avatar by on September 30, 2012   •   11 Comments Links

Weekend links

Giveaway Winners

The winners of Alli Worthington’s book, iPhone Photography: The Visual Guide, are Catherine, Ailyn, Amy, Kara, Maria, Victoria, Jen, Emily, Amanda, and Joy.

The winners of Shaina Olmanson’s book, Desserts in Jars, are Ann, Sue, Jennie, Rhonda, and Stacey.

Congratulations to all of you! Be looking for an email in your inbox soon.

“We are always getting ready to live but never living.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

avatar by on September 28, 2012   •   food & drink Giveaways

Desserts in jars: the magic of the mason jar

Written by Simple Bites contributor Shaina Olmanson of Food for My Family.

Desserts in jars. You have likely heard of these cute little treats or seen them on Pinterest. They are hard to miss. It’s the glare that reflects off the glass, blinding you with their beauty.

I’ve been creating these sweet treats for a few years now with great results. I even wrote a book full of them called Desserts in Jars: 50 Sweet Treats that Shine. My friends and neighbors have been quite receptive to receiving them, and I’ve even had requests for them from adults and children alike. When I don’t show up with armfuls of jars there are cries of protest.

Why desserts in jars, you ask? Why not? In our home, we already use them to drink out of, to store spices, to line the pantry shelves. Still, here are the reasons why I personally love desserts tucked into cute little jars:
[Read more...]

avatar by on September 27, 2012   •   3 Comments Your Home

Barn wedding style

There’s something about weddings that makes me all gooey inside. It used to be that I’d get so romantic and remember my wedding and daydream I was back on my honeymoon. Nowadays when I’m at weddings I picture my children, what it will feel like if/when they all get married. Seasons of life are so fun!

Last night we attended a beautiful country rustic-chic wedding in a barn (you can see how I styled my baby girl for the wedding here). The details of the wedding were so lovely but so SIMPLE – it doesn’t take a lot of fuss to pull off a gorgeous event. Check out these details!

[Read more...]

avatar by on September 27, 2012   •   Self-Care You

Some things are better left unsaid

A few days ago, I shared on my Babble column something many of us balance: the desire to share moments on social media, and the prickling thought that some things need to be kept private. From my post:

“I am profoundly thankful for social media and the Internet in general. It’s provided me my work and my passion, and I couldn’t be more grateful for my readers and followers. They make all what I do possible. But there’s a healthy line between celebrating community and information online, and keeping a moment private and personal.

We have an innate desire to be heard, to be included, and to be valued. Social media validates a lot of that, and used in conjunction with your offline life, it can be a healthy measure for finding your voice in a loud, deafening crowd. But when it replaces our three-dimensional life, we start missing the moment and translating it as a good photo, status update, tweet, or blog post. Instead of it being just what it is—a moment in time that engages our senses and deserves all our attention.”

Head here to read the rest of my post.

avatar by on September 26, 2012   •   4 Comments Tutorials Your Home

DIY Autumn gift basket

Written by contributor Summer Robertson of House & Hold

Happy Autumn! Now that the long days of summertime are over a whole new season greets us. Autumn is filled with family gatherings, cozy dinner parties with friends and an amazing amount of yummy food. I always want to be the person who brings a fabulous hostess gift (rather than dashing out the door empty handed, semi-late? A-hem!). With a smidge of planning & prep, this Autumn inspired gift basket is the perfect hostess gift, housewarming or treat for a teacher or co-worker.

Please skip the cellophane and set aside any frightening granny gift basket ideas (yes, I think we’ve all been traumatized!). I have inspiration for you to make a stylish & relevant gift basket that will make you look like you bought it at a fancy market. The gratifying part of assembling a gift basket is that it’s casual enough to add in elements of surprise… and you.  I like to keep the style of the basket & goodies simple, not outrageous leaving your recipient with something they don’t know what to do with. Don’t go there!  My Autumn theme revolved around  local pears & hazelnuts, natural tones and black & white.

How to create a DIY Autmn Gift Basket

[Read more...]