare legs, and the added spring in my step from confidence. I am no longer ashamed of my appearance in public, and I am comfortable feeling that I can walk into any situation and be dressed appropriately. People treat me differently now. Since I have added dresses to my head-coverings (which I had been doing for about a year previously, but that is another topic) I feel that people treat me with greater respect. I have had strange teenage boys in their baggy pants run ahead to doors and open them for me, older gentlemen now look me in the eye and compliment my well-behaved (sometimes) children. Young ladies call me Ma'am, and Older ones smile in appreciation (the really older non-feminist ones anyway). I have been complimented on my "great faith" and find that people simply assume you must be very spiritual if you go about town wearing dresses with your head covered. Actually, If you look at the "big-three monotheistic religions" Modesty, feminine clothing and head covering at different times is a common theme. On a side note, if you pay attention you can actually tell what religious sect a woman belongs to by the way she dresses...but I digress.

Now to the point of this post....I loved reading blogs where the ladies posted their "week in feminine dress" so, here is mine I will post every day this week, even if It is just a quick photo and one-line caption.

SUNDAY: Catch-up and Projects day. Today I had a pretty lazy day, just kept up with the dishes and laundry for chores. I spent the greater part of the morning building and re-building a fort for my little ones to play in. I also snuggled with my hubby and watched a couple of movies. Here I am hanging my laundry hoping it will dry in this newly fall weather:

This is one of my favorite skirts for casual work. it's denim, and a nice length. I won this head covering on a give away hosted by "domestic Tranquility" I received a wonderful grab-bag of headscarves from "cover your hair" woo hoo!

More hanging of laundry. Please ignore the large spider plant that fell down and I haven't made time to thin it out and re-hang it. it's on my list for nap time today. You can see our upstairs balcony and the common area downstairs in this shot.

More to come later!