Help!

I am interested in starting up an Etsy shop, but I am a little hesitant. 

For anyone that does sell on Etsy, any helpful tips to make my shop successful? What are some things that helped you and/or hurt you when you were getting started? I would love to hear from you!

I plan on selling beaded serving spoons, spreaders, and other utensils. I may even end up selling plates, bowls, salt and pepper shakers, etc if things go well in my shop.

Thank you so much for any advice! This is something I have been wanting to do for a while now, but I just haven't had the courage yet.

Lucy Turns One!

Our fur baby is now one! 

And you better believe it, we went all out for her birthday. We tried to do all of Lucy's favorite things today: i took her for a run, we played lots of catch, let her run around the baseball field, and took her for a walk this evening. This girl is so spoiled, I think she got more presents than I did for my birthday. And yes, I am that crazy dog mom that spent way too long making a happy birthday banner for my puppy...

She even let me put a birthday hat on her! She was less than thrilled, but still managed to pose for a good picture.

Anyone else get wayyy too excited for your dog's birthday?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUCY!

Make Your Own Towel Hooks

I have been looking for fun towel hooks since the day we moved in. Our bathroom has one tiny hook on the back of the door, and that is it. When I came across these fun hooks at Home Depot, I knew I would just have to create my vision myself since I couldn't find it anywhere I looked.

what you'll need:

1x3's (or desired width), gorilla wood glue, wood stain, hooks of your choice

The first step in this project is deciding how big you want your towel rack to be and cutting the wood accordingly. We cut 6-1x3's to be 36 inches long. We then glued them together offsetting the edges for a unique look. After the glue had dried, we were able to stain the wood to our liking, and finally add the hooks once the stain was dry. 

I love the way our towel hooks turned out! They look great in our bathroom and even match the wood framed mirror we made a while back. Not to mention, they are much more functional than the tiny hook on the back of the door!

Happy Monday!

On The Nightstand: Forgotten by Catherine McKenzie

Emma Tupper is a dedicated lawyer with a bright future. But when she takes a month-long leave of absence to go on an African vacation, she ends up facing unexpected consequences. After she falls ill and spends six months trapped in a remote village thanks to a devastating earthquake, Emma returns home to discover that her friends, boyfriend, and colleagues thought she was dead--and that her life has moved on without her.

As she struggles to re-create her old life, throwing herself into solving a big case for a client and trying to reclaim her beloved apartment from the handsome photographer who assumed her lease, everyone around her thinks she should take the opportunity to change. But is she willing to sacrifice her job, her relationships, and everything else she worked so hard to build?

In "Forgotten," Catherine McKenzie tweaks a classic tale of discovering who we really are when everything that brings meaning to our lives is lost.---GoodReads

LOVED it! Catherine McKenzie has easily become my new favorite author because all of her stories are so unique. As the first book on my summer reading list, I was looking for a real page turner and Forgotten definitely did not disappoint. I just couldn't wait to see how Emma's life turned out, and all the bumps along the way only made the story that much more interesting. I can not wait for McKenzie's new book, as I am sure it will be just as good as the first three.

Have you read any good books lately? Let me know in the comments section, I love getting book suggestions!

Patriotic Ribbon Wreath

Summer Vacation is finally here, which means I can start focusing more on the blog again. The first thing I did after taking my final exam was head straight for hobby lobby to grab some festive ribbon. I had a wreath form at home, and the house was still sporting the Easter wreath, so I decided it was time for a change.

Unfortunately there was not enough time to completely deck the house out in fourth of july festiveness, so this is all we have. There's always next year, right?

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

Candy Bar Bouquet: Fathers Day Edition

My dad loves candy. In fact, he always has a "secret stash" of chocolaty goodness hidden in the house so he can have it all to himself. We eventually find his stash and when we do, he finds a new spot to hide all his candy. 

This Father's Day, I had a hard time deciding what to get my dad. I always get my mom flowers for Mother's Day, and thought it would be so nice if I could do the same for Dad. I settled for a candy bar bouquet, which I can assure you he enjoyed it much more than a bouquet of flowers. 

This would be a fun gift for anyone on any occasion, and so simple to make too!

I just used a foam block wrapped with tissue paper for the bottom and stuck it in the gift bag. I taped the candy bars to the skewers then stuck them in the foam block. The most difficult part was making sure the weight was distributed evenly to keep it from falling over. 

The finished product:

My dad loved it!

Now I just hope he shares with his favorite daughter...

What are some creative Father's Day gift ideas you have made in the past? 

I always have such a hard time thinking of something creative for my dad. Does anyone else have this problem?

By the way, only two more weeks of classes for me, so I hope to be back to regularly posting again soon!

Engagement Gift Basket

My best friend is ENGAGED! I received the phone call the night of her engagement and couldn't contain my excitement. The first chance I got, I ran out to Target and set out to find a bunch of goodies and helpful wedding planning materials to send her. 

Engagement Gift Basket:

 Frame with Personalized Engagement Art

This is something the happy couple can hang in their new home as a constant reminder of the day she said "yes!"

Bridal Magazines

Every girl needs an endless amount of ideas for her dress, hair, budgeting, etc.

Dry Erase Board

For her endless to-do lists or ideas to remember, a dry erase board will come in handy to jot things down quickly.

Post-It Notes

These make great bookmarks to refer back to articles in magazines.

Note Pad

Keep the bride organized with this note pad of weekly tasks, important notes, and when payments are due.

Shoe Stickers

If you are anything like me, it's the little things that make the day perfect. These stickers can be worn on the bottom of the bride and groom's shoes for a cute picture.

Jewelry Cleaner

The bride will appreciate this so she can keep her new ring sparkling like new, even months after the engagement

Nail Polish

The bride can show off her ring with freshly painted nails. This particular color is called "soulmate." I found it fitting.

Wedding Morning Playlist

Create a mix of fun songs for the girls to dance around to the morning of the wedding.

Engagement Card

No explanation needed.

I hope Jenna likes her gift as much as I do!

What are some thing you have included in your engagement gift basket? I'd love to hear your ideas!