By this time next week, the packages will be unwrapped, the dinner guests will be gone, and the radio will be done playing Christmas carols. Can you believe it? We all spend so much time preparing for Christmas and then before you know it, the holiday is over. I can honestly say that I've tried to slow down and take the season in this year.
Of course, that meant I kind of disappeared from here with any projects or recipes lately. Believe me....I had plans. But when it felt like the Christmas season was slipping away from me, I realized I needed to step back and enjoy my life. There is always next year for those unfinished DIYs and cookies. (And believe it or not, I already have the ENTIRE Christmas blog season planned for next year. You'll just have to wait and be surprised!)
It was a snowy day yesterday and something about the flakes coming down put me in a good Christmas mood. Don't get me wrong....I'm not a fan of the snow or the cold. But there are days when snow just seems appropriate. You know what I mean?
Whether you are watching the snow fall right now or not, I hope that these favorites of mine will put you in a good Christmas mood as well. Enjoy!
Thanksgiving is over. The turkey is cleaned up. And today I am out braving the crowds to do a little Black Friday shopping. It is so hard to believe that the Christmas season officially starts today and the holiday will be here before you know it. What are your plans for this weekend? Shopping...decorating...spending time with family?
From now until Christmas, my Friday Favorites are going to be holiday related. Isn't that what most of us are interested in being inspired by right now? It's what I'm seeing the most of right now on Pinterest and throughout the many blogs I follow. Whether you plan on decorating a lot, whipping up many delicious treats, hosting family, or just enjoying the season, I hope that some of what I share here will help you create a cozy, meaningful Christmas!
Have a great weekend everyone!
From now until Christmas, my Friday Favorites are going to be holiday related. Isn't that what most of us are interested in being inspired by right now? It's what I'm seeing the most of right now on Pinterest and throughout the many blogs I follow. Whether you plan on decorating a lot, whipping up many delicious treats, hosting family, or just enjoying the season, I hope that some of what I share here will help you create a cozy, meaningful Christmas!
Have a great weekend everyone!
It has been a super busy week, so I'm keeping it short and sweet today.....Here are my favorites from the week! Enjoy!
Welcome to another week of my Friday Favorites! How has your week been going? I've got some great pictures to share with you this morning. I guess a lot caught my eye this past week. Hope you enjoy my favorites! Enjoy your weekend, friends!
Favorite Wood Caddy from Dreamy Whites
It has been a month since our last lesson on photography when we learned about aperture. (Where did that time go?!?!) Have you been practicing how to use this amazing feature in your camera? Another one of the basics in photography is shutter speed, and that is what today's lesson is all about.
Happy Friday friends! I hope that your week has been going well. Many of you seem to be feeling the same way as I have that things have been crazy busy lately. And unfortunately, I don't think that is going to change anytime soon. We are on the home stretch towards Thanksgiving, Christmas, and everything the holidays bring. In addition to that, I've got some guest posts and a few blog hops coming up over the next month as well as my open house in less than two weeks. Ack!
Alright, now onto something a little less stressful.....my favorite pictures of the week. I hope you enjoy your weekend and I'll see you back here on Monday!
Happy Friday! I'm so glad to have you back here once again for my Friday Favorites. I hope that you are as inspired by these pictures as I am. Each week, this post is really an accurate look at what my style is and the things I find interesting. In a dream world, what I'm posting would look like these pictures. I'm not there yet, but it is always nice to see what I'm working towards!
Have a fantastic weekend and I'll see you back here next week!
This week has just flown by and I feel as though I kind of left you hanging with just one other post this week aside from the link party. I have been working on some great projects that you'll be seeing next month and it has kind of taken me away from getting projects done to post now. I'm all prepared and ready to go for next week, though, so hopefully you aren't too disappointed!
I've seen a lot of things around the web this week that I've really liked, so here are some of my favorite pictures and links...See you back here on Monday!
Bookmark this post and bring it up when times are bad.
This post is full of great tips for those of you who are bloggers or are looking to start one.
I must remember this when I use a boxed cake mix.
Good morning friends! Another Friday has rolled around. The days seem to be going by in a blur lately, and from what I've been hearing from a lot of my blogging friends is that they feel the same way. Have you felt a little overwhelmed with life lately? Anyone have any suggestions for slowing things down?!?!
And for those of you who have left comments or sent me emails this past week, your responses are coming! I'm a little behind, but I try to answer everything that comes my way.
I really love sharing all the things that I've found interesting during the week. It is so relaxing to take a moment and browse through my pins from the week. My hope is that you are enjoying it, too. Be sure to leave me some comments below about anything you find interesting here or out there in blogworld. Enjoy and have a fabulous weekend!
I found out how to be rich....and it has nothing to do with money.
This is one of the best secrets to decorating your home.
Check out one of my newest favorite blogs. I so want to move into her house!
There is a lot of technical things to learn when it come to photography. But for these photography lessons, I want to break it down to the absolute basics so that we can all understand how our cameras work and what we can do to get brighter, clearer pictures. Whether you take pictures to post on a blog, to sell items you make, or to capture moments in your family's life, photography is important. With just a few techniques and a little practice your skills can improve tremendously.
A couple weeks ago, I shared what I consider to be the three most important things that you need to take good photos. Today's lesson on photography is all about aperture.
Thank you to everyone who took the time add a link to our party yesterday or to visit some of them. There are some amazing ideas! I haven't had a chance to visit each one yet, but I will before the weekend is over. If you haven't had a chance to link up yet, the party will be open until Monday.
I can hardly believe that we are in October already! Where is the year going? The weather this weekend looks to be very cool in PA. While I know that fall is here, I'd prefer that it feel like summer when I go outside. I guess it will be a perfect weekend to curl up inside with a mug of hot cider. Maybe it will give me a chance to look through the October magazines that have piled up over the last month.
There are times when I'm putting this post together that I find I'm inspired by something, but it doesn't lend itself to a picture. So here are some bonus links to check out this week....
Now I understand why my house always seems messy.
This inspired me to plan my day a little better.
And this recipe may be just the way to get me to eat sweet potatoes.
I love clothes as much as I love decorating. I love shopping for them. I love mixing and matching pieces to create different outfits. And fall is my favorite season for clothes because it is the perfect time for layering and adding accessories. Decorating yourself is just as fun as decorating a room....and many of the same "rules" apply!
I admit that lately I haven't been taking the time I should to plan my outfits each day. It is easier to just throw something on in the morning without taking the time to plan. Easy is not always better, though. I'm always pinning outfits that I'd like to wear, but like most of what I pin, I rarely refer back to them. I've made the decision to change that and to start putting a little more thought and care into what I'm wearing this fall.
Tomorrow I'm going to a craft festival at Delgrosso's Amusement Park in Altoona, PA with my mom and my aunt. It is a lovely fall setting outdoors walking underneath the trees that are beginning to change colors. The path weaves all through the park. There is also events throughout the day and free rides for the kids (or adults!). I'll also be taking one of my four trips to Hobby Lobby for the year. The disadvantage of living in a small, rural town is that there are no great places to shop without driving for a couple hours. Trips to Target and Hobby Lobby become something to treasure rather than something done each weekend!
Even as a child I loved taking pictures. Granted, those pictures were not always good....sometimes a little blurry....sometimes a little dark. But there has always been a part of me that enjoys holding a camera and snapping pictures from different angles. My dad enjoyed taking pictures (this is his camera in the pictures), and I think I probably developed an interest from watching him.
As I've gotten older, my cameras have gotten to be of a better quality (and of course, more expensive). About a month after starting my blog last year, I purchased my first DSLR and love working with it. It is a Nikon D5100. I'm dreaming of this camera, but for now with my budget the Nikon that I have is going to do.
Happy Friday friends! How has your week gone? Mine seemed to be crazy busy with blog stuff this week, which has been amazing. I have to say that I am grateful for all the beautiful comments and emails I've been receiving lately. I really feel like this little blog of mine is beginning to take off and I appreciate all the love and support you've been sending my way. It feels so nice knowing that I'm making friends out there, even if I may never get to meet you face to face. So whether you subscribe to my blog or follow me on social media, thank you. And for those of you who are visiting for the first time today, I hope my blog can provide something that will interest and inspire you!
I hope you have a wonderful weekend and enjoy my favorite links from the week!
A reader left a comment on my Hometalk page about problems she was having mixing up the DIY chalk paint I had posted. Her paint turned out very thick and grainy. While I've never had any problems mixing up the paint, I was wondering if any of you had experienced similar problems. My only thought about why this might have happened is that the plaster of Paris was added to the water, rather than adding the water to the plaster. Any other ideas? If you have any suggestions, I'd love if you'd let me know in the comments section below!
Second, I am super excited to share that a girl from my hometown is going to be competing on Sunday as Miss Ohio in the Miss America pageant. And to top that, she was actually the winner of the preliminary talent competition. I haven't watched in years, but will definitely be tuning in this year. I live in a very small, rural area so this is a really big thing. I'd love to see her make it into the top 15.
And now on to my favorite links of the week....
I received such amazing comments and compliments last fall on the mantel display that I posted. It was very layered and complex. While I enjoy doing displays like that, I can also get a little stressed out making it look perfect.
This year, I decided I wanted to go simple (and stress free) with my fall decorations. I wanted something laid back and cozy, yet still have all the elements of fall. You can't go wrong with some leaves, pumpkins, and pine cones!
Thank you so much for visiting today to see my favorite links of the week! I've heard from some of you that you are really enjoying this on Fridays. It is so much fun to put together this post each week and look back over all the things I've discovered, so I'm glad that you are enjoying it as much as I am. I'd love to know what you've found interesting this week, too.
Have a fantastic weekend and I'll see you back here on Monday!
Can you believe that the last official weekend of summer is here? It seems like just a few weeks ago the season was just beginning. As sad as I am to see the warm weather, sunshine, and blooming flowers go, I do always welcome the fall season.....at least until the leaves are all gone from the trees and the weather gets cold! I've got some great fall posts coming in the next few weeks that I'm really excited about. But for today, I'm sharing some more of my favorite links. Have a great weekend!
A metal kitchen pot from the thrift store becomes a unique DIY storage basket with a little glue and sisal twine from the craft store.
Looking for an alternative to ordinary vegetables to serve along with dinner? These Sauteed Cucumbers are a unique side dish with a fresh-from-the-garden flavor.
You've never tasted the best green bean casserole until you've tried this recipe with fresh, homemade ingredients. It makes an ideal side dish to accompany Sunday dinner or to serve at Thanksgiving.
Homemade soup always tastes better and is a great way to use fresh, natural ingredients. This recipe for homemade Cream of Celery Soup can be used in place of opening a can and uses up some of the celery you might have in the refrigerator before it goes bad.
A unique twist on a traditional BLT, this Sun-Dried Tomato and Bacon Sandwich Spread is the perfect accompaniment to summertime salads for a picnic or lunch. You will love the creamy mayonnaise base packed with tomatoes and freshly cooked bacon.
Decorating with empty picture frames can be a great way to add a little personality and interest to your decor without spending much money at all. When I was staging my desk to share with you a few weeks ago, I used a couple random frames to lean on the desktop. I realized that I use empty frames quite a bit in my decorating and thought I'd put together a little collection of some great ideas that I've seen.
A few ingredients is all you need to whisk together to create your own homemade mayonnaise for spreading on sandwiches and using in salads.
Add a festive patriotic touch to the Deviled Eggs you take to a Fourth of July summer picnic by dying the eggs red, white, and blue.
As a blogger, I am constantly trying to find ways to make my photography better. One of the problems I have is trying to take pictures of things that I make in good natural light without a distracting background. There is perfect natural light in my dining room, but I don't have large sections of bare wall available without moving heavy furniture and decorations. I don't mind taking the time to move things around if I'm taking pictures of a piece of furniture or something large, but it is time consuming to move everything for one small product shot. And normally, by the time I get everything moved around and set up, the light has moved on.
With just three ingredients, this Blueberry Pie has the most incredible flavor and the special twisted lattice crust on top makes it anything but ordinary. It is the perfect dessert to serve in the summer using fresh fruit.
Find out how the tips you need to know to make the perfect crust for your next pie, plus get the fail-proof recipe using just a few simple ingredients.
Five simple steps to uncovering your decorating style so you can shop and design with confidence.
Making pillows is one of the easiest sewing projects a beginner can do, and this post shows you how to make designer style throw pillows on a budget.
Have you decorated for Valentine's Day yet? For me, it is one of those holidays that boarders on being overly cutsey with the decorations we make and display. I like finding ideas that stick with my style by mixing a little elegant with a little vintage.....although there isn't anything wrong with adding a little pop of something cute, too!
If you search the Internet, you'll find many different recipes for homemade Chex Mix and then there are many different varieties packaged by Chex. I prefer the homemade to the store bought version and prefer this recipe to all the homemade versions I've tasted. This version is actually different than any other recipes that I've seen.
See how basic clear glass bud vases from the thrift store can be transformed with just paint into distressed candlesticks to decorate your wedding or home on a budget.
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