Cheers to Friday...

Happy Friday my loves! How was everyone's week? Not too crazy, I hope! I know this time of year can be a whirlwind while we all try to adjust to a new schedule. It has been here, that's for sure.

The start of school makes my heart ache for cooler temperatures, falling leaves, changing colors, jackets, and football games. I miss having a game to go to every weekend. I can't wait until Dave and I have kids and are able go cheer them on at all of their sporting events...

Until then, I'll just light my hazelnut cream candle and sip on my pumpkin beer (or latte, depending on the time of day) and pretend fall is already here.

August Sponsor Intro!

I'm very excited to introduce to you these two lovely ladies today! One is a fabulous Storenvy shop owner with the some gorgeous statement pieces, the other is a woman on a mission to lose weight who has done an amazing job so far. Make sure to check them out!

VIA

Hi! I'm Luciana and I own Fashionista Bazaar. A jewelry and accessories online shop. Our pieces are made exclusively in Brazil!

Fashionista Bazaar started about a year ago, I used to do consignment parties when I took trips down to Brazil and called them "Fashionista Bazaar". On my last trip there, I met this amazing jewelry designer and fell in love with her pieces and I wanted to bring some pieces back with me. I knew right there and then that I wanted to turn Fashionista Bazaar into a legitimate business and turned it into an online store.

I've always wanted to be independent and run my own business. It does take a lot of hard work, though. But the reward and appreciation make it all worthwhile. Making my customers happy is my number one priority. The wonderful thing about owning a small business is the fact that you can get to know your customers and make sure that each one of them gets the customer service and attention they deserve.

Shop ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest

Girl on a Mission

My blog is my straight-forward, honest documentation of my weight loss trials and tribulations. The ups and downs [in lbs, waist size, motivation and attitude]. Things may get a little inappropriate or may be light and fluffy (no pun intended). I throw in a bit of life and my personality. But this is me and this is my way of keeping this journey going. I am unique because I am honest and just being me.

Blog  ~ Facebook  ~ Twitter

If you're interested in being a sponsor for September I have spots available here!

Shop Days...

This week I've been working on updating the shop. I love when I get time to be creative in a different way while I come up with new headband designs. This week I've also been working on a new way to package the pretties that I get to send out and I'm so excited to send the first one out this week! The new packages will contain a fun little surprise in each one...get excited...

I'm also always updating with new photography prints and I am so humbled by the fact that you all love them so much. It really means the world to me. If there is ever a picture you see here on the blog that you'd like to see available as a print, just let me know! I'd be happy to add it for you.

What's your favorite item in the shop? I'd love to hear...

Photoshoot with Libbie...the dog.

Spend a few minutes at my Mom and Step-Dad's house and you will quickly learn that Libbie (their chihuahua) is not just a pet to them. She's their daughter. It's quite hilarious, they call each other Mom/Dad and get upset when Starbucks is out of treats for her because, "She was expecting one". It's too cute.

At least it's cute until someone buys them a "doggy stroller" and they use it to walk her around downtown Denver. Yeah, that happened. They have pictures to prove it with her big chihuahua ears sticking out of the stroller. If nothing else, it's a good source of entertainment for us human kids to poke fun at our parents about.

All kidding aside, I really love little Libbie. I have always been a big dog lover...as in Golden Retrievers, Collies, etc. I never thought I'd be someone who wanted a little dog, but Libbie changed all of that. She is so sweet and little and curls right up in your lap, it's the best. I still want a Golden Retriever, but maybe someday I'll have a little dog too...

Bring out any camera: my big Canon, iphone, point and shoot...it doesn't matter...this is the face Libbie will give you. She knows what you're up to and she wants nothing to do with it.

Then she tries the duck-down method. Celebrity style. Sorry Libbie, I can still see you.

Finally my Mom brought out some treats so we at least got her to look over me. She's got her eye on the prize.

By the end, she was done playing nice. This is her screw you face. Little princess was SO over picture time.

New Winners!

Ok, here's the deal. I think we are all sick of the heat and busy out of our minds this time of year and it's leaving us with not much energy to surf the internet. I get it, I really do. But people, claim your prizes! I said earlier today that it was the last day for the previous winners and I still didn't receive any emails, so without further ado, here are the two new lucky ladies...

I'm ready to curl up like Libbie with Fall temps outside and a good book inside. 

Mother nature isn't listening though, pretty sure it was hotter today. Blech. 

PS~ Hope you're not sick of chihuahua pics, 

because there is a lot more of that cuteness coming at you tomorrow.

Blogger Design Package~ Brooke Houston

Teilla Necklace~ Ameryn

Email me please ladies! Don't make me pick another winner, although I'm sure if you're not one of these two you're hoping I'll have to. :)

A weekend in Instagram pics...

After spending the rest of last week trying to get back on a normal schedule and in the groove of things this weekend has been packed full of projects around our place, Dave's show last night, and a few Lost episodes (we just started watching them from the beginning on Netflix, neither of us has watched the show before and now we're HOOKED)...

Above you see:
-The best way to start the day: breakfast/brunch tacos and orange juice.
-Beers, friends, live music, and sweet sunshine...what more do you need?
-New 'do.
-Busted out my hazelnut cream candle so I can pretend it's already fall. A little wishful thinking never hurt, right?
-Light of my life.

How was your weekend?

Linking up with A Good Life, Silver Lining, and Life Rearranged...

To...

Dear Fall,
I know I told summer I wasn't ready for it to go, but I lied. After I experienced a taste of you in Wichita I'm beyond ready for you to come to Austin.

Dear Wichita,
You spoiled me with friends, family, and lots of good food and drinks. I'm having a hard time returning to reality.

Dear school supplies,
Stop being so appealing. I want to buy you all but I can't, so your cute displays and designs are no good to me.

Dear Office,
Prepare yourself for a total cleansing. You are next on my "one room at a time" project and it's going to be intense.

Dear Husband,
I'm so happy I have someone to laugh with, about the good times and the bad. You make ever moment that much better.

Dear books,
I'm so sorry I've neglected you, I will be spending a lot more time with you starting...now.

Love,

Mal

Funk city...

This is how I've been feeling since we got back from our trip...

My Mom and Step-Dad's adorable chihuahua (more fun pics of her to come).

Tired, out of it, and in a funk. We had such an amazing trip packed full of precious moments with our family and friends, but our schedule while we were there was all over the place (sleep wise). The drive back was just the cherry on top. We left at 10pm Monday night and got to Austin about 7am and slept until about 1pm Tuesday afternoon. We've been thrown off ever since. I don't even know what day it is!

How is everyone else doing this week? Anyone else a little out of it? Hope you all have been having a great one!

Introducing Becky at From Mrs. to Mama...

 Hey everyone! I didn't plan on taking a break from the internet the whole time we were in Wichita, but it just kind of worked out that way. It was really nice to disconnect for a bit, but now I am behind on some stuff! While I work on catching up with everything, I asked Becky who writes at From Mrs. to Mama a few questions for you all to get to know her better. Make sure to show her some love...

1. What was the hardest/best part about the transition from Mrs. to Mama?

Hardest part is just learning how to juggle everything in my life. From my home, to my job, to my husband. Eventually, I figured out that by switching to night shift {I work in an ICU unit as a critical care nurse}, it was the first step in balancing my life. Since then, in time, I have learned little tips and tricks. Now? I feel like I have things figured out. It only took me two years :)

2. Congrats on number two on the way! I saw you're expecting a boy this time around, what's the thing you're most excited about the idea of adding a boy to the mix?

I am excited to see what he looks like! My daughter has blonde hair and blue eyes and is a carbon copy of her mama {minus the blonde hair}. I envision a dark skinned, dark haired, blue eyed baby boy that looks identical to my husband. I'm excited about the idea of my daughter having a brother. Excited about the thought of me having a mama's boy. My husband a son to play sports with. There are so many exciting things about adding a boy into our little family, but most of all it's just the biggest blessing of all.

3. If you could give one piece of advice to new bloggers, what would it be?

Be yourself. Blog for you. Write about what you love, and what you don't. What you did and what you didn't. Don't compare yourself and your blog to others. Give yourself time. It doesn't all just happen over night. But if you have a story? If you connect? Your blog will grow.

Now go say hi...

From Mrs. to Mama

 

Catching up, Instagram style...

I've missed you all! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend (yes, I am aware that it is now Tuesday)...while I frantically catch up, here are some things I've been up to, according to my Instagram.

Above you see:
-Happy Hour with this pretty lady.
-Weeping over a wedding workshop on CreativeLive.
-Perfect sunset for pictures.
-Our oldest nephew started Kindergarten on Friday and it made me all emotional, I'm going to be a mess when Dave and I have kids!
-Preparing for a show at Potbelly's.
-Yoga always makes me feel like a new woman.
-A sandwhich for the road.
-Two birds fighting like an old married couple.
-My view: camera, iphone with the square, albums, and Dave...all at Whole Foods Headquarters.
-Ending an indulgent weekend with a bang. Worth it.

Above you see:
-Wedding time! And I am SMITTEN with this necklace c/o Becoming Jewelry! It has a circle with a D, one with an M, and a heart. ♥
-Mr. and Mrs. Scott and Katy Timken!
-Tea and chats with my Mama.
-Later in the evening we moved on from tea to wine. Perfect day.

---
The winner of the Blogger Design Package is Lesli Sieminski. Congrats! Email me!

And I never heard from the Teilla necklace winner, so the new winner is Courtney Anne! Congrats and make sure to email me!

Take it from a pro...

As I'm sure you all know by now, Dave and I are always traveling. Whether it's just a few hours drive or halfway across the country, I've gotten used to car trips and in the process I've become a pretty good packer. I used to forget something important every time I traveled, but now that I have a running list of "must-have" items when we go anywhere and I don't usually end up forgetting anything. Fingers crossed.

So today I thought I'd share a few of the things that I never leave town without, since Dave and I are headed up to Wichita this weekend for a friend's wedding...

-EmergenC: because your immune system is usually compromised while traveling, especially if you're hopping a flight.

-Tea wallet full of assorted teas.
-Statement rings: to spice up any outfit and take it from day to night.
-Magazines and books: to read on the flight (or in the car if you don't get car sick like I do, which is a major bummer). And for if you get time to lounge at the pool.
-Nail polish remover.
-Nail polish: usually the color I'm currently wearing (for touch ups) and another color for longer trips, plus my "Out the Door" rapid dry, so I don't have to wait hours for the nails to dry.
-Hair products: especially hair spray, since my hair can get crazy and you never know what the air will do to your hair in a new place.
-Yoga DVD: in case I get a chance to squeeze in a workout. It's a great way to de-stress after driving or flying a long way.
-Swimsuit: because even in the cold winter months there is always a pool at the hotel.
-Sunglasses: I never leave home without them. Ever.

Orange Floral Tea Wallet: c/o Flightless Bird Design

And I have to take a moment to talk about what an amazing invention this tea wallet is! Why didn't I think of this? I take my tea with me everywhere I go and it is usually such a pain. I always try to just grab a box of it and the box ends up crumbling and tea is strewn all over my bags, but not anymore!

My tea fits so nicely in this thing and not to mention it's an adorable print. I just love it. There lots of other fun prints and sizes to choose from on Flightless Bird Design's shop, go check them out!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! PS~ for those that haven't seen on twitter, I know a lot of people (myself included) had a rough week, so to make up for it I'm offering 20% off all ads through the weekend! Just use the code "HUGS". Grab a spot (or two)! Oh and don't forget to enter the giveaway for a Blog Design Package!

Never too old...

What have you been dreaming of and setting goals for lately? I'd love to hear...

What I Wore: Potbelly's Style

Usually for Dave's Friday shows at Potbelly's I try to dress cute but casual, since it is a sandwich place. That's perfect since it's Friday afternoon in the middle of this very hot summer, it's nice to be able to throw on some shorts and a tank and call it a day...

Ring: c/o Call of Earth // Bag: JoTotes // Tank and cardi: Old Navy (forever ago)

I finally got a pic of the Mediterranean Sandwich I was telling you all about. So good. After that first show Dave's been getting it too...what can I say, I know my food.

The ring shown above from Call of Earth has quickly become a favorite. I love that it's not too flashy, but it can dress up a casual outfit. It's handwoven and so gorgeous. Sometimes I find myself staring at it trying to figure out how in the world she put that thing together. It's seamless and I love the way it sparkles in the sun.

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy, Rolled Up Pretty, The Paper Mama, Project Alicia, Live and Love Outloud, Angry Julie Monday, and Jenni from the Blog...

Blog Design Package Giveaway!

Today the sweet Hanna from Beautiful is giving one of you a blog makeover! She has some super cute designs and if you can't afford to hire someone and you can't figure out the dang html on your own, this is an awesome giveaway. Here's what the package includes...

Pretty great, right?

Here are a few of the blogs Hannah's already designed...

I love them both!

So if you're in need of a blog makeover, make sure to enter! Giveaway will be closing next Monday night...good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

PS~ the winner of the Topaz Stone Necklace from Teilla is Tara Elias! Congrats and shoot me an email!

From Where I stand...

From where I stand...

...life is pretty great. No matter what life throws our way we are so blessed 

and I feel so lucky to have Dave by my side through it all.

...we all need to complain less and love more.

...photography has taken over my days and I couldn't be happier about it. 

This has been a huge learning season for me and I can't wait to learn even more.

...self doubt is a nasty monster and it creeps up every now and then.

There will always be someone "better" than us, but if we work hard enough we too can get there.

...the future looks pretty amazing.

Dear Summer...

Dear Summer,
I know I constantly complain about the heat you brought with you, but I also know I'll miss you when you're gone. Please let this last month go by a bit slower?

Dear green tea,
Thank you for getting me through the days. You make my life brighter and take away my exhaustion. I don't know what I'd do without you.

Dear CreativeLive,
I swear each workshop gets better and I have you to blame for some of my long nights and tired eyes the next day.

Dear sunflowers (shown above),
I'm so happy I found you this week, you were the perfect little reminder of home (Kansas). I was able to catch you in the perfect lighting and it makes my heart smile. For that, some of you will be headed straight to the shop.

Dear Lana Del Rey,
I don't know why I waited to listen to your music, but now that I have I can't stop. Obsession is an understatement.

Dear Husband,
I will never be able to thank you enough for allowing me to pursue my dreams and encouraging me to do things I never thought possible. Thank you for believing in me.

Linking up with Adventures of Newlyweds...

Yo Home Slice!

Home Slice pizza had been one of the places on Dave and I's "must visit" list since we moved here. This past weekend we finally made it down to South Congress to try it for ourselves and see what all the fuss is about. We each had a (HUGE) slice of the Margherita pizza and it was pretty dang good.

If you're in Austin or headed down to visit, I would say check out Home Slice. It's pretty cheap and SOCO is the best place to people watch...it really brings out all the crazies...

What I Wore: Summer Style.

In the summertime I am all about what is cool and comfortable, especially on the days when the heat gets up above 100 degrees. There are days when I don't want to go anywhere at all because I know the second I get in the blazing car I'll immediately regret the decision to leave the air conditioned house. And of course the ac in the car doesn't get to the right temp until you reach your destination...no matter how far away it is.

But enough whining of that, today I'm exciting to show off a tee that is the ultimate summer (or anytime) tee. It is light and oh so soft which makes it just about the only shirt I'll wear outside that has sleeves these days...not to mention it's a Texas shirt with all of the cities written on it. Love it.

Shirt: c/o Tumbleweed TexStyles // Bag: JoTotes (won in a giveaway) // Shorts: Gap

So for the rest of the summer this is how you'll find me. Trying to stay cool and carrying around my new JoTotes bag that I won from Mandy. I can't tell you how excited I am to have a pretty bag that fits all of my purse essentials AND all of my camera gear. Perfection I tell you. So what's your summer style?

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy, Rolled Up Pretty, Two Thirty-Five Designs, The Paper Mama, Project Alicia, Live and Love Outloud, Angry Julie Monday, and Jenni from the Blog...