Shop Giveaway on Modern Girl Blitz!

Hey everyone! It's my birthday today (turning 24... whoa) so Corey and I are heading to Boone, NC for the weekend. We plan on going to Grandfather Mountain and some other waterfalls and stuff. It's been almost a year since we took a vacation so I'm really excited! Yesterday I started getting sick, so I tried to rest as much as possible. Hopefully it did the trick, and maybe my prenatal massage this morning will help. :)

I also wanted to say that Midge from Modern Girl Blitz is hosting a giveaway on her blog to win a pouch of your choice from my shop! You can enter here! Also, you should follow her blog, because she's super cute and always has awesome outfits and stuff! Giveaway ends on February 4th.

Edge of Town

outfit details
top: Forever 21
sweater: Motherhood Maternity
jeans: Target
boots: Forever 21

My mom got me this fuzzy sweater a few months ago, and I love it so much! I wear it at least twice a week. It's awesome because you can wear it casually, like I did for this outfit post, or dress it up! I get compliments on it either way. Honestly, I think it's a great sweater even if you're not pregnant! The lack of variety in these pictures is attributed to the crazy wind outside and the fact that Corey and I both really had to use the bathroom! Haha.

We placed an offer on a house last week and we are waiting back to hopefully hear an answer today! I am SO excited. Every night when I'm falling asleep, I think about all the potential it has and what our plans are with it. I know I shouldn't get my hopes up, but I'll be crushed if we don't get it. All that wasted Pinterest time...

DIY: Rockabilly Wire Headband

** I seem to be getting a ton of page views from Pinterest for this DIY tutorial. I just wanted to put it out there that I also post other DIY tutorials on my blog, along with my adventures in thrifting, crafting, and style! If you're interested in seeing this, just follow my blog by clicking "Join this site" on the right hand side of the page or clicking the "f" button under my picture to see my posts on your Facebook feed! :) **

You will need:

measuring tape

1/4 yard of fabric (cotton works best)

scissors and/or rotary cutter

craft wire

needle and thread (sewing machine optional!)

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1// Measure around your head. My head measured 21", and I added an extra 8" for the ends of the headband.

2// Cut your fabric. My length was 29" (see above) and I cut mine to be 6" wide.

3// Fold your fabric in half, hot dog style, to be 3" wide. The first picture shows the bright blue side, but make sure that the wrong sides are facing each other as they are in picture two.

4// Cut off the corners on each end. I rounded mine a bit.

5// Now start at one end, and sew the headband up. Make sure to leave about 1.5" opening to pull your fabric though! You can see in the third picture that there's a little gap left open.

6// Now gather up the fabric and turn right side out. I did it kinda like you would a long, skinny sock!

7// Cut your craft wire to be 1.5" longer than your fabric. Mine was 30.5" long. Bend a loop on each end.

8// Now stick the wire all the way through the fabric. I used a pin to keep the loop in place. Do this!

9// Sew the opening closed. I was lazy and didn't use matching thread. :)

10// From step 8, take a needle and thread and sew a few stitches to keep your wire loop in its place so that it doesn't come loose after multiple wears. This trick really helps!

This was so easy to make; it literally took me 10 minutes! I will definitely be making more!

Outfit: 24 Week Bump!

I haven't really posted any specific bump pictures, so I figured that since I'm now in my sixth month, it's about time for an update! At my last appointment, one of the midwives mentioned that I had gained a little too much weight. I stressed over this because I want a natural birth and gaining too much weight could cause complications. After going back again today, I'm measuring a week ahead of schedule but otherwise, totally normal and healthy. I've really been trying to make better choices, but damn if I don't have ice cream cravings that are very hard to ignore... ;)

In the beginning of my pregnancy, I was hesitant to wear maternity items because I felt like they weren't stylish or that they didn't look like "me". Now that I'm well into my second trimester, comfort beats out cuteness any day, but it's still nice to have trendy maternity clothes I can breathe in when I want to look nice! I received this dress from PinkBlush Maternity, a company that offers tons of cute and comfortable maternity clothing. It is so comfortable, and it's also a nursing dress meaning I can wear it even after Levi is born. I see many days of lounging around the house in this dress.

outfit details
necklace: Francesca's
dress: c/o PinkBlush Maternity
shoes: Urban Outfitters

Baby Levi: Nursery Ideas

I've spent a lot of time on Pinterest lately (follow me!) trying to come up with some solid nursery ideas. I created a secret board to pin all the things I like most from my pins thus far, and it seems like I'm leaning towards a black and white nursery with pops of color! I really like the idea of having a simple and clean look, so that it's calming for him and still looks like a modern and creative space.

1 // 2

Can we talk about how amazing these two nurseries are?! The first one is my absolute favorite, everything about it. I couldn't actually find a good link to the second one, but this one picture is enough inspiration for me. I really like the patterned rugs and variety of wall art.

3 // 4

I'm definitely going to DIY a mobile because the ones that are do-it-yourself-able are so much more fun and unique! The gold and black triangle mobile kills me. The second picture isn't just to showcase the amazing deer head and garland above the crib, but also the quilt. I actually already have a plus sign pattern and fabric that's ready to be sewn together and quilted!

5 // 6

For some color in the room, I'd like to have colorful crib sheets like the arrows above, or even some woodsy print like this, especially if we get some antlers to hang in his room. I like the idea of having his name above his crib, not sure why, but if I end up following through with that idea then I'd like to do some string art! It's basically free!

We're still trying to get approved for a home loan, and it's super stressful on me to not have a place to be getting prepared for all the changes! I feel like time is just running out, but I'm trying to take it easy and be patient. Not my forte these days- like I seriously just wanna strangle people for no reason sometimes, but I keep it inside, don't worry. ;)

Outfit: Good Daze

Yesterday, Corey and I went to look for houses and happened to drive by one of our favorites that we saw online! It's big and gorgeous, with lots of natural light and space to customize and make our own. We got some good news today about a home loan, so we get to go inside to check it out later this afternoon and I'm so excited! After we looked around for more houses, we got some awesome lunch (with not so awesome service, but hey) and headed home to watch the Panthers game and take naps. I bet you can guess who did what! :)

outfit details
necklace: Francesca's
dress: TJ Maxx
tights: Forever 21
shoes: Urban Outfitters

I bought this dress when I first found out I was pregnant, and it's been awesome for the amount of growing I've done. Seriously, when I was going over and editing these pictures, I was like, "...I'm huge!" But apparently that's what happens when you get pregnant. I've already put over half of my closet into boxes for later, and I cannot wait to dig into that pile in a few months :)

Recipe: Mini Pita Pizzas

** I seem to be getting a ton of page views from Pinterest for this recipe. I just wanted to put it out there that I also post other healthy, simple recipes on my blog, along with my adventures in thrifting, crafting, and style! If you're interested in seeing this, just follow my blog by clicking "Join this site" on the right hand side of the page or clicking the "f" button under my picture to see my posts on your Facebook feed! :) **

I'm trying to play a little catch-up for my 24 before 24 goals (that I'm failing miserably at!) and one of them was to create a little recipe book with my own pictures and directions. This week I'm sharing a healthy-ish lunch that's so simple to prepare: Mini pita pizzas!

Other than your toppings, the only thing you need for this bad boy is some pita bread and pizza sauce. I opted for whole wheat and Muir Glen pizza sauce, 'cause it's seriously the bomb. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, then spread about two big teaspoons of pizza sauce over each circle of pita bread.

Then add your toppings. I thought we had more toppings in the fridge, and was going to go for some pineapple and green pepper. I ended up using tomato, onion, and jalapeño. We also didn't have any mozzarella cheese, so I used feta. Yeah, guess I wasn't really prepared to make this recipe, huh?!

Anyway, add your toppings and bake until the cheese is melted, about 7-10 minutes. Slice 'em into fours and enjoy!

Treasures #4

We've been trying to save as much money as possible for a down payment on a house, so I've had to cut back on the thrifting and yard sale-ing of non baby items. I still get out sometimes and spend a little money, so here are a couple finds from the last few months!

pyrex // $10

kitchen canisters // $5

pyrex // $5

jergens bottle // $3

What have you thrifted lately? I'd love to see or hear about it! :)

Outfit: Barn Cats

Yesterday, I got outside to take some outfit pictures before this crazy cold weather comes in. I seriously hate weather talk, though, so I'll spare us both! I got this cardigan on clearance at Target right after Christmas and I wear it all the time. I think the best time to shop is right after Christmas, when everyone makes returns for the things they didn't want and the stores can't charge full price again! Makes me so happy, and I don't go broke buying new things for myself.

outfit details
jean jacket: Forever 21
hoodie: American Apparel
cardigan: Target
dress: Sammy Dress
tights: Forever 21
shoes: Forever 21

This cheap little dress was awesome the first time I wore it last summer for Corey's pre-deployment party. Since then, I've washed it (duh) and it shrank so much! It could probably fit my 10 year old niece. So obviously, I had to get some pictures in it before it goes in the good ole pile of clothes I can't wear for another six months. I cannot wait for that day, it's going to feel like a shopping spree where I don't have to spend any money. ;)

Eating Healthy Breakfasts

One of my goals for this year is to adopt a healthier lifestyle. I'm already pretty knowledgable about what's in our food and how to eat well for my body, but I fall off track a lot of the time. It's not realistic for me to never have treats or eat clean 100% of the time, but it's good to aim for a healthy diet! And I don't mean diet like a temporary fix to lose weight, I mean what you eat on a daily basis. I find that when I eat a healthy breakfast, I tend to eat better meals throughout the day as well.

One of the tastiest breakfasts is to get yourself a bowl of plain greek yogurt and add fruit and a little bit of granola if you like the crunch. I've found that the best fruits to use are berries, especially frozen ones! If you buy a frozen bag of mixed berries, you can set some out in the fridge the night before, and add them in with your yogurt in the morning. They get all mushy and juicy, and it's seriously so tasty!

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Another go-to breakfast for me is oatmeal. Publix has some amazing instant organic oats if you have one in your area, and if not, there are plenty of great natural brands to choose from whether you prefer instant (microwavable) or cooking them. I like adding fresh sliced banana and lots of cinnamon to mine, but if I get bored with that then I'll add some nuts and dried cranberries if I have them on hand.  

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Eggs and toast is such a simple breakfast that packs nutrients, especially protein! I usually scramble two eggs and add a slice of whole wheat toast, then pile it up like the picture below. It's healthy, takes less than five minutes, and has an easy clean up. This breakfast is only about 250 calories, so you might want to add a piece of fruit or lean meat, like sliced turkey.

If you're feeling creative and want to plan ahead, go for some homemade granola bars! You can use tons of different ingredients and alter them pretty much any way you like or need. I've tried peanut butter based and apple sauce based, and they're both good! Corey prefers the apple sauce, but I'm a sucker for some good peanut butter, and it adds healthy fats. There are tons of granola bar recipes on Pinterest, and the one I sourced below is excellent as well, albeit a bit ingredient heavy for me.

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2014 Goals

Last year I really overwhelmed myself with goal-making, so I decided not to reach as high this year considering we'll have a newborn and everything! I created 14 goals that I feel like I can actually stick to and they all excite me and benefit my life! So here they are:

buy a house! (soon!)

keep a happy moments jar

10 diy home projects

get new furniture

learn more about homesteading

adopt a healthy, balanced lifestyle

blog 2-4 times a week

participate in 3 craft shows

sell 500 handmade items

run an obstacle race

take it easy

start a garden

visit three new cities

host a Christmas party!

2013 was such a crazy year, and the most eventful of my life so far, but I have no doubt that 2014 is going to be even crazier and a lot better! Last year, Corey and I got engaged, married, and found out I was pregnant. We also dealt with his deployment that he didn't end up going on and moving into a house for 3 short weeks. I had a lot of bad moments in 2013, but overall, it was one of the most productive years of my life. I have done a lot of soul-searching and thinking about my future, and I cannot wait to see more progress this year.

Have you made any goals or resolutions for 2014? I'd love to hear about them or read your blog post!

Etsy Relaunch!

So, I launched my Etsy in March last year, but I kind of rushed in to what I wanted to do with it. I made up a bunch of earrings and hair pins, which I still like to do, but I've wanted to do something more! I learned how to make zipper pouches a few months ago and I really love doing them. I often use them as gifts, and even made them to go with tote bags for all of my mom's friends for Christmas this year.

I sucked it up and used some savings to buy a bunch of novelty designer fabrics and am so excited to say that I have relaunched my Etsy, which is now under the name Chaos Parade!

Here's a few items you can find in my shop. ;)

/ sewing machine make-up bag /

/ strawberry make-up bag /

/ sugar skull travel pouch /

/ fast food travel pouch /

And for all of my readers, I'm offering 10% off your purchase until the end of January! Just use the code happy2014 at checkout. :)