Shop Scoop: The Mini Social

March 8, 2013

{Oh Dear Drea – Mobiles // Love Mae – Wall decals and Dinner sets // Hazel Village Dolls Organic Cotton Woodland Creatures}

Like many of you, I rarely by items at retail price. I wait for the steal.

Maybe this is why I am a sucker for pop up deal shops…

The Mini Social started in 2008, was the first members site dedicated to bringing you designer apparel, gear, and toys specifically for mom, baby, and child with flash sales from indie shops and well known businesses. You can tell the site is carefully curated by women and moms who appreciate a unique and fun find. (I kind of squealed over the Hazel Village Dolls!)

You can check out their current deals here.

Enjoy and Happy weekend!

*This is a sponsored post which is %100 my own opinion.

Encourage Beauty: The smallest things take up the most room

March 7, 2013

{Quote by A.A. Milne, Design by IHOD}

Each week in March we want to give you a little inspiration boost for the Encourage Beauty Challenge. This was a quote that I dearly love, and applies so well to what this challenge is all about.

Hilary Rushford also has a favorite quote print to share on Dean Street Society. Its a good one.

I have to pass along a few stories of people joining us in #encouragebeauty.

In just one week I feel like my hope in humanity and the goodness of the human heart was restored through the actions some of you are taking to live this challenge out. So thank you for inspiring me to no end.

Sarah Tucker shared on instagram that she is writing a handwritten note each day to a friend to encourage beauty. 31 friends total in March.

Brittany shared a video that hade me re-thinking the way I approach people. Its the sweetest.

Emily and her family decided to take the next step to raise money for a charity close their heart.

My friend Elise is devoting a facebook status each day to a uplift a different woman in her life that has impacted her for the better.

These are just a few examples, and I can’t wait to see what else you all will do.

Thank you for joining Hilary and I in this project to use small deeds to make big change.

Love.

For newcomers, the Encourage Beauty launch post here.

Make//Wear .02 – Satin Scarf Bow Ties DIY

March 6, 2013

{image: Lily Jane Collins}

This is a DIY I have had in my inspiration folder for months, and finally got around to making a few. Its a fun and inexpensive way to add some color punches (take note: avoiding the word color pop) to your wardrobe. I bought a 1/4 yard of two different satin color fabrics. SEW OR NO SEW. The full instructions are in the graphic above and you can download full instructions here.

You can wear these two ways. The first version is demonstrated above, and the second is demonstrated in the inspiration photo above. I love both versions and would change it up depending on the occasion.

Hope you enjoy this, and as always, if you attempt it, please share your photos! Would love to see:)

Catch the most recent make//wear DIY here.

Family Threads vol. 2: Preparing for the family shift

March 4, 2013

Veronica // Dress and Shoes: Old Navy, Sweater: Baby Gap (consignment), Headband: made by me

Gabriel //Pants: Old Navy, Shirt: Childrens Place, Jacket: Baby Gap (similar), Shoes: Converse

Anna // Shirt: c/o Wendybox, Pants: Gap, Scarf: Deloom, Tote: c/o George Gina & Lucy, Lip color: Revlon

I think Veronica senses a baby coming.

She has been a mama’s girl lately. She just wants me to hold her more often, and gets an extra dimpled toothy grin whenever I devote undivided attention to her. She has become miss independent…so confident and proud whenever she tries something new. She wants to do everything her brother does and they are best buds. My heart is starting to ache a little more when I hold her and watch her grow.

I feel the time shifting, and I know I have to get ready to let go of the fact that she won’t be the baby much longer…

I went through this with Gabriel before she arrived. A short period of sadness knowing he would be my baby only for a few more months and that his little world would change. I cried many tears, mourned a little, and squeezed him extra tight. I remember vividly the strong emotion of saying goodbye as I dropped him off at my sisters before heading to the hospital to have his little sister…I felt the change of my first born son stepping into a new time in this all to fleeting life.

It is harder on me than it is for them, but what sweetens it all is seeing them now together…..how they greet each other in the morning with lots of kisses and hugs…..how Gabriel is makes sure Veronica has everything she needs and reassuring me he is “protecting his little sister”…. seeing Veronica pat his head and babble like Gabriel is her dear friend….he will attend her tea parties….she will play with his train station….and watching their daily dance parties go down in the family room. I see their lifetime of friendship unfolding and I am thankful.

As I get ready to bring a whole new life into our family, I accept the sadness as a side effect of my deep love for my sweet baby girl, and know that soon I will have reason to wonder how we ever did without this new one.

One Truth: The habit in our marriage we commit to.

March 2, 2013

{Snapped by my sister in our first year of marriage on the way to a Braves game.}

Somehow Gabe and I are coming up on our 5th wedding anniversary in June. Its got me thinking a good deal about where we are at and how we got here. I thought I would share a simple habit we practice that has kept our relationship strong over the past few years….

Some habits are good habits. The kind of routine you start to look forward to, and realize you can’t live without them. One of those is that we made the resolution a couple years ago to go to bed every night at the same time.

It was a pretty simple thing we talked about after a few nights that ended in quarrels over someone staying up hours too late playing playstation or working on design projects (can you guess which is which??;)) We realized that after we put kids to bed, that is our ONLY time of the day to just be with each other – attention undivided.

As a result of this resolution, we have had many late night brilliant ideas, important decisions made, and hours of dream sharing…. hours I am so thankful for…..not to mention it increases intimacy (did I make you blush? Cuz I am blushing.)

Granted, this rule is bent when a baby decides to wake up for a party at 11pm or their one of us has a deadline due in the morning, but all in all we try our best to stay true to this little resolution. Gabe is usually the champ – waiting up for me while I finish up my work load from the day.

I have come to cherish this little habit so deeply, and realize how this little habit became a #1 reason our friendship and romance in marriage have flourished.

Every couple is different, with different personalities and circumstances in life, but this is what is working for us:) What about you? If you are married, what are some habits you have held onto or begun to strengthen your relationship?

P.S. In just the first day of the encourage beauty challenge I was totally blown away by how many of you are taking action and how you are carrying it out. Keep the stories coming!

Shop Scoop: Sweet Spot Bags

March 1, 2013

{featured: white on navy custom clutch, shirt: Tailor and Stylist)

These are the longitude and latitude numbers to one of my favorite spots that I have every visited: Assisi Italy:) The numbers and letters are actually SUN PRINTED onto the bag!

Sweet Shop Bags has several well known spots ready to purchase, but also customizes clutches to a location of choice to remember in a cool (and kind of secret code) like way. I thought this was such a fun gift idea too for a honeymoon gift, birth place memento, or to remember a special trip.

Unless someone is uber smart and has the entire grid of the world memorized, you will be the only one who knows what these longitute and latitude numbers locate. The city is revealed inside the linking;) When I traveled to Italy, we visited many cities, but Assisi was one that left a big impact on me. (St. Francis is my patron saint;)) Love having this little way of remembering it.

And that is the scoop! Which city would you make this into?

Happy weekend friends!

*This is a sponsored post that is %100 my own opinion.

#EncourageBeauty Challenge: The Details

February 28, 2013

Yesterday Hilary of Dean Street Society & I introduced you to something we’re calling #EncourageBeauty. Today we are sharing how you can get involved..

The idea is simple: Print out this calendar (and share if you like!) & commit to encouraging beauty in someone each day this month. Fill in those blanks as you go along, and by the end of the month, you will have uplifted, inspired, and given heart to 31 deserving people. Maybe your commitment will be 31 handwritten notes or 31 sincere emails and phone calls – whichever it is, the goal is to make small and significant change in those around us, which always leads to big change in the world around us. You can even share the completed calendar at the end of the month!

Some ideas to get you going:
A compliment to a coworker in person // a thoughtful comment on a blog // a handwritten note to an old friend // a message left in lipstick on the mirror for your roommate at 5am. // It can be 11:58pm when you head over to Instagram to pay a stranger a compliment with #EncourageBeauty. There are no rules. There is just generosity & moments to encourage and uplift.

Share your stories all month by leaving comments on our blogs & Instagram profiles. You can also write your own blog posts & add the button to your sidebar. Search #EncourageBeauty to find other bettys who share your heart in this…

Thank you for inspiring these ideas in us & being the kind of community we know shares our heart.

And to close, a reminder from the wise Audrey Hepburn: “People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.”

P.S. Here’s a recap of your next steps:

1. Print out the calendar & save it somewhere easy to write on.

2. Print or download the manifesto, part 1 or part 2. Save them in places where you’ll see them: Your mirror, your desk, your journal.

3. Share those graphics on social media to invite others to join: Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook & your blog. (Use the hashtag #EncourageBeauty so we can see what waves your making!)

4. Write a blog post & install the button on your sidebar (just make sure to link back to this original post to explain the meaning) so your readers can join in with you.

Downloads you might enjoy: Desktop wallpaper | Blog Button | Manifesto Part 1 and 2