decoration: January 2011

Monday 31 January 2011

There was no line dancing…

But there was beauty, everywhere you looked:

The Opryland Hotel is seriously one of the most magnificent places I have ever stayed. Absolutely gorgeous. And just like last year, I didn’t have nearly enough time to look around!

I only got night shots, and they’re still amazing:

There was plenty of goofing off:

I’m trying to bring Traci to the dark side…that would be giving up the sweet nectar that is soda. It’s not happening. But that’s why I love her! :)

We even fit in some thrifting:

Kate and Chris’s faces are the BEST. (We weren’t too sure about those chairs.) And no, that is not a beer in my hand, it’s a root beer. ;)

I got to meet the man who inspired us to change our lives, and our family tree:

Thanks SO MUCH to Jen for having me along!! (More on that soon!)

But more than anything, there was a lot of smiling:

(Chris and me)

TONS of hugging:

(Marian and me)

Bonding:

(Lorie and me)

A LOT of laughter:

(Myra, Chris, Richella, me, Traci and Rhoda)

Making new friends:

(Shauna and Ashley, new friends; me and Layla, an “old” friend)

And generally having an absolutely fantastic time!!:

I reconnected with the friends I’ve already met over the past year, and I finally got to meet so many bloggers I knew were friends but I had never met in real life. It never ceases to amaze me how I can meet someone for the first time, yet it’s as if I’ve known them for years and YEARS.

It’s instant friendship and love and understanding, and I am so fortunate to call all of these women friends and coworkers. It overwhelms me. What a blessing blogging is.

To say we had a blast would be an understatement. :)

Cheers to all of you – bloggers who were friends before we knew we were. :)

(If we met and I didn’t mention you, I mean YOU too!!)

A special shout out to my roomies – Chris, Rhoda and Beth:

I already miss our late night talks!! :) You are a few of the loveliest, funniest, best women I know.

I got home from Nashville just in time for the storm of the century (echo, echo, echo)…ice, snow and wind for the next couple of days. This was our bedroom window one hour into it tonight:

That would be a sheet of ice. Thankyouverymuch.

We are warming up, hunkering down and planning on staying in for the next 24 hours, at least. I hope to get some projects started and a few finished since we’ll be stuck inside. Stay safe if you are facing the same!!

**Some photos borrowed from Beth and Kate! :)

Things Organized Neatly

Sunday 30 January 2011

Lonny

Saturday 29 January 2011

Giveaway Weekend

Well hello! I am back from a FANTASTIC few days hanging with some amazing bloggy friends. I’ll tell you more about it soon, but I have a fabulous giveaway for you all first!

Amy from Amy Peters Studio makes some of the most adorable stamped jewelry around – I love her variety and the sweet messages on her pieces. And she’s been doing this since she was EIGHT years old – she’s a pro now, to say the least. ;)

Of course, I picked out a few of my faves to show you. And of course, I had 20 pictures saved and had to get a grip on myself to whittle that down just a tad.

I know I should save the very best for last, but I couldn’t resist putting these first – TOO cute! Check out the itty bitty cutie patootie fortune cookie necklaces:

UGH. Are you dying? I. am. dying. There’s actually two sizes – the one on the left is a bit bigger. The one on the right is the teensy one. ADORABLE. :)

Like I mentioned, I love the messages on Amy’s pieces. This one has the “take the road less traveled” message:

Wouldn’t that be a great one for a teen in high school or going off to college? A reminder that they don’t always have to follow the crowd is definitely a good thing. ;)

I love that you can purchase the chain and charm, or just the charm for that one. I have plenty of necklaces, so being able to just buy the charm is brilliant!

This one is just plain sweet:

Too cute! If Stink Eye sis is nice, maybe I’ll get it for her. :) This piece is available as a necklace or a bracelet.

I’m also in love with Amy’s dainty, stackable rings. How adorable would this one be, stacked three or four high?:

I love, love, LOVE that little flower!

And the message on this one says “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey”:

Perfect for any woman in your life who is starting on a new phase – job, school, family, whatever.

And I couldn’t resist showing you this ring stand as well:

Ack! Stinkin’ cute!

Aren’t they so sweet? I just love them all. She has an amazing selection!

Here’s the best part -- one of you lovelies will get to spend $75 as you wish at Amy Peters Studio:

WHOO!! I love giving away stuff. This is so fun. :)

Here’s the drill – leave a comment here for your first entry. For your second entry, go to Amy’s site here and pick out one of your favorite pieces. Come back here to leave a second comment letting us know what that is. That’s it!

The giveaway will be open until Tuesday the 1st at noon Eastern time.

Have a GREAT weekend! I’m off to squish my son a few more times – missed him SO MUCH!!! :)

My Scandinavian Retreat

Friday 28 January 2011

Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles

Thursday 27 January 2011

The Yvestown Blog

Wednesday 26 January 2011

Showing off The Newbies

While I was away at Blissdom, I highlighted a bunch of “newbie” blogs – it was fantastic!! SO many talented ladies out there!

I gave each newbie their own post for that weekend, but to keep things simple for readers I thought it would be best to condense all of the posts (with links!) into one. :)

So, here we go, in the order they were posted!

A Little of This, a Little of That