The "I'm So Happy I Got a Job" Post

I was little preoccupied yesterday getting all spiffed up for a job interview. I was pretty nervous, and the whole time I was unsure what the program director was thinking as we talked. I left with mixed feelings about my performance and the impression I had made.

I tried to put the interview out of my mind. I had done all I could do, and it was out of my hands. I grabbed some Taco John's with my best friend and got ready to stuff myself full of a taco bravo when my phone rang. It was the director giving me an official job offer!

I did a little happy dance and accepted the offer right away. I was so excited that my passion and drive had shown through my nervousness. One large employee packet / handbook, one background check, and one TB test later, and I'm just waiting for a phone call to tell me when to start.

So I did it! You're looking at the new support teacher for a 3 year old classroom at one of the most prestigious early learning centers in the state. I can't wait to spend my days learning and exploring through the eyes of innocence and exhausted at night from chasing little ones around all day. I think this is going to be a great addition to my life! 

Inspirational Quote Sunday

This Week on Instagram

1. I enjoyed soft boiled eggs, toast, orange juice and tea for breakfast. This has become one of my favorite staple meals. 2. I tried Jimmy John's wheat bread for the first time. It was delicious despite the fact that it looked like it was sat on by the delivery guy. 3. I went grocery shopping at 11pm and felt like a rebel. 4. I loaded these homemade nachos with veggie and salsa goodness. 5. This might look like ice cream, but it's made with only one ingredient. Frozen bananas. 6. I rocked a floral print dress and red toenail polish. 7. I tried out a new knotting technique with my belt and loved the look. 8. I successfully pulled off my second even top knot. You can't see it in the picture, but it even had little braids going back into it. 9. Riley enjoyed the grass at my mother in-law's house. 10. I stayed up to watch the opening ceremony of the olympics.

Tea Party Themed Bridal Shower Favors

Hey everyone! Tomorrow is my best friend's bridal shower, and I am so excited! Her mother was kind enough to host the party for me, but as the maid of honor it was my job to do much of the planning. Jessie wanted to be involved in the planning process, and together we came up with a tea party themed shower. It's going to take place at brunch time tomorrow, which means lots of yummy breakfast foods but you still get to eat cake!

I'll be showing you more of the party next week, but for now I wanted to give you all a sneak peak at the favors we've prepared. All those cute little bags in the picture above are filled with three different tea bags and are tied with purple baker's twine to match the wedding colors.

I sewed these little bags out of a linen fabric by cutting long strips and sewing up each side. Turn it inside out and tie with baker's twine. I love how simple and carefree they look. It really matches the feel of their whole wedding. The tag attached to each bag uses bold and whimsical fonts together, creating a  fun, modern feature for these favors.

As prizes for the few games we have planned, we have tea tins and Starbucks refreshers, for those who prefer coffee over tea. We've wrapped these in strips of the same linen fabric and added more brightly colored baker's twine. I'm so excited for this brunch bridal shower and can't wait to show you more.

Ribbon Weave Chain Necklace

I recently thrifted this gold chain necklace for $3.50. In order to give it a new life I weaved a light teal ribbon through the links and added a vintage brooch. Here's how you can make your own.

1. Gather your chain and ribbon. You will want a ribbon that's the same on both sides in case your necklace or your ribbon twists. 2. If your chain has a clasp, start by weaving one end of the ribbon up through a link next to the clasp. If there is no clasp, you can start anywhere. 3. Continue weaving your ribbon in and out of the links until they meet up at your clasp. My necklace has two clasps attaching an extension piece, so I joined my ribbons in the middle of the extension piece. 5. Tie your ribbon in a knot or bow. Be careful not to pull the ribbon too tight when tying or your chain will hang loose. Add any embellishments, such as a brooch pin.

Tying the ribbon at the back is a great method to keep your necklace versatile. You can exchange the ribbon for a new color to match any outfit or whenever the mood strikes. Try it with leather cording or smaller chains for another bold look.

BarkBox July

We recently signed up with a website called BarkBox. It's a monthly subscription service for your dog! I love this idea, because we love to spoil our fur baby, but often end up getting him his old favorites all the time. This is a way to try out new, high quality products. I also love that they give 10% of the proceeds to rescue groups.

July was our first month getting a BarkBox, so I wasn't quite as prepared with the camera as I should have been. I realized after Riley tore into his new treats and toys that I should have taken better photographs. Next time!

For this month, I just tried to put everything back in its packaging to give you a good idea of what it looked like when we first got it.

YumZies by Nootie - These soft treats are zero grain and all natural. They have a BBQ flavor, and are made in the USA. 


Riley is weird when it comes to treats. Until he decides he likes something he is vary wary about it. I wasn't sure at first if we would be keeping these treats or donating them to his doggie BFF, Jeorge. (Jeorge will eat anything!) Riley sniffed at them and had to be encouraged to take a bite. Once he ate the first one, he was good to go. Much begging followed.

The Spinz Bone by Precision Pet - This gluten-free bone is the first interactive dog chew toy that's fully edible. It promotes healthy teeth, and is flavored like peanut butter. 


Riley has never, ever eaten something flavored like peanut butter. He sticks his nose up at it every time, so I wasn't hopeful when I gave him the Spinz bone. To my surprise he started licking it and stuck one end in his mouth. It must really taste awesome if he's going to go for it!

Unfortunately, one thing I was surprised about is how easily he chewed up the bone. Since it was called a chew toy I thought it would be a little tougher. He chewed through one end pretty quickly. I do think it works at his gums and the plaque on his teeth, so I'm okay with it. I was just a little surprised at how fragile it was.

Incredibubbles by Pet Qwerks - These bubbles are pet and child safe and can really take a beating before popping.


The description that came with the bubbles says you'll have fun watching your pup chase them around the yard. This should have clued me in to the fact that these are an outside toy. Being super excited and anxious to try them out, I blew them in my living room. Bad idea. They are pop-resistant, which means they leave a little film behind. It's not particularly sticky, but it did mean I was searching the surfaces of my living room for little bubble pieces. On the upside, Riley really loved chasing them around and even ate a few.

Poopy Packs by Metro Paws - Look stylish while cleaning up after your pup. 


I don't have a lot of experience with doggie doo bags. I usually have a few old grocery bags on hand, and our dog park has donated bags available. I am very excited to try these. They seem to be well constructed. I like how compact and colorful they are.

T-Bone Steak by Petprojekt - This squeaky toy is made from durable non-toxic material. Now your doggie can enjoy summer BBQs too. 


I can't say enough good things about this toy! It was a huge hit with Riley. He went nutso after he heard the squeaker. I couldn't get it out of the package fast enough. Speaking of the package... this doggie T-Bone came packaged just like a real one. The cellophane wrapper was complete with barcode and label, while the toy rested on a black plastic tray. Riley really gave this thing a beating and the squeaker has stayed in good condition. The toy itself is holding up very well. This was definitely the star of this month's BarkBox.

PetFlow Coupon - A $10.00 off coupon for a purchase of $40 or more to the website pet flow.com. 


I haven't used the coupon, but I did browse the PetFlow website. They have an amazing selection of dog food and treats, including many natural and holistic brands. I especially love that you can set up a delivery schedule so that buying dog food isn't one more thing you need to remember.

Overall I am so pleased with BarkBox. The packaging of all the items was great. I didn't expect to receive full size items, and I love the wide variety they sent. There were treats and toys and even things for me to use. You can learn more about how to sign your dog up here.

Riley and I can't wait for next month! Does the idea of a monthly doggie goodie box sound fun to you?

The Liebster Award

Adriana of Horses of Ares has tagged me with The Liebster Award. I feel honored that she chose me, and I find surveys really fun to do and to read. Here's how it works.


The Description
 The Liebster award is given to upcoming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing and welcome.

Rules for receiving this award:
1. Each person must post 11 things about his/herself

2. Answer the questions that the tagger set for you, plus create 11 questions for the people you've tagged to answer.

3. Choose 11 people and link them in your post.

4. Go to their page and tell them you've tagged them.

5. No tag backs.

1. I am addicted to spicy things, especially Valentina hot sauce.
2. My favorite books to read are usually those in a series.
3. I used to be obsessed with moose. Now it's owls.
4. I love flower child / boho style mixed with contemporary elements.
5. I love video games, especially computer RPG games.
6. I will automatically love something if it comes in multiple color choices.
7. I love pop and alternative music, but electronic is my favorite. Dubstep is what I listen to when I craft, blog, workout...etc.
8. I love cilantro. I actually get cravings for it.
9. I don't really have a favorite color. It changes daily. I love anything bright.
10. Sometimes when I wear heels I am over 6ft tall.

Adriana's Questions


1. What is your golden advice to other new bloggers? When I first started blogging I tried to emulate a lot of blogs I saw as successful. I didn't really have my own sense of direction, and trying to be exactly like other blogs just left me feeling frustrated. I had to completely revamp my own style and find something that works for me. I identify with lifestyle blogs more than just craft or home-focused blogs because I like to blog about a variety of topics. Instead of saying "no you can't blog about that because it doesn't fit your blog" I decided to make my blog a place that works for me. You have to experiment to find your style. Don't be afraid to change things up. Make your blog a place you love before you worry about what others will think.

2. Who is your role model? Well, I have a lot! First and foremost, my husband is my role model in his strong work ethic and ability to problem solve just about anything. Secondly, I have a vision of the kind of person I would like to be, based off of bits and pieces of everyone I've come in contact with in my life. That ideal self is almost like an imaginary role model. So, in a way, I look up to myself!

As far as the blogging world, it really depends on the topic. For fashion I love Keiko Lynn and Audrey of Putting Me Together. For food I love Jenn of Peas and Crayons and my BFF, Jessie at Sweets Wyoming. For blogging and general lifestyle inspiration I love Elsie and Emma from A Beautiful Mess and Elise Blaha. There really are so many others. The best place to see who I admire is to explore my Daily Reads tab.


3. What do you like to drink on hot summer days? I have really been loving flavored water lately. I enjoy putting cucumber slices in my water or enjoying delicious cilantro lime flavored water.

4. Do you have any pets? Yes! I have one adorably handsome dog named Riley. He was adopted from a local shelter 3 years ago. He is a mixed breed dog, and has lots of fur! You'll see lots of pictures of Riley all over this blog.

5. What is your favorite time of the day? It really depends on what I'm doing. I am unfortunately a night owl who wants to be a morning person. I love when I do manage to get an early start on the day. That always feels great. If I'm with friends or it's the weekend, I also really like night time. Afternoons are always good for a little nap. So, I guess it really just depends!

6. Favorite music genre? I already addressed this in my 11 random things section. Some of my favorite electronic artists are Deadmau5, Skrillex, Basshunter, Flux Pavillion, Bassnectar, and Daft Punk. I also like pop and alternative, including everything from Rise Against to Maroon 5.

7. What is the weirdest combination of food that you like to eat? (Ex. pickles and peanut butter)
Roasted Garlic Triscuts and Valentina hot sauce or grape jelly on top of grilled cheese sandwiches. You be the judge on which is weirder.

8. Who can you relate to the most in your family? Does my husband count? I say yes!

9. What is ONE thing you still have that you CAN'T throw away? My notes from Jr. High

10. What makes you the happiest? Hanging out with my husband. I especially love when we go out somewhere. It feels like an adventure. Staying in hotels with him is my favorite.

11. Where would you travel if you had the chance? I would really like to go to Austria and Switzerland.

My Questions for You

1. What is your go-to confidence boosting outfit?
2. What kind of books or magazines do you like to read?
3. What is your favorite type of craft? (ex. sewing, collaging, mixed media)
4. What's your favorite season / time of the year?
5. How would you describe your design style?
6. Where did you last go on vacation?
7. Where do you get most of your recipes? (ex. books, magazines, internet, pinterest)
8. What is your favorite clothing store?
9. Do you workout at home, in a gymn, in a class...etc.?
10. What are some of your favorite blogs to read?
11. What are some of your blogging goals?


The 11 Blogs I Am Tagging
1. Ktmade
2. Wanna Be Green
3. Jazz Lips and Tulips
4. The Petrichor
5. Paper Raindrops
6. Eskimo Rose
7. October Chic
8. Almost Endearing
9. Isn't That Sew
10. Thrifting Through Life
11. Forgetful Lane

Alright ladies! It's up to you now. I hope you'll participate so I can read all your great answers. Thanks again Adriana for tagging me!

Paint Chip Hearts Card

There are so many fun paint chip projects out there right now that I grabbed a few at the store a while back. I wasn't sure what I would do with them, so I got one in every rainbow color. This later inspired me to create this paint chip hearts card.

I decided to create an ombre effect by making three columns of hearts, each getting progressively lighter. I found that some colors on the paint chip, like the purple, were too similar. I just kept moving down the paint chip until I liked the color contrast. 

I used simple text stamps in black ink to really let the hearts pop and be the star of the card. I stitched a line through each column of hearts. If you didn't want to sew, it would look great to put dimensional adhesive under each heart to really make them pop.

What a fun and inexpensive project. I hope this gives you an idea of what you can do with those paint chips you might have.

Inspirational Quote Sunday - 6

This Week on Instagram 7/14 - 7/21

1. The Carnival was gorgeous all lit up at night. 2. My husband sent me a giant, gorgeous bouquet for our anniversary. 3&4. I got my dress from ModCloth in the mail. The packaging was so cute I had to take pictures. 5. Riley got his first BarkBox in the mail and went crazy over it! 6. Friends and I had stuffed sweet potatoes for dinner inspired by Peas and Crayons. 7. I finally worked on my graduation scrapbook. 8. This is the dress from ModCloth. It's made of organic cotton, and it is SO soft!

I was pretty absent from Instagram this week. These are almost all of the photos I took. Must remember to document random daily moments more. Happy weekend!

A Day At The Carnival

Carnivals are known for being whimsical and a little whacky. I spent the day at our local carnival with friends, and tried to take lots of photographs. I had fun editing them with all kinds of carnival-eque effects. Here's a peek at what we saw and did!

Carnivals really do make the day magical!

How To Make A Doggie Bow Tie

Don't you just love Riley's snazzy new bow tie? Well today I'm going to show you how you can make your very own.

All you need is one large strip of fabric. It should be twice as wide and twice as long as you want the finished bow to be. Mine measured about 4 in. wide X 10.5 in. long. You also need a little strip to go around the middle. Mine measured about 1.5 in. wide X 5 in. long. Depending on how you choose to attach your bow tie to the dog's collar, you may need another strip this size.

1. Fold the sides of your big strip in to the middle and press. 2. Fold the ends of the big strip in to the middle and press. 3. Pinch the middle of your bow into the classic bow tie shape. 4. Sew the middle down securely, either by hand or with a machine. 5. Fold the sides of your little strip into the middle and press. 6. Wrap your little strip around the middle of the bow tie inside out and pin at the back. 7. Slide the loop off of the bow and stitch on the outside of the pin. 8. Trim the excess fabric off.

You can now turn your middle loop right side out and slide back onto the middle of your bow. You should now have something that looks like this:

Now, you have a few choices of how to attach this to your dog's collar. You could always glue it to a collar, but it should probably be a spare one unless you really want your dog to wear this permanently. If your dog has a buckle collar, you can make a closed loop of fabric, or elastic to attach to your bow tie. If your dog wears a closed collar, like the Martingale style that my dog has, you will need a loop that has velcro or a button. I didn't have velcro on hand, so I used a button.

Here is my second loop of fabric with a very secure button and button hole. I sewed my button on with tough embroidery floss. I don't plan to leave my dog unattended while he wears this, but if you do, I recommend velcro.

Secure your collar loop to your bow tie by hand stitching through only the back layers of fabric. I also used embroidery floss for this step. (Note: The length of the fabric loop shown in this picture was actually too long. I highly recommend not being as lazy as I was and measuring around your dog's collar first. I cut it shorter and added a new button hole later.)

Try it out! Trust me, he knows he's handsome. This is only proving what he already knows.

This would be super cute on a female dog if you just turned the collar around and let her wear it on her neck in the back, or even on the side.

This is one dog accessory I can actually get into. It was quick and fun to make, and I can't wait for Riley to show it off when we visit relatives next week.

The Nanny Diaries Book Review

I will admit that I fully indulge the genre of chick-lit, and this book definitely fits in that category. Nan, a college student, works as a nanny part-time (more like full-time!) to pay her rent while finishing her degree. The plot of the story revolves around the wealthy Mr. and Mrs. X who pay Nan to care for their son, Grayer. Unfortunately, Nan ends up doing about a million other things for Mrs. X along the way and doesn't have the backbone to tell her to back off or that she hasn't paid her for three weeks. 

You're brought along this journey with Nan, being disgusted with her at the selfishness of Mrs. X, who spends her days getting facials and shopping but has no time for her own son. You grow attached to Grayer, the amazing four year old she is in charge of. You see the intricate web of lies going on in this Park Avenue group of wealthy women. The most fascinating part is wondering how much of the story is based off of the authors' real experiences being nannies. 

I did have trouble getting into the book at first, but once I understood the voice of the narrator it went quickly, and I mostly enjoyed it. I know they have made this book into a movie, so if you're short on time, perhaps you should just watch that instead. I've heard it's just as good and has a better ending!

Read this book review on GoodReads

2 Years Ago

Gabe Cook Photograhpy

Once upon a time... two people who were very much in love were married in a beautiful garden. Two years later, they were still very much in love and very happy.

Happy anniversary to my wonderful husband! Even though we have to be apart today, I know that it doesn't change what this day means to us. It is just one day that represents our whole life together. Loving you always.

Oh Happy Day Free Journaling Cards

Download Oh Happy Day Cards

I was playing around with photoshop today and whipped up these cute 3X4 inch journaling cards. These are perfect for project life. You could even round the corners on most of them. Hope you enjoy the download. Let me know if you want more in the future!

Inspirational Quote Sunday - 6

This week has been full of little disappointments. I received a letter in the mail telling me that the dream job I applied for had been filled. They had almost 30 applicants for the job, and weren't able to interview everyone. I can understand their situation, but it was a bummer. Then I learned that my husband my be coming home from work for a few days. This was especially exciting because our anniversary is on Tuesday, and last year we spent it apart. This could be the year we get to be together on our big day! Well, it was not to be. There were many complications with his job and now there isn't enough time to come home before he is moving to a different location to work. So, it looks like he won't be home for another ten days or so.

This quote was especially important for me today, because it's so important to remember positive things when you are feeling down. Maybe I didn't get that job, but there's something else out there waiting for me to rock it. Maybe we don't get to spend the day of our anniversary together again this year, but that day represents a love that's real every single day. More work means more money in the bank and more opportunity to do fun things together later. In the end, I have to remember that these disappointments are only paving the way for bigger and better things ahead!

A Farmer's Market Outfit

Farmer's markets are one of the best parts of summer. You get to lazily wander through good smells and see vibrant colors. It's an activity best done in company, so this week I paired up with my BFF and my dog and headed for the park. Having a trusty friend who knows her way around a camera has its perks, so I roped her into shooting a few outfit post pics for me. What started out as a few fun photos ended up being a super fun, full blown photo-shoot. We enjoyed everything from using purchased produce as props to avoiding unsightly objects like trash cans. We had a blast just hanging out and being silly together. And that's what summer is all about.

Outfit Details:

Shirt - Thrifted

Necklace - Target

Shorts - American Eagle

Belt - Fossil

Shoes - Target