{d.i.y--rosette bib necklace}

Here's a fun little, and I mean littttle, d.i.y. in inspiration of this necklace I saw on Etsy. Of course, mine is no where as "chic". Just a cute bib necklace inspired by my college's school colors :)

You will need:

Fabric

Scissors

Hot glue gun

A chain or ribbon

Pearls, gems, or sequels {optional}

Let's get started...

-Start making fabric rosettes. You can make them small or large, thick or thin, and out of different fabrics. {Above is the step by step way to make these cute fabric roses.}

-Place your rosettes in the shape you want them to be on your necklace.

-Glue them to the a piece of felt {I suggest you match it to the necklace's colors.}

-Trim off the excess felt, to the point where you only have  felt behind your rosettes {From the front, no felt should be visable.}

-Add a ribbon or chain for around the neck, then glam it up with rhinestones or pearls {any way you do it... make it fab!}

-Last, but not least, pair it with a cute outfit and work that baby! {I made mine in my school colors-- can't wait to wear it to a football game!}

{friday.favs}

this clutch:



this website:

this song:

this new guilty pleasure:

this thought:

"You is smart. You is kind. You is important."

-The Help

Happy weekend! What are you're plans?

Color Crush: Rust

I was snooping around on one of the blogs I sponsor the other day and she had a great post about called Color Crush\\ Coral. She made me fall in love with the purple hue instantly, which I've never really been a fan of before. So I decided to do my own twist on her idea with a color I simply can't get enough of as of late, rust. This bronze-y orange hue is mega for fall. To say the least, I die.

Doesn't it just make you crave fall?

DIY// Yarn-Wrapped Letters

Lately I've been adding my own little space to the study in my house. I've been searching the internet for cute, inexpensive, ways to decorate. Of course, I love me a good DIY, so when I saw these cute yarn-wrapped letters over here, I just had to try them! Unlike Bailey, I did just my first initial... for now. 

Here's how:

The best part about it is that you just wrap that baby. There is no right or wrong. You can make it look messy and tangled by wrapping the yarn diagonally, or make it classic and clean by wrapping it tight and straight {the route I went}.

When you are finished, simply cut your string and tie it under your strands. {Do all of this in the back, of course}.

Then you are done! Look how pretty!

Here's what I did with mine--

I popped mine up against the wall and threaded an old picture of my mom. Super cute addition to my eclectic little office. 

Happy wrapping!

{weekend wrap-up}

sorry it's been kinda quiet in these parts lately. i've been participating in rush, studying for my first exams, and writing my first papers. here's what i've been up to when i'm not on campus...

trying an official top knot video tutorial over here.

tye-dying loads of shirts for brother's presidential campaign-- he won!

& dying the baby Chewie's bangs blue with the left-overs.

buying  fab polishs like this one. you can get it here.

and drinking on an uh-mazing new coffee concoction- salted caramel mocha. best drink everrrr.

i'm working on lots of new things for the blog. i can't wait for you guys to see. hope your week is starting off right! XOXO

Storms.

I hate storms.

And this year has been the year of the storm.

It seems like every time you turn around there is a hurricane headed straight for you, a tornado threatening to destroy everything you own, or a lightning bolt just waiting to eat up your house.

I remember, as a child, my father was a storm freak. He would always know the exact number of miles the next storm was, and when we should take cover. To 6 year old me, I thought it was all just a game when my brothers and I had to go get our sneakers and gather in one of our basement closets. {Which honestly, probably wasn't needed every single time... We're in East TN, for crying out loud.}

But after I started getting older, I starting getting really really scared when storms approached, {even the dinky little ones} and to this day I'm scared of most storms.

I can't even begin to imagine what these people that have truly been effected by storms feel like...

Do you ever wonder why God let's tragedies, including these terrible storms, happen? I do, I won't even lie.

How can you not look at the faces left homeless or broken-hearted from the loss of a loved one and not wonder "Is He just not paying attention..."?

How can we find joy in the storms?

Storms in our relationships...

Storms in our confidence...

Storms blocking the clarity of which path we should take...

I'm not really sure of a permanent fix. But I am sure of one thing--

 When I am having the hardest time feeling lonely, feeling ugly, feeling heart-broken, or feeling like the world just hates me and everything I stand for- I seek God the most.

Do you think, perhaps, that sometimes it takes God nearly destroying our vain, selfish, "it's all about me" world to bring us back to Him?

Pathetic.

Humbling.

Think about it.

slow down.

All the hustle and bustle of fall has really been getting to me.
Hurrying to get ready. Hurrying to get to school. Hurrying to get a good seat in my next class. Hurrying to church. Hurrying to get home. Hurrying to finish up all those half-done blog posts. Hurrying to get to work. Hurrying to get my studying done. Hurrying to football games. Hurrying to get the girls I babysit from school. Hurrying to get home- to take Chewie out. Hurrying to snap some pictures wherever I am- for the blog.
Get it?
At the end of the day, I find myself- exhausted, still busy, and feeling very small. {and not in the fun "I lost 5 lbs." way...}

I'm only 18; yes, I know I have so much more life to go. But what happened to those 18 years?
Life is out there, happening, right now! What did I do to spend my little time here?
Did I spend it laughing and having fun? Did I make an impact on anyone? or did I waste it hurrying, rushing, and just simply just going through the motions?
God has called us to spread the good news. That is our main purpose. Not just to sit around, or to hurry.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

-Matthew 28:19

I don't regret my life. I've been blessed beyond belief and I have so much more than this ugly, selfish heart deserves.
So this year, with this time, I will...

count my blessings, like...

{the blessing of knowledge and drive that got me to graduation}

{the blessing of life long friendships rekindled}

{the blessing of another healthy, fun filled year of life}

{the blessing of a loving family}

and stop to point out the small things that make me happy, like....

{being able to let little girls know that their daddy, jesus, loves them tremendously through christian summer camps}

{and stopping in the apple store to take silly pictures}

{and being able to look back and remembering how happy I've always been}

This year- I refuse to hurry.

slow down. enjoy the moment.

you might just miss someone that needs you to see them.