Cool, Not Cool, Undecided

I'm linking up with Janette today! It's a fun link-up I stumbled across & knew I had to participate! I believe it's open for another week or so, so go link up if you haven't already! :) 

COOL

-Starting a new craft.

- Starting a new book.

- Cooking freshly caught fish.

- Christian Bale visiting Aurora shooting victims. 

NOT COOL

- Coming across a no trespassing sign when you are most

definitely trespassing.

-Spilling a whole container of modge podge on yourself 

during previously stated "new craft".

-Stumbling across a pair of stripper heels, a bible, & 

a pack of tissues at the park... Random?

UNDECIDED

-Toms. The jury's still out on these. Some people just look funny in them.

I do love the cause they go towards though.

-The mustache trend. Yeah... I don't know.

A night to remember {Jenn & Lizzy's Wedding}

A few weeks ago, I shared that my best friend was getting married! The photographer, Ginger from HelloDiaz.com, shared the pictures from the wedding yesterday. She did such an amazing job capturing these precious moments! 

My friend married the love of her life, who also happens to be a girl. Not everyone agrees with same sex marriage, but after spending 5 minutes with these girls, I think you'd change your mind. You can tell they are head over heels in love with each other & are meant to be together. Aren't they gorgeous?? Scroll down for more pictures. 

For your listening pleasure, the song we did our bridal party entrance dance to: 

Instagram Faves {Pretty Bracelets, Nail Polish, & My Latest Design}

Ok, I have to brag a little on myself before getting into today's post. I, Kristen, went to the gym not once yesterday but TWICE! That has never happened before. I'm half proud of myself, half wondering what the mess I was thinking! I went in the morning before work & then walked the track after work with some co-workers... THEN dragged my butt to a 4:30 weight lifting class. I hope this enthusiastic Kristen sticks around for a while! 

1 // My mini purple bracelet came! Love Amanda & her cute bracelets! 

2// Belly rubs 

3 // Looking forward to trying the store bought Gel polish's. I will blog about my success/failure with the product! 

4 // Just finished up a pretty blog design for Allana @ A husband & A dog 

5 // Loving this light purple Essie polish. It's called "lilacism"

6 // The August photo challenge list is out via Fat Mum Slim's blog. Are you in?!

7 // Picked up this book @ goodwill last weekend. I'm already nearing the end of it. I think I found a new great author! 

8 // Sno-cone drive thru place's should be illegal. So delicious!

9 // Guess what's for dinner? I made my mom's cabbage recipe Tuesday night. It's my fave!

Linking up here, here, here, here, & here today.

24 by 24

Linking up @ Living in Yellow 

D.I.Y. Scrapbook Letter {Tutorial}

Modge podge is like crack to crafters. Addicting & you just want to use it all the time... on all projects. I've blogged about using modge podge before & am back today to show you my latest modge podge craft.

This craft cost me a little under $2 (Note: I had a lot of the supplies on hand). I could see myself making something similar to this for wedding details, and even nursery letters one day.

Have I inspired you to get your hands on some modge podge? 

Hobby Lobby always has 40% off coupons online that you can show to the cashier on your phone. After the 40% discount, modge podge is about $4 and the bottle will last you a while! 

Linking up here, here, & here today. 

Goodwill Finds

I have to admit that going to Goodwill as a child was not my favorite thing. I wanted to buy my clothes from the mall, not get them used from Goodwill. I was a bit of a snob; this I can now admit to. As I've grown older, I've come to love goodwill. Not only do I take clothes & other misc. stuff to goodwill yearly, but I do my fair share of shopping their as well. C & I went to two different Goodwill's over the weekend & I hit the jackpot. I got a cute blouse & jeans that fit like they were made for me. I also got 5 books all for 99 cents each!

Kristin Nicole Blouse | $2.99 

Jeans | $7.99

Assorted Books | 99 cents each

Do you shop at Thrift stores? Have you recently found any treasures? 

Linking up with lowercase letters today. 

Why?

I try to keep this blog light hearted & fun, but today is an exception, & I know you'll understand why. 

I keep finding myself asking the question "Why"? "What's my purpose?"... "Why am I here?" What makes me so special that I get to live while others who are far better than me die. I know this may come across as morbid, but I can't shake this feeling.

Ever since the news broke out about the horrific shooting in Colorado, I've been heartbroken & not understanding this madness. Again, why? Why did someone calculate a massacre and kill innocent people? And if there really is an answer to my question of "Why"... I don't think I'd want to know. 

Life is cruel sometimes. They released the names of those who perished in the shooting: among them, a 27 year old celebrating his birthday, a 6 year old, and blogger from Texas, among others. How can one human be so inhumane as to take someone else's life. What gives them that right? 

My heart  goes out to the families who have been effected by this tragic event. I hope they find closure & realize that who they've lost is in a much better place than this cruel world we live in. They are in a place where gunmen aren't permitted, a place where happiness is bountiful. 

Might as well call it "Insta-Addiction"

I don't know about you, but Friday came far too slow for me this week. It was one of those weeks that felt like a month. But, here we are; we made it! I'm ready for a relaxing weekend. What are you up to this weekend? 

I haven't shared my instagram photos in a few weeks & if you follow me on instagram you sure as heck know that I post minimum 3 photos a day (Can you say "addiction"??) 

Two weekends ago my best friend got married & I was her maid of honor. It was such a pretty wedding (seriously one of the prettiest I've been to!!) & it was so nice to see my friend & her wife happy & having the time of their lives. Here's some pictures via Instagram. I will share the professional ones once they become available! 

Our gorgeous bouquets // C & I  // Awesome bridal party embroidered totes <3

My friend's brother choreographed a bridal party dance along with a cheat sheet 

& A floral arrangement from the reception I got to bring home! 

The day after the wedding, C, along with the pups & I traveled (by car) to Ohio to visit C's family. It was our second time to see baby Emma (C's niece) & we soaked up every minute of it!! She is an absolute cutie. I couldn't get enough of her. 

I didn't take many photos while in Ohio, but I did manage to snap a few. 

C & Emma // Swensons drive in (It's an Ohio thing) 

Brutus passed out in the car // Sunset // Car reading material 

We came home to a ton of rain in Houston. Seriously... like 10 days straight of rain. I'm not complaining. I loved the weather! It was a bit gloomy though. 

A few other moments caught on camera...

Magic mike with some blogger friends (don't waste your $$, the movie was horrible! But hanging out with the Houston bloggers is always fun)

I picked up "The Lucky One" by Nicholas Sparks @ Target a few weeks ago & am just now getting around to reading it. It's a page turner. I had to put it down for a minute just to write this blog post. 

Fortune cookie // Recycled spaghetti sauce jar with fresh picked flowers 

In other news, I finished up a design for Leslie @ Eat. Pray. Love. Run.  last night. Here's the inspiration board for the design. Leslie was so fun & easy to work with. I love her color scheme & her design came out looking wonderful, if I do say so myself. ;) Hop over to her blog to see the finished design & stay a while. She's a sweet heart! 

Hope you all have a relaxing & well spent weekend! See you back here Monday. 

Linking up here, here, & here today. 

Wedding Details {Pinterest Inspired}

Just wanted to mention in this post that I'm a part of Aunie Sauce's group giveaway today. Hop over to her blog to enter to win a ton of cool prizes, including a nail polish duo set from yours truly! And also, don't forget to enter my current giveaway: a $20 credit to my Etsy store! 

____________________________________

No, I'm not engaged (just yet) or planning a wedding (just yet), but I am guilty of spending hours swooning over pinterest finds in the "wedding category". Pathetic? Absolutely not. I call it planning ahead. Here are some of my favorite details this week. 

Favor Tags // Slanted Calligraphed Envelopes

 Pretty Details // Breathtaking bouquet with shades of purple

My future wedding cake // Adorable Toppers Simple & Elegant Ceremony Decor // Place Card details  Linking up here, here, & here today. 

Me, Myself, & I link party! {Week 1}

**Don't forget to enter my current giveaway- a $20 shop credit to my Etsy store! Click here for details**

I'm linking up with Breanna, Shane, Kristen, Danielle, Jenna, & Amanda today for their brand new link party called "Me, myself, & I". Head over to any one of their blogs for more details! Here are the questions for this week... 

1. What is your biggest phobia? 

Rejection. All forms, to be exact. 

2. If you could relive any day of your life, what would it be & why? 

Since up to this point in my life, I haven't had any life altering events take place (getting married, having children, etc), I don't really feel as if I can answer this. Pathetic, I know. I honestly don't know which day I'd pick to relive up to this point in my life. 

3. If you could choose to stay a certain age forever, what would it be & why? 

I'd say 65, although I'm not there yet. I'll be retired & living the good life then. I'll hopefully *fingers crossed* have children & grandchildren. I first answered 25, but then quickly changed my mind that 65 would be a great age to stage forever. 

4. Which celebrity do you get mistaken for? 

I haven't been told that I look like anyone famous in quite some time. The most recent one I heard was from a friend a few years ago. He said I look like a young Neve Campbell... ya know the girl from the "Scream" movies? Do you see a resemblance? I also got Jennifer Love Hewitt a lot when I waited tables 4 years ago. I don't see that one at all. But, hey, I'll take the compliment. 

Source 

5. What songs are included in the soundtrack of your life? 

To name a few...

"Crazier"- Taylor Swift

"Just Breathe" - Coldplay 

"Bubbly" - Colbie Caillat 

"The way I am" - Ingrid Michaelson 

"Stuck like glue" - Sugarland 

Surprise Giveaway! {Just 'cause}

I'm back from my week hiatus. We drove a total of 2,836 miles over the week traveling to & from Ohio. I'm exhausted & not really in the mood to write today, if we're being honest.

 But, I DO want to share with you all that I'm hosting a little surprise giveaway! Just 'cause. No reason. 

Read on for more details...

When I launched my Etsy store back in April, I was over the moon excited & giddy about this awesome opportunity. Then came finals for school & I was crazy busy & got a bit discouraged. I then decided to start doing on the side blog design business, and forgot about promoting or talking about my Etsy store all-together. Oops. In an effort to get my store back out there & promote it a little better, AND just because I love you guys & want to give you pretty things... I'm giving away a $20 shop credit to my Etsy store. This may not seem like too much money... but it will go far in my store. My adorable doily monogrammed totes are only $15, my custom hand written thank you cards (set of 8) are  a mere $12, & I even have a few hand painted wooden signs for under $20. Head over to my Etsy store to check it out & see what you like Then, enter the giveaway using the rafflecopter widget below. The giveaway winner will be chosen next Monday, July 23rd.

Also, this entire week I'm offering a 20% off your total order purchase. Enter JustBecause20 at checkout for discounts to be applied!  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Not goodbye, but see you later.

I'll be MIA around these parts for the next week. C & I are driving to Ohio (21 hours each way! Pray we don't murder one another) tomorrow morning and staying the entire week. C's niece's first birthday is this month, so we'll be having some good family time & celebrating the life of a beautiful baby girl. 

I'm standing in my best friend's wedding tonight & am so excited! Will give updates & share pictures next week! 

Hope you all have a nice week & don't forget about me. xoxo

Instagram Faves

The pups seem to be my main muse lately while taking pictures. They are just so darn cute. I guess I am biased since they are my furbabies. Besides them, I also took pictures of our trip to the gun range, my new laptop wallpaper, C as a little boy.... adorable right? I bought some hair dye (have yet to use), took a trip to Ulta to indulge in some new nail polishes, & bought a cream colored lace dress for a wedding rehearsal dinner. 

C & I are taking a trip to Ohio this weekend & are staying the entire week! So, you won't see/hear from me around these parts all week & I didn't line up any lovely guest posts for you either. Hope you all have a fabulous week though & I'll see y'all back here soon. 

Linking up here, here, & here 

What I've been up to...

Three weekends ago, I decided to take the plunge & offer my blog designing services to fellow bloggers. I was overwhelmed (in a good way) & utterly thrilled how sweet & encouraging all of you were. It really means the world! Putting my design work out there has been a big stepping stone for me. I'm so thankful to you guys for being supportive!

I wanted to share with you all a few of my recent designs & the inspiration behind them. 
A few weeks ago, Kristen from Keeping up With Kristen contacted me wanting to re-vamp her blog & make it reflect her style more. I was happy to help out a fellow Kristen & loved working with her. She knew what she wanted in her design & that was so helpful! I started off making an inspiration board for her. 
After a little tweeking, the end result was wonderful. Stop by her blog & check it out! 

Last week, Emily from Just the two of Us... & a cat e-mailed me about updating her blog design. Emily is a fellow Houston blogger & was referred to me through Savanah! She came to me with a vision of purples & teals & incorporating fluer de lis' in some way. I came up with her inspiration board & we went from there... 

And here is her brand new design!

I'll leave you with a sneak peek of a design I'm working on now for Heidi @ Bartlebee's Bumblings 

Blog Star:: Hi, I'm Kristen!

If this is your first time here, welcome! I'm so glad you're here!! My name is Kristen & this is my fabulous, albeit small, corner of the world wide web. Here is where I share what's on my mind, heart, &  everything else that happens in between. 
A little about me...

Copyright Meg Sloan Photography 

I'm a 23 year old gal melting away living in Houston,TX. Yes, our high last week was 104 degrees. I am a student teacher by day & a blogger, craft junkie, book nerd, pup lover, & blog designer by night. I also own an Etsy shop named after my blog. To say I'm busy would be an extreme understatement, but I wouldn't have it any other way. That handsome man up there in the photo is Chris; he goes by "C" here on the blog & is the cheese to my macaroni. Together we have two pups, Brutus & Tucker, who are a handful, but have our hearts. 
A few of my favorite posts I've written: Finding Beauty Amidst Imperfection  13 things I'd want if trapped on a deserted island The light at the end of the tunnel Our online love story  The girl behind the blog {Vlog} 
Please leave a comment introducing yourself if you're new here.  I love to make new blog friends!  xoxo

Photo-A-Day Re-cap {June 2012}

Well... Another month has come & gone with the Photo-A-Day challenge hosted by Chantelle @ Fat Mum Slim.  It's so nice to stop & capture a moment (or two, or three) every day... & having a "prompt", if you will, to go off of makes it that much more fun. Check out my photos from the month. 

Did you participate in the Photo-A-Day challenge?! It feels like most of "blog world" did. If you did & you did a post featuring your photos, leave a link to the post in the comments! I'd love to see! :)

Linking up here, here, & here today.