October Sponsor Spotlight

Thursday, November 1, 2012


This is the time of month that I get to say a big thank you to each and every one of my lovely sponsors for being a part of this blog. I enjoyed having you all on board for October! A special thanks to our premium ad sponsors who own the largest amount of real estate in our sidebar. ;) Let's begin with them below...


Stella & Dot



I absolutely adore all of the pieces by Stella & Dot  -you simply must pop by their online jewelry shop! Their pieces are regularly worn by celebrities but their collection is affordable and you're going to love them! If you're looking for a side business to make some extra money in this economy or while the kiddos are in school-this might be a great option for you. Did you know that Stella & Dot offers 3 different starter kit options to launch your very own fashion business by becoming a Stylist? You'll get hundreds of dollars worth of gorgeous jewelry pieces for a fraction of the cost! Plus, you can run your own business from home-perfect for stay-at-home moms, working women who are looking for extra income or those who just want to expand their accessory wardrobe!


Shabby Apple  


What I love about the Shabby Apple line is that each of their pieces is so ladylike, elegant and classy. They are very well known for the fit and comfort of their dresses, regularly featured as editor's picks in many fashion magazines. If you haven't heard of them, they have such a lovely collection of not only dresses but skirts, tops, swimwear, jewelry and they even have dresses for young girls and maternity wear too that are all modest! View their top-selling customer favorites HERE.



Marvelous Marketing Group




If you're looking for someone to manage the marketing behind your company or assist you with branding yourself, Marvelous Marketing can help! They are a full service, one stop shop for all of your business needs from business cards to logo design, PR, website creation, Search Engine Optimization, Photography and more! Founded by Kim Riley, Marvelous Marketing's sole purpose is to help you navigate through the maze of getting your business, blog or website up and running with the professional look and feel you desire.




Zinc Door



 Zinc Door is and online home decor shop offering a variety of gorgeous furniture & accessory pieces to decorate any space. What I love most about their store is that while on trend, you won't see the same types of pieces all over the web. If you're looking for that one-of-a-kind looking mirror, writing desk or wall art, they aim to please! I have enjoyed including some of their pieces in my e-design mood boards while decorating rooms for my clients. 



All of My Love for All of My Days


Danette Dillon is the writer behind her personal blog titled 'All My Love for All My Days', she is a mother, wife and lover of Christ. She is passionate about helping hurting people, sharing her own journey through life and loving others. Who doesn't need more love in their life? Covering a multitude of topics, her light-hearted blog will leave your feeling happy and inspired. I hope you'll stop by to visit her and say hello!



NYC, Style & A Little Cannoli



Rosemary is the author of the blog NYC, Style & a Little Cannoli. Growing up with regular visits to the big apple as a child, her blog features her favorite activities and adventures in New York City as a woman who now resides in Pennsylvania but visits NYC every chance she gets. She knows all the best restaurants, cafes, shops & activities to enjoy a day trip, vacation or even a lifetime in NYC. Her love of desserts and Italian background mean you're guaranteed to get a regular dose of sweet sugary eye candy. Do visit her and  also follow her on Twitter where she shares her favorite must-see places and must-eat treats!


The Bartimaeus Project


The Bartimaeus Project is a non-profit organization with a collaborative effort between doctors, host parents, field missionaries in The Philippines, donors and their board of directors. The project seeks to glorify God by serving visually impaired orphans. They provide opportunities for visually impaired orphans to receive sight-restoring surgery in the United States and to be hosted by families who feel drawn toward adoption. They also provide hands-on therapy to children in orphanage care at no cost to the orphanage. If you feel led, please donate to this worth cause {here}.



C. Wonder


C. Wonder offers an entirely new retail experience: clothing, accessories and home decor products of outstanding quality and astonishing value in a setting that excited and inspires. While they have fun retail shops you can peruse, you need not live nearby for the experience, their online store hosts a variety of pieces.  Their customers adore how they pair timeless design elements with fresh twists, such as unexpected colors and patterned linings. Their collection is pared down to must-haves that enhance a room, refresh a wardrobe or inspire a memorable experience.  I am personally a huge fan of their jewelry! Click here to see their sale items.





Once again a huge thank you to all of October's sponsors! Thank you to many of you who have already renewed your ad space for November and those who have purchased multi-month ad spots! :)

Are you interested in becoming a sponsor of this blog and having your ad proudly displayed in our sidebar? It's a great way for new readers to discovery you and to get noticed. We'd be honored to have you join us for November. The first 5 people who purchase our small ad space (150x150 size) will get it for 75% off using promo code NOV75! Click {here} for all of the details..it's a great way to try it out for just $5 and you'll be featured in a post just like this too at the end of the month!  :)

XO




Happy Harvest: Pretty Pumpkins

Wednesday, October 31, 2012



Happy Harvest to everyone! You've probably gathered by today's post title that I don't celebrate in today's festivities but I do love celebrating this gorgeous time of year and all that the harvest season brings. I'm a huge fan of Indian corn-the colors are just stunning, the changing leaves, potted mums, gourds and chilly air but one of my favorites is pumpkins.

There are some really elegant white pumpkins, traditional bright orange and then the funny, bumpy and odd shaped ones-isn't it so neat to see the different breeds of pumpkins? Last week I was shopping at our local produce-only market and they had a massive 600-lb pumpkin sitting at the entrance-it's really fun to see how large they can grow.

Today's post is all about pumpkins, more specifically pretty pumpkins. I've always enjoyed carving pumpkins but I've always bucked tradition and traded the idea of scary jack o' lanterns for elegant monograms, fun designs, one year I created the batman symbol when my little brother was about 6 since he really loved the movie at the time.

Here is a round-up of some of my favorite pumpkins...



For those who love all things beachy.





Polka dot, damask, chevron and fall leaf motifs-trendy pumpkins for all!





Filled with beautiful blooms, intricate lace details, glittered or embellished with a simple piece of twine or raffia makes these pumpkins elegant and gorgeous!





If you don't feel like messing with pumpkin seeds, these painted pumpkins are creative-everything from letter monograms, showcasing your home state or house number to spray painted metallic minis.






Monogrammed pumpkins that have been chiseled out and a candle popped inside 
have such an elegant illuminating effect.






These owls are super cute! Their eyes, ears and feet are embellished with sunflower seeds.





I hope you enjoyed these, now I'd love to hear what creative things you did with your own pumpkins this year! :) Tell us about it or leave a link to your pumpkin creations.


Thanks for reading!

XO




*all original photos via Pinterest-each image board with text created by me.

Sunday's Thought & Comfort Food

Sunday, October 28, 2012


Such a simple yet powerful truth- let's remember to rejoice and be glad in the days we're given even if they don't unfold exactly the way we had hoped for or planned.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Mine was spent taking in the crisp breeze and apparently food was a big part of my weekend if my instagram pics have anything to say about it. ;) Yesterday I made a crockpot full of steel cut oatmeal, an autumn smoothie perfect for fall, followed by some roasted root veggies. To top off Saturday, hubby and I watched a movie called 'October Baby' and I curled up with a little bowl of chocolate mint frozen dessert (it's just like ice cream minus the dairy).

This afternoon we met up with some new friends at one of our favorite restaurants and I indulged in a bowl of venison chili (it was amazing) & a steak with mushroom and blue cheese flat bread-equally awesome! We don't eat much meat or poultry so this was a special treat. The summers in Florida make me crave sweet tea, fresh berries and refreshing tart frozen yogurt but autumn just has a way of drawing me back to hot tea and warm comfort foods. Speaking of comfort-I was living in my winter white cozy pom pom booties this weekend while indoors to keep my tootsies warm as the refreshing fall breeze made its way through our whole house. Fresh, crisp air is one of my favorite simple pleasures.




Every gal needs a cozy pair of slippers when the temps drop, pom poms up the fun factor. ;) I've been getting several requests for where I got these booties, I bought them 2 years ago at JC Penney but you can find a similar pair {here} on sale in the same color. Here is another fun pom pom pair in a fun pattern with a bit of faux fur and they're marked down quite a bit-great time to grab a pair! 





Concord grape smoothie! Banana, blueberries, concord grapes & almond milk-YUM!





Celebrating the harvest with root veggies. Here's a shot of our parsnips, carrots and golden beets 
before hitting the oven. I popped them out and drizzled some extra virgin olive oil, added a few pinches of sea salt and twists of the pepper grinder. Delish! 





Last but not least is my favorite non-dairy frozen treat. If you haven't tried coconut milk icecream, it's so delicious! Pun intended. ;)


What were YOU up to this weekend? Anybody else savoring some comfort foods?


XO






*photo credit: all images mine except top quote {via}