Sponsor Intro.

Today I'm excited to introduce you to the rest of my January sponsors! These fabulous people have been a pleasure to work with and can't wait to see where they will go next. As usual, make sure to go to their sites and show some love, tell them I sent you :)

My name is Erin and I blog over at Captivated By Grace.
I am a twenty-something girl with a passion for life, love, and above all, my faith in Christ.
I enjoy all things beautiful in this world and look for God's blessings all around me.
On my blog, I love to share the joys and beauty that can be found in this world, as well as the times that are not as beautiful and can be a bit more challenging. Let's face it...life is full of ups and downs. We just need to remember that God is with us through them all. There is nothing too big for us to handle together.

Blog-Twitter-Bloglovin



I started an etsy shop called Fireflies & Cattails a little over a year ago as a hobby and creative outlet. I sell fingerless gloves, fabric flower earrings, headbands, and clutches. I have always loved to sew, crochet, paint, you name it! I also have a blog where I write about mommy-hood, crafts, outfit inspiration, and recipes. I love the handmade community and am so happy to be a part of it. I'm looking forward to doing a couple of craft shows this year as well as coming up with a bunch of new items.

Etsy-Blog



Hi my name is Melanie Cantelmo and I have a little blog called Keeping up with the Cantelmo's where I blog about my family, faith, passion, dreams and inspirations. My goal is that my blog would be an encouraging place! I have three busy kids and we just found out we are having another one. Our family is blessed and very busy. I hope you stop by and say hi.

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Hi Mallorie's lovely readers,
My name is Ana and I'm a 20-something Brazilian newlywed living in Northern California.
I married the sweetest man last year and have been blogging about our journey ever since.
That includes from our trips to the new recipes we try, the ups and downs of married life
and everything else in between. I hope you stop by to say hello!

Blog-Twitter-Etsy



I'm Angie and I blog over at Living Aloha! I'm an aspiring artist, a dreamer, a wife, daughter, sister and friend. I'm sensitive and emotional and cry easily over all things happy or sad. I am a hugger - hugs are good and you can never give or receive too many of them! I don't want to grow up, I rarely act my age, and I still make a lot of mistakes. I'm ok with that, because without mistakes, there is no growth. I am a work-in-progress. I am perfectly imperfect. I am Me. The Hubs and I are living our dream and loving our life on Maui; come take a virtual vacation and visit me at my blog to read about our daily adventures and the things that bring me joy. Mahalo and Aloha!

Blog-Twitter-Facebook-Etsy



Hi. I am Courtney! The 3 most important people in my life are my hubby and 2 wonderful kiddos. I consider myself a spiritual person and try every day to be the best person I can possibly be. I have always been creative, but never pursued it as a full time endeavor until about 1 year ago. I love planning events, surprising others with unexpected gifts and meeting new people. My life is just like anybody else’s I have ups and downs and I use my blog to express myself. The blogging community has been incredibly supportive and I look forward to making new lifelong friends. At the end of the day, I am a very simple person and all I truly need in life is God, Love, my Family, and of course Cute Shoes and Accessories!

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My name is Caroline and I am the crazy person behind the shop Cotton Lane and author of the blog Good Times Never Seem Sew Good. When I'm not blogging about my new life as a newlywed, DIYs, fashion (sort of), and other tid bits, I am either busy creating fresh goodies for my handmade shop or working non-stop at a local fabric store. Are you tired yet? :)

Blog-Shop-Twitter-Facebook

...PS you can still grab a spot to be a sponsor for February!

Sick day.

Being sick is no fun no matter what...but it sure does help to have a loving husband that takes wonderful care of you. Not gonna lie, I pretty much spent all day yesterday on the couch having a Gossip Girl marathon thanks to Netflix. It was just what the doctor ordered.

I'm still not 100% today, but feeling much better than yesterday. I just wanted to say thank you all for the get well wishes...you all are the best! I feel so blessed to have so many lovely people in my life, even if some of you I may never meet in real life...

Introducing Ranger.

Ranger is a band from Nashville that you all need to hear! They have a very unique sound that left me wanting more...

How long has Ranger been a band? 

Ranger has been together since 2009.

What makes Ranger's musical style unique?
Well, it's interesting you ask that because Ranger's sound has developed so much since our first release.This next album will really harness Ranger's personality. I would even venture to call our first release more of a demo and this will be our first real record.The music and vocals are much more ambient and haunting. There is a strong emphasis on guitars and unique rhythms. Things have become much more intricate and dynamic.

What do you all hope to achieve with the recording of your new album?
As I mentioned above, this new record will be a definition of who we are as a band and where I am as a songwriter. My greatest hope is to create a record that we love.

Website-Twitter-Facebook

...so go say hi! Tell them I sent you...and if you'd like to be a sponsor for February I still have spots available! More info here.

Life Lately via Instagram.

Dave and I did a run at our new gym here...I'm not usually one to run on a treadmill (hate it), but for the first time ever I was able to watch TV while I ran...Two And a Half Men (the Charlie Sheen reruns) sure did make the time go faster :)

Tuesday was a two cup of tea kind of day. I am loving Yogi's "perfect energy" tea in vanilla spice...

Top knot and second cup of tea, this time Tazo's organic chai spiced black tea mmm...

Bird love.

Merlot. Oh yes.

Dave and I finally invested in a set of pots and pans. Thank you to everyone who sent me suggestions and ideas! We went with Emeril's all-clad try-ply set, can't wait to try it out some more :)

Siiiiiick.

...If you're on instagram, please find me! My username is mallorieowens.

Linking up with A Good Life and Story of my Life

Help!

Happy Friday!! I'm in shock that the weeks are still flying by. I honestly thought they would slow down a little after the new year (silly me), and yet here we are almost to February!

Speaking of the wonderful month of love, I just realized today that Dave and I's birthdays are both less than two weeks away (mine is the 6th and his is the 9th)...so I hope you've already picked out what to get us ;) I kid, I kid.

But seriously, I'm having a hard time trying to top one of my surprises for Dave last year. I did a card shower and had family and friends (including twitter and facebook people) send him cards/pictures...it was such a fun surprise and he had no idea! But if any of you have ideas like this or for inexpensive gifts (I have some ideas in mind, but I always love hearing what you all come up with) let me know.

Email me at homeiswithyoublog (at) gmail (dot) com with gift ideas

instead of commenting because he will read them- 

Dave likes to find stuff like that out while I love surprises :)

*Also if anyone knows where I can get a "special plate" like the one pictured above let me know! Last year I was able to borrow the one my Mom always used for our family, but since we're in Texas now I need one of my own :)

DIY Recipe cards.

This is for those of you that are like me and love to find amazing recipes in magazines. I always rip them all out and then they go in a folder never to be seen again. Not anymore!

These cards are so simple, yet a beautiful way to display the recipes you've found. I am a very visual person, so I usually don't make recipes unless I can see what the end product looks like first. These are perfect for that...

What you'll need~

a stack of unlined 4x6 note cards (and a few lined)

 magazines (or pages you've ripped out from them)

double sided tape (photo safe kind so it doesn't age the magazines)

scissors

pen

First trace the picture of the recipe and cut it out.

Cut out the ingredients/directions and tape them on one side of the note card.

Tape the picture of the food on the other side. If the directions won't all fit on one side of the card, you can just tape the rest of it on top of the picture side. Use the few lined note cards you have to write down recipes that just won't fit on the card when you cut it out.

Voila! Admire you're pretty new recipe cards...

These cards are so easy, although a little time consuming if you've gathered as many recipes as I have. But from now on it will be easy for me to add more! Now I just need a pretty recipe box for them to go in...

Introducing Ruthanne with an E.

Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to the sweet Ruthanne of "Ruthanne with an E". She is a pretty sweet 16 year old who writes about her passion for Christ, love for vintage, shares some of her music, and lots of fun pics along the way.

...you can find her blog here.

Today you get to find out a little more about her...

What made you start a blog?

I think it definitely was a long time coming. I've never been the journal writing type, or much of a writer, for that matter. but then I reached a point where no one I knew shared any of the same interests - other than music - and I wanted to talk about them with someone. Enter: Ruthanne with an E. I created my blog not with the intention of gaining a following, but with the intention of sharing my thoughts, hobbies, and opinion on things. I wanted it to be my corner, and I wanted people, if they stumbled upon it, to enjoy what I wrote or shared.

I saw you posted the first video of you singing one of your songs, gorgeous voice by the way, who are some of the artists that inspire you?

Thank you so very much! I've definitely been inspired by a lot of people. Adele is one of them. She's very real, raw, and not afraid to be out there. She plays the piano, too, which was an obvious plus. John Mayer has also inspired me - not him as a person, at all, but his ability to write such fantastic lyrics - they are such a big part of a song - and need to be great for the song to truly be great, and I love artists who write their own songs. Yet another reason I love Adele, as well. There are others, but those are two of the more prominent inspirations behind my music.

I know you have a love of all things vintage, what is your favorite vintage thing that you own or want to own?

Oh, definitely my vintage pyrex collection!! I absolutely adore using it in the kitchen, makes making anything happier, in my opinion - but I also love getting new pieces and wondering how many thanksgivings they attended - or birthday dinners. How many times it had almost been broken. Sounds absolutely strange, I know! I also love that it's a useful collection, too though. I know I will most definitely use all of the pieces in my house some day, and that alone makes me happy!

...ok friends, you know the drill, go show Ruthanne some love! 

And if you're interested in becoming a featured ad (or sponsor)

for February go here for more info!

Breakfast lately...

I tend to get on kicks when it comes to breakfast, and lately it's been toast. I try to get creative and make it a little different every day. Here are some of my most recent breakfast creations, all on whole wheat toast...

homemade nut butter and banana

hummus and feta cheese

hummus, havarti cheese, and roma tomatoes

 Linking up with  The Paper Mama, And Then She {Snapped}, Project Alicia, Live and Love Outloud, Angry Julie Monday, Naptimemomtog, Jenni from the Blog, and A Little King and I...

Wash their feet.

It's a rainy day in Austin and we are loving it. Dave could enjoy cloudy/rainy days all the time, but I need the sunshine...a rainy day is welcome every once in awhile though :) Earlier, as I was looking out at the rain, my eyes glanced at one of my favorite decorations my Mom gave me a few years ago...

Whether you read the Bible or not, we all know the verse...but do we really take it all in?

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

~1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

Do you practice these with your significant other? During our wedding ceremony, our pastor gave us two small towels and told us to always remember to "wash each others feet". Dave and I immediately took this to heart and strive to do this daily...

Back in the day when actual foot washing was necessary, people usually washed their own feet or had a servant do it for them. If someone, who wasn't a servant or slave, did this for another person it was an incredibly rare and humbling experience. Today we can practice this by doing little acts of service for each other.

If you ask me, in a relationship it's the little things that matter the most. Dave and I try to "wash each others feet" in the simplest of acts: making tea for the other when we make some for ourselves (and remembering just how they like it), letting them have the last piece of pizza (when you really really want it), giving a backrub (even when you're extremely tired), etc.

Obviously there are bigger things you can do for your significant other, but it's the smaller things that make up day to day life. If we just remember to do this...

...it can encompass so many of the things mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13. If we go about our days thinking how we can wash their feet it makes us a little more patient, a little more kind, and much less self seeking.

Introducing Darby of Underground Vintage.

Today I am very excited to introduce you all to Darby of Underground Vintage! This busy Mama runs an in-store and online shop full of adorable stuffed animals, gorgeous wreaths, pretty pillows, and much more.

You can check out her shop here.

She also writes a blog that has lots of fun DIY projects and little tidbits about the shop and herself. Personally, I love reading more about people like her who went for their dreams and are using their talents.

You can read more here.

How did Underground Vintage get started?

Underground Vintage was born in 2010 after I had dug out my dust covered sewing machine to make a handmade gift for a friend. I had forgotten how much I loved to create and it soon became a realization that I could turn an old passion for sewing and vintage textiles into a business. Underground started in my parents basement, moved to my home, and then finally became an official studio and shop in an old shoe factory in my hometown. (the factory is home to over 20 local artists you can see pictures from my website) My sewing machine has not stopped since and I couldn't be happier. It is a truly humbling experience to create goods with your hands that people cherish and love.

What’s your favorite item in the shop?

To pick one item in my shop as a favorite is tough. I love love love making the little animals and babies because each one of them turn out so differently. I don't use patterns for ANYTHING so as I work on them I sometimes laugh out loud at their features as they come together. I also love the paper wreaths. I just find them so intriguing, and intricate and they too all look differently when they are finished. I also love them because they can be a personal gift for someone. I have done wreaths with sheet music from weddings, a broadway play, and vintage hunting magazines. Handmade gifts are the BEST!

Do you have any advice for others with a handmade business or those looking to start one?

Number 1: Never give up on your dreams! If there is something you want to do or accomplish you will find a way to make it happen. I still work a full time job, am a mommy, a wife, girl scout leader and run my studio and shop. Yes I am busy, but I have had more fun and met so many wonderful people in the last two years that it has changed my life.

Number 2: Network! Don't be afraid to email, leave blog comments, and reach out to other artists and crafters that are where you want to be with your business. I have been so humbled and surprised by the response that I have gotten from bloggers that have huge numbers of followers. (I never dreamed they would have time for little o'l me) but they have proved me wrong time and time again. I have "met" some really wonderful and inspiring people who have been a constant source of encouragement for me. So please please reach out to others!

...great advice huh? Make sure to go show Darby some love!

Gameday fun...

Yesterday my team (University of Kansas) played my new state/city's team (University of Texas) so Dave and I thought it would be fun to get out and go watch the game somewhere. I was brave and wore a blue KU three quarter sleeve shirt with my new crimson slouchy beanie from Modcloth (thanks Dad!)...had to sport my teams colors, even if it meant getting the side eye and angry glances a few times...

After the game, and another win by my Jayhawks (ROCK CHALK!), we headed to the magical land of IKEA. We hadn't been since we lived in Maryland almost two years ago and I forgot how much I loved this place...

It was a wonderful day spent out with my man...even if we were supposed to be home unpacking, oops. We've made up for that today though! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and are enjoying your Sunday :)

Best nut butter...ever.

That's right I said it. Last night I made homemade nut butter for the first time, and now I'm wondering why it took me so long. I'm sure you're all aware of my health nut tendencies by now and since it is so much healthier (and cheaper) to make your own nut butter I'm ashamed to say this was my first time. And guys, it turned out SO tasty! But that's because I added a little something special ;)

Here's what I did...

First I took 2 cups of mixed nuts (make sure to get some without any crazy ingredients, just nuts and sea salt) and roasted them in the oven for 6 minutes at 350 degrees. Make sure to take out your baking sheet and shake them around a bit every couple of minutes to avoid getting them burnt.

I then put the nuts in my little food processor and added 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil on top. I blended for a few minutes and when it started to get chunky I added an additional 1/2 tsp oil and continued to blend.

Once it started to get creamier, I added a some honey on top (I just squeezed a ring around the top of the nut butter). With the honey try to make sure you get Grade A honey, that is the honey that is the most natural and all that good stuff. Blend for another minute or so to mix in the honey and get it to your desired texture.

I like mine creamy, but still a little crunchy too.

Store it in an air tight container in the fridge. I put mine in an old salsa jar...because recycling is cool ya'll :) Enjoy!

Awkward yet AWESOME!

I know jalapenos don't seem like the normal choice for my morning toast, but they are just so good!

Awkward~

*So I'm pretty embarrassed to admit this one, but it's totally not by choice so here goes...I haven't gotten to shower since we moved down here to Austin. There. I said it. They couldn't turn on the gas until today, which meant no hot water. And believe me, I tried my darndest to take a shower and a bath without it, but this water isn't just lukewarm...it is ice cold.
(UPDATE: as of 3:00 we now have hot water!!!)

*The maintenance man came in to fix a few things that they didn't get a chance to before we moved in, since we took the place so quickly, and he walks in with the tiniest ladder ever. Yet, even after I show him the first thing he needs to fix is at the top of the vaulted ceiling, he still proceeds to climb up said tiny ladder before coming to the conclusion that he does indeed need a taller ladder. Sweet sweet man, but hilarious nonetheless.

*Being the pastiest person in Austin, as I'm about to be as I head out for a run in this amazing 80 degree weather...hope I don't blind anyone!

Awesome~

*MOVING TO AUSTIN!!! I can't even express how excited we are to be here. I got butterflies in my stomach the other night when we bought some books and the bag said Austin, TX and I thought to myself, "We live here!" Seriously out of all the other new places I've lived in the past 3 years I have never gotten that feeling...and I love it.

*The forecast for the week being in the 70's...in January. I know, I know this still has to do with living in Austin, but come on now- I was freezing back home and the high here today is 79. Seventy-nine people.
*Finding out they still sell one of my fav beers down here (they didn't in Kansas)

*My Jayhawks! If you follow college basketball at all you know my team has been killing it (as always), I'm just so excited about this team and can't wait to see what happens come March.

...speaking of anyone know of a fun place to watch the Kansas/Texas game here in Austin on Saturday? Dave and I thought it would be fun to find somewhere in town to watch it since the game is here, let me know if you have any ideas!

This...

This is the mess that I'm tackling at the moment. It actually looks a little better since I took this picture, but there is still a lot of work to be done. The mess doesn't really bother me at the moment though because I'm just so excited to get our new place all decorated and feeling homey :)

What are you tackling today?

The Move.

After about 2 hours of sleep (Dave didn't get any), I woke up at 4 am to help finish loading the truck. My Mom stopped by with Starbucks and my Dad brought us some bagels from Panera...how sweet are they? We were on the road by about 8.

After driving all day and no sleep we hit Ft. Worth at about 4. We were tired, hungry, and grouchy to say the least. I talked Dave into checking hotwire to see if there was a good deal for a hotel nearby, since I knew we wouldn't be in Austin in time to get our place that day and we would have to get a hotel anyway, I figured why not now. It was the best decision ever. We ordered some food to our room and went to bed, it was glorious.

The next morning we got up early and finished the three hour drive to Austin. We were able to get into our apartment that day and they had a two bedroom available in our price range! So exciting. Once we got everything all set up and were just waiting on the paper work to go through we headed for some food because we were starving. Dave and I found this little family owned authentic Mexican restaurant (my fav) and we will definitely be going back...

We are already loving it here in Austin and feel so at home in Texas! I can't wait to explore the city some more.