Please don’t mind the mess!!  Working on a lot of things over here.

Check back in about a week for a fresh new facelift!

Thanks!

Remember the mason jar to lantern how-to I did a couple months back?  No?  Then go check it out and come back when you’re ready to move on.

Memory refreshed? Good, let’s go.

I had an idea for this little thing after seeing something on Pinterest.  I wonder if I can turn this into a seasonal project?

I first created this project in the summer using seashells and rocks.  Perfect summer time pieces.

Well, now its Fall.  My absolute favorite season.  So, when I saw a similar idea made with leaves, I knew I had to do it.  

Its a super easy, festive way to spruce up your home or office for the season.  

Just go grab some colorful leaves form the yard and a hot glue gun.  Try to find ones that aren’t yet crunchy, though.  Empty out your mason jar and, one at a time, use the hot glue to stick them and cover the jar.

Just add a little tea light, and there you have it.  A lantern fit for Fall.

I love the glow it puts off.  So pretty.

Do you have any DIY perfect for the season?  Well, don’t hold out on us!  Share!!!

With the big{ish} day right around the corner, I’m still a bit undecided as to how I will wear my hair.  I know I want a more natural almost messy look but that only slightly narrows the field.

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The options are endless.  Down, up, or halfway?  Straight or curled?  Pony or bun? Braids?

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You see what I mean?  And as to the accessory?  I’m still in a little debate there, as well.  I had planned on making something using black eyed Susans, alas, I cannot find a faux flower I am happy with.

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Lilie’s hair will be a breeze, though.  Lucky little thing.  Those curls are pretty much cake to dress up.  I’m actually working on her hair piece right now.  We’ll see how that goes.

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For now, I guess I’ll just keep playing around with it and scouring the net {i.e. Pinterest} for more inspiration.

In other news, I’ve completed Lilie’s dress and I pick mine up from alterations this weekend.  Billy’s outfit is all complete, minus the suspenders.

Have you ran across any hair styles you think might work?  Post the links below.  I need all the help I can get!   Thanks, loves!

Who loves Michelle Branch?  *hand raised* I do, I do!  Please tell me I’m not the only fan.  I’ve always loved her music.

I remember riding the senior van on the way home from away games during my soccer years.  I’d lean over against the window with my totally awesome CD player letting the road lull me. 

Well, I looked her up on YouTube the other day and guess what I found.  A new video.  It was posted back in August and I’m a little excited to share it.

So, for today’s Musical Monday, here’s Michelle Branch with Loud Music.

Enjoy!

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Dearest readers! I have a little secret to share with you, today.  “Why am I sharing my secret? “ you ask.  Well, it was supposed to be a secret.  And we did pretty good until recently.

 Billy and I have been working on some plans.  Secret plans.  An elopement tucked inside a family vacation.

 Yep.  You got it.  I’m getting married in two and a half weeks.  Under the gorgeous, moss-covered oaks of a park in downtown Charleston.

 I, apparently, dropped some clues on accident, though.  My mom and grandmother put the pieces together and tried to plan a secret of their own.

 Turns out, someone couldn’t keep their secret very well, either

 The weekend after we get home, they are holding a reception/celebration of our marriage.  Even though I found out early, I’m surprised, so excited and so thankful.  And I get to help out with the planning a little.

 It won’t be anything big or fancy.  Just something simple, sweet and informal {much like us}.

 So, if I seem a little distant over the next couple weeks, I hope you’ll understand.  I’ll be busy putting the final touches on some awesome things {not to mention school}.

 And, yes, I’ll continue to share our inspiration and ideas.

Eek! I’m getting married in two and a half weeks!!

Morning, dears.  I’m feeling a bit under the weather, so I’m going to keep things short and sweet today.  I was severed hot echinacea tea in bed and  barely made it to class.

The rest of the day will consist of laying around, soup and movies.

For today’s Musical Monday feature, I have a little something by Snow Patrol.

Enjoy!

Happy Friday, friends!  The weeks sure do seem to just zoom by, now that school is in full swing.  Its crazy.  It helps when Billy is able to be at home with us, though.

He’s been having a lot of pain in his hip {like an old man needing a hip replacement}.  We went down to the VA hospital in Nashville, Monday, to get it looked at and after five hours, they couldn’t tell him anything.  Talk about a big fat waste of time.

He did, however, get to take a week off from work so let his body rest and heal some.

So, here I am linking up to Lindsay’s Little Things Party, again.  I’ve had lots of little smiles this week {and lots of big}.  Won’t you let me share just a few?

I’ve loved the extra family time we’ve been able to share this week.  Watching my Illies laugh and play together warms my heart like nothing else.
 

For months, now, I’ve had a big ugly crack running across Lulu’s windshield.  Well, I finally talked to the right person and was able to get it fixed…withOUT the big bill.  Cha-ching.

We’ve been living near this really cool place for a while.  Its called Lost River Cave.  They have hiking trails and do boat tours into this neat little cave.  Every chance we think of it and have the time to go, its recently rained.  That causes the water to rise too high for tours.

Well, we finally remembered on a pretty sunny day.  So we did it!  They have a great gift shop full of locally made crafts and goodies.  Lilie thought it was the coolest thing ever.

Who loves Olive Garden?  I love Olive Garden.  Its easily one of my very favorite restaurants.  And one of my favorite dishes is they chicken and gnocci soup.  So, I looked it up and found a copy-cat recipe.

It was sooo good.  I made it for dinner last night, using all fresh veggies.  It was a perfectly chilly day for it, too.

This morning, we took Bogie to school with Lilie.  Today is her day to be Student of the Day.  So, she was allowed to choose one thing to bring from home to share with the class.  A kind of show-and-tell thing.

She chose to take Bogie.  We gave him a bath last night to make she he was looking his best and loaded him up in the car this morning.  None of which made him happy.

Lilie was thrilled.
 

So, my week went swimmingly. How was yours?

In the comment section, share one thing that made you smile this week.  Can’t wait to hear from you!

P.S.  We are taking a family vacation to Charleston in October.  I’m looking for guest posts to share while I’m away.  Let me know if you’re interested.

In my favorite class {ok, so I love them all}, we are getting together our resumes and coming up with a self promotion campaign.

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Anything that showcases me and the skills I possess.  Something I can give a possible employer.  Something to give them a pretty good idea of my style and skill.

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There’s an array of options one could create for this task.  Anywhere from an interactive website showcasing my design and portfolio to a printed poster or brochure.  But it must be my design and scream volumes about me as a professional.

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To narrow down the options and get a better idea of what it is I need to be carving out, I decided to turn to my trusty Google search engine.  I poured over tons of images and examples of others attempting the task.

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The possibilites are endless. 

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Today, we need to be prepared with a concept.  I’ve decided I want to design a postcard.  Front and back.  I have a couple layouts in mind and can’t wait to run them past the teach’.

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The good thing about a postcard is that you send/receive it via snail mail.  You think, “but it will take forever to arrive.”  Yes, but when was the last time you recieved a genuine postcard in the mail?  Even junk mail gets at least a glance when passed through snail mail.  Right?  

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Email tends to be looked over and papers tend to get filed away with every thing else.  A unique and personal postcard will make you stop.

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So, I feel the vehicle, alone, will pack some punch.  Now, I just have to get my design skills to pull their load, and I may just be on to something.

I’ll keep you posted, in the mean time.

Have you ever had to promote yourself for anything?  A job or maybe a leadership position?  What sort of means did you use to boost your favor?

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One of my favorite Fall accessories are scarves.  I love ‘em.  I mean, what’s not to love?  They’re cozy, warm and completely stylish.

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Another perk: they look cute in more places than just your neck.  A bag, around your waist, around boots and as part of your hairstyle.  I’ve seen more and more girls wearing them on their head, here lately.  Scarves, ribbons, and headbands that look like scarves and ribbons.

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What I love about this look is that you can wear it messy or in a more put-together look.

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I love this one above because of the red hair and the fact that I have a shirt that would match her scarf perfectly.

You can find a way to make it work with almost any type of style.  And their great for bad hair and/or dirty hair days.

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I recently bought a warm-colored headband that looks like a scarf have wore it very similar to this way a few times.  I love how put together it can look, with very little effort.  Plus, it gets my hair off my neck and out of my way.

What do you think about the scarf trend?  I, personally, like it {obviously}.  Have you tried it yet?  Take a picture and share it!  I’d love to do another post featuring the different ways you rock your hair scarf.  

Email your photos by Saturday {September 15} at 8:00pm.  Can’t wait to hear from you!

Morning!  And a beautiful one, it is.  A little chilly and a bit foggy, but just right.  I’ve gotten Lilie off to school and am now just sitting around the table drinking coffee with my Dad and Teeyl {aka the not-so-wicked stepmom}.

We had a pretty good weekend.  Visiting, The Help, hot tubs, go karts, family and food.  Oh yeah! And *the* dress came in.  I need to find some one who’s good at alterations, though.  

On with our Monday traditions.  Today, I have another song from Kate Nash.  Its called Nicest Thing. It does have more of a saddish tone to it, but I do really like the song.  I think a lot of us girls have been in the same position.  I know I’ve been there, anyway.

But the video is cute and the artist is one of a my faves, so there.

So, here we go.  Another Kate Nash for your Musical Monday.

Enjoy, friends!!