April 30, 2012

happy monday!
{giveaway day!}

today i have a couple of items to give away to YOU my amazing readers from two of my best bloggin-and-shop-ownin-buddies.

just know - just because it is monday. oh and hey - tomorrow is my birthday. that is a good reason too. and.. of course.. because every single one of you is totally amazeballs awesome and i love you! you make this blog way more awesome than i could ever so to say thanks to you i'm pleased as punch to have these two incredible women to shower two of you with awesomeness!! :)

first up we have this sweet print from cassie at ccy designs inspired by the lucky one by nicholas sparks.

luckyoneproof_original

have you read this book? i'm not much of a romance novel lover but i have read the notebook by nicholas sparks. it was about ten years ago i think! anyways - one winner will receive this digital file from cassie to print!

second we have an adorable ipad jacket from aubrey at aubrey plays.

peter pan ipad jacket

i couldn't describe it better than aubrey does - she has such a way with words when she describes her products! she makes me feel all bubbly inside and i want to buy her stuff just so i can skip down the street with it!

"lovely Peter Pan " jacket"
each button looks just like a doily grandma crocheted.
Remember when mom said not to forget your jacket?
I've got your ipad covered!
Cozy and soft. made out of wool felt just like your blazer.
Feminine and sweet just like a true gal.
And the details??
that will be the part that you'll pretty much just want to kiss.
doubled up layers of cushy thick utility grade wool felt with a layer of batting in between.
soft tab with a magnetic closure.
Don't have an ipad? she is simply awesome to stick a notebook inside and take with you on the go!"

one winner will receive this ipad jacket!
and don't fret - if you don't win you can use the code "comeplaywithme" at checkout in aubrey's shop for 20% off your order!

to enter to win one of these sweet prizes just use the rafflecopter below!

April 28, 2012

in full bloom linky party
featuring tricia from mamas nest designs

yippee! we have arrived at the third in full bloom feature!

if you happened to notice that we skipped a week... well the best excuse i can wrangle is that kelsey was at SNAP (super jealous) and i just plain forgot! i think she and i have been SO busy lately it's been hard to keep up with each other. so, without further ado...

in full bloom: helping grow your indie biz!

we are back this week with a fabulous lady to share with you!! tricia, from mama's nest designs {shop} and mama marchand's nest {blog} is here to share a little about herself and some fantastic advice for fellow indie biz owners!

tricia - mamas nest designs
{blog | facebook | pinterest | blog lovin' | twitter}

who or what encouraged you to start your indie biz?
I've always dabbled in a variety of crafts and projects but my biggest love was creating jewelry. After I had my daughter in 2010, I realized I needed something to do (besides my blog) to keep my creative juices flowing so I started creating jewelry again. I realized that I could open an Etsy shop and actually make a little bit of money from something I already loved and voila! I opened my virtual shop doors in October of 2011 and it's been a blast!

what is the hardest challenge you have as an indie biz owner?
Honestly? Managing my time. I wish I could quit my part time jobs and just be a blogger and indie biz shop owner but, right now, that's not feasible for our family. So, I've had to get organized in a way I never knew possible and make sure that I'm making my family a priority, above all else. It's tough and I'm still a work in progress.

what is some helpful advice you would offer other indie biz owners?
The biggest piece of advice I could offer would be to constantly reevaluate what you're creating, what's selling, who is buying your product, how you're advertising, and what your marketing looks like. I do this about once a month and it's been a GOOD thing! I check my stats to see what tags are showing up on search engines, I check my sales history to see what kinds of designs are selling the best, and I tweak a little bit here and there to keep things fresh.

what is the ultimate goal you have for your indie biz?
For it to be my only source of income (besides my blog) so that I can be a stay at home mama!

colorful owl - mamas nest designs
colorful silver owl pendant
The colorful owl necklace features a funky large owl pendant with eight gemstones on it in green, yellow, red, light green, pink, orange, magenta, and light blue. The pendant is complimented by pairs of beads in green, black, and red and is set on a silver chain.

antique brass family tree - mamas nest designs
antique gold necklace with custom birthstone
This would be a lovely necklace for a mama and you can match the beads to her children's birthstones. This necklace would also be nice for a grandma with her grandchildrens' birthstones or even to represent a family tree. It's versatile!

♥ ♥ ♥

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i had heard of tricia in the blog world and followed her on twitter but didn't really get to know her until i had the delight of winning a necklace from her shop! i seriously wear it all.the.time. i also gifted a pair of her earring to a friend of mine. tricia is one of the sweetest and most genuine people you will ever meet!! you would be remiss not to visit her blog or shop and say hi, get to know her, and check out her gorgeous and unique jewelry!!

thanks for letting me feature you and your shop tricia! :)

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want to join in on the fun?

sign up for the newsletter!

click here to sign up for the newsletter to get inside info on the shops we are featuring and upcoming in full bloom news!

link up your shop below!

here the guidelines to linking up your shop! remember that once you link up your shop will appear both here and on kelsey's blog too! double the fun!

1. link up shops/shop platforms only. please do not link to a specific item, a blog post about your shop, your blog (unless your shop platform is hosted on your blog) or anything other than your beautiful shop.

2. after you link up, visit two or three of the other shops that have linked up and tweet, pin, or facebook about your favorite item from their shops!

3. if you have a blog and want to help spread the word, feel free to add this button to your sidebar:


are you linking up your shop?
share the button on your blog!





April 27, 2012

spring picnic
come meet my sponsors!

since we are having such amazing weather this month, i thought a sweet picnic with my sponsors was just the ticket for you guys to all get to meet them! i have a big blanket spread out and a basket full of yummy snacks and fizzy drinks so i'd love for you to have a seat and chat with us!

Pretty Picnic
source

kelsey-poofy-cheeks
blog | shop | facebook | twitter | pinterest

cassie-ccy-designs
blog | shop | facebook | blog lovin' | twitter | pinterest

manda-elf-house-chronicles
blog | shop | twitter | facebook

kasey-buttonwood-cottage
blog | shop | facebook | twitter | pinterest

aubrey-aubrey-plays
blog | shop | facebook | twitter

olive-patch
facebook

sarah-fontenot-four
blog | shop | facebook | twitter | blog lovin' | hello cotton

embrace-your-life
blog

katy-little-alice-sews
blog | shop | facebook | twitter | https://pinterest.com/katyreitz/

ashley-after-nine-to-five
blog | shop | facebook | twitter

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i am full for may i'd love to have you for june! just check out my sponsor page for more information.

April 25, 2012

before thirty

this originally posted at embrace your life but since my 30th birthday is a mere days away i wanted to share it here also! :)

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as my impending 30th birthday draws nearer and nearer (yes - i am singing the jaws theme song in my head when i think about it. da-dum. da-dum. DA-DUM. DA-DUM.DA-DUM.DA-DUM. AAAHHHH) i've been thinking a lot about those lists i see everywhere - things i want to do before i turn 20, 21, 25, 30 and other milestone age markers. (psssst - it is may 1st in case you were wonderin!!)

i'm not really good at those lists to begin with and seeing as how there are roughly only thirty days until my 30th birthday, i doubt very seriously i'd get many life changing events out of the way between now and then what with my insanely hectic schedule in april. so i though i'd focus on what i in fact have accomplished in my first 29 years on earth. :)

graduated college

graduation

might've taken me eight years to do it but i have happily checked this off my list. i have an associate's in journalism, my cosmetology license and a bachelor's in business. i still have no idea what i want to be though.

got married

chris and skye wedding
mom and skye wedding

there was a point in life where i thought it would be 30 before i found anyone worth of marrying! but God blessed me with the perfect husband and i'm so thankful for that.

got a tattoo

tattoos

sadly this was marked off the list before anything else.. and it was pretty quickly followed by another, then another... and then another. i am up to six now and each time i say it will be my last. but i'm running out of places to hide them so i'm pretty sure i'm done. but maybe one more.

bought my own car

i purchased my first car in 2006. it was a blue honda civic. i nearly had an anxiety attack when i signed the papers. but let me tell you - i loved that car. it was absolutely perfect for me. it got great gas mileage and carried me back and forth to dallas to hang out with my friends, put me through my final years of college and moved me to west monroe. we ended up trading it in for our truck. i tell chris all the time how much i miss that little car!

i cannot for the life of me find a picture of my car! this makes me sad. :(

became an auntie

thomas anson

this sweet baby is probably the closest thing i will have to giving birth to my own child for at least a few years. and yall - he is the coolest baby ever!

reached godparent status

became god parents

quite possibly the neatest privilege or responsibility that i have been given is the parental rights and full guardianship of these two handsome fellas. their parents are very close friends of ours and they have (for some unknown reason) entrusted us with their kiddos should anything ever happen to them. talk about a humbling dinner conversation.

ate a hot dog (or 2) at the varsity

had a hot dog at the varsity

this is something everyone should have on their bucket list. the environment, the chili, the orange cream slush... and top i t all off with a friend peach pie. yummmmmmm....

took this super cool picture

took this awesome picture

this is one of my best friend's kiddos playing in the water park for his first birthday. i am in LOVE with this picture

visited spain

went to spain

there are still a ton of european countries that i'd like to visit but i have got one crossed off the list!

danced with my hubby

rance's wedding 2

this has definitely happened on more than one occasion but this is documentation that my hubs and i look great and dance great together.

bought a house

bought a house

there for a while i was quite sure this wasn't going to happen either. but we did it!

cooked a chicken on a beer can

beer can chicken

without the fancy beer can chicken cooker or a blazing hot gas grill, we actually cooked a chicken with a beer can up her bottom. and it worked. and it was delicious!

seen all of my best friends get married or engaged and thrown showers and bachelorette parties for them

nina wedding shower
ashley wedding
skye and liz

i get to see the last of my best friends get married in michigan later this summer and i'm very excited!

ate a beniet at cafe du' mond

had a beniet at cafe du'mond

yes, that would be me on the far left, tearing into that beniet like a starving velociraptor.

went to a college bowl game and visited "jerry world" a.k.a cowboy football stadium

osu football game

we went to the cotton bowl in 2011 and cheered on our beloved cowboys. while they did lose to ole' miss (gag!) we did at least get to watch it on the biggest tv screen i have ever seen.

pin a boutonniere on my father

rance's wedding

i don't think i had ever done this before my brother's wedding but it was a pretty neat moment. :)

hosted my first thanksgiving

thanksgiving 2010

full thing - start to finish - from the bird to the pie. we had the entire family around one table and let me just say - it was totally worth all the hard work.

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looking back over the small handful of years that this covers reminds me that i have done A LOT. why focus on the things i haven't done yet when i have already accomplished so much?

what are some things that you have done in this crazy ride of life you have had so far?

April 23, 2012

mother's day gift guide

raise your hand if april is already flying by. now, keep them up if you realized that mother's day is less than a month away?? crazy stuff. anyways - i'm here to help you out. turns out my sponsors have some pretty sweet stuff for your moms and i'm pleased as punch to share them with you. whether your mom is a coffee addict, gardener or a sucker for pretty accessories, you will surely find something here for her. let's start shopping!

does your mom love to be cozy and warm while sporting expertly crocheted accessories? kasey at buttonwood cottage has a shop full of lovely warm + fuzzy accessories like these:

a blue puff stitch cowl

blue puff stitch cowl

or maybe she prefers a little victorian flair - how about this taupe button up cowl.

taupe button cowl

or, if your mom is fun and a little quirky, kasey's new my little monsters hats are adorable!

shop buttonwood cottage here

for the mom who loves to accessorize her hair with fun headbands and pretty colors, kelsey at poofy cheeks has a great assortment of elastic ribbon hair ties. i have a few of them and i absolutely love them - they are soft and easy on my hair and come in so many awesome colors.

one of my favorites is this caribbean collection

caribbean elastic ribbon hair ties

she also has a line of headbands in all sorts of fun summery colors. i'm not a pink girl myself, but i would still rock this adorbs headband with a pony.

jewel tone headband

if your mom is the crafty type, kelsey also has a great collection of kraft tags and bakers twine and it is all so affordably priced you could quickly make a great craft basket for your momma!

shop poofy cheeks here

ashley at after nine to five has a shop full of great prints and home decor and also shares some great information and insight to other bloggers on her blog.

one of my favorite items in ashley's shop is this print. what a great way for your mom to start her day every day - with a little reminder that she can do the impossible!

breakfast

is your mom also a blogger or have you convinced her she needs to be?? ;) her e-book for bloggers is amazing - i have it and i have read it cover to cover. it has great information for beginners and novices and would make the perfect gift for that mom who is toeing the line, trying to decide whether or not to make the blogging leap!

blogger 101

or if your mom is a huge hunger games fan, ashley's shop is the place to go. she has a bunch of great hunger games home decor for your katniss-lovin mom!

shop after nine to five here

sarah from fontenot four is one of my biggest inspirations! she has such an uplifting spirit and really has a heart for the Lord. she writes an amazing blog and knits simple but fun coffee cozies for her shop.

one of my favorite cozies is this windsor coffee cozy with this cute little button. is your mom a starbucks addict? this would be such a great gift for her! plus, proceeds from sarah's cozy sales go towards an adoption fund for one of her friends. pretty sweet!

coffee cozy with button

if your mom loves to read and connect with other Christians, then you might just give her the gift of sarah herself and direct her towards the fontenot four blog which is full of daily inspiration, scripture wisdom, and faith-filled posts.

fontenot blog

shop simply handknit here

cassie is one of my dearest blog friends. hopefully one day we will be in real life friends too. ;) she has a cute shop full of pretty subway art and crocheted goodies.

is your mom an outdoorsy type with a gardening bench, several pairs of gloves, and a favorite type of potting soil? this spring subway art would make a great addition to her gardening station, reminding her every time she sees it why she loves spring so much!

spring subway art

or if your mom is a sucker for sweet accessories, this button necklace with crocheted chain is a perfect addition to her summer wardrobe.

green and blue button

shop ccy designs here

one of my new favorite shops is olivepatch. owner brooke sells what she calls "her stuff" through her facebook page. and you guys - it definitely isn't just stuff!

how about this darling tie back headband for that young, cute, and stylish momma who lives a little on the wild side? ;)

tie back headbands

i love this more traditional floral headband too - great for your mom if she is always on the go and needs a quick, but super cute, hairstyle.

stella headband

here is the best part - if these aren't what your mom would fancy, olivepatch also offers really cute handpainted canvasses and sweet bibs for new mommas and their babies. :)

shop olivepatch here

amanda at elf house delights totally won me over with these precious chalkboard painted glasses. wouldn't these be perfect with hand-picked flowers and a sweet "love you mom" message?

chalkboard glasses

amanda also has some super cute necklaces in her shop!

shop elf house delights here

katy from lil' alice sews is what i like to call the queen of adorable aprons. how cute would matching mom + daughter aprons be for mothers day?

apron

does your mom brown-bag it to work every day? add a little pizazz to her bag (not to mention give the environment a helping hand) with one of her precious reusable snack bags.

eco friendly snack bag

shop lil alice sews here

is your mom tied to her electronics? a kindle, an ipad, an iphone - she has them all. know what else she needs? something fun and quirky to keep them in! ;) enter aubrey of aubrey plays - she makes sturdy and unique bags and cases to house all of your mom's toys and gadgets!

i love this beautiful mustard and lace ipad jacket. so pretty and feminine but eye-catching at the same time!

mustard and lace ipad jacket

and the fabric on this kindle case will surely take your mom back to her note-passing middle school days. ;)

kindle - ereader case

shop aubrey plays here

one of the best parts about buying handmade for mom on mother's day is knowing there is an extra little bit of love put in to your gift by the artist who creates it. consider shopping around on my sponsor's websites and i'm sure you will find something your mother will love!!

quick disclaimer: my "sponsors" are folks i swap ads with. there is no money exchanged. regardless, i would still say these sweet things about them because i love them and i love their work. if you want more disclaimer details click here and if you'd like to get your swap on click here. peace out. :)