I just got finished looking at my blog calendar- oh my word, I am on a blogging roll. Between the posts I have done this week and what I have planned next week, there will be approximately 10 posts in two weeks. That, my dear blog friends, is quite a feat for me. The more I’ve been blog hopping and exploring Pinterest and tutorials on how to improve my blog, the more I’ve been inspired!
I have my list all ready for this Thankful Thursday, so let’s get right to it.
I get to work with Ginny on our new challenge!
I’ve been struck with a spark of inspiration- both in life and crafty land
Blueberries. They are perfect- I can eat and type at the same time!
Sunshine. It puts me in such a happy mood!
That’s my list- what is yours this week? I love hearing what things you all are thankful for.
In closing I have a question: Do you enjoy these posts? Have they inspired you to think about what you’re thankful for each week?
In my effort to add some new, exciting (and different) content to my blog, I racked my brain on what I could do. After contemplating a few different options, I decided on wanting to team-up with someone from the crafty blog world. After several emails, my fellow collaborator and I nailed down some super great things to post next week. Get ready, coming Monday- Wednesday I’ll have three new crafty posts (yes, back-to-back) that will be ultra inspiring AND you’ll get to see two very different takes on one theme/ concept/ color combination.
Ready to find out who this collaborator will be? It’s my real-life friend, Ginny over at GinnyLou Studio! We both have very unique styles and I’m looking forward to seeing what she has created using the ideas we have come up with. It’s going to be great fun!
Oh, but that’s not all I have to share with you….. Ginny and I are teaming up for a BRAND NEW challenge that we will host here on my blog. You won’t want to miss the announcement next Wednesday.
That is going to wrap up this fun little post. Be sure to head on over to Ginny’s blog and check out all the cute things she has created recently- she’s been on a crafting roll!
I’ll be back tomorrow for my Thankful Thursday post AND I’ll be here on Friday for a photo tutorial. It features a product I just received and well, I’m a tad bit obsessed. See you then!
This past weekend it was GORGEOUS (yes, enough to scream it) here in Washington. The sun was shining in all its glory and it was prime weather for the once-a-year Seafair event.
The bestie, little sis and I wanted to go to the actual site for Seafair, but found out it was $30 per person to get in. We contemplated paying the fee, but then decided against it. After all, it didn’t even include food AND you had to sit on the grass. Since my bestie is crazy amazing at research, she found a local park/beach area that would showcase the Blue Angels show perfectly. What’s even better? It was free. :)
Here’s a few pictures of the amazing weather we had….
Is there anything better than laying on the beach with the sun shining and Starbucks?
How amazing is this? There are four plans there, all in unison!
My bestie said that the planes can get as close as 18 inches from each other!
The little sis and I rocking our big sunglasses. (One of my favorite accessories)
The bestie and I getting our tan on. Love this girl to pieces!
Pink toes, pink bag and sandals. Is there a better combo?
That’s a glimpse at what my weekend was like. What did you do? Anything fun?
Thanks for stopping by. I’ll see you tomorrow for a super exciting announcement!
I’m excited about the post I have for you today. It’s time for a brand new Featured Blogger feature! I struggled a bit trying to decide who I wanted to feature this month and then it hit me. A few months back I found a blog that I thoroughly enjoy. I love the variety of the posts and it also includes great information on how to take your blog up a level. Yes, I’m talking about Kira’s blog!
I’ve interacted with Kira on a few different occasions and she is a total sweetheart. You can tell by her posts that she has a real passion for blogging and also helping others with their blogs and DIY endeavors. I must say, I’m just as excited to get to know her as you are.
Ready? Let’s go!
Let’s start off with some blogging questions!
Tell us about your blog. When and why did you start it?
Her New Leaf is a blog about DIY and blogging, as well as my life! I chose “Her New Leaf” as the title because I started blogging as I was preparing to move over 3000 miles from Boston to LA; I was turning over a new leaf in my life and started blogging in order to keep in touch with the friends and family I was leaving behind. Over two years, my blog evolved from a personal journal to a place where I share my life and hobbies with my readers all over the world!
What inspires you for your posts?
I find inspiration everywhere! I think that some people get discouraged when reading blogs because they think that their lives aren’t as beautiful or “blog-worthy,” but that’s not true! Learning to look at the little things in my life in a different way and showcasing them in a manner that will be interesting to others is the biggest lesson blogging has taught me.
Are there blogs that you visit on a daily basis? If so, which ones?
I don’t find time to read blogs every day, but I check in regularly on Pugly Pixel, Joy the Baker, The Art of Doing Stuff, Making It Lovely, and A Beautiful Mess.
Do you ever find it hard to come up with blog content?
Everyone suffers from blogger’s block once in a while! I cope by letting myself off the hook – I take a few guilt-free days away and usually come back feeling refreshed!
Are there particular posts that you enjoy doing more than others?
My favorite posts tend to vary from month to month. Sometimes I’ll get super inspired and write a bunch of DIY tutorials back-to-back, sometimes I get into the zone and come up with a whole bunch of blogging tips. My favorite post I have ever written is Ten Things You Might Not Know About Hanukkah (http://www.hernewleaf.com/2011/12/21/ten-things-you-might-not-know-about-hanukkah/). While I usually write about topics I know well, this post really pushed me. I collaborated with my boyfriend to write the post and the process definitely brought us closer together!
Okay, now onto some fun questions that are non-relevant to blogging…..
If you could be a celebrity for one day, who would it be? Why?
Emma Stone! She is totally my girl crush, she’s hilarious and super talented! And I have always wanted to be a redhead.
What are your favorite TV shows? Oh boy, where do I start? I am a total tv junkie! I love everything from girly dramas like Grey’s Anatomy and Pretty Little Liars to crime dramas like CSI (the original only!) and Rookie Blue to reality guilty pleasures like Project Runway and The Amazing Race to scary, creepy shows like The Walking Dead and True Blood. Just about the only shows I don’t watch are those involving housewives or bachelors!
What do you enjoy doing in your “spare time”? Mostly I am blogging and crafting, but when I’m not doing that, I like to spend time with friends and explore my city. Right now I live in LA but I’ll be moving to Boston in just a few weeks!
Name 5 things that you are most passionate about: My family, my boyfriend, working with children, being creative, and sharing my knowledge
A great big thank you to Kira for taking the time to answer these questions. Now that you see how fun she is, I’m sure you want to follow her too! Here’s where you can find her:
Wow, I’m honestly surprised I found time to play along in two challenges this week! The funny thing? Arielle is the host of both of the challenges that I participated in- she has some of the best challenges!
The challenge I’m participating in today is the Colour Q Challenge #148. These colors are gorgeous and PERFECT for Summer.
Here is my take on the colors….
In March, we released the Ice Cream Shoppe Set that I haven’t been able to use very often. For some reason, these colors made me think of this set. I really love how this card turned out- the colors really pop in real life (they didn’t turn out fully how I wanted in the pictures).
Thanks for stopping by! I’ll be back here on Monday for my next Featured Blogger post- hope to see you then!
I had planned up typing this post last night when I got home from youth church (where I’m a leader), but then a group of us went out to dinner and I didn’t get home until midnight. To top that off, since I’ve been getting back to the gym, a good part of my body is sore. Such a good and bad feeling!
I have a million things to do today, so let’s jump right into my Thankful Thursday items.
fellow youth leaders that serve with me at church
the teeny bit of motivation I’ve gotten to get back to the gym
I’ve lost enough weight to look semi-cute in skinny jeans and boots (a necessity on overcast, gloomy days like today!)
grapes. Yes, the fruit. I’ve been obsessed since I’m trying to eat healthy again.
Last month, it was my birthday and I received an ultra sweet card from one of my blog readers/ customer at work. This person knows me so well- pink, brown, pearls, ribbon,scallops- they are all things I love! Thank you Tina for this beautiful card (and the gift too!).
Here’s the card that she sent….
Details of this card can be found on Tina’s post here
I hope that you all have been having a good week so far. What are YOU thankful for?
I have a card to share today that was based off of the awesome Retro Sketches challenge #22. You know me and challenges….if I have time to do them, I’m so there!
Here is my take on the sketch:
Amazingly enough, I stayed fairly close to the sketch. The only difference was I added the sentiment piece- it just seemed to bare without it! I pulled out some stamps I haven’t used in a little while, which is always fun. (See the supply list below)
Thanks for stopping by- I’ll see you tomorrow for a new Thankful Thursday post AND one of the special birthday cards I got. :)
NOT LISTED: aqua ink/ paper/ button, moss ink/ paper, marigold ribbon, scallop border punch
As you can see from the title, this post is touching on something personal and very real. Some of us struggle with it more than others, but I would say that everyone struggles with one (or many) in some aspect of their life.
I have held back on writing this post for a while. I felt like I needed to write it for me, but I also felt like there were some people that needed to read/ see this. Not sure who, just the Lord put it on my heart. If I’m being honest, part of me didn’t want to be THIS vulnerable and put myself out there. Sometimes I feel like I’m put on a pedestal and well, I want to show you that I face things just like all of you. The thing is, I don’t face my battles or journeys alone. Here, you can read what I’m talking about….
Over the years, I have tackled many insecurities, but I still have many more left to face. Honestly, I wonder if some of them will ever go away. The biggest ones I deal with: the way I look and what people think of me.
The first one goes back to about seven years ago. I never struggled with my weight until I turned 18 and from there it got out of control. Many of you will remember me mentioning losing 60 pounds from my heaviest and some of my fitness journey in previous posts. During this low (or rather HIGH on the scale) point in my life, I got some downright cruel remarks from people I knew. Not to mention, I got asked if I was pregnant three times in one week. This was and continues to be a hard topic for me. In the mirror, I still see and feel like the “fat girl”, even though I’ve lost quite a bit of the weight. I have heard that this happens to a lot of people when they lose a large amount of weight- however, knowing this fact doesn’t help at all.
The second insecurity: I’ve had my entire life. I feel the innate desire to be a people pleaser, almost to a fault. Not too many people don’t care what others think of them- my desire just seems to be greater than others.
All of this leads me to this point:
Don’t get me wrong, just because I know this fact, doesn’t mean I’ve conquered my insecurities. It’s actually quite the opposite. EVERY SINGLE DAY I have to remind myself of this fact. God loves ME, despite my flaws and imperfections. He knows I have insecurities and He is helping me through them. It’s a process and He is willing to walk through it with me.
It never ceases to amaze me how faithful the Lord is. I know He will help me through these struggles if I continue to see Him in all of it. While I may never fully overcome these things on this side of heaven, I’m so thankful I don’t have to go through these things alone.
My hope and prayer is that this post speaks to who it needs to. Like I said earlier, I felt like the Lord put it on my heart to write this. If you need to send me an email, there’s a button on the top right of the blog. Take care, sweet blog friends!
It’s Friday and I couldn’t be happier about it. This week was long and being as I’ve had allergic reactions AND a sore throat these last few days, I’m looking forward to catching up on some rest.
If you have followed my blog for a while, you will remember that I used to post cards using non-DeNami stamps. While I’ve sold many of these sets (I still have some left in my for sale section), there are a few that I just can’t part with. One company that I love: WPlus9 Design Studio. My friend, Dawn, owns this company and it’s been such a joy to see her company blossom.
Here’s what I have for you today:
I just love this sentiment! It is perfect for both family members and friends. I went a little outside my usual color palette (not too much- it still has pink!) and added a pop of bright green. I thought it was a fun little addition.
Here’s a closer peek at the main panel. You know me and my love for glitter….I just had to add it to the flowers and butterfly!
Be sure to stop by Dawn’s fab blog on your way out. She has some beauties over there and I know she would love to see some new faces stop by. :) You can even tell her I sent you over!
It’s a brand new Thursday and it’s time for a brand new Thankful Thursday. I have to admit, sometimes I find it hard to come up with “new” things to be thankful for- many things I want to write, I’ve posted before. I AM trying to think outside of what I’ve done in the past, but don’t be surprised if you see some similar things in the next few weeks. :)
impromptu outings with friends.
my iPhone.
technology. Computers, phones, the list goes on and on….
allergy medicine. These past few days, something has been getting to me and it’s been a necessity to take meds. Throat closing= not good. Still unsure what exactly is causing this.
nail polish. I honestly hate the look of my toes when they aren’t painted.
birthday cake milkshakes. Granted, they are far from healthy, but they are out of this world amazing.
Soooo…. since you’re reading this, that means you made it through another week. You know what that means? It’s your turn to say what you’re thankful for!
Can’t wait to see what you are thankful for this week. I’ll see you tomorrow with a crafty post!
Tell us about your blog. When and why did you start it?
Her New Leaf is a blog about DIY and blogging, as well as my life! I chose “Her New Leaf” as the title because I started blogging as I was preparing to move over 3000 miles from Boston to LA; I was turning over a new leaf in my life and started blogging in order to keep in touch with the friends and family I was leaving behind. Over two years, my blog evolved from a personal journal to a place where I share my life and hobbies with my readers all over the world!
