Tuesday, July 31, 2012

SOLO FEATURE: MY LIFE IN LAVENDER + GIVEAWAY!



1. Tell us a little bit about yourself!
My name is J and I’m a fashion blogger, student, and amateur photographer. (I’m still learning!) I’ve always been in love with fashion and this year, after endless internal debates, I went ahead and launched ‘My Life in Lavender’. My blog is a culmination of my passions which include fashion, photography, and music. I also have a penchant for funky jewelry, coffee, candles, and rich melodies.

2. What made you decide to start blogging?
About three years ago, I started obsessively reading fashion blogs; loving how individual women are showcasing their passions and eclectic tastes for fashion from all over the world. I continued to read these fashion blogs between my hectic schedule. When the busy-life became a little too much, I took a step back and realized that maybe starting my own blog would be good for me. As a student, I am very used to putting classes first and forgetting my other interests. ‘My Life in Lavender’ is my escape from the day-to-day craziness. It’s my artistic outlet.


3. What are your favorite things to blog about? Favorite posts?
It took me a little while to find my niche and realize exactly what I love to blog about and I’ve landed on two distinct passions: fashion and music. I’ve started up a segment that comes out on Tuesdays called ‘Tune Tuesdays’ and you can see my favorite one so far here. I feel that beautiful melodies are necessities in life, so writing about them has become some of my favorite times. I also love putting together my fashion posts. I do a series called 'What I Wore' and describe my outfits. So far, my favorites would have to be this one and this one.

4. What is your favorite pass-time?
My favorite pass time is to watch television shows. I go through phases where I marathon one show at a time. Currently, I’m watching Lost and a month ago it was Pretty Little Liars. I tend to skip around and don’t have one set genre I stick to.

5. What is on your current wish-list?
My current wish-list includes: Blue Dress, Marc Jacobs Daisy Perfume, and NARS Lipstick in Roman Holiday.


6. Favorite blog reads?
My daily’s include: Hapa Time, A Go Go Fashion, and Casey Leigh.

7. If you had three wishes, what would they be?
(1) Have my own studio//work space to put together posts, take photographs, and work on my jewelry making.
(2) Travel around the world. I especially would love to visit Europe.
(3) Be [stay] Happy.

8. Favorite summertime song?
Not exactly solely a summer song but I’m absolutely in love with ‘Stereo’ by Mike Mains & the Branches.

9. What's your favorite food?
My favorite food is Lavender flavored ice cream.

10. What inspires you the most?
My biggest inspiration is music. I love lyrics and so I pay close attention to the words people sing. I feel that those words hold so much weight and meaning that they have the potential to change everything. To me, a good song could brighten any day.

Find J Here:  Blog  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram: j_lavender17  |  Bloglovin

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Giveaway Time!
J is offering one lucky reader the chance to win a set of beautiful handmade rings!


Main Entry:
Following J via GFC on her blog here. Comment letting me know you did and be sure to leave a contact email address!

Bonus Entries:
1. Like J on Facebook.
2. Tweet about it! You can copy and paste this: Win a beautiful handmade ring set by @life_lavender on @Maiedae! http://maiedae.blogspot.com/2012/07/solo-feature-my-life-in-lavender.html

Best of luck!


Monday, July 30, 2012

NEW HOME!

Time to play a little catch up! Jon and I got the keys to our new condo on Thursday night. We did a little walk-through and prepared ourselves for the LONG weekend. On Friday, we took carloads of clothes, lamps, and other things we didn't want to put in the moving truck over to the condo. By the end of the day, we had taken a total of four trips to the condo and 10 carloads! It was a great head start for our move.


On Saturday, family and friends came over to our apartment early in the morning and we loaded the moving truck and unpacked it in our new condo before dinnertime. Everyone worked so hard. Jon and I were so grateful for the help and love that was shown to us. We had lots of cleaning to do, so there was a lot of scrubbing, vacuuming, and unloading going on all day! Our first night was spent on a mattress on the floor with sore legs and feet. It felt like the end of a full day walking around Disney!

We spent all day Sunday and today unpacking, taking trash to the dump, doing little projects, running errands, and organizing! My goal was to have the majority of our boxes unpacked and our home in working order. We are in a good place this evening with only a few boxes left! We've got a list of home projects to complete and we are SO excited to make this condo ours. We spent some of today, hand in hand, walking around our new place dreaming about how we will decorate it and our ideas for each room. We are so blessed to be in this new phase and home.

My first big project is the dining room. You can follow along with my progress and inspiration boards here! We've already made a little bit of progress in the dining room, but still have a lot to do! The table was delivered on Sunday and our chandelier is up!

I'll be getting back to my regular posting schedule starting tomorrow with a special interview and beautiful giveaway!! I hope your weekend was the best. :)


Tuesday, July 24, 2012

ADVERTISE IN AUGUST + FLASH SALE!

Eight days until August...no pressure right? Where did these past three months go?? I'm crossing my fingers that the busiest month of the year (July) will wind down some in August. But in all reality, things may not slow down until September, when I plan to make some life shifts and changes. Yeah!


But a new month means new posts, new design clients, and new advertisers on Maiedae! I've got some exciting things planned for August including peeks into our new condo and two new series on the blog! I can't wait. 

A D   F L A S H   S A L E !
For 24 hours I'll be offering my readers 50% off of my medium sponsor spots! Get more details below:

* Your price $10.00, originally $20.00
* Flash Sale will run until Wednesday, July 25th at 2:00PM (Eastern Time)
* If you would like to purchase your ad space, contact my lovely ad manager at Leah@Maiedae.com and she'll get you set up!
* Medium ad spots will have the opportunity to be featured in a sponsor feature post like this one.
* If you'd like to get more information about my advertising program, click here!

I'm off to spend the rest of my day working and doing graphic design projects so I can dedicate the weekend to moving!!


Monday, July 23, 2012

PROJECT CONDO: BAR CARTS

I think it may have started last year, when I had Thanksgiving for the first time at Uncle Harby's (Jon's Uncle). He had a stunning bar cart in his parlor//family room. It had a beautiful piece of artwork hanging over the perfectly set cart with crystal decanters. To me, the whole scene was out of a magazine. This quickly became one of the things I started dreaming up for our new home.

At first, I was pretty set on having a separate cart dedicated to beverages, but the more I thought about our dining room space, the more I realized it might be best to create a bar cart area on a buffet table using a decorative tray, favorite drinks, mixing tools and glassware. Jon and I aren't the biggest fan of adult drinks, but we do enjoy something special mixed up every now and then...especially when we have guests or a dinner party. A lot of our friends enjoy wine and mixed drinks during special occasions, so we thought it would be great to have a "bar cart" area stocked with goodies for guests. :) I love looking at bar cart inspiration. I feel like there are so many ways you can make it a useful and attractive area in your home//dining room.







































1// Bar Cart Rehab - I love the gold accents on this cart. I think using a gold tray would be beautiful to put everything on. That pop of color in the artwork and on the cart also add a lot to the neutral colors.

2// Matte Porcelain Cup - Beautiful color pops for wine or blended drinks.

3// Baby Got Brass - Classy, vintage and glam. A perfect combo.

4// Color Palette - I think I might prefer the colors this cart combo is giving off: still a "pop", but a little more subtle than the hot pink.

5// Sneak Peek - This is my favorite! I think this is exactly what I'm imagining for the dining room. A "bar cart" section on the buffet table. Beautiful.

6// Wood & Glass - Every "bar cart" needs a beautiful decanter, whether it's to store wine or other liquors. I love these wood and glass ones from West Elm.

7// Vintage - The first decanter I found was at an antique store, I think it might be more for decoration but I love the look of vintage decanters.

What are your "musts" for completing the perfect bar cart??


Sunday, July 22, 2012

WEEKLY WRAP-UP

This weekend, Jon and I went to a fondu party with friends on Friday evening, we spent Saturday morning with our family, Saturday evening resting up, and ALL day today packing! We've got about 90% of everything we need packed and we're SO ready to move in 5 days! Thursday we are having the walk-thru, getting our keys, and signing the lease. Friday we are taking car loads and cleaning and Saturday we will be clearing out the entire apartment with our moving truck. We are trying to keep on top of things so we don't get too stressed out about the move. But most of all, we are so excited! I have a feeling it will be hard to focus on work this week. ;)

Snapshot(s) of the Week: 1// Rainy day. 2// My new favorite book, Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr! 3// Barnes n Noble trip with sister and mom. 4// New earrings from Roots & Feathers!






































5 Favorite Posts:
* Sneak Peak: Raya Carlisle by Design*Sponge
* Mystery Preacher by Indie Jane
* 6 iPhone Apps for Better Blogging by Alt
* Calligraphy Fonts from Magpie Paperworks by Besotted Brand
* DIY: Painted Shelves by DesignLoveFest

Favorite Blog of the Week:
Smile & Wave - Love this crafty, vintage loving mama.

Inspiring Me this Week:
Kris Carr - I'm only just a little bit into her book, Crazy Sexy Diet, but I love it so far! She has an amazing story and is so inspiring! I love that's she's all about a living a continually healthy lifestyle and not temporary "fad" dieting.

3 Things About Your Truly:
* Currently watching Pretty Little Liars while I write this.
* Wore my PJs the entire day.
* Craving spicy hummus.


Saturday, July 21, 2012

BUST MAGAZINE: FEATURE!

This is a really exciting day. The latest issue of Bust magazine recently hit the shelves and I have the honor of having a small feature!! I made a trip to Barnes and Noble today with my mom and sister to pick up the issue, we did a little squeal, jumping combo to celebrate. I'm pretty sure this is a huge check-mark off of my preteen dreams! ;)

I recognized a few friendly faces in the feature as well! The lovely Amy of Vanagon Champion and Kate of Scathingly Brilliant! What a joy to share this with these amazing ladies. Be sure to pick up a copy and check out the issue!

PS - I MUST totally mention my sweet sister, Kelsie, she took the pictures for me and often takes my outfit post photos. She is so talented and a wonderful sister!!! LOVE YOU KELSIE!


Friday, July 20, 2012

FANCY SHMANCY: SUMMER WARDROBE

I'm loving this collection of wardrobe goodies. I've been trying to find more quality basic pieces to add to my closet. I'm a huge fan of layering and combining, so I love that most of these pieces are versatile enough to wear through different seasons and be worn together. :) Fancy shmancy goodness. 













 1// Maxi Dress & Striped Cardi  2// Hole Punch Flat Sandle - Madewell 3// Ombre Shorts - Topshop 4// Mint Messenger - J Crew 5// Geo Dress 6// Clutch - Coriumi 7// Mary Jane Platform 8// Denim Top by Topshop 9// High Low Dress - A Thread 10// Pleated Skirt - Free People 11// Tank Dress - Sheinside 12// Deco Hoops - Lila Rice 13// Gold Oxfords - Zappos 14// Dotted Skinnies - Piperlime

Thursday, July 19, 2012

SWIM. READ. SIP

Being honest, this month has been the busiest month of the entire year for me. My 9-5 job is busy, busy, Maiedae is busting at the seams, and Jon and I are moving! I've kept a brave face and pressed forward each day, but it's starting to get to me. This month, I asked my sponsors to share what swimsuit they would wear, what drink they would sip, and what book they would read if they were on a beautiful getaway at a beach. Just picturing myself there, probably wearing this, sipping this and reading this, makes me feel peaceful and calm. I think when the weight of this month feels like a little much, I'll just take a couple minutes and visit the beach. ;)
FIND MELISSA HERE: BLOG  |  FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER
FIND J HERE:  BLOG  |  FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER
FIND POLLY HERE:  BLOG  |  SHOP  |  TWITTER
FIND MARIA HERE:  BLOG  |  SHOP  |  TWITTER
FIND KATE HERE:  BLOG  | INSTAGRAM  |  TWITTER







What would your answers be?

PS - Enjoy this feature? Be part of it next month by becoming a medium sponsor on Maiedae! More details can be found here on my advertising page. :)


Monday, July 16, 2012

PROJECT CONDO: THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE

I made my first purchase for the condo! I was going to wait a little longer but the light fixture I wanted for the dining room went on sale, so I went ahead and made the purchase. :) I got the package yesterday and took a little peek. I can't wait to get it installed when we move!

While working on the design for my dining room, I realized that I needed to pick a really beautiful statement piece for the lighting that would hang above the table. I really wanted something with an industrial look, and I love the idea of using designer light bulbs to add more interest. After looking and looking, I finally saw one of the fixtures on my list displayed at a store and fell in love. It was the perfect size and looked beautiful above a wood table. It will be one of the first things we install in the new place, so I'll be sharing pictures shortly after we move in. :) In the meantime, can you guess which fixture I chose? It's between no. 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6.


1// Triple Tired Pendant Shade - I love the bronzy metaled look of this shade. I think the layers add a lot of interest.

2// Restoration Hardware Designer Light Bulbs - These are stunning. I don't even know which I would pick! I think the idea of having the light bulbs be part of the overall look is awesome.

3// Steel Polyhedron Pendant - Such a statement and very industrial!

4// 5-Jar Chandelier - Beautiful! I like that the light bulbs would be a feature in this piece, but it might be a little too big for the living room space.

5// 3-Jar Chandelier - Similar to no. 4 but a little smaller, I love how the jars are at different heights.

6// Wire Pendent Light - Another beautiful steel piece.

7// Plumen Energy Efficient Light Bulbs - These designer light bulbs are beautiful AND energy efficient! I might need to do some research on these and no. 2 to see what the reviews say. :)


WEEKLY WRAP-UP

Packing, packing, packing! We are less than two weeks away from our big move and we CANNOT wait. When we moved out of our first apartment into our current apartment, I remember feeling sad, even though it was just right across the hallway, it was our first place as a married couple and it was special. We made memories there and I was sad to leave. We've been in this current apartment for about 7 months and my emotions are the complete opposite. I'm READY and thrilled. :) This condo represents a lot of new things for Jon and me. --- It's funny how excited we are about some of the small things like stairs, two sinks in the master, and a water hose. :) --- That aside, this is a special time in life and I am looking forward to July 27th!

Snapshot(s) of the Week: 1// Celebrated my 24th birthday on the 7th. 2// I'm a cold-natured child. 3// Sweet gift from the beautiful Melisa came in the mail this week. 4// My adorable parents in 1984.

5 Favorite Posts:
* Music Monday by The Flowerchild Dwelling
* It's Here... by Vanilla & Lace
* Create Artistic Double Exposure Effects in Your Photos by Bubby & Bean
* White Hair How To by Indie Jane
* DIY Recipe Book by A Beautiful Mess

Favorite Blog of the Week:
* Unearthing Words -- Leah, a dear friend of mine who is working on publishing her novels and does amazing work as Maiedae's editor and administrator extraordinaire, recently started her own blog about being a writer! Be sure to check it out. :)

Inspiring Me this Week:
* Mint -- I've been playing around in this budgeting site this weekend after a friend showed me the ropes and I'm loving the organization and access to all my accounts. It feels good getting things organized. :)

3 Things About Yours Truly:
* I have lotion that smells like cupcakes sitting on my desk at work.
* Last movie I saw was: "The Amazing Spiderman"; so good!
* For my free birthday drink at Starbucks, I got a grande soy cinnamon dolce latte with a little whip, which was spent in great company. ;)


Friday, July 13, 2012

5 THINGS WITH PAPER CROWNS

Hi! I'm Natasha and I blog over at Paper Crowns. I'm a Canadian, married to an American, who I met while living in South Korea. I love design, beautiful words, pretty clothes, pretty spaces, and pretty places. I'm a graphic designer and admirer of anyone who lives to create. After almost four years of living abroad and bouncing around, I now call Charlottesville, Virginia, home. I live in a tiny, but cozy, apartment with my husband Kyle and a few guitars. We love long drives, animals, rainy days, and each other. Blogging has been an incredible source of inspiration and motivation in my life. It's this incredibly creative, wonderful, nurturing community that I'm so happy to be a part of. I'm so excited to share some of the things that I have learned in navigating the blogging world. These five tips are the things that I most try to live by when blogging. Keeping these general rules in the back of my head has really helped me blog in a way that I'm proud of and enjoy what I'm doing every step of the way.

1. Quality over quantity really isn't a cliché. ---> One of the "blogging tips" that I came across most frequently when first starting out was, "try to post every day." Anyone can throw something up on their blog every day, but for many bloggers, posting quality content every day just isn't feasible. Feeling like you have to hit a post quota in order to gain and maintain readers makes blogging seem like more of a chore. It sucks the spontaneity out of writing about what you love, and often the quality of posts suffers.

A common theme among all the blogs that I truly love is that the content never comes across as forced or churned out. Some of these bloggers post every day. Some post twice a week. I love these blogs equally, and my love for them is based on their content, not on how often I get to read something new. I don't post every day. It's not a pace that I can keep up with. I aim to post about three times a week, but if I can't do it, I don't beat myself up over it. Three times per week is a good, manageable goal for me. It allows me to blog about my life and the things I love at a pace that feels natural and not forced. It allows me to spend time crafting posts that I'm proud of.

2. The way your blog looks is just as important as what it says. ---> Content is king, but it's nothing without design. I really, really believe that a blogger needs to give equal weight to both to have a truly good blog. I never sacrifice style for content. If I love a photo, but it just doesn't work aesthetically with my blog post, I don't use it. If I'm featuring images that I love but can't get something to work in the right dimensions, I scrap it. I set out to approach blogging in an artful way — to give equal weight to the aesthetics and content of each blog post. I love the idea that a blog post can be a mini work of art. I try not to just present images of beautiful things, but to present them in a simple, clean, compelling, and beautiful way, with constant attention to detail. Presenting content in an artful way can evoke a certain feeling that may otherwise be lost.

And in an even more immediate sense, having a well-designed blog makes all the difference in convincing a reader to actually stick around and look at your posts. If your writing is beautiful but the initial impression of your blog is lackluster, people may not even bother to read. In the blog world, first impressions go such a long way. The sheer number of blogs out there means that if your blog isn't aesthetically appealing, it may get overlooked.


3. The love you take is equal to the love you make. ---> As a blogger, being part of a community is important, because blogging is a community venture. How exciting are those very first comments that you get from people that you've never met before? The realization of, "Whoa! Someone who isn't my best friend or mom actually enjoys what I'm writing!" is exciting! It gave me energy as a brand-new blogger. It made me want to write more and share more and pour my heart into my blog, because people actually seemed to like it! Gaining readers is exciting.

But maintaining them is what really matters and is what really makes a blog successful. Maintaining readers means interacting with them. It means answering their questions and checking out their blogs and leaving genuine comments that you actually mean. It means responding to their emails and acknowledging them in your posts and listening to their feedback and really learning from it. For bloggers, it is completely up to others to determine our success. Being gracious is important. Make sure your readers know just how much you appreciate their being there.

For me, the blogging community is the absolute best part of blogging. I've met some truly wonderful people whom I never would have met if I hadn't taken a second to follow a link back to their blog from a comment they left on mine. Be thankful and be accessible. It goes such a long way.

4. Don't take yourself too seriously. ---> While it's important to be mindful of the way your blog and your content is perceived by others, I've learned that it's so important to approach blogging in a way that's light and fun and honest. For me, blogging is this really, really cool way of sharing my life and the things that I love. Part of what makes that experience enjoyable is learning to share in a way that's spontaneous and adaptable to change.

It's about not being locked into the idea that you have any sort of responsibility or obligation to present your life in a certain way in order to please your audience. Or the idea that your audience is only interested in reading a sanitized, over-edited version of your life. I know that as a blog reader, I don't find perfection interesting. Because what's interesting about a perfect life? It's the mistakes and flaws and quirks and ability to laugh at one's self that makes a blogger relatable and compelling. It's a refreshing thing to see.

Laugh at yourself. Challenge yourself to write in new and different ways without worrying about whether people will like it or not. Experiment. Follow your instincts. Blogging is something that should be fun, above all else.


5. You can't be everything. Just be yourself. ---> I heard this really, really great piece of advice once. I wish I could remember where I came across it, and who said it, but it's still one of the most astute observations I've ever heard and has stuck with me for years. The advice was related to performing, but is applicable to everyone and very much applicable to blogging. The observation was that we're all essentially three people: the person we really are, the person an audience thinks we are, and the person we're portraying. And the more we can get all three of those Venn diagram circles to overlap, the more successful we'll be.

In blogging, as in life, the easiest and fastest way to get those circles to come together is to be yourself. There are thousands of blogs devoted to thousands of different things. A blog doesn't have to be about every topic that seems to be popular in the blogging world in order to be good. You don't have to be a jack of all trades. We can't be everything. When we try to be everything, the stuff we're really good at gets watered down and lost. Our audience can't get a handle on who we really are and we come across as insincere because no one can be everything.

When you write about what you love and only what you love, your writing comes to life. People are able to feel that sincerity. Your writing is compelling, because it's honest. And that's what makes people want to read.


These rules are not hard and fast, they're just what I've found works for me. I hope they've helped inspire you a little bit too! Thanks so much to to the wonderful Savannah for having me here. Happy blogging!

Find Natasha Here:  Blog  |  Bloglovin'  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Pinterest

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Call for 5 Things contributors! -- If you have great advice to contribute about blogging, running a small business, staying inspired, setting goals, or staying organized, please contact me at Savannah@maiedae.com about being featured in a 5 Things post. :) 

Thank you, Natasha, for your wonderful advice!!


Wednesday, July 11, 2012

THREADS

An outfit I wore on my birthday! My hair has gotten to that awkward stage where it's growing out of a short haircut and is difficult to wear down. I've been enjoying experimenting with some up-do's lately and LOVE being able to throw my hair up when I'm working around the house...but I think it's time for a haircut. Time to give these curls a little lift!


TOP---> BOTTOM
* Head Scarf - Thrifted
* Peachy T-Shirt - H&M
* Beige Belt - H&M
* Dress worn as a Skirt - Target
* Knee Highs - Forever21
* Brown Boots - Forever21


Tuesday, July 10, 2012

WELLNESS: 5 TIPS FOR RECOVERING FROM VACATION

Today marks day 89 of my journey to wellness. I can't believe how much time has passed and how much I've changed in my perspective of wellness and the habits I've formed. This has been such a learning experience for me and has taught me a lot about overcoming me and holding myself back.

These past two weeks have been a whole new challenge since I started in April. We spent a week celebrating my best friend's wedding, going to parties, and seeing her get married. Very soon after that, Jon and I went on a week vacation to visit our new niece, go to the beach, and spend time with friends celebrating the holiday. I knew it would be a challenge being away from the accountability I have with my personal trainer and traveling when a lot of unhealthy food is plentiful. I went into the two weeks anticipating it would be hard and tried to prepare myself to continue exercising and trying to find healthy things to eat.

To be honest, I wish I would have done better. I exercised both weeks, but didn't reach my goal, although I am happy that I DID take time to exercise when I did. I also didn't eat has well as I would have liked. Let's just say there were a lot of burgers being grilled...and I LOVE burgers. ;) I did, however, noticed that I was careful to treat myself with things I truly wanted and not just eat out of convenience or because it was there. I also tried to keep my soda intake way down and just have a soda here and there, and focus on drinking water. So even though I didn't reach my goals, I learned a lot from vacation week about what I could do next time and I'm proud of the habits I have developed that I pursued throughout my time off.
Photo Via






This week has been for getting back on track and working hard. Everyday is a new day and an opportunity to start fresh and keep moving forward. :) Below are 5 things I learned about recovering from a vacation and motivating yourself to continue moving forward strong!

1. Enjoy a Treat. ---> Knowing that there will be lots of goodies readily available would be a good time to mentally prepare yourself and allow yourself to have a treat! It IS vacation, after all. But the key here is not to overdo it and not to eat goodies that you don't really enjoy. If you are going to treat yourself, TREAT YOURSELF. Do I want a stale bag of Cheetos with my sandwich OR a hot homemade cookie? Cookie please! And then lastly, ENJOY your treat. Don't get bent out of shape with guilt. Give yourself permission to enjoy the treat you picked.

2. Inspire Yourself with a New Recipe. ---> Sometimes getting back into the swing of things just takes a little inspiration. Pick out a new healthy snack or recipe to try to get you back into eating healthy foods. While you're at the grocery store picking up ingredients, go ahead an pick out some healthy staples to fill your pantry after your vacation and get back to your healthy eating habits.

3. Take Some Time. ---> Before a vacation ends, I like to take a 1/2 day - full day at home to mentally prepare for the start of a full week and ease myself out of vacation mode. I like to clean up my home, get my things together for work, pick out an outfit, plan out goals for the week, and make a schedule to make sure I get my exercise and healthy eating in. This time is perfect for getting refreshed and starting the week off right.

4. It's All Mental. ---> Don't get into the "oh well" mindset! Sometimes if you have an unhealthy day, or week it's easy to throw your goals to the wind and go overboard...or give up on continuing to do well after your vacation. Take a breath, remind yourself WHY you set those goals in the first place and start a new day. Don't hold yourself back.

5. Ask for Encouragement. ---> It's important to communicate to your family and friends the goals you've set and the lifestyle you are trying to pursue. It isn't helpful if a friend tries to convince you NOT to workout if it's something you need to do that day. Ask for encouragement during and after vacation from your friends. That will make is easier to pass on skipping the exercise or healthier snack.

What are some of the ways you keep motivated, especially after coming off a long vacation or a bad day??

And just a little side note, next week is an exciting week...I'll be getting my 3-ish month assessment and see my progress from the beginning! I'm a little nervous, but excited about seeing improvement, I'll be sure to share! :)


BLOG DESIGN: REVELREY

I recently finished a blog design for a dear friend. Kate has such a fiery spirit. She is driven, excited about life, and a loyal friend. One of the things I love about Kate is the fact that she's professional and classy, yet full of spunk. Kate's new blog, Revelrey, is all about her adventures in traveling, cooking, and being a young professional.

While designing her blog, I wanted to combine a classy, clean look with pops of color to match Kate's personality. We used her favorite colors and combined some hand-drawn plant elements to make it feel more organic.
Want to have your blog re-designed or start fresh with a whole new blog? We are currently booking clients for August and September and would love to work with you! Email me at Savannah@maiedae.com to get more information about our blog design packages!


Monday, July 09, 2012

PROJECT CONDO: IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS

It's all about the details. As I've been putting together inspiration boards and making purchases for my dining room re-style, I've been trying to pick out special pieces that will add detail to the room. I have to admit that this tends to be my weakness when it comes to decorating. I'm good with the big things, but putting together all of the trinkets, centerpieces and display items get me every time. I tend to over think it and either have too much in one place or not enough.

I've been taking a lot of time putting together what I like, looking at pictures, and laying everything out so I can see it in my head. So far, things in my head look GREAT. Now to just transfer that to an actual space! I'm planning on having Jenny help me out and be that extra eye for placing the details and accomplishing my vision. It's super helpful to have another person to bounce ideas off of and make helpful suggestions. :) We are moving in just a couple weeks! I can't wait to get my hands on that dining room and see everything come together! I will definitely be posting photos of my progress along the way.


1// Organic Shaped Dinnerware - I've been looking for some simple dinnerware that can be used both casually and dressed up for dinner parties. I love the unique touch of the organic dinnerware. I think I might just purchase the dinner plates and pick out different bowls and salad plates.

2// Potters Workshop Napkin Set - I'm picking more neutral colors and simple patterns for the dining room, I really like this little pop of pattern and the high contrast.

3// Soda Lime Pitcher - I love the foggy thick glass on this pitcher. It's simple but lovely.

4// Antler Candle Holder - I'm not sure where this is from, but I love it as a centerpiece idea for the table. I think the white with a pop of color via the candles is a great idea and it would be easy to change out the candle color for events and holidays. Anyone know where I can find something like this?!

5// Slate Placemat - LOVE this heavy duty slate placemat. I think it looks beautiful up against a wood table and with white dinnerware. Jon and I saw these in person at West Elm and were really impressed with their quality.

6// Soda Lime Cup - These glasses are made from recycled glass like the pitcher above, so each one looks a little different. I love the slight blueish//green tint and milky glass. My parents bought me a set for my birthday and I can't wait to use them when we move!

7// Succulent Terrarium - I can't have open plants in our home without our cat Kaito chewing on all of the leaves. I thought a great way to have some greenery without risk of it getting destroyed by the cats would be to great some glass terrariums for the dining room. We have a huge window that would be right by the table, so the plants should get plenty of light. I think this might be a date night project for Jon and I. :)

8// Celestial Coaster Set - Love the beautiful soft earthy look of these coasters. They are handmade so they also have a unique look to each of them. Can you tell I'm a big fan of things that don't look exactly the same??

9// Wire Baskets - To help pull in some of the industrial look I'm going for, I thought some wire baskets on the buffet or as a centerpiece would help pull things together and be great for storage.

10// Symbology Trivets - Jenny gave these to me for my birthday. They are stunning in person and will look beautiful in the dining room! :)

11// Olive Wood Paddle - I love the wood pattern on these paddles. These would be great for serving during dinner parties.


Sunday, July 08, 2012

WEEKLY WRAP-UP

This week has felt like months. Jon and I took of this first week of July off from work to rest, vacate, and celebrate the holiday. We started off the week driving to South Carolina to see our new little niece, Emerson-- "Emmy" for short. We are so in love with her, her sweet coos, and precious faces. I'm so proud to be an aunt and I can't wait to watch her grow up. :) My family was in Tybee Island for a couple days, so Jon and I joined them for some time at the beach. It was so wonderful to just get away and feel the peace of the beach and be with my family.

We got home Tuesday evening and spent Wednesday and Thursday with friends, going out to eat, talking, and having way too many burgers. ;) On Friday, Jon spent the day with me celebrating my "birthday eve". He took me out to eat for breakfast, went to Atlantic Station and let me pick out some birthday presents from West Elm, took me to the Titanic Exhibit, lunch, and then to see "Spiderman" with Kate and Glenn that evening. I was feeling pretty spoiled at this point. Yesterday was my real birthday. We spent the morning sleeping in and watching shows and then had a get together at my parents' house for dinner. I feel tremendously blessed to have such amazing family and friends around me.

Today was our "mentally get ready to go back to work on Monday day". We did some cleaning, visited with friends for lunch, and we are now turning in way early to get plenty of rest before going full swing into the rest of this insanely busy month. I think I'm ready.

Snapshot(s) of the Week: 1// Scene from the beach. My sister, brother and brother's girlfriend, Jessie. 2// Cute restaurant installation in Atlanta. 3// Gifts from Jon for my birthday. Twig flatware sets and a new shower curtain from West Elm. My new favorite home store of all time. 4// Lunch with sweet friends Jenny and Kate on Independence Day.
5 Favorite Posts:
* Watermelon Basil Margarita by A Life Styled
* My Nail Essentials by The Dainty Squid
* DIY: Galaxy Art by MooreaSeal
* 5 Easy Tips for Better Photography by Kelli Murray
* Blogging Wisdom & a Fresh Start by Making Nice in the Midwest

Favorite Blog of the Week:
* Making Nice in the Midwest - Mandi is such an inspiring blogger. I love her new blogging space, down to the last detail. You can tell she puts a lot of work into each of her posts and has great content. One of my favorites.

Inspiring Me this Week:
* West Elm - Did I mention this store is amazing?! I love all of the furniture, decor, and their prices aren't bad either. I'm planning to make a lot of purchases from here for our condo when we move. So, I will be visiting the one here in Atlanta A LOT.

3 Things About Yours Truly: 
* I haven't unpacked my suitcase from this week's travels yet. :-/
* I HAVE packed 9 boxes, however, for our big move this month! But I'm pretty sure I still have 100 more to go.
* As anxious as I am about this month's busyness and deadlines for both my 9-5 job and Maiedae, I'm very ready to get back into the routine of things.

PS - Made some updates to the blog design! Check out the nagivgation pages for some updated content and new features on the sidebars. I've still got some little details to fix up but I'm really happy with the new look!