One very special scarf

There are two trends this season I've been seeing everywhere.
Plaid stuff  and big blanket scarves.

Now I've always been a fan of plaid.  My southern man I'm married to has been rocking plaid shirts his entire life.  And when it's a vintage plaid shirt with snap buttons well,  put a fork in me and call me done. ~swoon.

But back to the big blanket scarves.  They kept popping up everywhere and I was thinking gosh, those are super darn cute and I would really like to find myself one.  And then it dawned on me.  I have one!  In fact I have a PLAID one!  A very special one.

If you know my story, you know that Nick and I got married young.  Very young.  We were 17 years old and still in high school with a new baby.  You can probably figure out that we were  broke financially.   That first year was pretty rough and there was no extra money for anything other than necessities.

So when our first Christmas rolled around, it was slim pickens for us.  I went to the thrift store and found a little red velvet dress with an eyelet collar for Elizabeth to wear (she was three months old). I paid a dollar for it.  I have a teddy bear that Nick gave me when we were dating and I now put Elizabeth's red velvet Christmas dress on the teddy bear and sit it under the christmas tree every year.  It reminds me of so many things…how far we've come, how much grace God has blessed us with, how He always provided for us….I could go on and on.

But back to the scarf.  We had NO money that Christmas.  None.  And we weren't able to give each other a gift….or so I thought.  When Christmas morning rolled around  he had a package under the tree for me.  And inside of it was this big beautiful blue and green plaid scarf.  I had never seen one that big.  He had bought it for me at K-Mart back in the day when "blue light specials" where all the rage.  Please tell me y'all remember those. Seriously some of my favorite memories with my mom was us running across the store in search of that blinking blue glow and whatever 15 minute bargain was waiting.

I  wouldn't trade my K-Mart scarf for all the designer scarves in the world.  That was 26 years ago now. Here's a picture. It's grainy I know. But I love it.

Christmas 1988

My man, me and my beautiful unexpected scarf and Elizabeth in her $1 red velvet dress.

Here is a better pic of the scarf with me, my momma and two brothers.

This picture is so unique because Marvin (on the left) does not wear turtle necks.

And Greg (on the right) always smiled in every picture.  I think he was jealous of Marvin's turtle neck. Or those awesome acid washed jeans.  And my mom pretty much looks the same.  The woman just doesn't age.  Check out that over one shoulder look I've got going on. 

I've kept that scarf in my big box of my girl's keepsake clothes all these years and pulled it out for this years trend of the season.  Have y'all ever worn one?  Let me tell you they are not the easiest things to wear. I remember never knowing how to tie it and it always feeling awkward on me.

So this time I sought help to figure out how to fold it.  Yahoo Style had THE perfect article with great pictures that helped me out tremendously.  This is where I went for my inspiration.  While I was looking I also found this article on how to dress stylish during a Polar Vortex, which may come in handy this year from the looks of it.  Also, this one on how to dress a baby bump (thinking of you Elizabeth) and this one..because who doesn't want to see celebrities in overalls??  But my favorite was THIS ONE…The Royals are coming to New York the first week in December and this is their itinerary!  William and Kate and George in NYC!  Somebody please go stalk them for me and tell me all about it.

Y'all, I could have perused Yahoo Style for another hour or two…so much fun stuff and style inspiration but I had to focus….

Back to the article on how to wear a blanket scarf.

 These are the pics it inspired.

When we were taking these pictures,  I was thinking about how much has changed since the very first time I wore this scarf….we have two more daughters, three son-in-laws, three grandchildren with one on the way, being called into ministry and getting to serve God's people as a vocation (wow), just the fact that we've been interrupted by His grace (WOW)…. I mean so much grace and goodness. But also hard times too.  My brother Greg is no longer with us. It's so hard to believe he's been gone 10 years now.

That blanket scarf represents to me being covered and wrapped up in God's grace and goodness for the past 26 years.

But some things haven't changed.  Y'all see those boots I'm wearing in all the pictures?

He's still surprising me at Christmas.  He's bumped up his budget a little bit and got me some genuine leather Ariat boots last year.  And he's still shopping at unusual places.  This time Tractor Supply.  And I absolutely love it.  

I wonder where all these boots will have taken me in the next 26 years?

I can't wait to find out.

(This post was sponsored by Yahoo.)