Dress to Impress

So I'm a girl....

I take FOREVER to get ready. Just talk to the man who raised me and 3 other girls! There were so many times that he would wait on Sunday mornings patiently at 10:55 for us to get in the car and finally head to 11:00 o' clock Mass... yes we were those girls.

The part that I always struggle with is maintaining a fashionable style AND continuing to be modest.
While we're in the midst of fashion trends that are surfacing like crop tops and bandeau's I want to give you some tips that could help in your shopping or give you some alternative ideas!

Dress to Impress.... Princess Duty 101

• First and foremost remember that although appearances may feel super important please know that it is not what identifies you as a person. Others may admire your beauty but your identification isn't in the makeup you wear, or the jeans you buy. Rather, your identity is the beautiful heart that belongs to Our Lord. In 1 Peter 3:3, "It is not fancy hair, gold jewelry, or fine clothes that should make you beautiful. No, your beauty should come from within you- the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. This beauty will never disappear, and it is worth very much to God."
• Remember that you are the daughter of the King of Kings! This means that dressing appropriately does not just stay within the castle walls (or church) but should be expected in other places like school, campus, or work. 
• On to some fashion tips for modesty...Layering is always good! You don't have to wear like 10 layers but its never wrong to wear a camisole under a tank top and finish it off with a cute cardigan and belt! Also make sure to add some fun accessories like scarves :) Here's an example of some cute layering that will give you an idea of what I'm talking about...

              

• Well... skirts and dresses. It's best if you get a length that is at your knees. If you're like me that means that it is this awkward tee length dress that never looks too great. I have found a pretty great solution to this problem! About a month ago I made a trip to my local thrift store and got dresses and skirts. After purchasing those I went to Hobby Lobby and got some elastic. Afterwards, I went home and started cutting and making maxi skirts that actually fit me! Guess how much? 8 dollars! It's really easy and all you need are some scissors, a long dress, elastic, and liquid stitch. Here's an example of a couple that I made...

   

• I haven't tried this with shorts yet but a few of my friends have gotten old jeans from the thrift store, cut them to an appropriate length, and just sewed maybe some lace to add a flare to the clothing. 
• Make your modest clothing YOUR OWN! If you're going to be modest than you might as well have fun thinking up new creative ideas for it! :) There tends to be a stigma about modest clothing that it means you have to look like a grandma even though you're only 18 or 20 years old, but the reality is that the more you look into the creativity of modest clothing the more it allows for innovation and thinking to come into play with something as modern as fashion! So..... have fun! 
• My final bit of advice?? Be confident! Believe and know what is said in Song of Songs 4:7, "You are altogether beautiful my love; there is no flaw in you." 

Here are some other cute ideas to create your very own #modestishottestcloset:

          

In my Father's Vineyard...

Just to begin, I'm not sure if I included this in my last post but I am a student at Colorado State University which is a public school in Fort Collins, Colorado. Just 10 minutes away from the center of campus is Blessed John the 23rd University Parish that administers to Catholic students and brings them the joy of being Catholic by providing tons of different programs and ministries for the students to get involved in. Within that umbrella is a ministry called the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, or more commonly know as FOCUS, which brings full time missionaries in for the purpose of setting campus on fire for Jesus Christ and the Catholic faith. Eventually those who attend FOCUS bible studies can become disciples and lead their own study which consists of plenty of prayer time, coffee, and meeting some amazing men and women who desire to know more about Our Lord in the Scriptures.  

My Freshman year of college when I first said 'yes' to becoming a disciple within FOCUS I didn't really understand what I was saying 'yes' to.

I was saying yes to....

nights of complete desolation and feeling like I have nothing to offer. 

I was saying yes to....

intense time in holy hours trying to contemplate Our Lord in the mysteries of the Gospels and how to best explain his wonderful majesty. 

I was saying yes to....

lifelong friendships.

I was saying yes to....

giving of myself... truly giving...and having a passion so deep of wanting people to desire Heaven. 

I was saying yes to labor.

BUT....

Like any average college kid I get very tired. Very fast.

It very well could be for the fact that I have chosen to procrastinate on my history 339 paper that was due at 11:00 am or the big Spanish test I have to review for. (You college pals know what I'm talking about)

Anyway, even though the mission for evangelizing on campus is so worthwhile and absolutely incredibly I still ask Our Lord, "Why? Why me? I know nothing. What do I have to offer?"

On this September day I was yet again drawn to the church in hope to find peace because these questions that were so filled with fear and doubt plagued my heart again. Our Lord replied to my anxiousness and feelings of fear with one beautiful phrase...

He simply said to me...

"Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me?" 

Wow. What a loving Father we have that in times of distress and hopelessness He leans over and says simply, 'You belong to me...' 

This scripture passage in Matthew 20 gave me a glimpse into my own selfishness and temptation especially in that, like all human beings, we all desire to govern ourselves. 

There's such a freedom in giving yourself entirely to Our Lord and being at His disposal. Although there is a lot of fear, isn't there? We are fearful of what God is going to ask of us. What He will require us to do with our talents and how uncomfortable that may feel. 

But as Paul puts it, "Yet He is not far from each one of us, for in Him, we live and move and have our being." 

God made you and breathed His very life in to you! If you place your hand over your chest you feel a beating heart, and this heart was made and formed in a beautiful way that Our Lord knows in every way. You belong to Him!

Do not be afraid of what God asks of you because He will make you more than ready for the task at hand! God will ask of you things that may frighten you, tire you, and bring you discomfort. But He will be with you each step of the way working and laboring in the vineyard.  

Being a FOCUS student missionary comes with intimidation but also with beautiful opportunities to labor and work to build the Kingdom of Heaven. There will be days that it is hard to understand why He has given me the task that He has, but as it says in John 15:16,

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit--fruit that will last--and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you." 

Out Lord taught me that I need to step outside myself and not only look at my feelings but the feelings of others around me, therefore, I will learn how best to serve and give freely while expecting nothing in return.
To belong to Christ is to live for Him. This is the greatest freedom of all because it is that which leads to Heaven.... St. Agnes said it beautifully, "Christ has made my soul beautiful with the jewels of grace and virtue. I belong to Him Whom the Angels serve."

Keep Calm and Trust in God.

Feeling like a Newbie

First Post.

The nervousness hits as I begin banging on the keys just waiting for some brilliant thought to hit me, and thinking of every phrase as a writing on my soul. I am very new to this blogging thing! The reality? In the next week or two the only people who will most likely see this will be my family and close friends. Either way! I am going to begin by introducing myself.

My name is Kileen Willis and I am a young Catholic girl trying to get a handle on being a sister, aunt, daughter, girlfriend, student, and friend. I am a Colorado native and have enjoyed growing up with a family of three older sisters and an inspiring Mom and Dad. My story is pretty simple. I am your typical cradle Catholic. Grew up in the faith and have always been surrounded by it. 

I went to a private elementary and middle school but made the transition to a public school when switching to high school. The transition from private to public school was an awkward one. It was full of standing at the beginning of class only to remember that prayer to start was not a regular practice, it was the awkwardness in conversation while trying to understand references to "gettin' some", or "they hooked up" that I was unaware of. As a fourteen year old I could remember just the year before as I was kneeling in front of Our Lord in Adoration for third period. Adoration for third period! If only... IF ONLY... I could have appreciated those times more. 

Because very soon I realized that I was walking into a world where many didn't want our Lord to exist.... high school.

All of the things in high school were so new and as a freshman I loved them! For once I could wear earrings that dangled, dress in whatever clothes I wanted, chew gum, and even wear makeup. What freedom I felt! The thing was... as I got older I realized more and more the lovely life I had while at my private school. I could enjoy the bountiful love of Jesus in the Eucharist every Friday, along with every Thursday I could sit and meditate with Him in Adoration. I could be safe in the comfort of never having to defend my Catholic faith because everyone around me was Catholic. High School offered the world, but as I furthered myself in this world I realized how much I wanted that which could give me Heaven instead... Jesus. 

Do you want to talk about something 'new'? 

Loving and following Jesus in the midst of the world. 

This lifestyle was and continues to be so new and radical in schools today. So I urge that if you want to do something 'radical' with your life? Love Jesus and follow Him. He was a radical dude that when asked how often we should forgive our brothers He said, "Not seven, I tell you, but seventy-seven times."

This gets to my next point...

If you want to follow Our Lord but you are nervous about feeling 'too far gone', please don't. God wants you wherever you are at. The reality is that He has been waiting for twenty one centuries in a Tabernacle for you to come back to Him. Receive the joy, love, and mercy that is found in the Sacraments. 

Go to Confession.

You know the best feeling I have found in relation to feeling new? After I have gone to confession.

Our Lord creates in you a new soul. A new creation. A new love. And a new purpose.

Go out and seek Him.

See! Being new at something is always worth it...