Clothing & More: Beautiful Souveniers

by Nichole Giles on Nichole's Fairy Squeaks
on yourLDSneighborhood Newsstands - 5 June 2008

A few years ago, I opened my mind to a number of possibilities I hadn’t allowed myself to consider before. Life is all about possibility, and as I came to understand this fact, I realized that our family could actually go on a vacation that didn’t involve theme parks.

We mapped out a few options, checked pricing against our proposed budget, and gave our children a vote. After having spent a good portion of our parenthood traveling back and forth between Disney destinations, we were surprised that our children voted unanimously on a Baja cruise. -- Read More

Clothing & More: Toe Rings and Toe Jam, Part II

by Nichole Giles on Nichole's Fairy Squeaks
on yourLDSneighborhood Newsstands - 2 June 2008

When I was a kid, the last day of school was a major event. Not only did it signify the beginning of summer, but it reminded me that winter (my least favorite season) was over and summer (my favorite) had begun. Usually, I like to celebrate the warmer temperatures that accompany summer with the purchase of a great pair of sandals. Because, let’s face it, sandals just rock.

Last week, I talked about toe rings and how they can dress up an ordinary pair of feet. To tell the truth, I believe most people are self-conscious of their feet. I’m not sure why. We all have them and we all need them. Perhaps it has something to do with the amount of time they spend crammed inside stuffy, constricting shoes. Never mind the discomfort of wearing said shoes; we can’t exactly walk around barefooted in the snow without risking the loss of our feet. Then toe rings would be out of the question, wouldn’t they? -- Read More

Clothing & More: Back to Basics

by Nichole Giles on Nichole's Fairy Squeaks
on yourLDSneighborhood Newsstands - 29 May 2008

Last week I told you about the crazy notion I once had in my head (for way, way too long) that in order to be a good LDS wife and mother, I had to give up big chunks of my personality. One of those chunks included the jewelry-loving me. The one that wore leather string around my wrists, earrings nearly as big as my head, and the most unique rings I could find.

Okay, so I admit, giving up the leather wasn’t a bad thing. After all, I wasn’t a teenager anymore, and that was part of a teenaged fad. And the earrings were completely impractical for a mother with young babies. Ouch! But I gave up so much more than those silly things. I gave up any jewelry altogether except my wedding ring. ~ Read More

Clothing & More: For the Love of Rocks

by Nichole Giles on Nichole's Fairy Squeaks
on yourLDSneighborhood Newsstands - 26 May 2008

How many grown women do you know who collect rocks? I’m not talking about the pebbles in your yard or the ones you dig up when you’re gardening. But neither am I talking about diamonds and rubies.

Sure, those jewels are lovely, and absolutely desirable. But they’re expensive, and to collect real gems can be unrealistic for some women to gather.

I’m talking more about the beautiful natural stones that are mined locally to your home, and those that are relatively easy to come across. Rocks themselves are a connection to the earth, to nature, and each different variety is said to have a different healing property. -- Read More

Clothing & More: Toe Rings and Toe Jam

by Nichole Giles on Nichole's Fairy Squeaks
on yourLDSneighborhood Newsstands - 22 May 2008

Ah summer! Warm air moves in—finally—bringing with it thoughts of swimming and cropped pants (or shorts) and my favorite kind of shoes. Sandals. I don’t know about anyone else, but personally, I hate wearing shoes. Most of the time, I prefer to go barefooted—even though that usually means cracked heals and calloused toes. (Just to be clear, I love shoes; I just don’t like to wear them much. I’m such a girl!)

But sandals are different. They give your feet the chance to breathe, yet protect them from the harsh realities of the bare ground. And there are so many pretty styles to choose from. High heals, platforms, t-strap, wedges, ankle-wrap, flip-flop…the list could go on and on and become an entirely different subject. -- Read More

Clothing & More: Jewels of Individuality

by Nichole Giles on Nichole's Fairy Squeaks
on yourLDSneighborhood Newsstands - 19 May 2008

The following is the beginning—a prologue if you will—of a series of blogs about all things pretty and why it is not just okay, but important that women of all kinds remember to hold onto their individuality. Even if that individual doesn’t fit the perfect picture of a modern LDS wife and mother.

About the time I started having kids, I stopped wearing earrings and bracelets. I even condensed my ring collection to just my wedding ring. That was so unlike me, because I have always loved jewelry. I can’t remember a time in my life when my eye wasn’t drawn to jewelry choices of all kinds, from sparkly bangles to leather shoestrings tied around someone’s wrist. ~ Read More