Wednesday, November 14, 2012

30 Days of Thanks

30days thanks-200pix
  
One of my favorite things about fall is the attitude of thankfulness it brings.  I shouldn't need a reminder to appreciate the abundant blessings in my life, but I'll admit that sometimes I take them for granted.  Join me in making a list of 30 blessings you are grateful for and link it up below.  The link up will remain open until the end of the month.

Rules for the link up:
 1. Follow the hostesses:

2. Link up your list of 30 blessings.

3. Check out at least three others who have linked up & leave comment love.

4. (optional) Grab the button, Tweet, Facebook, and spread the word about the link up!


This November, I want to remember to give thanks for:

1. My wonderful husband & marriage.
2. My beautiful baby girl.
3. My generous parents.
4. Still having my grandparents.
5. That my brother adores his niece.
6. The ability to provide for our needs.
7. The wisdom of the Catholic Church.
8. My job, students, & coworkers.
9. Sunshine to lift my spirits.
10. Living in gorgeous, sunny Colorado.
11. Quinoa, my favorite new diet staple.
12. Finding loving childcare for Lucia.
13. Being a citizen of the U.S.
14. My new sister-in-law.
15. My fertility.
16. My health.
17. New friends.
18. Living closer to old friends.
19. Clean, warm, & running water.
20. Reading a good book.
21. Lucia will grow up near family.
22. My college education.
23. Being able to breastfeed.
24. Celebrating the holidays with family.
25. The examples & intercession of the Saints.
25. Becoming more healthy/crunchy/natural.
26. Having access to medical care.
27. The dedication of our priests.
28. Spending time with nuns for the first time.
29. Having two reliable vehicles.
30. Our sweet dogs (well, one sweet & one grumpy).
Your turn! 
Link up your list below.

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Monday, November 12, 2012

Guest Post at Captive the Heart: Catholic Wedding Planning 101

Have you visited the blog Captive the Heart?  It's a "sprightly wedding blog for the Catholic bride", and just as the name suggests, it's absolutely adorable.  I'm so excited to announce that I have a little guest post over there today.  The title is "Catholic Wedding Planning 101" and it specificially addresses how Catholic brides can respond to questions about why her Catholic wedding will be just a little bit different.  Here's a tidbit to whet your whistle:
"You mean you can't have a Coldplay song in your wedding?"

"What do you mean you can't get married on the beach?"

"Are you going to write your own vows?"

These are just a few of the difficult questions I had to answer while planning my Catholic wedding. The answers were easy: "No, I can't," answers all three. But explaining why the Catholic Church (usually) doesn't allow such things was quite a bit more complicated...continue reading at Captive the Heart.
If you are visiting from Captive the Heart, welcome!  You picked the perfect time to check out my blog because I am currently running a large giveaway event in honor of my daughter's first birthday.  To see (and enter) all the giveaways, click over to the Happy 1st Birthday, Baby! event page.
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#Happy1stBdayBaby: Belle of the Ball Giveaway


Remember the review I wrote about Belle of the Ball Jewelry & Accessories and the lovely custom necklace owner Elise made for me?  When I wrote that post, I promised that I would have a Belle of the Ball giveaway as part of the Happy 1st Birthday, Baby! giveaway event and here it is!  In addition to making custom hand-stamped jewelry (*hint, hint* Christmas presents), she also makes darling little girl's jewelry.  These would look so sweet on my little Lucia.  Visit Belle of the Ball's Facebook page to see more of her designs and enter below for a chance to win this lovely piece:


Here's a picture of Elise's sweet little girl modeling it:

 So cute!
 
Enter to win this sweet necklace
for your sweet little one!

Enter below on the Rafflecopter. Contest runs Nov. 12-Nov. 19. Good luck!
Don't forget to check out the other giveaways in my Happy 1st Birthday, Baby! event.
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Sunday, November 11, 2012

What I Wore Sunday: Nothing to Wear

Sweater: Kohl's (Elle) | Skirt: Talbots
Boots: Payless

It took me thirty minutes and countless outfit changes to figure out what to wear this morning.  Why? Because all my tights and leggings mysteriously disappeared following our move, except for two almost identical pairs of black tights.  Add that to the fact that David and I both worked extra hours this week and we're a bit behind on laundry.  Mix in the fact that I am a bit lacking on winter clothing and it snowed last night.  Yep, that's the perfect recipe for "I have NOTHING to wear." 

But once I found this outfit, it was perfect, and I loved it.  Additional bonus: this entire outfit, including the boots was way less than $100.  Sweater: thrifted (new with tags). Skirt: thrifted. Boots: on sale at Payless.  Usually I prefer to spend a bit more on shoes since those from Payless don't tend to last too long but these have lasted three years as my go-to winter boots (they will need to be replaced soon though).  The belt came with a suit skirt I bought a while back.  The cami was on sale at the Ann Taylor outlet and was by far the most expensive piece in the entire outfit.  My tights I've had since high school and I can guarantee they weren't pricey, and even if they were, they've been worn so many times that they probably average less than a cent per wear.  To be honest, this really isn't so amazing.  I promise unless I wear my wedding dress (or I win the lottery), you won't see any outfit over $150 on this blog.

While we are on the topic of fashion, I also want to mention that these Sunday link ups have landed me the distinction of being called a fashion blogger, a Catholic fashion blogger to be specific.  Check out the cute little button in my sidebar.  To see more Catholic fashion bloggers (or to see about joining the list yourself), check out It's Fun to Be a Girl.


I'm linking up to Fine Linen and Purple's What I Wore Sunday linkup.  Check it out for more church attire inspiration.

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Floral Thanksgiving Centerpiece Review



Until I received this lovely floral fall centerpiece to review, the only time I ever thought about centerpieces was when planning my wedding reception.  It never occurred to me to buy (or make) centerpieces for holidays or seasons, probably because that wasn't something my family ever did.  Now that we've been enjoying the centerpiece at our table for about a week now, I'm already thinking of what to replace it with once it dies.


The centerpiece arrived a week ago Friday while I was at work and it certainly brightened my day to see it sitting on our kitchen table when I walked in.  My parents were equally as thrilled to see it.  We noticed that it elevated our dinners to a new level.  We were able to dim the lights, light the candles, and have a relaxing conversation.  The television is often on for background noise while we eat dinner, but we've been turning it off and enjoying each others company.


Even when not eating at the table, the flowers have really brightened up our home.  We have a fairly open floor plan, so the flowers can be easily seen from the kitchen and living area.  As I write this, they are a little over a week old and while the lilies have started to wilt, the rest of the flowers still look lively.  Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture of the centerpiece when the lilies first bloomed; they were breathtaking!  My favorite part of the arrangement is the purple.  Fall bouquets usually only include "fall colors", yellows, oranges, and reds along with the greenery; the purple adds the "pop" that really draws attention to the centerpiece.


This centerpiece is perfect for Thanksgiving or another fall occasion.  If you are going to a friend's or family member's home for the holiday and you lack the baking or cooking skills to pitch in with a dish, bringing this or a similar Thanksgiving centerpiece from fromyouflowers.com would be a wonderful way to contribute to the holiday.





I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
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