Blog Party Giveaway Winners!

First of all, I would like to say a genuine thank you to all of you who were here this month...maybe you'd read my blog before, or you clicked over from another blog, or you were linked here by one of my guest posters.  But you got here, you read, you commented and shared and it brought me so much joy this month.  

You are all worth celebrating!  But this post is to announce to 4 special people who are the winners of my blog party giveaways.  You'll be hearing from me! 

And the winners are: 

1. The handwriting font goes to: Danielle of Framed Frosting.

2. The $20 Starbucks card goes to: Heather of Heather's Corner.

3. The 52weeks book goes to: Stephanie [Rita] of Letters from Rita: 

4. The blog header design goes to Zelina of Honey in the Sun.

I had so much fun reading everyone's entry comments and loved connecting with you all.  I hope you'll be back again for more real life ways to celebrate the everyday. 

Thank you all! 

Guest Blogger: Kara Haupt

My darling friend Miss Kara is my guest blogger today and I'm so excited for you to meet her. :)  I've been reading her blog since she was 16 and lived vicariously through her as she moved to New York and now to Portland to go to art school.  She takes pictures, she teaches classes and she scrapbooks.  She's like the cool creative little sister you want to spend your weekends with.  So please, read on, and enjoy her perspective on Celebrating the Everyday.  Thanks Kara! 

A strenuous and busy semester of college just ended for me and I'm currently making that transition out of the crazy school busy-ness into a quiet summer. One of the things I've been thinking about a lot is how I want to spend these days. I'm living in my first apartment and my "independence" is the most it's ever been. I have a whole city to explore and the freedom to do whatever I want. 

Celebrating the beauty of that, the "everydayness" seems daunting. There is so much I can do. But more often than not, I find myself dreading the mundane tasks that make up my days. I have adventures I will go on, but transforming my attitude about the simple things is a block I don't want to stumble across. There is the apartment to clean or the retail job to go to or the grocery shopping to do. I've been working on changing my attitude toward these things. To enjoy the Saturday morning walk to get groceries or the sounds of the open window for late-night dishes washing. 

Celebrating the everyday, to me, is putting on some beautiful music and pretending the dishes are more magical than they are. Taking the moments to watch the headlights of the cars on the street play across my darkened wall. To have deep conversations with myself as I walk to work. I have a lot of exploring to do this summer, but I'm hoping the "normal" is just as lovely as the exploration. Or maybe the exploration is the normal?

Find Kara on the web:

BLOG <<>> FACEBOOK <<>> TWITTER <<>> SHOP

Celebrating Today

I am celebrating today with some fun news and a couple giveaways to share with you.  To begin with, yesterday I decided to talk to a couple friends and get their thoughts on having a Facebook page for my blog.  After reading their suggestions and advice I went ahead and started one.  I think it will be a great way for me to connect more with my readers and include everyone in future giveaways.  

So please, hop on over and LIKE Shadylane Blog on Facebook. :) 

This month I have had the pleasure of sponsoring over at Confessions of a Graphic Design Student.  Kirsten has been so much fun getting to know better and I'm glad she agreed to be part of my blog party this month with a guest post.  Yesterday she announced her "Blogger's Dream" group giveaway with all her sponsors.  Its another chance for you to win my handwriting font, along with free exposure and some design.  

Come check out the giveaway and enter as many times as you can.  There are some pretty great prizes. :) 

A couple weeks ago I joined this great new site by blogger and for bloggers called the Better Blogger Network.  I have made some great new blogging friends, shared and gained knowledge about blogging and have been having fun in the forums.  

Visit Better Blogger Network

From the BBN I was able to make a connection with Kate of A Creative Cookie.  She reached out in the forums looking for some more people for her giveaway.  So I sent her an email and got to be included in her May Group Giveaway.  She is so sweet, and it was an honor to be included.  Head on over and enter her giveaway too.  Lots of chances to win my handwriting font!!

This has been such a fun month of growth for my blog.  Thank you all for being a part of it, for your comments and encouragement and for being readers.  I hope that together we can remember to and encourage each other celebrate the everyday.  

How are you celebrating today?

Have you ever won a fun giveaway?  I'd love to hear your stories!

Guest Blogger: Kyla Roma

I'm so excited to introduce you to Kyla Roma today.  I started reading her story on her blog a few years ago and its been so cool to watch her grow and really live her dreams.  We connected through her blog (I sponsored in 2010, which is a great way to get to know other bloggers better) and have kept in contact through the years.  Kyla is inspiring and authentic and a joy to know.  I am so happy she was able to share her thoughts on Celebrating the Everyday.  She's compiled a list of 5 things that help her, and maybe they'll be just what you needed to hear.  Thanks Kyla! 

Celebrating the everyday is a big part of how I live my life. To me it means finding joy in small things, being aware of my surroundings, not being too "in my head", and appreciating the moments in-between the big life events instead of taking them for granted and always moving on to the next thing.

I'm a "getting down to brass tacks" kind of girl at heart though, so this is how I take those ideas and put them into action:

1. Remember to stay present

I'm a planner, a scheduler, and a worrier but if I let my mind wander to the past or the future all the time, I end up missing what's happening in the moment. When I'm working I try to remind myself to come back to the present every time I glance at the rings on my fingers, and at home I remind myself to stay with the moment when I see my little dogs. Having visual queues has been a great help, and I find that as I've been practicing this my days seem longer, I'm more relaxed and I'm less stressed.

2. Allow for silliness, sleepiness, sadness and wonder

Working for myself means that I always have multiple timelines on multiple projects up in the air, and sometimes I get carried away with scheduling my time. Remembering that I need down time in the evenings and on the weekends allows room for my life, and for me to be spontaneous, give myself the time I need to process difficult things that happen, take naps, and daydream. Giving myself that space makes me a better designer, business owner, friend and wife!

3. Keep a camera close by

For a long time I was great at this, but over the past year I've been out of this habit and only recently realized how much I miss it! When I have my camera nearby I look at things a little differently because I'm on the look out for beauty. It helps me to approach my life with gratitude and to recognize the power of simple things, like seeing wild rabbits in my neighbourhood while walking the dogs in the morning, to make me happy! If everyday life can make me happy, I feel like I must be setting myself up for a meaningful, beautiful life.

4. Make meal time sacred

While I love to bake, I've never been a big cook but this year I've been trying to change that. By making mealtimes something that I look forward to, from the planning & prep to the dishes, I've been able to add more times into the day that I'm focused on taking care of myself in a really tangible (delicious!!) way. I eat a number of small meals every day, and each one holds possibility for creative flavours to mingle, and healthy habits to become more a part of my life. It also means there's something to look forward to every few hours! You can't beat that.

5. Stop apologizing & start celebrating

For a long time in my life, I wasted a lot of time agonizing about things I didn't like about myself and worrying about what was going to happen next. While my worrying and anxiety was eventually diagnosed as an anxiety disorder, so many women struggle with similar feelings. Being trapped in a negative thought cycle, or by your worries, is terrible, but being aware of the negative thoughts you have and beliefs that you hold is a powerful step toward letting them go! In the past few years I've stopped apologizing for myself & fixating on changing things about me and have started celebrating myself and adopting positive habits instead. I'm loving the quirky parts of myself better than I have in a long time, and it makes every day so much more fun.

Thank you for having me, Shaina! I hope that these ideas are helpful and that they bring a little every day happiness into your readers lives :)

Find Kyla on the web:

BLOG <<>> FRECKLED NEST <<>> TWITTER <<>> PINTEREST

Giveaway: Blog Header

GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED

1. One Day at a Time 2. A Full Life with an Empty Nest  3. Adventures of a Disney Nut

Through the process of designing my own blog over the years, design has become something that I really love... and something that I want to share my passion for.  This month I have started taking on new blog design clients with some super fun results.  Here is my most recent finished design for my new friend Heather over at Chronicles of an Independent Spinster.  I had fun working with her colors and creating an online home that is just right for her.

For more information on what I offer please check out my Blog Design Page.  I think that good design along with great content will maximize your success as a blogger. If you're searching for someone to help you create an online home and personal brand, I would love to work with you! 

And so as part of that, today I am offering a free blog header design to one special reader.  And if the winner wants a full blog makeover, they can get the header price discounted from their design package. :)  I am so excited about this giveaway!! 

>>>> GIVEAWAY REQUIREMENTS:

Leave a comment on today's post sharing your favorite thing about blogging. 

>>>> BONUS ENTRIES: 

Be a blog follower.

Follow me on twitter (@shadylane14)

Tweet about the blog header giveaway or my blog design services.

Like Shadylane Blog on Facebook. 

Spread the word via social networking.

Please leave a comment for each additional entry. 

The winners of all 4 giveaways will be posted on the last day of this month-long blog party.  Don't forget to enter for the other giveaways too!  Links in the right sidebar.  

Looking forward to hearing from some of you and getting to work with you on a blog makeover that matches your spirit and personality.  Please feel free to email me: shadylane_14(at)hotmail(dot)com with any questions. 

Guest Blogger: Jennifer Evans

I met today's guest blogger a couple years ago through an online class we both took.  We became online blogging friends over our shared love of scrapbooking and redesigning our blogs.  Jennifer has been an artist for the last 15 plus years and brings her artistic eye to her scrapbooking, photography and her life. Please enjoy her post today all about what Celebrating the Everyday means to her.  Read on for her 4 ways to stop and enjoy the everyday.  Thank you Jen! 

It wasn't until I was laying on a picnic blanket in the backyard with my five year old son last week that I could really comprehend what "celebrating the everyday" meant to me. It was peaceful. Beautifully peaceful.

I looked up at the trees swaying in the wind against the blue sky and then I looked over next to me. It was a lovely time and we weren't "doing" anything besides spending time together. I realized that no matter what the day brings, sitting down to soak in the everyday is important. Time goes too fast. Pretty soon my little man will be all grown up and I don't want our day to go by without capturing some of those moments.

Ways that I stop to enjoy the everyday are:

1. I start every day in God's Word. Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still and know I am God." I have realized that if I don't wake up before my family to take time to "be still" I feel like I am trying to play catch up the rest of the day.

2. My son and I often have picnics together inside or out. We read books together or play games during the day. It is during these quiet times that we bond.

3. We are often capturing our everyday with our cameras. My son has his own camera so that he can capture the everyday through his own eyes.

4. Our family spends weekends at home or away together. A day at the beach or a walk to the park keeps us focused on what is most important. Each other.

Find Jen on the web

BLOG <<>> PHOTOGRAPHY <<>> PINTEREST

Guest Blogger: Dani Johnston

My guest blogger today holds a special place in my heart... there are some people that you meet and get to know online that become your true friends, even though you've never met in person.  Dani is that friend to me.  We're soul sisters. Celebrating our triumphs and tragedies together, inspiring and pushing each other, and just reaching out with a little note to say we're thinking of the other person.  I am so glad to be able to share a little bit of my dear friend with you today.  She took an evening for herself to write about taking an evening for yourself...pretty perfect really.  I think you'll love and appreciate her thoughts on Celebrating the Everyday.  Thank you Dani!  

So this evening, I’m sitting here at my desk, trying to think about how I celebrate the everyday. 

I can hear my daughter fussing in the living room.

She’s been fighting off a cold the past few days, and I think it might be getting the best of her tonight.

I keep trying to bring my focus back.

How do I celebrate the everyday?

But I still hear her.

My husband is fine. He is capable. He is happy to take over bedtime tonight. (In other words, he is awesome!)

But I can still hear her.

So I think about how all day I’ve been waiting for these few hours to myself. And now, I can’t stop thinking about my daughter. Maybe I should go in there? Maybe she just wants me tonight?

But wait.

How do I celebrate the everyday?

By accepting and loving this life. 

By loving my daughter like crazy of course.

But by also trusting that she is in complete and capable hands with my husband tonight. 

By dedicating some time to myself each week. 

For whatever.

For scrapbooking or art journaling.

For editing and organizing the latest giant batch of photos I’ve recently taken.

For blogging or blog reading.

For a hot bath and good magazine.

For, again, whatever.

There are so many things my daughter and I do together to celebrate the everyday. For example, we have recently built and are tending to a garden. Something my daughter loves to participate in. She plays in the dirt with her watering can. She stacks up the pots. She tries to chase the ducks around the yard. And I try to make sure that every moment with her is present and aware. I’m not perfect in this...who is? But I try.

But there need to be moments now that I have to myself. Because raising a human being is no small task. I am not just taking care of my baby. I am raising a person. This small one will soon grow and become an adult. She will soon step out into the world and make it better or worse. This is no little thing that I have taken on.

And so, in order to be present, and in order to fully and completely celebrate our everyday, I need to also tend to myself.

I’ll be honest. I’m really writing all this as a personal reminder. I have struggled with this lately, a lot. I truly let the mommy guilt slip in most of the time. I let the wife guilt slip in too. I am a pro at putting myself aside when it comes to personal time. I’ve never really been an out and about kind of girl. I’m not much for lights and noise and tons of people. But I do love a hot bath and a good book. I really love fresh paper, pens and paint. I adore my time spent reflecting and blogging. 

And so, just as I need to nurture my relationship with my little girl and my husband, I need to nurture my relationship with myself. How good can I be to them, when I ‘m not good to myself? And I know, that this is advice many of us hear all the time. Mommas and daddies or not. But how many of us really take that advice? I’m telling you again, I’m telling myself again, take it. 

It felt good to write this.

And as I’m finishing it up, I notice my daughter is no longer fussing.  My husband has settled down in his chair, with her in his arms. She is sleeping and he is happy to cuddle with his girl.

And I will go to bed myself, in a little while. Feeling refreshed and recharged. My creative spirit more fulfilled and the momma in me excited for what tomorrow will bring. Celebrating my everyday, because the everyday is right now, and it’s going by way too fast not to enjoy it.

So please, enjoy it!

Find Dani on the web

BLOG <<>> FACEBOOK <<>> GALLERY

Guest Blogger: Vee Jennings

My guest blogger today is one of my favorite scrapbookers.  She makes magic with spray ink and cardstock.  Her work and creations just inspire me, and have for years.  And the cool thing about the internet is that you can really get to know people through their blog, their tweets and the things they share. Vee is someone worth knowing. :)   I am so glad she agreed to be part of the celebration this month with a guest post.  I love her perspective on Celebrating the Everyday.  Thanks Vee! 

Thank you Shaina for having me as a guest on your blog today. I am here to share my thoughts and experiences on how I  celebrate the everyday.  I do believe that everyday is a gift and should be celebrated because thoughts equal moments and these moments become treasures.  Everyday for me is a day to be respected but by no means do I expect everyday to be perfect and happy.  However, I do choose to relish in the present and beauty that each day brings.

I celebrate and cherish daily moments with my children daily because I know these moments will never come again.  Our daily routine is a bright light in my everyday.

I find that I am more balanced when I am creating, doing something I love at least once a week makes me a happier person. It is my form of therapy when I am down, it really lifts my spirits and makes me happy that I have a life to documents and share.

Daily I try to take pride in who I am as a person and in what I create for myself and my family.   It truly brings me great joy to create,to be a mother and document our lives.  By celebrating your life everyday is makes you and others around you more positive and that is the path I will continue to live because that is what works for me.

Find Vee on the web

BLOG  <<>> TWITTER  <<>>  THE DARES <<>> GALLERY

Giveaway: 52weeks Book

GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED

One of the greatest lessons I learned about celebrating the everyday came back in 2010.  That year I embarked on this project:  52 weeks: a poem and a self-portrait for every week of the year.  I blogged my poems and portraits along the way and at the end of the year turned my project into a book on blurb.com.  This project taught me so much...about myself, about photography, about life and how I cope with trauma, revelations, love and joy.  Its a part of me that I'm honored to share with the world.  I am more than that girl  now, but only because of her.  

This book is my heart on paper.  And I would love to share a bit of myself with you.  One of you will win a copy of my 52weeks book.  Here is a little sneak peek at what you'll be receiving. 

52weeks by Shaina Longstreet | Make Your Own Book

And if you don't win you can always purchase a copy! ;)  It is available through Blurb.com HERE in either soft or hard cover.  I'm pretty proud of it.  

>>>> GIVEAWAY REQUIREMENTS:

Leave a comment on today's post sharing a bit about a personal project you've done or one you'd like to try. 

>>>> BONUS ENTRIES:

Be a blog follower.

Follow me on twitter (@shadylane14)

Tweet about today's giveaway.
Like Shadylane Blog on Facebook. 

Spread the word via social networking. 

Please leave a comment for each additional entry. 

The winners of all giveaways will be posted the last day of this month-long blog party.  Don't forget to enter the other ones too! Links in the right sidebar.  

Personal projects are a purposeful way to celebrate the everyday.  I'm so glad I finished what I started that year and can look back on it now with joy and a full heart.  So come on!  Comment, share and try to win my 52weeks book.  I'm excited for you to see it in person.  

Guest Blogger: Elise Blaha Cripe

My guest blogger today rocks out everyday life, and I have come to love her blog because of that.  Please welcome Elise.  She blogs over at enJOY It  and its one of my favorite regular reads.  She posts about her paper goods shop (and new stamps!), her DIY projects, lots of yummy recipes (I'm really excited about her newest 40 pizzas idea), her scrapbooking with mini books and Project Life. I love the way she writes and how she shares the joy and struggles of life with such grace.  I sent her a couple questions around the theme Celebrating the Everyday, and she was kind enough to answer them for me to share with all of you.  Thank you Elise!  

1. What does "celebrating the everyday" mean to you? 

Celebrating the everyday is about being thankful for the normal.

2.  What things do schedule into your day help you celebrate or savor each day?

I have a cup of coffee and breakfast with my husband each morning before diving into my work day. It takes only 10 minutes, but it's so nice to sit down (with no laptops, iPhones or iPads between us) and just chat before separate and get to work for the day. This is especially special for us because Paul recently spent seven months deployed to Afghanistan. Just being able to sit across the table from each other feels like a big deal. :)

3. How do you think that taking time to “celebrate the everyday” lends itself to personal fulfillment?

The way I see it, only about two weeks (maximum!) of each year are considered "celebration" days and include major holidays, birthdays and vacations. Two weeks out of 52 isn't that great of a percentage, so I think celebrating EVERYDAY is totally worth it. I love the mindset that each day is special and worthy of celebration. I think it helps develop a postive outlook and that is very important for personal fulfillment. 

4. In what way does being a blogger add to your ability to celebrate?

The best part about having a blog is creating a record of things I've done and things I have thought. I am so grateful that I have posts from the past six years to look back on and and see how I have changed and grown. When I think about it, the blog has become a celebration of everyday life in itself. Plus, for the blog, I have to take tons of photos and usually they are of just the normal life stuff. All of these photos have become even more special and important to me as time goes on.

Find Elise on the web

BLOG <<>> WEB <<>> SHOP <<>> TWITTER