Hello, dear readers. And welcome to my first monthly coffee time at Dressed for My Day. I wish I really could sit down and share a cup of something warm and delicious with each of you. It may sound corny and mushy, but you, dear readers, have really come to be precious to me. Thank you so much for choosing to sit with me for just a few minutes today.
A couple of years ago, I think it was, I had the opportunity to meet one of my favorite fashion bloggers in real life. I was on a speaking engagement in Pennsylvania, and she and I were able to connect the morning before I flew home. We met up in a sweet little cafe between Philadelphia and her home and shared breakfast and lots of coffee.
I remember feeling a little nervous and intimidated about meeting her, you know, with her being a style blogger and all. But I didn’t need to. She was down-to-earth, warm and gracious. I’m speaking of Jo-Lynne Shane, by the way. I know many of you follow her, too. Anyhow, we had such a nice time just talking. I, of course, felt like I already knew her…like she was an old friend. She probably knew little about me at the time.
Alas, that’s the quandary of blogging. Sometimes it feels like a genuine, two-way relationship, and other times you realize there’s really only one voice in the conversation. That’s why I really do love it when you comment occasionally on the blog posts or say hello in my Instagram stories. I really am beginning to recognize names and remember the things you’ve shared with me, and that feels good.
Anyhow, when Jo-Lynne and I met up, strangely enough, the first thing I asked her was to tell me about her family. She looked a little puzzled, too. I imagine she expected me to ask her something about blogging. And we did get around to that. But you know, most of us gals are kinda tied to our families. They say when men first meet they generally ask each other about their line of work, but when women meet up we dive right into family.
So that’s what I thought I’d do today. Let me tell you briefly about my family.
A Little About My Family
My husband James is my best friend and the only man I’ve ever met that I would want to be married to. We have enjoyed over 30 years of marriage. I say enjoyed, but we’ve definitely had our ups and downs. I figure most of my 50+ readers know and could attest to this, but gals you have to hang in there! Marriage gets so much sweeter and a little easier after you get the kids out of the house. I’m so glad we didn’t buckle along the way.
James and I met in seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. We were engaged within just a few months after meeting and married in less than a year from “hello.” I dropped out of seminary so I could work full-time as a technical writer and help him get through school just a little faster. I have no regrets about that, but I do think about returning to that degree program sometimes. We’ll see.
Anyhow, when we went to our first church, where James was the senior pastor, I was pregnant with our first child, Daniel. He will turn 28 this month, and I just can’t figure out how that can be! Daniel is a software engineer for a major tech brand, and he works mostly remote from home. He lives in Columbus, Ohio.
Daniel is engaged to a sweet young woman, Stephanie, whom he has been dating since his freshman year in college. She is in her pediatric residency at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus. We’re very proud of both of them. Oh, and they recently set a date! Yay! Next October 27 we will gladly welcome Stephanie into our family.
We don’t get to see Daniel nearly as much as we’d like to, but we have a great relationship with him. We only talk about every two weeks or so, but when we do we’re on the phone with him for hours. He is an interesting conversationalist and has such a good heart. He loves to play board games as well as electronic games, but he’s also a wonderful photographer and loves to travel.
Abigail was born three years after Daniel, and she came along like a whirlwind! When Abigail was in elementary school she had a t-shirt that had a red emblem on it that looked like the Dairy Queen logo, but it said Drama Queen. That title fit her completely, but not in a negative way at all. She is high spirited, passionate, enthusiastic and smart as a whip. She’s also talented and oh, so much fun!
Abby earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance a couple of years ago, but she is going into ministry now. She lives in Atlanta, and I’m looking forward to seeing her next week.
Life at home
I stayed home and raised my kids instead of working outside the home. As they got older I returned to my writing, and was able to pursue that from home. But there is nothing in life I loved more than raising my children. I’m so glad that they are happy and where they are supposed to be now. But I do sometimes miss sitting around the dinner table with them, driving them to play rehearsals or tennis practice or church events.
But now James and I are very happy and contented empty nesters. We enjoy having coffee together and talking through our day every morning. And right now we’re both officing out of our home. Surprisingly it hasn’t bothered me one bit that James has taken over our dining room table for his office. All by the grace of God, ladies! And of course, he’s my faithful and engaged photographer for this blog. Y’all he takes my pictures so graciously and never complains. In fact, he’s constantly trying to learn how to do it better.
So I’m blessed with a wonderful family. We definitely all continue to have our issues and struggles. But we love each other. And we enjoy spending time together when possible.
Wrapping it up
Well, I’ve kept you long enough, and undoubtedly we’ve either drunk ever last drop of our coffee by now, or it’s grown cold! Thank you so much for listening to my ramblings. You are a blessing to me!
I’d love for you to share with me briefly in the comments section something about you and your family, if you’re willing. Don’t be afraid to go first! Just maybe tell me if you’re married or not, if you have children, how many and how old, and what your family situation is now. I’d love to get a feel for your family situations.
Today’s Sales Worth Checking Out:
Here’s the list of sales you might want to check out today. These are affiliate links, so I will earn a little bit of commission if you buy anything through them, but at no additional cost to you. Thank you so much for shopping my links. In fact, you can do that anytime, you know. In the right hand column of this blog I have a list of my favorite stores, and if you shop through those it really helps me out. Also, you can always shop my looks here. Thanks!
At Chico’s you’ll get 50% off your highest priced item when you spend $100 or more. Use code: 71470. They’re also giving another 40% off already reduced items.
Talbots is giving you 40% off select styles, including many of the pieces I styled in this post.
At Kohl’s you get an extra 20% off with code GOSAVE20. Plus they’re awarding $10 in Kohl’s cash for every $50 spent.
J.C.Penney is giving you an extra 25% off when you spend $100 or more or 20% off if you spend less with code FALLSALE .
At Gap, you’ll get 40% off everything with code FFTIME. But if you use your Gap credit card and use code FFCARD you’ll get 50% off.
Just through Saturday, at J.Crew you’ll get 40% off fall favorites with code: BOO . This is an online only sale.
At J.Crew Factory you can get 35% off their already low prices on autumn obsessions with code NEEDITNOW.
Banana Republic is giving you 40% off regular priced items with the code BRFRIEND. You can also get free shipping on purchases over $100 with code BRSHIP .
Loft is giving you 40% off tops and 50% off jewelry.
And at Ann Taylor you can get an extra 40% off sale prices. That discount includes items like the pants and scarf in Friday’s post. They have brand new items in the store, too.
Recent Dressed for My Day featured items included in the above sales:
Well, that’s it ladies. Have a great day and a safe, happy weekend!
Blessed for My Day
Let’s remember today to take every opportunity we have to sing the praises of our Lord. Let’s give Him credit, instead of taking it ourselves. Let’s tell others how well He has provided, protected and guided. Let’s not be quiet about our faith in God, but share our relationship with Him with others. And let’s not leave out how He has graciously brought us out of dark seasons, difficult trials, dependencies, times of desperation and depression, and days of discouragement. Let’s be sure to proclaim His praises every opportunity we are given.
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. ~ 1 Peter 2:9
Thank you so much for telling us a little bit about you and your family! Love you and your blog!! My husband and I have been married 56 yrs, have two grown children…Jennifer (the oldest at almost 55) and Scott (he’ll be 53 in March). We have one grandson..16 who lives in Charlotte, NC with Scott & Lisa. Our daughter & son in law live right next door! How awesome is that?!! I’m 77 but I still love your and Jo-lynne’s Blogs along with a few others. Who says I can’t look nice too? I’m still very much young at heart and I’m a Talbots girl from WAY back! Ha! And yes, marriage is work but it’s oh SO worth it!
Hi Sondra, Thank you for sharing with us about your family. I love hearing all about it. Yes, you are indeed blessed to have your daughter and son-in-law right next door. How wonderful. You know, 77 just isn’t old at all to me. My mom is in her 80s and still is so engaged and active, so I know you are still very young at heart. I’m glad you’re here. And I actually think a lot of my readers are in their 70s and 80s. We’ll see if more of them chime in today and tomorrow. I love hearing about you gals! Blessings!
I’ve enjoyed reading your blog so much since discovering it recently, so thank you for sharing a little more about your life with us. I’m originally from Texas, but in 2000, I moved to Austria a year after meeting my Austrian boyfriend while he was in Houston on a business trip (I always call myself his American import). We aren’t married, but have been together going on 20 years now. We don’t have children – that’s just not the path our lives took. We do run a business together (a language school for adults) so I guess that’s been our baby since 2004. We also love animals – when I moved overseas, I brought two Texan cats with me who lived to be 16 and 20. Since losing our second cat last summer, we’ve decided to take advantage of this time to do more traveling, something we’re both passionate about. I also have two little nephews back in Texas, so I travel “home” once or twice a year to see family and a good number of friends I’ve kept up with over the years.
Hi Alison, It sounds like you have lived a very interesting life…especially for a gal who grew up in Texas! Thank you for sharing about your family. Yes, pets can really tie you down. So I hope you enjoy lots of travel now. What type of travel do you enjoy, besides returning to Texas to see family? James and I love travelling, too, and hope to do more in the years to come. Thanks so much for reading and for commenting today! 🙂
I’ve only recently started reading your blog, so it was fun to learn about your family!
I’m 49, have been married to my husband for 27 years, and have two teenage daughters. We live near Charleston, SC, and have for many years.
Our oldest daughter is a senior in high school, so we’re working through her choosing a college as well as a career path. I’m trying to focus on enjoying all the “lasts” for her this year, like ball games, choir and band concerts, etc. She’s busy with lots of extra-curriculars, plus working part-time, so I want to treasure the time we have together!
Have a great day!!
Well, I’m so glad you found your way here! Welcome! Yes, enjoy those high school years. I really thought those were pretty fun years. And then college is also a fun time as they start becoming adults and branching out a little. You know, I really enjoyed every phase my kids went through, and I’m enjoying the adult friendships we share now. You just have to stay in the moment!
Thanks for sharing, and have a blessed and beautiful weekend!
I am a fairly new reader of your blog, having actually found you on Jo-Lynne’s. My high school sweetheart and I have been married for over 36 years. We have three daughters. Two are married, and the oldest will be married this month. We have 8 wonderful grandchildren. While I appreciate your fashion tips, your “Blessed for my Day” at the end of the posts has been a blessing to me.
Welcome Pat! I’m so glad you found my blog. It says like your family is almost complete (except maybe a few more grandchildren!). What a blessing! I’m so glad you enjoy the Blessed for My Day. Thanks for sharing with us today. 🙂
Hi Kay – I just recently discovered your blog and enjoy it so much, especially your spiritual insights at the end. Please keep those up! My husband is an alumnus and former prof at the FW seminary, so we share those experiences as well. I enjoy the “real life” outfits you share and it inspires me to find new ways to wear what I already have in my closet. Thanks for sharing about your family – God bless you!
Oh, it’s so nice to meet you Mary. We have such fond memories of our time at Southwestern! Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts. And I’m so glad you discovered my blog! 🙂
I live on the beautiful Oregon coast with my husband of 14 years and our darling 11 year old girl. Along with Jesus, she is one of the greatest joys in my life. She has Down Syndrome and a knack for living each moment to the fullest. She teaches me so much about living and loving others. And about properly enjoying the little things in life. When we started this journey with a special needs child, I had no idea how much she would enrich our lives. And I do my best to teach her what she needs to have a full, independent, and joyful life. We have some rough times, but they are definitely over-shadowed by laughter.
Hi Alicia, Thank you for introducing yourself. I absolutely love the Oregon coast. My daughter Abby spent three summers working in Cannon Beach, and of course James and I had to go see her all three summers! We just love it! Oregon is such a beautiful state. And we have even made some dear friends there.
I know it must be challenging in so many ways to raise a child with special needs, but I also know God has enriched your lives so much through her. Thank you for testifying to His provision and goodness through your daughter. I know you must be an inspiration to many, and I’m sure she is a joy. Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
My hubby and I are also empty nesters. We have three adult married children and 8 grandchildren. Six of them live within 100 miles, but two are in Oceanside, CA so we spend two of the winter months near them and visit at least twice more. FaceTime is such a blessing, too! We have been married 48 years and have both retired. I felt confident in my working wardrobe, but retirement brought a much more casual lifestyle and more travel. When I am at home it is so easy to pull out the same things day after day and after a while I feel frumpy. I love that you share a range of outfits.
Hi Kathy, thank you for reading and sharing today. Yes, it is so tempting to grow complacent in our dress when we are mostly at home…as I am. I do often wear the same thing a couple of days in a row, not so much because I’m lazy, I think, but because I just enjoyed wearing it yesterday, so why not today, too? Ha! But I do force myself to change it up, too. I’m glad you’re enjoying the blog. Thanks so much for being her! 🙂
Hi Kay! I’ve only been following your blog for a couple months but I very much enjoy it. My family and I love Jesus too! My husband and I have been married for almost 28 years and we have 4 beautiful daughters, a nurse, a club/hotel/restaurant manager, one in college and one in high school at home yet. Blessings to you and your family!
Hi Angela! Wow! You’ve got four daughters all doing very different things in life right now. That must be a lot to keep up with! I know you enjoy them.
I’m so glad you found Dressed for My Day and have been following. Thank you for sharing today! 🙂
Hi Kay, reading about your family was lovely. I am married with three children. My girls are both married to wonderful men and they live close by. My son moved to California (I’m in NY) last year ☹️. He loves it there so I guess I’m happy for him. I have two beautiful granddaughters and I love spending time with them. I enjoy your blog but especially love the Blessed for My Day at the end of each post.
Hi Deb! Ahh, it sounds like you have a great family. I know the struggle of being so far away from a child. But I’m grateful for the sweet memories and the moments we do get. I be you do enjoy the time with granddaughters. I’m looking forward to those days, but it looks like it may be a while off for me yet. I’m glad you enjoy the Blessed for My Day! 🙂
I enjoyed that so much! I too am a pastor’s wife. I stayed home raising and homeschooling our five daughters. Their ages range from 19 to 30. We thought our nest was getting empty then my mother-in-law moved in. I now work three days a week as a nanny. This helps my Nana-heart as all my grandchildren (8) live long distances away. Some of our children are in missions work full time.
It’s wonderful to meet you Debbie. Thanks for commenting today and telling me a little about yourself.
We always knew that our kids wouldn’t live near to where we live right now. So that’s often a dilemma of the ministry family, huh. But we hope to one day be closer to them. Five daughters – wow! What a blessing! 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing your life w us. I love reading your blog everyday. A little bit about me. Im a single mother of one very witty and bright Fifteen year old daughter. I work full time for aUtility company in Delaware. I help out at my local church and other charities when and i can.
Hello Nicki,
Thanks so much for sharing a little about yourself. I bet your daughter is witty! What a joy! Enjoy every minute you have with her. It’s got to be tough parenting alone, but I know you and she will share a special bond forever. Blessings!
Hi Kay. Enjoyed reading about your family today. When I found your blog (via Jo Lynne) I knew you must live in AZ as my daughter and family have lived in Phoenix area (Chandler) for the last 3 years and her landscaping was a lot like yours. Thankfully they moved back to Texas this summer ? which makes it a lot more convenient to visit. She has 3 boys and they are just growing up too fast. I’ve been married to my high school sweetheart 50 years now. And you’re right that there are struggles especially when you marry that young, but thankfully the Lord has brought us through them together. We also have a 44 year old son, unmarried but we still have hope. Love your blog especially since you style things from Talbots often. At my age (70) I can always find something there. Keep up the good work girlfriend. ?
Thanks so much for your affirming words, Wanda. I’m enjoying meeting you gals today. We lived for a long time in Texas and wouldn’t mind moving back there. But really I just want to be closer to our family, which is in Georgia and Texas. Thanks so much for commenting today. ?
Hi Kay, I’m a Canadian reader who loves to spend winter in Arizona.
I’ve been married to my sweetheart for almost 40 years, we got married as teenagers. I have 3 grown children and 10 grandchildren.
I especially enjoy the blessing you pray on your readers each day, thank you!
Hi Verna! I’m so glad you enjoy the blog and the blessing. Thanks for sharing today. And welcome to Arizona!
Hi Kay
I’m Sue, been married 38 years. We have 3 kids, ages 31,30, and 23.
My husband retired so my life is so different than it was 10 years ago!
I love your devotions. You know the heart of women
Sue Schlindwein
Ahh, thanks Sue. I’ve ministered very purposefully to women for almost 30 years so I really appreciate you saying that. Really, even here at Dressed for My Day, that is my goal…to MINISTER to women. I’m so glad you are here!
Hi, Kay! I’m Debbie from Mississippi. I started following your blog a few months ago and have enjoyed getting to know you and your style of clothing. I have really enjoyed reading your daily words about Jesus. My husband and I are both Christians and have been married 40 years. We have 2 grown children. Our son is a recently married physical therapist living in Texas (so far away!!), and our daughter is in her final year of pediatric residency about 100 miles from us. She is wanting to specialize in pediatric oncology, so has several more years of training to go. My husband retired last December, and we have enjoyed doing a great deal of traveling. Thank you for your daily devotions, as they are a blessing to me.
Hi Debbie, So nice to meet you! I always love meeting southern gals. That’s wonderful that you and your husband have been able to do a lot of traveling. I love seeing new places! Thanks for reading Dressed for My Day. I’m glad you like the devotional thoughts at then end. I appreciate you sharing about yourself today. Blessings!
I really enjoyed the first Coffee Time! Nice to hear more about your family!
I am also a Canadian reader. My husband & I have been married for 29 years. We have cattle but we both work off the farm too. We have 4 grown sons, ranging in ages from 21 to 28. They work in the nearby cities and we spend time together fairly often!
Love your blog, especially the Blessed for my Day!
Hello Barb. I’ve always thought having a ranch or farm would be such a great life. But I’m sure it’s not always as glamorous as it seems. Ha! And I bet those four boys sure were (are?) handy when it comes to raising cattle. How wonderful to live on the land like that. Thank so much for sharing about yourself, and for reading Dressed for My Day. Blessings!
Love your blog! I am married since 43 years, living in Hamburg/Germany. We have 3 sons, 39 , 37 and 35 years old. The oldest – married – lives in Canada, the next on Bahama Island and our youngest Near our home. My husband and I love traveling!
All the best from here!
Well hello Angela! So nice to meet a reader in Germany! I bet you get to travel lots of wonderful places living in Europe. I’ve always heard that travel is so much more accessible there, as far as getting to visit different countries and cultures. How wonderful! Thanks so much for reading and for introducing yourself. 🙂
Hello! I am Angela from Mobile, Alabama. I just turned 56 and teacher fifth grade. My husband and I have been married 37 years. We have two beautiful sons Blake and Tyler, Blake is a Major in the National Guard and Chinook Helicopter pilot who is deployed to the Middle East. He is commander of his unit and only 32 years old. He has a beautiful wife, Leslie, and the most gorgeous two children. Asher (3) and Abigail (11 months). Our son Tyler is 28 and an Electrical Engineer. He graduated from the University of Alabama (Roll Tide) and lives in Birmingham, AL. He has a beautiful girlfriend who is a nurse. We are hoping that she will be family before long. I love reading your blog!
Hi Angela, thanks for introducing yourself. I know you must be so proud of your sons and enjoy them when they are near. It must be difficult at times being a military mom though. Living in an army town I have developed such an appreciation for the sacrifices military families make. God be with you…and with your son.
Thanks for reading DFMD and for leaving a comment today ?
I enjoyed hearing about you and your family. I grew up in Southern California, moved to Tahoe, married and started a family, then we moved to Washington state in 1989 to help plant a church. We’ve been married 35 years and have 6 kids. I homeschooled all of them, with 5 of them doing their junior and senior year at the local community college to earn their AA. The oldest (girl) is an RN at the nearby army hospital; #2 (boy) works in the finance department at a college in Seattle; #3 (boy) is married to a very sweet girl and works for a high end furniture store; #4 (girl) is married to a tender hearted man, works at Starbucks, and is mother of our only grandchild who I babysit 4 days a week; #5 (girl) graduated from Cordon Bleu as a pastry chef; and #6 (girl) is in her senior year of high school at the community college, and is currently studying abroad in Japan for the fall quarter. We have a coffee roasting business in our home, and are hoping to open a cafe within a year or so. At that point #4, 5, and probably 6 will all work for us.
It’s an exciting and busy life, and I wouldn’t change a thing. God is so good!
Blessings!
Wow! What a family! It sounds like God has truly blessed you. I believe that part of God’s plan is to use families to bless other families, sharing the gospel and His love with the world. It sounds like your family is doing that. I love it! Thanks so much for sharing. ?
Hi Kay, nice to hear about your family! Here’s a little about mine. I’m 53 and been married to my hubby for 32 years. We live in TN where he was born and raised. We met at college in TN where I traveled to from FL where I grew up. We have 3 grown children ages 32 (boy), 28(girl), and 26(girl). The older ones are married and my middle child has given us our first grand child. The youngest lives nearby while the older two are out of state. Our son in NC and the daughter in PA. Our son is a Marine pilot, our middle child is a veterinarian, and our youngest just finished her Masters in English and Creative Writing. She’s working on her first book so we’ll so how that goes! Take care. Love your blog.
Sounds like a wonderful life and family, Molly. Thanks so much for sharing. Yes, the creative child is often the one with the harder path, as far as success goes anyhow. But I definitely believe in following the path God draws us to with our desires and gifting. He will make a way! Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi Kay,
I actually found you on one of the link-ups from JoLynne’s blog a couple weeks ago. I am 50 and live near San Antonio on rural acreage. Married for 25 years to a guy I did date a couple times in high school, but we weren’t high school sweethearts. Our families go way back….we have a photo of our grandfathers together in the 1920’s! We have a 24 year old son who recently moved near Austin and is a plumber. Our 22 year old daughter is an RN in Nashville and we love to go visit her whenever possible. Our youngest son is 17 and a senior in high school. He will attend college in Tennessee next year at Union University. He asked to attend a “real” Christian university. We were thrilled to grant that wish!
Marriage is hard! I think harder than parenting. We have gone through some rough patches and what feels like a lot of counseling, but we continue to persevere.
My husband has his own law practice and I have helped him manage that over the years. We have recently contracted to buy a new ranch that is set up for him to raise horses, which is his passion. Our empty-nester years will be very different from everything up to this point! We are excited to see what the future holds.
I am so glad I found your blog. I appreciate your devotionals very much and your perspective on staying stylish as we mature.
Hi Lori,
It’s so nice to meet you. Thank you for sharing about your family and life in Texas. We lived in different parts of Texas for much of our married life. It does indeed sound like your latter years will be very different from the former! But I’ve heard that learning new things is so very good for our minds as we age, so adjusting to a new way of life may prove to be very good for you! Blessings to you and your family!