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Winter Loving (for the home)

Have you ever been on your Pinterest home page, and clicked to view all of your "Likes" (in other words, pins you have just "hearted")? I always forget it's there, but I did it the other night and liked what I saw. So yeah, this post totally is happening because I did that. How's that for a well thought-out post?

I think one of the reasons I enjoy putting together these mood boards, is because I like to pretend I own/have made/have bought all the items on them for my own home. laugh all you want. but since we went from owning a large new home to renting a small place (hubs switched jobs), I have like, zero motivation all of a sudden to decorate. And that's saying something since I really love to decorate. It's so bad you guys! So anyways. Here's some little lovely holiday finds for you today:

christmas-love-v1

stocking - it's burlap. enough said?....nope. it's neutral and i love that texture. i think someday in the near future i want to make a new set of stockings for my fam just like this. here is another cute set i'm swooning over.

deer - what is it with the deer heads?! they are so cool. don't ask me why. someday i will own a pretty deer head and place it on my wall for holidays. and just look at all these other awesome animals on their site! i mean, i thought deer were awesome, but now i definitely need a unicorn for Tinley's room.

wall art - i'm a sucker for great design and gold foil

potted Christmas tree - sooooo cute! i tried to convince the hubs to let us do one of these this year instead of a bigger tree, but he wasn't going to have it. go big or go home he says. also, please go take a look at Maria's instagram feed, and then i dare you to tell me that you don't want to pick up and move to North Cali to live on a horse ranch. for reals. her feed is a dream.

rosemary wreath - it's just so clean and fresh and green. i'm kinda obsessed with that lately. you've got to take a look at this one @lizybowden posted the other day!

gingerbread house - i am all for Christmas traditions. growing up, i loved going to Grandma's house to decorate gingerbread houses! some were elaborate and adorable and some were plain, but it was always so much fun. a house full of family and cousins and candy = awesome. i definitely want to make one within the next week or two!

• plaid bow - oh look, i just decided to make another holiday wallpaper for you! just click here, and then save!

buffalo-bow-wallpaper

Christmas Wallpapers for your iphone v.2



I have had "create holiday wallpaper" on my "to-do" board for the past little while now, and I finally set aside some time to make these for you...and maybe I was a little selfish, because I needed some new cute holiday wallpaper* for my phone too!

And is it seriously December 1st!? I am officially not done with my Christmas shopping (have i really even started??), and did bad at keeping up with the sales this weekend. Anyone else?


iphone-wallpaper-joy-n-sparkles

iphone-wallpaper-deer


iphone-wallpaper-christmas-trees-001


iphone-wallpaper-bow-paperclips

TO DOWNLOAD:
» if viewing from your phone, simply click the image you want and save it
» if viewing from your desktop, simply click the image, then right click and "save as". then transfer to mobile device. (i have found the fastest/easiest way to do this is through Dropbox)
*for personal use only, thank you!


» view v.1 of my Christmas wallpapers here!
» the Christmas trees were taken from one of my holiday cards i just designed, and if you haven't seen the collection go here!

nail art: nude with pink highlight + arrows




so i am kinda the worst about writing posts...and then not publishing them! this past week i've been working hard to declutter my desktop, which led me to look through all the draft posts saved here for my blog. there are way more than i thought! anyways, here's some nails i did this past summer. what can i say? they were fun and i'm a sucker for pink.

blog design: the Romriell's



over the summer (or actually now that i think about it, maybe it was this spring?), i had the chance to work with Brooke to redesign her family blog. i was so excited to make it responsive, and was swooning over all her thoughts and ideas for this online space. we wanted it to be slightly more chic and feminine (she's the only girl surrounded by 4 boys!), and so out came the gold and pink. the fun heart pattern doesn't hurt either. am i right? you'll also notice that it looks more like a blogsite would, verses just a typical blog....which is what we were going for. 

working with clients/friends/family helps push me to be better creatively, and without fail i always end up learning more than i expected. it makes me so happy to be able to look at a blog design i finished and say (or rather, think): "YES! i totally did that..figured it out..and nailed it!".

let yourself rest



fall is on the mind lately, just like it is on everyone's, right?

after my race on the 31st, i made myself take a "breather" week. no hard workouts, no planning appointments, or stressing about going anywhere. just hanging at home with the littles, and baking a treat or two. it was so good for my soul you guys! when i scrolled through Pinterest the other evening and saw this quote i was all "YES! amen to that." ...and then i had to go throw it into Photoshop and create a little collage to share because really, we all need this reminder. i think everyone should allow themselves a break, especially in this generation where everything is so publicly shared, and a lot of phrases like "hussle" "get it girl" and "bosslady" are flung around.

find that big comfy sweater, throw up your hair, light some yummy-scented candles, and you snuggle under that blanket (and maybe give those special babies extra hugs and kisses)! Let yourself rest. i feel 100% better mentally, spiritually, and physically. and i'm ready to take on this week's projects with a fresh outlook and attitude!

nail art: deep coral + silver + polka dots


probably my favorite nails to date. sure i say that on every week's, but i reeaaaallllly love this simple but fancy-looking style. maybe it's the coral/red polish i found...who knows where(i think it was actually a gift)?! or the two strips of silver nail tape? or the ever famous polka dots. i can't get enough you guys. i really love me a good polka dot print.


i used my nail tape and dotter tool for these. highly recommend for getting down and creative with those nails of yours!

my (second) half marathon + playlist


One of the goals I set for myself this year,
was to run 2 races.
As of last weekend,
I'm happy to say: I did it!
(if you didn't know/remember I ran my first back at the end of May...see this post)
After doing that first half marathon I was SO gung-ho to do another,
and I had signed up for the Boise FitOne happening in September.
But then plans changed and I missed it,
and I was bummed about it.
I really wanted to run at least one more half,
and was looking at a few around here as well as down in St George.
I knew 2 of my cousins were running the Provo Haunted Half on Halloween,
so I finally just buckled down and signed up for that one...the Monday before!
Gooooooood thing I had kept up and been training,
so it wasn't any crazy shock to my body :)


Here we are freezing our bums off the morning of!
(me, Jaleese, Bug)



It was so cold! 
Although,
I can't complain too bad because overall it was a beautiful day - and actually pretty perfect for running a race!
We started up the Provo Canyon and ended at the Orem University Mall.
The views were bomb,
and I wish now I had snapped some pics on the way down (but of course I was too busy running....dangit).


I look retarded,
but love that I am laughing here!
I was on the final stretch and had just seen my family....best motivation ever!
Also,
it needs to be noted that I had just come up an extremely steep freaking hill and it had kicked my trash.


I've got to give a shoutout to Jaleese for creating the most adorable workout tanks and tees.
She just opened a shop and it's filled with motivational apparel.
The two you see above are from her Halloween line.
My fave are the ones directed at mommy runners...pretty cute play on words!
Go check out her shop HERE and follow all her daily grammin' over HERE.


...it was also only my second...haha.
but i'll take that.


Yaaaayy!!


The biggest thing I had wanted to do with this race was pace myself.
And I did!
I loved being able to run and keep up with my cousins (both were crazy fast in high school, this was nothing new to them!).
We had about 8 miles down where our pace was at 7:35-45,
and then it slowly started creeping up the more the ground leveled out and we left the canyon.
I had been hoping to keep my overall pace to under 8 minute miles,
but oh well.
I felt SO good the whole race,
and only started to feel tired/slow around mile 12.
And then I hit that dang hill!!!!!
I actually stopped on it and turned around to try running backwards up it....but then just turned back around when I saw all the peeps behind me (because hello! i couldn't let them pass me! i couldn't look weak!) and kept going.
Man that was hard, and I hated it.
I totally should have driven that last 4 miles of the course beforehand,
just to see what I was in for...lesson learned.

Overall I think I was more prepared mentally for this race,
whereas last time I didn't really know what the heck to expect....but I was doing it!
haha.
It was also definitely fun for me to see my time improve.

Now that it's been about a week,
my legs are feeling back to normal (hurray!).
It was nice to use this past week as a recovery week,
and take a break from running every day.
This week was all about my upper body.
More focus on core strength and arms...and lots of stretching.
As for training for this second race,
I mostly stuck to the same schedule as before, found here, but also tried incorporating in more tempo runs and sprints to help increase my time. 
I was also doing some BBG workouts as well (though not following those strictly by any means).

...................

Okay tired of all these deets and just want the dang playlist?
Well you can calm down because here it is:

All the Small Things by Blink-182

Cheerleader (Felix Jaehn Remix) [radio edit] by Omi

Confident by Demi Lovato

Dessert (feat. Silentó) [remix] by Dawin

Drag Me Down (feat. LunchMoney Lewis) [Big Payno x AFTERHRS Remix] by One Direction

Hello by Adele

Hey Mama (feat. Nicki Manaj, Bebe Rexha & Afrojack) by David Guetta

I Don't Like It, I Love It (feat. Robin Thicke & Verdine White) [Noodles Remix] by Flo Rida

Immortals by Fall Out Boy

Love Myself by Hailee Steinfeld

The Middle by Jimmy Eat World


Neon Lights by Demi Lovato

Problem (feat. Iggy Azalea) [Dawin Remix] by Ariana Grande

Red Balloon (Bonus Track) by Charli XCX

Sadie Hawkins Dance by Relient K

Shake It Off by Taylor Swift


When Can I See You Again (Wreck it Ralph) by Owl City

Va Va Voom by Nicki Minaj

Launched: Ashleigh Blogger Template

I am so happy to be releasing this premade template to you right now! I really wanted it to scream feminine, slightly romantic, and chic...and the pale pinks, muted yellows, sophisticated polka dots, florals, watercolors, and typography all help do that. 




F E A T U R E S

• total width: 1117px | posts: 731px | sidebar: 301px
• responsive (looks good on mobile devices!)
• two column layout
• sticky navbar (stays at the top of the screen as you scroll)
• custom navigation menu
• custom hello graphic
• custom search box
• custom contact form
• custom lightbox
• share links (facebook, twitter, pinterest) at the bottom of each post
• to-top scrolling icon
• custom instagram footer widget (optional)


if you love it, share it! you can view the live demo hereand purchase here!

*all (stunning!) photography images by: Everlasting Love Photography

Mummy + Boo Nails


wanted my nails to feel a little more in the Halloween spirit this week, so here's what i put together. some nail decals cut with my Silhouette SD and they're lookin' better already.

go here to see last year's Halloween nails!

and here's the Silhouette file if you'd like to cut out your own:

A Spooktacular Halloween Treat

i honestly hadn't been planning any sort of holiday neighbor treat this Halloween. mostly because 1.we are trying to save save save and pay off dang debt, and 2.i haven't done really any sort of decorating for any holiday this year (a FIRST since i've been married!) buuuut then i happened to see these cute little mason jars at our local Dollar Tree and couldn't help but buy a few (they were totally calling out to me: "gift me! gift me!"). also, they came with the fun little chalkboard decal all ready to go. so......score. makes it that much easier to decorate.


m a k e  y o u r  o w n :
» pretzel rods 
» melting chocolate of your choice (i just used what i had on hand-normal chocolate and vanilla chips)
» sprinkles, food coloring....any cool candy decorations you can think of! (my sisters made these for their roomates and friends, and turned their pretzels into mummies! they turned out so cute!)
» jar (bought mine from the Dollar Tree!)
» chalk pen (if you plan on buying the same jars i did, and writing on them)
» decorative ribbon




Bronx helped me during Tinley's naptime and loved it. perfect and easy and quick!

Fall Nails + Leaf Silhouette File


fall has arrived and i'm busting out more of the neutrals. today i've gone with gold and white, while using a leaf decal i cut using my Silhouette, along with some nail tape.

here's the file to download, to create your own look:

blog design: Esther Pisano

Esther got in touch with me a few months ago via my Etsy shop, and when she said she wanted a design like my Hello Mint blogger template but more customized, i knew i was in for a fun time. love this color palette so much! 





one of my favorite parts of this project was creating the personalized category icons (fitness, lifestyle, baby, recipes, travel). to see more of the details up close, head over to her site here: www.estherpisanofitness.com

diy: little girl hair bows

at the beginning of the spring/summer, my baby girl was outgrowing all of her headbands that i had made for her...before she was even born (que tears...has it really been a year and a half already?!). so instead of going out and buying her some new hair pieces, i of course pulled out my box of scrap fabric and made up some new bows. 

her hair is now long enough to wear two cute little pigtails, so i made 2 bows each of like, every color fabric i own...that's a lot of bows! want to learn how to make one? read on friend...



S U P P L I E S:
» clips (i bought mine in a 12 pack from Sally's, but HERE is a way better deal on Amazon-with Prime shipping. wish i would have done that and saved some $$!)
» fabric colors of choice
» fabric scissors 
» hot glue + glue gun



T O  B E G I N :
» cut your fabric into approximately a 3 1/4"x4" size. this might differ slightly, depending upon how big or small you actually want your bow to be.
» fold in half, right sides (the pattern side you want shown at the end) together, and sew, leaving a small gap (but big enough for your to turn your fabric right-side-out!) at the bottom/where the two open sides meet
» turn fabric right side out


S T E P  1 :
» place a single dot of hot glue in the middle of your square piece of fabric


S T E P  2 :
» hold the back/opposite side of the fabric until the glue dries (like a few seconds), set aside


S T E P  3 :
» cut out a strip of fabric, about 1.5"x4" (doesn't have to be exact, but wide enough to cover the middle of your bow, and long enough to wrap around the middle of your bow)
» fold it in half and sew down the side (in this example, you'll see that i actually turned it right-side out, but that ended up taking waaaay too much time for me. so with the others i simply put the right side of the fabric out ,and sewed along the side, then placed the seam along the back so that it wouldn't be shown)


S T E P  4 :
» a little down from the top of the strip of fabric, place a small amount of hot glue, and close the clip around it, let dry


S T E P  5 :
» place another dab of hot glue on top of that, and place your bow on (this is where you can kind of make it start to take shape)


S T E P  6 :
» this is what it will look like from a top view. now you are going to cut off that top (or extra) piece of fabric)


S T E P  7 :
» cut off the top excess bit of fabric


S T E P  8 :
» this is what it will look like now. you shouldn't be able to see the top of the strip of fabric


S T E P  9 :
» being careful to hold the clip OPEN, place a dab of hot glue on the back of the bow/actually the back of the strip of fabric, and wrap the strip of fabric up and around the bow, let dry. remember to NOT close the clip until AFTER you wrap the strip of fabric around, because if you close it, you'll end up gluing your clip shut! (yes, i did this on accident a time or two! haha...it's annoying)


S T E P  10 :
» cut off the excess fabric hanging down


S T E P  11 :
» bow finished!
» place in hair and "ooo" and "awe!"...and then take a pic or two :)


here's a behind the scenes pic from when i actually shot these bows! haha yes, in my son's room (it has the best light!), on the floor, with a piece of foam board. super legit.




and here's my little Miss T showing a few of them off!