Things I love Thursday

It has been a long time since I did one of these TILT posts, but as usual, the internet has been super inspiring and I had some interesting things to share.

 

>>>> Since I decided to start sharing my weight loss journey, I’ve discovered many on the same path via instagram. Hashtags are pretty cool for connecting you with like-minded people. Jennifer and Diana have been super inspiring to me, and I love their before and after (during) pictures.

>>>> I haven’t really gotten into podcasts in the past, but a couple bloggers that I follow have been diving into this world lately. And Kyla Roma’s first podcast was super informative! All about making your blog a superhero and not a villain. I took pages of notes from this thing. Can’t wait till she does more!

>>>> The ladies over at A Beautiful Mess have started doing a monthly book club. February was The Fault in our Stars, a book I absolutely loved, and their selection for March is The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri. I just placed a hold on a copy from my library with my Kindle app. Looking forward to reading along and discussing it.

>>>> I loved this post and little video from Melissa Esplin on 5 easy ways to improve your handwriting. Her calligraphy is magical, and I would love to take one of her classes. These little tips are super helpful though!

>>>> I was so moved by this post, even though I’m not a mamma, I think the questions we ask our spouses can have such an impact on our relationship and our days. Totally worth the read. It let to a great conversation between Chris and I.

>>>> And here are some items on my Pinterest Wish List board. Apparently I really dig sweaters this year. I am totally drawn to this Aztec pattern, especially when it includes pink. And now that I have an iPhone 5c I’m scouring the internet for cool cases. This etsy shop has some great ones. And I am desperately needing some organization for my Project Life cards. These carts from Ikea are so cute and useful! 1//2//3//4

What are you loving this week?
Who inspires you?
Please share in the comments below.

Worth Sharing…

Here are some things lately that I’ve loved and that have stuck with me. I don’t have as much time to spend online lately so I try to make my time worthwhile and find uplifting and encouraging things to read. I hope you find them so too.

>>>> A few of my recent favorite inspiring and beautiful images from the people I follow on Instagram. 1//2//3//4

>>>> I loved all 8 tips Jenny included in her Decorating on a Budget post. The “paint last” one was surprising, but makes a lot of sense.

>>>> 15 ways to stay married for 15 years…Some I agree with, some I don’t, but an interesting read nonetheless. There are a lot of great comments on the post too.

>>>> Pictures printed as blueprint or engineering copies. Elsie @ A Beautiful Mess shared some of the ones she got made from family pictures and then over at Design Editor they shared these great camera prints and even have a free download of the camera images. Great idea for cheap large prints and I totally want to try it soon.

>>>> Creating business cards for my blog is on my to-do list and I love how Savannah’s from Maiedae turned out. Great colors and design.

>>>> I’ve been craving a change of hairstyle lately and have been pinning caramel colored highlights. There is a brand new Hair Diaries post in the works! (hint*hint)

>>>> The best color study post I’ve seen in a very  long time.

>>>> Finding Ella. A post from my favorite blog to just read. Her writing moves me.

What are you {loving} this week?
Do you have a favorite blog that you love to read?
What is inspiring you lately?

Thursday! Yay!

I’m so glad it’s Thursday again. I haven’t done one of these posts in a little while so I have some fun things saved up to share.

>>>> Here are my favorite Instagrams in the last couple days. 1//2//3//4

>>>> Loved this post by Viv McMaster called “Behind the Photo” where she shares tips and tricks she uses in her self-portraits and the original shot that this picture is from. I love her approach to photography and life.

>>>> I really appreciated this post from Maiedae.com about living a balanced life and juggling successfully the things you are and the things you desire to be.  It’s a 3 part series called “Your roles and best you’s.” I’m looking forward to the next two parts.

>>>> I saw this script art from Kal Barteski and audibly gasped at how real this phrase is for me right now. I have a hard time with change, but truly, nothing can get better without change. Another added concept to my One Little Word for the year: flourish. I keep learning and keep growing and find my word within my life in even unexpected ways.

>>>> I love that a couple of my favorite creatives have joined the stamp world and their designs are so terrific. I bought one of Elise’s “today is…” stamps when she did her first pop up shop, and I really love the additional designs she has right now. And Tina of lifelovepaper.com has some stamps in her paper goods shop. I love the “we were here” one.

>>>> I have this song by Jayme Dee on repeat lately. I loved this behind the scenes video she posted a couple months ago.

>>>> I have also been listening to Becky CJ’s EP on soundcloud along with watching all her videos on youtube. She’s got a killer voice.

What are you {loving} lately?
What song do you have on repeat?
Post a link to a cool thing you found online!

These are the things I love

Happy Thursday everyone! I hope your weeks is going well and that you're remembering to take a little moment to celebrate the little things that make you smile. Here are a few of my favorite things from the last couple weeks.

>>>> My favorite Instagrams lately: 1//2//3//4

>>>> A really cool story about a photographer whose life was changed by one picture. Great read!

>>>> Thanks to my friend Kristen’s Designer Spotlight post I found these posters by the artist behind Kavin & Co. Great quotes meet amazing designs. I just love them. Check out the society 6 shop here.

>>>> I pinned a couple easy looking sewing projects on Pinterest recently. I’m hoping my mum will let me borrow her sewing machine so I can give these at try. The skirt looks totally doable! Skirt via: shrimpsaladcircus. Quilt via: The Wonder Forest.

>>>> I love the simple geometric shape and design of this DIY geo-ball. Great to use for storing little things on a desktop. I’m going to download the PDF and make a couple this week. The original design is here, but an easier to follow download can be found here.

>>>> These darling Victorian photo booth pictures. I love the emotions captured. Such a cute couple. I wonder how long it took to take these back then…they’re super sweet.

>>>> I have made some really great new connection recently thanks to my Alt classes, Blog Brunch and Twitter. Here are a few of my new favorites. I love their blog designs, the content and the bloggers behind them. Maybe you’ll find a couple new blogs to follow.

• Becky Bedbug
• Beautiful Hello 
• Fifth & Hazel
• Alex Beadon
• Jeremy & Kathleen
• Her New Leaf

>>>> Look to the sun via Sue Bryce. I adore her portraiture.

>>>> My friend Mandi of Making Nice in the Midwest is welcoming her baby girl soon and is preparing her nursery. I love the posts that she shares about getting the space ready because she does these darling mock-up elevation drawings of the space. I want to ask her if she’ll draw a couple of my favorite spaces in our home. How neat would that be?

What things are you {loving} this week?
Have you discovered a new artist you just love?
Any new DIY’s on your to-do list?

Hello Thursday

Its another Thursday of another week, but seriously? This has been such a great week! I had my appointment with my GI specialist on Tuesday and I’ve never left a doctor’s appointment feeling so good. I’m sure I’ll talk about this some more, but I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders…just from really understanding what’s going on inside my body. Specialists are awesome!

So yes, great week! And I’m celebrating with coffee, a fresh hair cut and {things I love} Thursday.

>>>> My favorite Instagram images from the past few days. Colors and “girlosophies” making me happy. 1//2//3//4

>>>> Chevron is a trend that I have totally fallen in love with…I love it on clothing, scrapbook paper, accessories and as my blog background! Here are a few things on my wish list that I would love to add to my chevron collection.

1. Black and White Chevron Earrings: $7.00 2. Grey Chevron Long Zipper Pouch: $11.00 3. Chevron Vinyl Laptop Decal: $14.50.

>>>> A tweet led me to this great sketch with Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David driving around in Jerry’s VW Bug and going to get coffee. I love seeing comedians in regular life being funny. Like spit-tea-out-of-your-mouth funny. Yeah, that happens. I’d like to think I’m that funny…maybe just to myself. And my unintentional pause face in this screen capture is pretty killer. Click and enjoy.

>>>> This is a pretty awesome pin-board that I found all about Altoid Tins and their many uses. My favorites: the mini marshmallow roaster and the zen garden.

>>>> I was totally intrigued by this post on the Define blog about shooting an engagement session with a disposable camera. Such pretty and naturally magical images. You should pop over and check them out. They’re done by photographer Kristen Marie.

>>>> I don’t know what my friend Kelly has planned in the way of birth announcements, but these are just adorable. I saw the post here, but you can purchase the custom illustration from artist Denise Hedin in her etsy shop. I wonder if Kelly would let me design hers…that would be fun.

>>>> Three great tutorials for fun short hair styles via ModCloth blog. I can’t wait to give a couple of them a try. I really love my short hair, and its fun finding new things to try with it.

>>>> These painted shelves via DesignLoveFest are pretty awesome. The unique designs painted on them are all hand drawn first. They have a great video about the whole process up on the blog and the finished styling of the shelves is pretty much perfect. I wish I was better at that.

>>>> Post I loved reading recently: A letter to the man who will one day make me an honest woman written by Meg of The Wild and Wiley Ways of a Brunette Bombshell. Killer writing.

>>>> And lastly, the power of spoken-word poetry. I was so moved by this TED Talk by Sarah Kay I had to share it. I emailed it to my mum after I first watched it. I think she is my “Point B.” Enjoy…

What do you {love} this week?
Do you have chevron on your wish list?
Have you ever tried spoken-word poetry?

Its Thursday again

And I’m excited to share some great things I’ve found online in the last 2 weeks. My TILT bookmark’s folder just keeps growing and growing. Lots of great content these last two weeks, some fun new music, some helpful tutorials and some sweet pictures. Welcome Thursday!!

>>>> 4 of my favorite instagram images this last week. Scrip writing and photostrips have my heart. 1//2//3//4

>>>> Thanks to these two tweets and these two ladies I have discovered Branches music. I’ve got all their music streaming from their bandcamp site and love their voices, harmonies and eclectic music mixes. Still haven’t picked a favorite song yet… You should listen and tell me which one you like the best.

>>>> Shane of Whispering Sweet Nothings did a post last week about blogging faux pas and the Ten Commandments of Blogging. I especially love #3: Thou shall put careful thought and consideration into your comments. Its something everyone appreciates and should be best practice for giving and receiving comments.

>>>> This post by Jen of Punky and the City really struck a cord with me. As bloggers we record life so we shouldn’t feel guilty when we’re out living instead of inside blogging. Be inspired by life. Be grateful. Truth! Great post.

>>>> Found this clothing company called Idyllec through a giveaway on Story of My Life blog and I just love them. My favorite is the painted bird shirt.

>>>> Friendship shapes us into who we are. Post via The Conversation blog.

>>>> I attended my very first BlogBrunch this last Saturday and I was so inspired by it! It is a live conversation on twitter where bloggers from all over tweet in response to pre-posted questions. The most recent one was all about content with the theme “The Power of the Post". Lots of great ideas shared regarding developing series ideas and overcoming creative blocks. I made so many new blogging friends and after the hour was over felt a renewed spark for blogging once again. Come join us next month!

>>>> I am loving all the Adobe Photoshop Elements tutorials showing up in blogland. Elsie and Emma of A Beautiful Mess are Ambassadors for company currently and their most recent tutorial was like a huge “aha!” moment for me. Come check out this super easy way to create vibrant colors in your images. I have a feeling I’ll be using this a ton!

Have you found any great tutorials online lately?
Have any new music to share with me this week?
What do you {love} today?

Things I love Thursday

Yay! Its Thursday again, and I am so excited to share the little bits of goodness I’ve found lately. Sometimes I come across blog posts and cute things and think: “Man, I wish I’d come up with that idea.” But then I remember: “Oh yeah, I can share it for my {things I love} Thursday post!” It works!

>>>> Joy the Baker and her “Notes to self: how to live, how not to live, and how its okay if I burn the cookies.” The most recent one: You’re Allowed. It just makes me smile when people are real on their blogs. She gets it.

>>>> Sass, Class and Badass: a little e-book from Kate of Wake Up Lovely. It’s a delightfully refreshing take on becoming the women we want to be…from the inside out. From a few little tips to change things up daily to wise lifestyle choices, you'll find something within these pages that you can cling to. Kate's writing will make you think, make you smile, and sometimes make you laugh out loud. Sass, Class & Badass is a fun, quick read with lots of depth. And its free! I really enjoyed all her tips and you should totally download it and read it with a cup of tea this afternoon.

>>>> Water Bottle Eyes…you just have to click the link and check this out. And be forewarned: I’m doing this at the next party I have. You’re all invited!

>>>> Bespoke is an Australian zine with both digital and in print versions that is “made by the handmade community, for the handmade community.” And it is so lovely! The zine publishers take submissions from all around the world and share stories, inspiring blogs, tutorials, photography, recipes and crafts. The zine is put together so well, and is just a joy to read. I got the digital download and loved it, I can only imagine how great it is in print. My favorite article from Issue 6 is called “Caged Creativity: the Peril of Not Reaching our Potential” which delves into the connection between life fulfillment and expressing ourselves creatively. Definitely something I’ve been thinking about lately. The blog connected to the zine is just as yummy! Aren’t the covers just lovely?

>>>> My Pinterest “wish list” board is filling up will all sorts of fun things. Usually its camera gear, but lately I’ve been drawn to cute skirts and hair accessories. And these killer day planners from Erin Condren…so cool! 1-2-3-4-5

>>>> I really want to take this calligraphy class offered by Melissa of I Still Love You. I have a calligraphy set that my mum gave me, and would love to learn how to really use it.

>>>> I love this idea of doing a travel journal in your own hometown. Carrie came up with a list of prompts of pages to create with things like postcards from your town and takeout menus from your favorite places to eat. I love how her mini turned out.

What do you {love} on this lovely Thursday?

What is inspiring your creativity lately?