I'm All In!

I feel slightly irresponsible for going, but its just what I need right now.

I'm so excited for this creative outlet. 

Will you be there? Let me know and we can arrange a meetup.

Shades of Gray

Get your mind out of the gutter! This is not that kind of post.
One of the most fun things about planning a wedding, in my opinion is choosing the color palette. One color that has been front and center for me through most of the planning is gray.

I saw these tables at a bridal show that I attended. At the point, I had only decided to use a deep eggplant color, but then I saw it set against the grey table cloths and I was in love. At the same bridal show, I saw this dress in the fashion show and fell in love. The best thing about it, It has pockets. I love dresses with pockets. Since I insist on thinking of my wedding as a cocktail party, I was originally going to cut them short, but now that we are clearly having a fall wedding, we will keep them long, which will be absolutely lovely.

After seeing a coworkers toes painted gray and loving it, I started to think about the wedding and how grey nails would be perfect. I hit the local beauty supply (for China Glaze) and Whole Foods (for Mineral Fusion) and came home with several shades of gray to try out. The Platinum Silver is a definite no-no. You definitely cannot judge a color by how it looks in the bottle. Right now, the China Glaze Recycle is my favorite. The Elephant Walk shows a little blue and the the Mineral Fusion Slate shows purple sometimes. But, when I return to the shop for my next dress fitting, I will paint each color on a nail and see what they look like against my dress. The winning color will be included in gift set for my bridesmaids.

And of course, I can’t forget the gray sneakers that Famous Footwear gifted the attendees of Blissdom 2012. I am seriously contemplating buying a new pair of these (in the same gray and pink) and wearing them under my wedding dress. We’ll see how that goes.

What do you think? What colors are striking your fancy this year?

Reinvention by Maya Made

I preordered this book months ago. I have been following the Maya Made blog for quite some time and when she announced the publishing of her book, I ordered it immediately. When it landed on my doorstep and I was able to flip through it, I fell in love. There are several projects in it that I knew I wanted to make. Not just that, but projects that I needed in my home.

A few years ago, I bought this remnant decorator fabric with the purpose of making floor cushions. I didn’t know what pattern to use but in my head I wanted some of the square cushions with piping. The problem was the stuffing. Foam is expensive and clearly not in the budget right now. But Maya’s book gave an alternative I didn’t think of. *Silly Me!*

Why not make the cushion and use it as storage for blankets, quilts and other unused linens. And that is exactly what I did. I made two of the large Poufs out of the remnant fabric. One is stuffed with quilts. One is stuffed with extra curtains, pillowcases, etc. And now I have perfect little poufs that can be used for seating or casual foot props. Since making them, the coffee table in the den has become a nice little workspace for me.



Next up was the Summer Bolster. I made this out of two pillowcases that I had bought years ago to use in a sewing project that never came to be. Once I opened the pillow cases and sewed them together, I ended up with fabric longer than required, but I decided not to cut all of it off. A longer bolster is that much better in my opinion. I was glad I kept it. I rolled up the guest bed comforter and stuffed it inside. I used ribbon from my stash to tie up the two ends.
I’ll be making another one soon for the master bedroom.



Since I was on a roll, I decided to pull out a few t-shirts that have been sitting in the corner waiting for a new life. I got most of these at Blissdom 2012 and added in a few more that have been in my bottom drawer unworn for years. I cut them apart and pieced them together using another remnant piece from my fabric stash as the backing. I did not add any batting as I wanted this to be a light summer lap throw, just a little something to drape when sitting in the air conditioning. I did not quilt it but I’m thinking about adding that latter when I am brave enough. I have more t-shirt pieces that will become another project soon. I’m just waiting for them to tell me what they want to be. :)



If you are a sewer or ever so crafty inclined, you really should get this book.

Could You Be A Blogger?

While 700+ Blissdom attendees are still coming down from such a high HIGH, there are quite a few of them that are sitting down at their computers and starting their very first blogs. Not everyone that attends these conferences are actual bloggers. Some are thinking about it. Some are writers that want to use social media to sell their books. Some are crafters that are looking to expand. Some are going through life changes and want to do something new.

Blogging brings all kinds of people together to a common medium and gives them all a space and a platform to display their voices. Could you be one of those people? Do you have a voice that needs to be heard? I am always encouraging the people around me to start blogging, especially women. Blogging is such a wonderful outlet for creativity and frustrations but also a wonderful way of finding people that share your interest. It could even lead you to the interest that is or is to become your passion. I am an avid book reader but there aren’t many in my closest groups of friends that read or strive to carve out the time to read. The same goes for my love of technology. I can’t exactly discuss rooting an android device with the people around me. That conversation would be lost on them. But with my blogging and other online mediums, I can find just the crowd that will understand the projects and gadgets and interests that are floating around in my life.

The first thing I typically hear from people when I encourage them to blog is “I don’t know what I would write about”. There are three people in particular that I’m trying to encourage. For the sake of this conversation, I will call them D, K and R. They may not think they have anything to share but I learn so much from them each time I’m around them.

D is a stay at home mom that home schools her children. She is a beautiful Christian woman that counsels and teaches and has so much to share about religion, family, homeschooling, container gardening, vegan cooking and so many other things. The dinners I share with her family are fascinating and I always walk away with so much inspiration if nothing else. I think that is worth writing about and sharing.

K is a stay at home mom who prior to staying home specialized in working with kids with disabilities. She is such a fun and interesting mom and she is often the person that is learning right along with me when I am looking to learn something new. I love people like her because they never stop learning. Not only could she share her love for children and working with kids with disabilities, she could also teach you how to have the best kids playroom ever, how to start a small garden at home, how to entertain and how never to be afraid of learning something new.

R is a beautiful young girl with a quiet spirit that just draws you in. She is a young professional that is about to set off on the greatest adventure. I won’t speak much about it but meeting her and hearing her know exactly what she wanted out of life and marriage influenced me greatly. She is young but she has so much to share and I think she minimizes the impact she could have on the world. I met her at a time when I was struggling with the idea of being a wife and being able to talk with her about it brought clarity and comfort to my situation. She is a budding photographer and I can’t wait to see the shots she takes as she treks around the world learning about her heritage.

These are just three of the women that inspire my life everyday. They don’t think they have much to share but I see a multitude of possibilities in each of them. They fuel me to keep going if for no other reason than to find others that need to have their voices heard. Are you one of them? Do you know people in your life that could be sharing so much? Make sure you tell them how much value you get from them and maybe they’ll be encouraged to share that value with the rest of us.

A Different Kind of Easter

I have been trying for days to write a post about Easter but I hit such an incredible wall and I can’t figure out why. I have nothing but happy memories of Easter. The new dresses, the speeches, the egg hunts and baskets. Easter and the start of spring have always held a special place in my life. It was such a time of excitement. It still is but things are different now that I am an adult. It’s different because I am an adult without any children. You forget exactly how much of this holiday has centered around the children.

As an adult, my Easter is more a time of reflection. Instead of just a day or two of learning of Jesus’ death and sacrifice, I spend the entire Lenten season learning, reflecting and attempting to make sacrifices of my own. It’s a different kind of Easter but it’s the perfect way to really know and absorb what this season is all about.

In my house, there are no new outfits, no speech practice, no fancy Sunday dinner. But thanks to Hershey’s, this year my Easter does include a very beautiful basket of goodies.



This is the first basket I have had in years and it wasn’t until this showed up on my doorstep that I realized how much this season has changed for me. Who knew I had so many smiles and fond memories tied up in the taste of a jelly bean.

No matter how you are spending this weekend, I pray that you know and understand the sacrifice that was made for us all.

Continuing To Vow

During Blissdom 2012, Hallmark asked us to make a video of who we were sending a card to. This is my video. I was cute that day! I am not a video maker at all, but I didn’t do too bad. I took some tips away from this of things to improve but I am thrilled that I even stepped up to do this. That is a big deal for me. I am by no means an extrovert so I consider this a major growth moment.

In continuing to spread the word about this special campaign, Hallmark is giving me the opportunity to get you into the spirit of telling those in your life the things they need to know. They will send a package of cards to one of my lovely readers. Please make a comment to this post or my previous Hallmark Blissdom post and I will randomly select one person to receive these goodies from Hallmark. Comments posted by midnight March 21st are eligible.

What do you need to tell the people in your life?

Giggles and Lorax, Book Reviews

My reading goal for 2012 is to read 100 books. This is quite a lofty goal and I doubt I’ll make it but I’m going to try and get as close as I can. Considering how much reading this will really entail, I won’t be possible for me to do full book reviews on all of them. So from time to time I’ll do a recap of what I have read and my recommendation of whether or not you should pick it up. In the last couple of weeks, I was able to knock out four books. Two of them are children’s books and I thought about not counting those, but when you set such a lofty goal for the year, ALL BOOKS COUNT!

March 7th is World Read Out Loud Day. Consider incorporating one of these books into your activities for the day.

All book links provided (in the sidebar) are from Amazon where I am an affiliate, but please support the book seller of your choice.



Building Better Families by Matthew Kelly

I think this is a must-read for families with children. Even though, at this time, I do not plan to have children, there was valuable information for me as well. This book gives practical information about learning to be a better wife, a better husband, a better parent and above all, a better version of yourself.


Amy Giggles by Coy Bowles

I received this book at Blissdom 2012 in support of ConAgra’s Foods campaign to end child hunger. This is a really great book that encourages kids to be themselves and not hold back who they are for the sake of pleasing everyone else. Little Amy is adorable and she has a laugh that will never be suppressed. After reading it, I gifted it to a very stubborn and beautiful little girl (and her brother) who I am sure will have no problem suppressing her personality. If you have a little one in your life, please get this book for them.



The Dating Dilemmas of Delilah Dunnfield by Victoria Thurman

This was a personal read for me as well as entertaining as it was written by my friend Victoria. I do have to say Delilah is a character that made me nervous. I wanted to shield my eyes while reading afraid for the next “experience” that would befall her. In great southern lingo, one of the characters says “Lord love a duck!” and that’s what I had to say time and time again. This is a fun read and the author is working on the sequel. (hurry up, Victoria!)


The Lorax by Dr. Suess

I never read The Lorax as a child and considering my love for trees, I’m not exactly sure how I missed this one. It would have been one of my favorites, maybe even beating out Daisy Head Mayzie. The Lorax is as relevant a story today as it was when Dr. Suess first wrote it. We must always be aware of the effects of what we do to the earth and pray that there will always be a seed available that allows us to recover after what we have done. I highly recommend this book for all children and adults. This book was a gift to Blissdom 2012 attendees along with a birthday party for Dr. Seuss that also celebrated The Lorax movie that just opened in theaters. I hope to get out to see the movie this week. I hate I don’t have one of those Lorax mustaches to wear. I am very happy to say that I SPEAK FOR THE TREES. I will be gifting this book to my nephew. Hopefully I can get it to him before he sees the movie.

Vow To Tell Them...

I am still working on a good recap post for Blissdom 2012, after which I was planning to get into talk about the sponsors that were there. But there is one thing I did at the conference that keeps coming back to me and I just have to write about it now.

During the conference, Hallmark literally set up shop in one of the rooms. They had plenty of cards on display and their one dictate to us was to pick as many cards as we wanted and address them to either conference attendees (by twitter handle) or to physical addresses and they would mail for us.



I went through my mental list of family and friends that really have been such a support to me lately and I wrote out my heart to each of them. When I wrote out the card to my fiancé, I had to hold back the tears. I made it out of Hallmark’s mini store, but I couldn’t hold back the tears when sitting in the Centrum lunch listening to Chris Mann sing.

It really is important to tell people what they need to hear but also to tell them what you need them to know.
I needed to tell a friend oversees that she is such a constant inspiration to me. I am watching her grow and I am truly inspired.
I needed to tell my mother that I miss her dearly and I cannot wait to see her in a few weeks.
I needed to tell my grandmother that I am so proud of how she has used her craft over the last year to bring comfort to storm victims.
I needed to tell a family that they are so uplifting to me and I enjoy the time I get to spend with them, especially the family dinners.
And I needed to tell my fiancé that I am growing and getting more excited at my future role as his wife. I needed to tell him how much I miss his smile, his face and his hugs.

OH MY! I’m crying again!

I was happy to be able to bless these friends and family with the cards, but now I am the one reaping the blessings. Every time someone calls me and tells me they received the card and they appreciated me sending it, my heart is lifted and I am grateful that Hallmark gave me this opportunity to reach out.

I encourage you to send cards to those that are touching your heart. I have vowed to tell you how much this opportunity meant and now I hope you vow to continue the effort.



*edited to clarify that Hallmark was a sponsor, not a vendor. Sorry for the confusion.

In The Meantime

I made it safely to and from Blissdom 2012 in Nashville, TN and my head is spinning with all the new information and products that I received. It will take me a bit to get it all organized. In the meantime, all of my pictures and a few videos have been uploaded to Flickr. There are no captions and descriptions yet, but I will be working on that as well. Please be patient with me, there was a lot going on!



I’m looking forward to Blissdom 2013!

Blissdom Surprises

I came home to a FedEx message in my mailbox that a box was left at my front door. I thought it was something wedding related because I am waiting for a custom address stamp that I ordered. But I was surprised when I opened the box and instead of a stamp, I was faced with this.



It’s a prep kit for the upcoming Blissdom Conference in Nashville. Just a few essentials goodies.

1. When I snapped this picture, I thought it was just a package of coupons from ConAgra foods, but there is also a music CD included (see photo below). Jewel and ConAgra have teamed up in the fight against child hunger. Visit www.blissdomconference.com/childhungerendshere for more information. I’m looking forward to using the coupons as well!
2. This pamphlet has a lot of information including packing list and class schedule information. I will be going through this soon to make sure am ready.
3. Business card case from the One2One Network…another reminder that I really do need to get my cards ordered.
4. Johnson and Johnson had the best idea in putting together this little book of sticky notes (additional photos below). This will be a staple in my purse to keep my notes from getting all dirty and torn.
5. My name tag with my blog name and web address.

This is such a fantastic way to get everyone ready for the conference. BRAVO to the Blissdom team and their sponsors. This is great!

On My Bookshelf

One of the goals that I have set for myself this year is to increase my reading.  You wouldn't believe how many books I have around the house, on my Kindle and in my Audible account that I have yet to read. I'm announcing to the world that I am a book hoarder and I need help. In an effort to control and reverse my book buying habit, I have a subset of actions that I will take.

1. I will read at least 100 books during the 2012 calendar year.
2. I will not purchase any new books (unless I already have them on pre-order). New titles will come from the library.
3. I will sale, trade, donate or gift at least 50 books from my shelves. This does not include books that I need to return to friends.
4. To keep myself accountable, I will keep a running tally on the blog and do at least one book review a month.

Being that January is almost over and I have not read anything, I am terribly behind. To make it through 100 books in a year, I have to read roughly 8+ books a month, but since I'm down to 11 months, I'm looking at 9+ books a month.  I need to get started!

My first selection of the year happens to be written by a friend of mine, Victoria Thurman.  I met Victoria a few years ago at a book conference (I meet such great people at conferences!) and we have been friends since. When I am dying for wine and curry, she is one of the first people that I call. Her book, The Dating Dilemmas of Delilah Dunnfield,  hit the shelves in October, but I have been waiting to start reading it until my other wine-and-curry buddy, Angela, got her copy over in Indonesia. She confirmed receipt last night so we are ready for a Read-A-Long.  If you are interested in reading along with us, leave me a comment and I will include you in our discussions.

I'm sure many of you can relate to the opening lines of this book.

I have often heard it said of life that there are watchers and doers.  It doesn't take a genius to figure which of those I am.

When I read these words, my heart jumped then sank because I was just thinking this of my own life. As I am gearing up to meet a boat load of inspiring women at Blissdom, I can't help but think of all the things in my life that I keep saying I will do but haven't made the time to do. I have to stop watching and start doing.  Hopefully as I read along with Delilah's journey, I will make some changes in my own life and thinking.

You can read an interview with Victoria over at Elizabeth Byler Younts' blog.There is also a giveaway so go over and say hi. And if you think of any other questions for the author, let me know.  I'm sure I get her to dish a little more over a glass of wine and a curry.

The Standout Completed

This was a three day project that is not for the faint of heart. I can’t say that I will be rushing to bling out my cell phone but I do want it done.

These are the gems that I used, purchased from Michael’s. I painfully picked out all the pink and purple variety and started applying them with the jewelry adhesive that I already had in my supply.

As you can see, I used quite a bit of it. But I am disappointed that the last tube that I opened (BRAND NEW BOX!) was no good. I barely got two drops out of it. The rest had solidified inside. No amount of massaging and squeezing was going to get any more out of the tube. This was a $5 purchase that was a complete fail. I love this product for doing earrings, but I would not recommend it for this type of project. I did like that I could move slowly and apply a bead at a time which was good because I did not separate out all of my beads at one time. I alternated between pulling out beads and applying them to the laptop case. I would have liked to be able to spread the adhesive a little better, but the goal in this case was to use what I already had.

I’m not sure if t was the nature of the beads being cheap or the adhesive being too caustic, but the foil on the bead did crack after the adhesive dried. This takes away from the bling of the bead, but not a significant amount. Next time, I’ll try an adhesive that’s more appropriate and see if there really is a difference.

I ran out of beads so I was not able to get all the way to the edge of the top cover, but I think this is best as the beads take away from some of the flexibility of the case making it a little more difficult to take off. So the extra space on the edges will be helpful. I also used some beads to go around the edge of the bottom case. I worry about these popping off due to the wear they’ll get from being in contact with my wrists as I type, but I’ll deal with that when I have to.

All in all, I am very happy with the outcome of this project. I will do it again (crazy me). I have so many beads left over, I have to find something to use them for.

Do they sell clear cases for Kindles???

If you try this, let me know and leave a link to your blog in the comments. I would love to see it.

If you’re attending Blissdom ’12 in Nashville, you’ll know its me when you see this laptop. Come by and say HI!

The Standout

I decided to try a new project today. I have been wanted to bling out a case for my cell phone for some time now. I keep looking at the different cases for sell and that people have DIY’d and I couldn’t figure out if I wanted to shell out the bucks to buy one or order the supplies and do it myself. Since I have a case for my laptop that I hardly use, I decided to go ahead and give it a try on the laptop. I went to Michael’s and bought a multipack of plastic flat multi-faceted rhinestones. I already had jewelry adhesive at home--lots of it--so I didn’t need to purchase more. I don’t know how many colors are in this pack but I only plan to use the pink/light purple blends for this case.

This is as far as I got before I was forced to take a break to attend a meeting.

This is not a quick project so I will update you when I make it a little further. Of course, this is just so my laptop stands out a little bit when I hit Blissdom in February.

Blissdom 2012

You all know how much I raved about Blogalicious 2011? I was an amazing and eye opening experience. I hoping to get even more inspiration at the upcoming Blissdom Conference in Nashville, TN. This is so close to home, I just couldn’t pass it up. I have so much planning to do. I need new cards made. I need to finally get that QR code so I can easily share my contact information and blog links. And I need a plan for this blog and a press kit. Even though this blog is still really small, I’m quite interested sharing information about the products that make my life better. There isn’t anything better for spreading word of mouth information than the blogs we share with the world. I worry about the way products are marketed to us and I love seeing the truthful reviews from real people. Of course, not even every blogger can be trusted but I take the word of a real person over an advertisement any day.

And I completely blame Krystal Grant. I saw the Blissdom badge on her site and I couldn’t help but check it out. See, unspoken word of mouth.