True Friends

It’s been almost seven months since my car accident and I’ve learned so much from this experience. Granted, I never wanted to be in this situation, but it’s happened and the only thing I can do is focus on getting better, take the good out of this difficult time and {hopefully} encourage others with the things I’ve learned from it.

Before  I continue on, I want to say that this post isn’t me being passive aggressive, “bash” or have a “pity party” for myself. If I’m being honest, I have thought about typing up/publishing this post for months and months now. Every time it reappeared on my blog calendar, I would scribble it out and schedule something else. It’s not exactly an easy topic, or one that will make me many friends. This has been on my heart and I thought I would share it with you. 

I’ve always known that hard times reveals your true friends, it’s a fact of life. It’s been quite a while since I faced something truly life changing, or something I would classify as “hard”, but I would definitely say the accident has been major in my life. It’s changed my outlook on health, the things I used to take for granted such as work, driving and even standing, and it’s also changed my thoughts on friends.

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You may think the quote above is a bit dramatic, but if you truly think about it, it’s true. When you face a difficult situation, it’s not uncommon for people to step back from your friendship, treat you differently, or possibly even pull away completely. It’s usually not an easy task to “walk” with your friends through valleys- sometimes you just don’t know the words to say, how to react, or you just are uncomfortable with everything. Truth is, it’s during these times where they need a TRUE friend .

Qualities of a true friend:

  • They check in on you. It can be as simple as a text or email, but these things mean a lot. Trust me. It’s better to text them even a simple “thinking/ praying for you” than letting days, weeks, months go by and not saying anything. You may have a friendship where you don’t have think you have to do these things, but if they’re going through a difficult time, these things mean the world.
  • They encourage you to get out of the house, even if you don’t want to {occasionally}. It’s so easy to wallow in your grief or pain and start having a pity party for yourself. Sometimes you really do just need to get out for a bit. It’ll make them feel “normal” for a little while.
  • They are there for you. There may be awkward silences, or moments of crying, but you will remember the times when they were there. It’s amazing how sometimes even just their presence can make a world of difference.
  • They do everything they can to help you. I personally dislike inconveniencing anyone for anything. I’m the type that does things the hard way so I don’t have to ask anyone for help. Truth of the matter is, everyone needs help at sometime, and usually when you’re going through a rough patch, you need help. Offering to help makes it so much easier than having to ask. {Don’t offer to help if you aren’t willing to actually follow through}
  • They don’t gossip or share your difficulties with others. Sometimes there are situations where others may ask, or someone needs to step in, but no one likes their “dirty laundry” or issues out there for anyone and everyone to know. Be discerning.
  • They surprise you with things you enjoy. It doesn’t have to be big {or even often}, but a small gift card, a little trinket, a book, a drink or meal…those things can really brighten someone’s day.

I could keep going, but these are the things that have meant the MOST to me during these last eight months. I’m not going to pretend, I honestly am surprised that some people who I THOUGHT were close friends haven’t contacted me once, or some have stopped checking in altogether. Yes, the accident is in the past and I am slowly recovering, but still it’s nice to know that they care, even just a little bit.

I don’t want a pity party, I promise. I guess I just have learned who TRULY are my close friends during this time. Have some actions {or lack thereof} changed my friendships with some people now or in the past? Absolutely.

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There WILL be some people who God has put in your life for just a season. It’s true, some people will walk through life with you for a few months, or years, and then the friendship fades. Honestly, sometimes this can be a good thing. Who really just wants “fair weathered” friends?

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I can’t wait to hear you all weigh in on your thoughts on how you would classify a true friend, how others have shown their friendship, or even listing the ways you feel like you could improve on being a friend.

In closing, I want to say that some of my blog readers {many whom I have never met} have been some of the sweetest friends a girl could ever ask for. Your comments, emails, words of encouragement have honestly helped me so much during this chapter of my life. I’ve learned so much from your example on how to be a friend. Thank you just doesn’t seem like enough for the things you have taught me.

Sequins Galore!

Confession: I cannot stop creating with sequins. As you saw in yesterday’s post, I gave into the sequins trend and now I can’t put them down! I literally spent at least twenty minutes playing with different color combinations and sketching out some ideas I had to incorporate sequins into. However, before I show you any of those ones, I have a few more cards showcasing them inside this jar.

I recently received the Summertime Charm stamp set and matching dies {links below} and they work PERFECTLY with the sequins! Honestly, could you pass up a jar filled with pretty, sparkly sequins? I know that I couldn’t!

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With the sunshine that peeked through over the weekend, I actually got my toenails painted and wore sandals. Granted, it was only around 50*, but in Seattle, we’ll take it! I think I was inspired by my freshly painted toes- I couldn’t stop pulling out my pink items!

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I really love this sentiment- it works well for so many of my crafty friends! I have a dear, sweet friend who I’m planning on sending this card to, but I had to share it with you all before it went out the door. This friend truly does brighten my day and has blessed me in so many ways. I still get baffled at how blogging has brought so many amazing people in my life, all around the world. I love our crafty community!

That’s going to wrap up this post. I’ll be back tomorrow with a more personal post and I hope you all will weigh in. I thoroughly enjoy hearing from you all and this is a topic pretty much everyone can relate to. Intrigued? I hope so!

Shamrock Jar + Mini Haul

I hope that you all had a great weekend. We had two glorious, sunny days here in Washington, which was just what I needed. The little bit of sunshine peeking through the windows while I was crafting was so wonderful. It’s amazing how sunshine can change ones mood and outlook after some gloomy days!

I posted on the Pretty Pink Posh Facebook page that I ordered lots and lots of sequins recently. I got them in, along with some Lawn Fawn goodies, so I did  a mini haul video. {Thank you to everyone who has requested I continue to film them!} Here is the super quick little video.

I was so excited to play with my new goodies- I actually created five cards with sequins this weekend! I am so into my new purchases, I just couldn’t stop using them! With St. Patrick’s Day being a few days away, I thought I’d share a card for this holiday.

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I used three different colored Neat & Tangled sequins on this card: Crystal Clear, Shamrock Satin and Gold Metallic. If you order, be sure to let Danielle know that I sent you over! :)

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If you missed yesterday’s blog hop post, be sure to check it out- we’re giving away bigger gift certificates and the hop was FILLED with lots of amazing birthday inspiration. Thanks so much for stopping in!

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Birthday Bonanza Blog Hop

Good morning!

It’s time for the monthly DeNami Blog Hop and since it’s our birthday month, I thought it fitting to make it a birthday blog hop! There are so many different ways this theme can be used- I just know that this hop will be filled to the brim with inspiration! If you started from the beginning, you should be coming from Pattie Goldman’s blog.

Be sure to leave comments on each stop. We’re giving away BIGGER gift certificates in honor of the birthday month, which means bigger shopping sprees!

I went the cutesy route and decided to bring out the Cupcake Chickie as my focal point. I have loved this stamp from the first moment I saw it and can’t believe I haven’t used it for so long. Since this is a special hop, I wanted to do something “out of the norm” and made a cupcake topper, too. {I actually made three and took a picture, but the lighting turned out horrible}
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I kept this card design super basic because I wanted the chickie to the take the spotlight. Only three stamps were used on this card {supply list below}.

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It’s time to head on over to the next stop of the hop: Lisa Petrella’s blog! I have the incredible privilege of working closely with her as a DT member and she is phenomenal. Not only that, she always has the most creative ideas!

I’ll be back tomorrow for a small haul video and a card featuring what I created with my new goodies. If you’re wondering, yes, sequins will be making an appearance! Hope to see you then!

 

Pretty Princess + GIVEAWAY

For my long-time readers, you know that I enjoy doing giveaways. With a limited budget, I’m not able to do them too often….however, occasionally a company will reach out to me and want to host one on my blog. Today is one of those special days!

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I am absolutely LOVING the Paper Sweeties line that was started by my sweet friend, Debbie. She has designed the most adorable line of dolls, outfits and accessories that can bring old and young together seamlessly. Here’s a little bit more about the company….

Paper Sweeties™ LLC is owned and illustrated by Debbie Marcinkiewicz, and offers hand drawn, high quality photopolymer acrylic stamps.  Our heartwarming images allow paper crafters to create adorable dolls with interchangeable outfits and accessories! We also have a wide variety of wonderful all-occasion sentiments, labels and accessory sets – perfect for every paper crafted project!  The Paper Sweeties shoppe carries hand tea-stained seam binding too!  The Sweeties dolls, accessories and sentiments are so much fun to play with, and are sure to bring back fond childhood memories!  You’ll enjoy using the Sweeties to create projects for card making, scrap booking, party invitations and favors, home decor and so much more!

We will be attending our very first show, CKC Scrapbook Convention in Charlotte, NC August 16th – 17th as a vendor!  We hope to see you there!

Before I give you the details of the giveaway, I wanted to show you another card I created with these stamps. This card features Abigail, Dream A Little Dream, I’m Having A Tea Party and of course, lots of patterned papers.

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Okay, now onto the information on how you can win a $25 Paper Sweeties gift certificate!

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HOW TO ENTER {required}

OPTIONAL ENTRIES

That is FIVE possible entries! Giveaway ends at 11:59pm PST on Saturday, March 16, 2013.

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I can’t wait to read what your favorite Paper Sweeties sets are and also hopefully see some new social media friends! I know that Debbie would love to meet some of my amazing readers too- be sure to stop by and say hello to her. :)

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Addicted to Paper Piecing

I’ve recently professed that I am IN. LOVE. with patterned papers. My stash is growing with each Ellen Hutson order and boy, lately I’ve been using it up like there’s no tomorrow. I suppose it’s better than hoarding though!

Today I am showcasing a sweet little girl that I was introduced to recently. My friend, Debbie, started a stamp company called Paper Sweeties  in August 2012 and she has the most adorable little girls (and boys), along with all sorts of outfits that you can adorn them with. As soon as I saw these cute designs, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on them. Growing up, I was more of a Barbie girl rather than paper dolls, so getting the opportunity to stamp/ color/ dress up and “play” with these stamps were so fun. Honestly, it was like I was a little girl again….

I’ve been busying creating lots of fun cards with these stamps. Today’s card showcases Abigail, Rah-Rah!, Banner Wishes and Happy Fall Ya’ll.

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I will admit, once I started paper piecing, I couldn’t stop. I kept pulling out more paper packs and seeing which designs went together and what stamps I could paper piece. It was so therapeutic- I did this back-to-back on three cards!

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I’m hoping you all are excited about these stamps as I am….stay tuned tomorrow because I will have a GIVEAWAY so you can get some of your own adorable Paper Sweeties stamps!

In the meantime, if you haven’t checked out the latest 10 Minute Craft Dash challenge, it was posted yesterday! We have an awesome sponsor and some of their DT joined along with some fabulous cards. I can’t wait to start seeing all of YOUR creations!

See you all tomorrow. Thanks for spending some time with me.

10 Minute Craft Dash #13

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I’m thrilled that you have joined me and the design team for a brand new 10 Minute Craft Dash. Can you believe we are on challenge #13 already? My have the weeks flown by quickly!

With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, I thought we would pay homage to those colors and go a little more neutral for this challenge. Don’t worry though, you can create ANY occasion card using these colors!

* If you aren’t able to stay within the 10 minutes, you can still link up your item! While it won’t quality for the winner spot, it might still be featured in the favorites!

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Today we have a first time sponsor, but I’m sure it’s one you recognize- May Arts! They have a huge array of stunning ribbons in a rainbow of colors. Not to mention the variety of textures and the different widths! I’m so glad that some of their DT was able to bring you some inspiration today, here are the links to their blogs:

Lalo Ik

Erin Thiem

Leah Farrar-White

Sandy Allnock

Charlene Driggs

Jen Shears

 

Oh yes, and let’s not forget about our prize for this challenge. May Arts has donated a goodie bag filled with all sorts of ribbon samples- every crafters dream!

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How to Play

  1. Create a card/craft project within 10 minutes featuring the color palette.
  2. Post the time it took to create.
  3. Be sure to include the challenge graphic in your post and link to the challenge.
  4. You may combine a total of three challenges with your entry. You may enter the challenge a maximum of two times.
  5. Subscribe to Pretty Pink Posh via Email

You can pull out your supplies before your timer starts!

 

10 Minute Craft Dash #12 Highlights

This last round of challenge entries were so amazing and I LOVED seeing all of the different videos that were posted showing you (and your friends) create. My absolute favorite of all the videos posted thus far? THIS ONE posted by Jessica, Jen and Suzanne. Thank you girls for allowing us to join in your crafty night! :)

If you are interested in getting a head start on the next Craft Dash, I have the colors that will be featured on the Pretty Pink Posh Facebook page. This is EXCLUSIVE to those who like my page. If you go there and go to “exclusives”, you get to see the next 10 Minute Craft Dash challenge a day early!fb_prettypinkposh

Thanks to the help of my bestie, I was able to pick a winner and some favorites from this challenge….goodness knows I could never make this decision alone!

Congratulations to Chupa

Please email me (click the contact on the top right) with your contact info to claim your prize. Also, you get to grab the badge below and proudly display it on your blog!

Ready for some of my favorites? If you’re new to the Craft Dash, I always pick out some entries to showcase and share with you. There are so many amazing entries and I can’t help but shout out some of them. Here are the links to the gals I picked this time around….be sure to stop by each of the blogs to take a look at the beautiful cards! {Ladies, feel free to grab the badge below and put it on your blogs!}

Thank you for joining me today and continuing to spreading the word of my challenge. If you want to share you love of the 10 Minute Craft Dash, feel free to add the challenge button to your blog. I can’t wait to start seeing more badges in blog land soon!

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I will see you all tomorrow for a brand new challenge and a prize from a first-time sponsor.  The design team has put together some beautiful, inspiring cards and I can’t wait to share them with you all!

Featured Blogger- Erika R

featuredblogger-10For those new to my blog, on the first Monday of each month, I feature one of the bloggers that I follow. When I read blogs, I always enjoy getting to know the person BEHIND the blog. Whether it be a crafty blogger, a lifestyle blogger or a fellow young single gal- I love putting away the formalities and having a “conversation” with a blogger I enjoy.

Today’s blogger is a fellow Washingtonian and craft lover, she also has an adorable Etsy shop and a heart of gold. I had the privilege of meeting Erika at the Etsy Rain show {post here} and since then I’ve been following her blog and other social media sites. Her blog encompasses the things she enjoys, who she is and randomness that makes her even more loveable.

Let’s get started with the questions….

Tell us about your blog. When and why did you start it?

This is actually my second blog. I had a now-defunct blog that I started in fall of 2009, after the husband and I got married. I got tired of posting just married-life related stuff, so that’s when I switched over to a new name and new content in early 2011.

What inspires you for your posts?

I started the blog because I was in really creatively frustrated at work (I’ve since changed day jobs) and worked nights, which turns out, can make you lonely and bored during the day! Writing a blog was a perfect filler.

Do you ever find it hard to come up with blog content?

I actually very rarely have a hard time coming up with blog content. I commute by bus every day and it’s about a half hour ride so I use a lot of that time brainstorming and thinking up new stuff. I also sort of plan out my month of content so I’ll always sort of know what’s coming or what I should write about.

Are there particular posts that you enjoy doing more than others?

Inspiration comes in many forms for me. I get a lot of crazy ideas lying in bed at night, while running or on my bus commute home from work. I try not to get too inspired from other bloggers because I want to be original as I can. I find inspiration in what I wear, what I cook, what I see and what my husband tells me.

Do you keep a blog schedule, or do you post whenever you’re inspired?

Regarding the schedule, I have a rough schedule but if I decide I don’t like a post, or I have a great idea, I’ll go with the inspiration. This year I’ve also released a lot of pressure from blogging everyday because I do work full time, I do have a full life, and sometimes I can’t write a new post 5 times a week.

Okay, now onto some fun questions that are non-relevant to blogging…..

How would you describe your personality?

My personality is a little bit out there– definitely creative-minded, caring and sensitive. I am very shy around people I know, but open up with people I know. I am also someone who RARELY sits still. Ever. Unless I’m asleep at night.

What do you enjoy doing in your “spare time”?

Spare time? Haha. Well I do own a handmade shop called rouge + whimsy with my line of purses, totes and clutches so that takes up a lot of time, but otherwise I love to cook and try new recipes. I also run, play with my dog and work on my house with my husband.

If you could meet any celebrity, who would it be and why?

If I could meet any celebrity, I would have to see Ellen DeGeneres, because it would meant that I was on her show and she was talking about my blog…haha. Otherwise, I love Tina Fey. She’s brilliant.

If you had a reality tv show about your life, what would we see a lot of?

A reality show about my life would be a lot of me running around being late to things, scrambling on things… also a lot of me laughing, snoozing my alarm and drinking coffee. You’d probably spy my corgi a lot too, because he’s a ham. :)

Name 5 things that you are most passionate about:

My faith in Jesus, my family, handmade/ blog community, eating healthy and loving others.

Now that you see what a sweet and fun gal Erika is, I’m sure you want to follow her too! Here’s where you can find her:

Erika’s blog

Erika’s Etsy Shop

Erika’s Twitter

Erika’s Pinterest Boards

Erika’s Facebook page

I hope that you enjoyed this feature and are just as inspired by this gal as I have been.Want to recommend a blogger, or yourself,  for a future Featured Blogger post? Leave a comment with the blog link and you never know- you just might hear from me!

I’ll see you tomorrow for the 10 Minute Craft Dash #12 Highlights and info on how you can get an exclusive sneak peek of the upcoming challenge that starts on Wednesday.

Colorblock Butterflies

One of the most gratifying things as a blogger is hearing and seeing that people try out the things you post, recreate it and then spread the word about your blog. THANK YOU for sharing my site with your friends and family, sweet readers. As the blog readership grows and the opportunities for my site expands, I’m hoping I can continue to bring you inspiring cards and projects, recipes, thought provoking posts, along with giveaways and coupons.  Hope that sounds good to all of you! *wink*

With Spring right around the corner, I have been obsessed with the fresh and cheery colors on the horizon. I decided to put together some of my favorite colors on this card and the result is something that makes me long for Spring even more. Polka dots, glitter and some of my new May Arts ribbon and you have a combination that is swoon worthy.prettypinkposh_butterfly1a

How lovely are these butterflies and the sentiment? I honestly can’t stop using this sentiment- it encapsulates my feelings for so many of my close friends and family. Also, isn’t the handwriting amazing? LOVE it to pieces!

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What stamp or crafting item are you obsessed with at the moment? Along with this sentiment, I have a few others that I can’t seem to put down. I’ll share them with you soon- hopefully in video form!

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NOT LISTED: moss, aqua, hibiscus and kraft cardstock, paper piercer, black pen