coffee + tea (a giveaway!)

it's no secret that I love coffee,

& I also love my (real life) friend Elisabeth!

she blogs over at The Everlasting Eli,

and, of course, I was very excited when she offered

to donate this fun set of goodies for a giveaway!

someone could have a wonderful coffee (or tea) date

with all of this great stuff - even better if you can share it with a friend. :)

enter using the widget below:

{US only, please!}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

happy Friday, my friends!

Thirty One party!

Cosmetic Bag Set || Keep-It Caddy || Mini Zipper Pouch

Mini Utility Bin || Inside-Out Bag

Hey friends!

My sister-in-law introduced me to Thirty One products

a few years back, & I fell in love quick. ;)

I have several bags/totes/organizers, and they are so handy.

I've used one as a knitting bag for a few months,

one to carry my multitude of library books,

one to organize my linen closet, to tote sewing supplies,

one even went around the world with me!

I'm excited to have a virtual Thirty One party coming up on June 4th,

& I'd like to invite YOU!

The party will be happening on Facebook, so if you'd like to attend,

 please send me an email & I'll get you set up.

I was a part of one recently, and it was so much fun;

you can stay in the comfort of your own home (pajama party, anyone?!),

interact with some awesome ladies & learn about all Thirty One has to offer.

Who doesn't love online shopping? ;)

Oh, and the June special is fabulous:

I'd love it if you could join me next Tuesday night,

but if you can't make it to the party,

you can still shop right here.

Let me know if you have any questions,

& hope to "see you" there! :)

coffee date

It's been quiet around here lately, and I have to confess...

it's because I broke the keyboard on my laptop. Oops!

I'm hoping my mister can get it fixed over the weekend,

but for now I'm just borrowing his computer. ;)

I decided to link up with Alissa this morning

because I just love coffee dates.

So, if we were having coffee together...

I'd probably mention that I broke my favorite mug (the one seen here)

earlier this week. :( I keep trying to remind myself that it's just a thing,

it's really not that important, but it's still a bummer.

Those pretty Anthro mugs up there make me smile, so someday I might replace it.

I might talk about how I feel not-good-enough when I see

some fabulous bloggy friends taking up running/completing big goals with running, etc.

I tried the whole running thing; I finished the Couch-to-5k program & all that,

I just never fell in love with running. And deep down, I know that's okay,

I just have to get it through my head on a surface level.

There are a lot of fairly big changes heading our way in the next few months.

It's exciting, but I also don't love change - I like the security of sameness.

My Jesus Calling devotional has been talking a lot lately about

letting go of what MY plans are and what I want,

and trusting Jesus' sovereignty in my life,

trusting that His plans are best and that He's in control. 

He always knows what I need and even when I need to be reminded of it. ;)

I haven't really done much sewing lately;

usually it seems like by the time I drag everything out and do all the prep work,

it's time to get everything cleaned up and put away!

But last night I had a couple of fun projects that I really needed to work on,

and it just happened that the Mister was gone with friends until late...

perfect timing for me to get stuff done.

I'll be sharing some of those projects here soon!

My overall goal for this year is still to SIMPLIFY,

so I've cleaned out closets/cabinets/nooks/crannies/etc.

over the past few months. If you're interested,

I set up a separate Instagram account so I can do a

shop-my-closet type sale.

I have lots of handmade accessories & such

that I would love to send off to a new home!

Follow the sale @petuniascloset

And that's just a random smattering of

what's on my mind right now...

How about YOU?

How are you doing, what have you been up to?

Happy weekend!

SNAP! 2013 // learning

other SNAP! posts

great fun & great people // Queen Bee Market

>>>>> <<<<<

I got to meet so many fantastic people while I was at SNAP!,

and I also got to attend a bunch of really great classes.

there were a lot of choices (I had a hard time choosing!),

a lot of amazing speakers, TONS of information.

some of my favorite classes:

Basic Blogging Tips for Online Success

Amy @ The Idea Room / Desiree @ The 36th Avenue / Sarah @ Thrifty Decor Chick

even though I've been blogging for a while, I really enjoyed this class;

it was a great refresher, plus some new perspectives to think about.

oh, and they put the notes from their class online,

so I don't have to share all of my crazy notes! ;)

PART 1 >> PART 2 >> PART 3

How To Do It All

Becky @ Organizing Made Fun / Lisa @ The Pennington Point

I really struggle with time management

& getting everything done, so this class was for me!

favorite tips:

> stick with your goals & be specific with your time

> make wise choices before taking on too much..

> set time limits for yourself!

> be realistic - budget your time.

be consistent, but don't overdo it.

> don't put your blog before your family.

> be flexible!

Running a Handmade Business

Amy Cornwell / Diana @ Livy Love Designs / Katie @ Vintage Rose Wraps

you can read about Amy's talk here.

favorite tips:

> sometimes you have to learn

what works for you/your customers

by trial & error.

> stay on top of trends;

they change frequently.

> try to find a good photographer

to work with.

> set yourself hours to work.

> be open to constructive criticism.

> find the things that inspire you & do them.

> don't be afraid to up your prices; it has

to be worth it. don't sell yourself short!

> sometimes you have to take a chance

& invest in your business.

> be willing to give a LOT.

everything comes back to you

and MORE.

> learn as you go & be patient

with yourself. be open to new ideas,

but stay focused on what works.

>>>>> <<<<<

that's just a taste of things I learned;

I have pages & pages of notes!

do any of these tips stand out to you?

what are you most interested in learning about

when it comes to blogging/handmade businesses?

SNAP! 2013 // Queen Bee Market

I've dreamed at shopping the Queen Bee Market for quite a while,

so you can bet I was excited when I heard that QBM would be happening at SNAP!

I just wanted to share some of the goodies I came home with;

I couldn't resist supporting handmade, although I did tell my husband

it might have to be my Christmas present for the year. ;)

 >> gorgeous engraved wood coasters + a diy banner from Alexis Mattox Designs

 >> mint chevron tee from The Printed Palette

 >> an adorable elephant from Kelsey Bang

               {I don't have kids, but I had to get this little guy for me, ha!}

 >> earrings from Hoopla Earrings

 >> pretty heart ring from Cinnamon Sticks

 >> necklace/hair clip from Creme de la Gems

               {these were actually a birthday gift for my baby sister, she loved them!}

 >> lip balm from Kustom Kissers

 >> cute magnets from Livy Love Designs

 >> wristlet from August Blossoms

 >> my favorite button earrings from Made by Jewls

 >> headbands from Vintage Rose Wraps

I would definitely encourage you to check out these wonderful shops!

So glad I got a chance to shop in person, but their online shops are just as great.