Get your craft on

I just booked our Christmas flight to Texas so now my mind is all a flurry with what I'm gonna make for Christmas presents this year. Typically I do something small and handmade for family and friends. In years past I've bottled my marinara sauce and sugared pecans. 

Here's some inspirational ideas for this year! Any other ideas you've done in the past?

I've been pretty obsessed this year with bath bombs, it may be fun to make my own!

Dip dyed baskets, adore.

Tea towels always look great in the kitchen.

Chocolate chip and oatmeal quick bread, yum.

Ball review

This year the ball was a bit of a debacle. The hour and a half traffic we sat in on the way there coupled with frequent trips to our hotel room to nurse my baby made it tricky! No worries though we still enjoyed time with each other and have one more ball to attend!

 And the rent the runway dress fit and was perfectly comfortable, I even earned the nickname "sparkles" by the end of the night!

Favorites Friday: Happy Birthday Marine Corps

This is the Ball weekend, my friends! My rent the runway dress comes in the mail today, here's to hoping it fits! I'll try and document with pictures every step of the way. 

Other fun links:

Mix and match video

Pipe cleaners wrapping

Bible emergency numbers

This is so true

Cheers to the weekend, enjoy!

Who needs Christmas cards? {Pedaling designs giveaway}

Today Pedaling designs is giving away a set of 25 gorgeous Christmas cards. Just leave me a comment of your favorite and make sure your a follower then consider yourself entered! Giveaway winner will be choose next week. Good Luck!

Chains folded card

Blue ikat

Green ikat

Joy & Cheer

Romance card

P.S If you don't win the giveaway, no worries Rebecca can still design your card,

check her out here! She does amazing custom designs, if you can think of it she can create it!

A fisherman and his crab {our halloween}

We had a great time trick or treating, its so fun to see all the costumes and collect candy! Hope yours was full of treats too!

Happy November!

Guess the dresses

The balls are coming up quick and I've finally made my dress selections! So excited. I'm going with flowy and elegant for one ball and sassy and short for the other, guess my picks!

Favorites Friday: blink

I feel like time is rushing by and I'm struggling to find ways to slow it down, eeeek. Life feels like its happening in a blink. This weekend, I'd like to make a conscious effort be still and savor moments!

This week link love:

I'm a fan of the faux bob

Carrot-thyme soup

Another set of family outfits

Caitlin's fabrics are amazing

I did two photoshoots recently, here and here!

Next week, stay tuned for halloween costumes and a Christmas card giveaway!

Happy weekend, friends.

Too good Not to share

I've been up to my ears in photos, but came across some goodies I must share with you. My quest for comfortable, cute and able to run in a moment's notice shoes has come to an end.

Behold croc cheetah flats they are like wearing slippers!

shoes here

Then Jcrew launches a baby-line, help me now.

Lastly, this post is so inspiring.

Happy Wednesday, dearies.

Giveaway winner

 amber said...

My favorite thing about fall is the colors of the leaves changing. It is just so beautiful!!

Congrats Amber, I'll email you the gift card girl!

Running on fumes

Baby man decided it would be fun to show off his new rolling over skills all night long, not so fun for me. Be back tomorrow with giveaway winner, sorry!

Favorites Friday: weekend in

image via

I think i'm still recovering from our NewYork trip so this weekend I plan on cuddling under blankets, lighting candles, baking chocolate chip cookies, and catching the latest rom com on netflix!
What are you guys up to?

Some linky lous:

A perfect gown, but why jcrew must you be so expensive?

To die for Christmas shoot!

Peter pantastic

Happy weekend friends, don't forget to enter the giveaway!

I've got something for you! {Novica giveaway}

Novica, a home design online store (in association with National Geographic) has offered the lovely readers of Johns Journal a $75 gift card. I've perused their site and have found many items I fancy for home and personal use. Their inventory is very eclectic and features products from home decor to even walking sticks! Check out my favorite picks!

Eye-catching ring.

Starburst mirrors which look great in every home!

I adore this Nativity, perfectly in time for Christmas.

A classic throw blanket.

A great graphic rug.

I purchased the above stackable rings and they have not left my finger since they arrived in the mail! I've been on the search for stackable rings hosting different birthstones for awhile. I love the idea of wearing the colored birthstones of people that I love!

So the giveaway details are easy, be sure you are a follower by clicking on the follower button in my right margin and leave me a comment telling me your favorite thing about fall. 

Winner will be drawn Monday!

Be sure also to peruse their speciality items like accessories, men's accessories, and their great selection of scarves!

Also Novica is starting up a partly line you don't want to miss, check more information about that here!

Blowing bubbles and eating curtains {3 months}

Finally starting to play with the video function on my camera to fulfill a personal vow of capturing more videos of the kiddos!

Stay tuned for a big giveaway tomorrow!

Christmas card outfit for family of 6

I had a request for Christmas card outfits for a family of 6, featuring cooler tones. These colors will really pop in a photo and are a nice alternative to standard red and green!

Everything from Old Navy, but green headband and baby girl flats from baby gap.

NY weekend

What a weekend! New York was full of fun and adventure especially when you throw a 3 month old in the mix. We decided to brave it and take the train into the city the first night and 3 wrong trains later we got there and walked about 8 blocks to the Indian restaurant we set our sights on all through the rain and wind. My husband kept reminding me that I wanted an adventure! The next two days were spent at my husband's college reunion on Long Island at the Merchant Marine Academy where we were married too! It's a beautiful campus that now holds fond memories for both us, such a treasured time.

I rented a tilt-shift lens for the weekend, which makes a city skyline look mini, I love the effect.

St. Patrick's

I got a kick out of this alumi choice of outfit so they could match!

Bo loves holding hands with everyone and its such a tight sweet grasp.

Hope everyone else had a great weekend!

Favorites Friday: getaway

Off to Long Island New York for the weekend! Its my husband's reunion at the Merchant Marine Academy, should be a good time and a long overdue getaway for us!

Hope you have a relaxing one!

Baby love

Had the pleasure of meeting this lil gem yesterday, he rocked his photo shoot, more here.

Fall loves: hunter boots

I have a bit of a hunter boot saga. They've been on my wish list for quite some time and the moment I decided to give in and purchase they were sold out of the color I wanted, drat. So I waited and waited and even ordered a size down to see if that would work. You know the whole cinderella stepsister stuffing her foot in the shoe that doesn't fit, yep that was me. Pathetic I know! So at long last the red came back in stock in my size and well, here they are just in time for rain in the forecast. 

Also note the changing leaf color in the background, yes that's us getting our fall on! Wahoo!