Guest posting at Blue Cricket Design!

Today I am guest posting over at Blue Cricket Design! The lovely and extremely talented Becca has so graciously asked to feature my DIY Large Shag Area Rug sewing project over on her blog today! While you are there be sure to poke around a bit. BCD is just busting with crafty inspiration!

I'm guest posting today...

Hello there readers! I hope you all had a great Valentine's Day! We had plans for a great day. We were supposed to take our two year son to see the new movie Gnomeo & Juliet and then go home to enjoy a very special dinner that my husband prepared for me. Unfortunately, we had to skip the movie and I had to crawl out of bed to eat in my pj's because I had a fever with a stomach bug. :( I am so disappointed! I have been battling this bug for several days now and I am so behind in unpacking the house. As soon as I can peel myself off the couch, I have a couple completed projects to share with you. I just need to take some pictures of the end result. Meanwhile, Or So She Says is featuring my guest post today about upcycling baby food jars! My romantic baby food jar tealights were one of my very first projects on FMA back in July and I am so honored to be sharing them over on Mariel & Jessica's blog!

 

Table Makeover with Stories of a House {guest post}

This is the last post from my guest blogger line up. I hope you have enjoyed all the lovely ladies who have been filling in for me during my move to Alaska, and maybe you've discovered some new friends along the way! Today, we have a table makeover from Christa at Stories of a House. Christa's blog is fillled with fun and inspiring home projects. I was so thrilled when I discovered Christa and I both built the same exact laundry riser! Let's she what she's working on today!

Toasting in the New Year with It's A Tradition {guest post}

Guest posting and gearing us up for New Year's is Tauni from It's a Tradition. I have been following Tauni since I started blogging. Her super cool wood and mod podge photo art was actually the very first feature here on FMA. She has such great projects that are so easy they will leave you bonking your head and saying "duh!" I really enjoy all her yummy treats too. She just makes everything look so easy! Let's see what she has for us today...

Upcycle Sweaters into Trendy Winter Hats with Deviantly Domesticated {guest post}

Guest posting for us today is Stephanie from Deviantly Domesticated. I originally found Stephanie and her uber-awesome site through a mutual friend I went to college with back in Colorado. I am actually back in her neck of the woods today as we are visiting family for Christmas. I am so excited to see what Stephanie has for us today! She is so resourceful and her sewing projects will knock your socks off, unless ofcourse that is what she is sewing ;) She is a fellow upcycler and I am constantly in awe of her. I hope you enjoy her as much as I do!

Folding Money Bracelets with Under The Table And Dreaming {guest post}

Stephanie Lynn from Under The Table And Dreaming is guest posting for me today while I am boarding my flight to Colorado. Today, is the beginning of our journey to Alaska. We stop in Colorado for Christmas with our family and then fly to Alaska from there. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we begin this big adventure. Meanwhile, enjoy Stephanie Lynn! I adore her blog and all her beautiful projects and I am truly honored to have her here. Stephanie has such exquisite taste, and I cant wait to see what she has up her sleeve for us today!

Whipping up Peppermint Patty Cookies with Just For Love {guest post}

Today I am cleaning and preparing my house for our renters so we are hearing from one of my very first readers, Laura from Just For Love! I just love her! She is the sweetest person and her blog always puts a smile on my face and in my heart. Laura writes with such kind, inspiring, and encouraging words. If you ever need to ground yourself or remember to focus on what's important you will find your inspiration at Just For Love. You might find your tummy rumbling too because her recipes can be mouthwatering. Well, lets get in the kitchen and see what Laura's got going on today...

A ceiling fan makeover by The Inspired Nest {Guest Post}

The lovely Lacy from The Inspired Nest is guest posting for me today, while my movers are currently packing my house. I love Lacy's eye for the beautiful and her blog is filled with inspirational photos. I especially love all her beautiful tablescapes. Lacy and I share our passion for dinnerware and china. I am excited to see what she has come up with next...

Alaska bound...catch ya on the North side!

Well the time has come. The movers show up in 5 hours to pack up our home and wrap up our life here in Washington. I am filled with so many emotions and stresses right now that its actually hard to express any one of my emotions. Have you ever felt that way? So emotional that you arent, or at least you cant focus on it? I think a good night's sleep will help. Tonight is our last night in our first home, the only home my son has known. We love our house, our town, our neighbors and our friends. It is going to be very difficult to leave them all behind. Usually I can combat the sadness of our moves with the excitement for our new home but I am finding that to be especially hard this time. There is just so much unknown. I have never been to Alaska and we don't have a house to move to and get excited about. We will be living in a hotel situation for up to 2 months while we search for our new home. While hotel living isnt always fun especially with a 2 year old, I am looking forward to the simplicity of it. No cleaning, maintenence, and endless projects to distract me. I'm looking at it as good quality time for us as a family and a great way to put what's really important into perspective. But, I also cant wait to get into a new house and start making it our home with projects that will undoubtably start filling into the pages of this blog. I am really looking forward to the spring so that our sweet Golden Retriever will finally be able to join us. He is staying with our family in Colorado until its warm enough for the airlines to allow him to travel. How crazy is that?

Anyway, so the craziness begins today and I am not certain what my internet access to this blog will be like for the next couple of weeks. I have asked six lovely ladies to help fill in for me and keep you company during this time...

I am so super excited and honored to have each and every one of these beautiful women here on FMA. I can't wait to see what they have planned for us! Meanwhile, I will still be popping in here every so often and I will be able to receive and respond to any emails and comments from my iPhone. Please keep my family and I in your thoughts and prayers as we embark on this incredible journey!

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I am guest posting today!

Today I am thrilled to be guest posting over at One She Two She. Read on for the details...

Dress and A Ditty {Best of the 1920's}

Remember, my friend Melissa over at Oh My Darling? She gave us our first Dress and a Ditty about a month ago. I love Melissa's musical and fashion taste, so when I decided to do a 1920's throwback week and begged her to contribute! I hope you enjoy her as much as I do!

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The 1920’s were quite a time for the blossoming of creative endeavors, with both fashion and music being at the forefront of the Roaring 20’s. More specifically, this era was known as the Jazz Age, for the sudden popularity of this innovative and infectious style of music, and the flapper style went hand-in-hand with the gorgeous sounds of the trumpet or saxophone.


So, for this “dress and a ditty,” we’re going way back into the youtube archives for the song (sorry, no actual footage could be taken at this point in history!) of the “Heebie Jeebies,” a song that was performed and recorded by Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five in 1926. This song is viewed as one of the early influences on the jazz movement, plus it helped to popularize the musical style of “scatting.” Eighty-some years later, this song still sounds so very powerful and makes this modern-day lady just want to get up and dance.

Okay, so now that you’re twirling and gyrating to some hot jazz, what’s a 20s-inspired girl to wear? Well, you would definitely be a vintage-inspired stunner in this Ted Baker Embroidered Flapper Dress from ASOS. Seriously, who wants to host a 1920's theme party just so that we have an excuse to wear this beautifully designed and embellished dress.

 

The dropwaist of this Banana Republic silk dress gives it that perfect mix of retro appeal and modern-day relevance. Pairing it with a cloche hat like the one the model is wearing is a nice extra way to pay homage to the aesthetic of the 20s.

And leave it to etsy to be a great resource for pieces with an authentic vintage flair. This lace flapper dress is simply gorgeous, with the deco patterns of the lace and embellishments. Can’t you just imagine it being worn by a very fashion-forward lady, once upon a time?

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Thanks Melissa! You're the cat's meow! ;)

A Dress and a Ditty {guest post}

I have a special treat for you today. I have asked my friend Melissa over at Oh My Darling to guest post for us today. I simply love Melissa's musical and fashion taste. She always picks out the prettiest dresses and playlists. I hope you enjoy her as much as I do! Now let's give her a warm ALOHA! Take it away Melissa!

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Hi there! I'm Melissa, and I’m delighted to be stopping by with a guest post -usually you can find me over at Oh, My Darling. Emily and I are calling this little feature “A Dress and a Ditty” because I’ll be featuring a great song and a few dresses that somehow relate to the song. I hope you enjoy it!





This song is called “Let’s Get Out of This Country,” and it is performed by the super-fun and talented band Camera Obscura. The lyrics and overall mood of this song bring to mind a whimsical little jet-setting jaunt with your lover, to somewhere fun and romantic (Paris, perhaps?).

If my fella and I were able to blow off work and fly overseas, I’d be sure to pack a dress like The Line Blue Cotton Dress by After Showers, as this beautiful handmade dress would pair perfectly with a pair of comfortable Toms or sandals and a roomy canvas bag – perfect for a busy day of sightseeing and shopping.

For a dressier night in the evening – let’s say we’re going to a 5-star French restaurant and then topping off the night at a swanky jazz club (is jazz even popular in France? I suppose that’s irrelevant to this little fantasy journey), I’d love to wear the Summer Spritzer dress from Modcloth. With just a simple little necklace and a pair of glamorous shoes that we just happened to find at a great boutique earlier in the day, this dress would make a magical night in another country all the more unforgettable.

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Thanks Melissa! You can look forward to the A Dress and a Ditty series here on FMA! Be sure to check out Melissa's darling blog, Oh My Darling, and share some bloggy love!


Like the Camera Obscura song you just heard? You can buy/download it here on Amazon.

Guest posting today!

I just love Melissa over at Oh My Darling. She has a excellent writing voice and features the prettiest things. She too is an avid owl lover like me, so I instantly felt a connection with her. Anyway, when she started a new series called "Why I Love..." and solicited for guest writers, I leaped at the chance!

Well, she liked what I wrote and today is the day! Follow me over to Oh My Darling to read about why I love photography. While you are there check out the rest of her darling blog (pun intended, sorry if that was too cheesy for some, BUT its so true!).