currently // life now

listening // to the Les Mis soundtrack. over and over and over and over.

eating // trying overnight oats for breakfast and (homemade) chicken & dumplings for lunch.

drinking // trying, trying, trying to drink more WATER.

wearing // sparkly polish on my fingernails. so fun!

feeling // excited for what 2013 will hold.

weather // cloudy. wishing it were chillier out.

wanting // a more consistent attitude of gratitude.

needing // to focus on organizing our home.

thinking // about things I'd like to accomplish this week.

enjoying // the fact that season 3 of Downton Abbey started last night!

     >> what have you been up to lately?

hope you all had a lovely weekend! happy Monday!

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!

something to say.

I have to confess...

I love blogging. I really, really do.
But with the blog world, it becomes easy for me to compare.
To become discontent with who I am.
With my life, my shop, my clothes, etc.

But, there are a few things I'm sure of.

No one in this world can be a better me.


Even if I don't blog about the "right" trends,
the latest DIY projects,
don't have the cutest clothes out there,
am not a great photographer.
I get discouraged & distracted,
and I waste more time than I care to admit.

There's so much I'm not,
but there's also so much that I am.

I am a child of the Most High.
His love & grace carry me through
everything I do, even the failures.

I am married to the sweetest husband.
I am a wife, and I make that a priority,
even if it means that I spend most of my day
doing dishes & laundry.

I am a lover of color, of creativity,
of good coffee and good books.
I stitch & snip & take out stitches
when I get it wrong.
I love music & song & melody.

I'm silly & kinda strange.
Unique & curious.
Shy & insecure.

I am just me.
& I'm thankful that I'm me.

*****

Thank you for taking the time to read this.
It's something that's been on my heart to share.


Also, just so you know,
I'm trying to make it okay if I don't blog every single day.
I don't want my blog to get in the way of living life.
I will definitely still be posting, but if I feel like I have nothing to say,
I'm choosing to be okay with that. ;)


Have a lovely day!

hello, Monday.

hello, Monday.

hello, happiness because my husband is home!

hello, celebrating a year since my guy proposed

& three months of marriage!

hello, counting calories & running & trying to get fit.

hello, starting week five of the Couch-2-5k program.

{I'll update you on that another day...}

hello, lots of projects to work on!

I don't know about you, but I love making new things. :)

hello, new blog look!

I'm kinda in love with it.

hello, meal planning & list making.

hello, dishes & laundry & normal life.

hello, new week.

What are you saying hello to this week?

inspired by the lovely Lisa!

snapshots from my week.

Happy Friday!

me on the first day of 2012

husband & I are trying out this journaling project for the year

made myself a sweet little case for my sunglasses ;)

reading late at night when I should be sleeping

ordered new phone cases for the husband + I

a yummy dinner :: chicken avocado salad, homemade chips + corn

adorable new washi tape = can't wait to create with it!

working my way through week 4...

a box of notes & letters from my love.

{today marks 5 years together!}

what I wore on Wednesday

skirt, sweater :: Old Navy

boots :: Target

scarf :: made  by me!

gorgeous Florida

Thursday :: hanging out with sisters,

super casual in my sunglasses & hubby's aero tee.

How has your week been?

if you'd like to follow me on Instagram, I'm thesweetpetunia :)

linking up with Jeannett!

hello, 2012.

Hello, lovelies!

I hope your holidays were merry & bright...

I had a wonderful time celebrating with my husband & our families,

and I'm so excited for what the new year may hold. :)

{a his + hers journaling project}

I'm not great with New Year's Resolutions.

Staying motivated is hard for me.

But for 2012, this is what I want...

grow in Christ.

finish reading through the whole bible. pray more!

spend time with God every day.

get fit.

complete the C25k program. work out more. Wii Fit.

work on portion control. lose 10 lbs.

cut out soda.

at least temporarily. drink more water!

grow The Sweetest Petunia & Petunia Blooms.

watch less, read more.

write more letters.

& send encouragement cards just because!

create for the sake of creating

not because I have to, not just for the shop.

just for me.

date my husband.

making him feel loved, respected & important.

enjoy every moment.

{21 things}

to celebrate my 21st birthday {the 25th},

I'm sharing 21 random things about me...

some you may know, some you may not,

but hopefully you enjoy!

{1} My birthday is on Christmas Day.

{2} I lived in the same city, the same house for 20 years.

{3} I married my favorite guy on October 8th!

{4} I have 4 younger sisters, aged 18, 16, 14 & 7.

{5} My dad is the youth pastor & music leader at our church.

{6} My mom is short. Like 4'11" short.

{7} I started taking piano lessons when I was 9.

{8} I learned sewing basics from my grandmothers.

{9} A sweet older lady from our church taught me to crochet years & years ago.

{10} I started the Couch to 5k program last week!

{11} Coffee is always a must for my morning.

{12} Alexandre Dumas is one of my very favorite authors.

I've read The Three Musketeers like 5 times.

{13} I love old movies & TV shows.

{14} Have you ever watched Monk? That is one of the modern shows I love.

{15} I have some OCD tendencies for sure. ;)

{16} I'm a nail-biter. I've almost broken the habit a few times...

but I can't seem to shake it.

{17} I'm a dog person. Definitely not a cat person.

{18} Coming up with 21 things about oneself is not as easy as it seems.

{19} I love color. Some of my favorites are pink, grey, plum, teal & mint.

{20} I'm thankful for the opportunity to share my creativity

with my shop, Petunia Blooms.

{21} I love Jesus. I am far from perfect, but I try to follow Him in everything I do.

So, tell me a random fact about yourself?

It's fun!

weekend fun!

Since we got married, I've cherished weekends a lot more than I used to.

I love having my man home, sleeping in a little,

having coffee together since he doesn't have to rush off to work.

This weekend was especially special.

My 21st birthday is on Christmas Day, 

so we celebrated early!

Hubby took me shopping, lunch at Chik-Fil-A,

dessert & candles to blow out.

It was a very nice way to celebrate a birthday. :)

other weekend highlights include...

...going tree shopping!

I love Christmas, and getting a tree is always one of my favorite things.

We picked out a really nice one,

and my sweet husband even let me get a little baby tree. ;)

I've been working on getting the decorations up,

and I definitely plan to share pictures soon!

...celebrating another birthday!

My niece turned 4 yesterday,

and Saturday she had a little party.

Love my little nieces & nephews!

...church on Sunday.

I took a break from playing keyboard on

our music team when I got married,

but I played again yesterday & loved it.

I miss having a piano/keyboard in the house.

...birthday celebration with my family.

I had lunch with my family after church,

and they had a little party for me.

Complete with ice cream cake & a gift!

...Christmas shopping with my mom.

Apparently I'm good at shopping for other people,

so I helped my mom pick out gifts for a sister.

...just relaxing.

It's a nice time to unwind before the schedule of a new week.

How was your weekend?

I hope my ramblings didn't bore you...

InstaFriday

It's InstaFriday!

{1} wearing my new plaid top & a favorite Lisa Leonard necklace earlier this week. love.

{2} my man had to work late, but he brought Starbucks home!

{3} going out for dinner, rocking a side braid

{4} one of my favorite Bible verses, Deuteronomy 33:26-27

{5} out with my favorite guy!

{6} my husband cracks me up. he's silly. :)

{7} our version of peppermint mochas - yum!

{8} afternoon manicure/pedicure + Dr. Pepper. perfect.

{9} a birthday gift for my little niece; a Rapunzel braid. so cute.

{10} fancy new running shoes. not that I run much...

{11} this candle smells like Christmas. amazingly so.

{12} crocheting pretty little ornaments.

And, I got my scarfament swap package in the mail from Lindsay!!

She wrapped it up so cute {I totally failed comparatively, sorry girl!},

and I absolutely love my cozy new cowl & sweet ornaments.

Thanks so much, friend!

{also, she's giving away a cowl right now if you want one for yourself...}

Happy Friday, everyone!

so thankful.

I'm taking the day off tomorrow to spend time with my husband & our family,

so I'm posting some things I'm thankful for early...

Oh, and be sure to stop by on Friday!

I'll be sharing some great handmade Black Friday deals

that you won't want to miss.

{our leaves for my in-laws' thankful tree}

I have SO much to be thankful for.

I really, really do.

I'm thankful that my Father's grace is all-sufficient,

no matter how many times I mess up.

I'm thankful for my wonderful, amazing husband.

I'm thankful that this year he is my husband, not just my boyfriend.

I'm thankful for how hard he works.

That he helps me out in so many ways.

That he makes me a better version of me.

That he loves me through all my craziness.

I'm thankful for my family {which is now a lot bigger!}.

I'm thankful for the way my parents raised me,

even though I didn't always agree with them.

I'm thankful for my 4 little sisters.

I'm thankful that I have great in-laws.

For my friendship with my sisters-in-law.

For my sweet nieces & nephews.

I'm thankful that my husband fully supports me in

being a stay-at-home wife {and someday, mother!}.

Thankful that I can serve him by taking care of our home.

That it gives me time to pursue all my various projects.

That he doesn't say anything when he comes home to a crazy crafting mess...

I'm thankful for my husband's job.

That even in all the crazy changes,

God has been faithful & provided so much for us.

I'm thankful for our cozy home.

Thankful for a place to call our own.

I'm thankful for the ability to create.

For my hands & the things they can do with fabric, hot glue, etc.

For my sewing machine.

Thankful for my little shop, Petunia Blooms.

For color, needles & thread, crocheting, and more.

I'm thankful for music.

Thankful for the years of piano lessons I've had.

Thankful that it's something I can use in my church.

Thankful for all the music I can listen to on Pandora.

For all the inspiration music holds.

I'm thankful for good books.

Thankful that my mom taught me to love reading,

all those years ago.

Thankful for libraries & book stores.

Thankful for all the things I've learned just through reading.

I'm thankful for my little corner of the blog world.

Thankful for the lovely ladies I've "met" through blogging.

Thankful for your encouragement, dear readers.

I'm thankful to be me.

For this wonderful life I've been given.

For finding joy in the everyday.

So much to be thankful for,

and not just on Thanksgiving. :)

What are you thankful for today?

{little things}

I'm not a photographer by any means,

but I love captured memories.

Pictures to look back on & think "Oh, remember when...?"

So, here are some of the little things I captured this week...

{start at top left corner & go clockwise}

--> music practice. lovely shot of the keyboard.

lots of fond memories there.

--> that was actually my last music practice for awhile

{because of getting married & moving & such},

and the rest of the team threw me a little party,

complete with cupcakes!

--> pumpkin spice latte. YUM.

--> I Love Lucy. I really do. :)

--> my view. so pretty.

--> my handsome fiance.

putting together ceiling fans for our new home. :)

--> happy together!

--> playing rummy with my family

--> heading out for a walk, even though it's hot.

--> reading the bible. sipping coffee. a great bible study to work on.

--> one of my embroidery projects, inspired by a Fred Astaire movie.

--> he makes my heart smile. :)

...and another little peek at our new place:

It's starting to feel more like home. :)

Happy weekending, lovelies!

an update

{a small peek at all the prep work}

I've mentioned here & here that I'm supposed to

have a table at a craft fair in October {2 weeks after we get married!},

and that my goal was to finish all of my "inventory" prep by September 1st.

Well, it was a lot of work. 

A LOT of work.

But, I got it done, and I got it done early!

I've been working like crazy

cutting, sewing, gluing, attaching, finishing, etc, etc, etc.

It is so nice to have it all done.

Now I can focus on all of the wedding projects that I still need to finish,

and not have to worry about prepping for the craft fair at the same time.

Whew.

The good news for you?

Whatever doesn't sell at the craft fair will be listed in the shop. ;)

*****

I noticed that the my little blog now has 402 followers!

I just wanted to say a big thank you to all of you, new & old.

I so appreciate each and every one of you!

Happy Tuesday!

Hope your day is lovely...

{feeling blessed}

I'm definitely feeling blessed after this weekend...

my bridal shower was on Saturday morning,

and it was just wonderful.

{my bride-to-be "costume", put together by my sister;

all the essentials for cooking/baking in one easy place! *wink*}

We had a great turn-out {so thankful for all the ladies who came!},

lots of yummy food, fun games, and all the other fun shower "stuff".

Unfortunately, a lot of the pictures on my camera turned out really blurry,

so I'll have to track down some more pictures I can share.

We received a lot of the things we need for our new home,

and I couldn't be more excited about setting up our new place. :)

Now we just have to find that place....

How was your weekend? Hope it was lovely!

{currently...}

Just a little list of "currently"...

currently reading this

currently loving her voice

currently watching this

currently excited about this!

currently wishing I had the time to make this

and, of course, currently missing this guy terribly.

What are you up to currently?

...where i've been.

{pinned here}

Hello, lovelies!

You may have noticed that I've been a little absent from the blog in the past week or so...

Well, it wasn't necessarily intentional.

First of all, my sister & I are house/dog-sitting for our pastor's family while they're out of town.

I have access to a computer, but with a different schedule and no camera,

I haven't been feeling terribly inspired to blog.

I've also been very busy, helping a family clean, babysitting some crazy little boys,

teaching kid's classes at church, working on projects for the wedding,

trying to sew for the shop, spending time with my man...etc. :)

In good news, I was able to get our wedding invitations finished

{with some help from the sweetheart & my sisters}, and I just love them.

I'll try to share the details once I'm home, sometime in the next couple of weeks

Also? We're getting married in just 72 days!

So hopefully you'll pardon the blogging lapse - I'm not gone completely, just busy!

I'm hoping to share lots of pretty & inspiring things soon...

{happenings}

{from here}

I won't lie and say that my life is always perfect,

but I am so blessed. 

Life has been kind of crazy lately, though...

We're getting married in less than 3 1/2 months.

I am absolutely excited and I can't wait,

but I also have a LOT to get done before then.

I started making lists this week, and it's a tad overwhelming...

Fortunately, I have a lot of help if I need it!

Also, the Sweetheart got a new job!

I am beyond proud of him...I may be biased,

but he is awesome at what he does. :)

We were not expecting this at all, and he wasn't looking for a job.

But, he'll be getting a great paycheck, good benefits, etc. 

which is definitely a blessing.

But, along with this new job comes more new changes.

New schedules, figuring out where we'll live, and so on.

It will all work out...I'm just not entirely sure how.

I've also posted about that craft fair that's

happening two weeks after we get married...

I'm so excited for the opportunity, but I am SO overwhelmed

with all that I need to get done!

My goal is to have everything for the craft fair done

by September 1st. That will take a lot of work.

We shall see...

So, that's a bit of what's going on in my life.

But most of all, I want to live everyday to the fullest,

no matter what that day holds. 

*****

Have a lovely Wednesday!

{before & after}

If you follow me here, I mentioned that I was getting my curls cut the other day...

I only get my hair cut twice a year, so I was really excited. :)

I like my hair long, but it can be challenging.

It takes forever to dry, and I can't tell you how much

mousse it takes to keep those curls pretty {yikes!}.

So, I ended up getting a good amount chopped off.

I love it! So much easier & cooler!

Just thought I'd share with you...

 {before & after, to show you the difference in length}

{what it looks like completely dry}

What do you think?!

And do tell...do you prefer your hair long, short or in between?

*****

There's still time to enter to win your choice of

covered button earrings or cute bobby pins!

Be sure to help spread the word for extra entries. :)

{some stuff}

It's Tuesday, late afternoon, and my mind goes all over the place.

Here's some stuff I've been thinking about...

...an unofficial blog break {the reason for no post yesterday}.

Our pastor's family had to go out of town, so my sister and I are

house-sitting/dog-watching for them.

It's kind of like a mini vacation for us. :)

...how cute these hair pins are!

{P.S. I've extended the shop discount until Friday:

FAVORITE15 for 15% off your order!}

...that I smell very strongly of Bath & Body Works.

I needed some new body spray, and I ended up trying just about every one in the store...

I ended up getting Twilight Woods & Sensual Amber. :)

...that I really want to put together a thank you notes book. Such a good idea!

...that playing Just Dance is a workout!



source

...that I'm excited about going out to dinner with a dear friend tonight. :)

source

What are you thinking about today?

Hope you have a lovely evening!

what's making me happy...

...seeing his ring on my finger each & every day makes my heart happy.

We've been engaged for 4 months - only 5 months to go!

....an iced Caramel Macchiatto. Obviously.

And I always check to see how they spell my name & giggle at it.

"Jacklynn" isn't quite right. ;)

...all that pretty nail polish!

$0.99 at Walgreens!

...my new fabric tags for the shop!

Many, many thanks to Whitney for her diy instructions. I love them!

...all these lovelies just waiting to be sewn.

They'll be even prettier when they're finished!

{by the way, it takes a TON of prep work to get all these ready...}

...my sewing companions.

For some reason, the "classical crossover" type music is amazing to me.

So I listen to it while I sew. :)

{Palladio is quite possible my favorite right now.}

What's making you happy today?

*****

The randomly chosen winner of the Scentsy giveaway is

#15 - Staci!

{I've emailed the winner}

Thanks to all of you for entering!