Patriotic Thrifted Outfit: Happy Fourth of July

The accessories: my espadrilles look like a cherry pie would if it were a shoe!

Buying American made products is a way to participate actively in patriotic cheer.  Maybe you’ve heard the horror stories about dangerous work environments, human exploitation and child labor in relation to cheap overseas manufacturing – well today’s post is about raising awareness about the good we can do by paying closer attention to where our money goes.  Purchasing products manufactured in America lets consumers know that we are interested in supporting companies that comply with ethical labor standards.  Our purchases cast votes.  Let’s cast votes that support American economy, are eco-friendly and provide fair labor and product quality standards.  Statistic show that ninety-eight percent of clothing purchased is imported leaving only two percent domestically made.  Yikes!  This might leave you thinking that US products are non-existent; but though they are hard to find they are still around (smile).  Though, I do most of my shopping secondhand, when I find USA made products (which is often) I feel like I am contributing to the good of local business culture.  My sisters knows that when I find things that are locally made I get noisily excited because she usually rolls her eyes.  “Oh, my- Oh, my - this is US made!” Followed by my happy dance. 

Keep cool during the day with an American Living dress, fun summer shoes and a cute hat!

 These Betseyville espadrille slingbacks remind me of a picnic (thrifted 9.99). 

Add a red belt (old), some shades (Kate Spade Yardsale find $2.99) 

and a straw hat (thrifted $2.99) and you are ready for the hot sun.

The brands logo makes this navy blue dress a must for Independence Day.

Since the fourth of July is approaching, I decided the perfect thrifty post would involve this dress that I found a few weeks ago- for $4.75 from an ultra-patriotic brand that not only makes clothing here, but stamps it with our country bird, the American Bald Eagle.  There’s something about this fit and flare polo dress that screams patriotism.  I almost feel like a bit of a hypocrite wearing it because I generally don’t celebrate Independence Day because of one wimpy dog afraid of fireworks.  Usually my fourths are uneventful days spent curled on a sofa trying to calm my dog until the sedatives begin to work and then making sure I didn’t over drug him!  The responsibilities of a dog momma sometimes triumph over merriment.  Though, a couple years ago my friends convinced me to go away for the weekend - I had a great time and my dog survived my absence.  Yet, due to the sedatives he’s a handful so I like to be present, besides it’s the one day a year I sacrifice which he is totally worth.  Back to the dress, it’s made of light cotton and super comfortable for attending a parade, watching fireworks or just relaxing at home with one spoiled pup.

 As day cools add a patriotic scarf (Kate Spade thrifted $5.99)

Or a cute jacket (Marc Jacobs thrifted $5.25)

The other day, I was reading a friend's Facebook post asking why people spend so much on brand named items when they would be just as happy and with more money in their pocket if they tried a cheap alternative.  Cheap alternatives usually come at a high price for someone and that someone is usually too poor to voice his/her exploitation.  Usually with a higher price tag consumers pay for quality, quality in both materials and craftsmanship.  This quality produces longer life on a garment which means that it’s made to last.  In addition, most quality brands try to keep the integrity of their label so that consumers will shell out the higher fee.  I was once trying to explain this to a woman and she said, “But most people in third world countries don’t know they are getting low wages, or that they are working in unethical conditions - they are just thankful for work.  Our country blesses them with work!”  She might be right that the majority of the workers overseas might be grateful for the work, but we KNOW, we know that our greed and consumerism is exploiting the weak and our planet.  We can’t use ignorance as our escape goat because we KNOW the consequences of our actions and Jesus says, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”  Money talks, let’s use it to say I care America, I care world.  Happy Fourth!     

Keeping in theme with this make-up bag turned clutch (Spartina 449 thrifted $2.99)

Saint Joseph my Retreat Pal

I started noticing that when I go on retreat, a saint chooses me to accompany me throughout my weekend.  This time it was Saint Joseph, foster parent of our beloved Jesus.  When I arrived for my weekend stay at the Alhambra Retreat House, I went inside the chapel and sat in front of this beautiful sculpture of Saint Joseph standing with his protective hand over boy Jesus.  I sat there admiring the artwork thinking how Saint Joseph’s body language spoke so much of the great father he is.  It struck me that I don’t know much about him, so I headed to the library and found some books to learn more about his life during my weekend getaway.  Little is known about his life and what we do know comes from scripture.  Yet, some of the books I picked up were full of legends, stories of what he might have been like and some took the liberty of romanticizing the love between him and our blessed Mother.  I’ve always loved facts in terms of my spirituality so I didn’t find the books that I read very inspiring.  Instead I spent time in front of various images that I found during my weekend and I felt that through the artwork I got a better glimpse of him.   

The first image I came across was the one in the chapel, which gave me a warm welcome (smile).  I love to think of Joseph as a foster parent because  I've always had this strong desire to foster children and dogs.  Currently I have a little girl who I support through World Vision and I feel like she's my little girl in Bangladesh.  Saint Joseph gives us such a great testimony of fatherhood of taking a child and loving him unconditionally and perfectly.  The first time I heard him referred to as the "foster dad" it made me so happy that God has a place in His lineage for all of us.  

 I then spent sometime in his garden, with a sculpture that pays homage to his occupation, a carpenter.  Again, even though Joseph came from royal lineage he was a humble, ordinary man.  He wasn't rich when he took Jesus to the temple to be circumcised he offered a pair of pigeons because he couldn't afford a lamb.   

I found a few books on the library shelves, but all sounded like fairy tale bios.  Until I came across one citing Saint Teresa of Avila's devotion to Saint Joseph.  She encourages us to cultivate a deep devotion for Jesus' dad and to meditate on his virtuous life.  Having one saint recommend another is the highest tip of advice, so throughout the weekend I continued to seek him.

I went for a walk off the retreat grounds to a nearby parish and inside I saw him alone waiting for me.  

I lit a candle for my intentions and knelt in front of him. As I spoke to him I looked up and he seemed to be looking down at me- it felt very intimate and personal.  I lost track of time and would have spent my whole day there if we weren't interrupted by the Saturday Mass crowd (smile).  

On the last day of the retreat, I found this statue and I got to see a different side of Saint Joseph.  He was a compassionate caring father who raised Jesus in an honorable manner. When Jesus' was in danger he took drastic measures to lead his son to safety.  Though he speaks little in the Gospels, his actions reveal his holy character.         

I love words; yet, Saint Joseph is a man of few so I had to think of his actions of the character those actions reveal.  He was a man of great faith, one who trusted and loved God above all.  One who knew God so well that he recognized God's voice when the angels came to him.  His life on earth can teach us so much.  In this world full of noise I enjoyed the peaceful silence which I found in him.  It was a "pregnant" silence (smile).  In the silence, I realized that I need to learn to hold my tongue, to not respond emotionally to things, but wait until I can speak in truth.  That humility is learning to be silent when we want to respond to criticism.  So, am sharing with you the things I learned just by being still in the presence of Saint Joseph (smile).

A Shiny Pair of Slippers: My Path Revealed

Can I tell you a story?  Once upon a time, I fell in love with God and the ignited life in me desired to change- to reflect more of Him and less of me.  I pondered for a while if perhaps God wanted me to be His (body and soul) and I went through a year of informal discernment of religious life.  Yet, as a new comer to the faith I was also very immature and I felt that people that followed the steps of the saints were people that were already saints themselves.  Learning that some of the saints started as some of the biggest sinners was the shock of a lifetime.  The discovery, felt like when you are a child growing up and one day you realize that your parents are not perfect and they fall from the pedestal you held them onto.  Your dad is no longer the strongest, wisest person on earth- he’s just an ordinary man.  Similarly, I began to see the humanity of the saints.  Nonetheless, the saints are not of this world so in a span of a day I learned some of their biographies and their sanctity still seemed like it was ingrained in them.  As if God placed this godly desire in holy people in a very different way- a more powerful form than I felt I had it in me to be holy.  While I strive to be a better version - a reflection of a living Jesus in me, I realized that I had a long way to go.  I looked down at my feet and I was wearing these Swarovski crystal covered heels and I thought, “If I become a nun I will never be able to wear cute shoes again!”  You are probably laughing if you are not judging the superficiality of that thought; but, it’s true for all the new burning love I felt for Christ I had a stronger attachment to this world.  Love was an all good feeling- sacrifice was nowhere near my definition of love at the time.  So, after a year of personal discernment I put aside any notion of becoming a religious.  Sometimes as I write these posts about my thrifting experiences I feel guilty and boastful because I still have a strong attachment to pretty things.  Yes, I have a gift for finding treasures at low prices, but still when I think of Saint Francis of Assisi (which I do often) I feel like he would be disappointed in me.  If he saw my room full of things I wonder what he would say.  If he knew that I decided to become a laity so that I could wear pretty shoes would he nod in sorrow?

Sometimes I worry about not being smart enough, Catholic enough, traditional enough, accomplished enough, simple enough- of not being godly enough.  Of being a vehicle that instead of leading others to Christ I am promoting materialism and a distorted, too comfortable, non-Catholic Christian lifestyle.  While I might not be enough of the qualities sited above- I do have one quality that I try to uphold above all - I am honest to the core.  My nephew got in trouble a couple days ago because while playing with a friend in the swimming pool he pushed his buddy a few times underwater and the little boy became afraid of drowning.  My sister told me how she handled the situation, but still asked me to speak to my nephew about what he had done because she really wanted him to understand that what he did was wrong.  So, I looked at him straight in the eye and I said, “Honey, I’m going to share with you one rule I live my life by, the rule that always applies to any situation.  When you are wondering if what you are about to do is wrong ask yourself, “would I like it if it was done to me?”"  I passed along the golden rule.  You see as a child, in my early formation, my dad told me that we Duarte’s were people of our word that our word meant a lot of something and when others spoke our family name they would do so knowing we were people of honor because we kept our word.  Though my dad wasn’t a very active father due to his alcoholism- this one rule he not only taught us, but lived by it.  So, honesty is huge in my life.  But I am human and as a writer I do have a tendency for hyperbole… 

Now a tiny (and I do mean a tiny) bit more instructed in my faith, I am learning to make peace with the side of me that (like a fly attracted to light) loves pretty things.  I am learning to find balance and make peace with the fact that a sparkly pair of shoes revealed my path as a laity.  And I pray to God (because I do have a strong desire to walk through life on earth with a human companion) that He sends me a holy man one learned in the faith who will guide me because, the Lord knows I need the guidance, Hallelujah!      

Thrifted Modest Summer Outfit

I have come across many modesty posts from various Christian blogs that complain about the lack of modest clothing being offered at stores.  They seem to agree that hems are too high and that necklines are too low.  I always wonder where these girls shop, whether they lack imagination or maybe they just like to complain (smile).  What’s that cliché it’s not the clothes that make the woman beautiful (in this case modest) it’s the woman that makes the clothes come to life.  Growing up materially poor meant that we needed to get creative with what we had.  Often I have shared about my mother’s ability to refashion beautiful creations from old garments.  My sister designed and made beautiful clothes from cheap scraps of fabric.  Thus, I learned through example, that clothes like life are full of possibility.  Am not blind I do see immodest clothing on celebrities, when out shopping and sadly on impressionable young girls trying too hard to fit in. BUT I also see great alternatives, cute items that pass the modesty test.  However, if I like something that is too low cut, too short or too tight – I think of ways of evangelizing my selections by wearing a cute undershirt beneath it, or extending the hem, or getting a bigger size.  If I can’t transform the garment to my satisfaction I put it back and continue on my way.  The other day at a family party a lady danced very provocatively with a group of other women and her husband (who was sitting) was really upset by her behavior. This opened a great discussion in our home about modesty.  My mom commented that the issue was not dancing, because even married women should dance at gatherings with friends.  The problem was the way this woman was moving her body during a family (public) event.  I think the same concept can be applied to clothing.  It’s not the clothes that are immodest (in most cases) it’s the way people style them that makes them improper.

At Paséa Hotel in Huntington Beach.

Thrifted five dollar dress.

Brand New Michael Kors thrifted wedges!

Last night I went to an event last minute with my friend and it was a great opportunity to get fancy.  The dress that I wore I thrifted a few months ago – in fact my whole outfit is comprised of secondhand items. I’ve seen this style of dresses at most retailers and I think the style is feminine and modest.  The Michael Kors metallic wedges are a thrifting score! I found them brand new for a few bucks.  My raffia shoulder bag completed my summer look.   Due to the high temperatures I wore my hair up trying to keep cool.  So, if I can find modest pieces shopping secondhand anyone can (smile) sometimes we might need to tap into our creative side.

Thrifted Vintage jewelry... Enjoying some Italian Ice. LOL!

Diocesan Rosary at the Beach

On Saturday, I attended the annual diocesan rosary at the beach for my first time.  When I saw the event invite I was immediately drawn to it because I really love praying outdoors.  Next to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament- being with God out in nature is my favorite forms of worship.  It reminds me of the day that I opened my heart to God (as an adult), the day my brother was in the ER and I was out in the parking lot of the hospital and God came to me in a gust of wind.  Since, that’s the way He often reveals Himself to me, through His artful creation…

 Just a couple of seagulls chillin'.

 Praying outside is awesome!

The rosary at the beach has been an annual event the diocese hosts as a way of bringing young people together for fellowship and prayer.  The afternoon begins with socializing, roasting hot dogs, then praying the rosary together, followed by singing around the bonfire and roasting s’mores.  I really had a great time catching up with friends, meeting new ones and overall sharing my faith with others.  We had a big group come out from parishes around the diocese and to me it always motivates me to see so many young people defying the social norms by living a life for Christ.  A lot of the people in attendance were college aged kiddos and at times one in her thirties can feel a little old (smile).  There’s just a bit of an over-thirty deficit in attendance at some of these events, but I guess being around youngins can help the spirit remain youthful (LOL).

 Sharing a moment with friends.

 Getting dinner ready.

Roasting Hot Dogs.

 S'mores.

Singing around the fire. 

The rosary was really special because I asked the leader if we could offer it for a friend of mine who lost her brother and who I (along with some close friends) have been praying a novena for.  To have over a hundred people praying for my friend, her family and the soul of the departed was super beautiful.  I sent her pictures afterwards to share this with her because I know that when my brother passed away and people would tell us about these tributes and memorials it helped placed ointment on my wound.  Sometimes, there’s nothing we can do to help alleviate another person’s hurt- other than show them God’s infinite love through our prayerful actions. God listens to our pleas and comforts those who mourn.

 United in prayer.

I learned that it’s the eighth year the diocese hosts this event and for my first time attending, I give it a two thumbs up.    

Less than Thirty Dollars Theatre Outfit

When I was in High School I attended my first theatre production.  My English teacher offered extra credit for those who went to see “Kimberly Akimbo.”  I remember he coached us on proper dress attire for theatre going by reading an excerpt by a Chicano writer.  The author stressed the way that Mexicans have a tendency to over dress- my maternal grandma would call this wearing hasta el molcajete!  Yeah, we Mexican’s (much like Catholicism) celebrate life usually with loud, exaggerated flare.  The more bling the better!  Our teacher wanting to prepare us for unexplored territory attempted to instruct us on the proper etiquette of the theatre world.  He taught us that there are different dress codes people abide by, but he did so by reading this hilarious piece on the realities that when a Mexican hears party we generally hear one thing “time to dress to the tens” we don’t do nines (LOL).  In a very inoffensive way he taught us that one must dress up to attend theatre, but not overdo it with top hat unless the invite states so.  For the first time I was introduced into the different kinds of formal attire.  I remember the night of the play, I wore a simple cocktail dress and tried very hard to not disappoint my favorite teacher.  Then the play started and I knew that I had found something special.  While most of the kids in my class who attended didn’t think much of the experience I was fascinated by the whole night and since I have been a theatre nerd.  Every time while I get ready to go to a production I think of that day in class when I learned inbetween raucous laughter the do’s and don’ts of theatre dress code!

Last night, I went to see “The Little Mermaid” with some of my friends from work.  The play is seriously fantastic- the costumes are mesmerizing, the singing and music topnotch and the set and special effects are some of the best I’ve seen in theatre.  It’s still playing for quite a few more dates so if you get the chance go watch it! 

Now to the thrifty part of today’s post, my outfit is 100% completely thrifted!  Sometimes I get lucky and score brand new items like this nautical dress from the Loft with the $79.50 price still intact.  I love stripes and this dress not only has stripes, but it’s a shift dress with a wide ruffle bottom seam (it reminds me of Lucy’s dress from Peanuts).  

I paired my dress with J Crew’s Floating Pearl Necklace, Betsey Johnson Bow Pearl Earrings (old), MK watch (old), stacked pearl bracelets, 

my Seychelles Anthology beaded Sandal 

and my JPK Paris raffia crossbody. 

If I would have paid retail I would have spent $319.48 before taxes on just four items, as is on those four items I spent a grand total of $26.96 (thrift stores are taxed exempt).  So, not only do I follow the theatre dress code guidelines, I also manage to do it on a budget (smile).   

Alhambra: The Sacred Heart Retreat House

Today’s post is a sort of a commercial.  This year, the place I found refuge during my weekend retreat is going through some financial challenges.  During the year my parish is one of two churches that completely fills out the retreat house for the weekend.  This means’ that out of the year only for two weekends the home is completely booked, leaving the rest of the weekends available for other groups to use.  The Sacred Heart Retreat house in Alhambra is such a majestic place, Father Mullady describe it “as a glimpse of paradise.”  I, of course, fell in love with the grounds and today I would like to take you on a tour of the facility, mainly the gardens.  The retreat house boasts of many gardens, each dedicated to a saint.  At each garden there’s comfy chairs and tables to relax, read, pray, or even picnic.  Saint sculptures take center stage at each garden, they are all beautiful portraits of our holy friends.  Beautiful trees provide shade and all types flowers (including many rose bushes) add color.  Due to the natural splendor all types of critters can also be spotted.  I lost track of time watching a squirrel parkouring among the trees (smile). 

Drinking my coffee & journaling with Saint Therese.

Sacred Heart Garden.

 Mother Mary carrying baby Jesus' garden is in the courtyard in front of the lunch room.

 Guardian angel garden.

 Great place to take morning walks.

 Immaculate Heart of Mary Garden.

 Pray with Saint Anthony.

 After buying a book at the bookstore read it in front at the other Sacred Heart garden

 The Lord is my Shepherd Garden.

 Hangout with Saint Francis.

There are many more gardens...

A spacious conference room, in addition to the beautiful chapel.

There are many options for sleeping quarters...

and the most beautiful library! Here I am at the library.

If you are looking for a location to take a group on retreat try the Sacred Heart Retreat House, it will not disappoint.  Or if you want to go on retreat on your own the Camelite sisters offer many retreats throughout the year.  Check out their website: Sacred Heart Retreat House.  Let's support the sisters so that this paradise on earth continues to help people find refuge in God.