Guest Post: Living the Creative Life

 {I have a creative guest post for you today! One of my sponsors sent this over and I'm happy to share this creative project with you. Happy Weekend!}

Hi! I'm Jennifer from Living the Creative Life and I'm so excited to be getting to write a guest post for you guys today! I'm going to talk about my inner artist, and then give you guys a fun DIY art project to try!

 ***** 

Art is one of those things that I always sort of feel like I shouldn't like to do anymore. I'm not sure why, but my logical brain likes to tell me that art is a childish thing that I should've given up back when I matured to the ripe old age of six. And yet... here it is, nearly thirty years later, and my heart still longs for it.

Though I've embraced my writing and photography tendencies long ago, art for art's sake has always just sort of been shoved to the side, so to speak, as though I shouldn't want to play around with colors and textures and fun stuff like that. It's only been in the last year or so that I've come to realize what a travesty that is. Art is in my blood... it's what makes me ME! It's how I see the world, and to not pursue that would be criminal.

 So... I was reading The Artist's Way last night and it reminded me that our inner artist really is like a child... but that's a good thing. Children tend to not censor themselves. They don't ponder whether or not they should like to do art... they just dive right in and do it.

 I was feeling rather gloomy in general as I was reading all this, so I thought... "What better time to work through it then by playing in some art?" My first instinct was to create something bold and colorful... the exact opposite of my mood, but somehow that just felt right. So... I got out my trusty .001 pen (Seriously... how did I survive before I discovered these? Even "ultra-fine" Sharpies seem enormous after working with these!)

 I started in one corner and drew lines spider-webbing out from each other until I got all the way to the center of the page. 

Next I took some of my "ultra-fine" Sharpies... ... and started coloring! 

 

Even though I did try to stay in the lines... I told myself that IT WAS OKAY if that didn't happen perfectly. My inner artist child probably wouldn't care, so why should I? Trust me, it was hard letting go of that perfectionist streak in me, but I survived!

I kept coloring and coloring and coloring. It felt so cathartic! There's just something about creating that lets your logical brain rest for awhile. And here's how it turned out!! Pretty cool, huh?

*****  

Do you have an inner artist child begging to come out and play? Why not grab some stickers and markers and scissors and glue and just let her have some fun!  

Catch this and other creative-type posts over on my blog: Living the Creative Life. 
You can also follow me over on Twitter or check out some more of my art over at my Etsy shop!

Friday Letters

Dear Weekend, HOORAY! Tomorrow is the BABY BASH and I'm so looking forward to seeing friends.

Dear McDonalds, Why do I crave you -- especially for breakfast?! I have to call out a friend here... he messaged me earlier this week and said he demolished 40 chicken nuggets, 2 McChickens, and a Chicken Bacon Ranch sandwich in ONE sitting. How his heart is still beating I'll never know.

Dear Target, Thanks for coming to my rescue....AGAIN. I know better and should never stray. A week or so ago I bought a navy blue maxi dress for the party tomorrow somewhere else... it fit fine enough. It wasn't maternity but a larger sized maxi. Anyway... I tried it on again this week... no bueno. It was hiked up so far in the front! I'm expanding [clearly] at a rapid rate. I went in to Target quickly before work and was pleased to find a few maternity items ON SALE. Score!

The baby party is totally casual... at a BAR no less...so I thought this would be just fine. It's a little long so I'm going to have to break out some wedges.

Dear Bump, Holy moly.

And... it gets bigger from here?! Good lord. I feel like I really POPPED recently. My belly button is disappearing. My maternity clothes are even becoming too small. I'm 30 weeks Sunday! I could have 10 weeks [or less!] to go. This is insanity. 


Dear Readers, a giveaway for ad space and/or an 8 x 10 art print from Anna Delores is still ongoing. Enter here!


Dear Christen at An Unordinary Life, You won a custom coaster set from my sponsor Mi Famillie de Trois! Emailing you!

Give it all away

A little blog housekeeping if you will!

First off -- two very lovely bloggers asked me to guest post and they are both live today!

I share some wedding photographs over at Anna Delores. It was so nice to relive the day through photos....

I also talk about past cruises and our experiences over on Crystal's Thrifty & Frugal Living blog.

Give them both a look! ;)

Shabby Apple Winning!

Look at that! Rachel won! She blogs over at Mi familles de trois and she happens to be one of my sponsors for this past month. Sponsoring [apparently] brings good luck! Congrats and I can't wait to see what she picks with her gift certificate.

{Speaking of which...I have a few sponsorship spots available in all sizes.}

THREE giveaways going on right now:

Custom Coaster Set

Ad Space over at Only Impossible Until Done

Ad Space & an 8 x 10 art print from Anna Delores

Her art prints are AMAZING! I love them.

Enter to win over here!

Everyone Loves a Wedding...even in a tropical storm!

I'm not sure how much Florida weather makes the news nationally...but we have had some insane rain lately. You know, a TROPICAL STORM. This past weekend the Tampa Bay area was hit with some rain storms that totally flooded the area. Before the floods, we were in town for a rainy but awesome wedding. The rain definitely didn't damper anyone's spirits. It was a blast!

Rain outside our hotel room

We stayed overnight which made getting ready and partying (yes, even for this preggo) so much more convenient! We didn't have to worry about parking, driving home, etc. I was able to stay out late knowing that all I had to do was walk upstairs to the room and pass out. It was glorious. Here are some of the photos from the wedding -- I'm sure the bride and groom won't mind that I'm sharing! The bride did a FABULOUS job with favors, set up, coordination, etc. Everything was very cohesive from the colors to the printed materials...everything matched. I definitely noticed her hard work! I'm sure she was bummed their outdoor ceremony had to be moved inside due to the weather, but everything looked great!

Cocktail Hour...minus the cocktail for me.

My husband has a reputation for never getting dressed up. This proves he can...and should more often. ;)

The thumbprint guestbook

The paddle programs [there was a word search on the back!] and the lollipop escort cards

Lobster bisque was certainly a highlight... ;)

The GROOM! I loved that they didn't wear full suits -- they had vests!

Mozel Tov!

At our table

The centerpieces were so pretty!

There was a photo booth at the wedding... gotta love my husband's message!

VERY cool set up. You could see the photos from the booth instantly uploaded on the screen and on the iPad... some of the professional pictures from earlier in the day! That was pretty cool to see.

Dance machines.

With the bride at the AFTER party. Yes, I made it out to a party until 1am. Win.

It was nice to spend a weekend at home and seeing some of our old friends. It was a great time and I wish the bride and groom lots of happiness! =] 

Meet Abby & Emily {Ad Space & Art Print Giveaways!}

June Medium Sponsors

Keep reading! These lovely ladies have some great giveaways for you to win!

Only Impossible Until Done:

Hey guys, I'm Abby and I blog over at Only Impossible Until Done. I'm currently in my final year of University in New Zealand, studying media. I blog about anything and everything I feel like. At the moment I'm on a bit of a baking spree so come and visit me for some yummy recipes and stories from little old New Zealand. I also co-host a link up that opens every Monday night. It's called On Your Screen and you can link up any posts that are related to film or tv. I'd love for you to link up with us!

The best part about blogging so far:
I love 'meeting' all of these interesting people from far away places that I would never come across in real life.

What are you planning on doing this summer?
Winter has just begun here in New Zealand so I plan on hiding under a blanket, wearing three layers of clothes until Summer comes back to defrost me. 

 

Giveaway:

Three months of advertising on my blog. This will be a 200x300 ad and will include options to do guest posts and/or giveaways.

BLOG

Facebook | Twitter

 

 

-*-*-*-*-*-

 

Anna Delores:

 

My name is Emily Reiter and I am the photographer behind Anna Delores Photography, as well as the author of the Anna Delores blog.  My blog runs the gamut of handmade, home decor, photography, and all things lovely.  This includes regular features such as wedding wonders, favorite handmade sellers, beauty link parties, and guest posts from other creative minds in the blog-o-sphere, among many other topics.  As long as it relates to something pretty, I'm game.  The blog is also a scrapbook of my growth, ventures, and experiences as a photographer; I also run a separate photo blog at www.annadelores.com/blog.

The best part about blogging so far: 

"meeting" so many kindred spirits via the World Wide Web!  Getting lots of moral support for my personal and professional endeavors.

What are you planning on doing this summer?  

Continuing to build my portfolio and wedding photography business!

 

Giveaway:

Ad space PLUS an 8x10" print of winner's choice

 

BLOG

Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Etsy | Web
Instagram: annadelores

 

 

Both of these ladies have adorable blogs that I'm so grateful to be following. :-) Enter to win one of the prizes they are offering up by using Rafflecopter below!

This is what 29 Weeks looks like...

29 Weeks
Taken this past weekend at a friend's wedding in their photo booth. I've definitely popped out.
A full review of that to come... but for now... Bump Date!

*How far along?: 29 weeks!
*How big is baby?: Acorn squash

*Total Weight Gain/Loss: I'm probably holding steady at +30. I haven't weighed in this week!
*Maternity Clothes: Is it possible to OUTGROW maternity clothes? Because ... I kind of think I am.
*Stretch Marks: None noticeable at the moment.
*Gender: A BOY...get ready to meet Cannon Theodore this September!
*Movement: Lots and often.
*Sleep?: It's still steady and I usually get a LOT of sleep which is nice. However, lately, my body has been playing this fun game called "Let's Wake Up The Pregnant Chick By Vomiting In Her Mouth." Yes, several times now I'm driven from a deep sleep with vom in my mouth. Super fun, right?! A little upchucking at 4am is SO FUN!
*Best moment this week? We took a little mini road trip back home for a friend's wedding. I also found out I passed my glucose test ... just need some iron supplements because I'm a "little" anemic. No biggie. I'll take the pill! Scott also assembled the crib so now things are coming into place. Woo hoo!
*Food cravings?: BURGERS. Honestly I could eat a burger every day.
*What I miss: Drinking. I could have put a hurting on that wedding's open bar... ;)
*Symptoms: It's been good since my last every so often weekly update. Thankfully. I'm just physically exhausted so I lay in bed but can't fall asleep. That's how I catch up on Twitter!
*What I'm Looking Forward To: The Baby BASH is this Saturday! That's pretty exciting! I can't wait to see some people I haven't seen in a long while.

*Thoughts: I'm being a little bit of a worrywart as far as time off as my job, but I hopefully won't have to think about that until August. I hope to use July as the real month to GET SERIOUS! Finish the nursery, assemble everything, make a list of things we will still need...just basically get ready. I feel that I might be immobile in August... it's going to be hot and I'm going to huge. I doubt I will want to run any errands, buy baby gear [unless I have to!], or decorate a nursery. So... hopefully I can do it all next month!

100 Happies {41-60}

Identify 100 Things That Make Me Happy

*Rules: Can't say "money" or individual people as that's not fair and I could list 100 people I know or like.

{See items 1-20 here.}

{Items 21-40 here.} 

This week's topics could also be called my CRAVINGS. Good lordy. 

What I wouldn't do for a hot dog right now...

41. Weddings -- We are heading off to a wedding tonight which inspired me to list this first. Not only did I love planning our wedding, helping others plan their wedding, and reading all things wedding -- I do love attending! I've only been to a handful of weddings, but this one should be great! We have known the bride and the groom for a while now!

42. Pinwheels

43. Rainy nights

44. Sunny days

45. Customized greeting cards -- Just a little pre-planning necessary so they get to their destination on time, but a custom card is just as cheap as going to Target and buying a Hallmark card!

46. Blog giveaways -- I've been lucky to win a few lately and I'm even hosting two right now! $50 to Shabby Apple [you can tweet daily for more entries!] & an ETSY coaster set.

47. Seeing my follower number tick past 1,000...wow!

48. Clean sheets

49. Scentsy -- Skinny Dippin' is my favorite scent.

50. Trying new recipes {When I have the time and energy of course which lately has been slim to none}

51. Sugar Free Red Bull... oh how I miss you! Especially with a splash of vodka.

52. Cupcakes

53. Dive bars

54. Trivia nights at bars...my husband & I make a pretty solid team.

55. Dunedin -- A cute drinking town near where I am in from in Florida. Breweries, a marina, close to the beach...just about everything I could ever want.

56. Spring training -- It was a tragedy that I didn't go to ANY spring training games this year. Next year I'll tote around the tot and hit up a few!

57. Hot dogs from a baseball stadium -- Like I said, cravings! I want a hot dog soooo bad.

58. Prosciutto -- And some meat. I've been avoiding this one during this pregnancy too.

59. Pizza nights -- I love a good lazy pizza dinner.

60. Maxi dresses -- My pregnancy staple. I just purchased two for upcoming events [tonight's wedding and our baby party!]. I hated maxi dresses before but now I'm embracing all the fabric.

Meet Rachel {Ma famille de trois} & Coaster Giveaway!

It's time to start introducing some of these lovely ladies on my sidebar. Interested in sponsoring? I use Passionfruit Ads -- just clicky the Sponsorship link above!

Meet Rachel:
I'm Rachel Nichols. I'm the blogger behind Mafamilledetrois.blogspot.com. I'm a "Southern Girl" in my 20's with a passion for writing, cooking, crafting and running. Two of the most important things in my life are my handsome guitar playing, husband Stephan and my, funny, cuddly, precious, son Ephraim. My blog is a collection of recipes, craft projects and just my day to day life of being a mom and wife!








The best part about blogging so far:
Having an outlet to put all my idea/feelings. Also, all the relationships/friendships I've formed through the blog world are great! It's crazy how much I have in common with the ladies behind my favorite blogs.

What are you planning on doing this summer?
This summer I am planning to spend as much time with my family as possible. I'm hoping to read at least three new books and blog at least 5 times a week (hopefully 6 though!)

Follow Rachel:

Blog

Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | ETSY

Giveaway:

Rachel is generously giving away a set of handmade coasters from her ETSY shop! They're adorable and everyone needs a set of cute coasters.

Use Rafflecopter below to enter!

Q + A {Answered}

{I just first off have to say how amazingly successful the blog hop on Tuesday was. Our powers combined led to lots of fabulous bloggers linking up, new followers, and interacting with new blogs! I was definitely looking to update my Reader with blogs of a variety of subjects/interests and was glad to see many new faces. I'm humbled by the whole experience -- look at that number over there -- after nearly 4 years of blogging I just might tip past 1,000 for once! I'm grateful that there are those who want to read what I have to say. :) I'm going to spend more time this weekend going through all the blogs who participated in the link-up and say hello! Thanks!}

 Two weeks ago I opened up my blog for questions. Here they are! They are actually a well-rounded mix of questions -- but also -- focus mainly on blogging. For someone who is new here I thought these would be quite helpful to have answered and see how my blog has grown over time and hear my opinions on blogging in general.

If you want to ask something -- go for it. I always accept questions and will gladly answer!
 
{Ang asked...}
What is your biggest fear about becoming a mother? I think the logistics of motherhood boggles my mind. I'm such a PLANNER and want to know just exactly HOW things will work. That's not how it's done.

How has that fear changed since you found out your were expecting? It doesn't matter how many pregnancy or parenting books I read, my answers won't be in them.

{Krysten asked...}
What is one thing you wish you could change about the blog world? Competition. Blog for yourself and the numbers will eventually come. Or maybe they don't. It's not about that (but it is a nice feeling to see your hard work "recognized" in the internet even if that's lame).

My magic wand.

{Holly asked...}
Do your friends and family know about your blog? Have they always know about your blog? If not, what was it like when they found out? I link my blog through my Facebook. So... they "know." That doesn't mean they read it. I've caught my husband reading it a few times but I'm not sure if he makes it a part of his daily routine. And, sometimes I write about things that aren't interesting to people I know in real life. For example, link ups. I'm sure they do not care one bit about my link up posts since they usually aren't about my current life...just surveys and the such.

The husband. I think he reads my blog just to make fun of me at a later date. ;)

What is your biggest pet peeve with bloggers? Complaining. It's okay that you don't have any followers, any giveaways or sponsorships. Do you know how LONG it took me to even host a giveaway? Like two years. So I spent two years blogging without doing any of the "fun" blog things people have come to expect. It takes time. Don't hit up your twitter feed with complaints that no one is following your blog and no one wants to buy ad space. Your attitude will surely ruin it for advertisers!


{Nora asked...}
How much time do you dedicate to blogging, say each week? I have a desk job so I can check email and draft up posts throughout the day... so that's a hard question to answer. Before I head to work I take about an hour to blog, read blogs, and check email. I come home and spend about an hour doing the same. Throughout the day when I'm bored at work, I usually clear out my Reader. It does sound like a part time job when I write it out like that, huh?

How did you grow your blog- or did you pay any attention to that at all? I didn't pay any attention to that. Sure, it was nice to hit 500 followers one day. I think I even did a giveaway for 700 followers because it seriously took THREE Years. But, again, that's okay. I have joined blogger networking groups and participate in link-ups...but not constantly or even regularly. I sometimes want to market my blog and other times -- I don't.


How do you make sure you meet ad swap deadlines? I just do. I don't know!

How do you always come up with original posts like on a regular basis? Easy. I just talk about my life. Things I've bought or places I've traveled. I have a million ideas in my head all at once. Sometimes I have boring weeks and I stay home and clean all weekend. I won't blog about THOSE days but most days we are busy. Preparing for a baby. Weekend trips. Someone had a birthday. Since I blog for "me" first, I always document those times. I want to go back and remember all our crazy times!

GFC Blog Hop -- Follow Some Lovely New Ladies!

<a href="http://www.thelifeofanotsoordinarywife.com/search/label/gfcbloghop"> <img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z237/melissaenault/gfcbloghop-1.gif" border="0" /></a>

I am so excited to introduce a new Blog Hop to you! There have been tons of blog hops for every which way to follow someone except I have not personally found a GFC Blog Hop, so I decided to do one! 

When I want to follow a blog the first thing I look for is GFC (Google Friend Connect), it's so easy and it's nice to be able to go and see all of the blogs you follow in one spot. When I first started a blog I had no clue what GFC was but later found out it was great tool to have. 

One side note- Did you know you can follow through GFC using your Twitter Account? TRUE, it's definitely an option!

If this GFC Blog Hop goes well I would love to do it either bi-weekly or monthly, if you can leave a comment letting me know which you would prefer that would really help me decide!

Also if you are interested in co-hosting the next GFC Blog Hop send me an email at melissaenault@yahoo.com

Ok, so let's get to the party, shall we?

RULES are simple:

1. Follow your host via GFC

The First link below

2. Follow your co-hosts via GFC

The next 9 links below

3. Link up below using your main blog page not a specific post.

4. Make sure to visit some of the blogs in the link up and follow them via GFC 

and if you want to leave them a comment, I'm sure they'd appreciate that as well.

5. Tweet about this blog hop

Tweet

6. Share about this blog hop by grabbing a button putting and putting it on your sidebar! 

<a href="http://www.thelifeofanotsoordinarywife.com/search/label/gfcbloghop"> <img src="http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z237/melissaenault/gfcbloghop.gif" height=200 width=200 border="0" /></a>

P.S. -- I have a $50 giveaway to Shabby Apple going on! Details here!

What's On My iPhone {Lately}

I've been following along with June's Photo a Day Challenge and doing pretty well. :) June 1 - 17th's photos:

Source: fatmumslim.com.au via Krystal on Pinterest

1. Morning ritual: Makeup on its organizer.

2. Empty heart dish.

3. On my plate...pineapple.

4. Close up of the Bumbo cover.

5. Sign

6. Husband's hat collection

7. Drink from Key West trip... I was so not drinking this. Though, I wish I was... ;)

8. 6 o' clock... checked into the hotel and time for a drink!

9. View today... it was Pride weekend in Key West!

10. Best bit of my weekend...eating yummy seafood like these buffalo shrimp!

11. Door to the tot's armoire filled with clothes already.

12. From a low angle. A sleeping puppy.

13. Art. Watercolor prints hanging above our bar.

14. Flip flop time!

15. Yellow post-it's. Everyone on my desk.

16. Can't go "out and about" with my keys!

17. In my bag.

Crowdtap plug! I always talk about this site and this was the latest freebies they offered up. In my NEW beach bag, a pair of aviators, a chevron printed towel, and matching flip flops. It was a total ORDEAL to get these items and I'm going to post about it later but Old Navy's seasonal selection is SERIOUSLY lacking in my area. We went to two Old Navy's. Argh.

Other pictures from my phone:

Happy Daddy to Be Day!

Here's what I gifted my husband:

Besides a pair of shorts for him, I did a daddy/baby set. A baby Superman shirt (complete with cape!) and an adult Superman shirt... along with fedoras. One for baby and one for daddy! Old Navy had fedoras for 3-6 months old which is the youngest I've seen! I've only seen them for toddlers so far so I was excited about the find.

Linking up with: