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!

five favorites :: handmade shops

now, I obviously have WAY MORE than

five favorite handmade shops,

but today I'm sharing some that I have

purchased from, own their products,

and absolutely love them. 

I'm sure I'll share more favorites another time!

knitty bitties

Andrea's items are super cute + extremely well made!

I have one of her little pouches and hoop art that she

made for me, and they make me smile.

livy love designs

I have at least 3 of Diana's prints on my walls,

and one of her chevron necklaces that I always

get compliments on. Love her!

happy days

I think my favorite thing about Hannah's shop

is how she uses color in unexpected combinations.

Her earrings are simple and beautiful, and the

colors always seem just perfect, even though

I would never think to put certain colors together.

pretties by meg

I love every pair of earrings I own from Megan's shop.

my husband says they're trendy, plus they're pretty & lightweight!

little green thread

I mentioned Alison's shop in a post last week,

and I ordered this sweet cell phone case.

It arrived super quickly & is totally adorable;

my new favorite thing in my purse!

seriously, go browse each of these shops;

I know you'll fall in love with all sorts of pretty things!

>>>>><<<<<

would you take a minute to enter this week's giveaway?

there are some pretty earrings up for grabs,

so don't miss the opportunity!

cappuccino ice cream pops

I've been loving homemade popsicles this summer,

and I found a really yummy one that we tried recently.

It was in a magazine at my mother-in-law's,

but I can't remember the name of it...

so I just thought I'd share the recipe. ;)

cappuccino ice cream pops

2 cups chocolate ice cream, softened

1 Tbsp instant coffee granules

         (I used a packet of Starbucks VIA)

1 cup frozen whipped topping

paper cups + popsicle sticks

         (or popsicle molds)

>> combine ice cream + 2 tsp. coffee granules, stirring gently until well blended

>> combine whipped topping + remaining coffee in a separate bowl

>> spoon ice cream mixture evenly into cups/molds, top with whipped topping mix

>> place sticks/handles into pops + freeze at least 4 hours

enjoy!

Five Sixteenths + a giveaway!

happy Monday! I have another fun little feature & giveaway for you today...

read on to learn more about Moe of Five Sixteenths blog + shop!

I am a recent grad (class of 2011) who is living the post graduate dream by moving out of her parent's house & in with her best friend.  I've been out in the real world for a year & have grown so much!  I run a little blog called Five Sixteenths & have an esty shop by the same name!  Five Sixteenths blog is a place where I share posts on living a creative life, DIY's, blogging tips + tricks, helpful photo apps, my BFA in ceramics, and musings of a 20 something.  Often, my Yankee boyfriend (Zach) will make an appearance.

The Five Sixteenths shop is a place of trendy & affordable pottery, accessories, & blog design. Each piece of jewelry or pottery is One of a Kind & even the premade blog designs can be customized to fit your theme, colors, etc!  I also dabble in fully custom blog designs & have my design queue open!  I've been working on living my creative self-employed dream for a while now & can't wait to get

started.

what are 3 words that describe you?

I'd choose Happy, Dedicated, & Creative.  I am a fun loving person who laughs way too much, am too stubborn to let things get in my way, & love that I can crack open any craft supply and have at it!

where do you find inspiration for the lovelies in your shop?

Since I have a load of different things in the shop different things inspire me.  But an overarching inspiration is nostalgia.  I love making things that remind me of being a kid, of a certain memory, or look like a certain era.  For example, my blog design Market Bag was inspired by when we'd go strawberry picking when we were little.  A lot of my jewelry is inspired by memories of summers by the lake: very natural & earthy.  My formal artist statement deals a lot with nostalgia & how we are more alike than we are different.  I love discovering shared experiences.

what is your favorite item in the shop right now?

Oh, wow! I don't really know what my favorite item is. hmmm...I think the Purple Marbled Beaded Necklace is my favorite.  It reminds me of being at the lake during the summer.  The beads remind me of swirled sand & my favorite color is purple!  It's a pretty classy piece but still reflects nature.  As a person who works a 9-5 job as well, its important to me that pieces reflect my tendency towards earthy elements but are still sophisticated enough to wear with office clothes!

connect with Moe

blog >> shop >> twitter >> facebook

& Moe is generously giving away this pretty pair of earrings!

enter using the Rafflecopter widget below

a Rafflecopter giveaway

links + things

It's Friday. I'm sitting in Starbucks in my "hometown" {for those who don't know, the Mister & I moved about an hour away for his job} while my husband has his once-every-8-weeks doctor's appointment + medicine infusion.

I've been feeling a little blah about my blog + shop lately. I can't quite put my finger on what it is, but I might need to take a break sometime soon. We'll see. It's hard for me to stay away from my little corner of the internet. ;)


Kim's thoughts on blogging was a post I needed to read. Way to get up on your soapbox, girl!


Julie always cracks me up. She's awesome, seriously. & her latest printable? Yes, it is SO ME. {go check it out!}


My sweet friend Alison re-opened her shop on Etsy, complete with a new name. She is so talented! I may have already bought something because I couldn't resist... ;) shop here + use the code WELCOME for 10% off!


Morgan started a new blog this week purely for motivation called Swift Kick in the Rear... I think that's what I need to quit my snacking habit + work out more!


If any of you want to help a girl out... my husband told me I could go ahead & buy this bag if I sell 5 of my ruffled headwraps. 1 down, 4 to go! Plus, as a special thank you, I'll include some extra goodies (for free!) with any headwrap purchase, no code necessary.


have a wonderful weekend, friends!

five favorites {iPhone apps}

I wanted to start a new little series called {five favorites},

where I share five favorite things based on a theme,

like music, movies, hair products, etc.

Today I'm going to share some of my favorite apps,

which started as less than five & turned into seven...

but I'm just going to go with it. ;)

>>>>> <<<<<

Instagram >> this is probably my all time favorite app.

it's one of the first things I downloaded when I got my iPhone,

and I just really enjoy it. love taking pictures & making them look

better with filters, even if it distorts the color a little. ;)

plus, I love my Instagram community!

I feel like I can connect better on Instagram than on Twitter.

Chrome >> I think my favorite thing about Chrome on my phone

is that I can sign in and have access to my desktop history/bookmarks

right from my phone! makes it so much easier when I just want to look

something up quickly... before I would just google it until I found the right link.

plus, I'm not limited to just 8 tabs, which never seemed to be enough!

MyFitnessPal >> I'll be honest, this is more like the app I love to hate.

I like that it's super easy to keep track of calories, but I hate counting calories.

my current goal is to be better about portion control & such,

so I'm trying to stick with it, but I refuse to become a slave to MyFitnessPal.

It is a good resource, though; rarely is there a food that I can't find in the database.

MapMyRUN >> before I had my phone, I would just try to guess how far

I'd walked/ran/rode... this app makes it super easy!

even though I only have the running version right now,

you can track anything from it (biking, running, even dog walking).

it even talks to me now, telling me how many miles I've gone + my pace,

which is perfect for when I ride my bike & can't see my phone.

YouVersion >> this Bible app is my favorite mainly because of the

reading plans in the app (I don't really read the Bible on my phone,

because I like to have the physical book in my hands,

highlighting + making notes), and because it's easy to look up different

versions of the verses I'm reading, just to get a different perspective.

Pandora >> I don't really have a lot of music on my phone,

and Pandora is my go-to. It's free, I can make different stations

depending on what I want to listen to

(my Sarah Brightman & Andrea Bocelli station is a favorite),

and even though I don't have complete control over the music played,

I just switch stations if they play a lot of songs I don't like.

Buy Me a Pie >> I've tried a lot of different list apps, but

this is the only one that I've used for any length of time.

it's simple, & my husband & I can both access it from our separate phones.

I use this app during the week whenever a need pops into my head

(otherwise I forget), but I still sit down & make a paper grocery list

before I go shopping, because I can organize it the way my mind works. :)

What are your five favorite apps?

I'm always interested in new ones!

linking up with Krystina for What I Love Wednesday.

>>>>> <<<<<

I just realized that I never

picked a winner for the

Sand & Starfish giveaway...

oops! 

Amy P. was the randomly

chosen lady, and I've already

sent you an email. :)

He hears.

Psalm 55:17 - Evening and morning and at noon

I utter my complaint and moan, and He hears my voice.

Jeremiah 29:11 - Call to me and I will answer you,

and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.

>>>>> <<<<<

Last week, the #SheReadsTruth community

started a new study, simply titled, Prayer.

Raechel's post introducing the study spoke so deeply to my heart.

I am a total list-maker, box-checker, achievement-gainer.

It's easy for me to read a few verses, scribble a few thoughts,

check the boxes and move on with my day,

never giving it another thought until the next morning.

But my relationship with Jesus isn't about checking boxes.

I'm so looking forward to going through this study,

letting His Word refresh my mind, renew my prayer life.

Today I'm thankful that He hears me.

He listens, He answers, and He loves more than I can fathom.

learn more about #SheReadsTruth right here.

{color love} Dinner at Downton

hey, everyone! I've got something fun to share with you today...

a couple weeks ago, Megan tweeted about a secret project involving Downton Abbey,

which happens to be one of my favorite shows; I was definitely on board!

Megan is here to share some info for you guys,

and I made some color inspiration "boards" of my own to go with her words.

>>>>> <<<<<

Hi, I'm Megan from Flawed Perfection Jewelry. I design sterling silver and gemstone, pearl, and/or Swarovski crystal jewelry. I'm so happy to be on here today to share a really fun line! Welcome to...

I've come up with 7 colorways inspired by the characters and activities of the beloved BBC/PBS series. Each colorway is comprised of 3 colors of Swarovski Crystals. Even if you haven't watched yet (first off, why haven't you?!), I hope you enjoy these fun color combos!

Let's meet two of them, the intense Mary and the fun and colorful Sybil:

I was inspired by Lady Mary's dark red Christmas dress,

as well as the other red outfits she has worn in seasons 1 and 2.

This colorway is just like Mary--passionate and love-inspired.

red coat >> tags >> red dress >> kiss >> trees

{I ordered this necklace & I looove it! It's so pretty!}

Lady Sybil's colorway has the most obvious inspiration.

Her "surprise" pants look was the perfect inspiration,

as it shows her spunky spirit and fun personality.

This colorway also seems modern,

just like Sybil's forward-thinking ideas for the time.

These colors fit perfectly with her bold personality.

quote >> bottles >> clock >> gate >> sybil

I hope that these colorways capture a bit of the colorful fashion of Downton Abbey!

My favorite thing about these colorways is that they are a subtle nod to Downton without being dated.

As beautiful as vintage jewelry is, a chic, modern piece of jewelry in a special colorway can be fabulous too.

 I'm also offering FREE shipping on your Dinner at Downton order for the next week.

Just use code DOWNTON at checkout.
>> shop here <<

So, what's your favorite thing about Downton Abbey? Are you as obsessed as I am?

Thanks for having me today! Remember to stop by my blog for a full explanation of all 7 colorways.

-Megan

>>>>> <<<<<

Don't you just love these pretty color combinations?!
Be sure to check out the other 5 combos, they're fabulous, too.
And, of course, now I want to watch Downton Abbey all over again! ;)


Just for fun? I took this little quiz, and apparently I'm most like Mr. Bates... so funny!

busy, weird week. (& some favorites!)

this week has been a little crazy.

our "normal" schedule was thrown off because

we had family over Monday - Wednesday.

it was fun, but I haven't been able to get much done.

some of my favorites this week?

>> spending time at the pool with a cute 8-year-old.

>> my adorable new mug from Target.

>> Chik-Fil-A for lunch with the Mister.

>> prep work for new reversible headwraps.

>> going ice skating for the first time in 10 years!

>> happy, happy mail from Lisa Leonard,

Flawed Perfection Jewelry & PostalPix.

>> working on a couple of different project

for/with some other bloggers.

so, a lot of fun stuff, but now my

"to do" list is about a mile long,

and I'd better get to it.

hope you all have been having a wonderful week!

{other stuff}

I have a little post up on Mandie's blog

with a fun summer date idea. check it out!

one day left to enter to win an adorable

fabric garland from Sand & Starfish.

don't miss it!

feature :: TMinspired

hello, lovelies!

Today I have a sweet feature to share with you...

I hope you enjoy getting to know Taylor & her work. :)

>>>>> <<<<<

Hello! My name is Taylor Sheuerman, and the first thing I want to tell you is that I'm a follower of Christ. My journey hasn't been long, but it's been incredible. God has reached out to me in ways I couldn't have imagined. He's blessed me with an amazing and supportive group of friends, family, and boyfriend, Nathan. God's unfailing love and grace is the reason why I am here today.

A little more about me.... I love reading, writing, and crafting. I'm absolutely addicted to Starbucks, and living across the street from one is my favorite place to live. I was born an entrepreneur. When I was little, I was selling crafts to all of my friends and family, (a new one every month!) and now, I am a business owner of TMinspired. I am a Virtual Assistant, where I run Facebook Fan Pages (as well as other Social Networking sites) for business owners such as business and life coaches, authors, and bookkeepers. I'm even harnessing my craftiness by owning an Etsy shop (http://etsy.com/shop/TMinspired) filled with handmade chiffon hair clips, accessory pins, and rings. But today, I would like to share with you the other part of my TMinspired business - photography.

I fell in love with photography 6 years ago. I had a small point and shoot camera that I took with me absolutely everywhere. I started with taking scenery photos - capturing the beauty of nature, trying to capture God's design. But as time went on, I developed a stronger passion for photographing models. (Luckily, I have a sister who loves modeling.) Eventually, I moved up to a DSLR camera and fell even harder for my passion.

Now, I am working my way towards being a professional wedding photographer. But I still love everything in between, from Portraits, to Senior Portraits, to Prom Photos, to Engagement Sessions, to Maternity Sessions, all of the above and everything else in between! :) I started my business in January by officially selling my services and building my portfolio. I also decided to continually run monthly promotions on my Facebook page to gain new customers and a larger following. (The current one is called: Best Friends Forever - it's so much fun!) I am always so excited for the next session that I schedule and the next idea that comes my way. Everything about it is fun, exciting, and always finds a way to fuel my passion!

I believe that I am a photographer with a creative and unique eye. Through my passion for photography, I am truly able to express myself. My love for photography is built upon being able to capture a feeling behind each photograph taken. I love giving my clients the ability to look at a photo at any point in their lives, and remember the wonderful memories they've created. And ultimately remember - through just one photograph - their love for one another. My heart beats to capture moments that my clients can cherish for years to come.

Thank you for reading a little bit about me, and I hope that we will work together in the future!

God Bless,

  Taylor

connect with Taylor!

 blog >> facebook >> twitter

friday favorites #2

pretty new rosie earrings from Laura's shop  >>  my mini garland from Stephanie! (win one here)

patriotic mani earlier this week  >>  a great fireworks show on the 4th

great Truth about God's love for me  >>  my new memory verse; trying to control this sassy tongue!

what were your favorites from this week?

hope you have an absolutely fabulous weekend!

Sand & Starfish + a giveaway!

I've recently connected with Stephanie through twitter + instagram,

and I have to say, she is just the sweetest!

Keep reading to learn more about her story & to win an adorable garland!

>>>>> <<<<<

I am captivated by the beauty of the emerald colored waters that roll in on this beautiful white sand that is 3 blocks from my house. There is this little bundle of love and joy and creativity that runs around my house. She's imagine she's everything wonderful and beautiful that God could have blessed me with in one amazing package. My heart still feels the little fluttering butterfly wings when I hold my husbands hand... and we've been together as a couple for almost 8 years now! I garden, I sew, I cook, and I clean... my name is Stephanie and I am the owner/creative designer for the blog and shop Sand & Starfish. When I first opened my shop back in April, 2010, I didn't really have a clear vision of what I wanted to achieve with the products that I sold. It was a hodge podge of things... fabric covered composition books, appliques, reusable snack bags, appliqued towels... just things I loved to make all put together in one place. I loved what I sold individually but as a whole, there was no connectivity and it was very much a mirror of what was spiritually going on in my life at the time.

   

 After being open for a little over a year, I had a life changing experience that really opened my eyes to the world, my world, and my shop's world, that surrounded me. I was baptized! After that experience, my eyes opened and I started to realize that this shop, this thing that I was trying to pour my heart into and yet feeling no real connection to, was missing the biggest ingredient of all... the Lord! My beliefs and love for the Lord have always played such a big part in my life so it was astounding to think that I didn't carry them over to my shop! So after lots of prayer, I decided to close the shop and reopen with a new vision that was directed from Him. So I took the old, and made something new and it felt wonderful! I was making and creating things that I didn't plan on making, with things I didn't plan on using. The love that I have for the things I do create is is passionate and my heart just overflows with joy for them. And I honestly believe that it's because I do them for His glory.
.
One of the first things I started to sell after I reopened was carefully constructed. After weeks of sketching while at the beach, praying and sketching some more, and then putting together my first ever design... I knew it was meant to be, and the Vintage Dresden Clutch was born! After that, I started to branch out and added purses, totes, pleated pouches, and the vintage fabric garlands. Total connectivity, total love and passion, totally me! Optimistic, gentle-hearted, daydreamer are definitely 3 of the best words that can be used to describe me and I use the most every day as well! I really pull from a lot of different inspiration when I'm creating new things. I think about the beach, the colors that are on beach towels, beach balls, the sky and water mixed. I think about flowers, the different levels and layers that each one has. I think about favorite memories and the colors that stick out in my mind. All those things are such a big part of my life that I really like to tap into those first before I move on to other sources... and normally those do the trick. I'm so in love with the Vintage Dresden Clutches that are in my shop. They're so bright and colorful and are perfect for running those quick errands or for giving your larger purse a little more organization. A seriously close second place would be the Vintage Ruffle Bags. I made one for myself and it completely captured my heart. The ruffles mixed with the vintage fabrics make my heart melt! It's so roomy and has a couple pockets on the inside for my phone and keys... it's been my "go-to" bag and I get compliments on it every single time I go out! Let's connect and be friends!! I blog here, and I'm on twitter and facebook as well! I'd love to connect with you, even if it is just through a screen! Thank you so much Jacky for allowing me to share a little bit of what makes me, and Sand & Starfish, special!

>>>>> <<<<<

Jacky here again!

I got a package covered in washi tape earlier this week {we share a love of that, hehe!}

& found a sweet mini fabric garland. I hung it up in the corner over my piano right away,

and I love the cheerful color it adds to our living room. Even the Mister likes it!

Plus, unlike the DIY garlands I've seen, she actually sews each piece so they're extra sturdy.

And...Stephanie is giving away a mini garland, too! Hurray!

enter using the Rafflecopter widget below;

feel free to email me if you have any problems.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

July 4th + a discount code!

{amazing cake found here}

Happy 4th of July!

Even though America isn't perfect,

I feel very blessed/thankful to be an American

and have the freedoms we have.

The Mister has off of work, of course, which is so fun!

It's like a Saturday in the middle of the week. ;)

We're just hanging out at home & then heading to his parent's later.

I made these popsicles for dessert & I'm so excited to try them!

Also, if you've had your eye on one of my

new ruffled headwraps, this discount code is for you!

Today only, you can take $4 off your

headwrap purchase with the code JULY4.

{that makes one wrap just $8!}

>> shop here <<

hope your holiday is a wonderful one!

pinned it & did it :: coffee sugar scrub

Remember last week's post where I shared some DIY beauty ideas?

Well, I made a couple of them already {I do projects when I get bored, wink!}

and wanted to share. Homemade scrubs are so fun!

>> coffee sugar scrub <<

I used Ashley's recipe!

you'll need

1/2 cup coarsely ground coffee

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup coarse sea salt

3/4 cup oil of choice

{like Ashley, I used coconut oil}

This is a super fast & easy project.

The scrub is a  little rough, but it made my hands feel nice & soft!

I put some in a little mason jar for my sister's birthday

and still had plenty left for me to use.

>>> <<<

I'm hoping to share more "pinned it & did it" posts

as I work through different projects; stay tuned! :)

also, the winner of the HanMadeThings giveaway is Courtney.

I've emailed the winner, congrats!