friday favorites.

pretty fabric combinations >> Starbucks + cheerful sunnies >> love my happy key fob from Elizabeth

patience reminders #shereadstruth >> hot french press coffee, mmmm! >> just me, my fish + Dr. Pepper

adorable packaging >> bracelet from Tricia + earrings from Hannah >> new ruffle earrings from Meg

link love

>> one of my friday favorites {coffee!} is featured on FreeRangeChick today <<

>> want to win one of my ruffled headwraps? head on over to Sand & Starfish! <<

>> you still have time to enter to win a sweet custom bow clutch <<

>> head on over to the FB page for a great weekend discount! <<

linking up with Lindsay + Jeannett!

beauty-ish :: DIY ideas

I'm no expert on things like makeup, hair products, and skin care,

but I wanted to share a few DIY ideas I've found recently & want to try out.

Please note, I haven't actually tried these yet, so I can't vouch for them.

They look fun, though!

>>>>><<<<<

>>> DIY nail polish

this looks like a fun way to use up old eyeshadow!

>>> orange juice + baking soda face mask

supposedly banishes oil & blackheads in 20 minutes.

>>> DIY coffee sugar scrub

I definitely want to make some of this for my hands;

it's supposed to make them super soft. :)

>>> Starbucks napkins as blotters

I did pick up some extra napkins last time I was there,

and they seem to work well; much cheaper than the blotters I bought before!

>>> nutmeg, cinnamon + honey mask

I have everything I need for this mask already in my kitchen, so I need to try it soon!

There's also a brown sugar scrub recipe in the same article.

what are your favorite DIY beauty tips + tricks?

I'd love to hear about them!

>>>>><<<<<

Don't forget!

You can enter to win an adorable

custom bow clutch this week!

HanMadeThings :: feature + giveaway!

>> CLOSED <<


Just to brighten up your Monday, I have a lovely giveaway for you!

HanMadeThings

shop >> blog >> facebook >> twitter

Meet Hannah, the sweet girl behind the HanMadeThings shop.

If you could only choose 3 words to describe yourself, what would they be?

silly, girly, and jukeboxy (as in always singing, whistling, or humming)

As you work on lovelies for your shop, how do you find inspiration?

I love walks in my neighborhood of cottages by the Ohio River, where some of the prettiest gardens and scenery fill my view. The fresh air and pretty sights really give my creativity a boost. 

  

What is your favorite item in your shop right now?

I currently carry and love one of the stripe tote bags with the sweet pink heart found here. 

I love how roomy it is, and with the big pockets, I can keep everything organized. 

I also love the fact that I get to tell people how they can benefit the adoption

of my new niece or nephew (by buying a tote).

giveaway!

a sweet custom bow clutch;

wouldn't that be adorable to carry around with you? ;)

enter using the Rafflecopter widget below; US only, please!

if you have any questions about entering, please email me.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

weather you like it or not.

{image credit here, taken not-so-far-away from my in-law's house}

Thanks to tropical storm Debby, our weekend was much more eventful than we planned.

If we would have known how bad the weather would be yesterday morning,

we would have just stayed home, but oh well.

The Mister & I got stuck on the wrong side of the Skyway bridge,

so we spent the night at my in-law's, driving around the looong way this morning.

Fortunately, we made it back home safely, and hopefully this storm will be moving on soon.

So, my Monday has been a little crazy already...

but I'll be back later with a fun giveaway for you guys. :)

Happy Monday!

Miles Behind Me + Forever Young

Hello, lovelies! I have another little feature for you today!

Miles Behind Me {blog} + Forever Young {shop}

I met Chelle through the Love & Envelopes birthday club

{yay for birthdays!},

and here she is to tell you just a little bit more about herself.

what are 3 words that describe you?

Short, awesomestatic (a word a friend made up about me), and Asian.

where do you find inspiration?

I find my inspiration in the things around me.

If I see something that catches my eye I sew it. Just depends on what it is.

what is your current favorite item in your shop?

 My favorite item in my shop is the bag I have up and the

proceeds go to the Wounded Warrior Project. 

be sure to check out her shop & stop by her blog to say hello. :)

don't worry.

{image via weddingchicks' instagram}

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink;or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can anyone of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Matthew 6:25-27, 34

I so need this reminder. I definitely tend to worry far too much.

So thankful that I can have perfect peace in HIM.

{this was yesterday's verse for the new #shereadstruth study;

you can find out all the details here.}

>>>>><<<<<

the winner of the FemmePetal giveaway is Rachel S.

Rachel, I sent you an email. :)

Stay tuned, there will be another great giveaway up on Monday!

pinning again.

back in March, I blogged about deleting my Pinterest account,

due to some unsettling things in their Terms of Service.

{you can read that whole post here.}

My husband thinks I'm a little silly for worrying about it so much,

and Pinterest did end up changing their terms slightly.

Then, I randomly checked Pinterest over the weekend,

and my boards were still there! I have no idea how that happened,

because I deleted my account twice. Oh well!

{from my "taped" board}

So, I'm back to pinning.

I'm still not exactly sure how I feel about it considering my last post,

but most of the things I pin are tutorials & recipes 

that have a "pin me" button, which kind of gives permission.

& it's just so easy, having all those links in one place. ;)

>> my Pinterest boards <<

>>>>><<<<<

linking up with Krystina, because I really do love Pinterest!

also, be sure to stop by & enter to win a pretty ruffle necklace;

only a couple of days left!

shop update! + discount

hello lovelies!

I've been working hard on getting new pretties in the shop, so there are quite a lot of options for you.

new hair clips, lots of ruffled headwraps, yoyo bobbies, and even some great clearance pieces!

{discount}

now through Friday, use the code FORYOU5

to take $5 off any purchase of $25 or more!

getting a little fishy...

if you follow me on instagram,

you've already met the latest addition to our little family...

my baby betta doesn't have a name other than "fishie"

{none of the names I thought of felt quite right}.

but I'm kind of in love with her anyway. ;)

>>>>><<<<<

Ladies, be sure to stop by & enter the FemmePetal giveaway;

there's a lovely necklace up for grabs that would be a perfect addition to your other accessories!

It's easy to enter, so help out & support this sweet shop, please?

favorites this week!

first of all, you should definitely go check out Caroline's blog;

her & Jenna are celebrating their birthdays by giving away all sorts of goodies!

There's a Petunia Blooms shop credit up for grabs, along with a lot of other things!

secondly, here are some of my favorite things from this week...

>>>>><<<<<

Chipotle. I could not love a burrito more.

my new {to me} car! just needs a paint job & she'll look good as new. ;)

I've never had my own car before, and I'm pretty excited!

getting lots of new pretties listed in the shop!

the photo-editing + listing process is so tedious,

so I always feel a big sense of accomplishment

when I get a big batch done.

an air-conditioned gym in our complex!

that's a recent favorite; much better than being out in the summer sun.

{also, it's been there since we moved in, I've just been afraid to go!}

fresh cherries for lunch. so yummy!

hello, bold colors! loving my new Old Navy shoes

and my chevron necklace from LivyLoveDesigns!

cheerful new sunnies + this guy in aviators make me smile!

& these! I love them! Natalie sent them to me. :)

She even did a DIY post so you can make your own.

>>>>><<<<<

Hope you had a wonderful week, lovelies!

& have a fantastic weekend, too. ;)

linking up with Jeannett & Lindsay!

>>>>><<<<<

Femme Petal :: a giveaway!

I haven't done this as much recently, but one of my goals for this blog

is to encourage other shops by featuring them here.

I love sharing pretty handmade finds!

I'm excited to share a little about Erin + her shop, Femme Petal!

I "met" Erin through Instagram, and it's been fun chatting & planning with her. :)

>>>>><<<<<

Femme Petal

{shop . blog . facebook . twitter}

a little about Erin:

I'm a single mom to 3 kiddos who are my world. I work full time in a dental office and also am the heart and soul of femmepetal designs. Born and raised in Indianapolis Indiana!

what 3 words would you use to describe yourself?

fun, loud, tall

where do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration everywhere! Magazines, movies, nature, everywhere!

Pinterest is high on my list right at the moment!

what is your favorite item in your shop right now?

My favorite item in my shop right now are my new romantic chiffon ruffle necklaces!

I've been sporting them a lot! 

Guess what?

You have the chance to win your very own romantic ruffle necklace!

{a $19.00 value}

Isn't it lovely? I know I'd love to wear one. ;)

use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter.

Let me know if you have any problems with it!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

wishing :: Lisa Leonard Designs

the lovely & talented Lisa Leonard launched her new summer collection yesterday,

and OH. MY. WORD.

There are already a bunch of Lisa's pieces on my wish list,

and now I've added a few more:

ampersand necklace

this necklace has got to be my new favorite.

I have a thing for ampersands, and the little initials are so sweet!

fine feather necklace

this feather is so dainty & pretty.

love the little bead accents!

love proclaimed necklace

once again, adorable initials.

love the heart, love the banner.

enjoy the ride necklace

I got my own bike a couple months ago,

so this sweet necklace would be perfect!

Now I just have to convince the Mister that one of these necklaces

would make a perfect "just because" gift. wink!

{{ I can't say enough good things about Lisa's jewelry,

but all opinions are my own. She doesn't know I'm writing this. :) }}

**********

linking up with Krystina today!

quilt #2 :: all blues

I blogged about my first quilt last month,

but I had been planning my second quilt before it was even finished!

I ended up picking up a bunch of fat quarters at Jo-Ann's

when they were on sale (in fact, they're on sale this week for $0.99!),

and this quilt is shaping up to be all blues.

Here's a little peek...

What can I say? I've really been loving blue lately.

Plus, I think the Mister might appreciate some less girly colors. ;)

I'm planning a disappearing nine patch for this quilt.

It will be different than my first one, but not too complicated.

I'll be sure to share more as I work on it.

Have you started any new sewing projects?

I'd love to hear about it!

want to be featured here?

feature spots are filled right now... thanks for your interest!

it's been a long time since I've featured pretty handmade finds

& had giveaways on the blog, and I'd like that to change!

it's free, and features are available on a first come, first served basis.

I'm also happy to review products; I just love handmade!

send me an email or leave a comment with your contact info,

I'd love to chat. ;)

so happy...

...to have this guy home again!

{even slightly blurry instagram pictures melt my heart!}

He was gone for a couple days for a work thing,

and having him home has been the best part of my week.

I love you, darling!

He is so faithful, and more.

I was so blessed by the #SheReadsTruth community last night.

{if you don't know what #SheReadsTruth is, check out the website!}

I'm a worrier. I try not to be, but it happens.

I take my focus off of my Savior & instead focus on the "what ifs" of this life.

I sent out a tweet asking for prayer, because, hey, why not?

Oh my goodness. My friends prayed. Women I've never met in real life,

but that I feel a connection with through this online world, prayed for me.

Kat & Hannah included verses, Isaiah 40:11 & 26:3-4.

"He tends His flock like a shepherd;

He gathers the lambs in His arms

and carries them close to His heart."

"You keep her in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You,

because she trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever,

for the Lord God is an everlasting rock."

I taped those verses to my bathroom mirror,

prayed about them, read them over & over while I brushed my teeth.

I can't tell you what a blessing that was, and is.

Then, when I opened up my Bible this morning to catch up on the Soul Detox plan,

I realized that I really should have done yesterday's portion yesterday...but, oh well. ;)

Psalm 91. WOW.

I am blown away by how perfectly this chapter spoke to me.

I can trust firmly in the Lord!

He is my refuge, my fortress.

He will cover me with His wings.

His faithfulness is my shield!

I will not fear.

I will dwell in the shelter of the Most High God.

He commands His angels to guard me.

A funny thing {or, I guess, a God-thing} is that

this song has recently become on of my favorites,

and it happens to be based on Psalm 91.

It's been on repeat for the past 30 minutes,

and I would encourage you to listen to it.

Such a wonderful reminder of His faithfulness.

Father, thank you for all of these reminders.

I can put my trust in You.

You are a faithful refuge for me,

and You hear me when I call.

I am SO thankful.

{feel free to save this image & print it out.

this one is going on my mirror next.}

photo dump!

it's been a while since I posted an InstaFriday,

& I wanted to share a bunch of photos from everyday life.

So it's just a photo dump today! ;)

this adorably sweet bunny melted my heart!

-----

gorgeous new prints from Pen & Paint.

hanging out by the pool with a good book + my journal

-----

a favorite tee + a new ruffled headwrap

.

strong coffee + some Truth are good parts of my morning.

washi tape makes everything prettier. ;)

-----

a whole stack of lovely fabric headwraps - I love them!

my new cool cones for popsicles!

I went with mango peach + berry pomegranate smoothie pops.

a project to pretty up our dining room wall

-----

editing photos for the shop; tedious, but necessary.

my piano has been neglected lately, but now I'm working on the

Bridal March for a vow renewal later this month. fun!

-----

Psalm 27. love it.

that's all I've got for today...

I hope you all have a lovely weekend!