Blogs I Love

Today I wanted to share some of my favorite blogs to follow.  There are so many out there and it's hard to choose, so I may make this a regular post in the future.  Be sure to follow along with these amazing blogs. 

Pearls and Pastries - This blog is so inspiring and provides daily doses of all things girly and sparkly.   Lauren takes amazing photographs and her posts include DIY's, jewelry, home décor, fashion, sparkly accessories, and of course her signature sequin hangers. 

Life Love Lauren - I have known Lauren for a while and she is such an amazing person.  Life Love Lauren is a lifestyle blog with fun humorous posts, recipes, home décor, advice, and anything else you can think of.  She helped me out when I first started my blog and I have enjoyed following hers ever since. 

Pink Peonies - This is one of may favorite fashion blogs to follow.  I love Rach's simple, feminine, and trendy outfit choices.  Her photos are amazing and her personal style is so classy.  She wears a lot of high end brands, but she also posts links for similar styles at a lower price point. 

Southern Curls and Pearls - If you are looking for adorable and preppy fashion inspiration, this blog will not disappoint.  Caitlin has amazing style and always takes the cutest pictures. 

Macarons and Peonies - I recently stumbled across this blog and now I am officially obsessed.  Roxy takes amazing pics and the blog is filled with feminine, Parisian chic inspiration.  Check it out for DIY's product reviews, home décor, and amazing photo styling. 

CrafterThought Blog- This blog is the best source for lovely DIY projects.  Kristin is so "crafty" and creative and I love to see the different projects she comes up with.  Did I mention that is super sweet and amazing to work with too!

With a City Dream - This blog is another source of amazing style and fashion.  Emma has amazing taste in clothes and outfit choices. You can also expect to see tutorials, beauty finds, and even home décor.  Her blog is so much fun to follow along with. 

Stripes in Bloom - Here is another blog that I recently came across and it has quickly become a favorite.  Jensyn has a lovely feminine style and I love seeing her outfit posts.  She takes great photos and also has some beauty posts and tutorials as well. 



What are some of your favorite blogs?

Thanks for stopping by!

Swimwear

 

 

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As many of you may remember, I am going on a Caribbean cruise in a couple of weeks.  I have been very conscious of what I eat and have been working out regularly.  Altogether I have lost about 20 lbs. and at least one pant size...Hooray! I feel a lot more confident and purchased the above swimsuit for the trip.  It is from JCrew and I absolutely love how feminine it is. 

 

The rest of the pics are pins from my Pinterest swimwear board. It's funny because I don't really like to swim, but for some reason I just love really cute swimsuits.  I have been drawn to modest one pieces lately, but there are also some really cute two pieces out there. 

 

Do you have any summer trips planned?

 

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Decor Ideas

 

 

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This week I wanted to highlight another one of my Pinterest boards.  Lately I have been drawn to home décor with light blues mixed with ivory and grey.  I change my mind so easily and am already contemplating changing the current color scheme in my home. 

 

Pinterest always does a great job of satisfying my current cravings and in this case all I needed to do was browse through my board Décor Ideas..  I will not be changing up my own décor, but I hope glimpses of this board inspire you in your own home décor journey. 

 

Don't forget to follow along with me on Pinterest for a daily dose of inspiration. 

 

Thanks for reading!

LBD: Little Blush Dress

One Shoulder Pleated Dress      Polka Dot Dress     Beaded Neckline Dress

Sheer Lace Top Dress     Sequin Top Tulle Dress    Pleated Front Dress

This season I have been wanting to purchase a LBD, and by that I mean "Little Blush Dress." It is a feminine twist on a classic style.  Blush pink is one of my favorite colors and I love how soft and feminine these dresses are.  It is exciting to see so many brands come up with the cutest versions of this.  Check out the links above if you're interested in purchasing one of your own. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Gallery Wall: Tips and Tricks

 

 

 

As many of you may know, I have a slight obsession with gallery walls.  They are my default decorating tip when trying to fill up a bare wall.  One of the reasons I love them so much is the fact that they are so diverse and no one gallery wall is the same.  In this post I'll be sharing some tips and tricks on how to make your very own gallery wall. 

 

 

1. Decide on a Design

There are so many different varieties of gallery walls, so first try and narrow down the type of style you want.  Decide if you want something completely symmetrical, same color or different color frames, mixed media, layered, on a grid, etc. The gallery wall from the first pic is straight out of our living room and includes pics from our last trip to Europe. The plan is to use that wall to highlight pictures from our future trips.  Pinterest is a great source of inspiration if you are drawing a blank. I've also posted a few pics of the gallery walls I created in my own home, as well as some that I'm inspired by, throughout this post. 

 

Capturing Joy with Kristen Duke

 

2. Start Collecting the Materials

Keep in mind that this can potentially take some time depending on the design you choose.  If you decide to go the route of a mixed media collage you should constantly be on the lookout for that perfect piece to add to your gallery wall.  I have also purchased an item that I really loved and used that as a focal point in the gallery wall.  Don't be afraid of a little DIY in the event you don't find what you're looking for.  I painted a few of the frames in my craft room gallery wall, to get the exact look that I wanted. Remember that this doesn't have to be an expensive project.

 

I Heart Naptime Blog

3. Placing and Spacing

When you have all of your frames ready to go, it is now time to hang it up. The best tip on hanging up the wall is shown above.  Start by tracing the frames on the outside, using some left over craft or wrapping paper.  If you have an intricate frame or letter than consider tracing the inside as well and cutting around the design.  That way you will have a better visual of what it will look like when it's all done.  Next hang up the pieces in your desired placement using masking tape (painters tape also works well.)  From here you can re-arrange as needed. 

 

 

4. Have fun and Get Creative

Most importantly have fun with this project! The gallery wall should be a reflection of you and your own personal style, so don't be afraid to get creative and add some personal flavor to it.  The great thing is that you can continue to add to the design as you find more great pieces over time.

 

 

Classy Clutter

 

 

 I hope this was helpful and inspired you to get started on your very own gallery wall project.  If you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to ask.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Julep: Classic with a Twist

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Hi Everyone! Have you ever heard of Julep?  I had not until recently and now I am totally hooked.  Julep is an online shop that sells nail polish and a wide variety of beauty products. I recently signed up for the Julep Maven subscription box and I love it!

 

First what you do is take a style profile quiz, so that they can determine the best set of personalized products just for you. My style profile is "Classic with a Twist," which is spot on. After you determine your style profile you can select the type of subscription you want.  I selected the one that costs $19.99 a month and it comes with two nail polishes and a beauty product. 

 

The great thing is that you can preview your box before it ships and make any changes to the products beforehand.  The membership also gives you free shipping and 20% off at julep.com purchases.

 

So far I have received two boxes and have been very satisfied.  The nail polishes are high quality and the cuticle pen works like magic. If you are interested in signing up or purchasing some really great products then check it out for yourself here.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Shop Announcement: Tassel Garlands

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately and it has led me to a difficult decision.  I will be discontinuing tassel garlands from my Etsy shop.  I have been very busy with work lately and it has been difficult to keep up with the demand.  To be honest they can be time consuming to make, especially when I have multiple orders. My weekends have been busy with creating and packing up orders, which has not left me with any rejuvenation time from a busy work week.  Right now I need to be able to focus on work and myself a little more. 

 

The good news is that this should allow me more time to focus on this blog and be more consistent with posts and even better content.  My plan is to keep my Etsy shop open and debut more items to sell. I still need to narrow down what they will be, so stay tuned for more updates. 

 

If you were wanting to purchase a tassel garland, you are in luck! I will be selling the garlands until I reduce my tissue paper supply (yes I have a ton! ). This means that I will not be re-ordering anymore tissue paper, so first come first serve on the colors I currently have.  Also I will be offering an additional 15% on all tassel purchases during the month of May.  Use code TASSEL15 at checkout.

 

I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has purchased a tassel and supported my little business. It truly means the world to me and I hope I was able to brighten up your day with a little something special. 

 

Thanks for stopping by!