Addicted to my CAbi Multi-topper

Hi guys…long time no blog, right?! I’m not going to apologize or make excuses, just say Hi, and nice to see you!  

I am so excited about something new and I just had to share. I was invited to a CAbi party by my friend Marta 3 weeks ago. It was my first CAbi experience and I really had no idea what was going to happen. I knew it was clothes, but once I got to the party location I realized it was so much more. The group of ladies who got together were shown a whole season’s worth of clothes and then we got to try them all on! Super cool.

It was actually a really huge moment for me… I have lost over 60 lbs these last few months, and to go to a clothes party with my friends, try on sizes of clothes I’ve never fit into before, look and, more importantly, feel amazing… I was overwhelmed with excitement and happiness. Toni, the CAbi consultant was truly a gem and gave me a moment I’ll never forget that night. Pretty powerful stuff. Of course I wasn’t going to buy everything I fit into (even though I wanted to!) but I was drawn to some key, super cool pieces.

One of those pieces is their Multi-topper. To look at it, it seems kind of like a poncho with sleeves. But there are multiple, innovative ways to wear this garment. It can be a shirt, a sweater, a scarf, a skirt or whatever you can come up with. I just had to have one of these. So I ordered it and got it last Thursday. I literally have wore it every day in a different way since! I’ve been posting to instagram, but just wanted to share here too.  

I already worn it as a sweater, a long duster jacket, a dress, a shawl sweater, a halter top, a cowl-neck sweater and a scarf. I’m pretty much in love with this thing. I’ve been having lots of fun with it and just wanted to share.

I’m hosting my own CAbi party in a couple weeks and I can’t wait to share these amazing clothes and this multi-topper with my friends.

Have you ever been to a CAbi party?
What is your favorite item of clothing?

My 5 favorite blogs

Back a few months ago…and even a few years ago I used to read blogs like crazy. Its true that I had a lot more time on my hands, and I have different priorities now, but my love of blogs never went away. There are a few I find myself going back to over and over again, and reading when I have the time. They inspire me and encourage me in my own writing and life and blogging.

1. Elise of EnJoy It

I found Elise’s blog through our mutual love of paper crafting, and have continued to be inspired by her through the years. She works magic with paper and tells stories in the most simple and moving ways. I love to read about her life, and the beauty she finds in her everyday. She is a big part of why I wanted to start Project Life. Her designs are killer! Elise also did a guest post here last year as part of my Celebrate the Everyday series. You can read it here.

Posts I love: Project Life posts, “Around Here”, and her thoughts on running a small business.

2. Meg of The Wild and Wily Ways of a Brunette Bombshell

I honestly have no idea how I stumbled across Meg’s blog…probably one of those “blog love” posts from someone else with a link to a quote from her they loved. Her blog is one that I love to read. Even in her description of her blog you can tell:

a guide on how to drink lattes (full-fat and without restraint), on how to love graciously, and how to ever-so-slowly suss out a life.

this is a blog about becoming.

Yup this is my kind of blog. I love her photography and how each image feels specially selected for me. I love her handwritten notes all over her pictures and on her blog. She is real, and I wish I could write like her. Total favorite.

Posts I love: Her Letter to her future Husband series were what I first read and they continue to touch my heart.

3. Savannah of Maiedae

Savannah is the writer and inspiration behind Maiedae, a blog and design company that is growing and creating inspiring things. I love her aesthetic in clothing and in design and find so much inspiration every time I visit her blog. Her business partner Jenny and her are currently writing a series called “Make it Happen” where they share the things they’ve learning in developing their company and making it their full time job. I know I’ll continue to learn from them.

Posts I love: “Make it Happen”, Living Well posts with tips on getting enough sleep and how to handle a sick day, Threads (her awesome outfit posts).

4. Susannah of SusannahConway

Susannah is the author of one of my favorite books “This I know: notes on unraveling the heart.” (My review of her book is here). Her blog is full of powerfully good writing and images of her life in London. She is an artist with her Polaroid cameras. She is honest and raw and real and I love to read her words. I adore the video she created for her about page too. Just her, her cute accent and her explanation of what her blog is all about. Her “why” just touches my heart…

Posts I love: Something for the weekend, her journaling love story.

5. Brooke of Brooke Shaden Productions

Brooke is an incredible concept portrait artist that I discovered via Flickr and have been following ever since. She keeps her blog current with her work, the courses that she teaches, behind the scenes images and helpful posts for other photographers. Her work just blows my mind. You have to check her out. Her photography and essays keep me coming back to her blog again and again.

Posts I love: 6 steps to staying motivated, behind the scenes.

So there are 5 of my favorite blogs that keep me coming back. What are some of your favorite blogs to read? Leave a link in the comments for me and I’ll go check them out!

“Blog Every Day in May” challenge. Day 19: Five of your favorite blogs and what you love about them.

Caramel Popcorn

Having a husband that is fantastic in the kitchen is amazing. He making us incredible food and we’re always trying out delicious new recipes. But every good chef needs their assistant and Chris calls me his Sous Chef. One of my favorite treats is our sweet and gooey caramel popcorn. Chris makes the caramel while I pop the popcorn and remove all the remaining seeds….which is a very important task! Who wants seeds mixed in with their caramel? Not I!

Here is our recipe. You can thank me later…hehe.

You will need:
2 bags of microwave popcorn
12 large marshmallows
half a stick of butter
enough light brown sugar to loosely fill a coffee mug

• In a saucepan over medium heat completely melt the butter and 10 of the marshmallows. Then add the brown sugar. Keep stirring the whole time. Once the sugar has completely dissolved add the last two marshmallows for a bit lighter color and melt those into the mixture.
• As the caramel is being made have someone else focus on the popcorn. Pop the two bags and then go through it little by little removing all the seeds and bits you don’t want to eat. I pour a bit onto a plate, pick out the seeds and then move it to a large bowl.
• Have the popcorn ready so that the caramel doesn’t sit and overcook.
• Pour the caramel over the popcorn and mix letting the sauce coat the kernels. Let it sit just a bit to cool down and set and then enjoy!

This is the best caramel popcorn I’ve ever had because it doesn’t stick to your teeth, but is still so flavorful and created little clusters of popcorn and caramel like you love.

I hope you try it and enjoy it. Come back and leave me a comment if you do. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

 

“Blog Every Day in May” challenge. Day 2: Educate us on something you know a lot about or that you’re good at.

Song on repeat

My favorite singing competition show, The Voice, has started back up again and I couldn’t be happier. I just love the concept for the show and listening to all the amazing voices these singers have.

Last week’s episode had one of my very favorite auditions ever. Sarah Simmons sang “One of Us” a song by Joan Osborn. I remember the very first time I heard that song and have loved it ever since…but I’ve never heard it like this girl sang it. Chills and goose bumps and inspiration. Killer! I just had to share it and save it here.

This girl makes me wanna sing! I am looking forward to watching her on the show this season and hopefully taking it to the end. Favorite for sure.

Do you watch The Voice?
Who is your favorite so far?
Do you like how they switched up the coaches?

This I know

This summer I have been slowly reading and savoring Susannah Conway’s book “This I know, Notes on Unraveling The Heart.” I am normally a speed reader (just ask Chris, it drives him crazy!) but I knew I wanted to take my time with this book. I just had a feeling it would touch my heart and I would need the time to process each chapter. I was right.

As I read her words I found myself saying, “Oh this chapter was just what I needed. It is so me. The next one couldn’t possibly touch me more than this.” But as I progressed through the book, the next chapter always did. And so did the one after that. Each one felt like it was just what I needed to read.

The thought of “unraveling” can sometimes seems scary…to peel back all our layers and really look at how we feel about things, how we think and learn and cope…how we celebrate. I am embracing it, however. Being in my own transitional period in my life, I am ready to unravel…eager to unravel. And so I followed Susannah as she shared her own journey to self-discovery through this book. It is full of her art…the polaroid photography she is so well known for, and each chapter ends with a “reflection,” a little exercise of sorts, to reflect upon and use in your own life. I truly loved reading it…

I wanted to share a couple of quotes from the book. These are things that I underlined as I read and rewrote in my own journal. Pages that I left tear stains on. Concepts that moved me. And I also want to encourage you to pick up a copy of your own. We could all use some unraveling…

“Each person experiences grief in their own individual way. And…there is no hierarchy to grief—only we can know the pain we feel and what we have lost… To assimilate the loss—to make sense of the change—we must allow ourselves to fully inhabit the pain for as long as we need.” 

“So many of the difficult parts of our lives can be helped with a little kindness, and nowhere is that needed more than the way we view ourselves….I want to walk along the middle road, between vanity and not caring; I want to be seen and loved by the person I need it from most. To look in the mirror and smile at an ally I can always count on… My worth is not measured by my outward appearance, my worth is felt in my bones, in the quiet yes that starts in my belly and rises up to my lips as I reach forward and embrace my life, my world, this piece of experience that is mine alone.”

“The more I excavate myself, the richer my relationships with others become, because as we connect with our true selves we have so much more to give.”

If you love words written from the heart, the magic of polaroid, and find yourself needing a gentle push to learn more about yourself, this book is worth a read. Its one of my new favorites on my bookshelf. I’ve passed it on to my mum to read. I think she’ll love it as much as me.

Have you read “This I Know” yet?
What was your favorite chapter?
Do you read Susannah’s blog or taken any of her classes?

a fresh start

i felt that it was time for a clean, fresh start here in my little piece of the online world.  time for a blog makeover!!  i had my previous design since november of 2008.  man, that is a long time!!  but my style is gradually changing and my color pallet is too.  lately i've been really drawn to gray, purple and yellow.  i'm even going to do my office in those colors. so here is my new blog design.

please tell me what you think of it.  i'd LOVE to hear your opinions!  and soon i will have a blog button up for you to grab if you'd like to share on your blog too. :)

do you love gray, purple and yellow??

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