Bridal Hair

I'm lucky because this weekend I get to be matron of honor in my bestie's wedding so I'm excited! I've been playing around on Pinterest looking at different hair styles this morning. I can't decide if I want to do an up-do or a down-do. Maybe you can help me decide.

Here's what I found:

{source}

What do you think? I know it's probably hard to decide if you don't know me. I tend to think my face looks nicer with my hair down but I'd love to be able to pull of a pretty up-do.

Opinions??

Tipsy Tuesday- Improving Your Blog

Over the past couple of weeks I've come across a lot of useful information for blogging and I am so excited to pass it on to you! As you probably already know {from the sidebar and older posts} I have an etsy shop where I sell my handmade goods. After a few months of familiarizing myself with etsy and noticing how other people have become successful {i.e. blogging} I realized I needed to get serious about my blog. And once I started seeking out other blogs that fed my interests I was captivated. There is such a wealth of knowledge, creativity, and just plain ol' interesting people out there.  I want/ed to be a part of it. I'm creative, I have ideas, and I have a voice! So I started this blog and I'm still molding it into what I want it to be. What I'm about to share with you has helped and is helping me get there.

10 tips on using social media for your indie biz

This first bit of wisdom is something I found on Yellow Songbird. Kim is the girl behind the blog as well as her successful handmade business called Oh Sweet Joy.

This is Kim:

{source & to find out more about her)

She shared ten tips from personal experience on running a successful business using social media. Here's a summary of her list:

1. Tweet often

2. Promote, but don't spam.

3. Keep things positive but be real.

4. The golden rule. Be nice!

5. Free is fun. Ex: Free earring with minimum purchase.

6. Offer exclusive discount/sales

7. Be inspiring and helpful.

8. Don't be too exclusive.

9. Be interactive.

10. Show people what life is like behind the scenes.

She expounded upon each point, you definitely need to read the entire post.

How to Create a Blog Button!

The next piece of information I came across is so fun and exciting you'll be playing for hours...but wait I'm getting ahead of myself. Have you noticed your favorite blogs usually have a 'button' that you can 'grab'? I have one! Look to the right above the google friend connect box, look familiar? Well thanks to Ashley from The Shine Project and her guest blogger Casey Weigand I learned how to make one! Grab buttons are good for growing your audience.

{source}

{learn more about her here}

Now, go read her post and create your own button!!!

How To Add Button Code & Code Box To Your Blog

Now that you know how to make a button you need to know how to create the code for that button as well as a code box like the one I have. Easy peasy. The Blog Guidebook has done it for you! Check it out! 

Well, I hope these bloggers have inspired you as much as they have me! Consider Kim's 10 tips and have fun making a button! Let me know when/if you made one and I just might 'grab' it and add it to my Favorite Reads. :) 

Do you have a tip, a DIY tutorial, recipe, advice, anything? Share it with us! Just add your name a link to your specific blog post in the box below.

Inspiration Workshop Week #8

THE PROMPT ~ (from Gussy Sews website)
This week’s prompt is YOUR INSPIRATION ~ where you pick the prompt/share whatever you’d like! I’m especially excited to see the topic you select AND to read through and pin some of the photos you share ;]



The thing that inspires me the most is the time I spend with God. To be quite honest though, the past couple of weeks I haven't even thought about Him, prayed, read the word, or fellowshipped with other believers. So I haven't felt too inspired. Having said that, I just sat down, read Proverbs chapter 22 (I like to read whatever chapter corresponds with the current date) and I haven't felt more alive, awake, or inspired in weeks! :)

The verses that really spoke to me were Proverbs Chapter 22 verse 4 and Proverbs Chapter 22 verse 11. I bet they'll speak to you too.

I also like a good book. I've read Mere Christianity before but it's been so long that I figured it was time to read it again. If you like a good book that will make you think, reaffirm your beliefs, and get you excited about God and his kingdom then this is a book you would like.



My best friend, who is getting married this upcoming Saturday (Woohoo!) got this beautiful Vera Bradley coffee cup for my birthday this year. I love coffee and I love pretty coffee cups. I drink out of it daily so I'm sure some of my more inspired ideas came about whilst drinking out of this pretty cup. :)

 

-Mandy

The Daytrip Clutch {& a Discount Code}

I've recently added new items to my shop {rosette earrings & clutches} & I'm super excited about them! My favorite new product is definitely my line of Daytrip Clutches. I had six to start out with and decided to debut them at our local Spring Craft Fair earlier this year instead of putting them on etsy. My mom ended up buying two to give to her sisters for their birthdays, my sister in law bought one the other day after seeing how convenient they are, and then my mother in law bought one! I decided to keep one for myself because I just couldn't part with it, and that leaves one in the shop for you. :) I need to start making more!

I've been carrying this little beauty now for about 3 months or so. I used to carry a huge over the shoulder bag which ended up with a whole bunch of random junk in it and it would take forever for me to find anything! It also had a huge hole in the lining and things would just disappear into the abyss. Frustrating! What is it about big bags that makes us think we have to fill them up with uselessness? Well, I don't have that problem anymore.

 

Wanna know what the heck was in there?!

 1. wallet {target} 2. keys 3. three kinds of lip gloss 4. nail polish 5. chocolate 6. coupons  7. feminine products 8. friendship bracelet {for a friend :)} 9. phone {not pictured}

Tell me, what else do you need?!!

Okay, you're right...maybe a checkbook. I usually keep mine in there too.

You've seen MY Daytrip Clutch, now go have a look at the one in the shop.

To celebrate all the new items that are popping up in the shop and YOU here is a DISCOUNT CODE:

Hope you all had a fantastic Tuesday!

I'd love to know what colors/patterns you would like to see on future clutches. Have a good idea? Comment below, I'd love to know! {I'm such a poet.}

Favorite Colors and Summer Fashion

Instead of doing a Tipsy Tuesday {because I kind of forgot about it and can't come up with anything this quickly} I decided to have fun with Polyvore & make some outfits with my favorite colors of the moment.

Favorite Colors: Robins Egg Blue {or turquoise}, Yellow, & Coral {or salmon}

 

Perfect Summer Outfits by OMeOhMy featuring high heels

 

I really want those turquoise shorts from jcrew. So cute!

Tomorrow I have plans to post about some of the new products in my shop. I'll probably have a sweet deal going on too. Don't miss it!

Since were taking a break from Tipsy Tuesday this week that means we'll have extra time to come up with something especially awesome for next week! Don't forget to link up!

Fun at the Baseball Game

Last night we were lucky enough to be able to go to the Natural's game for free with Dallas' work. Can I just stop and say real quick how awesome it is to have a baseball team (Minor League) in your home town?! Springdale, you are moving on up in the world. :)

We usually like to go just the two of us and let my parents babysit but they had already babysat the night before (MOVIE DATE NIGHT!!!!) and we thought it would be fun to bring Noah along. He has been once before on a Friday night and we stayed for the whole game so he could see the fireworks at the end. We couldn't stay until the end last night, it was just too hot and Dallas needed to get home and mow... before you start feeling sorry for him...we just got a riding lawn mower. : )

I thought I would share a couple of Noah pictures with you. I wish I would have thought to take more pictures while we were there but I was running around like crazy going where ever Noah wanted to go.

Here he finally settled down and let me set him on the table (for a few minutes). This kid makes funny faces.

And this is on the ride home. We bought him a mini bat and ball set while we were there, can you tell he loves it?

We had fun! I love that we can drive just a few miles to go to a baseball game in the Summer. I'm excited to take Noah each year as he gets older. Maybe someday he'll want to play. He's already sports oriented. He has a t-ball set and a plastic golf set; he loves both. I guess we'll see if he decides to pursue one or the other. :)

What are some fun Summer activities you do with your family?

Sunshine Sunshine!

I'm linking up with Gussy today on the Inspiration workshop!

The prompt ~

This week’s prompt is SUNSHINE! When you hear that word, do you think of the outside? Do you think of the color? Of a summer memory?!

Sunshine makes me think of yellow.... is that obvious or what?! And Summer, of course! I can't get enough yellow right now.

Pretty Sunshine Print:

Source: poppytalk.blogspot.com via Olga on Pinterest

 

Don't you love this yellow retro style bathing suit?!

Source: glamcheck.com via Mandy on Pinterest

 

This isn't really yellow but it's my favorite Summer drink. I LOVE Iced Soy Lattes. Hold the sugar please.

Source: starbucks.com via Mandy on Pinterest

 

And now I get to partake in a made for Summer activity...it's definitely time to give the dogs a bath. :) Wish me luck!!

Now get outside and do something Summery. ;)

Tipsy Tuesday - My Baked Potato Soup Recipe!

Are you guys ready for this weeks TIPSY TUESDAY?! I hope so! If not, get your posts ready and link up! I'm excited to see what everyone comes up with. :) (The link up is at the end of this post.)

This week I'm sharing my Baked Potato Soup Recipe (was posted on my old blog.) You should try it, you'll love it...promise. And I promise you it's easy as pie to throw together.

This is one of those recipes that you can definitely make into your own. I don't have exact measurements but I do have approximations. You should know I did this on a whim & didn't even know what we were going to have for dinner. I'm also no Pioneer Woman; the photos are from my iphone and are of poor quality. So, let me take you on this simple yet satisfying adventure.

1. First, you need two potatoes. I like the simple baking potatoes. Peel them and chop them to the consistency that you like. I left mine in inch or so chunks. We like it chunky.

2. Put the chunks in a pot and cover with water. Boil for 15 minutes or so just until you can pierce the potatoes with a fork easily.

3. Drain most of the water out, you'll need to leave a little bit. Now you need a can of chicken broth (you could really use any kind of broth) and a can of evaporated milk. I could literally drink a can of it, delicious. Add the whole can of broth to the pan but only a little less than half of the evaporated milk.

4. Time to season it up! This is where you will need to taste as you go. I never measure. A little garlic salt, (I just shake it for a few seconds over the pan), a little parsley (several good shakes), and a little onion powder (don't over do it). Don't be afraid!! Use your taste buds as a guide. Heck you can even branch out and add different kinds of seasonings. I just prefer these three.



5. Butter. DO NOT forget the butter. Approximately two & a half tablespoons...or more...you can't go wrong here.



6. You'll want to let this boil for a little while, about 10 minutes or so and then let it simmer for a few minutes to steam some of the liquid out and let the flavors mix. Let it get thick but not too thick or you'll have mashed potatoes instead of soup. (I like to mash the potatoes up just a LITTLE bit with a potato masher...just a little.)

7. While you're waiting for your soup to perfect get your toppings ready! We like center cut bacon. ALOT. And we like it crispy. We just put a couple paper towels on a plate and put one layer of bacon on top of that, throw it in the microwave for a few minutes until they're nice and crispy. (turkey bacon is pictured here but we prefer center cut)

8. Cheese, need I say more?

9. Self explanatory. Taste your soup before you add salt, especially if you use garlic salt. The garlic salt and the broth may have made it salty enough. I cannot stress enough to you the importance of letting your taste buds be your guide. :)

10. When your soup is to the consistency of your desires dip some up and top it with your favorites.

11. ENJOY!!!

*Recipe was made for two, if you are feeding more you may need to multiply the approximations. :o)

 

So, What Is Tipsy Tuesday?

I created Tipsy Tuesday as a weekly link-up.

Let's talk about how it should work and what type of posts I'll be looking for; I'll keep it short and simple:

Every Tuesday I am making it available for you to link-up a post of yours to my blog. Others who link up will get a chance to read your post and leave a comment, and hopefully you will have gained a follower or two out of it. We love comments and followers don't we?!

You're asking yourself, 'What kind of information should I be sharing?'

• any kind of 'tip' you would like to share


• do you have a famous mouthwatering recipe?


• cleaning tip, perhaps like my last Tipsy Tuesday post


• mommy tips (how to potty train with smooth sailing)


• any kind of tutorial (sewing, knitting, crochet, any kind of craft)


• any kind of blogging tips


• how to go on a thrifty vacation


• any kind of how-to (how/when to shop at a thrift store)


• ETC!! The possibilities are endless!

Here's a great example I found on Pinterest of a How-To hair-do:

Source: orchidgrey.blogspot.com via Cathy on Pinterest

:)

RULES:

I just have three! Let's be nice to each other and leave a comment on the post above our own.  I mean, we're sharing valuable, life improving information here, show some appreciation!

Also please don't link your entire blog, just the one post that is relevant. Just paste the link to that post in the Mr. Linky box as well as your name.

Lastly, I would prefer you to share your OWN thoughts, ideas, tutorials, etc. but if you happen to find one so absolutely fantastical that you must share it and it isn't your own PLEASE give credit to the brains behind it. K? Awesome! Great! Let's get to sharing all of our wonderful, glorious, fabtabulous ideas. Ready.....GO! (The Mr. Linky will be ready for you in tomorrow's post)

 

Tipsy Tuesday!

While mopping just a few minutes ago I thought it would be fun to do a link up called Tipsy Tuesday with the idea of sharing simple everyday tips with each other.

So, here's the deal, growing up I knew my grandmother was a pro at cleaning. I also knew she didn't use your typical mopping solutions. So I asked her recently what her secret is. She said, two tablespoons white vinegar to one gallon of hot water. That's it! Easy and CHEAP!



My uncle recently handed over his candle making business to my husband, which means we have tons of scents and essential oils on our hands. I thought I would throw my own twist into Grandma's secret solution. Last time I mopped I added a few drops of the honeysuckle scent. Boy did it smell heavenly in here! Today I added the juice of one lemon. It didn't smell as strong as I had hoped but I know lemons have cleaning power! Here is an article that has 6 reasons you should use lemon juice to clean your house. If you don't know about natural cleaning solutions you can make at home do some research about it on google. You'll find baking soda, white vinegar, and lemon juice as some of the most popular ingredients.

Do you have a tip to share with us? Make a post about it and add your link to the form below. I'm hoping to make this a regular Tuesday thing so look for the link-up next week as well. :)


 

I Want to Ride My Bicycle!

Source: republicbike.com via Mandy on Pinterest

 

Is this bicycle lovely or what? I've just started riding my bike again after having our son a year and a half ago. I guess I haven't ridden in so long because I couldn't take him along. We resorted to stroller rides around the neighborhood. Don't get me wrong I love to take him out for a walk with the dogs but walking can get old real fast.

About 5 or 6 years ago I started getting into biking. I'm not just talking about dilly dallying around town but FULL OUT mountain biking. I bought myself a real, fancy shmancy mountain bike. This thing was is the real deal. I spent my hard earned cash on a GIANT.

I went a few times with an old friend around our Lake Fayetteville trails and then once with my husband and a friend. Dallas and I had just started dating & he agreed to go on the adventure to impress me...I guess it worked! haha. So, we fell head over heals in love... yada yada... and my passion for mountain biking kind of got kicked to the back burner. And now I can't even imagine how I made it all the way around the lake, all 5.5 miles of dirt, rock, steep and not so steep hills, etc. Let's face it, I'm not in that sort of physical shape anymore. I don't look much different from what I did back then, except my hair is longer, but I am definitely not as strong as I once was. Go figure, you would think lifting a 30 pound child 30 times a day would maybe do something for ya but I guess that's just wishful thinking.

Lucky for me we just bought a bike trailer! Which means Noah can go with me now! Except we're definitely not going to be mountain biking (maybe I'll get to  slip away every now and then!). So, I'd like to find a pretty cruiser bike to ride around the neighborhood and save the Giant the embarrassment of riding on flat pavement rather than dirt piles and rocks ;-).

So the question is do I search for an old fixer upper that I can customize myself, although I am no expert at spray painting, or do I lay down the cash money honey for a brand new fully customizable Republic? I really could go either way. I think it could be fun to do it myself but also time consuming...