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!