Ever since our Nashville sister weekend, I have been hooked on country music. (I was the last of my sisters to jump on board, and they are as shocked as I am;)) Even Gabe is tuning in to country more than he ever used to. We have discovered some fun artists in the process. One of those is Jana Kramer, which is why this announcement is so fun…
AT&T U-verse, a service that brings country music to its viewers’ screens daily through the Country Deep App, announced in February that they’re presenting the Country Deep Tour! Have you all heard about this??
Well, cool news is, the tour is coming to the Atlanta area! Here’s the deets: Where: 120 Tavern in Marietta When: Saturday, March 22nd, 8 p.m. (You can buy tickets here.) Who: Headlining rising star Jana Kramer, featuring Canaan Smith and Austin Webb.
In association with AT&T U-verse and the Country Deep Tour, Gabe and I will be hitting up the concert as well as hanging out with Jana and her team, so I can bring a little piece of the experience back to you! (Eeek!!!) Who else wants to come to the concert?! We are GIVING AWAY TWO TICKETS today here on IHOD! We will draw a winner this Thursday PM!
TO ENTER: 1) Leave a comment below letting us know you want to win (and maybe who you’d bring;))!
2) For an additional entry, share on any social media platform (use #ATTCountryDeepTour) and comment below with the link to the share. (Pinterest, instagram, twitter, or facebook!)
Can’t wait to see who wins these! So looking forward to this concert and getting my country music fix. There is nothing quite like a live country music concert. Stay tuned for the re-cap post and interview with Jana!
x, Anna
This post was made possible through my association with AT&T Country Deep. The prize was provided by AT&T, but AT&T is not a sponsor, administrator, or involved in any other way with this giveaway. All opinions expressed in the post are my own and not those of AT&T.
I have something fun in store for you all from Wink & Winn. They sent over a sample wring and the coolest triple clutch to help me figure out what materials to go with in designing my own bag. It’s as cool as it sounds. On their site you can literally choose the size, color, material, and hardware for your clutch, tote, or crossbody bag! Such a great concept, because it makes you feel like Rachel Zoe for the day;) There are so many good options, that I am having the hardest time narrowing down which to get. Want to help me choose?
Bucket tote or Satchel? I already know which color/print I am going to use. They are all 50% off right now too, FYI! We have a something coming up for you too friends, so stay tuned!
My sister Jana is in town visiting, which means day trips and exploring whenever we get the chance. She appreciates finding new places as much as I do which makes it all the more exciting. We headed down to Westside Provisions and had the best afternoon.
Calypso St. Barth so kindly invited me to check out their space there which has was a sight to behold. A bunch of natural light, modern fixtures, and of course racks of beautiful clothes and accessories. Their spring collection is a perfect mix of silks and soft cotton pieces in both classic colors, and fun prints. This navy dress had me wanting to head to the nearest coast as fast as I could pack my bags. The whole atmosphere of the afternoon was such a nice experience. (And the gals who work there are so kind!) If you are in the area, stop in and see for yourself!
Also, online and in stores, they are offering a fun shopping incentive for you to check out with code: GCSPRING2014FB
By the way, where are you traveling this year? Gabe and I are hoping to plan an anniversary trip and would love some leads on good places to go!
Ever since I spotted their color blocked jump drives, I have been keeping an eye on everything Son of a Sailor! Each product they release is a fun combination of colors paired with a high quality product. How about those necklaces too??
Son of a Sailor was started by William Knopp and Jessica Tata who hand craft the pieces out of Austin, TX. Don’t you love their space? I am so excited to be able to work with them as Market Tote sponsors for the upcoming Brand Market Workshops. Each attendee will be getting a piece of Son of a Sailor to take with them.
It’s important for me to support artisans and entrepreneurs in America, and it is always cool to see the behind the scenes stories that go with them. Go ahead and take a look at the rest of their space and products!
I was carefully warned by many to enjoy the fun years of dating because it ends after marriage. “All the extras slowly come to a halt once you tie the knot” so they’d say…
And I began to wonder if this would happen to us. You can’t be in the honeymoon phase forever, right?
Your love for each other does change after marriage, but if your lucky, it grows deeper each day because each consistent day is a building block in a very sturdy brick foundation. If you choose, it can be the kind of love that grows over moves across the country, losing loved ones, having babies, and still remaining devoted to each other. So through the longest days and the sleepless nights, financial strain, heart ache, and growing pains, one was looking out for the other. One would be a place of rest for the other. He would be a place of understanding and support, and I would be a listening ear at the end of a long day. Whatever your personality or love language may be, I think we can all agree that when you look for someone else’s needs before your own, love reciprocates and grows.
I like to thank some wise older friends who said that keeping your marriage as the priority (with God as the center), even before your own children, will ultimately be the key to a happy marriage and happy children too.Well here are just a few ways we have tried to keep it fresh! (Mostly Gabe and me being a moody stink eye sometimes trying to be as good as he.)
1) Bring home the faves. Whether its Talenti Gelato or literally (in Gabe’s case) real bacon, we both love to pick up each other’s favorite foods while we are at the store. A few small packs of peanut m & ms have saved a rough 5 o’ clock more times than I can say. When you know the other person took a minute to think about you and took the extra mile to make your day a little better, your love is a little renewed.
2) Saturday morning coffee. We have started to make a habit of having Saturday mornings as our time to just enjoy each other’s company and conversation. He will make the coffee (he has these really good combos down) and whether the kids are up or not, we sit in our living room and just listen to each other. I look forward to it so much.
3) Clean for the other person. This may sound odd, but while flowers and handwritten notes are still incredibly romantic, nothing gets to my heart faster than a man who cleans. Deep cleaning the kitchen is up there on the list of sure fire ways to woo a woman. Now this is probably not a priority for the men folk but Gabe always is thankful when I take care of his work shirts or clean his sink. Even though I know he could manage on his own, it’s good for me to practice service and it’s good practice for him to accept it;) Love is sometimes harder to receive than to give.
4) Plan surprises. We both claim to not like surprises, but we both seem to find ourselves planning them for each other. I really do love when Gabe tells me he has an evening planned and I don’t have to think about a thing…not even booking a babysitter. Being taken care of is something we girls love. I got the chance to redeem myself after a year of non-creative surprises by getting his best buds and brother here for a surprise birthday weekend. Sometimes life can get so crazy we forget to do something out of the ordinary for the other. Even the small surprises can renew that love and appreciation when you really need a lift.
5) Trying out the other’s interests. This started when we were dating, but it is a good way to keep things fun in your marriage. I know for a fact Gabe hates running, but he asked if he could start running with me a few years ago and he has on and off again since. He does it because he knows I love to run, and it makes me happy to do it with him. He even ran a 10K with me…honorable. Gabe has a loyalty to Brewers baseball that runs deep. Bob Uker is a regular guest in our household during baseball season. Although baseball really isn’t my sport, I make it a point to ask how they are doing every night and at least pretend to understand what he is talking about as he explains the current situation. I actually almost titled the post…“Letting Bob Uker be the third wheel in your marriage…” Jk.
Are we experts in marriage? Heck no. Just sharing what we are learning along this great adventure. Would love to hear the ways you keep the love going;)
*Photo thanks to our friend and super talented IHOD photographer Chelsey Heidorn
A cupcake ATM. You would think only Willy Wonka himself could concoct such a genius idea. The idea belongs to Candace Nelson who started the first Sprinkles Cupcakes in Beverly Hills. Long lines quickly formed and the Hollywood stars were among the devoted customers. Sprinkles can now be found in 12 locations nationwide with Atlanta being one of the lucky few.
What is so brilliant about Sprinkles is that their branding projects an experience that makes you feel like you have stepped into candyland for a moment in time. The inside is just as delightful with modern curves and bold colors and cut out pick up windows. It’s an experience you won’t soon forget. How can you resist the allure of bold colors and vivacious flavors? What you don’t expect is the cupcakes to actually taste fresh and unique, but oooohhhhhhh do they ever. I had bought this one for my kids to share but I admit I was fighting them for the crumbs.
The Oscars are my favorite award show to watch simply because how regal everything is, including the dresses. I don’t get starry eyed over Hollywood Stars, but Gabe and I love analyzing movies, their storylines, and their main actors. The Oscars usually provides my movies to watch and avoid round up;) So here’s a little re-cap of the night…
Best Dressed: Naomi Watts, Camila Alvarez Best Speech:Lupita Nyong Well Deserved Win: Frozen Could have dressed better: Anne Hathaway (She should’ve stuck with Rachel Zoe;)) Best celebrity doppleganger:Jared Letto as Jesus
I am always expected lots of black and red gowns on the Oscars Red Carpet so I gasped when I saw Naomi Watts in this white/ivory Calvin Klein dress. Every inch of it was beaded! The simple rhinestone bib necklace was the perfect finish along with her sleek hair style. Did you see Calista Flockharts dress? Very similar and equally stunning. I especially loved the cut to this dress. Modest, but extremely flattering and feminine. It proves you don’t have to be over the top to make best dressed lists nationwide!
I think why I always love Julia, even if her dress is cutting edge, is that she knows who she is. She knows what she likes and what looks well on her. Since she is widely loved in Hollywood, she can get away with wearing simpler dresses and still look magnificent. So, when challenged to come with a One of a Kind Red Carpet ready daytime look from my own closet, I had to go with Julia Robert’s look.
I pulled a few black pieces to mix and match and came up with this…
A little more formal than every day but I would wear this to a fancy dinner anytime. Its fun to put on a bold pair of lips every once in a while. The hair is actually my every day fun bun toppled look, but it can work for going out as well right?
Julia’s best feature? Her smile. Hands down. So flashing my whites is what I am sorely lacking in these pics 😀
Now its your turn. Best dressed? I want to hear your votes!
Hope you had a fun weekend!
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