A Day Of Bliss

A few weeks ago we had the pleasure of working with an amazing talented photographer Geniann Elliott. I heard of her through several Facebook Friends so I went to her page and looked at her work. I was blown away. Her photographs are simply breath taking and each one tells a story in that very moment. I scheduled our appointment with her and could hardly wait although it was a month or so away.. It seemed like time dragged forever before the day finally came we could get our pictures taken.

I am a huge worrier so I was praying the whole time please don't let anyone get sick, or get any marks that will be in the pictures and thankfully besides Gabriel's shocker of a haircut none of that happened. We met up with Geniann in my hometown for our photos. We had discussed where we wanted them taken and I was a bit skeptical because our town has really taken a rough turn the past decade or so...BUT I love trying new things and I could not wait to see what she had in store. I was not let down either.

Gabriel was being a toddler of course and did everything in his power to not look at the camera OR smile. Gracie on the other hand LOVES to get her pictures taken so I felt totally confident with her. Our session was wonderful. Geniann was so easy going and fun to work with, and although that was my first time meeting her I felt I had known her forever. 

A week or so went by after our session and she sent me some of our pictures...I was in TOTAL SHOCK. I mean not trying to brag but wow...she had really captured my family and all of our personalities perfectly. Here are a few of my favorites.

I am seriously so happy with our photos! If you are in the Raleigh NC area please find Geniann Elliott Photography to do your photos! You will not be disappointed!! Also, even if you are not in the area like her page on Facebook and look at her marvelous work!

Mary & Mak Style

I am going to share a few photos from our recent family portraits we had made and tell you all about this amazing boutique we have here in good ole N.C, MARY & MAK. I have the pleasure of knowing Leslie and Teresa (the owners of the business) and let me tell you they are simply wonderful. The millions of times I have been in their shop one of them has always been there and helped me with my every need.

Not in North Carolina? No worries...They have a website where you can order from and guess what? 48 states have FREE shipping! How many businesses do you know where you can order from and get free shipping? Not very many I have found from previous experience.

MARY & MAK offers preppy, colorful, trendy clothing, gifts and accessories. It is a family operated and owned Boutique. I have SEVERAL pieces from this shop and most recently bought some shorts and new necklace which I will share on a later post...For now I wanna share my dress that I am absolutely in LOVE with.

If you are like me, it is hard to find clothes, especially dresses, that are flattering for your figure. MARY & MAK clothing ALWAYS fits me good and makes me feel so good about myself, their pieces are so unique as well which is something I love.

MARY & MAK was so kind and wanted to share a discount code with my wonderful readers so hop on over to their site and order you some goodies!!

ADBLOGGER10

This code will save you 10% at checkout :-)

Happy Mother's Day to YOU!

Whoooo doesn't love Origami Owl?

Guys...if you are like me you have totally heard of Origami Owl and all of their products BUT for those of you that haven't, it is a very unique company where you can design bracelets and necklaces. First you pick your chain you would like, then a locket, and fill it with charms, plates, and dangles. I am obsessed with mine I just recently received from the amazing Kelly who is a Designer that introduced me to the world of this awesome company.

The prices are not bad either once you consider the quality of the necklace and how much of a story your piece of jewelry could tell to someone. Mother's Day is right around the corner and these are the absolute perfect gift for any mother.

I have been eyeing these necklaces for at least a year and thanks to Kelly for showing me how easy it is to have an online party I am finally able to have my very own!!

I am having my online party RIGHT now! Please help me reach my goal! 

Here is my link

Thank you all so much!! Also if you want to host your very own Origami Owl party contact Kelly! It is easy as pie and you do nothing but advertise and you can earn yourself TONS of free jewelry!

Gabriel's New Crib Skirt: Sarah's Slings and Things Review

One of my favorite things to do is work on my house. I love making each space in my home more inviting and more me. Last year while we were working on Gabriel's room I decided I wanted the color theme of yellow and grey. I had pinned at no less than thirty pins of children's rooms that color. I LOVED the color combo. One Sunday I got the itch to paint every piece of furniture in his room grey and yellow (minus the crib) and when I was finished I thought it was beautiful!

Ever since I have finished his room I love finding accents to really bring out the yellow and grey, his handmade blanket and grey chevron rocking chair are just two things that we have done recently. I have been speaking with Sarah over at Sarahs Slings and Things for a little bit about making Gabriel a three tier crib skirt. She makes such beautiful items that I literally could not wait to see what she had made for my little man.

Sarah has her own website, check it out here where she is known for her very unique and wonderfully crafted handmade slings. Her prices are great too because I know how hard it is to find a sling that we enjoy to carry our babies in that is comfortable and affordable.

When I received the crib skirt in the mail this week I was seriously blown away. The colors, the fabric, the way it was put together...every piece was just perfect. To me, it pulls Gabriel's whole room together!!  I could not be more pleased and thankful for Sarah's hard work. It takes ALOT to have a a handmade shop succeed and Sarah is doing that simply because her work is so amazing!

If you, or someone you know is having a little one soon, you should check out Sarah's Etsy Shop. She can make just about anything your little heart desires for that new bundle of joy, or if you even want to spruce up one of your children's bedrooms with a bed skirt give her a shout you will not be disappointed!

Wild Thyme Essentials PLUS A Giveaway!

As some of you know I have worked with the lovely Melanie and her wonderful shop Wild Thyme Essentials before. She has the most amazing handmade soaps, lotions, and other wonderful goodies. I am so excited she wanted to work with me again to help promote her wonderful shop. She is truly a pleasure to work with and buy from and her products smell glorious. In fact, when I received her package I could smell the heaven inside before I even opened it. :-)

Melanie takes a lot of pride and dedication in her work. She makes sure that her products do not expose her customers or the environment to toxic substances. She uses mostly essential oils and natural colarants. Her soap leaves skin moisturized and keeps you feeling soft without all of the oiliness later.

Wild Thyme Essentials has so kindly offered to do ANOTHER Giveaway with you all! How lucky are we?? To enter simply follow the rafflecopter entries and a winner will be randomly chosen next week!

Good Luck to you all and Thank YOU Melanie for your yummy products that I can NOT resist.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Captain Gabriel

As you know I have a slight obsession with owls...ok, its actually an insane obsession and I have them everywhere. Last year I found the cutest shop on Etsy that makes these adorable felt owls for little ones and I immediately fell in love with these little handmade cuties.

Morgan over at Character Cove and I had been chatting for a while and she kindly sent my little guy one of the coolest superhero owls I have ever seen. We  are big fans of Captain America and it's so funny she surprised us with that one!! We were thrilled to receive it.

Morgan makes just about every superhero along with ALL kinds of other characters...I am certain that when you take a visit to her shop you will find it hard to pick a favorite, whether it's for your little one or yourself!

Look at the excitement on my little guys face! He LOVES his owl and carries him all around by his wing. By the way, how cute is that wing with the little Captain America badge on it?! Adorable or what?!

Please hop over to Etsy and show the wonderful and talented Morgan some love! 

This is a product review. I was given a product to write my honest opinion on. All thoughts are my own and not influenced in any way. See Disclosure

Mini Style Wednesday

Today is ANOTHER snow day around here and this time it is much more than last week. We are super cozy inside and....Daddy is even home! YAY!

Last week I did a post on Gabriel all about Mobile Mommy Designs, check it out here if you missed it. This week since I couldn't get Gracie's Mini Style Wednesday photos without her new doll by Janel I figured I would tell you guys about her amazing shop again. She makes any type of plush toys, pillows, and even jewelry. I especially love her dolls made for childhood cancer. Such an AMAZING cause. Her prices are unbeatable and she is such a joy to work with. Gracie loves her doll because she looks just like her, brown hair and blue eyes. She hasn't put it down since we received it.

For our Mini Style Wednesday this week Gracie is wearing:

Necklace: Grandparents Gift

Shirt: Baby Gap  (thrifted)

Leggings: Circo (Gifted)

One of the few things I can get her to wear is leggings....I am ready for spring so she can start wearing her dresses and we will not have to fuss about clothes everyday.

Gabriel's New Fox

Recently I was given the wonderful opportunity to work with Janel over at at Mobile Mommy Designs. She is such a sweetie and was kind enough to offer me not one but two of her plush toys. This week I am going to tell you about Gabriel's Fox. When we received our package last week from Janel it couldn't have came at a better time because he had just gotten his shots that day and was feeling a little grouchy. When we gave him his new plush toy he immediately started laughing and playing with it. He has had it snuggled up with him whenever we go out. I personally love how Janel does her designs because they are a perfect size for children to carry around, not to big or to small.

Mobile Mommy Designs makes all kinds of goodies for children and adults including, plush toys, pillows, and jewelry. She can even make custom items, such as pillows. One of my favorites is this pillow inspired by a child's artwork. I will absolutely be going back to Janel in the future to get a few of these for my kids. Please feel free to click on any of the links above and visit Janel's Etsy shop or Facebook page. She has tons to choose from and is a pleasure to work with. Next week I will be sharing Gracie's plush toy. :-)

Punk Rock Twins Review

I recently got my hair redone the other night and I knew that even with the short hair I had to accessorize. Jessica over at Punk Rock Twins sent me this adorable headband and I love it. I sent her my head measurement and when I put the band on it fit perfect. The headband she sent me is also reversible which is awesome because you can match it with your different outfits. I chose to get one side black and the other white with a design on each. Jessica makes TONS of different items, not just headbands so be sure to check her out. She has a Facebook page with everything as well.

What do you guys think of the new Do? 

Mini Style Wednesdays

This week I am doing a special Mini Child Wednesday (formerly known as Sartorial Kid) because I received TWO amazing handmade dresses from Glitter Princess Galore. This shop is ran by Janna and Hilliary and they are beyond talented. This week I will be featuring Janna's dress which is an adorable gingerbread girl tutu dress.

Gracie totally flipped when she saw this and felt like a supermodel in it. She kept walking around prancing and watching her tulle bounce back and forth. I love how this amazing shop puts so much love and detail into their pieces. When Hilliary and Janna asked for Gracie's measurements I knew the dresses would fit like a glove and they do.

Glitter Princess Galore can make ANY custom princess dress, along with Tutus, headbands, and Costumes.

I so much enjoy doing this linkup because although I do not LOVE taking pictures, Gracie sure does and I enjoy getting pictures of my children. Gabriel will hopefully enjoy them just as much :-)

Messy Rooms Product Review

Happy 2014 guys. I hope you are all starting your New Year off right with tons of happiness and fun! We have been super busy over at my house. Yesterday was my Grandad's 70th Birthday so we went over and celebrated with him. It was a wonderful day.

Gracie loves to get dressed up, I have told you all that before so why would yesterday be any different. We usually fight about wearing jeans but thankfully since we received our Messy Rooms shirt we have a happy mommy and princess. Anna who runs this business is super talented. She can make pretty much any custom shirt you would like. We chose Sofia the First because Gracie LOVES her.

When I opened the package I was pleasantly surprised at how adorable is was. I wasn't sure what to expect, I thought it would just be a Sofia character on the front but Anna went above and beyond and made it really stand out with the tulle coming off of the shirt. I am a huge fan of personalization clothing for my children and this shirt was perfect in every way.

So if you are looking for a special gift for a loved one or your own children please go check out Anna's fantastic creations over at Messy Rooms. You will NOT be disappointed and you will be supporting handmade which is ALWAYS a plus :-)

This is a product review, I was not paid for this post but I was given a product to write my honest opinion on. All thoughts are my own.

Christmas done right with Thirty One

Hello Friends and Welcome Back! I had a wonderful Christmas break and I hope you did too. I love blogging but it was nice to take a small break and enjoy family time. My children didn't get a ton from us but my family sure took care of that and racked them up with goodies.


A couple weeks ago I received a package from Shannon who sells Thirty One. I am sure mostly everyone has heard of this amazing company and Shannon is for sure a wonderful person to represent them. I of course chose the Who's Chilly pattern and I absolutely love it!

I received the Utility Tote, Thermal Tote Lunch Bag, and the small zippered pouch. I can not tell you how many compliments I have received on these, and honestly they came at such a wonderful time because I was able to use the Utility tote to carry gifts in back and forth for Christmas. You could really use it for anything though, going to the beach, a party, an overnight stay...the possibilities are endless. The thermal tote has been a lifesaver too because as much as we go out on weekends having a bag for Gabriel's bottles is an absolute must. I always have carried his bottles in the diaper bag and time after time they spill and leak and that is such an aggravation, with these thermal totes the inside is perfect for drinks and food and keeps it nice and cool.

              

I love how the Thirty One company allows you to personalize your products and make them your very own. How cute is my "Mama Owl" on my Thermal Tote?! I LOVE it! Super adorable product and company! 

My zippered pouch is perfect for me to store all of my lipsticks and chapsticks in. How precious right? It has "me" with my two amazing kiddos! PERFECT! This company has SO many choices and products I am certain you would find something to fit in your life perfect. I have Shannon's button on my main page directly to the right or click here. If you haven't checked out Thirty One before head over there and shop your little heart out.  There are tons of new prints out and also some wonderful savings!

This is a product review. I was given a product to write an honest review on, all thoughts and opinions are strictly my own.