Josh Boersma's Fashion Evolution: Continued

Guys.

To date, my post about Josh's style has had 146 more views than my original post.

.....................................................really.

It's starting to get personal. And I'm pretty offended that these unique fashion choices...

...Got more blog-o-sphere attention than this ensemble...

I just can't even.

Anyway, I say it's because I'm an excellent writer. Josh says it's because he's excellent material. Either way, it's offensive. I told him his silly little post got more views than mine last week when he was having a bad day to give him a little happy boost, but now he's using that information against me, saying things like, "Shouldn't you be taking fashion advice from me, since MY blog got more views than yours?"

Someone hold me.

What's actually really funny is that Josh has garnered some extra attention in recent days since I wrote about his fashion sense.

First, one of Jamie's friends came over one evening and noted, 'Hey! It's the blue shorts!' Hilarious.

Then, we were interrupted by some of Vern and Patti's friends (strangers to me) at brunch who came up to Josh, patted him on the back and said to me, 'Hey! He looks pretty good today!' Even more hilarious.

Yes people. That would be because I picked his outfit, laid it out on the bed, and he STILL threw a little sarcastic-Josh-fit about how, "this gray shirt fits weird and I don't understand the little chest pocket why is there a chest pocket what is the purpose I don't understand the purpose!"

No one tells you this kind of stuff about marriage. But maybe no one really needs to because there is only one Josh Boersma...and he happens to be mine. ;)

The infamous gray shirt and small pocket. It's like...how am I going to get up and dress him for the next 40+ years if that pocket is a dealbreaker...

He redeemed himself by allowing me to color coordinate our outfits for a wedding on Saturday. Pretty cute, right?

MmB

Josh Boersma's Fashion Evolution

What an adorable Target shopper.

As I promised here, Josh's fashion is making it's debut on the blog today.

Yesterday when I read him this paragraph:

"I have a pretty excellent post coming later this week...I'm calling it Josh's Boersma's Fashion Evolution" chronicling Josh's fashion sense through the years. There will be throwback pictures and beards and Ankeny t-shirts and athletic sorts...it should be a good time."

He responded by saying, "You just wrote it. That's pretty much all there is to say."

When I'm complain to Josh's mom, Patti, about how he fights me when I suggest wearing dress pants to a funeral, nice jeans for a date night, or a collared shirt to church, she sympathetically looks and me and says, "Mollie, I tried. I tried to raise him right." And she really did. But as a mom of three boys, Josh was by far the hardest to dress...so at some point, she stopped fighting him for wearing athletic shorts and Switchfoot t-shirts to church because...why.

I've fully come to understand what his parents mean when they say to their daughters-in-law, "He's your problem now!"

Let's take a look, shall we?

In high school this was Josh's signature look:

I think this is post-high school, but you get the idea. Shorts, t-shirt. Tennis shoes. And that. Headband. I wanted to die over his obsession with that headband.

This was Josh's common, everyday, hanging out with the guys look circa 2007. But he considered this ensemble to be timeless, as he wore it from approx. 2004-2009.

That would be a dirty old American Eagle hat signed by Jon Foreman (or someone?) and a Switchfoot concert tee. Classic Josh.

Meet college Josh...the early years:

Here we have a grungy state cross country, long-sleeved tee and he went for a layered look. This was fall, so it was necessary to add the sleeveless John Deere tee as well as the signature baseball cap.

Another outfit put together by college Josh: 

Those light blue athletic shorts are a staple for Josh to this day. We had been dating for about three months when Josh took this trip with his bros. There are other pictures from this trip on Facebook that I'm not sure are appropriate for anyone's eyes. So I left some of his camping fashion off the blog.  Notice how adorable he is in MNW gear? 

Then this happened...in which I said vows promising the rest of my life to this man and his fashion choices:

June 19th, 2010

It's taken four years, but this is Josh's work/play outfit:

BLC hoodie + jeans + new Nike hat...coordinated, clean (ish), comfortable.

He's so low maintenance...somehow he actually comes full circle and is high maintenance.

We've had some slip-ups:

Josh sporting his Christmas-jammie-velvet-boxers OVER his jeans.

And this happened, but only once:

Carving pumpkins Halloween 2012.

Like I said, he is still sporting these trusty light blue athletic shorts:

Iowans: The few. The proud. The extremely attractive.

Josh loves plaid and flannel more than anything. Which makes slipping new pieces into his wardrobe here and there pretty simple. In fact there have been times when I've taken the tag off something, he's worn it once or twice, and the third time he puts it on before church he looks at me (annoyed) and says, "IS THIS NEW?!"

I confess, these were a Christmas gift from me last year. He can't help it he's this adorable in Christmas jammies.

He loves things that are soft so I bought two of these sweaters, one black and one brown and totally got away with it:

And this is what my little business-owner wears from November to February when he's hangin' at home, workin' on the computer, grilling in blizzards, and generally loving life:

Hoodie and gray sweats that are approx. 14 years old, and ripped at the bottom (my next mission in life is replacing those).

A week ago I took Jamie and Josh (two of the world's worst shoppers) to Kohl's to find Father's Day gifts and work shorts for Josh. We'd been in the store for all of five minutes and they were both already whining (to those who may think I'm not prepared for motherhood...you have no idea how well these two have prepared me). I had to move fast so I grabbed five pairs of work shorts for Josh to try on, along with an ADORABLE pair of royal blue Docker dress shorts, and a plaid button-up shirt that was on the sale rack. We tried them all on, and Josh gave me a resounding 'no' to the 'yact club' outfit I'd put together. I said he was getting one or the other so he had to pick.

He picked the plaid button-up and seriously. How cute.

It's scary, but I somehow know exactly what shopping with our future teenage sons will be like. 

I'm going to go out on a limb here and take full credit for Josh's new (ish) and improved wardrobe. So even though he walked out the door in his ADIDAS athletic sandals instead of his American Eagle flip flops and I didn't catch him until we were down the street and headed to church (it was completely inappropriate for church but he's a work in progress)...there is no one else I would rather argue with in the Kohl's dressing room but Josh Boersma.

MmB

My Style

What a joke.

In the past six months I've started to pretend that I have some style, since I discovered the Gap Factory store in Ames, so I just copy what I see on manikins and also Lauren Conrad. But first, let me explain my pathetic fashion evolution:

In high school, I had silver jeans and some screen print shirts from Target. In college, I had sweat pants and ISU hoodies and fake Ugg boots. From 2010 to mid-2013, I pretty much wore the same five dress shirts in rotation with the same dress pants and the same black cardigan depending on the time of year.

It's not something I'm proud of.

And the fact that Lauren Cotting's has badgered me to the point where I'm willing to write a style blog for her shows how much I value her friendship. She talked me into this one as well.

Anyway, I thought I'd pull out the 10 best pieces from my closet to share.

The black blazer.

I've been in search of the perfect black blazer for about two years. I wanted to find one that wasn't too casual, but not too dressy, not too bulky/long/awkward, the perfect fit, length, fabric, etc...seriously, every time I was in a store, I'd search for a blazer, just to see if I'd happen upon the perfect one. It found me last month. Lauren Conrad Collection. Kohl's. 30% off. $28 (orig. $70). It was the only one on the whole rack and it was my size. A little blazer miracle.

The nude flats.

Spring. Summer. Fall. Winter. Black. Navy. Brown. White. They're all-around, 100% perfect. $19.99 at Target will get you a pair that will cause blisters for the first six months of wear, but after that it's smooth sailing. I'm not saying they're the best pair out there, but they're cute and cheap (sale price is $16.99). Making the temporary heel owies worth it.

Nude flats could also be replaced with nude heels (I'd recommend Lauren Conrad Collection for Kohl's, $39.99), but I'm only allowed to wear those when Josh isn't around because he loses the two inches he has on me and it changes our whole dynamic and things just get weird when I'm taller.

Nude flats + skinnies + V-neck. Cute and comfy and most important EASY.

The perfect skinny jeans.

Jeans are so weird. They go up too high, they fall down, they get stretched out, the crotch is too big, the legs are too tight, the waist isn't tight enough...does anyone else fight this battle? I've found the best place to find skinny jeans is at Gap. Specifically on the 30%-off-already-reduced-prices rack. $11 (orig. $60), yes please.

The black V-neck tee.

I swear color exists in my wardrobe, but my 'staple' items tend to be black because black goes with everything. Gold, silver, blue scarves, coral necklaces, denim jackets. I used to think the perfect black V-neck existed at Target for $8.99, but then I realized that an even better V-neck exists at the Gap Factory for $6.99 (orig. $14.99). You're welcome.

The comfy cardigan.

The magic of the cardigan is something I didn't discover until January of this year. I found a heather gray one at the Gap Factory store (sensing a common theme?), bought one for $14.99 (orig. $29.99) and proceeded to WEAR IT ALL THE TIME. In case you were wondering, gray also goes with everything. These cardigans are long enough to wear with leggings, casual enough to wear over t-shirts and V-necks, and dressy enough to wear over a pretty shirt to church.

Three staples at once, leggings + V-neck + cardigan.

The little black dress.

There are approximately six LBD's in my closet...however, one is too big, two are too small, and three are perfect. Sometimes having an assortment is necessary, okay? Either way, black dresses also go with everything and they can be worn anywhere. Funerals, cruises, weddings, dates, dinners, bachelorette parties, church, vacation...literally. Anywhere. And since these dresses are always out in full force on the back wall at Target (usually $39.99) I stalk them like a lion stalks a gazelle in the African desert until they are $20 or less on the sale racks. In case you don't have Target's sale tricks up your sleeve, read this for more of their secrets. Bottom line, search end aisles and look for prices that end in .#4!

The puffy vest.

Covering the 10 best pieces for every season is difficult, but I can't leave out the puffy vest. I'd actually recommend one in gray, black, or white...or just one of each since puffy vests are out right around the time I score birthday money and Christmas gift cards. ;) They're great with long sleeve shirts and scarves...they're perfect over hoodies and jackets. Warm and adorable. Usually a little more expensive, but really versatile.

With my mom at Christmas in some adorable winter-gear. 

The black leggings.

I realize there can be controversy over leggings...but let tell you how I feel since this is my blog and I can do what I want. I. Love. Them. They are comfortable and warm and black (so they go with everything :). They're perfect for workouts and lounging and walks and wearing to church with an appropriately long-enough flowy shirt and cardigan. As it turns out, I am still in search of the perfect pair that are thick enough (ask Jamie about her 'girl-in-the-see-through-leggings-at-the-library' story), go up high enough, and are the right fabric. If you've located such a pair, please let me know. My friend Ellen found the perfect pair in every color for $8 in Israel but as it turns out, I'm not planning a trip to Israel anytime soon. So there goes that option.

See? Leggings are even perfect for shoveling snow. They effortlessly match my pink Puddletons and G'pa Harm's Carhart at the same time.

The perfect infinity.

I can't tell Josh how many I have or he will leave me, but I tell you what. They are the easiest way to re-invent the same outfit over and over and over again, making them a perfect investment. Throw on a different scarf and no one will know that you wore the same skinny jeans and black V-neck for five days in a row. I recommend a perfect, neutral infinity (Vera Wang, Kohl's, $16.99 but make sure you use your 30% off coupon...and if you didn't get one in the mail, chances are Patti Boersma did, so ask to borrow hers). You can read more about Josh's thoughts on scarves here.

The cheetah print.

I'm entitled to my opinion, and my opinion is that cheetah print is God's gift to women's fashion. I'll wear it in dress or jeans form... on leggings, scarves, flats...and the best news all year, the Kardashians just came out with a baby/toddler girl line of CHEETAH SLEEPERS AND TONS OF OTHER ADORABLE THINGS...so in case there was any question, yes, we will be decking our future Boersma Babes out in all of this cheetah goodness. Seriously though, find a fab print and rock it. Over and over again. Plaid, polka dots, stripes, aztec, zebra, floral...I tend to have a sampler platter of all of these prints, but cheetah is hands-down my fave.

THEY EVEN HAVE CHEETAH BIBS AND GOLD SEQUIN TUTUS. Hold me.

Husband + Cheetah Print = Love

Another staple that didn't make the Top 10...a cheap skinny belt.

And to those who think this is a meaningless, worldly post that includes nothing of eternal value, let me remind you that finding modest, age-appropriate, affordable, fashionable clothing in 2014 can sometimes be REALLY FREAKING HARD. I survived the 'modest is hottest' talks during middle school; successfully graduated college without dressing like a (insert word of your choice HERE); and I am currently living through the age of 'Pinterest-perfect-fashion'...I've decided that I'm entitled to at least one fashion blog per year. Maybe two if I feel like it. 

I have a pretty excellent post coming later this week...I'm calling it "Josh Boersma's Fashion Evolution" chronicling Josh's fashion sense through the years. There will be throwback pictures and beards and Ankeny t-shirts and athletic shorts...it should be a good time.

MmB

Hannah + Nathan



Since Jill and I were pretty proud of our speech, I figured I'd get a little more mileage out of the hard work we put into writing it and also post it on the blog. Along with some pretty spectacular pictures of our weekend.

Mollie: We're not planning to cry during this because we think Vern and Shannon have done enough crying for the whole family today, but here goes.

Jill: Mollie and I are excited that Nathan and Hannah are finally married for these five reasons.

M: ONE, No more having to book two separate rooms or find two separate bedrooms for them to sleep when we're traveling together as a family. Seriously, we have a hard enough time fitting everyone in the house at Vern and Patti's and keeping them in separate rooms is just an inconvenience. We're happy they can finally sleep together!

J: TWO, we're both tired of saying, "My brother's girlfriend, " or, "My brother's fiancé." She's been part of the family for so long that neither of those titles do her justice. As of today we can say sister-in-law or just SISTER!

M: THREE, Patti can stop complaining about Nathan's dirty laundry, Nathan's dirty car, Nathan's filthy room...he's Hannah's problem now.

J: FOUR, my kid's can officially call you, "Aunt Hannah!"

M: FIVE, there is finally someone other than me to produce grandchildren!

M: As siblings we realize we have probably been a little intrusive, overbearing, outspoken, dramatic, annoying, and critical of you both as we've watched your relationship unfold for the past six years (and specifically for the past eight months), but as any good Boersma family member knows, that is the key to our closeness. It's really, part of our charm. Nothing is off limits, opinions are freely shared (or yelled), but we all know we love each other more than anything. As a member of the family who also married a Boersma boy, I can honestly say, better in-laws DO NOT exist. We are two lucky girls...Kurt's lucky too.

Before Josh and I got married, someone told me that the people you choose to stand beside you on your wedding day should be the people who you believe will hold you accountable to the vows you just made. Of course, there is a lot of fun stuff that goes along with being in a wedding party, but at the end of the night, you just made a covenant before Got that you would use your marriage to glorify Him...and we want you to know it's an honor to hold you to those vows, and it's something we plan to take seriously.

J: Bless you, Hannah, as you begin the long journey of training Nathan to keep his car clean, his sunflower seeds in the garbage, and his wet bath towels off the floor. We will pray for extra patience for you during the first year of marriage...but seriously, we couldn't be happier for you! To Nathan and Hannah!