Thankful Fridays: Rainy Day Edition.

1.  Today.  It's rainy and cold outside, therefore I will be staying in bed with a cup of coffee and a good book and a little fox until further notice.

via

2.  My job.  2014 brought some changes in my job that I am really loving.  To have a job where I can get really into and feel inspired by a project I'm working on is such a huge blessing.

3.  Scandal is back on.  Please tell me you watch this show.

4.  I have a phone consultation with a publicist today.  <---- Quite possibly the coolest sentence about myself I will ever type on this blog.  I can't wait to hear advice about book marketing from a professional!  Any suggestions for questions I should ask her?

5.  Elance.  I've been trying to freelance more lately, and I love it.  It's great experience and wonderful to have extra income.  Whoever thought of the concept of elance is a genius.

What are you thankful for this week? 

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Do something amazing today.

Happy Monday!

How is it already the last Monday of February?  Anyone?

It's no secret that I love making headbands, but these are definitely my favorite things I've ever made.  I've worn one of them pretty much every day for the past two weeks because I love silver, I love gold, and I love not having to wash my hair every day fix my hair.

buy it HERE

I am oh so close to having everything with my book paid for, and I'm trying to wrap things up by selling 80 headbands.  The fact that I have gone from three-hundred and ten to eighty is amazing, and I am so thankful!

Buy it HERE

Buy it HERE

Thank you for reading my blog, for being supportive and buying from my shop, and for giving me a place to chase after my dreams.  If you are reading this, you are incredible and I am so thankful for you!

You can use the code BLOGFRIENDS for 20% off, just because.

Happiest of Mondays to you!  Do something amazing today.

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Thankful Fridays are the Best Fridays.

1.  My husband finally made it home and we were able to celebrate the best Valentine's ever together.  We really do have so much fun together. 

2.  Creative friends.  When the people in your life are creative, that creativity almost always rubs off on you.  Please go look at this gorgeous photo shoot my friend Megan did.  Stunning.  Creative friends inspire each other, and she definitely inspires me.

photograph p/o Megan Elizabeth Photography.

3.  How busy I've been.  Making things, shipping things, freelance work, actual work, repeat, repeat, repeat.  I've been so busy, but it's been busyness that's making money for my book.  I've never worked so hard on anything, I've never been so tired, and I wouldn't change a thing.

4.  My mom.  Because at least once a week I call her with a book update.  It's usually really no different than last few I've called her with, but I get so excited by the whole thing that I have to tell someone.  And she always acts as if it is the biggest deal in the whole world.

"The publisher called and said everything is going smoothly!"

"WHAT?! THAT'S AMAZING!"

She's the best. 

5. This turban headband.  And five other amazing headbands that will be coming your way on Monday. 

What are you thankful for this week?

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Worth approximately 7,000 words.

Also known as: life lately according to instagram. 

This is what any type of computer work looks like these days...

...and I don't mind one bit. 

 Crafting. 

All day, every day. 

 Memphis Tigers with my three favorite guys.

I don't think there has ever been a single photo that sums up our personalities as accurately as this one does. 

My best friends:  the furry and the non-furry versions. 

Happy Wednesday! What's the best thing that's happened to you so far this week?

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Why I love writing.

I believe that with everyone, there are a lot of things you can do that will make you happy.  Making things for my shop makes me happy.  Organizing schedules makes me happy.  Baking makes me happy.  There are a lot of things I could choose to do for the rest of my life and be perfectly happy.

But I believe there is one thing that you were meant to do.  One thing that will make you insanely, exhuberantly happy.  One thing that you were so obviously created to do, that it simply feels like breathing.  One thing that makes you honest to goodness come alive.

this is pretty much all my instagram looks like now.

That's what writing is for me.  What is it for you?

Whatever it is, I hope you choose to do it.  Whether you can make a career out of it or not.  Whether it makes sense to other people or not.  You deserve to do what makes you come alive.

Writing is my one thing.  So, my beautiful friends...what's your one thing?

Ps:  I'm looking for a few bloggers to review my March mystery package!  If you're interested, let me know!

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Thankful Fridays: Valentine's Day.

As I write this, my husband is stuck in the snow in Washington D.C.

So this version of Thankful Fridays is brought to you by a slightly bitter wife.  It happens.

1. For love.  Yeah, yeah.  But it's Valentine's Day and I'm married to the greatest guy in the world and I love him. 

2.  My littlest Valentine. 

Little love of my life, right here.

3. Getting to see my family.  While my husband is stuck in an airport, I've been able to catch up with my family.  It's always fun to get to share conversation over home cooked meals. 

4. Fireplaces.  I'm currently sitting next to one at my parent's house, and it is lovely.  Why oh why does my apartment not come with one of these?

5. Coffee.  And a second cup of coffee.  And a third.  Because when your husband is stuck in an airport somewhere, you don't sleep very good. 

Happy day of love!  I hope you all have the best weekend ever. Pop some bubbly and eat candy hearts until you feel sick. I'll just be over here, bitter at the snow.  Xoxo.

PS:  I'm looking for a few bloggers to review the March mystery package from my shop.  Let me know if you're interested! xo

The internet brings out the worst in people.

Please forgive the sarcastic tone in which this post is worded.  Or don't.  It's all in good fun.  But that doesn't mean it's not true. 

As someone who has friends and family in several different locations, I really do love social media.  But that doesn't mean that there aren't a few phrases that make me want to smash my phone  your phone into a million pieces when they show up in my twitter feed.

"I wasn't going to say anything about this, but..." Nope.  Just stop right there.  When you say this, you're saying "I want to be able to weigh in on the conversation, but I want come across as better than everyone else, because I didn't want to weigh in."  Oh, but you did.

"I am so utterly over _____" Insert popular article.  Blog posts.  Whatever is trending on twitter.  It's a popular topic and you're either a) jealous you didn't think of it before it blew up, or b) tired of reading about it.  This is usually said in a way that makes it seem like a broad, non-threatening statement, but it's obviously about one or two specific people that have gotten a little tweet-happy.  I'm going to tell you something that will change your life:  if you don't like what someone posts about on their own personal social media, delete them.  You'll make the rest of us happy that we don't have to read your passive-aggressive tweets anymore.

"Because everyone else is doing it..." 
I HATE THIS SENTENCE.  Translation:  I actually want to do this, but so many other people did it before me that I feel the need to make a sarcastic comment so I can hold onto some of my hipster integrity.

Get off of my internet.

"Facebook/Twitter/Vine/Instagram is so dumb/annoying/pointless." You don't say!  I always find this one especially humorous, because guess where these people go to vent their frustrations on how stupid social media is?  If you guessed social media, you get a cookie.

I'm going to stop now because really, this could go on forever.  What do you think?  What are some of the most annoying things said on social media?

Happy Monday!

Thankful Fridays: Hobby Lobby & Blueberry Muffins.

Happy Friday!  This week, I'm thankful for: 

1.  Dunkin' Donuts Blueberry muffin coffee.  My house smells like a blueberry muffin right now, and it's pretty amazing.  

2.  The fact that this is what blogging looks like this morning: 

My little buddy.  Also,  yesterday a lot of you asked me what kind dog he is.  He's a Shiba Inu...a breed that I had no idea existed until I laid eyes on Gatsby and knew he was meant to come home with me. 

3.  The Valentine's Day section at Target.  Because pink and gold, that's why.  And because these babies will all be half off starting February 15th, and really...aren't heart shaped bowls perfect for all year long?  

4.  This Emily Freeman quote: 

      "What is your moon, your airplane, your boy-wizard book?  What is your brave lyric, your odd first chapter, your new business motto?  What is your crazy idea?  No, not your perfect idea.  Not your logical, well-planned, power-pointed practical idea.  There's a place for those too.  But many times the most logical ideas start out crazy.  What is your crazy idea and what should you do with it? 

      Maybe you should chase it."  

                     

5.  Trips to Hobby Lobby.  There's not a lot that can put me in a good mood as fast as perusing aisle after aisle of craft supplies can.  Here's the outcome of yesterday's trip: 

You can pre-order it HERE.

What are you thankful for this beautiful Friday?

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Because Laundry Can Wait.

My house is so incredibly messy.

I know we're supposed to put our best face forward in blogland, where other people will read about our lives, but my house is really, really messy.

I have craft stuff from my shop sprawled out in at least three rooms, there are at least three loads of dishes waiting to be done, and I really, really need to do laundry.

But sometimes it's important to know the difference between what you need to do...and what you need to do.  Yes, I need to do laundry.  Dishes.  Vacuum.  But I need to curl up with my pups and drink a cup of tea.  To have a glass of wine with my husband and ask him how his day was.  To ignore the laundry and dishes and mess and just watch a movie together instead.  Really, if my life were over tomorrow, would I regret not doing the laundry?  No.  But I might regret not spending enough time doing the things that really mattered.

So today, I'll enjoy how good this life is.  I'll remember how amazing it is to be married to your best friend.  I'll recall how good it feels to get lost in a book.  I'll remind myself how happy my little fox makes me.  I'll enjoy the day to day.  The little things, and the big things too.

Because laundry can wait.

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All Gold Everything.

And maybe some pink, too.

I know it's a few days late, but the Pretty Lovely Littles February collection is ready, and it's safe to say I'm just the slightest bit obsessed.

I think it's pretty obvious that I was inspired by a certain holiday coming up, but really, how could you not be?  It's the month of love..also known as the only month where you can cover your house in pink and glitter and your husband can't really say anything about it, because hello...you're celebrating a holiday.  I tried to make things that I thought would be perfect for Valentine's Day, but perfect for after Valentine's day, too.  Enjoy! 

pink felt tassel garland///pretty little bouquet///gold riff raff headband///gold and gone with the wind garland

Happy Monday!  Have the best day ever. 

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