Office Update

A R T W O R K.
I finally hung a bit of artwork around my desk. I wanted this to be an inspirational space but, didn't want to spend big bucks. I browsed Pinterest for {free}inspirational artwork and found endless possibilities! Check it out.

{Live your life on purpose} can be found at sarahjanestudios.com
{What you do, the way you think, makes you beautiful} and LOTS more can be found at Make it Perfect
{measure twice, cut once} I can not remember where I got this one. If you know please let me know so I can give credit.

The frames were $7.99 each at Michaels.

Still a work in progress.

Secret Blogger Swap

I love getting mail and getting packages is even better! For the secret blogger swap I was lucky enough to have Samantha at My Peanuts Gang send me some wonderful goodies! She obviously stopped by and learned about my love love love of mint. Check out the thoughtful gift she sent to me.

Love this lemonade pitcher! She packaged everything inside of it. So creative!

Look at all of the goodies she surprised me with - mint nail polish in my favorite brand - adorable earrings - mint chocolate chip gum - and a magnetic notebook! So generous. I can't wait to venture on over to her blog and learn even more about what a great gal she is! If you've never been to The Peanuts Gang blog. Go! Now!

Thanks to Danielle at Framed Frosting for hosting such a fun swap! Can't wait for more in the future!

Sponsor Swap

 This month has flown by and I realized late last week that I hadn't introduced you to these wonderful gals! Each of these lovely ladies offered to sponsor share this month. What that means is - they posted my blog button on their blog in hopes of more people finding out about it. I've had each of their buttons posted on the right hand side of my blog this month. I hope you took sometime to check them out. If not, here is a little more about each one.

Hi there! 

I'm Leigh Anne, and I'm so glad you have found my blog. I'm a small town girl originally from Ohio  with a big heart, and I want to share all of the things that make my heart happy; hence my blog name Hart (my last name) to Heart

This isn't my personal blog but I'd love for all of you to know a little about me!

The best way for you to get to know me is to take a peek at the following past blog posts, which I believe truly will give you the best idea of what I'm about: 

You may not know it, but I am an Army wife

I also live in the grand state of Alaska 

I have a little dog who acts like a cat

My husband and I have a very sweet love story 

I was once in the audiance of the Oprah Winfery show. 

I have struggled with a condition called KP... you might have it too! 

I strive to promote health and fitness and talk about it a lot!

Hey! My name is Beverly, and I'm a 20- something year old gal who is a newborn to the blogging world! I am a native to Southern California... where the sun shines, the smog is thick, the traffic is bumper to bumper, and where you can be in the mountains, beach, forest (ok... Rainforest Cafe), and desert in ONE day!! I "temporarily" live in Oregon, going on for 3 years this July (I know... not so much temporary, but I still tell myself that to get through each day). My fiancé had an amazing opportunity to work with the Strength and Conditioning staff at a university, and we couldn't pass up on this chance for him to gain experience... especially since California was suffering from the recession and it's aftermath!

SO... with that said, here I am! Ready to get started with so much to say! 

Here are a few facts about me if you're wondering more about the gal behind this blog:

1. I have a HUGE family
2. I am a proud parent of two AMAZING dogs... Marley and Moana 
3. I'm on a countdown to gradate with my PhD in Organizational Development
4. I'm on a countdown to marry my lifelong best friend on our 10th year anniversary!
5. I ADORE everything about Lauren Conrad
6. I am obsessed with cleaning... my apartment, my car, my purse... you name it!
7. When my grandma passed away, there were 36 of us grandchildren... AND 
8. 36 is our family jersey number each of us take over in every sport we play!
9. I love scary movies, but have to watch Grease after to make me sleep happy
10. My name is Beverly, and I am addicted to PINTEREST!

Hello!

First I want to start by thanking Laura for swapping with me this month- isn't she great!!

I am Liz! I started blogging just a few days before New Year's and since starting my blog I have had the opportunity to meet many wonderful ladies, increased my tech/internet skills (WOW! I know!) and really found my passion for writing, trying new things and just finding happiness in the simple things.

I am 22 years old and got married last May- our first anniversary is/was May 14th!!! I am spent the last 8 months studying to become a teacher and now I have been unleashed to the real world of grown ups!  I hope to be a high school French/History teacher.  I live in a small town called Spencerville (population 500) in Ontario, Canada.

I enjoy cooking and baking, crocheting, Pinterest (maybe a little too much...), reading, running and of course- blogging! 

Meeting new people is the best part of blogging so please drop on over to my blog and say hello!!

 http://lizslovelylife.blogspot.com/

Hello Readers! My name is Bethany and I run the blog Goldylocksandthebarrows (http://goldylocksandthebarrows.blogspot.com) It is a lifestyle blog about my little family the fun we have together. I am a natural Brunette, but when I started the blog I was a Blonde, hence Goldy. I love to try and put funny stuff in with a little bit of realness. I post 3 solid days a week, sometimes more, because I am a Stay at Home mom and somehow time flies out the window as soon and my son and daughter wake up! I am hoping to start doing more in the very soon to be future.
Some of my true loves are my husband Steve and my kids, Isaiah and Lilly. To read. I read about a book a month. Wish it was more, but let's be realistic. My celebrity crush is Victoria Beckham. Love her. Nuff said. Cupcakes, I dream of opening a cupcake shop in the town I live in, but you actually have to have skills to pull it off. (My husband says I just became really domesticated in the last couple of months, really?) Being outside with my family. My kids and I go on walks almost daily. A great shopping trip involving the whole she-ban, shoes, jewelry and clothes. And anything Disney.
But sometimes staying home you have to remind yourself that you are at least a 1 on the cool meter, so I "work" in the world of Mary Kay and Pampered Chef for clothes... J. Bella! (http://www.jbellashop.net/) If you go to the website and click on "Meet the Team" on the main page, you can meet me! I go to ladies' houses and set up a clothing boutique in their home. And it is so much fun! I also am able to sell online and am offering some specials for you! If you have any questions please email me at Bethany@jbellashop.com.
And I just started an Etsy shop, BB Design (http://www.etsy.com/shop/bmbarrow?ref=seller_info). And if you are looking for something custom let me know! I am just starting and hoping to add more!

For orders of $50 or more, have Free Shipping with code BethanyShips

So, what are you waiting for? Check them out!

Miscellany Monday

I'm linking up with Carissa for a little Miscellany.

one.

a little memorial day sale at Poppy and Pippa!

enjoy 15% off your entire purchase - 

even the fabulous hair ties!

*enter MEMORIALDAY2012 at checkout to receive the discount. 

Discount is only advertised on FB and this website. If you do not enter the coupon code a refund will not be given.

two.

i've been trying to get my hair to form "beachy" waves.

it never happens. ever. I keep practicing. it's way too bouncy

for me. this is what it looked like from the back.

so up in a ponytail it went.

three.

For the first time my green pen had sponsors. I will be introducing

them to you this week. They are all real swell. :)

four.

I had a great "stay"cation. I got a lot done and I tried to spend a lot of time doing nothing. I cleaned my closet...wanna see? It only took three hours. I went through the entire thing. emptied everything out into a clothes basket for donating - a clothes basket for giving to friends - and a rubbermaid bin for clothes that are seasonal (or don't fit at the moment.)

Here's the before.

there is a lot of open space and a random stool in there. it's for whidbey. he likes to climb.

after.

as you can see. it's a lot more organized. I need to run to Target to pick up a shoe organizer for the bottom left side. My boots are in the flat bin - stored away for the season. the purses hanging on the right side have come down since this picture was taken. they were too much fun for Whidbey to leave alone. I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to do with them now.

five.

I want a new camera for shooting Poppy and Pippa products.

Any suggestions?

Happy Memorial Day! 

I hope you are enjoying your day off. 

Remember to take time to remember those that have fought for our freedom!

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High Five For Friday

Sorry I've been MIA the last two days. I'm enjoying a "stay"cation. I had a very busy first day of vacay but, Thursday, I honestly felt a bit lost. I literally wandered around my house for a bit. I sat on our bed and contemplated taking everything out of my closet to re-organize. I quickly thought that would be too much work. Then I watched some TV. I never just watch TV. I am always doing something else because I get bored just sitting there...until today. I quite enjoyed "just" watching TV. I'm here today with a HUGE high five for Friday! Although, it would be more aptly named why I love vacation.

Disclaimer: My camera skills were horrible this week. I apologize.

Linking up.

one. 

I think he wanted to prove to me that he still fits. It took him awhile to figure out how to fit his entire body into the little basket.

Then I saw this on Pinterest and it felt like it was made for me and Whidbey!

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two.

Bill found another (nonalcoholic) beer for me to try. It's called Clausthaler. Not so crazy about this one. I think I'll stick to Buckler. Buckler only has 75 Calories! 

three.

Started "My Fitness Pal" this week. So far so good. I've stayed under my calories everyday and haven't cheated once. It's helped keep me in line because I really think about what I'm going to eat before actually eating it. I ask myself - Am I really hungry? Is this the best choice I can make? When did I eat last? Am I just thirsty? If you are looking for a simple way to track calories, exercise , etc. you should check it out. I love it for two big reasons. one- you can scan barcodes. two - you can have "friends" to help keep each other in line. I love it!

four.

My sister volunteered me to help plant a garden with 65 forth graders on my first day of vacation. It ended up raining a ton the night before making the garden 100%  pure MUD. Then the day of the planting it rained on and off the entire time we were digging in the dirt. I was paired with an overly happy and chatty room mom. Wow. No one is that happy. Seriously. So, back to the garden - I was given four kids to plant peppers with. One of them ended up being my nephew. I don't think he was thrilled to be with his Aunt. The reason I know this is because every time I tried to take a picture of him he looked the other way. I didn't really attempt to talk to him because I didn't want to embarrass him too much. But, I think I hit it off with my group. I really think they liked me and in the craziness of planting this garden I found my nephew's future wife! I know they're only in forth grade but she's adorable, can use a shovel, and plant vegetables! Perfect wife material.

That evening he sent me this. All I can say is precious!

five.

After doing some gardening with Andy I went to my sisters to get Sophia (my niece). She was having a rough Tuesday evening so my sister promised her a trip to see Whidbey on Wednesday.  (Little did we know at the time that she had a double ear infection). That cured everything. She was happy as a clam. She even woke up on Wednesday morning asking, "go see Whidbey now?" I think this little girl has a fantastic memory. She's not even two yet and walked right into my house, got Whidbey's toys out, then fed him, and finally wanted her nails painted. That was everything we did the last time she was at my house - about two months ago!

She wanted matching colors. I suppose I'm going to have to plan a trip to Dairy Queen with Isaac. Gotta keep it fair.

Have a wonderful and safe Memorial Day Weekend!

My Dirty Little Secret #1

The following photo is what happens when things get "shoved" into a closet rather than placing them in a neat and orderly way. Yes, this is my dirty little secret. The majority of the items on the floor were put there to keep away from Whidbey. Well, we never went back to put the items in the proper spot. In fact, when I cleaned this out (in March) I found two pumpkins. Two very real pumpkins that were still a beautiful orange and not soft at all! Needless to say that was a very pleasant surprise.

Life happens and so do messes. I hope to never let this happen again... Just wait until you see my Dirty Little Secret #2.

Before.

Seriously?! 

After.

It's not perfect but, it's a step in the right direction.

Do you have a dirty little secret?

A Little Miscellany

Time to share a little of this and a little of that for Miscellany Monday. I'm linking up with Carissa from Lowercase Letters.

* 

Went to my nephew Andy's track meet last Tuesday.  He did great! He ran the mile and the 50 yard dash. I got a side ache just watching him. 

* 

Finally went to see The Hunger Games. Loved it. 

* 

On Sunday Bill and I helped our friends Jess and Olivier move into their first home. It's so exciting to see all of the fun things they have planned. I adore their front porch. Here is a pic of the floor.

* 

I only work Monday and Tuesday this week!!  I don't go back to work until Tuesday of the following week. I am looking forward to a stay-cation. 

* 

So You Think You Can Dance is back this week! If you are a fan of the show you probably already know they made some huge changes this season. I can't wait to see how it all plays out. Stay tuned on Fridays for my thoughts.

Have a wonderful Monday!

Laura

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May Birchbox Review

I was so excited to get the Gossip Girl box because anyone who watches it knows they only wear the best. I knew it was going to have some great high end product samples. Here are my thoughts...

Kerastase Cristalliste Lumiere Liquide

This is basically a high end shine serum for your hair. It has a soft scent and works great! I will definitely use it all up - I don't think I'll purchase it though because $42 is a bit much for me to spend on a shine serum.

Bvlgari Omnia Crystalline Eau De Toilette Spray

I was extremely disappointed with this perfume. My sample was about 3/4 empty!! I really would've liked a full sample (don't we all?). It smells wonderful. Honestly, It might me my next perfume purchase! I'm not great at explaining scents. Click on the link above to read more about it.

Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream

I really like Caudalie products. I've used the facial moisturizer in the past. This hand cream is made using natural products. It's thick and smells just wonderful - just a touch of fruit.  This will definitely go in my purse.

Kiel's Abyssine Cream+

This is a thick cream that basically removes wrinkles (over time) and helps with all of the chemicals in the atmosphere. It moisturizes and protects.

Stila Sparkle Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner

Not for me. I received the brown color with gold sparkles. I don't wear heavy make up so this would look funny on me. Even when dressing up it's a bit too much. I put it on last night and it definitely is waterproof. If you like sparkly waterproof eyeliner give this a try. It was a full size product that I received which was nice but, I will never wear it so that's a bummer.

Overall, this box was good not great. I'm giving Birchbox one more month to make me stay. I'm sick of getting items that don't match the profile I filled out at the beginning. What was the point in filling it out if they weren't going to take any of those things into consideration? 

What did you think of this month's box? Have you tried any of the above products? What did you think?

Wednesday :: Pinterest :: Top 10

Enjoy.

one.

i might cook if I had this.

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two.

someday garden

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three.

me.

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four.

weekend project?

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five.

i heart ruffles.

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six.

DIY

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seven.

Pom Poms.

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eight.

yes.

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nine.

true.

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ten.

maxi.

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Linking up.

Small Closet Organization

This weekend my goal was to tackle one of our small hall closets. This closet serves two purposes. It houses Whidbey's litter box (so it has to be permanently open) as well as laundry supplies. Weird combo, I know, but we live in a 900 sq. ft. condo so we make the best with what we have. The building was built in the 1970's and some of that decade still shows in our condo, like the lovely expandable metal shelves that are not so evenly placed in this hall closet.

Goal: To make this closet functional as well as look good.

Here is the before - obviously I wasn't excited to take the before pics - sorry it's a bit fuzzy.

As you can see, it's not the best use of space. The first thing I did was remove the closet door. There was no point in keeping it if the door had to remain open. Then, I removed everything. This is my blank slate.

Lovely, rusty expandable shelves. I don't know if the person who put these in was drinking on the job but, these shelves are NOT evenly spaced. Oh well, I do not want to invest in new shelves. These may not be pretty but they work. So, to address the pretty factor I purchased some printed contact paper / drawer liner. Easy peasy. 

I didn't want to just organize what I already had in there. My goal was to make it look purposeful - not like a closet that was missing a door. I wanted matching boxes/containers. Not wanting to spend any money I took boxes being used in a storage room - dumped the contents out (and put it into a different container). I had to take out the nebulizer and humidifier but, everything else (that wasn't expired) went back in. I don't love these boxes but, they'll do until I find just the right ones. And just to be clear - yes, the size of the boxes bothers me. A lot. 

To make this project complete I would like containers that are no more than 26" across with covers. Have you seen anything like this?