farewell 2012

hello blog world! it's only been a month+ since my last post... ah well. such is life.

today we say goodbye to 2012, looking forward to a new year. there's something so, i don't know... fresh about the new start on january 1st.

i have goals + plans + dreams for 2013, of course, and i plan on sharing some thoughts very soon. blogging is on my list of "things i want to do", but i don't plan on being chained to it. life is too short to be dependent on my blog, you know what i mean?

see you in 2013! much love to you all!

petunia blooms // coupon codes for the weekend

i've got some special deals going on all weekend

at Petunia Blooms, so happy shopping!

forest headband // harvest headband // autumn bloom one.two.three.four

>> BLACK FRIDAY

say goodbye to the autumn inspired collection!

use the code GOODBYEAUTUMN for 40% off

{please use this coupon only on purchases from this collection}

shop here

(coupon code is good on Friday, 11/23, until midnight)

yoyo bobbies // petal hair clip // ruffled headwrap

>> SATURDAY & SUNDAY

great deals all weekend!

use the code WEEKENDSALE for 25% off the entire shop

(coupon code is good all day Friday & Saturday, 11/24-11/25)

purple + peach // aqua drops // pearl + silver // peach + aqua

>> CYBER MONDAY

last chance to save! 20% off everything in the shop

with the code CYBERMONDAY

(coupon code is good Monday, 11/26 until midnight)

>> WEEKEND GIVEAWAY

i will randomly choose 3 orders to receive a free bloom pin! ($12 value)

all you have to do is make any purchase Friday - Monday

& then wait to see if you get something extra when your package arrives. :)

no coupon code necessary!

(applies to purchases made 11/23-11/26)

shop @ Petunia Blooms

giving thanks // 2012

image found here - text added by me

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;

I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.

Psalm 9:1

I really have SO much to be thankful for. That's part of the reason why I try not to skip over Thanksgiving in the rush to get to Christmas; it's a day set aside just for being thankful for what we have! But I also want to be a woman who is known by my grateful, gracious, thanks-filled heart throughout the year, not just at Thanksgiving.

So, from my heart, I am thankful...

...for an amazing & wonderful God. A God who has saved me, who wants a relationship with me, whose mercies are fresh & new every morning.

...for my husband. His love for me really reminds me of God's even greater, more amazing love. No matter how cranky I am or how sassy I get, Hayden loves me. I never, ever doubt that. He thinks I'm beautiful no matter what, he works hard to provide for me, he never thinks less of me for being "just a wife", he always supports me, he rarely questions the amount of fabric/yarn that I buy (ha!), he makes me laugh, and he's my best friend. Babe, I am so thankful for you.

...for my family. I'm thankful for my parents & how they raised me, I'm thankful for my awesome & fun sisters who love me & are always willing to help out, for my in-laws & that I have a good relationship with them - thankful for every single person in my family!

There is so much more that I'm also thankful for, but really, God, my husband & my family are the most important. God, I pray that my thankfulness would shine through each & every day!

What are you thankful for?

handmade holidays @ oh, sweet joy!

i don't know about you, but i love shopping handmade for the holidays!

yes, it can be a little pricier than heading to walmart/target,

but i feel like it's so important to support other handmade artists.

(heather's about handmade vs. store bought is definitely worth the read)

and you can find such sweet & unique handmade gifts!

this year i am honored to be a part of

Oh, Sweet Joy!'s Handmade Holidays gift guide,

along with a bunch of other amazing shops!

it's going on all this week (Nov. 11th-18th)

with seven different categories, lots of great gift ideas

and even discount codes so you can save a little when you shop!

paper

for the littles

cozy up the home

jewelry

accessorize

needle & thread

wear

you'll find Petunia Blooms in the accessorize category,

along with a special discount just for you gift guide readers. ;)

pale aqua & red petals // pearls // aqua drops // pink petals

so please, please, please,

go check out all the gift guide posts

& all the awesome shops!

xoxo!

a wreath for our door

i finally put together a pretty wreath to brighten up our front door...

it's something i've been wanting to do for a while but just had to make the time for it.

several long-ish hours, lots of patience and hot glue,

and there you go!

and my favorite part of this oh-so-pretty wreath?

seeing it hanging there every time i come home.

it just makes me happy. :)

// details //

styrofoam wreath form wrapped in yarn

(all purchased at Michael's w/ coupons)

felt for the flowers from Feltcraftic

tutorials for the flowers found here

holding onto this season of Thanksgiving

it seems like Thanksgiving gets overlooked more & more every single year.

oh, Halloween is over, let's get out the Christmas stuff!

(and even before Halloween is over, sheesh!)

don't get me wrong, i love Christmas.

i love it SO much. it's my favorite time of the year!

BUT, Thanksgiving is so important.

it's so easy to become complacent about gratitude,

and the reminder to be thankful is so needed.

beautiful card found here

all my Fall decorations are out.

pumpkins & gourds are still set out around the house.

i just finished making a beautiful wreath over the weekend.

reminders of the Fall season and just how much i have to be grateful for.

>> what are you thankful for today?

by the way, if you're already pulling out your Christmas stuff, I'll still love you! ;)

friday favorites

 >> loving this pretty side braid

 >> aqua teardrop earrings from my shop

         (use the code BACKAGAIN for 15% off!)

 >> chocolate chip pumpkin bread

 >> say one kind thing to everyone you meet today

 >> this quote needs to be true in my house!

/// other stuff

 >> 10 things that have made all the difference (a post about marriage)

 >> 10 tips for holiday iPhone pictures

 >> pumpkin pie in a jar

 >> pretty happy felt flowers

what are some of your favorite things this week?

linking up with erika & beth!

philippians 4:6-7

{source}

do not be anxious about anything,

but in everything by prayer & supplication with thanksgiving

let your requests be made know to God.

and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding

will guard your hearts & your minds in Christ Jesus.

(philippians 4:6-7)

worry only breeds worry.

instead of allowing worry to be an idol in our lives,

we need to bring every request, every fear,

every praise & every petition to Him.

bring your worries to Him, and He will replace them

with His peace!

>> just some truths that spoke to my heart today.

clues for my husband

my husband has done a wonderful job picking out gifts for me.

but, i have gift giving on the brain (christmas is 60 days away!),

so i put together a board with ideas for him, just in case. ;)

anthropologie mug // more than coffee print // hebrews 6:19 print

cuppow // embroidered necklace // bamboo heart studs

yarn bowl // turban-style headband // baby giraffe ring

mason jar travel cup // spi belt // crocheted bracelets

what's on your wish list this year?

fall

one of my goals for the afternoon is to decorate for fall.

nothing fancy. some pumpkins, squash, wheat, leaves,

this awesome printable from Pen & Paint.

i like the simplicity, reminding me to be thankful in this season,

enjoying the (slightly) cooler weather.

hurray for fall!

how do you decorate for fall?

do you like simplicity, or do you go all out?

knit/purl

before we went on vacation,

I got to take a knitting class at our local Michael's.

I'd been wanting to learn how to knit for quite a while,

but I could never figure it out with just books/online stuff.

I need someone to show me how to do something.

the lady who taught the class, Ann, was seriously the sweetest,

and so very helpful. the class was for a washcloth,

but she taught me some other tricks & such along with it.

since then, I've been knitting away!

4 different washcloths, the beginning of a scarf for a niece,

the start of an infinity cowl.

so glad I was able to get started in this

and add yet another hobby to my collection. ;)

have you picked up a new hobby recently?

what do you fill your spare moments with?

let's chat!

vacation hangover

Hello, lovelies!

The mister & I got to on vacation for 10 whole days, and it was simply wonderful! I feel like I have a "vacation hangover", catching up on life this week. I plan on sharing pictures & such very soon (next week, maybe), but until then, the blog might be a little quiet.

In the meantime, use the code SHIPFREE for free shipping on anything in the autumn inspired collection. Snap up a pretty headband for Fall!

color love // rhapsody

I think rhapsody is a lovely shade of purple, another Pantone pick.

How do you feel about it? Do you prefer deeper shades of purple in the Fall?

I usually prefer plum & other darker shades, but I must say that I like this one.

scarf // earrings

necklace // bag

teacup // tags

10 things on 10/10

today seemed like an appropriate day to list 10 totally random things...

  >> i am super shy. i've gotten a LOT better at swallowing my fear, putting on a smile, and being nice, but i'm still pretty shy inside.

  >> i took a knitting class, because that's something i've really been wanting to learn. another activity to add to my looong list of hobbies! now i'm on the lookout for super easy beginning knitting projects; my first was a washcloth.

  >> my hubby & i really, really, really want to get a puppy! unfortunately, we can't have one where we live now because we rent, but someday. caroline's adorable little pup only makes it worse. ;)

  >> having a cinnamon broom in your home makes the whole place smell amazingly festive & fall-like. looove!

  >> i'm still pretty addicted to instagram; do you follow me there? i want to get some of postalpix's new 2x2 prints soon. tiny usually equals adorable in my book.

  >> my 22nd birthday is 77 days away, which means christmas is only 77 days away! this year has been going by so, so fast, it's crazy.

  >> i wish that it got cooler sooner in florida; not freezing cold real winter temperatures, but cold enough that i can wear sweaters/scarfs/boots and not suffocate. know what i mean?

  >> this recipe for pumpkin spice muffins w/ cream cheese filling is SO good. you must try it. everyone will love you if you share!

  >> sometimes my hobbies make me feel like a granny. baking, sewing, knitting, etc. but i am totally okay with that. it's fun!

  >> 10 things doesn't seem like that many until you sit down & actually try to think of 10 things. ;)

have a wonderful october 10th!

one year ago

{sorry if this picture is creeping into the sidebar...I could not get the sizing right!}

One year ago today, I got to marry my best friend, my favorite guy,

the person who knows me the best & who puts up with me anyway.

I can hardly believe it's been a year; seriously, it's gone by SO fast.

Darling, thank you for each & every day.

For sticking with me, taking care of me, making me laugh.

I can't imagine not being married to you now...

I love you so, so much. Happy anniversary!

color love // yellow

today I have a special guest post for you guys!

be sure to leave some love for my sweet friend, Elisabeth.

>>>>><<<<<

Hello everyone!

My name is Elisabeth, but my friends call me Eli.

I blog at The Everlasting Eli.

I am so happy to be a guest on Jacky's blog! :)

She is one of my dear friends, and I very much enjoy reading her blog. 

I have always said that Purple is my favorite color,

but over the years I have become a lover of most all colors.

Yellow would be one of those colors I love.

So lets talk a while about yellow.

yellow

one day I want sunflowers to be my wedding flower. 

along with loving colors, I also love patterns. This yellow chevron pattern is just lovely. 

{it looks like this fabric is no longer available, but you can view similar items here}

bathroom idea

cute summer outfit

 yellow diamond... makes me think of my favorite movie,

Breakfast At Tiffany's 

Thank you Jacky for letting me share one of my favorite colors.

Stop by The Everlasting Eli, and say hello. 

color love // olive

cowl // pillow

stormy palette // journal // tie

necklace // leaf pallet

be inspired today, friends!

autumn inspired

these lovelies + more are now available at Petunia Blooms!

& because I love the Fall season so much, you can use the code

AUTUMNLOVE

for 15% off any purchase from the autumn inspired collection.

(code expires Wednesday night)

what is your favorite thing about Fall?

I love the cooler temperatures, seasonal drinks,

scarves + sweaters, and the pretty colors!

color love // tangerine

yes, {color love} is back!

I chose tangerine for this edition;

partly because it's a shade of orange I actually like,

and also because it's on the Pantone

list of hot colors for Fall.

enjoy!

chiffon + chain bracelet // happy birthday card

elephant // mosaic earrings // aqua + tangerine earrings

tangerine poppy seed soap // crocheted necklace

for more tangerine finds,

check out this {color love} board.

happy friday!

SheReadsTruth: Galations

The SheReadsTruth community starts a new study today; Galations! 

I'm excited about this one. I've been (very, very slowly) reading through the Bible chronologically over the past year or so, so I've been reading in the Old Testament pretty exclusively. I just started going to a new Bible study where we're working through Genesis, so still Old Testament. Don't get me wrong, I love the Old Testament, but I'm excited to start reading somewhere else as well.

More fun news? This plan is actually available from SheReadsTruth through YouVersion, so you don't have to jump back & forth between the app & the site like I did before. Pretty exciting!

So, will you join us? This group of ladies has definitely been a blessing & an encouragement for me to dig into the Word every single day. The more the merrier! ;)

{color love} returns!

don't you just love color? I know I do!

I've had a few requests for the return of {color love},

so I'm going to give it another go.

{found via design seeds, pinned here}

here's the thing; I need some ideas!

what colors would you like to see featured?

do you have any colorful photos pinned for inspiration?

would you like to do a guest post?

leave a comment or send me an email!

I'd love to hear from you. :)

thankful.

>> for His grace, and His mercies being new every morning.

>> for a husband who brings me flowers, totally spoils me, and puts up with my crummy attitudes.

>> for a new Trader Joe's opening in our city, and yummy organic produce!

>> for a new bible study I attended last night. I was pretty terrified to go by myself, but I ended up enjoying it. Excited to see what this year will bring, studying Genesis.

>> for nail polish being on sale last week (I know it's silly, but I was excited about it).

>> for pretty Fall-inspired fabrics (new blooms coming to the shop soon!).

>> for anniversary trip planning!

what are you thankful for today?

mug swapping!

I have a definite thing for coffee mugs. I have too many already, but when I saw the sign up for CuppaKim's 2nd Annual Mug Swap, I knew I had to join in!

My package from Jaime came in the mail a couple weeks ago, and I was so excited to open it up. I got a great chalkboard mug (I've been wanting one for a while, but haven't had the time to make one!), VIA packets, a Starbucks gift card and the sweetest note ever. Thank you so much, Jaime!

I also ended up doing a 2nd swap with Christa; she missed the sign up, so we just swapped with each other. :) I got her package today, and she spoiled me with goodies. A sweet mug + cozy, earrings and bracelets (find similar ones in her shop!), mini cards, a notebook, even some yummy lip balm. So fun! I feel so blessed!

Thank so much to Kim for hosting, and looking forward to the next time!

skate

I love ice skating. Spending a couple of hours on a Wednesday morning on the ice with my sister was quite wonderful, even though I'm not the best at it. It's more of a winter activity, I suppose, but it was fun to be bundled up despite the hot temperatures outside. Now I just have to convince the Mister to take me later this year for my birthday!

#42milesinaugust

I saw the #42milesinaugust challenge on Instagram

(organized by Marta) & was drawn to the simple premise;

run or walk 42 miles during the month of August. 

I haven't been running because of the heat,

but I enjoy walking, so I decided to go for it.

...and I did it!

(I forgot to add one of my walks to my log,

so I actually walked farther; the math is messed up in the pictures)

Next? 44 miles in September.

Anyone else up for the challenge?

fresh start

Well, hello there!

When I announced my blog break, I was thinking a week. It's been almost a full month! But, you know what? Taking a break is not a bad thing. I missed blogging, I missed the community, but it was also nice to not have the pressure of putting a post together every day (I am terrible at scheduling posts in advance!).

Taking that time off also gave me time to really think about my blog/content/purpose/etc. I had kind of started to feel like I was posting purely to have something new on the blog, and I don't like that feeling. If you take a look at my header up there (and the new blog design! thank you to Five Sixteenths!), you might notice that I changed my tag line. It now reads "just this girl's story" instead of "capturing joy in ordinary life". Because really, that's what this blog is. It's just my story, no matter what it is.

This paragraph from Danielle's great post really says it all:

>> "being true to yourself. sharing your heart, your happenings, the things you desire to share, not what      anyone else is telling you to share. the things you never want to forget. the lessons you have learned, that thing your kid said that made you pee your pants. the picture you took that took your breath away. that time you felt the Lord teaching you something that you just had to share, in hopes that it blesses others as well."

So thank you for sticking with me, and hopefully you'll continue to share my story; I so appreciate everyone who reads my little blog!

taking a break...

It's time for me to say goodbye to the blog for a little while.

I will be back, but I think a break is needed.

I hope to come back inspired & ready to share!

new pretties in the shop!

I've been making earrings for a few months; it started because I needed a gift

(my mom/sisters-in-law & I are trying to do all handmade gifts),

and I had so much fun with it, I just kept making them!

Now, I don't need so many pairs of earrings for myself,

and there are only so many birthdays in the year,

so I finally decided to sell the extra pairs I have around.

They're just $5 a pair, so you can afford a little treat for yourself. :)

They would also make a perfect little gift!

shop here!

print + inspire.

I just love free printables,

so I'm sharing a few of them today.

save, print, let them inspire you!

butterfly to do list

psalm 118:24

draw near

philippians 4:8

cookies recipe card

cheer my soul

Monday morning.

{amen! print found here}

coffee:

this morning (and most mornings),

extra strong with some french vanilla creamer

weekend fun:

our weekend involved lots of cuddling,

kissing, soup-eating, movie watching &

just general time spent together (my favorite!)

excited about:

two sweet friends who announced

their pregnancies at church yesterday!

loving, but hating:

calories. love to eat them, hate to count them.

project started:

finally cut and layed out ALL the blocks

for my next quilt. I'm excited about that,

but the piecing is still going to be a lot of work.

procrastinating:

we have a huge closet upstairs that has been in a

constant state of disorder for months.

It needs to be cleaned out & organized,

but that's going to be a big job...

so I just keep ignoring it.

planning:

the Mister got his vacation time approved

for the week of our anniversary, so now we just

have to figure out what we want to do...

I'm thinking a trip to somewhere fun is in order,

I just don't know where.

we still have some time to figure it out!

reading:

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

He will always be one of my favorite reads. :)

what are you up to today?

>>>>><<<<<

I extended this giveaway,

so you still have time to enter;

don't miss out on your chance to

win a pretty pair of earrings!