Tuesday, October 30, 2012

as of today

a fun post i saw on Carly's blog, who copied the idea from Danielle, who was inspired to create the post by Megan. and now i've done it :) i love how blogs work sometimes. make sure you check out those lovely pages.

Monday, October 29, 2012

treats + treats

one of my favorite things about Halloween, other than the decor and the costumes, is hanging out with my fam during trick or treating. the neighborhood is full of kiddos running around on sugar highs, and we love to sit on the front porch greeting friends and passing out goodies. usually there is a big pot of chilly and homemade cookies to indulge in.

fall foods really are the best: comfort foods that remind us of family and snuggling in cold weather. at least that's what i think of. here are four recipes from some of my fav foodie bloggers that are perfect for fall and family.
 
 

 
 
mouth drooling yet? yeah, me too... is it lunch time?

Friday, October 26, 2012

Splendid Actually - The Shop

The shop has launched! I will be updating and adding things over the next few weeks so make sure to check back for more!

click here to get there: Splendid Actually - The Shop

clearing my thoughts


imagine your home as a blank slate. completely empty of everything. an empty canvas. now add back in the things that you have to have to survive and the things you use daily. what does it look like? pretty boring? now think of your most treasured possessions. this could be a family heirloom, a blanket that took you three years to knit, or a piece of artwork your little one made for you. don't go crazy, these are just the things that you would try to save from a fire; the irreplaceable items you don't want to live without. now what does it look like?

simplicity?

lately i've been going through things and completely getting rid of things i don't love or need. this may seem drastic, but simplifying my apartment has helped me in a number of ways. best of all there's not so much to clean. and when i take a look around, i can only see things i love. that makes me happy.

then, a light bulb went off: if simplifying my apartment makes me happy, what would simplifying my mind feel like? what would life be like if i had no worries?  and how exactly would that work? how does one clear their mind of miscellaneous nonsense? wow, that's intense.

then the light got a bit brighter...



seriously, it was a "duh" moment. straight from God, a gentle reminder like always . all i have to do is pray and let Him take over. give my anxieties, concerns, worries to God. i could preach faith day-to-day, but now it's time to practice and trust in Him.

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all. 2 Thessalonians 3:16.

1

Thursday, October 25, 2012

watercolors


today i fell in love with these two beauts by Florian Nicolle. what? you did too? yeah... i don't see how you couldn't.


via

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not

a link up by Michaela Noelle Designs that I couldn't help but join today. jump over to her blog to see her loves and dislikes for today.

she loves me...

1. subtle yet pretty reminders
2. my pretty glass watter bottle
3. the owl family on my calendar
3. silver and rose gold bangle bracelets
4. creating color palettes for a new client
 
she loves me not...
 
1. iphone photos, like those up there ^
2. a computer without photoshop, like i'm working on today :/
3. missing camera cords
 
what are you loving and disliking on this pretty day?

fall beauty must-haves

as the season changes to autumn, i find that my day-to-day makeup has as well. so for today, some of my fall favorites
 
mary kay skin care botanicals for smaller pores and a hydrated face / estee lauder bronzer to prolong the look of summer sun / wet'n'wild silent treatment trio softly on the eyes / jumbo eye pencil perfect undereye liner / lancome liner soft and smooth for the top liner / two coats of loreal mascara for pumped up volume / my all-season go-to foundation, makeup forever hd / a light dusting of blush across the cheeks / smitten stain for evenings / and lovesick stain for day / and my favorite dark red on my nails

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

color-spiration

rain. it's gonna rain here. but the best part? my new office is in the basement which just means i don't have to see that ugly-ness. instead, i'm pretending it looks like this outside


isn't that nice? i thought so. sometimes a little bit of nature can inspire you in all kinds of ways. while i'm pulling color palettes together i'll just pretend i'm strolling through the woods. join me?

via

Monday, October 22, 2012

shop update + a celebrity home i love

sometimes i'm so far off on estimating time, it's seriously not funny. last week in my announcement post, i shared that my new e-shop would be up and going by "the end of the week" and my goal was it have it ready to go by Sunday night. clearly, i wasn't thinking about how much time it would take to get samples made, photograph them, edit them, provide information, etc.! so my new goal is to have it done by Friday. i really want to do this right the first time, so i'd rather set back my opening date than completely screw it up. i have nearly all my samples made and photographed now, so as of right now, i'm right on track to my new deadline.

I DIGRESS.

so today i wanted to share a celebrity home that i'm super in love with. Reese Witherspoon is one of my all-time favorite actresses. put her in a movie, and i'll watch it. i just love how relatable she is. and her home? well, see for yourself.



isn't that room just to die for? homey, open, fresh, and so liveable.


 



 what do you think of Reese's style? how would you make it more your own?

images via here

Friday, October 19, 2012

halloween is ALIVE.

over the years i've kind of slowly fallen in love with the Halloween holiday. (*insert bragging on friends moment*) my friends are artists. whether they call themselves that or not, they are. and they all come up with truly awesome and inspired costumes.
creating costumes is just part of what i love about the spooky holiday. i also really love when someone goes all out, over the top in party decorations. that's kind of where i fall into my element. so i've rounded up a few really fun pieces from etsy.
1 spell book / 2 skull watercolor / 3 pillow cover / 4 schubert bust / 5 finger soaps

Thursday, October 18, 2012

love for fashionABLE



me either. that was until i learned of fashionABLE last weekend at the conference. their work: when a scarf is purchased, they are able to provide opportunites for a woman in Africa who had never been given a choice in their life. they pull women off the streets and teach them, counsel them, and love them. then the women create these beautiful handmade scarfs. it's a wonderful circle.

each time i heard Barrett (the founder of Mocha Club + fashionABLE) speak at Influence i had another reason to go back to the market to buy a few more scarves. the most amazing part? the accompanying tag with words from the scarf maker on why this purchase is important to her. if that's not a tear jerker, i don't know what is.

check out their website to see the different styles, learn more about the incredible women, and learn how you can help them. http://livefashionable.com/

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

His work on my heart

monday i shared a brief snippet about the Influence Conference (along with a fun announcement) but now that i've had some time to go over my notes from the sessions, i think i finally have my thoughts together enough to share.

- i am an artist, and it's okay to call myself that.

-i don't have less influence than a "famous blogger"

-having a strong "no" is okay. it's especially important to make sure to take time for yourself because we have to be ministered to in those quiet times.

-lastly, and most imporantly to me...

so what now? now i learn to get comfy in a messy life, because everyone's life is just that. then i let God lift me up in mercy as i lift Him up in praise.


I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up
Psalm 30:1a

pretty + simple; a style i love

lately i've been into jewelry with words ( like this outfit of the day post here ), especially with words that are reminders of my beliefs. so when i came across Amanda Lynne Designs at the sashes market at Influence, i was pretty much head-over-heels.

here's the one i got.  (please excuse the horrid iPhone pics)

...and a couple more i love over on her shop.

you can find Amanda's shop here and her blog here.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

my new crush on stamps

my paper love is out of control. when recently cleaning out my desk, i found 15 too many notebooks that were either new or only partially used. i mean legitimately. i don't know how it happens. beyond this love, i'm also really enjoying rubber stamps lately. especially these dolls i found on etsy.



a / b / c

comfort

one of the reasons i'm passionate about interior design is because i love to make people feel at home and comfortable. it sounds silly, but imagine yourself in a space that is the complete opposite of your home. maybe your home is cozy, like a cottage, and you love how you have the things you love close to you. transplant yourself into a super modern space and there's a good chance you're going to close up like a clam. same goes for those that love "white space" and open areas with clean lines; you're probably going to feel claustrophobic in a cottage.

now, my favorite past time is curling up with a book. a little like an escape, and a lot like emergence, i adore those reads that take you to a new place.

and so i ask you today my fellow book worms, where do you feel comfortable when you read? do you like to curl up in a chair, relax in a tub...


or to you like to lounge outdoors, breathing in the fresh air?


personally, i could read just about anywhere ;)

1 / 2 / 3

Monday, October 15, 2012

announcements

if i were to try to explain this weekend, my thoughts would all spill out at once. i know because i've already tried to explain what i went through this weekend. and that's exactly how it all came out.

maybe at some point i'll try to write it all out, but i just don't think i'm talented enough with words. so instead i'll link a couple of posts that i've read so far that seem to hit the nail on the head for me.

& melody joy 1983 who is doing a link up on recaps

after such a powerful weekend, i'm just going to get through this day. lately, i've been talking about changes a lot and it's time to let you all in on some of the changes that's happening. first, i took a huge leap of faith and accepted a new job that i start next week. and while i'm super pumped to get started and i feel confident that this is where God wants me, it's also incredibly bittersweet to leave an office that i've called home for four years. to celebrate my new adventure, my loving co-worker made me a party cake. and, it's the first he ever made! can you believe it?!


along with this new job, i'm also able to leave my part-time gig... TO OPEN MY OWN ONLINE SHOP. i'm so excited for this opportunity and the timing has worked out beautifully- GOD IS GOOD. the shop will be up and going by the end of the week.

Friday, October 12, 2012

get yo act together! 4 simple organizing ideas

alright, folks. one thing you should know about me is that organization makes my heart flutter. seriously. it's just pure happiness. when things are put where they should be, it fo real makes life easier.

so for today, 4 inspiring organizational ideas that i recently discovered and am loving.

since i don't want to make my husby sound like the bad guy, i'll say "BOTH OF US" (ahem, it's really all the husband's fault but you didn't hear it from me) never put things back where they belong in the fridge. i really like to keep things in a certain order to make for smoother cooking in our itty bitty kitchen but darnit if it never stays that way. moral of the story = this container solution is pretty smart.
i don't have a lot of drawers right now (we have 5). but some day, i'm gonna have drawers deep enough and strong enough to hold our dishes. and this peg + board idea will keep them where they belong.
since i can't nail into our walls, i can't hang my polish on the big board that i have. so i've resorted to storing them in totes. one thing i do need to do is add a little polish chip to the top like they did here,  so i can easily see what i'm looking for.
as i've mentioned a ca-trillion times, i'm at the Influence Conference this week/end. and you can bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, there may be sun, but i'll also be taking the time to add the cards to a key chain. then i'll add a little label so that i can remember that everyone of the people on this key ring, i met at the conference. because i already know, they will be kept in a special place in my heart.

what are your favorite ways to organize? please leave me a comment below and let me know, because like i said, organizing is life's true happiness. (kinda.)

Thursday, October 11, 2012

today!


today i'm headed a bit south to meet up with 200 + wonderful women to learn how to share my influence. much like trina from beginner beans posted about on tuesday, my introvert-self may be timid but i have a lot i want to do and learn. i will definitely be on the lookout for fellow introverts and hopefully i will be able to nudge myself away from my comfort zone. because if nothing else, i would love to walk away from this conference with a group of women to call friends.

so look for me! i may be the one on my phone in the corner with a look of fear on my face, but hopefully i'll be the one laughing and talking - and who am i kidding, i'll probably still be on my phone, instagramming away!

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

mint condition kitchen

you really can't fail with a mint green kitchen. the color is such a trendy one but it really can't go out of style. reminiscent of the 50's, the color can take on any type of look you want, whether it's a cozy cottage feel, a contemporary and warm atmosphere, or sleek modern style. paired with the right materials, your dream kitchen can come to life with a fresh coat of this timeless, universal color.




which of these kitchen's suits your style?

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

what do i do with dark red pants?!

ever buy something and then realize you have no idea why you bought it or what you will wear with it? yeah, i did that yesterday. i bought these kind of amazing slacks.


then i had that moment i mentioned up there ^. that what-was-i-thinking-i'm-not-a-fashionista-type-person. they are wide leg, marroonish/burgandyish pant that feel like heaven on.

so i took to the internet to pull together some inspiration and came up with four outfits and i'm feelin a lot more confident about my bloodstone pant purchase. the color pairs beautifully with neutrals but also plum and navy. since these are pants i would mostly wear to work, these outfits are all work appropriate - for the type of office i'm in anyway.



outfit 1: top / belt / earrings
outfit 2: top / bracelets
outfit 3: top / bracelet / earrings
outfit 4: top / scarf / ring
shoes, bag

Monday, October 8, 2012

free font favorites

downloading fonts + courtney = quite the pair lately. if fact it's gotten a little out of hand. so obvs to encourage you all to be more like me (wouldn't that be a fun world! *thumbs up*) i'm sharing some recent favorites. links below to get them yourself. and you're gonna need to leave a comment with your favorite font so i can go download some mo'. yeaaaahhh boiiii. (that was said in my flava flav voice.)

1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

amazing P I N N E R S .


these pinners sure know how to make my little heart beat faster. each of them have a unique style, yet it's still something everyone can love. these pins i've shared up there ^ are just the most recent pins that have come across my feed.

bonnie tsang / bright.bazaar / bradley agather / engaged & inspired


Tuesday, October 2, 2012

change is a good thing.

there are lots of changes going on in our little world. good changes. but change nonetheless is difficult. in times that are difficult, i tend to turn to my family + friends for encouragement. there's also a slew of "comfort things" that help me to stay grounded and confident in decision making, like a gooey bowl of mac & cheese, fuzzy slipper socks, the funny page from the paper, episodes of Dawson's Creek, NSYNC's original album, doodling in pretty notebooks, and of course, my bible.

to what do you turn to make you feel comforted during times of change?