Monday Morning Inspiration

Hello loves! I hope your Monday is going swimmingly and you’re surrounded by pretty things. If you aren’t, then I have just the ticket for you! Everyday on Instagram and Pinterest I’m bombarded with things to love and to yearn for. I had a friend that told me I was a marketer’s dream because if it’s packaged pretty, then I’ll buy it. I concur. I rounded up a few of my favorite things that are inspiring me right now and am sending them your way!

Being surrounded by beautiful things is great for our mood and even better for our confidence. Inspiration is what makes our days productive and worth living. For example, in my own bedroom I’ve hung illustrations by my favorite artist, Inslee Haynes, and hung pretty printed quotes on my walls. My desk (though cluttered with papers at times) has a gold votive holder with brightly colored pens in it. I’ve also put my favorite candle near by.

My dresser has a mirrored perfume tray sitting on it and necklace mannequin with pearls draped around it. Across from my dresser is my bed, and while tempting to curl up in all hours of the day, I promptly make it after waking up and fluff the pillows and comforter. I also put a few decorative pillows on top along with a fluffy faux fur blanket.

There are so many things you can add to a space that really spark the creative flow in your mind for the day. As pictured above, here are the links to the pretty things inspiring me right now!

• Gold Sequin Hanger by Pearls and Pastries
• Chanel and Champagne T-Shirt by T and J Designs
• Flare Skirt by Brina Box
• ‘Get It Girl’ Mug by Type and Style
• Mirror tray by Threshold
• Gold Vases by Z Gallerie 
• The Glitter Plan by creators of Juicy Couture
• Adventure iPhone case by Kate Spade

My last piece of inspiration for you: “Always believe something wonderful is about to happen!” Enjoy your day!

Home Tour: Christmas Decoration Edition

One of my favorite things about this time of the year is how my mom decorates our house. She really makes it feel like a rustic, colonial Christmas from ages ago. When I was away at college, I always looked forward to coming home because it always looked so pretty and smelled like cinnamon and baked goods.

This year, mom added a few decorations and retired a few old ones that were falling apart. Both of us have a thing for adding a lot of greenery around the house during the cold, bleak winter months. I love putting garland over the kitchen cabinets and doors to add color to space. We wrap lights around the garland for an added pretty effect!

In my own bedroom, I bought some red flannel sheets from Target to warm up the otherwise cool color palette. I also went online and ordered the 2014 Inslee Haynes calendar so I could frame each month’s picture. So far, I’ve hung four pictures on my wall and they look beautiful!

A little fun fact about my growing up years; every Christmas my mom or grandma would get me a Hallmark Keepsake ornament usually themed around something that interested me that year. I’ve picked a few of my favorites to share with you! The little kitchen set ornament was from last year. I had been trying to learn to cook! The Barbie dream house was from my early years when I was obsessed with dressing up Barbie and Ken. The Edward and Bella ornament was from my high school years. Seriously, I couldn’t get enough of the Cullen clan. Finally, the American Girl Felicity ornament was from my grade school years. I read American Girl Doll books like it was nobody’s business. Each of these ornaments holds a special memory, one that will be passed down for many generations!

 

Finding my Passion and Making it my Business

The other day I was reminded by someone close to me that every successful person goes through a difficult season in life before they can achieve their success. I found this comforting in this time of doubt and change. I’m two weeks away from holding a Bachelor of Arts degree and I still have no job lined up for after I finish. I’m the type that likes to plan ahead and panics when there’s no plan set in stone. As you can imagine, this time in my life is driving me crazy. In my time of indecision though, it has come to my attention that there are two kinds of people in this world: the kind that complain and the kind that change.

I am the latter of the two. I’m a do-it-all woman. The best thing I can do for myself is to seek out opportunities. I can’t go anywhere if I’m not trying to move. The same goes for you. Are you seeking the life you want or are you tweeting about how much life sucks right now?

Figuring out what you want in life isn’t hard, but finding a way to make it happen is what stumps most people. For me, I’ve always known I wanted to be my own boss but the thought of opening and running a business didn’t sound like something I’d enjoy. When I started this blog, it was actually for a school assignment. A few months after the project was over, I came back to the blog and kept writing. I realized quickly that bloggers can make a profit from blogging if they become famous enough. I also became fascinated with how really good bloggers style their photos and sell things on their Etsy stores. Boom! I figured out what I wanted and how I could be my own boss and enjoy it.

Planning to become a great blogger isn’t exactly a science. Good content, expert opinion, and marketing seem to be part of the formula though. Consistency is also key. I write almost everyday and then market it so others know it’s out there. This takes about 2-3 hours out of my day at least. I know that it’s worth it though because the best bloggers started out just like me.

The successful Etsy store owners also started out with a dream and vision for their online stores. I absolutely love styling photos focused on a specific item like stationery, for example. This interest led me to the idea of producing my own line of stationery and prints. Knowing that I would need Photoshop to design these things, I began putting money aside so I can buy the programs and other things I need to make this business venture successful.

I’m doing all of these things and more to set myself up for a future full of prosperity. Right now, it feels like I’m stuck. However, I know I’m doing what I can to make sure I end up where I want to be. My motto right now is “#hustle” and it should be yours too.

Gift Ideas for the Men in Your Life

One of the hardest things about Christmas is shopping for opposite gender. I mean really, what do you get a guy besides expensive gaming equipment, cologne, or sporting equipment? Girls are easier to shop for because not everything we like is expensive. As the season begins, you inevitably have a gentleman on your list whether that be a brother, father, or significant other. I browsed J Crew Factory for inspiration and am showing you my top picks for under $50.

• First of all, I adore thermal-style shirts on men, particularly when they’re striped. This one comes in at $22.
• I also love the leather bracelet trend I’m seeing on men. They even stack them at times. J Crew has this one for $7.
• We’ve all been in a situation where we wished a bottle opener was around or someone had a better one than what’s on their keychain. For $14.50, this anchor bottle opener is yours.
• Does the guy in your life travel a lot? If so, a tie case might be the best thing you can buy him. J Crew sells this one in two colors for $24.50. To go with the case, splurge on a new tie like this green, printed one for $19.50.
• What can I say? I love a man who dresses well. More so, I love patterns! This gingham print dress shirt is a steal at $34.50.
• For some reason, men seem to like flasks. I don’t know where on Earth they can take them legally outside of their property, but for whatever reason they’re popular. J Crew’s red checkered flask is $14.50.
• Did you know I have an obsession with socks? Well, I do and these ones for $8 just make the obsession even stronger.
• Similar to above, if your gentleman travels frequently, then a leather passport case may be a nice gift. J Crew sells this case in two colors for $14.50.
• With winter in our midst, there’s nothing better than curling up with cozy pajamas. Give your man these warm, deer print flannel pajama bottoms for $22.
• For the guy who enjoys being on the water, give him this blue braided belt for $13.99.

If you have any suggestions for great gifts, then leave me a comment!

A Week in Review

Good morning and happy Thursday. I hope my posts brighten your day a bit and maybe even inspire you. I love going through Instagram or my blog feed and reading what other people are saying. It usually gives me that extra skip in my step to get my day going. Everyone needs something to groove to!

The last week has been relaxing and I’ve truly enjoyed it. Just sitting around and not doing much of anything is a luxury in life and I don’t take it for granted. Starting Saturday my life is going to get busy really fast. Not to mention Thanksgiving is next Thursday and I for one am looking forward to it.

Sunday I spent the day with a friend and we went to Panera Bread. I got tomato soup and a turkey and cranberry flatbread sandwich. It was a nice combo and just enough to satisfy me. I hate feeling overstuffed! You can just look at your stomach and see how it has expanded in the last hour. Getting on a treadmill seems like a great idea until you realize that the food hasn’t quite digested yet.

I also spent a little time shopping around town. I live in typical suburbia the only difference is that we don’t have many good places to shop. The nearest mall is 45 minutes away. The nearest nice mall is about 90 minutes away. So when I say I’m shopping what I actually mean is going to Target and maybe Marshalls. Anyway, I found the cutest little head band at Target and it’s made to look like fur. It’s on my Christmas list now.

The rest of the week has been filled with a lot of sitting around and drinking hot beverages while updating the blog and sending out my resume. Did I mention it’s hard to find a job right now? I’m graduating in 3 weeks and the job market seems to hate me at the moment. I’m getting a tad nervous! It’s times like these when I wish I could jump up and marry a rich man so I wouldn’t have to worry. I think this elevates me to gold digger status though. Oops.

I’ve also been going through my closet and seeing what dresses and professional clothing needs dry cleaning or tailoring. I tried on this lacy, black Express dress and am debating on whether I love it anymore. It has become my go-to dress for events but I’m not sure if it still flatters my figure. Opinions please!