Mark and I are taking a leap this year and venturing into something brand new on the financial front: we’re preparing to try out a cash budget envelope system. I know, your eyebrows just furrowed a little, didn’t they? Mine did, too, pretty much for an entire year. Here’s a little background on what changed that furrowed brown to an…
It was late August, and Mark and I found ourselves in the cool quiet north of Wisconsin. I had just started amping up my eBook writing and was feeling the impending crunch of deadlines. In some ways, it seemed like the worst possible time to adopt a new habit that meant less work time. And yet, it was exactly the…
At a loss for new meaningful gift ideas? Prepare to kickstart your creativity! Let me guess. You’re probably thinking to yourself: What if I told you that sometimes, the most meaningful gifts are the simple ones? Not necessarily gifts that cost the most or take a lot of time… but gifts that come from the heart. And…
Today marks the start of Shark Week, that epic week that only comes once a year when The Discovery Channel terrifies us to our heart’s content with non-stop shark footage. We can’t bear to look…and yet we can’t bear to look away either. We go to bed each night with the soundtrack to Jaws playing in our heads…. You…
G’day mates! Just got back from my sophomore year at Haven Blog Conference in Atlanta, and boy did I have fun! The kind of fun that plum tuckered me out (I actually went to bed last night before the sun went down, which is a rarity for this night owl). Looking forward to sharing a recap…
As we enter into this summer season with its lingering light… …and road trips… …beach days… …and bonfire nights… …it’s a most fitting time for some reflection. And I’m not talking about personal reflection…but reader reflection. My, my, my…you all have been quite the busy bees this past spring! So, it brings me great pleasure to turn the…
Ready for a super do-able tutorial for creating your own burlap banner using Silhouette *stencil material? Plus a free download for a nautical star cut file? I thought so. Let’s do this! I think one of the quickest and easiest ways to make a new home feel like your home is through hanging pictures and decorating bare walls….
Peculiar things start happening to you when you move to Florida. For one, you live in flip flops. “Dressing up” means putting on flats. You completely give up on blow-drying your hair because “It’s Too Darn Hot” as the song goes. Children tack “Miss” onto the front of your first name when they address you….
With the recent celebration of my 31st Birthday, winter gave us its farewell, and thus spring is here! Or at least, for my friends up north, it’s running a little late, but it will surely be here soon. Even for a Florida spring, it has been a little chilly here the past few days–chilly enough…
Hello lovies! It’s your girl Lauren here…and guess what day it is today? Yes, yes, it’s the last day of winter, but it’s also…my 31st birthday! {What whaaaaat!} And it’s my joy to have you over here for a small celebration. Now, for those of you who may have missed it, a few weeks ago,…
For some women, their signature fashion piece is shoes. For others, it’s bags. And for me, without a shadow of a doubt, it’s big n’ bold earrings. And what do I love even more than big n’ bold earrings? Well, big n’ bold earrings I made myself out of materials I got for free, of…
Happy Friday, friends! So, the Rustic Nautical Master Bedroom Makeover series continues, but we’re going to take a little break from this talk of building and staining and pallet-ing (yes, it’s a verb now) to get a little crafty today. This should be a fun tutorial for ye lovers of felt and all things nautical!…
Here’s the thing about blogging: Oftentimes that post that you think is going to rock the blog-o-sphere and send the masses in droves upon droves to your blog, and who knows, maybe Better Homes & Gardens will want to feature it because it’s the simplest thing but turned out cute-as-a-button, and then before you know…
You know how deer heads are all the rage these days? Well, I thought it’d be fun to play on that trend with a holiday twist…with a Deer Head Holiday Banner featuring everyone’s favorite deer…Santa’s Reindeer! Ahem, cue the music: “Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer (reindeer), had a very shiny nose (like a lightbulb), And if…
Hi, friend! So kind of you to stop by. And how did you know today was the day I finally folded those baskets of laundry and got the house tidied up? That’s serendipity for ya! {Wink.} Well, what am I doing? Let me invite you in, friend! I’d be delighted to give you a tour…
In case you get your days mixed up (like I sometimes do), it’s Friiiidaaaay, friends! And that bears celebratin’! Right, Phoebe? It might even merit a jiggity jig a la my favorite animated Christmas movie: Or from another favorite, Love Actually: Yep, it’s November, which means Christmas movie references are now allowed. I’m even planning to…
Sometimes, stubbornness is a good thing. I refuse to pay an arm and a leg for something that I know is not worth an arm and a leg. Take faux pumpkins, for example. I’ve been like a cat on the prowl looking for some faux pumpkins to add to my fall decor for over a…
I took one week in the woods to unplug from technology. Join me for the low-down on the unexpected ways it helped me grow as a blogger and small business owner. Prepare to be shocked and amazed: I went an entire week “unplugged” from technology. Well…almost. With the exception of one hour each day (to tame…
