1.20.17 Friday Favorites

Happy Friday!  This week, I met with another creative friend for coffee and we talked a lot about what we create and how we try to promote ourselves on social media.  It really made me take a step back and think, "Am I doing all of this right?"

Do you ever have moments like that?   Am I sharing the right things?  Am I creating the right things? Am I saying the right things?  I've been hesitant to post for the last couple of days, and that's not normally how I am!  Maybe its the uncertainty of the new year, or the feeling of creating in too many different ares.

My sweet artist friend Pamela Bates (@pamelajbates on Instagram) posted this week saying, "Have you noticed that most creative people are compelled to work with different mediums?  I think it is an innate drive to create, and we will use whatever is available to us at the time."  Her words really jumped out to me.  I thought, "That's me! I love being creative in any outlet!"  So, I'm going to continue creating, enjoying it, and see what others enjoy and are interested in.  Check out my Etsy shop for some of the items that I've created.

Since it is Friday, here's a list of the things that caught my eye and made me swoon this week.  These are my Friday Favorites!

1.  Hillary Butler Painting

I absolutely love everything about this painting!  I've been following Hillary Butler Fine Art on Instagram for a while and all of her paintings are absolutely gorgeous.  The way the mints, blues, and turquoise are blended in this painting are beautiful!  Love it!!

2.  Monkees of the Westend, Trina Turk Dress

We are blessed with some awesome boutiques in downtown Greenville.  If you haven't been, you need to take a stroll through downtown and check them out.  Monkees of the Westend always has the cutest trendy items!  If you're looking for Tory Burch, Trina Turk, Frye, etc., check them out!  When they posted this hot pink Trina Turk dress this week, I instantly wanted to get this dress and be at a fancy beach bar somewhere in Florida.  This adorable dress screams Spring beach trip to me!  I just need a tan and a cocktail in my hand!

3. DIYinspiredhomedecor on Instagram

You know I love some good Farmhouse decor!  Brianna at diyinspiredhomedecor posts the best DIY and Farmhouse decor pictures!  I love all of her posts!  This week, this picture caught my eye with the white and black buffalo plaid  (I love this print!)  I have decided that I might need this cotton wreath too!  So stinking cute and Southern!  Great job, Brianna!

4. He and me Hair Designs

I have been going to this salon for years.  My mom starting going to David Roop (Check out the article about him by Off the Grid) when she was in her 20s and now David's daughter, Sarah K. Roop runs the salon, He & Me Hair Designs.  Sarah never disappoints! I always love my hair when I leave and this week was no different!  She darkened my roots and undertones and brightened up some of my blond for the perfect bayliage look.  I even got my eyebrows tinted, which I was terrified of, but they look great!  No more penciling them in everyday when I'm putting on my makeup.  They now have an adorable boutique and event space too! Swing by and check them out on Stone Avenue in downtown Greenville!

5.  TSG Greenville Master Bathroom

TSG Greenville shared this dreamy master bathroom by Frances Kinloch Still this week.  I love the mix of prints, neutral tones and all of that mirror and lighting!  Gorgeous!

6.  Strip Club 104 

One of my most favorite places to eat on Friday's for lunch is the Strip Club 104 in Greer, South Carolina.  Ok, it's not what you think!  It's a steak house and they only serve lunch on Fridays.  If you're looking for the best burger ever, check them out and bring your appetite!  My favorite burger is the Southern Comfort with fresh made pimento cheese, jalapeño bacon and a friend green tomato.  All of the sides are wonderful too!  Yum!  I'm hungry now!

1.13.17 Friday Favorites

Happy Friday 13th y'all! This week, I've been knocking out as many messy bun beanies that I can and updating my Etsy shop.  I also started working on a new project for my friend's baby shower. I'll share it with you when I'm finished.   :)

1. Work bench

I've been trying to get our work out room, upstairs situated for the last few months. We finally got the elliptical in place, weights, yoga area, tv, and added some art to the room, but we needed a tv stand.  I wasn't sure what I wanted for the area,  but I knew that I didn't want to spend a ton of money. While at Costco, I saw this work bench for $299.99 and thought, "That could totally be used as a tv stand and it has an industrial look!" I feel like it has a touch of a Magnolia Farms look to it. It's super sturdy since it's made for a workbench anyway.  I'm looking forward to adding baskets to the bottom shelf and getting that room finished, finally!

2. Kate Spade Peplum Work Out jacket

 I saw this adorable peplum jacket in one of my Kate Spade emails this week. It's available in black and pink. It's so stinking cute and it could totally be dressed up or down. I love the fact that it was created as something cute to wear with yoga clothes, and that bow on the back... I can't even!

3. Shanny's Shoes

I've been following Shanny's Shoes for a while on Instagram and I'm so amazed by her talent.  She's a wonderful painter and she paints shoes! As you know, I'm a huge Disney fan, so I am totally "ooh"ing and "aww"ing over all of the Disney scenes.  Check her out!  She's awesome!

4.  Bath and Body Works Stress Relief Eucalyptus Spearmint Body Lotion

This has been my go-to hand lotion for several years now.  I absolutely love the smell of it!  When I was working in an office, I would lather up with it everyday and breathe in the stress relieving goodness!  At home, I still use it everyday and even keep one in my pantry, where I can get to it while I'm in the kitchen, after washing dishes.  

5.  Ikea Potted Plants

I love these small Ikea artificial plants!  It seems like everyone is decorating with them on Instagram!  They're the perfect size to create a fresh look in any area and for the price, you can't beat it!  I'm planning on arranging some across the top of my new vintage Coca Cola crate, on my dining room table. 

6. Jenna Hipp Nail Polish

I've been using Jenna Hipp's nail polish for a few years now and it's one of my favorites!  My go to color for winter has been her  Ohh La Latte, which is the perfect taupe color for the winter months!

An open letter to the man who shamed me for not changing my name

Thank you to the man at Costco, when I went to change my address on our account today, for belittling me in public and making me feel like the worst person in the world, because I haven't changed my legal name yet, to my married name.

Does it make me any less of a person?
Any less of a wife?
Love my husband any less?

Absolutely not.

Changing my name legally has been something that I've had a really hard time with.  I'm me.

My name is who I am.

Do I sign cards or something as Mr. and Mrs.?  Yes! Of course!  I'm married!

However, when it comes to legal documents, what differences does it make if it has the same name that I've had for almost 30 years?  That's who I am!

My name makes me who I am.  I've been proud of it my whole life.

It does not make me a feminist.
It does not make me a terrible person.

I love my husband!  I love him so much that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him and marry him!  One day, Lord willing, we will have children and they will take his name.  We might choose to use my maiden name as a middle name, or another family name will be used, but I hope and pray that they are proud of their name, heritage, and know the family roots and history that make them who they are.

Therefore, it does not give you, man at Costco, the right to tell my husband that he needs to, "Handle his wife better" or that I "must be a fancy lawyer or wanna be actress", because I haven't jumped through hoops and paid an exuberant amount of money to change the name that is printed on my drivers license, membership cards, credit cards, passport, house documents, car, insurance, etc.

And, it sure doesn't give you the right to tell me that you are just going to "Go ahead and change my name on my account, because I needed to hurry up and change it anyway" without my consent.

I can't help but feel sorry for your wife (if you are married).  I hope you haven't made her feel, for years, the way that you made me feel in public today.

1.6.17 Friday Favorites

2016 was not an easy year.  I lost my uncle, my grandmother, and my job all in one month.  We lost two very close family friends and my great aunt. My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer.  My dad had several eye surgeries. In the midst of it all, I started concentrating on my own business and trying to make a living off of doing what I love. I've met some great people and I've loved my experience of being an Etsy seller and trying to blog on a regular basis. However,  I have struggled to stay positive some days. I'm thankful that God has been with me through it all in 2016 and I'm looking forward to see what He has planned for 2017.

Let's kick this New Year off with a new Friday Favorites for 2017!  Here's a look at what caught my eye and made me swoon this week.

1. Alice + Olivia dress

I was in Charlotte this week and this Alice + Olivia dress caught my eye at Neiman Marcus. I love the timeless and classic shape of the dress.  The lipstick and mascara bottles give it a fun retro look. Pair it with some black pumps and it could totally take the place of a little black dress!

2. Mugs at Anthropologie

How cute are these icon mugs at Anthro?!  I saw them at South Park Mall on Thursday and I was so tempted to get them all!  Hey, if I can't have a real French Bulldog or Corgi, at least I could have one on my coffee mug, right?  They even have a typewriter one on their website.  Adorable!

3. Blinc mascara

My mom always gives me the best makeup sets for Christmas! This year, one of the sets was filled with different mascaras. This week was the first time I had used Blinc mascara.  I was pleased with how smooth the wand distributed the mascara.  However, I was totally in shock when I washed my face that evening!  I had no idea the mascara had a tubular effect and wraps each lash with mascara. Therefore, when you wash it off, tubes that look like your eyelashes, come off so easy without tons of black residue. It's the craziest thing! If you haven't tried it, you need to!  Just be aware that it will look like your eyelashes just came off in your washcloth.  I might have had a minor heart attack!  haha!

4. Fresh Sugar 

This Fresh Sugar lip balm kit was also part of my Christmas from my awesome mom. (It's no longer available on Sephora's website, but it might be available at Sephora locations).  There are so many great colors in this kit!  I've never been able to wear very dark shades of lipstick, but there are great sheer shades of pinks and wine colors that layer perfectly.  The Fig color is actually one of my favorites and surprisingly it isn't overly dark!  Plus, it feels like I'm doing my lips a favor with the hydrating and lip protection that's built right in!

5. Messy Bun Beanie Hats

I started seeing these Messy Bun Beanie Hats all over social media before Christmas.  So, I decided to give it a try with my crochet skills. These hats were selling like crazy and I couldn't make them fast enough for people to buy and give as Christmas gifts!   They're super cute and cozy!  The perfect accessory for winter!   Check them out on my Etsy shop!  

6. Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask

One of the things I really want to concentrate on this year is skincare.  This year will be a big birthday for me... (I'd rather not discuss that).  But, I feel like I really need to start a great skincare regime.  I got a sample of this Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask and I've been using it a couple of nights a week.  It smells wonderful and I feel like I can really tell a difference in my skin the next day.  My face feels and looks more vibrant and healthy!  You should definitely give it a try!

12.9.16 Friday Favorites - Greenville, SC Inspired

For this week's Friday Favorites, I've decided to choose a few people and companies in the Greenville area, who have really stood out to me lately.  I feel like the Upstate of South Carolina has so many wonderfully talented people!  There's no way that I could share all of my favorites in one post.  So, I'll definitely be writing more Greenville and South Carolina Friday Favorites soon!

As always, here's my list of things that have caught my eye and made me swoon throughout this week.  

1. Emilie @emsnails__

I am always amazed at what this girl can do with nails!  Each image that Emilie shares is honestly like a piece of art that you carry around on your hands for weeks!  With over 5k followers on Instagram, she's an inspiration to nail artists and salons throughout the United States!  Amazing work, Emilie!

 

2. Pen and Basil

I've been following Kristin Brooks with Pen and Basil for a while and it inspires me to want to do calligraphy. (Even though I have a hard enough time writing anything in cursive!)  Her work is so beautiful and I love what she has been creating for the Christmas season!  She also made the most adorable gift tags for the holidays.  I absolutely love this watercolor, Joy to the World, wreath print!

3. Goose Feathers Boutique

Last month, I visited Goose Feathers Boutique in Travelers Rest for the first time.  There are so many adorable dresses and home goods throughout the store!  They're always getting new stock in too, so you never know what you might find!  Go check out Goose Feathers and make sure to pet her sweet dog, Amos!  Plus, be sure to pick up one of my brush stroke paintings, which are featured in the store!  :)

4.  Clayton Tile

Clayton Tile on Woodruff Road in Greenville, has such an awesome selection of any kind of tile you could ever think of and they always share the most dreamy tiles on their Instagram page!  If you're thinking of adding tile to your home, definitely check them out!  Last year, we added a subway tile backsplash to our kitchen and we got our tile from Clayton Tile.  They were wonderful and so helpful.  I love following their page for tile inspiration!

5. The Adorned Fox

I am so amazed at what people can do with wood burning art!  I had no idea how gorgeous this art form could be, until the last couple of months!  Tabathia with the Adorned Fox has taken girl boss to a whole new level!  She's rocking out all different kinds of hand lettering and wood burn art. She has all sorts of t-shirts and goodies on her Etsy shop as well.  Way to go Tabathia!

6.  Liquid Catering

I think the idea of Liquid Catering is so awesome!  We had them provide beer and wine at our wedding reception in 2014 and they were amazing!  It's also awesome that they put drink inspirations on their Instagram page!  Yay for cocktail recipes and yay for Liquid Catering of Greenville!  

DIY Flocked Wreath

I am totally loving the look of all of these flocked Christmas trees and wreaths this year!  So, I decided to create flocked wreath for my front door.

I went to Hobby Lobby to buy the supplies that I needed for the wreath, including the flock spray.  I already had the plaid ribbon that I used for the bow, seen in my mirror post here.

This is the greenery wreath that I used.  I got it at Hobby Lobby, for only $5!

Here is the snow/flock spray that I used.  It was only $2.50 after the 50% off all of the Christmas items at Hobby Lobby.

I took the wreath outside to spray it and held the sprayer closer and farther away as I moved across the entire wreath.  I didn't want the wreath to be completely white.  I just wanted it to look like it had a dusting of snow on it.  

Here's what it looked like after I finished spraying it.

When I finished spraying the wreath, I let it dry for about 40 minutes.  It will still come off all over everything, so be careful!  

Then, I decided to make another bow, like the one I created for my dining room.  

Check out this blog post for the video that I used to make the bow.

Here's how the wreath looked before I hung it on my front door.

Here's the finished product.  I love how it turned out!  I can't wait to start flocking other Christmas projects now!  

DIY - How to Hang a Wreath from a Mirror

I've seen all of these gorgeous pins and posts lately with beautiful green wreaths attached to mirrors in living rooms and dining rooms and I just fell in love with that look!  Since I would consider myself quite the DIYer, I thought I would attempt it!

Well, hanging a wreath to a mirror wasn't quite as easy as I thought it would be originally.

Our dining room mirror is attached to the wall with two nails and two hooks on back of the mirror.  At first, I thought I would just attach a string and the ribbon to the wiring at the back of the mirror...  So, that totally messed up that plan.

After some thinking and Googling, I decided to get some 3M Command Strip Hooks.  I probably won't always want a wreath over this mirror throughout the year.  So, I didn't want to cause any damage to the wall or to the mirror. Therefore, hanging it directly above the mirror frame on the wall, was the easiest thing to do.

So, I went to  the store and found these little guys.

First, I measured the width of the framed mirror, because I wanted to make sure that the wreath was centered.  I measured it as close to  the top of the frame that I could. After I found the center point of the mirror, I used chalk and made a small dot on the wall right above the mirror to mark the center point.  

Next, I used two of the Command hooks, since they are only good for 1/2 of a pound each, I wanted to make sure that the hooks would hold the wreath.  I put a Command Strip on the wall on the left side of the chalk mark and I put another command strip on the right side of the chalk mark.  (Make sure to follow the instructions that come with the Command Strips).  After you attach the hooks, apply pressure to the hooks for 30 seconds each, to make sure that they are adhered correctly to the wall.  

Now, I needed  to attach the ribbon around the wreath and then create a bow to cover up the hooks on the top.  I simply cut one strip of ribbon to loop around the bow, for it to hang at the appropriate length, in the middle of the mirror.  I honestly, just eyeballed this part and didn't measure.  (I hate to measure anything if I can get by with it!)  Then, I used two safety pins to quickly attach the ribbon at both ends, for a sturdy and seamless loop.  You could definitely stitch up the ends to make a loop, but I wanted this to be as easy to remove as possible and didn't want to waste my plaid ribbon, when I changed it out.  Hey, I'm thrifty!

For the next step, I needed a bow to cover up the small Command hooks above the mirror.  I found this awesome video by Michaels on YouTube and used it to create the plaid bow.  Where she uses pipe cleaners to attach the bow together, I used floral wire.  Surprisingly, I have no pipe cleaners in all of my craft stuff!  So, I just cut off about an eight inch piece of craft/floral wire to wrap around the bow and secured it in the back like you would a twist tie.  This excess will be what you attach the bow to the original loop that you created and the hooks, so make sure that you wrap it around and it is pulled tight in the back of the bow.  

You can see in the picture above, where I wrapped the wire around and looped it around throughout the back of the bow.

I am so happy with the finished product! No, it wasn't as easy as I thought it was going to be, but it looks beautiful for the Christmas season, and its nothing permanent that did any damage to the wall or mirror!  Happy decorating and DIYing friends!

Check out my next post on my first wreath flocking experience!

Follow me on Instagram for more shots of my Christmas decorations!