Sorry for the absense...

We've been a little busy with this whole moving-across-the-country thing. I promise I'll be back soon!

Google Map Envelopes

If I hadn't already packed up our printer, I would definitely be sending lots of these.

Growing so fast

Cupcake Love

*note - click on each picture to blow it up so you can see the recipe!*

Today Rachel and I made these cupcakes from ming makes cupcakes:

I'd love to make these "savouries" after we move into our new home!

Happy Mother's Day!

$50 Gift Certificate Giveaway Winner!

Thanks to CSN and to everyone that entered - this was fun and I'll definitely host more giveaways as I have the opportunity!

To account for all of you who became followers or were already following, I put everyone into an excel spreadsheet with your respective amounts of entries.

Thanks to random.org (to make things fair), the winner is entry number 3....


Austin Storm!


Thanks again to everyone who entered! Congratulations, Austin! You should get an email soon with the details.

Bedspread Envy...

I'm loving the "Blue & White" theme in the latest TOAST house and home.  This cross stitched duvet cover is so nice! I'm always tempted to go gender neutral with my bedding just because I feel like since it's Bran's room, too, it should suit both of us.  This is the perfect blend - pretty enough for me, but still masculine enough for him to feel at home.

Am I right in feeling like I need to make our bedroom gender neutral? Would you guys feel weird sleeping in a bed that looked like this?

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 Lucky for those of you that would, there are lots of very cool gender neutral options out there.  If I ever find myself with an extra $300 these would be hard to resist:

{anthro}

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I think right now this one from Dwell Studio for Target is my favorite (and it fits my budget!):

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This is what we currently have, and we'll probably have this for a while:

{macys}

What do you think? Gender neutral or whatever she wants? Do my neutral picks even look neutral to you?

**Don't forget - the giveaway ends tomorrow! Comment on the giveaway post below to enter!**

First Ever Giveaway! *Now Closed*

I was sent an email from CSN stores asking if I wanted to host a giveaway on my blog.  After spending just a few minutes on their site, I knew this would be fun.  They sell everything! From chic tv stands to baby toys to office supplies (I love office supplies!).

I am giving away a $50 gift certificate that will work on any of their (over 200) stores! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post!


For an extra entry, become a follower of my blog by clicking the "follow" button to the left.

The gift certificate will be emailed to the winner in the form of a promotion code that you'll enter during online checkout when you purchase an item.

This giveaway is now closed. Thank you
to everyone who entered!

Purging: Third Installment

Purging is a process.  You can't just say "Oh, I think I'll purge today" and POOF! your house is clutter-free and everything you use and want is there and the things you don't are gone.  It just doesn't work that way! Getting rid of things, especially today in a culture that attaches such value to stuff, isn't easy.  I love what Tsh on simplemom.net has to say about how to tackle the process of purging:

• Make a plan of action immediately. Ever decide you don’t want something, but then you just stand there holding it, not sure what to do with it? Get two large boxes and label them “sell” and “donate,” and put your items in there without analyzing over it for too long. Keep these off to the side, and add to them throughout the day.
• If you haven’t used an item in over a year, chances are high you don’t need it. To find out if those seldom-used items get touched, put a simple removable sticker on the bottom. As you use your things, remove the sticker. A year later, if there’s still a sticker, then you probably don’t need it.
• If you’re still undecided about something, designate an “undecided” box. Pack up your undecideds, mark the date, and store it away in your garage or a closet. In three months, look in the box again. If you’ve now realized you can live just fine without it, then there’s your answer.

 I'm using the packing process for our move as motivation to purge, but also to remember.  I love going through and finding things I haven't seen or used in a while, and those things I come across that excite me, I keep.  The things I come across and think "Why do I have this?" I let go of.