• Travel

    A Photo Tour of a Montana Ranch

    I’ve been spending a lot of time at my parents’ house this summer, helping train horses and working on the ranch. I figured, since I spend so much time there, it would be fun to give you a quick photo tour of my childhood home. This crane’s name is Stanley. My mom bought him last summer before my wedding (which was held in their backyard). Since then, he’s been knocked down by the wind a million times, no matter how hard we try to tether him to the ground, but doesn’t seem any worse for wear. He’s a trooper! These bottles are wedding decorations that I just recently cut down…

  • A Sundry

    Crossing off Dreams

    Today was kind of historic. Some of you may know that I have been working on a novel the past few years, and that I’ve finally finished it and gotten it self-published. That in itself was a huge deal. But the fact didn’t really seem real–tangible–because I only had an ebook, no physical copy. A few days ago I received a proof copy for review. My first chance to have a book I had written in my hands. The moment was thrilling. Today, the first fifty books arrived. They filled two medium sized boxes and one smaller box. I opened the packages carefully, remembering to breathe in the scent of…

  • Travel

    Anniversary at Newport Beach

    A few weeks ago, Brian and I traveled down to Newport Beach, CA for our one year wedding anniversary. The trip was a blast and I, of course, took lots of pictures! I thought it might be fun to share a few here on the blog. During our trip we stayed at the Hyatt Regency. We found a great deal online (which is why we were able to afford it), and while our room was average, the hotel itself was the fanciest thing I have ever seen. Like, there was a giant chess set. And three pools. And a golf course! We definitely spent a full day of our vacation doing…

  • Fashion,  Outfits

    Owl Earrings and a Floral Skirt

    I’ve been away from this blog for quite some time. Mostly, it’s because I’ve been busy with other projects. First school, and now my book. But I’ll be honest. Partly, it’s because of procrastination and poor time management.  I’m back though, and I’ve got some plans to hopefully make this blog better than ever. I have no plans of abandoning Clothed in Sunlight any time soon! Today’s modest outfit is a new favorite of mine. I’ve been looking for a skirt like this for a while now, so I was really excited when I found this one at Forever 21 for just under twenty dollars. I love the cut of this skirt–big and voluminous…

  • Catholicism Unwrapped,  Faith

    The Holy Trinity

    According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. It is the mystery of God in himself. It is therefore the source of all the other mysteries of faith, the light that enlightens them. It is the most fundamental and essential teaching in the ‘hierarchy of the truths of faith.’ The whole history of salvation is identical with the history of the way and the means by which the one true God reveals himself to men ‘and reconciles and unites with himself those who turn away from sin.’ ” Catholics — and every other christian religion…

  • Faith

    Ten Ways to Celebrate Corpus Christi

      Next Sunday is Corpus Christi, a designated feast day for the Catholic Church. In preparation for the event, I thought I would offer a brief explanation of what it is, as well as 10 things you can do to celebrate! According to Wikipedia, “The Feast of Corpus Christi (Latin for Body of Christ), also known as Corpus Domini, is a Latin Rite liturgical solemnity celebrating the tradition and belief in the body and blood of Jesus Christ and his Real Presence in the Eucharist.” Technically, this feast day lands on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. However, it is celebrated on the following Sunday because the Thursday event is not a holy day of obligation. Wikipedia explains that, “While the institution of the Eucharist is celebrated on Holy…

  • Catholicism Unwrapped,  Faith

    Transubstantiation

    Transubstantiation is perhaps one of the most confusing and misunderstood of all Catholic beliefs. What Exactly is Transubstantiation? According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, the word transubstantiate means “to change into another substance.” As Catholics, we believe that the Eucharist, which is made of bread and wine, literally turns into the body and blood of Jesus Christ during Mass. When explaining transubstantiation, Catholic theologians speak of the difference between “accident,” and “substance.” Accident and substance are philosophical ideas that come from the Greek philosopher Aristotle which describe the essential and non-essential properties of any given object. A droplet of water, for example, is composed of hydrogen and oxygen. These qualities are essential to the…