High Five For Friday!

One. I have another bridal shower coming up.  For the hostesses, I made these cute little air fresheners as a gift.

Two. The Onstar mobile app is a lifesaver when it's hot out.  I start up my car right before I head to the locker rooms after the gym and by the time I get out to my car it's cool.  :)

Three. I bought a new rug last week. I love it and look forward to decorating the rest of my living room. More to come on that little project...

Four. I stopped at Whole Foods and picked up my favorite snacks from the store - Peppermint water (so refreshing) and Macaroons! Yum!

Five. Last Saturday I spend the day on the golf course with some really fun ladies.  I tell you what - pink golf balls are the way to go. You always know which one is yours and it's hard to lose.

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend - enjoy the summer weather! :)

Sponsor Meet & Greet: Megan, Stella & Dot Independent Stylist

I am thrilled to introduce you to my sponsor, Megan, an independent Stella and Dot Stylist!  I love jewelry and bags. A girl can never have too much of a good thing!  Plus, awesome jewelry and a great bag can change the look of any outfit.  Enjoy this jewelry preview and definitely follow Megan's Stella and Dot Facebook page so you can keep up with all of these specials!

Hi!  I'm Megan Tomlinson, an Independent Stylist for Stella & Dot.  First, let me say thank you to Beth (isn't she great?!) for allowing me this awesome opportunity to post about one of my passions...gorgeous jewelry!

In case you have not heard about Stella & Dot, they have an amazing line of jewelry and accessories.  You may have seen some of these beauties in InStyle, Lucky or Vogue.  

So, let me tell you a little about myself.  I am a thirty something full time pharmacist/systems analyst.  I married my college sweetheart (also a pharmacist...birds of a feather...), and we live in a suburb near Philadelphia.  I fell in love with Stella & Dot jewelry about a year ago, and I thought wouldn't it be fun to share this awesome line with other ladies?  I mean, how can you not have fun sharing a little girl time, possibly some wine, and fun fashion?  So, I became an Independent Stylist for Stella & Dot.  And I have loved every minute of it so far!  

Now, onto the important part...the jewels!  Let me start by saying that Stella & Dot really has something for everyone, from jewelry to scarves to bags.  (Check out their great bags for summer!  The Classic has definitely become my go to bag this season).  And the line is very affordable with a lot of items being less than $50!

The Classic

Some of my other favorites for the season...

The Olivia Bib Necklace.  The bright orange color adds a nice pop of color to any summer outfit.

The Capri Chandelier Earrings.  These beauties come in both turquoise and coral and can be dressed up or dressed down to be a staple in your summer wardrobe.

The Renegade Cluster bracelet.  This bracelet is so cute and just a little bit edgy.

For more styles visits Megan's Stella & Dot website! 

You can also find her on Facebook and Instagram (@megakk)!

 If you would like to sponsor Design Your Dwelling, I would LOVE to have you!  Stop over and visit my sponsor page for options!

Wedding Wednesday: Gifts For Bridesmaids

Last week I did a little post with gift ideas for groomsmen.  I received a lot of comments and notes of thanks for pulling ideas together into one place so I thought hey - why not pull ideas together for bridesmaids to share with you all this week!  

First, let me tell you, girls are way easier to buy for!! (Maybe it's because I'm a girl??) I could keep on buying for my bridesmaids but that would probably max out my wedding budget and I have a few big expenses left.  Here is a roundup of some of my favorite finds!

Hangers // Totes // Clutches // Monogram Necklaces // Robes

If you do some searching on etsy you can find some really great deals! What other ideas do you have?  Please share in the comments below!!

If you are interested in more Wedding Wednesday posts, filled with wedding planning ideas go here!

Lately...

I have come to believe that life just doesn't slow down.  Then take into consideration that I am getting married in less than 55 days and there are all of a sudden a lot of things happening at once.  Besides "wedding" here are a few things that are going on lately...

Believe it or not, I am battling ringworm.  Whaaattt??!! Yep, it's pretty gross and I had a near panic attack when I discovered it.  Adam caught it this winter - probably from our cattle or cats (did you know cats are big time carries of ringworm?!) and I was so fortunate to not catch it.  That is, until his went away two weeks ago.  Then I found a round circle on my back! It will look perfect on my back with my wedding dress I'm sure... Luckily it's almost gone thanks to a sunburn, iodine (This helps get rid of ringworm.  The pharmacist was shocked too) and some leftover medicine from Adam it's nearly gone.  Whew - dodged that bullet!

On a high note - I've been working at getting my nails to grow and the Sally Hansen Maximum Growth Daily Nail Treatment is working!  My nails are getting harder and longer.  I really don't want to wear acrylic nails for the wedding so I'm hoping this does the trick!

Our calves are growing like weeds!  Remember this farm tour post from February when they were just little peanuts?! In just over a month we will start to wean them from their mama's and turn them into pets... sort of. :)

Meet cow #62.  She is my favorite...

The weather has been completely crazy here... yikes! We have gotten so... much... rain...  

Here are a couple of weather shots I took last Saturday.  The sky was gorgeous and I loved how all of the colors looked so vibrant and bold against it!

Here's a look across the road at our neighbor's farm site.  I love the bright red buildings and green grass against the gray sky!!

And just when we thought the weather was going to turn around some "fishy" weather hit our farm site.  Neither Adam nor I were home but a huge tree in our pasture was knocked down, our feeders were flipped over, branches were all over the place and this limb was literally caught in the fence.  Crazy!!  If only our cows could talk and tell us what in the world happened!

Oh yea - and in the midst of all of this. I would like to (slowly) redecorate our living room.  I'm starting with this new rug from Pottery Barn.  I love it!  So glad I went with an 8x11 rug!  More to come on this little (past time) project.

I think that's all for now!  I hope you all have a fantastic Tuesday!!

Client Update: Rustic Glam Living Room

A couple of weeks ago I shared with you a client update for a rustic glam kitchen.  While we were in the process of updating the kitchen Lisa decided to have a design board done for the living room too!  Since her home has an open floor plan we decided to keep the rustic glam theme throughout the entire space.

There are so many elements of this room I love - pillows, and the mix of modern elements, like the side table, with rustic elements, like coffee table. I can't wait to see how it comes out!

Out of respect for my clients, I do not share source lists.  However, if you would like your own custom design board, I would love to create one for you and I have a few openings for July! Check out my E-Design page here.

High Five For Friday

One. The weather was so awesome this past weekend! One of my favorite things to do is eat breakfast out on our front porch on nice days! 

Two. I finally got my engagement ring back from the jeweler!  My wedding band came too! I didn't realize how much I missed wearing it!

Three. I've started to work on wedding decorations...

Four. RSVP's are already starting to roll in! Woohoo!  Someone (maybe me) forgot to put a line on the invitations to ask for names so I have NO IDEA who is RSVP-ing!  Ahhhh!! Notes like this one make me laugh - I would love to ask for your help but not sure who you are?! 

**Friends - if you've received a wedding invitation from us PLEASE put your name on it before you send it back! :)

Five. Since the weather has been great Adam and I have been going on walks in the evenings.  It's fun having him go with me and catch up on the day!

As for the weekend... I have a round of golf scheduled with some girls in the area and need to get a start on writing thank you cards from my bridal shower!

Hope you've all had a great week - thanks for reading!

OH YEAH - and don't forget to get entered for this giveaway from Barefeet in High Heels!

Sponsor Meet & Greet: Comfy Heaven

Good Morning!  I am so excited to introduce Comfy Heaven Pillows to you - a sponsor that has been in my sidebar for awhile.  I love having home decor and lifestyle sponsors because their shops are filled with things I love!

Hi everyone! My name is Anita and my friends and family describe me as a "creative and energetic young mom who likes balancing a million things at a time" (much like most of you I'm sure) ! My passion is in home styling, interior design and decor.

Comfy heaven was born out of an idea my mom and I had to help women from low income households and make beautiful, luxury home decor accessible to everyone! We started creating custom-made home decor items and decorative pillows that are elegant, comfortable, stylish YET affordable.  We are inspired by everything around us - especially friends and family. All the items you find on our website are custom-made.Together we decided to keep things simple with our design philosophy  - your house should be a home that shows off your personal style. 

As women in the marketplace, we understand the struggle of the everyday woman which can especially be tough in lower income households here in Sri Lanka ( yes we are all the way in Sri Lanka - a small teardrop shaped Island in the Indian Ocean) - so we make it a point to partner with women facing these issues and are skilled in local handicrafts. Partnering us helps them supplement their income.

I personally would like to invite you to take a look at our online store and if for some reason you don't find what you're looking for that fits the perfect style for your home, you can contact me and we can work on something especially for you!

Find Anita and her shop in all of these places:

Twitter, Facebook, Etsy, Pinterest, Web

Here are some of the awesome pillows that can be found in her shop!

Thanks Anita, for being an awesome sponsor on Design Your Dwelling!

If you are interested in sponsoring, I would LOVE to have you!  Stop over and check out my sponsor page!

Wedding Wednesday - Gifts for Groomsmen

I am moving right along in this wedding planning process and getting into the details including the fun stuff like gifts for our wedding party.  Let me tell you what - there are way better awesome gift options for bridesmaids than there is for groomsmen.  Since we've been on the hunt for wedding party gifts I thought I would share a round up of gift ideas for groomsmen.

Tie Clips // Soapstone Drink Cubes // Money Clip // Flask // Golf Ball Marker // Bottle Opener Key Chain

I really like the monogram items that can, in a way, commemorate the day.  Then again I would like it to be something that is fun and useful. 

A few other ideas I came across were a membership to the Tie of the Month Club (None of the guys in our wedding party would ever join it.  I would probably be considered the worst bride ever) or a bottle (or case) of their preferred beverage.

What other ideas do you have?!  I would love to hear them! 

Giveaway - Custom Made Item From Barefeet In High Heels

Happy Monday! I'm really excited to start this week with a giveaway from Barefeet In High Heels - a really great custom jewelry and crochet business owned by the creative and REALLY talented Mikaela. I can't wait for you to see some of the work she does!  Mikaela does all of her business through her Facebook page so please go "like" it! (This is also an easy entry for you to win the giveaway!)

Hi! I'm Mikaela, the feet behind Barefeet in high Heels. I'm a 30-year-old (ugh) wife to my high school sweetheart and stay-at-home mom to two rambunctious and crazy boys.

Barfeet started with #12 on my '30 Before 30' list... learning how to crochet a hat. Two years later and many, MANY hats later, I'm loving every minute of my work-from-home life.

I'm a small town Kansas girl living in Texas that loves to make custom crochet and jewelry fro my clients.  I'm crafty by trade, and have always wanted to make handmade items accessible to everyone!  All items are made with love and made specificially for each of my customers.  No two items are exactly alike! (unless someone wants it that way.)  Here are some examples of my work:

Now for the best part!  Mikaela is giving away a custom item of your choice ($30 value) to one lucky winner.  Think about how cute your kiddos could look with one of these hats designed specifically for them - enter the giveaway below!  Good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

High Five For Friday!

Happy, Happy Friday!!  I'm excited it's here because I feel like I have a lot to accomplish this weekend - especially regarding wedding "stuff"!  My goal is to get ahead of the game and get some details crossed off the list - wish me luck!

Also a quick hello to my new GFC and Bloglovin follwers!  Super glad you are here, it means a lot that you like reading what I have to write! :)

one. I gave in and spent the 99 cents on this app.  It was TOTALLY worth it, I can't believe I waited so long.  The girls from A Beautiful Mess blog are so incredibly clever and I admire clever people!

two. This weekend I had my first bridal shower.  It was really fun plus I got to see some of my closest girlfriends.  What a wonderful day!

three. It's been pretty nice outside so I drug my computer outside, set up a lawn chair and enjoyed a little outdoor work time this week.

four. No trip back to my hometown is complete without stopping at a nearby local establishment.  This town has a local brewery - Schell's Brewery - so of course they have all of the local brews on tap.  If you are ever near New Ulm, MN you must stop at this brewery for a tour.  You wont be disappointed!

five. I am still overwhelmed by the generosity of my friends and family.  They gave such beautiful gifts.  I have enjoyed using new things ever day this week.  Thank you.

Hope you all have had a great week!  If you are new here and became a follower - let me know so I can return the favor! :)

Cheers!

A Lipstick Girl in a Gloss World

It's true.  I am a lipstick girl in a gloss world and my collection is quite extensive.  I carry all of them with me, in my purse, in a clear make up pouch.  This usually makes people laugh a little but the truth is I never really know what kind of lipstick mood I am in.  I love the rich color of lipstick and finished, polished look it gives and re-applying it throughout the day helps to make me feel fresh and pulled together.

Here is a sampling of my collection - as you can tell, I'm not brand loyal either! :)

Lately I've been playing favorites!  Here are my go-to lip colors.

Maraschino Cherry by MAKE is my favorite red.  I got this little sample in my Birchbox and this sample is lasting me quite a while.  This color stays on for a long time.  It's the perfect shade of red for me!

Sassy Mauve by REVLON is a color I wear day to day.  At first I wasn't sure if I liked it but it goes with nearly everything.  The lipstick itself feels soft on my lips and lasts quite a while.

Pink Quartz by MAYBELLINE is a great pink color and one that is easy to mix with any other lip color.  It doesn't have quite the lasting power of the other two but I still love it.

Caribbean Kiss by LAURA GELLER is another lipstick I got in a Birchbox.  This lipstick is actually two colors.  One side is a bronze color and the other is pink.  Because it's two-in-one you can get a soft subtle look or a bold look depending on how you apply it.  

When I want to freshen up or extend my lipstick wear I add this clear gloss lip shine by CO Bigelow.  It works like a charm and acts click a chap stick.  You can grab this one at Bath and Body Works. 

This is my color of choice today.  Even though I'm working from home, I still put on a little lipstick! :)

I'm still on the hunt for the perfect wedding day lip color.  I'm looking for a pink that is not too bright and not too dark.  Any suggestions?!

Wedding Wednesday: Bridal Shower #1

This weekend I celebrated my first bridal shower in my home town at the church I grew up in.  It was so fun to see so many people and feel their love and support for Adam and I.  Here are a few pictures from the day....

My sweet bridesmaids came to celebrate the day! Aren't they a beautiful group?! Unfortunately two were missing, my sister Kayle, and my friend Niomi.

Since the shower was planned for the afternoon, we got to feast on the really good desserts.  Thank goodness there is no calorie-counting at bridal showers! 

I received SO MANY wonderful, beautiful gifts.  This table filled my car and took me two days to put away when I got home.

Random photo, because I should probably have a least one in this post... 

Our mom's must have been having a serious conversation.  Can you guess who I belong to?

My maid of honor, Katie, and I must have been having a serious conversation too.  Must not have been that serious though, I don't recall what were talking about here. :)

I even got to give a little "thank you for coming" speech.  It wouldn't be like me to not talk. 

This is the wonderful group of ladies that helped organize the whole shower.  They are all good friends of my mom and ladies that were with me as I grew up!

In case you didn't guess it correctly - this is my mom!

My grandma was able to make it too - thank goodness!  I wish I had a picture with my other grandma but I missed her before she left. 

And finally, meet my God Daughter.  There is never a time I see this fun girl and we don't get a picture.  Plus she was a huge help opening gifts!

Besides the fact that it is a little strange to have people watching you open gifts, it was a pretty awesome day.  I left feeling both extremely blessed and overwhelmed by the generosity of others.  Thank you to everyone who made this day special!

Client Update - Modern Living Space

I just completed a design that totally pushed me out of my comfort zone and guess what?! It was SO fun and has completely inspired my love of color! :)

The design clients purchased this design from a silent auction that was hosted by my office for breast cancer awareness month.  It feels so good to work with people who love to do good for others.

Out of respect for my clients, I do not share the item source list.  However, if you are interested in your own custom design board I would love to help you out.  Go here to get started or email me at designyourdwellingblog (at) gmail.com! :)

Hope you all have a fantastic week ahead! :)

High Five For Friday!

Happy Friday everyone!  It's been a long week here - I've been swamped with work (my real job) in case you haven't noticed by my lack of blogging. Yikes!  I am really looking forward to this weekend though. I am headed back to Minnesota for my first bridal shower and my first dress fitting.  This wedding this is really getting real... :)

Even though the week was super busy with work, there were some "highs!"  Here are my High Five!

One. Last Friday night we had our first bon fire.  It was a perfect night for it. This may be a regular weekend event at our house. 

Two. Target has cute shoes on sales this week! I found these sweet wedges for $20! 

Three. I walked into the local grocery store yesterday to hit the deli for lunch and on my way there I found this yummy salad full of fresh fruit.  Score!

Four. My first order of engagement pictures came.  Just in time for this weekend so I have one for the shower and others to deliver to our families.

Five. Of course I would make my own guest book for the bridal showers.  I found this cute idea for a guest book on Pinterest and knew I had to make it happen.  More to come on that in a Wedding Wednesday post!

Have a great weekend everyone! And - if you are new and decide to stick around, let me know so I can stop over and say hey!

Product Review: Self-tan Wipes vs. Spray Gel

In the Midwest we are facing quite the dilemma - the sun is refusing to shine which means I am as white as a ghost!  Since we didn't go on a warm-weather vacation this winter I didn't go tanning plus I am trying to avoid tanning beds after a couple of dark spots showed up on my face last year - bad deal.

In my desire for a summery-glow I decided to try out a couple of different self-tanning products - L'Oreal self-tanning gel and L'Oreal self-tanning wipes.  Now, before I go any further I must included a little disclaimer; these are my opinions and experiences with the products.  L'Oreal did not contact me or ask me to do a product review.  Ok - now on to the pros & con's of each!

Sublime Bronze Clear Self-Tanning Gel

Pros: 

Nice, gradual tan

Natural-looking

Even application

Cons:

Smells like a self-tanner

Takes a few applications to see results

Potential to be a little messy.  (I apply this one in the shower so the spray doesn't get everywhere)

Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Towelettes

Pros:

Nearly instant results. (30 mins-1hour)

Easy application & clean up

Cons:

Holy streak show!! You can see EVERY spot you missed. (kinda embarrassing.)

Smells like a self-tanner.

My Pick: Self-tanning gel.  It's takes a little while longer to see results but it's way better than the streaks.

I wish I had pictures of how streak-y I was after using the tan wipes but it was just too embarrassing to take pictures of. (It was as bad as you can picture in your mind!)  Sorry, L'Oreal, the even application claim was false, unless I experienced a serious operator error - it's possible at 6:00am!

Both of these products can be purchased at your local drug store, WalMart or Target!

What has been your experience? Better luck with any other products?  If you would, say a quick prayer that the sun comes out here in Iowa! :)

Mood Board Link Party - Week 17

Super Simple Requests for participation:

1. Follow Your Host and Co-Host via GFC or Bloglovin'

Host: Beth - Design Your Dwelling

Co-Host: Helen - Seaside Interiors

2. Grab A Button!

Grab a button below and include it in your blog post or where you share your link parties on your blog.

3. Share it!

Spread the word about this link party by tagging me (@beth_dydblog) in a tweet with a direct link to your mood board post and using the hashtag #moodboardlinkparty! Feel free to share it on Facebook too!

4. Like it!

Like your favorite mood boards by clicking the 'like' option below your favorite!

Each week I pin all of your mood boards to my Design Boards board on Pinterest!

Most importantly, connect with, be inspired by and follow other design bloggers!

Grab a button, link up, and have fun! :)

<center> <a href="http://designyourdwelling.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l194/krferrall/moodboardlinkpartydyd_zpsb2f7dbf5.jpg" border="0" height="150" width="150"/></a></center> The mood board link party will now be the first Tuesday of each month! The next link party will be Tuesday July 2 - see you then!!