Giving Christmas Away

I love this time of year. I love soaking up all the christmas music and enjoying all the smells of the holidays. However, as this time of year approaches, I feel like I often get so busy with commitments, parties, shopping, celebrating, etc. I often wonder if I get too swept up in the season that I simple forget the reason behind all the celebration.

So I few months ago, I asked God to open my eyes to the needs of others around me, and boy did He answer. In fact, it started to weigh heavy on my heart. And then I realized that I would need to live this holiday season far differently than I've ever done before in the past. As I processed what it would look like, I realized that I needed to give Christmas away to others this year. There are so many people struggling due to the to economy, with life, with burdens, with heartache. And this time of year is nothing less than hard and painful for them. So I came up with a plan: I decided that I would give one gift away to one stranger for 25 days in December. As I started writing down ideas of gifts to give strangers, I began to see faces of people that I has seen in passing:

The woman who sits on a milk crate next to the redbox machine at my local gas station.

The sweet pregnant lady who somehow always seems to be my cashier at Target.

The homeless man without a coat who holds a sign with a desperate plea for help.

The man who sits on the bench (that I pass on my run) resting his weary body after a long day of work.

The small little girl with no mittens who waits for the school bus to arrive. 

I see their faces, their pain, their desperation. I know I can't change their lives. I can't fulfill them in ways that I wish I could. But I can give them love, encouragement, and hope.

On December 25th, I will be tucked in a warm house. I will have a full stomach. There will be a decorated tree with beautiful wrapped presents underneath. I can't tell you how many years I've taken all that for granted. This year, I want to soak every minute of it up and be overwhelmed with gratitude and thanksgivings.

So here goes nothing: 25 gifts, 25 days, 25 strangers.

found here

xoxo,

Dining Room: A Little Something Pink

I'm excited that its finally November and Thanksgiving is just around the corner. I'm looking forward to gathering with my family in our dining room to celebrate all what we are thankful for.

As I scoured the internet looked for images of dining rooms, I stumbled across so many beautiful and elegant rooms. And I was pleasantly surprised to find so many dining rooms that tied into my favorite color, pink!

 I love how simple this dining room is. And how the pink paint adds a yeow to the room!

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 I am in love with the the way they accented the wall with pink patterns on top of pink paint.

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 And quite frankly, I'd love to find some pink chairs like this.

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xoxo,

Stop and Smell the Roses

I just got back some products photos from sweet Casey. Her daughter is so adorable that it just melts my heart. As I was scrolling through the photographs, it reminded me how I wish I could make more time to just stop and smell the flowers. It was a good reminder of how children are able to enjoy even the smallest details in life. 

Could she be any cuter? I'm loving her little hair sticking straight up!

xoxo,

Favorite Accessories

It's no secret that I love accessories. In fact, I make and sell hair accessories for a living and consider myself extremely blessed to be able to have this as a job!

I'm a bright colored kind of girl, so I always like to have a splash of color to wear in my hair to match my outfits.

And I love to mix it up from time to time and wear other people's products like this sweet floral headband (on right). I love that even with the bright coat and shoes, the headband pops out the most.

made by: gussy

This photo reminds me of how I'm feeling right now. I've been emailing back and forth with an accessories editor for a magazine. We'll see where it leads! I might have fisted pumped around my room, danced a little dance, and squealed just a teeny tiny bit!

xoxo,

Fall Inspirations:

I'm still patiently awaiting the arrival of fall here in North Carolina. I was wearing shorts and a tank top on a run the other day, and secretly wishing that the air was crisp and cold. My favorite part about fall is watching the wind blow and the leaves slowly dance to the ground.

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I've been lighting candles in my office and just love how yummy it makes the space smell. Its reminding me that Christmas is right around the corner! 

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The good ole' state fair comes into town every year in October, and I absolutely cannot wait to go. I just love the smells and the sights. This year I'm going to see David Nail and Kellie Pickler perform; so pumped!

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And what's a state fair without yummy red candy apples.

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I found a red coat burying way deep in the back of the closet and decided to give it a try; even though red isn't a color I wear too often. I felt rather sassy trying out the combination of purple and red; definitely a first for me.

xoxo,

Oh Hello, Fall!

There is just something about fall that I absolutely LOVE! I'm so excited about making s'mores on my firepit during cold crisp evenings and snacking on those delicious candy pumpkins. I'm looking forward to the sound of leaves crunching under my boots and the thought of hot chocolate on chilly mornings.

photo source

I spent the past weekend folding and putting away all my shorts and capris and pulling out all my fall and winter coats, scarves, and mittens. As much as I love fall, its hard for me to find fall fashions that suit both my comfort level as well as my personality. I tend to be drawn to bright happy tones and colors and I often dread going to the mall when stores are starting to stock their fall collections. However, lucky for me I was able to snag a brand spanking new winter coat that I love and squeeze back into my coats from last year. 

hello, brand new polka dottie coat!

I'm 100% positive this coat was made just for me! :) A little bit of sassy and a whole lot of happy!

And my all-time favorite fall fashion is skinny jeans, boots, and a fun coat.

xoxo,