Friday, November 29, 2013

CAPTURED: THANKSGIVING

It was such an honor for Jon and me to host Thanksgiving at our place for the very first time. Usually Jon and I go out of town to celebrate Thanksgiving with his extended family and then celebrate with my family on the weekend, but due to some changes in our normal plans, we got to all gather together at our place for a wonderful meal.

We decided to use the "living room" that we are planning to convert into a dining room for our dinner. Since we didn't have enough tables and chairs we used six 2x4 fold out tables and extra folding chairs to make everything work. We used a roll of craft paper that we already had for a tabletop cover, our plates from West Elm, plants from around our yard for decoration, and we painted names above each plate. Since this room isn't wired for electricity, we decided to string bulb lights from the ceiling to give it an "al fresco" feel. I love having the lights up like this, it adds so much character to the room! -- Jon and I can't wait to invest in some tables and chairs to make this look more permanent.

This year's Thanksgiving was very special to us. It's so wonderful having our family together and sharing a delicious meal. I loved every minute. :)

Saturday, November 23, 2013

BEAUTY: EYEBROW ROUTINE

Every now and then I get questions about how I do my eyebrows and if I dye them. Since dying your brows can get a little tricky, I've stayed away from that and have found it much easier to simply use a matte eyeshadow powder that closely matches the coloring of my eyebrows. For awhile I used a medium brown that for some reason had a slight auburn tint, see the ELF Eyebrow Kit below, but more recently I started using a little bit of a darker brown shade that matches my eyebrows much better. I love the soft, bold look that a shadow gives. It's much more forgiving than an eyebrow pencil and less harsh. The great part about filling in your brows is that you can really shape them to be what you'd like. I love creating a more bold, retro look with my brows to offset my bright red lips. :) Enjoy, friends, and happy weekend!


PRODUCTS MENTIONED
* Brow Brush - Real Techniques
* Lash-Brow Groomer - Real Techniques
* My Favorite Brow Brush - MARK
* Accent Brush used for Highlighting - Real Techniques
* Eyebrow Kit - ELF
* In the Light Eyeshadow Palette (used Sandstone & Kitten) - Stila
* Clear Mascara (can be used as brow gel) - Maybelline 
* Brow Gel - Anastasia

Have any brows tips for all-time favorite products?? Please share below! 

Proudly a partner of the Pushpin TV Network, subscribe to my YouTube Channel here! 

Thursday, November 21, 2013

PROJECT HOME: A CHANGE IN PLANS

As you can see from the main floor layout above, we have essentially two sitting areas in the house. "The Den" which has a lot of beautiful natural lighting and a fireplace and the "Living Room" that has a window facing the front of the house. Next to the kitchen is the current dining room. SO I have been thinking a lot about the layout of our main floor and trying to think of creative ways to make the space work and be functional for our lifestyle. There is a couple things we knew we wanted:

* A large, cozy sitting area to host friends and family. This room could possibly have a media area but we aren't set on having a TV on the main floor.
* A studio space for me to work, shoot videos, take photographs and have a comfortable desk area to work at. This needed to be on the main floor so that when we have Soren I can essentially live on the main floor to take care of him, work, do chores and be present on the main area of the home.
* Lastly, we really wanted a great dining space to host dinners. When it's just Jon and I we love eating at the bar in the kitchen or taking it down to the movie room to catch up on our favorite shows. Once our family grows I know we will want to make family dinners an important part of our lives and we love hosting friends for dinners, so a great dining room would really be utilized.

The idea of having both a "Den" and "Living Room" just isn't a practical use of space for us. We wouldn't really use two sitting areas at this time and I would personally love to just put a lot of efforts and design into one sitting space instead of two. :) SO with that said, here is an update with our new main floor layout.


The Den will become our main hosting/sitting area. The living room will become our "Grand Dining Hall" and our current dining room will become my studio! I'm so excited about this change because it fits our family so well and can easily be changed in the future if we decide we need to utilize the space differently. We are REALLY excited about the "Grand Dining Hall" as we like to call it. We're planning to put a table in this space that seats 14 people. We'll probably do this by purchasing 2-3 of the same table and putting them in a row. This will make it easier to utilize the tables in different ways. This is also the room I'd really like to paint a fun color and make a really awesome beverage area! I'm excited to see this floor really come to life.

I'll be sharing inspiration boards and photos for these spaces on my blog soon!

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

WEAR: WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, IPHONE

If your camera battery runs out, the next best thing to use is an iPhone. ;) Jenny and I ended up doing a iPhone styled photo-shoot for our outfits this week. Lesson learned. Always charge your camera battery or bring a spare!

Wearing: 1// Fringe Kimono - Forever21 2// Striped Dress - Gifted 3// Scarf - Target 4// Belt - Thrifted 5// Leggings - Forever21 6// Boots - Forever21 

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

OH BABY: REGISTRY PICKS - BATH TIME

I'm slowly but surely wrapping my head around this whole baby registry thing. Jon and I have started stocking up on essentials...diapers, wipes, 0-3 month baby clothes. Things are starting to come along! We still have some of the major pieces to purchase like the crib and stroller. We're hoping to get all of that situated by December. I CANNOT wait to get the crib and set it up. I think it will really pull everything together and make it feel more "real". :)

Above are my registry picks for bath-time! I had a hard time picking out the body wash and lotions because there are SO many to choose from, so if you are in love with an alternative I would love to know!

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1// Washcloths - Love these soft and colorful washcloths from Aden + Anais. I'm also a fan of the cloth loop which makes it easy to hang and dry.

2// Tub - This 4moms tub is so awesome. Basically 4moms is incredible and they have so many clever products for babies. This tub allows dirty water to flow out and clean water to flow in, it also has a temperature gauge so you can make sure the water is just warm enough. Can't wait to use this for little Soren's first bath. :)

3// Spout Cover - Again, loving this from 4moms. It's a simple spout cover that tells you the temperature of the bath water. Simple and so cool!

4// Bath Goods - I love the clean smell of these Aveeno baby wash and lotion. It's for sensitive skin and just has a calming feel to it. Again, if you have more favorite suggestions for this category I would love to hear!

5// Towel - I've only heard good things about this Puj hands-free towel. So cute and cozy!

Check out my feeding time picks here

Monday, November 18, 2013

FAVORITE THINGS GIVEAWAY: SCHOOLHOUSE ELECTRIC

Is it seriously mid-November already?! Next week Jon and I are taking off for Thanksgiving and we have big plans to decorate for Christmas, prepare our home to host Thanksgiving, and bake lots of yummy desserts! While I'm so completely stoked for the holidays, I'm also nervous/excited about giving birth to Soren in February. Ahhh!!

This month I am featuring one of my favorite online shops for my Favorite Things giveaway! It's time to get your new calendar for 2014 and what better way than to boldly feature the year with a gorgeous Stendig and Lunar wall calendar? I love how beautiful and modern these pieces are! Check out details on how to win below!


GIVEAWAY TIME! 
This giveaway is run via Rafflecopter. One winner will be selected at random and announced within one week from now. The winner will receive one Stendig and one Lunar wall calendar from Schoolhouse Electric. Giveaway open to US residents only. This giveaway is sponsored by the following amazing blogs and businesses: Kitty of Kitty & Buck, Jacquie of Shade of a Bonsai, Alexandra of Alexandra Wallace Photography, Kym of Travel Babbles, Lauren of Love Lola, Amy of Life in Creation, Charlie of Polka Dots are Love, Eliza of Case Study, Amanda of Little Tranquility, Leah of Platinum & Rust, Andi of AP Design, Reva of Daughter Zion Designs & Courtney of Run 2 the Wild. If you would like to sponsor future "favorite things" giveaways, become a sponsor! More information here. Psst!! -- Last chance to purchase a special holiday spot! Only 3 left!!


To enter, use the Rafflecopter entry below. There is one required entry and several bonus entry options. Best wishes! :) Thank you so much for entering!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, November 17, 2013

THE WEEKLY

This week has been busy, busy as Jenny and I have been working hard to wrap up clients and projects for the year. We've been so amazed and blessed by having our year completely booked out by September with design clients. It's blown our minds how much Maiedae grew this year and how much we've learned in return. We have been excitedly preparing for 2014 with new design package updates and whole new offerings! We will start booking clients for January and February in mid-December so if you're thinking about a branding, blog, or site re-design, be sure to keep an ear out! We will have a limited number of slots open each month. Can't wait!!

On top of preparing Maiedae for 2014, Jon and I have been preparing mentally for Soren's arrival! We can't believe we are only about 11 weeks away from meeting him. Time is flying by! I'm just hoping we'll have the nursery ready for his arrival. We've still got a lot to do and my energy in the 3rd trimester is slowly going downhill. ;) 

Snapshots of the Week: 1// Cocoa, all day ev'ry day. 2// Front porch pumpkins. 3// Jenny and I at this year's Maiedae Mixer, can't wait for the next one! 3// Egg nog, yummmm!! 


Favorite Posts/Pins/Articles:
* Did you hear?! We announced the date of the 2nd Annual Maiedae Mixer!!  
* Loved these 11 hairstyle ideas for curly girls! 
* My business partner is so talented! In love with these original handwritten Christmas prints.
* Definitely need to make this Thaksgiving garland!  
* Love the idea of this Vanity Project. So beautiful. 

Favorite Blog of the Week:
* More and more I'm in love with the girls of Treasures & Travels. Especially excited about their new YouTube channel

Favorite YouTube Video this Week:
* Twilight Noir - Michelle Phan 

Inspiring Me this Week:
Thanksgiving!! Trying to figure out how to create a great Thanksgiving table on a tiny budget mostly using things I already have around the house. Loving the challenge of being thrifty. I'm also excited about making a homemade cheesecake and pumpkin pie. Yum!! 

3 Things About Yours Truly:
* I'm extremely talented at getting crumbs everywhere while eating. 
* Feeling anxious/nervous/excited about labor and delivery. 
* I would love to hire an interior decorator. Just let someone know my vision and watch them make it happen. That would be awesome! 

Weekly Question (please give your answer below!!)
* What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish/recipe?? 

Saturday, November 16, 2013

BEAUTY: SWEATER WEATHER


Today I am doing the "Sweater Weather" fall tag! Fall is one of my favorite seasons, so I'm excited to share with you some of my favorite fall products and memories. :) I'm tagging anyone who would like to participate so if you do create a video on your blog or YouTube channel, please comment with a link so I can watch! I hope you're having a fantastic weekend. Since Jon and I are hosting Thanksgiving this year we're spending the afternoon unpacking our final boxes from the move and I think I've even convinced him to hang Christmas lights before Thanksgiving, too! ;)


QUESTIONS: 

1. Favourite candle scent?

2. Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?

3. What's the best fall memory you have?

4. Which makeup trend do you prefer: dark lips or winged eyeliner?
5. Best fragrance for fall?

6. Favourite Thanksgiving food?

7. What is Autumn weather like where you live?

8. Most worn sweater?

9. Must-have nail polish this fall?

10. Football games or jumping in leaf piles?

11. Skinny jeans or leggings?

12. Combat boots or Uggs?

13. Is pumpkin spice worth the hype?

14. Favourite fall TV show?

15. What song really gets you into the fall spirit?

PRODUCTS FEATURES:
* Marshmallow Fireside Candle - Bath & Body Works 
* Kate Moss Lipstick in #11 - Rimmel  
* Velvetines in Red Velvet - Limecrime 
* Cotton Candy Body Spray - Body Fantasies  
* Giant Sweater - American Eagle 
* Parfumerie Nail Polish - Revlon 
* Moccasins - Minnetonka 
* Babel on Vinyl - Mumford & Sons 

Proudly a partner of the PushpinTV Network, subscribe to my YouTube Channel here!

Thursday, November 14, 2013

WEAR: FALL IS IN FULL SWING


It's been chilly in Georgia!! We've had a couple of freezing cold nights lately and thankfully my husband and father-in-law fixed our heater so we didn't freeze during the night. ;) I love the cold weather. I love hot cocoa, giant sweaters, the smell of bonfires, the community, the food...I especially love that Jon and I have to snuggle at night to keep warm. ;)

I ventured away from black for a little while after graduating from college, but for the past couple of months I've been loving it again and wearing it all the time. I especially love how it looks with my hair coloring. It's also a nice slimming color for my ever-growing body. ;) I'm loving this bump, though! I'll be 29 weeks on Monday so I'm counting this week as my official start into the third trimester. The second trimester went by SO fast, so I know that these next couple of months will fly by, which is good because we can't wait to meet Soren. :)

Wearing: 1// Faux Leather Jacket - Forever21 2// Black Lace Tank - Free People 3// Grey Acid Wash Top - UO 4// Scarf - Michael Stars (included in my November Popsugar box) 4// Black Skinny Maternity Jeans - Target 5// Booties - c/o Blowfish Shoes 

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

PROJECT HOME: NURSERY PROGRESS REPORT

We honestly haven't made very much headway in the nursery. We are however, planning on ordering the crib and getting that built soon! Hopefully we'll have things 80% complete by the end of the month. I'm still trying to decide on things like what type of chair to put in the room (suggestions are welcome!).

One thing we have worked on is the feature wall. We wanted to use these beautiful stars from Walls Need Love as a fun accent to the room. Since we decided to paint the walls grey, we thought a subtle silver would be a neat look without too much contrast. At first, I was thinking about approaching it with a very simple look including rows of stars but Jon suggested we do something a little less patterned and with more of a starburst look. Thus, the starburst wall! I think we might work on making it a little less symmetrical and adding in more stars.


It looks a little bare right now, but we are planning to put a chair in this corner. I'm also thinking about hanging glass star lanterns, lights or something interesting in that corner to break-up the line where the walls meet in order to create a cozy, well-lit space for feeding and reading time. :)

Oh! And if you're looking for easy wall decals or wallpaper, I highly suggest checking out Walls Need Love. They are fantastic and have a great variety of products to give your walls a great statement. :)

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

LIVING WELL: JOY IS ALWAYS POSSIBLE

"As long as thanks is possible, then joy is always possible. Joy is always possible. Whenever, meaning now. Wherever, meaning here. Grace, thanksgiving, joy...a triplet of stars, a constellation in the black." 
- Ann Voskamp // 1000 Gifts

This year, the girls in my Bible Study group read 1000 Gifts together. For whatever reason we were kind of expecting something a little light and fluffy, but to our surprise we found it to be incredibly uplifting, insightful, honest, and deep. One of the biggest phrases that caught me in the book and stuck with me throughout the entire read and even now, was "joy is always possible". I love, love, love the quote above from the author. It's just a little snippet of her poetic writing style, powerful words, and beautiful imagery.

Reading this book came at an extremely perfect time in my life. It hadn't been long since Jon and I found out we were pregnant, we decided to pack up and move into a home of our own, many friends were going through serious trials in their lives, and my mom was diagnosed with cancer. Happy things, sad things. It was a challenging time for us, it was also extremely emotional. I've usually been one to maintain a level head and express my emotions in a healthy way. When I'm happy I laugh, when I'm sad I cry, when I'm upset I vent and communicate. For some reason, and I'm thinking it definitely had a lot to do with the increased hormones from the pregnancy, I took that season of life extremely hard. I had a hard time wading through my emotions, feeling relief from the crying, and feeling completely overwhelmed. I knew there was purpose, I knew their was joy to be had and I knew that God could use any and all circumstances for good and for his glory. It was just difficult to see that through the fog of my human nature.

Reading through the book was such an amazing reminder that happiness and joy are two different things. It made me want to see life more fully, appreciating even the smallest things. It reminded me to seek joy and seek it through thankfulness. It also intensely motivated me to see God's grace through pain and still find joy. I honestly can't do the book much justice. It would take too many fancy words and that's not really my gift, but I definitely recommend picking it up for some quiet time with a cup of coffee, cocoa, or cider. :)

All that to say, the exercise of continually trying to be thankful and seek joy has really been a beautiful practice over these past couple of months. It's helped me to especially treasure this time as my mom goes through treatments. Instead of feeling the burden and sadness from her diagnoses, I feel joyful for the opportunities I'm having to care for her the ways she cared for me as a child. I feel thankful for our growing relationship, for our conversations, for our cuddles, for bubbling with joy over the soon arrival of Soren. I'm seeing the beauty within the circumstance, I'm finding strength in it and above all, finding strength in the Lord. No matter what happens, I will wholeheartedly treasure this special time.

If you're in a reading mood, I would also suggest taking a look at Ann's blog. It's fabulous and has so many insightful posts, I especially loved this one about staying sane. Love you, friends! I hope all of you are having a wonderful week.

Photo via A Holy Experience.

Monday, November 11, 2013

HOORAY BABIES GIVEAWAY + HOLIDAY AD SALE!!

Happy Monday, friends!! Today I have two super exciting things to share with you. A good way to start off a Monday right? First of all, in celebration of being 28 weeks, and squishy, adorable babies in general, I'm hosting an amazing baby-loot giveaway on Instagram! This giveaway is featuring some of my most favorite shops from around the internet and I can't wait to giveaway this bundle of goodies to one lucky mama bear!


Giveaway starts today and the winner will receive: 1 pair of organic tiger leggings in size 6-12 months via Sweet Kiddo Co., 2 terry bibs and 2 mess cloths via Little Hip Squeaks, 4 cotton beanies via Bump Nest and 1 pair of baby moccasins via Minnetonka!! --- To enter, check out the details on my Instagram , @maiedae -- best of luck!!!

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Lastly, in order to gear up for the holiday season, I'll be running a special holiday ad sale! If you have a business, shop and/or blog you would like to promote during the holidays and feel like your brand would be a good fit for Maiedae then I would love to partner with you during the most wonderful time of the year!


I will be selling 2 month, medium ad spots for $40.00, a $60.00 value! Your button will be featured prominently on the left-side of my blog and you'll have the opportunity to be featured as a sponsor in my monthly "Favorite-Things" giveaway (check out past Favorite Things giveaways here) and a special Christmas giveaway in December!! I will be selling ads at any point during the month between now and mid-December. Only 15 of these 2-month spots will be sold! Ads sold via Passionfruit, see below to purchase! -- Happy holidays, everyone!!

Saturday, November 09, 2013

BEAUTY: DRUGSTORE HAUL

For today's beauty video, I'm sharing some of my favorite drugstore beauty finds! It's so fun to treat yourself now and then to some fancy make-up brands, but we can't forget about all the great products on the shelves of our local drugstores. :) I went a little overboard on the lip colors this month but have had so much fun trying out new products!

Products Mentioned
* Cover Girl - Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation
* L'Oreal - Magic Lumi Highlighter
* Hard Candy - Glamoflauge Heavy Duty Concealer
* Cover Girl - TruBlend Mineral Face Powder
* L'Oreal - The Blackbuster Infallible Eyeliner
* L'Oreal - EverCreme Intense Nourishing Conditioner
* Freeman - Face Masks 
* Revlon - Parfumerie Scented Nail Polish 
* Almay - Color & Care Liquid Lip Balm
* Maybelline - Color Elixir Lip Color
* Relvon - Colorburst Matte Balm

Happy weekend! Today I'm staying in, doing chores, catching up on shows, and resting these tired feet. What are your plans for the weekend?? Lots of love!

Proudly a partner of the PushpinTV Network, subscribe to my YouTube Channel here!

Thursday, November 07, 2013

WEAR: MY FALL COLORS

These are quickly becoming my favorite colors to wear during the fall. Jenny and I found a wonderfully fall-ish area around where she lives and were seriously giddy over the Christmas feel and coloring of the photos. We are totally geeky about Christmas.

I'm rocking a nearly 7 month bump! Is it just me or is this pregnancy FLYING by?! I love it and love feeling little Soren grow. He's going to be born into a family with so much love. Can't wait to meet him!

Also, say hello to my new maternity jeans! I finally caved in, retired my poor stretched out jeans and belly band with a cozy, comfy pair of maternity jeans. As well, Target has so many great sweater options out right now. I picked up three different ones and they all fit my tummy perfectly. I've be living in them for the rest of the year. :)

Wearing: 1// Hat - GAP 2// Newspaper Print Infinity Scarf - c/o Katie Walker Designs 3// Teal Sweater - Target 4// Camel Faux Leather Jacket - Buffalo Exchange 5// Maternity Jeans - Target 6// Oatmeal Socks - Target 7// Boots - Forever21 8// Locket - Gifted

Wednesday, November 06, 2013

OH BABY: REGISTRY PICKS - FEEDING TIME

I'm certainly not an experienced momma by any means. Expecting our first has been so exciting and overwhelming, in a good way! One of the things that really baffled me was putting together a registry. I had a really difficult time wrapping my head around what we needed, what was the best choice, and what would be considered "nice-to-haves". Baby superstores can be scary with the million pacifier choices, variety of strollers and endless amount of opinions. I realized I had to get busy and do some major research to figure out recommended and mommy-loved items that I thought might work best for my family.

Over the next couple of weeks I wanted to share my top registry picks in each category of "baby", based on research and recommendations. These are all items we've registered for and are planning to use. Once little Soren comes into the world, I'll be sure to update this with my thoughts once I start really using these items. :)

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1// Bibs - A friend got me these Circo bibs for my baby shower and I immediately loved the cute design and simplicity. I foresee us mostly using burp cloths at the beginning but I think these will be great when I start him on purees and solids. I've also heard great things about these Tommee Tippee bibs that help keep milk and other foods away from your sweet babies neck rolls. I'll probably be picking up a pack of these.

2// Bottle Rack - I've only heard good things about the Boon Lawn drying rack. Plus it's a much more attractive countertop option! You can also get these with an adorable tree stand to hold all of the bottle nipples. Love this and can't wait to try it out!

3// Nursing Pillow - I decided to go with this Boppy nursing pillow. I liked the firmness of it and the versatility. It seems like it would be super comfortable to use during nursing and that it would keep the baby at a great "boob" level.

4// Boob Soothers - I've only heard raving reviews of Lansinoh products. I'm planning to really stock up on the gel soothies pads and nipple cream. Lets keep those puppies happy!

5// Food Prep - I knew once I started Soren on purees that I really wanted to make my own baby food. I've always loved making delicious smoothies for myself and adore the idea of prepping baby food for my son. I love the baby bullet system. It comes with an awesome cookbook and an adorable smiling set of storage tubs and allows you to record the date with the dials on the top. I'm a big fan of all-in-one systems. Can't wait to give this one a try!

6// Nursing Pads - While I'll definitely be stocking up on some of these disposable ones, I love the idea of having re-usable pads that I can wash. I have no experience in this department but I DO know that I don't want any leakage accidents occurring in public. ;)

7// Cookbooks - My friend picked this book up for me and I can't wait to try out some of the recipes. This will pair perfectly with the Bullet system.

8// Bottles - I LOVE the idea of this all-in-one system. The bags used are universal to fit most breast pumps. Those same bags can be stored and put in the Kiinde bottles that have active latch nipples. You have to check out the video on their site. I'm looking forward to trying this one out!

9// Pumps - I've only heard good things about this pump and love the fact that it will also work with the Kiinde bottles and milk bags.

10// Bottle & Food Storage - The diaper bag I want already includes an insulated bottle holder. I think using something like this for traveling and later for baby food would be great for trips, long days, and time with the grandparents.

11// Burp Cloths - There is no particular rhyme or reason to this particular brand of burp cloths, but I knew I wanted to really stock up and be able to bleach them if they get super stained. These seemed like a reasonable price that would allow for some good hoarding. ;)

Please feel free to share your top picks and suggestions in the comment section below!

Tuesday, November 05, 2013

PROJECT HOME: TIPS FROM AN OVERWHELMED NESTER

While moving into a new place can be SO exciting, one thing to remember is that it isn't always easy to "have everything together" right away. It's easy to get discouraged after the high of moving, pinning like a mad-woman, and seeing other peoples' homes come together so nicely. I've often found myself loosing my umph to continue nesting because of budgeting restrictions, time, and lack of energy.

When Jon and I moved into our house, we significantly up-sized from our condo in Atlanta. We hardly had enough furniture to fill the condo, so when we moved into the house we found ourselves with a lot of empty rooms. While that's OK and to be expected, it can be easy to just want all of the pieces to already be together and have an endless budget to execute your ideas immediately. But let's face the truth, people: sometimes we are blessed with hand-me-down furniture and amazing finds from second-hand shops...and sometimes we are not. Buying new furniture is EXPENSIVE! You can definitely find great prices, but if you are wanting to invest in great pieces, it takes time.


After buying a home, a lot of people find themselves in a slight money flow issue, add a baby on the way to that and you're looking at tightening up your budget on all sides to allow room for home stuff and baby stuff. I've often found myself bursting with ideas and excitement over decorating our home, but more often find my energy can't keep up with my mind and neither can my budget. ;) So here's the thing to realize. It's OK to take time nesting your home. Don't compare your home to other homes on Pinterest, use it for ideas but don't feel discouraged and bummed that your space doesn't look like that right now. Some people are NOT naturally gifted at decorating, I'm one of those people, so it's OK to ask for help and advice and study the pages of decorating books in order to learn. Your home is about the people, the memories, and the heart. It's not all about the decor. Not everyone has a massive home budget, so it's OK if it takes you time to nest. Enjoy the process and the progress! Here are a couple of additional tips for enjoying the process:

1// Do Stick with a Budget - Even though it can be tempting at times to go overboard and over-spend, be OK with taking your time and remaining within your means/budget. This process can also help you really take your time picking out items you love rather than settling quickly.

2// Beware of Pinterest - Pinterest is an incredible inspiration space, but don't let it put you in a funk or make you feel like you're constantly comparing your space to spaces on Pinterest. "Comparison is the thief of Joy." Revel in your space and make it yours. :)

3// Pace Yourself - It's easy to want to get every room done all at once, but that can be overwhelming. I've often found it helpful to think about one room at a time or make a list of priority projects and stay focused. This has really helped me prioritize spaces and projects and makes approaching home decorating less overwhelming.

4// It's OK to Ask for Help - Remember, not everyone is gifted in decorating and being full of grand ideas. If you need suggestions or assistance, ask a friend who's good at decorating to give you some advice. Decorating books are also super helpful! If you need help with projects, put together a project day and ask friends/family to lend a hand. :)

Do you have any additional tips for non-decorators and overwhelmed home-nesters? Please share!! Happy nesting, friends. Keep your chin up.

Photo Illustration by Carrie May.

Monday, November 04, 2013

THE WEEKLY

We've had a lot of happenings over the past couple of weeks. We hosted a Halloween party and the next day some of my best friends threw us a baby shower. We had lots of visitors and overnight guests in our new place. We worked some on the house, organizing and cleaning. We started taking baby classes at the hospital. We went up to Rome, Georgia, for a little fall getaway over the weekend. I entered into my third trimester (what?!) and we are currently in the process of planning our holidays and final to-do's before the baby comes!!

Jon and I are super excited about this holiday season. We are trying to soak it up as much as possible since it will be the last one with just the two of us and happily anticipating our lives with a little one next year during the holidays. ALSO, for the first time, we are hosting our family Thanksgiving! I'm feeling like an adult here. This will be the first time in several years that we'll be in town for Thanksgiving and I'm so grateful and excited to celebrate it with my favorite people. :)

Just a little update on my momma: she finished up her third round of chemo and the doctor is super pleased with her progress. This last round was pretty rough on her. She ended up catching a virus and was put in the hospital for a couple of days but is doing much better now! After this next round, they will begin tests to check on her progress and she is scheduled for her last chemo treatment the day after Christmas. We are praying and believing for full remission! Her positive attitude is inspiring. This trial of walking through her cancer with her and being pregnant for the first time has really brought our relationship closer together. I'm so thankful to have her in my life. Thank you again to everyone who has prayed, encouraged, and supported us during this time. Love you lots and lots!

Snapshots of the Week: 1// Love this mamaRoo from 4Moms! Can't wait to put little Soren in it. 2// Also loved this surprise package from the ladies of Make Your Day DIY, check out their new e-book here and use MYDAYISMADE20 to get a 20% discount at checkout! 3// Sorting and organizing loot from our baby shower. 4// Clearance shopping at Target!


Favorite Posts/Pins/Articles: 
* This is freaking awesome, check out these play-i, computer program robots for kids. Geeking out!
* Been pinning lots of ideas for Thanksgiving!
* Ideas on drafting a killer media kit.
* Helpful productivity tips for the self-employed.

Inspiring Me this Week:
As the weeks pass I'm getting less and less stamina to work around the house. Feeling inspired to get our to-do list done before baby arrives while I still have some umph left!

3 Things About Yours Truly:
* Since I've been bad with my sweet-tooth, I've been loving sugar-free hot cocoa lately, especially since our house is getting so chilly.
* When getting new clothes, will completely organize and clean my closet and THEN hang up/put away my new items.
* Still trying to find the correct answer for how many baby clothes I'll need for a newborn. ;)

Saturday, November 02, 2013

BEAUTY: OCTOBER FAVORITES!


October is over! If you celebrate Halloween, I hope that you had an amazing time! Jon and I were hoping to have tricker-treaters in our new neighborhood, but not one single little kiddo came to the door. I guess that means the 6lbs of candy is ALL FOR ME! Someone please tell Jon to hide the candy. On today's YouTube video I'm sharing my very favorites for the month of October and a few of my "un-favorites". Enjoy!



Un-Favorites
* The Rocket Volumn' Express Mascara - Maybelline
* Birchbox

Beauty
* Hanna Professional Ceramic Straightener - c/o Hanna Salon
* Brush Shampoo - Elf

Fashion
* Infinity Scarf - c/o Surfdom

Lifestyle
* HGTV Magazine

Make-Up
* Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Eden - Urban Decay
* Liquid Lip Balm in Apple a Day - Almay
* Lasting Finish Kate Moss Lipstick in #11 - Rimmel London
* Velvetines in Red Velvet - Limecrime

Please share your favorite products for the month of October below! Happy weekend, friends!! :)

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