Expanding our Family

Are you ready for our big announcement?

Kevin and I would like to announce that we are expanding our family...

with a

PUPPY!

Kevin and I have had our hearts set on adopting a puppy since before we were even engaged. We both grew up in dog lover homes and knew that once we were married we'd be on the hunt for a pup of our own.

Well life happened, cars broke, a new car was purchased, we traveled to see family...etc...etc.

So we put off looking with a goal in mind of sometime in January...

but my heart couldn't help it and I started looking in early December despite our said goal.

We had decided we really wanted a labrador retriever and one that is a young puppy so we could train her and grow with her. Problem with that? Those in the pounds and shelters go so fast that the minute you find them online, they're gone! Those through breeders cost up $1200! Holy Moly! No way.

I found what I thought was our perfect sweet puppy off craigslist for $40! But by the time we talked it out and looked through our finances they were gone...

and I cried.

About a week or so later I found that Pet'sMart was having an adoption event in OKC. I convinced Kevin to go and we left as quick as possible after he got off work, with our home set up for a puppy.

None tugged on our hearts, and none of them were lab puppies...

and I cried again.

My tears probably weren't totally attributed to the puppyness...I was starting to feel a little lonely on Saturdays and work had been busy and quite lonely as well...it all just sort of mushed together and created a crying-me nightmare. Poor Kevin.

After the second round of tears, I promised myself to not look again till January. We'd be done visiting with family by then and I'd have four days at home alone to search and get some other things done.

But I wasn't very good at holding promises to myself.

Saturday morning before Christmas, I woke up early and watched a tv show... and did a little craig's list search. I came upon a lady who was offering her 8 week old black lab for $150. She was giving her up because her precious 4 pound yorkie and the lab weren't exactly playing well. The lab wanted to rough house more than the yorkie, obviously. 

On a whim, I sent the lady an email...knowing full well that we were leaving in a few days and had no reservations for a dog kennel or knew of any...and all of our friends had left... 

But she was a full bred lab and so young but she was also black haired.

That threw me.

I had a white one when I was in highschool and had my heart set on another.

I had tons of reasons why I wanted another white/blonde/tan (whatever you want to call it).

But my heart was drawn to this sweet little face staring at me on the screen:

I watched the email like a hawk and tried desperately not to get too excited.

Kevin woke up not too much later and came downstairs asking what I was up to.

I showed him the screen and he melted too.

GREEN LIGHT PEOPLE!

He said to go ahead and email her...haha already did that husband!

As we sat there together, the lady emailed back. Our conversations went back and forth. We wanted her to know we were interested but didn't know what to do with her while we would be away in Florida. 

We prayed, we talked, we emailed.

We felt peace.

what we rescued her from... :)

We emailed her back and said YES! And within the hour we were rushing to get dressed and look presentable to go see the puppy we'd just said we'd adopt.

At a Dollar General we met the newest member of our family.

The lady was kind and clearly took good care of the puppy, she appreciated that we prayed about the puppy and she offered to take care of her for another week until we returned from our trip.

God answers even the smallest of prayers.

Our hearts are so full!

Though, we won't lie, there have been times already in the 3 days we've had her that we've asked ourselves, what did we get ourselves into?! 

Yet she melts our hearts and we are so excited to train her and have her be a part of our family,

forever and always.

So yes, you can expect plenty of puppy pictures in future posts...

and also coming soon to the blog...a series of posts recording Kevin and I's story. 

Chocolate+Leftover Candy Canes=

What do you get with leftover candy canes and some chocolate? VERY yummy double chocolate peppermint cookies that are simply amazing!

My husband and I actually made these before Christmas for my Christmas party but busy me forgot to ever post them. I figured many of you, like us, probably have some candy canes lying around, maybe even still hanging on your trees, and so I'm posting these tasty treats today...besides peppermint and chocolate are still plenty good post Christmas. Ps: Don't let the many steps scare you...I just like to break recipes down to simple, small steps...this is actually a pretty easy recipe.

Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

brought to you by the FOOD magazine that thankfully comes to me in my mailbox.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (so a 12oz bag)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp.
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
6 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream
8 candy canes smashed (we used only four)

Instructions:
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper (our oven doesn't like parchment paper so we just did a nice spray of Pam's cooking spray...worked perfectly)
2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Put to the side.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar in a larger bowl until "light and fluffy" ( I've never though that's the best description but everyone says it still...basically till it's all creamed together)...this takes about 3 minutes.
4. Melt 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips. We used the microwave method: cook a little, stir a little, cook a little, stir a litter...you know.
5. Gradually mix the melted chocolate into the butter/sugar combo with the mixer on low. Next slowly add the flour mixture that was put to the side. Mix until just incorporated.
6. Stir in the remaining 3/4 cup chocolate chips.
7.  Drop rounded tsps. of dough onto the prepared cookie sheets. You want them to be the size of small balls. Space them about 2" apart but they won't grow much.
8. Put them in the oven! You'll want to cook them roughly 8-10 minutes, rotating the pan positions to ensure they are all baked evenly. Let cool for a couple minutes...on the pan or on cooling racks.
9. In a medium, microwave safe bowl microwave the heavy cream on high for about 30 seconds. Add the remaining 3/4 cups chocolate chips to the cream and stir, stir, stir till the mixture is smooth.
10.  At this point, you'll want to make sure your cookies are in an area that will be easy to clean. We used a deep set cookie sheet so all the candy cane toppings would simply fall onto the sheet...easier for clean up! Using a teaspoon  drop a little layer of the chocolate mixture onto each cookie and sprinkle the candy cane pieces on top. Let them air dry or refrigerate to set....and then eat! 

These little chocolate cookies are absolute chocoholic dream cookies!

Smashing the Candy Canes:
This can best be accomplished by unwrapping them, placing them in a ziploc baggy and hitting them with a rolling pin or something similar in size and weight. Husbands are great at this part of the recipe!

We hope you enjoyed this yummy recipe! We sure did...and hopefully we're enjoying Florida sunshine right now too. Yes, this is a scheduled post.

We'll be sure to catch yall up on life and let you know about our BIG announcement real soon! 

Anyone want to guess what it is?

A Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas blogger friends! Husband and I just enjoyed a sweet Saturday of baking together, and spending time with his lovely family. We took tons of pictures and had such a great time just being together on a Saturday! Since we don't get many saturdays together.

Now we're looking forward to our first Christmas together, and a trip to Florida to see my family. I'll make a big Christmas wrap up post when we return, for now we wish you a very merry christmas!

Be on the look out for a great recipe (helps you take care of all those candy canes you might still have lying around) and a very BIG announcement! Hope you're as excited as we are! I can't wait to share!

...and in case you've got the itch to craft a little Christmas still, check out these Christmas diy posts:

Pallet Nativity

Tulle Christmas Lights

SUPER easy and cheap Christmas Tree DIY

Photo Ornament DIY

Christmas Card Sparkly Pin-Up

Our Christmas "Eve" photo: Church on Sunday

Our actual Christmas card hanging on our lovely blinds with the sparkly pin-up diy I posted about.

(sorry, it's quite blurry, it was taken on my camera phone)

Pallet Nativity

My oh my the week is finally closing in! I, for one, am extremely thankful. My first big project I took over when my co-worker left is finally getting closer to finished. And at 5pm today I will hang up my hard hat on it till the new year...that my friends is a marvelous feeling. Here's to almost two weeks off! #Perksofworkingatauniversity

Now to what this posts really is about....

A while ago, husband and I decided to pick up some scrap pallets lying by a dumpster on campus. We had a couple ideas in mind for them and were anticipating an unusually warm weekend ahead of us. We grabbed about three pallets, shoved them into the back of my sweet, little santa fe and there they sat till our warm Sunday was upon us.

Now there are a plethora of pallet projects all over pinterest, we've all seen them, but I hadn't come across this one so I thought I'd share it. I feel like I've seen something similar in the past but couldn't figure out where from.

Anyway, our front porch was lacking for Christmas time and I really wanted to put more emphasis on decorating for Christ, as it is CHRISTmas. So, I decided that with a little paint, a new sander and some patience I would make a Pallet Nativity:

Supplies:

- Pallet Wood

- Sander (we used an Orbit Sander...thank you wedding gift cards to walmart!)

- Medium grit sand paper for your sander

- Saw

- Paint (just any small tube acrylic paint will do, You'll need less than you think too!)
- Paintbrushes

- Clear indoor/outdoor spray paint ( I chose the satin finish)

How To:

ONE: Have your handsome hubster or yourself saw the pallets up so you just have the board pieces left.You'll need three individual boards. You could choose to have three different heights for this or you can do them all the same. Mine were all the same, just about.

TWO: Prop the boards up and go to town with your orbit sander. Slowly in circles work your way up and down the board till you have a fairly smooth finish.

THREE: Layout what you're going to paint/draw. This is where I lack patience, I started sketching with a pencil and then just went for it with the paint. My mom always told me, wise words from an artist, you can never mess up something with paint because you can always paint over it and try again (and when working with wood, you can always sand it off and try again). I printed out a picture of a nativity style I liked and just glanced at it as I painted.

FOUR: You'll probably want to go for a second coat on each color. Making sure, you've let it dry in between.

FIVE: Spray paint the finished product with the clear coat to make sure it will endure weather outside.

SIX: Prop up and be reminded of Christ coming to earth as a human baby, growing and teaching, dying on a cross for our sins and ascending into heaven to return again one day for us.

So that's it, what do you think?

Baby Jesus was the hardest part for me, and then I debated on hands for Joseph and Mary but then decided not to...What would you have done?

*Husband worked on his own pallet project but that will be shared at a later date...

I'm taking guesses though! I'll give you a hint.

Pearls:

- My original intention was to give them a rougher look. I had planned on sanding them up a bit, making them look antique I guess you could say, or weathered. I couldn't bring myself to scratch up what I'd worked so hard to paint BUT I bet it'd still look neat...so there's that option.

- Don't be afraid to mix paint colors to get what you really want. The only color I didn't mix was the face color.
- You don't need a studio, a wood shop or even a garage for this project. My husband and I worked off the little square patio and grassy area in from of our townhome.

- Be patient with yourself...I'm a free-hander but I grew up with a mom as an artist so I'm less afraid of messing up when it comes to paint and drawing...if you need to scale it out and sketch it out, that's perfectly fine and it'll probably turn out even better! I did though, create a stencil for the star.

-OH! And don't be afraid to get your hands dirty! 

Tulle Lights

Today, I'm over at The Arizona Russums, sharing an easy and inexpensive way to dress up Christmas lights for your tree. Maybe you're like Kevin and I...we have like 10 ornaments total...and we don't feel like going all out to buy a ton of them...so I found a nifty little craft off none other than Pinterest and I'm sharing my pros/cons along with some pearls of wisdom with you on this easy Christmas DIY.

EASY Christmas Tree Craft

The ones I made at work.

If you have paper, fabric scraps and glue then you won't have to pay a dime for this craft. I worked on this one on my lunch break at work...sometimes Fridays get a little lonely there. It was quick, fun and simple. In fact, one of my co-workers stopped by to ask me about it and decided to take it home to do with her grandsons. SO it's kid friendly too! Then my friend, Sarah (from the Purple Tree) and I made some more at home.

(more Christmas crafts from me: here and here)

I'm just LOVING the way they turned out! Can't wait to help some more friends make some.

Supplies:
Paper, preferably a thicker grade like cardstock or photo paper. 8.5x11 (anything bigger just means bigger trees)
Tape, any kind will work but I did use clear scotch
Hot Glue & Hot Glue Gun
Scissors (some craft and some fabric)
Fabric Scraps:

Another perk of being an ID...loads of fabric samples...it's especially great
when you're college president doesn't like the color green

How to:

1: Roll up the paper till you have a pointed end. Tape together.

2: Using your craft scissors cut around the bottom till it's smooth and the tree can stand straight and somewhat sturdy.

3. Choose your fabric scraps and cut up according to what pattern you want to do. We did a few different kinds:
         -Triangles to do triangles of different patterns all around  -Triangles to do triangles of different patterns
            all around
          - Stripes to wrap around
          - triangles to layer all around
          - Random sizes and shapes to do a big quilt-like look almost
          *You could do anything! This is where are get to be creative. So go for something and just try, we
             didn't have patterns etc, we just kind of made it up as we went along.
4.Hot glue your pieces on one at a time, making sure they won't budge.
5: As you get closer to the bottom wrap your fabric underneath.
6: That's it!

Pearls:

- Don't be afraid to just try something. This is NOT one of those template DIYs...it's one where you will have to try and edit, and try again. I guarantee you that though as you go at it, it may feel like it won't turn out good...it will be great!

- Try a different way of applying the fabric each time...variety is good to the eye!

- To make different size trees just roll the paper tighter or looser...and maybe even stack a couple trees to really make a tall one.

And now for one of my current new favorite Christmas songs!

PhotoChallenge&Weekending

So at the beginning of the month I saw this December photo challenge on one of your blogs...sorry I'd give credit but I totally can't remember, and I thought I'd jump in.

I'm linking up with Karla for her Instagramamazing Weekend Link up because all the photos for the challenge have been done through instagram...and I'm just pretending for the weekend part  ...well at least two are from this past weekend! and after it I have a quick synopsis of what the weekend entailed :)

So take a peak, and let me know which is your favorite! And pop back by tomorrow because I have the cheapest and easiest little Christmas tree craft EVER...as in you probably already have everything you need.

This weeked was a whirlwind, it started and ended before I could blink! It started with a glorious nearly 12 hours of sleep Friday night...it was SO good and SO needed. Knowing this week is going to be rather busy at work I decided to cook up some dinners for the week during the day on Saturday. This way I don't have to come home tired and still cook.

My best friend came over to shop for our friend's bachelorette party and get ready for the party that night. We had SO much fun partying with her on her last night out on the town as a single lady. BUT I've not stayed up that late since possible my own bachelorette party so I was pretty wiped come Sunday.

But Sunday morning came, 5 hours of sleep. and we jumped up, got all Christmasy and headed off to church to volunteer for a few services in Journey's BIG Christmas Spectacular weekend. It was SUCH a blast! Kids eyes and smiles made the little sleep all worth it.

An afternoon mini nap and some football for the husband filled up the mid part of our day before we headed out with friends to see the Christmas Spectacular show ourselves at church. My coworker and her family even got a chance to come with us too. It was so great to see their sweet family! And their little girl adored the singing and lights. We took all kinds of pictures, ate some tasy treats, made smores, and watched horse carriage rides...I'll be sure and share some later this week.

So after all that, I was pretty much exhausted but we watched the season finale of SURVIVOR for the husband because he was pretty excited and we recorded Ashley's and JP's wedding...don't worry we're watching that tonight...and yes you read that right husband! (readers, did you watch the wedding? Or her season? Can we just say, EXCITED!?!)

How was your weekend? Link up with Kayla for Instagramazing Weekend!

HIGHLIGHT

I wanted to take a moment to highlight some of the lovely ladies that have swapped with me. Many thanks to all of you, especially those of you who swapped with me in my really-early baby stages of blogging. Check them out because I love all their blogs! And if you're interested in swapping with me, send me an email. I love to swap!

Everything Changes
About:

We are Van and Kristina.  I, Kristina, am typically the voice on this blog, but occasionally Van will grace us with his presence.  :) 

All Things Bright and Beautiful

 https://www.facebook.com/BrightandBeautifulBlog

 https://twitter.com/KayleeHornsby

 http://followgram.me/kayleegwyn

About:

I'm Kaylee from All Things Bright and Beautiful. My blog is completely random and I guess qualifies as a lifestyle blog. It's mostly about me and my life as a newlywed (my husband's name really is King, so I reference "the King and I" A LOT). Stop on by and let's get to know each other! I guarantee you'll love it, or your money back.

Three Facts:

 I design blogs on the cheap. I once caught a gator and skinned it (hey, I'm from Florida). I also can never think of fun facts about myself when asked, but when I'm driving around in the car or showering, the fun facts ALWAYS come to me (this is a fun fact).

Three Fav Posts:

An Engagement Story 

 A Royal Wedding 

Palm Reading and What My Future Kid Will Look Like . 

I love these posts because they get personal, are full of pictures and show off how random I can be in the blogging world.

Just the Two of Us

http://twitter.com/sjwmiller

 http://followgram.me/sarahjanemiller/

 http://pinterest.com/sarahjanem22/

About:

I love blogging because it gives me an opportunity to document our life together. And I get to meet a lot of fabulous people who are going through the same things as I am- I love it!

Three Facts:

The longest I had gone without seeing my parents before I moved to Florida (three months ago) was three weeks!

I love rock climbing and I do it at least three times a week. 

I live in Florida and enjoy 80 degree weather in December but I secretly miss the cold weathered Utah. 

Three Fav Posts:

 I am thankful for my husband 

I love this post because my husband is amazing and I love him so much!

  I want to climb a mountain 

I love this post because it is a compilation of climbing photos and it reminds me of  

Hey Sister, Sister 

I love this post because it is all about my sisters and I have the best sisters in the world!

Life Could be Dream

 https://twitter.com/janatolman

http://pinterest.com/mrsjt/

About:

Hey howdy hey! I'm Jana and I blog at life could be a dream. I'm a 20 something wife to a handsome man and a momma to a cute baby boy. Life could be a dream is a way for me to document my adventures in married-with-kid-land and share all of my experiences with you. :)

Three Facts

I went to culinary school and I am obsessed with food and cooking

My husband and I only dated for 2 weeks before we talked about possibly getting married

I went on a singing tour of Europe with my choir the summer before my senior year of high school

Three Fav Posts:

http://team-tolman.blogspot.com/2012/09/joshuas-birth.html

Definitely the happiest post I've ever written. I mean, I'm documenting my child's birth! :)

http://team-tolman.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-girl-behind-blog-my-embarrassing.html

It's a vlog post, so you actually get to hear and see me. :)

http://team-tolman.blogspot.com/2012/11/i-found-them.html

I felt like I was fairly amusing in this one. ;P

The Random Writings of Rachel
@randomlyrachels
About:

I have been married for a respectable number of months to my Angel. I am a recent college grad who majored in Mandarin Chinese, and I'm currently a full-time cosmetology student. I am a Christian. I am the oldest of seven children. I live in a yellow farmhouse, and I have lots of adventures.

Three Fun Facts & Fav Posts:
I'm not very fashionable but I love getting dressed!
 http://www.therandomwritings.com/2012/10/green-red-and-hot-pink.html
I majored in Mandarin Chinese in college.
http://www.therandomwritings.com/2012/09/what-you-shouldnt-say-to-chinese-major.html
I like to do creative and crafty things, but most of the time, you can't take my tutorials seriously. http://www.therandomwritings.com/2012/09/letters-of-admiration-tutorial.html

Living For His Glory

 https://twitter.com/MarielCollins1

 http://pinterest.com/MarielCollins/

About:

I blog about my marriage, my life and my love for Christ! My blog is my little journal, in a way its my personal scrapbook. I hope to inspire, encourage and relate to everyone that reads it!

Three Facts:

I am one of four sisters

I don't like chocolate

I love Jesus

Three Fav Posts:

How I Met My Husband: 

http://livingforhisglory2.blogspot.com/2012/10/how-i-met-my-husband.html

My Day Yesterday: 

http://livingforhisglory2.blogspot.com/2012/10/my-day-yesterday-and-thankful-thursday.html

My Thoughts on Baby:

 http://livingforhisglory2.blogspot.com/2012/11/my-thoughts-on-baby.html

Designer in Teal
http://pinterest.com/sammy26/

 https://twitter.com/pinkhokiegirl

About:

I blog mostly about interior design. Most of those posts are design inspiration, mood boards, projects I do myself, student work, and how to get a high end look on a budget. I also blog about weddings, food, my alma mater Virginia Tech and my daily life. I am pretty new at blogging, but I love to use it as a creative outlet.

Fun Facts:

I dated my husband for over 6 1/2 years before we got married!

 I'm from a very very small town and this is my first time living in a big city.

I had never traveled out of the country until this year...on my honeymoon!

Three Fav Posts:
http://designerinteal.blogspot.com/2012/08/my-country-chic-wedding.html

My Country Chic Wedding-
because it shows others how to have an awesome wedding on a small budget
http://designerinteal.blogspot.com/2012/11/teal-chevron-curtains.html

Teal Chevron Curtains- because I made them and I am super proud
http://designerinteal.blogspot.com/2012/10/highpoint-market-2012.html

Highpoint Market 2012- because it was a really fun part of my job and includes so much inspiration

Southern Sunflowers & Coffee Beans

https://twitter.com/SouthernSCBeans

https://www.facebook.com/SouthernSCBeans?ref=tn_tnmn

http://instagram.com/logan_cantrell

About

I love to read, so I started blogging to write book reviews, but I also write about my life as a newlywed living in the south.

Fun Facts

I love to dance - any style or genre.

I am obsessed with my puppy. She is a maltipoo and her name is Pippa

I love the Royals. I'm obsessed, but not in a weird way or anything. Confession:  I cried the other day when I heard Kate was pregnant.

Three Fav Posts:

"From London to Paris" 

(a post about our honeymoon)

My "Bookworm Review: The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton" 

(which has become one of my favorite books), 

"So You Think You Can Dance {on tour}" 

My husband took me on a recent trip to Atlanta to see the show. It was incredible!

Our Journey

 http://www.facebook.com/ourjourneyblog 

https://twitter.com/hannah8217

 About:

I blog because I enjoy documenting our day-to-day, and meeting other women that are in the same stage of life I'm in. The blogging community is absolutely wonderful, and I've met some lovely people along the way.

Fun Facts:

I am the oldest of 7 children.

I love to read, but I'm bad about picking up a book and not wanting to get anything else done until I've read the whole thing. Hah!

My husband calls me a "walking iPod" because I know so many songs. Country, in particular. ;) 

Three Fav Posts:

Dear Becca

 (http://www.ourjourneyblog.com/2012/03/dear-becca.html)

Surprise!! 

(http://www.ourjourneyblog.com/2012/07/surprise.html)

My Very First Blog Award! (

http://www.ourjourneyblog.com/2012/11/my-very-first-blog-award.html)

 I love these posts because they all make me smile, and they are memories that I will cherish forever!

Newlywed Moments

https://twitter.com/newlywedmoments

 http://facebook.com/newlywedmomentsblog

   http://pinterest.com/newlywedmoments

 http://web.stagram.com/n/ecrider2

About

Hi friends! My name is Emily and I’m a lifestyle blogger at Newlywed Moments. You guessed it, this year I got married! So I write about everything from romance to recipes to real life.I’d love to get to know ya’ll better – thank you so much to Veronica for having me on your blog this month!

Fun Facts:

(1) I love Jesus. (2) I hate coffee but I’m still addicted to Starbucks. (3) I’m from the northeast but secretly wish I lived in the south. 

Three Fav Posts:

http://newlywedmoments.blogspot.com/2012/10/our-love-story.html

This is my favorite because it’s, well, my love story! You can’t read my blog without reading that!

 http://newlywedmoments.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-secret-to-trusting-god.html

My husband has been unable to find a job, so this chronicles our journey with that and my thoughts on how to trust God through it all.

http://newlywedmoments.blogspot.com/2012/10/diy-natural-beauty-tips-what-works-and.html

I always see beauty tips on Pinterest and wonder – do they even work? So I tried a bunch, and shared my thoughts on what ACTUALLY works so other people don’t have to waste their time!

Wifessionals

http://twitter.com/Wifessionals

http://www.facebook.com/Wifessionals

http://followgram.me/wifessionals/

About

Hello! I'm Kaitlyn and I blog over at Wifessionals. I'm a 20-something newlywed who just got married this past June. I was blessed to find the love of my life, however I never expected to find myself in the life I now lead. My husband, Ryan, is an officer in the Army. A week after our wedding, we packed up our entire life and moved to Arizona. Now, just 4 short months later, we moved to Colorado! This is a crazy, unpredictable life we now lead, but I love it. I absolutely adore my blog and all of the amazing ladies it has allowed me to meet (: If you stop by, you'll find everything from delicious recipes, the ups and downs of military life, DIY projects, the joys of being a newlywed and so much more. I'd love for you to come and say hello!

Fun Facts:
I have been to almost every one of the 50 states!
My college degrees were in Fashion & Merchandising, but I got a job as a Quality Engineer out of college

 I coined the word Wifessionals - I don't know how I made it up, but one day I did and I googled it and there was not one use of it on the internet! (It's confessions of beings a wife - wifessionals!)

Three Fav Posts:

http://wifessionals.blogspot.com/2012/10/how-to-grow-your-blog-easily.html
How To Grow Your Blog - Easily  This is one of my most popular posts. I love it because it explains some simple ways to help your blog expand and gain exposure.

http://wifessionals.blogspot.com/2012/10/introducing-cara-box-box-swap.html
Introducing Cara Box Swap  This is a monthly Box Exchange I began to help encourage and connect women. It's more than tripled since the first month!

http://wifessionals.blogspot.com/2012/09/childhood-cancer-awareness-month-kalyn.html
Childhood Cancer Awareness  This post was about someone very close to me and my family that we lost to Childhood Cancer: Kalyn. Her life & death shaped my life more than any other experience I have gone through

Be Blessed Yall

https://twitter.com/emily_carnes

 http://followgram.me/emilycarnes/

 http://pinterest.com/emilycarnes
About

I started blogging to keep in touch with my family, but now I continue to blog because of the wonderful friends I've made!  I blog about my crazy life--my love for glitter, polka dots, and wine.  I'm obsessed with Pinterest, and I share my craft successes, and complete craft flops. I would LOVE for you to stop by and say hello--the friendships I've made in bloggy land are amazing!
Fun Facts:

1. I'm left handed

2. I've never broken a bone

3. I've been to more than 25 states in the U.S! 
Three Fav Posts:

http://emilycarnes.blogspot.com/2012/10/im-such-blonde.html 

http://emilycarnes.blogspot.com/2012/09/i-believe-in.html

http://emilycarnes.blogspot.com/2012/05/abcs-of-our-wedding.html

Life & Times of the Intelligent Blonde

About

I'm a dream-filled 20-somethin' from Oklahoma! I'm an Associate at a publishing company, full-time foster mom, and recent MBA grad. I'm a little too independent and awkward is the norm; but as you can see, there's never a dull moment in the Life & Times of the Intelligent Blonde.

Fun Facts

I love the color pink!

I wish I could be paid to travel.

I don't hesitate to buy myself diamonds--someone's gotta do it, right?

Three Fav Posts

http://lanachristine.blogspot.com/2012/03/letter-to-my-younger-self.html

I love my "Letter to My Younger Self" post because it's a good reflection of what I've been through.

http://lanachristine.blogspot.com/2012/03/my-thoughts-on-foster-care.html

I put a lot of thought and tears into "My Thoughts on Foster Care" because it's so near and dear to my heart.

http://lanachristine.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-dos-and-donts-of-grad-school.html

And I wish someone had given me this advice on Grad school before I started.

The Arizona Russums

Blog // Facebook // Twitter

About

What started out as some grad school research, turned into one of my favorite hobbies and introduced me to lots of new friends!

Fun Facts

I have a fear of polyester.

I clean my bathroom every Thursday, religiously.

I'm not ashamed to shop at Kohl's.

Three Fav Posts

These are always funny...

My favorite thing..

What my 20s taught me...

My Something New with You

 https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Something-New-with-You/285429138240038

 https://twitter.com/calliersmith

http://www.storylane.com/calliesmith/

About

I am a writer at heart, newlywed wife to my grease monkey husby, and fur mom to my ham obsessive balinese cat Mila. I usually blog about my cooking disasters, topics that inspire me on a daily basis and just life at the smith's in general- it's never a dull moment here at the smiths! Blogging is my outlet from the world, and i believe it's healthy!

Fun Facts

i write poetry on a whim ( i like to share them every now and then), i have a little dipper constellation freckle pattern ( i think it's pretty dope because i dig stars!), I have a star tattoo ( told ya)

Three Fav Posts

 will you marry me? 

 It was my very first post on this blog and it is the reason i write, i want to remember as much as i can

humble is our love  

Whenever the road gets bumpy, this post always reminds me the reasons why me and my husband were brought together. We have what it takes to make it, no matter what comes our way. I just love this post, it's very dear to my heart and it was written just a few short weeks before we said " I Do"

 we're making memories and this is just the beginning 

this post was also a pre wedding post, but it's so cute to look back on even now because we were such newlyweds even then! we thought groceries consisted on ramen noodles and canned goods! We've come a long way since then!

Bella

 https://twitter.com/eegringeri

http://web.stagram.com/n/elisabethgringeri/

About

I blog about love, life, and all the food and style i between :)

Fun Facts

1. I love icecream, my husband, and the color blue.

2. I detest running long distances, lose-lose situations, and not being able to fall asleep at night.

3. I could spend my whole life dancing, eating, and traveling and be perfectly happy.

Three Fav Posts

 I love talking about relationships so these three are easy favorites: our complete love story, my advice on how not to get divorced, and why our neighbors think we're getting divorced :P (we're not, I promise).

http://lavitaebella-elisabeth.blogspot.com/2012/11/how-to-not-get-divorced.html

http://lavitaebella-elisabeth.blogspot.com/2012/10/why-our-neighbors-think-were-getting.html

http://lavitaebella-elisabeth.blogspot.com/2011/06/story-of-us.html

Kelly Elizabeth

https://www.facebook.com/kellyelizzabeth?ref=hl

 https://twitter.com/kkellyelizabeth

http://pinterest.com/kellyelizzabeth/

About
Fun Facts
Thee Fav Posts

Why hello there! I'm Kelly and I blog over at my self named lifestyle blog, Kelly Elizabeth. There you can find goodies like DIY projects that I try and make look fabulous but usually come out looking like something your grandma wouldn't want to see, kinda like this one (http://kellyelizabeththeblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/another-failed-diy.html). I tend to be better at cooking and baking which you can also gawk at, like these awesome 'Merica Cupcakes (http://kellyelizabeththeblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/memorial-day-cupcakes.html). You'll also hear me talk about cats a lot, because they're equally as awesome as those cupcakes. Check out this cattastic pillowcase DIY (http://kellyelizabeththeblog.blogspot.com/2012/12/diy-cat-pillowcases.html) I just did that other day. IN LOVE! Please don't be strangers, stop on in and say howdya do! 

Some of my other swappers:
Our Crazy Ever After

Fontenot Four

Our Happily Ever After

Betwixt & Between
Recently Roached