Royal Daughter Designs

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here's how it works: one mandatory entry: leave a comment telling me your favorite way to follow a blog. all entries must be submitted by rafflecopter. please go visit these incredible ladies, okay? it's the nice thing to do. plus they're awesome, and you don't want to miss out on their awesomeness, right?

nine winners will be chosen. one winner for each prize! i'm trying to spread the love around, y'all.

good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

things that make me say "huh?" + friday freebie!

2012-02-23T23:36:00.000-08:00

some things just don't make sense to me. i thought i'd share a few with you and maybe you can get a little laugh in on this lovely friday morning.

a commercial while watching once upon a time on abc.com
(in case you thought it was real)

"mobile man cave" seen while driving in the big city

turns out he sells tools. who knew?

i have no words...just questions

what does that even mean?

where oh where do i start?

Okay - we saw this "old fashioned" barber shop in houston back in January when we were there for a wedding. i must have spent five minutes standing outside this place just taking it all in.

1. mr. handsome barber shop. the name just cracks me up.
2. "you pay membership each time, you will get one free hair cut - haha! that cracks me up!
3. why yes, your grandpa's barber shop did in fact feature homer simpson, didn't you know?
4. "walk-ins only, no drive thru." again - cracking up!

what i didn't get mr. e. for valentines

if you follow liz at behind the scenes, then you've already seen this "hot mess"!

mr. romance tells you what you want to hear, ladies. if you want to hear cheesy pick up lines, that is:

"call the cops! it's illegal to look that good."
"do you have a map? i keep getting lost in your eyes."
"i'm a thief and i'm here to steal your heart."
"i'm new in town, could you give me directions to your place?"
"if you were words on a page you'd be my fine print."

(and for the geeks)

"if you were a lazer, you'd be set on stunning."

and yes, "lazer" is misspelled.

seriously y'all - i would be so weirded out if someone gave that to me!

now for today's freebie friday! i'm branching out a little bit and sharing some books that are free on amazon this week.

*i am not an affiliate with amazon, they have no idea who i am or that i'm linking to them today.
**i am not endorsing any of these books, as i haven't read them. i'm simply letting you know you can get them for free. :)

available here for free!

available here for free - for amazon prime members!

available here for free!

happy friday y'all!

royal daughters who inspire: tricia of mama marchand's nest

2012-02-23T06:24:00.001-08:00

so i have a bbf. that stands for best bloggy friend. or bloggy best friend, i'm not sure. either way - over the past couple of months tricia has definitely become a dearly loved friend. she's such a treasure, and i'm thrilled to get to introduce you to her!

name & age

tricia, 29 (yes, i will be celebrating this birthday again this year) ;)

my favorite thing about my hometown

well, where we live right now is not my hometown. my hometown is in northeast ohio and i love it because it’s like the town that the east coast forgot. it’s cute, historic, and has a town square. the city I live in now, north of washington, dc is large but has a fun downtown area for eating, shopping, and strolling. there are benefits to the small town and the big city!

my favorite passage from the word of god

my life verse is matthew 16:25-26. for whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. what good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?

meaning behind my blog name

my blog used to be titled marchand’s musings. I used to be a different kind of writer and did muse a lot. then, we had our daughter and i added the mama at the beginning but my writing style morphed and that name didn’t fit. i just recently changed it to mama marchand’s nest. it coordinates with my shop name (mama’s nest designs) but, more importantly, it describes my online home. a bird uses obscure, random, yet beautiful things to build a home and that’s how I view my blog.

i blog about

everything? i talk about life – mamahood, marriage, faith, friendship, fashion, health, and the list goes on. it’s truly a lifestyle blog.

i am inspired by (in real life) by – my husband. He is such a hard worker, a lifelong learner (the man has three master’s degrees, for goodness sakes!), a faithful servant of god, and the perfect combination of strength and sensitivity. I am so blessed to call him my husband!

blogs that inspire me

kelle hampton (for her photography and writing style), dig this chick (for her artistic and earthy life), fields of green (my dear in real life friend who writes like no other!), and momastery (no words can describe how awesome she is).

one tip for newbie bloggers

please make sure you are not a noreply blogger!

if i were guaranteed to succeed at only one thing i would pour my heart and soul into loving. i want to love well. simple as that. *smile*

inspired? get to know tricia here: blog//shop//facebook//twitter//pinterest

you know you want to do it...

2012-02-21T16:00:00.000-08:00

sponsor rdd, that is.

this week you can take advantage of the early bird sponsor special!

interested? more information about sponsoring is available here.

tutes on tuesday {claim your facebook username}

2012-02-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

so with google friend connect no longer being available for non-blogger blogs (to find out more, see this post), it is more important than ever to make sure that when your followers connect with you it is easy for them to do so.

shameless self-promotion: connect with me here:

okay, back to why you're here.

if you don't have a facebook page for your blog or shop - you're really missing out. facebook is an excellent way to connect with your readers.

did you know that you can "claim" your page's username? what does that mean?

basically instead of your facebook url looking like this:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Royal-Daughter-Designs/238417809532893

you can have a shorter, cleaner, and easier-to-remember url like this:
https://www.facebook.com/RoyalDaughterDesigns

here's how.

select the page you want to claim. or you can claim your personal username.

you will need to check the availability of your username. if it is available, just follow facebook's simple instructions. it's super easy.

there you have it! now go claim your facebook page! and if you want, leave the link to your page and i'll stop by and like and say hi!

happy tuesday, y'all!

upside down

2012-02-20T18:04:00.000-08:00

you might have noticed that i've been absent for a few days.

okay - almost a week.

the truth is, my life was turned upside down last week. thursday, to be exact.

if you follow my personal blog you know that last week we made the very difficult decision to honor the wishes of one of our foster boys and arranged for his caseworker to find new living arrangements for him.

if you don't follow my personal blog, please go check out what happened before you leave nasty comments. "cowboy" had become physically aggressive, and his threats had turned in to action. on top of that he verbalized (repeatedly over the past several weeks) that he no longer wanted to live with us.

so last tuesday cowboy was removed from our home. the plan was for red and wrangler to stay with us.

on thursday that changed. red and wrangler were removed from our home on thursday afternoon. we had no warning. and at first no reason was given. it turns out that a false accusation was made about our disciplinary practices. instead of investigating, or evaluating "evidence" - the boys' caseworker decided to remove them from our home. you can read more about what happened here.

we asked for an investigation. we have nothing to hide, and we want our name cleared, and the boys returned to our home as quickly as possible.

this whole situation completely blindsided us. we did not see it coming. we did not anticipate it. we're still recovering from the shock.

i have avoided blogging, tweeting, and facebooking because i really had no words. i have a ton of unread e-mails in my inbox - i'll be getting to those shortly. for those of you who are new twitter followers - i promise that that i'm not usually such a debby downer. it's just been a rough week, okay?

so will you keep us in your thoughts and prayers? we can certainly use them!

i'll be back tomorrow with another installment of tutes on tuesday.

since i've missed nearly a whole week of blogging - if you posted something that i just can't miss, go ahead and leave a link in the comments so i can check it out!

tutes on tuesday//the truth about gfc+follow with twitter

2012-02-14T07:25:00.000-08:00

okay y'all.

there's something i've just got to bring up. some bloggers are going cuh-razy trying to figure out how they're going to track their followers once gfc "goes away" on march 1.

y'all. if you don't read anything else please read this:

if your blog is a .blogspot.com blog, or hosted by google -

you will not lose your gfc widget on 3.1.12

according to google's blog, the gfc widget will no longer be available for "non-blogger" blogs. let's define "non-blogger":

if you do not host your blog on .blogspot.com and if you do not own your domain through google.com, then you you have a non-blogger blog.

this post is really not for you. for the most part, you all have settled into which ever follower option you prefer, and it seems like rss and e-mail subscriptions are regular favorites.

but for those of you who do blog through blogger and/or google please realize this:

you are not automatically going to lose followers on march 1. your followers (and my followers - hey y'all!) are able to follow you for one of three reasons:

they have some kind of google account (gfc, google +, gmail), even if they don't blog through google
they follow via twitter
they follow via yahoo (you can have a google account without getting a gmail account, by allowing google to access your yahoo information.)

what's that you say? you can follow via twitter?

why yes, you can! here's how:

alright, now we all know how to join gfc by using twitter.

now back to the point of this post: if your blog is a "blogger" blog (see the definition at the begninng of the post), your followers will still be able to follow you via google friend connect after march 1, 2012.

you do not need to write a post about how in the world are your followers going to be able to follow you.
you do not need to install linky followers.
you do not need to remind all of your followers how to subscribe via rss or e-mail so that you don't lose a single follower.
you do not need to google "how to send a newsletter to my gfc followers" and write a letter begging them to follow you some other way.

obviously there's no problem with doing those things. but seriously, y'all. there could be no end to how many ways people follow you (and me). twitter, facebook, rss, google +, e-mail, pinterest, linky followers, and let's not forget the good old fashioned way of bookmarking a page.

what? you can still do that?

will gfc still be around in a year? or two? or three? i don't know. i personally think google is going to do everything they can to promote the heck outta google+. but so far they have not eliminated gfc for .blogspot.com blogs. so chillax, okay?

you don't even know how many outdated, never used gadgets are available that google didn't remove - they just stopped promoting them, and with the advancement of technology, those gadgets are basically obsolete. but if you go looking for them you can still find them. so will gfc ever be totally gone? i don't know. but i'm not going to go crazy over something that isn't happening right now. (cue the war of the worlds music.)

i guess to today was a little more of a "soapbox on tuesday" - but hey, i really had to get this out there.

what are your thoughts about the issue?

don't forget about the great giveaway from a shepherd's daughter! and i'm giving a way 3 blog/shop buttons + advertising space over at glow kouture - so go check it out!

oh yeah - and happy valentine's day!

menu monday: when the kids cook

2012-02-13T12:52:00.000-08:00

i have two basic rules when it comes to cooking:

1. take it or leave it.
2. i don't cook in a dirty kitchen.

our foster boys are picky eaters. beyond picky, really. so when they got in the habit of complaining about my cooking, we came up with a new rule:

if you complain about my cooking, you get to cook for the next week. (you should remember this if i ever have you over for dinner!)

when wrangler (age 11) couldn't seem to get his chore of cleaning the kitchen done in a timely manner (that is, a few nights i finally started cooking around 8-ish.), we gave him two options: the first was to be stuck with kp duty for another week, the second was to be responsible for cooking for the upcoming week.

he chose cooking. (um, yeah - i pretty much did a happy dance.)

so last week i arranged a little bit of a switcheroo of our meal plans so that wrangler had all the easy meals. hey - he's eleven. he needs all the help he can get.

so for those of you who want to recruit your kiddos in the kitchen, but have never taken the leap of faith, go for it. they can definitely do it!

monday: homemade chili. that was actually made by my incredible neighbor (and one of my best friends) who basically provides us with a meal once a week. 'cause she's awesome like that.

tuesday: chicken tacos + refried beans.
once he got over the whole i'm-handling-raw-meat-that-might-be-infested-with-ecoli phobia, he really did pretty well. super easy:
chicken mix
mccormick chicken taco seasoning
tortillas
can of refried beans (we like bush's black beans)

Source: google.com via Amanda on Pinterest

super easy + really yummy. plus later in the week david and i used the left over chicken to make chicken quesadillas. add some guac and sour cream? yes please.

this is the only picture of food i took all week. i was too busy helping wrangler cook!

wednesday: chili dogs. this was a special request. i have three boys - what can i say?

so wrangler's own special recipe:
ballpark franks (david and i prefer hebrew national)
wolf brand chili (yuck)
hotdog buns
mustard

wrangler cooked the hotdogs in the chili - for added flavor, i guess?

Source: google.com via Amanda on Pinterest

if hotdogs looked like that i'd have no problem eating them! (instead we ate the aforementioned quesadillas.)

thursday: fish sticks + tater tots. i'm a horrible mother. but we did manage to get them to eat baked fish sticks instead of fried. small victory, y'all. we also baked the tater tots.

Source: google.com via Amanda on Pinterest

friday: on friday we tried to eat up our left overs. we had quite a bit of chili, so we had frito pies. that's basically frito chips + chili + cheese. it's so good, and the perfect wintery day meal.

saturday: on saturday night the boys had grilled cheese sandwiches. david and i had dinner with my mom and dad. wrangler was getting tired of cooking for everybody, and his older brother took pity on him and helped with the sandwiches. quick and easy, y'all. quick and easy.

Source: google.com via Amanda on Pinterest

there you have it. the menu planning of an eleven year old. and the subsequent reason for my 10lb weight gain last week. kidding. but in all honesty - with all that unhealthy food, we really pushed fruits and veggies for after school snacks. not always successfully, but we tried.

this week is looking a little more nutritious.

don't forget about the giveaway from shepherd's daughter going on now! and since tomorrow is valentine's day you may want to print off the freebie printables that i shared on friday.

happy monday y'all!

sponsor spotlight//shepherd's daughter

2012-02-11T12:05:00.000-08:00

happy saturday, y'all!

meet rachel:

blog//shop//facebook//twitter

rachel is a sweet young woman with a passion for honoring God. here's what she says about the name of her blog, shepherd's daughter:

i have two main reasons for the name. firstly, psalm 23:1 "the lord is my shepherd, i lack nothing else". it is true for every believer, and they should hold claim to that identity-- being a child of the shepherd, the lord, the king of kings...to lay hold to that identity is much more than a label, but a decision to make every aspect of your life pleasing to the one who made you ("coz he made you")!

secondly, my name (rachel), is derived from the biblical figure: rachel, daughter of laban the shepherd. a good friend of mine started calling me "the shepherd's daughter" after we had studied genesis 29 together, and the nickname stuck to me. i had the chance to reflect and the name means so much more to me knowing that it holds more meaning when I lay claim to the title.

isn't she a dear? i am always so inspired by young women who not only find their voice, but also embrace it and live passionately to fulfill their purpose.

rachel designs and hand-crafts jewelry that she sells in her online shop. some of my favorites include:

via

aren't they precious? seriously sweet stuff. and guess what! if you use the code royaldaughter at check out, you can get 15% off your entire purchase - and the code never expires! also, rachel is going to have a fabulous deal featured on thriftyseeker.com starting on monday. you might want to check it out!

today rachel is giving away her faith hope love pendant necklace.

via

"Hand-stamped necklaces says "Faith Hope Love", as derived

from the infamous verse in 1 Corinthians 13: And now these three

remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

alright y'all! get those entries in! and head on over to shepherd's daughter and say hi, won't you?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

friday freebie {valentine's day art}

2012-02-09T22:00:00.000-08:00

i'm sort of keeping to my blogging break. if you check out my waiting list you'll see that i've gotten a lot of work done this week. after i finished my custom design installation tonight (go check it out! and if you want to know how i can help you beautify your blog, check out my design packages here), i started doodling around and working on a valentine's day print for you guys. should i have gone to bed? yes. did i have laundry getting wrinkled in the dryer? yes. but lucky for you guys you get to benefit from this dedicated night owl's opposition to doing laundry. :)

for married couples:

download 8x10 print here

for dating/engaged couples

download 8X10 print here

there's oodles of fun valentine's day prints on etsy too. as i mentioned last week, i can spend way too much time perusing (and laughing!) at some of the valentine's day paper crafts!

happy friday, y'all!

linking up:
vintage wanna bee, five days five ways, one artsy mama, and the 36th avenue.

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royal daughters who inspire: mandy of biblical homemaking

2012-02-09T11:15:00.000-08:00

name & age: mandy, 29

my favorite passage from the Word of God
i’d have to say it’s a tie between all of 1 peter and psalm 34. ha! i love, love, love, 1 peter- it’s like a summary of what i believe mixed with tons of specific instruction for my life in christ now, and inspiration for my heart all rolled into one. and Psalm 34 has been such a comfort to my heart in the last 18 years of my life. i hope two passages are okay! ;)

meaning behind my blog name
i love this question! my heart’s desire is to glorify god in my time here on earth- and at this point in my life, i believe my primary ministry as both a woman and a wife is to be a helpmeet to my husband and a keeper of the home, and my desire is to glorify god in those things and do it all in obedience to the word of god. biblical homemaking is something i constantly strive for- it’s certainly not something i’ve mastered by any means. i like to think of it as my goal!

i blog about
faith, family, food, fitness, finances, and frugality, sprinkled with thrifting, remodeling, diy project tutorials, and free printables! :D

i am inspired by (in real life) by
my pastor and his wife who just lost their 3 year old little girl last month. it shook our little church family of less than 100, and pulled us together as believers like we were living out the next modern-day chapter of Acts. it was incredibly hard to watch our friends lose their baby- but their faith under unfathomable trial has been more than inspiring to me. i am so blessed to be a part of their life, and to get to see them live out the gospel like they are.

blogs that inspire me
momastery- i just stumbled on this blog after this post went viral on facebook. this woman has such a gift for writing and sharing the raw truth while being hilarious at the same time.
the kindle crew- this is the blog of a sweet real-life friend. jennifer and I met on facebook first, then in blogland, then in person! :D we both have four kids, and live close to each other, and i love how she so openly shares her heart and the work god is doing in her life.
women living well- i love courtney and her sweet, sweet heart for the lord! It’s so evident that she loves jesus and she loves people too. she is such a gentle, lovely lady and is always inspiring others to follow jesus. she’s so inspiring!

one tip for newbie bloggers
i’m sure you’ve heard all the advice on being yourself, writing about what you love, and not comparing your stats to others, so i’m going straight for the practical! :D make your header pretty- and not too big. it’s really your face in blogland- your first impression to newcomers. and your font is your voice- if it’s too big, it seems like you’re screaming at your reader. ;) make it appealing, and ask the advice of your designer friends if you aren’t sure!

if i were guaranteed to succeed at only one thing i would pour my heart and soul into

oh, this one made me smile!

kands down, if i could do only one thing in this life it would be to love the lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. i want him to take me and mold me into the shape of christ. i love him so much, and so, so deeply desire to fall at the feet of jesus on that day, and to hear him say, “well, done, good and faithful servant.” he is so, so very good and merciful to save a wretched sinner like me, and i just want to give him all of me in my time here on this earth.

inspired? connect with mandy: blog//facebook//twitter

mandy is also a contributer to roo mag - and she has a great post today about dressing up (for less!) for date night - go check it out!

winner

2012-02-08T20:14:00.000-08:00

the winner of my january sponsor giveaway never contacted me, so i'm happy to announce a new winner:

my sweet friend sarah of the fontenot four! sarah, dear, please e-mail me within 48 hours so i can get you in touch with my sponsors!

also, the winner of my giveaway over at sunny with a chance of sprinkles never contacted us, so i had to pick a new winner for that one too: diana of dianaspanz! please e-mail me or chelsea within 48 hours to claim your prize!

how's your week going? i'm knocking out that waiting list - and otherwise enjoying my blog break! see you next week!

in//real//life

2012-02-06T21:19:00.000-08:00

...i am busy

...i am in the car a lot

...things get messy

...and i have to feed five people

...winter finally arrived

...there are too many moments i don't want to miss

it will be quiet around here this week. i (obviously) didn't get my menu monday post ready, and to be honest, i don't have a tutes on tuesday post ready either. i'm okay with that. because as much as i love interacting with all of you, there's this wonderful life i live that i don't want to miss.

one of my goals for 2012 was to be better at time management. i resolved that if and when i took blog breaks i would not feel bad about it - i'd even embrace it.

and i won't apologize for that.

if you've seen my waiting list, you know that i am quite busy with design projects. thank you. i am thrilled to be so busy.

but i am busy.

and i'll be focusing my time and energy on these projects this week, and i'll be back to my normal blogging schedule next week.

before i sign off i want to share a few prayer requests for those of you who will pray for me:

my best friend has been in the er twice this week. she is very sick and the doctors are sort of giving her the run around. please pray for her. (thanks to all of you on twitter who have already been praying for her!)

mr. e. worked outside on a busted water line for 7+ hours yesterday and his back is giving him fits today. as in he's been laid up in bed all day long. please pray for a quick healing! i don't like it when my man in incapacitated.

y'all have a good week! if you're looking for some fun and inspiring reading, you should definitely get to know my sponsors - they're great!

meet//new friends

2012-02-06T00:24:00.000-08:00

one of the things i love about blogging is meeting new friends. i love the networking. the connecting. the friendship.

today i want to introduce you to some of the ladies who just might become one of your newest friends. these ladies are sponsoring rdd in february, and i'm thrilled to get to introduce them to you.

meet kenye at glow kouture
describe your blog in five words or less
candid, fun, inspiring, cute

tell us about your blog/shop: what makes it unique, what inspires you, etc
i am the owner of a handmade online shop called glow kouture, i am also the blogger behind the life of handmade living! in my shop you will find cute handmade accessories such as clutch purses, wristlets, headbands and jewelry. In my blog, you will read about chic fashion trends, sewing, my life as an indie biz owner, home décor finds and great recipes! i am most inspired by the environment, music and talented artsy people.

what is your ideal valentine's date?

my ideal Valentine's Date would be a dinner date with a nice jazz band playing live!

share your favorite valentine's day memory
my favorite valentine's memory is when I was in grade school passing out valentine's cards and having a movie day/party in class with candy and popcorn! oh those were the days...

discount alert! use the code royaldaughter for 25% off your entire purchase through 2/29/2012

blog | facebook | twitter

meet allison at whatever the circumstances
describe your blog in five words or less
adventure, love, crafting, faith, real

tell us about your blog/shop: what makes it unique, what inspires you, etc
my blog is about sharing life and encouraging others. it is a place where i document my adventures in crafting, reading, running, photography and daily life. i write about what I know, what i love and what i believe. sometimes you will find a bit of scientific insight (i am a science teacher), sometimes you will find funny stories and sometimes you will find diy projects but mostly you fill find me.

what is your ideal valentine's date?

my ideal valentine's date is a nice dinner out with my husband in the city. we would talk and laugh and enjoy each others company.

share your favorite valentine's day memory

my first Valentine's with my hubs, before we were married, he took me to see les misarables at the opera house in boston. it was the perfect night!

what is your favorite blog post so far?
"our story"

meet monique at the lemonade diaries

describe your blog in five words or less

sipping the lemons of life

what is your ideal valentine's date?

my ideal valentine's date would take place in honolulu. The husband and i would eat at our favorite cheeseburger joint and then take a stroll on the beach.

share your favorite valentine's day memory
when i was little my mom would show up at my school and take me out to lunch at a fancy restaurant. i used to love it because she would keep me out a little longer than my regular lunch time and all my friends would wonder where i had gone. when i got back to school, i was the cool the kid who went out to lunch at the fancy dancy restaurant.

what is your favorite item in your shop?
einstein hair

meet rachel at the shepherd's daughter
describe your blog in five words or less
shepherd's daughter has been, for me, an outlet of thoughts that swarm around each day. i've always been able to better organize my thoughts on paper, or behind a screen and watch it come to make sense. it also hold the exciting details of creative ideas and my day-to-day passions! come say hello and hang out for a while!

tell us about your blog/shop: what makes it unique, what inspires you, etc
ah. This is tough. my shop is definitely unique, for one, because of my sources of inspiration. most of my jewelry is crafted from a memory or with a person in mind. while i love hand-made shops, I have found that there is a redundancy in products out there. you won't find that in my shop.

what is your ideal valentine's date?

a disneyland date!! of course, it's very crowded at disneyland during valentine's day. i think my ideal everything is at disneyland. i want to get married there! ;D

share your favorite valentine's day memory
about 3 years ago, nash, my boyfriend, took me to daphne's (restaurant) for some fiery greek food. We shared a 3-course dinner, went to a jazz fest, then watched a movie. we were home by 11. i don't know what it is about that night that i loved since it sounds just like such a simple date, but it has been my most favorite valentine's day ever.

what is your favorite item in your shop?
my favorite item from my shop has got to be my pink swarovski and pearl dangle earrings. they remind me of my grandmother, whose birthday is in June.

discount alert! use the code royaldaughter for 15% off your entire order! no expiration!

blog | shop | facebook | twitter | pinterest

meet skye at neathering our fest
tell us about your blog/shop: what makes it unique, what inspires you, etc

in my shop, you will find custom, upcycled artwork for your home along with my newest item - my college note cards! i am also branching out into custom invitations as well. you will not find any other note cards like mine - they are all school specific and include unique sayings for that school! they are great for moms to send to their babies while they are off at school and make great gifts for graduation too! :)

every day ordinary inspires me because i want to find a way to make it beautiful! i also carry an inspiration journal (and highly recommend it) so that any time i have an errant thought, see a pretty picture, or have a funny conversation with my husband that inspires me i can write it down.

what is your ideal valentine's date?

my husband and i don't really celebrate valentine's day so i can't say this would be just a dream valentine's date... just a great date in general! i would love to take a trip to arkansas and spend the day at wiederkehr wine cellar! that is our favorite wine and we always try to have a bottle on hand even though sometimes it is hard to find!

share your favorite valentine's day memory
that is a hard one - i have just never been one to get all mushy because it is valentine's day. but my dad always made a big deal of valentine's day for me and my mom. he would usually get us a ridiculously huge gift basket of mary kay goodies to pamper ourselves with. he was always good at that!

what is your favorite item in your shop?

my favorite item is definitely my oklahoma state university note cards. I am a cowgirl through and through and these are kind of what started them all! :)

discount alert! use the code grand10 for 10% off your entire purchase through 2.29.12

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meet laura at our reflection
describe your blog in five words or less
faith driven. family. inspiring. creative.

tell us about your blog/shop: what makes it unique, what inspires you, etc
my name is laura hernandez. i am a passionate lifestyle photographer based out of monterey, california where i’m born and raised. i’m married to the most amazing man in the world and we have two beautiful daughters.

in my mind, i am always thinking about photography. I\it never ends. my brain takes snapshots everywhere i go.

i am, regrettably, a bit addicted to social media. i have a constant connection facebook and twitter wherever i am. i love starbucks, the colors pink and yellow, mountain biking, foot massages, listening to the piano and everything vintage. my new addition seems to be blogging.

my photographic passion is people. nothing brings me more joy than capturing those unforgettable moments that will be treasured for a lifetime.

it’s my hope you’ll grab some coffee, soak in some inspiration, and a glimpse of my life. i thank god everyday for blessing me with this incredible life.

what is your ideal valentine's date?

i’m probably not the typical mom {people tell me this all the time}, but my idea valentine’s date would be a date with be with my husband and our two girls. W\we would ride our bikes down to the wharf for dinner, maybe get our faces painted and hit the salt water taffy candy store for the most amazing caramel apples. a night with the family, no interruptions, no electronic devises, just “us”. simple, but me.

share your favorite valentine's day memory
i’ve been blessed with the most amazing husband. he makes everyday valentine’s day. he always brings me flowers, leaving surprise love notes, bringing me my favorite starbucks coffee to me at work, cleaning the house and doing the laundry just so i’ll have more time to spend with the kids. people constantly ask if we’re newlyweds and we say yes, we’re only going on 11 years.

what is your favorite blog post so far?

i’m still very new to the blogging world, i only started on January 1st of this year. do far my favorite post would have to be my first diy craft i did with my daughter for valentine’s day. it started as a project i wanted to do for a blog link up and ended up being a night we’ll treasure forever and a craft that will always be in our living room.

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meet courtney at lil' noodle bug
describe your blog in five words or less
live in love

tell us about your blog/shop: what makes it unique, what inspires you, etc
my blog is me. i love to write - it is the way i communicate best. i love to share my life with others and hopefully inspire people. my shop is named after my daughter's nickname. i love to create items and bring joy to others, so i went out on a limb and opened shop!

what is your ideal valentine's date?

oh goodness...date?!?!? since being married and having 2 young kids, that is a word I rarely hear. honestly, just a nice peaceful quiet dinner with my hubby would be ideal. doesn't have to be a fancy place...but a quiet place where we can just chat with no interruptions.

share your favorite valentine's day memory
my favorite valentines memory...hmmmm...the first year the hubs and i were together, i made a treasure hunt for him. i created little gift boxes that had clues as to where i was taking him, but i had to be sneaky. i drove to his house at 4am to put the first clue on his windshield, then i went to a local supermarket and hid one behind the newspaper bins, then i hid one outside of our work (yes we worked together), and the last one was on his desk at work. iuckily it all worked out :)

and he guessed that i made reservations to go to the magic castle for the night.

what is your favorite item in your shop?

I love all of my wreaths!!!

check them out here

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meet liz at behind the scenes
describe your blog in five words or less
faith, love, random, fun

tell us about your blog/shop: what makes it unique, what inspires you, etc
my blog is a complete reflection of me! i tend to write a lot about my faith & my family. but now I'm starting to share a lot about the new ministry, glow. and don't forget about the weekly hot or hot Mess posts every thursday!

what is your ideal valentine's date?

ideal=at home, snuggling on the couch with my hubby, a glass of wine, & a chick flick.

share your favorite valentine's day memory
my favorite memory would have to be the my sophomore year in college. i was living in a hotel because some bozo pulled the sprinkler system in my dorm building and it flooded, so we were shuttled off to the hotel. of course, most of my clothes (especially dressy clothes) were being held hostage in my dorm room because it was safety hazard for us to go back into our rooms. so what we didn't take on the first trip out, was not accessible. so the hubby (then boyfriend) took me shopping for some dress pants & shirts & a new black coat. then he took me to a fancy restaurant (that was way overpriced, but delicious). it was so sweet & so romantic. then we just relaxed & watched a movie. it was perfect.

what is your favorite blog post so far?

coming soon! a new shop ---- with canvas art, customizable prints & invitations, & much more!

meet sarah at the fontenot four
describe your blog in five words or less
one woman's journey with christ!

tell us about your blog/shop: what makes it unique, what inspires you, etc
i am a stay a home mom of two girls (7 and 5), the younger of which is special needs and is medically fragile. i started The fontenot four as an outlet for me to write about the blessings in my life. the good stuff. nothing negative. i figured if I focused on the positive for a change, it might really help me work through life's challenges. i decided somewhere along the way that i could really use my blog to help people. i love to blog about the blessings in my life, my faith, the occasional book review, recipes from time to time, musings about my family, and so on. i also have a little knitting shop on etsy!

what is your ideal valentine's date?

i would love to get a weekend away - just my husband and i! this just never happens because we have a medically fragile child who requires 24/7 care. i would love to get away from it all, just my husband and i, so that we could spend some time alone just reconnecting and being together without any worries.

share your favorite valentine's day memory
i'm not sure this is a "favorite" memory, but my first date was when I was about 16. it was on valentine's day. a boy i knew asked me to go to a hockey game with him. i wasn't too sure about him, but i went. i wound up sitting in the row behind him and his father. he didn't speak to me the whole time! he asked me out again. i couldn't say no, though I wanted to! he wound up asking me (and i quote) "to be his girlfriend to keep his mind off his studies"!!! I did not go out with him again!

what is your favorite item in your shop?

right now, these reusable coffee sleeves are my favorite shop item. they are so practical, but they are also part of an adoption fundraiser i am doing for a friend! $3 from every $4 is going to her adoption fund!

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meet lacey at little miss nerd girl

describe your blog in five words or less

sarcastic, real, nerdy, relatable

tell us about your blog/shop: what makes it unique, what inspires you, etc
the main inspiration for my blog comes from my children. i love to write and they provide my material, be it funny things they do or the fact that they can sometimes drive me nuts...it all goes into my posts. and i don't sugar coat anything.

what is your ideal valentine's date?

going to the hat and sharing an order of chili cheese fries with my husband. it's what we did every valentine's day when we lived in california. we haven't been able to find a place that makes chili fries as good as the hat's since we moved to texas.

share your favorite valentine's day memory
my favorite memory is the same as my ideal date. hmm, either i am easy to please or boring.

what is your favorite blog post so far?
supernatural tenants

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meet brittany at the village press

describe your blog in five words or less

mine. yours. ours to share.

tell us about your blog/shop: what makes it unique, what inspires you, etc
my cozy web space was inspired by an exciting move from a dusty desert state to a green lush village, for a better kind of life. i am now continually inspired by the community of women who use this amazing platform (via the web) to share thoughts, ideas, recipes, crafts, love, light, and laughter... it is truly a wonderful thing!

my shop is where i put the stuff i like to make b/c it will not fit in my tiny village loft!

what is your ideal valentine's date?

hmmmm...not so sure I have one of these. i suppose that ideally i would not be totally exhausted from the day of work and juggling two kidos. i would feel somewhat pretty after wiping the sweat off of my brow from packing lunches for an hour. i would not feel bloated like I usually do about 5:00 each evening. and i would be able to squeeze into something semi decent and still be able to breath.

yes... ideally my mister would come home with a redbox, some popcorn, and a twinkle in his eye and i would be in my sweats under my favor blanket.

I love this life. I really do.

share your favorite valentine's day memory
last year...

harold and maude, a delicious drink in a fancy glass, local chocolates, and my mister...

in my sweats under my favorite blanket ;-)

what is your favorite blog post so far?
i read this often to remind myself who, what, where, when, and why... i am .

discount alert! use the code 20off for 20% off your entire purchase!

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meet megan at and here's to you, mrs. robinson

describe your blog in five words or less

it's about love

tell us about your blog/shop: what makes it unique, what inspires you, etc
i try to be honest and tell both sides of the story. i want readers, especially women, to know that they are not alone when sometimes they have off days and would rather have their kid watch cartoons instead of playing with them all day. i want to get rid of the stigma that we have to be perfect all.the.time! i hope that by sharing my story i can become a better wife & mother and also help encourage others to not be so hard on themselves (because honestly compared to me, you are golden!).

what is your ideal valentine's date?

i would love a homemade meal at home and exchanging love letters.

share your favorite valentine's day memory
my husband proposed to my on valentine's day so that pretty much trumps everything! :)

what is your favorite blog post so far?
i have a lot of different blog posts from the last few months (years!) that i like to look back on. i compiled them all here for new readers.

meet citlalli at sew beastly

describe your blog in five words or less

life, inspiration, handmade goodness

tell us about your blog/shop: what makes it unique, what inspires you, etc
hi there! i am citlalli, the gal behind sew beastly. i spend my days drinking coffee, sewing, and rocking out. my shoppe is where you will find my unique handmade accessories, and my blog is where i share inspiration, my life as an entrepreneur, and the handmade goodness that surrounds me. stop by and let's connect.

what is your ideal valentine's date?

hmm...we don't really celebrate valentines over here {i know, lame} we believe an extra nice dinner for two + quality time with each other does the trick.

share your favorite valentine's day memory
first valentines day dinner with my cuteness.

what is your favorite item in your shop?
my new design. it was created out of frustration.

discount alert! use the code royal15 for 15% off your entire purchase through 2.29.12

aren't these ladies just wonderful? i bet you made a new friend today! and don't forget about the rest of my lovely sponsors:

since you stuck around for this whole post, i have a little surprise for you. i am going to giveaway a medium ad space for the rest of february + all of march. because i'm cool like that.

mandatory entry (and i will verify):
like every single one of my sponsors on facebook and tell them that i sent you. (tag @royal daughter designs). (+1)

optional entries
follow royal daughter designs via gfc (+1)
follow royal daughter designs via blog lovin' (+1)
like royal daughter designs on facebook (+1)
follow me on twitter (+1)
subscribe via e-mail (+1)
subscribe via rss (+1)
tweet and tag @aroyaldaughter (+1)
share on facebook and tag @royal daughter designs (+1)

leave one comment for each entry. a winner will be chosen and announced on saturday.

p.s. the winner of the january sponsor giveaway is earl leigh designs. please e-mail me (royaldaughterdesigns@yahoo.com) within 48 hours so i can get you in touch with my wonderful sponsors.

friday five {valentine's day} + freebie printable

2012-02-03T19:20:00.000-08:00

we made it to friday, y'all! this week has been a little crazy for me! between school projects, doctors + dentist + counseling appointments, a custom design installation, being short a car (it's up on blocks in our carport - that's better than being at the mechanic's, right?) and my husband starting back to work, yep - it's been a little crazy!

good thing i prepared this freebie printable for you all last week, huh?

download 8X10 print here

to help relax, i spent some time perusing etsy and i found some oh-so-sweet (and sometimes hilarious) gift ideas for valentines day. here's a few of my favorite:

1. cards

via pink orchid press - $4

via crafting creatures - $5

via steel petal press - $4

via silly reggie - $2.99

via julie ann art - $4

via n2design - $3.50

via shabby pea designs - $5.50

2. jewelry

via menuet designs - $31.50

via fabulous wire - $14.99

via paradise findings - $21.99

via the pendant emporium - $8.95

via surfing silver - $90 (but it's your own handwriting!)

and my favorite

via jessica n designs - $20

3. decor

via val glaser - $18 (my hubby loves legos)

via rush creek mosaics - $49

via pretty plush - $8

via grace graffiti - $10

via always in season - $11.95

via mod memento - $40

4. vintage/vintage-esque

via heaven sent crafts - $15

via vpauld - $3

via jenn cannon - $8.99

via lover dovers clothing - $28.50

via k michel - $40

5. for babies/kids

via malanes - $16.99

via lulu grace designs - $20

via eleanor's treasures - $22

via holly licari - $28.50

via the wonder forest - $70

via busy chickadees - $4

via mumsy goose - $31

via designs by susan 1 - $15.99

do you have your valentine's day gifts bought yet? who do you buy for? david and i pretty much exchange gifts with just each other. and i haven't bought his yet...

have a great weekend!

royal daughters who inspire: ellie of the ellie life

2012-02-02T06:15:00.000-08:00

you know those women out there - those women who inspire you. inspire you to be a better person? to embrace life? to live a little more fully?

you're about to meet just such a woman.

name and age:
ellie anne, 15

my favorite thing about my hometown:
oh san diego. how good to me you are. sun in my hair, warm breeze on my face, and my feet in the sweet pacific every saturday noon till three. san diego isn't just a hometown it's a lifestyle. & i adore every second of the absolute bliss it brings. being a california girl is something i wouldn't trade for the world.

my favorite passage from the word of god:
"seek peace, and pursue it." - psalms 34:14

meaning behind my blog name:
the ellie life isn’t just about my story although it may seem like just that. The ellie life is about our story. yes, as in you and me. i believe that we all have a voice and by using mine i hope and pray that you too….learn to use yours.

i blog about:

heartache, faith, loss, love, life, and all the giggles in between.

i am inspired by (in real life) by:

i am inspired by my sweet mother. her love for life, god, and her children will continue to blow my mind each and every one of my waking days. i am blessed to have her in my life. more so then that though, i am gracious because without her I would not be the girl I see in the mirror.

blogs that inspire me:

1. mrs. casey wiegand blogs over here. she has my heart and soul. whenever i need anything she is there in a heartbeat. my love for her and her lovely family runs deep. it was just last year that i turned away from faith due to the tragic passing of my father. casey showed me the light back into god's arms. my goodness she is a special woman.

2. laura from our reflection is such a special person. she's a new blogger with a huge heart. you must look at her blog to understand how sweet and special she is!

one tip for newbie bloggers:

coming from on fairly newbie blogger to another...speak with your heart sweet people. open up your heart and let it speak for you. ff you believe in yourself then you will thrive. share your story with open arms and an open mind because it will be so much more rewarding this way.

if I were guaranteed to succeed at only one thing I would pour my heart and soul into:

my love for a happy young person is big enough to change the world. at least it's getting there. i truly believe with all that I am that every young person deserves to feel happy and loved. & it is my mission for them to feel just that. it is my life aspiration to create a safe haven for those young souls who have no where to turn. it is my prayer that with hard work, faith, and the lord on my side that this dream will become a reality.

I feel truly blessed to have been asked to open up my heart to you sweet people.

Stop by The Ellie Life to read more, learn more, and dream more.

Come soar with me.

Love from:

{The Ellie Life}

inspired? connect with ellie: blog//facebook//twitter//pinterest

giveaway winner(s)

2012-02-01T19:30:00.000-08:00

thanks to all of you who entered the giveaways that chelsea (at sunny with a chance of sprinkles) and i hosted. in case you missed it, chelsea shared five tips for making the most of your entries in blog giveaways on my blog, and i shared five tips for hosting a successful giveaway on her blog.

we also hosted a couple of giveaways. and the winners are:

starbucks card from me: erin aka eef
target card from chelsea: sarah fontenot

congrats ladies! please e-mail me and/or chelsea within 48 hours to claim your prize!

wiww: mustard yellow argyle sweater

2012-01-31T23:31:00.000-08:00

happy wednesday y'all. oh my goodness this week is getting away from me. it didn't help that two of our three foster boys needed lots of help with school projects last night. wanna see some of our hard work?

that's an edible model of a plant cell. each of those yummies represents a different part of the cell. fun, huh?

okay, now for what we're all here for. remember last week when i told you that i finally found a mustard yellow sweater - and for only $5? no? then you don't follow me on twitter, do you?

after months of perusing fabulous fashionistas via what i wore wednesday, i was pretty convinced that i had to find my very own mustard yellow sweater.

i didn't set out to find an argyle sweater. really, i didn't. and if they're completely taboo in fashion right now, please don't tell me. i really don't want you to burst my bubble.

mr. e. was not prepared for the argyle sweater. his exact words were: "i have some socks that look like that."

gee, thanks babe. you know how to make a girl feel special.

i am basically loving the yellow+gray combination. i hope it sticks around for a while, because i think it looks lovely.

yes, i know i'm awkward in pictures.

so there you have it. my new (an inexpensive) mustard yellow sweater. did i mention i bought it new? at jc penney?

what do you think? is it a little too men's socks-ish?

cami: cato

sweater: jc penney

jeans: wal-mart (i'm not ashamed - they're my favorite jeans!)

hairpins: acute designs

bracelet: miss mommy

necklace: mama's nest designs

earrings: along for the ride

clutch: sew beastly

linking up with the pleated poppy and mama go round.

tutes on tuesday {disappearing navbar}

2012-01-31T06:15:00.000-08:00

happy tuesday y'all! in case you missed it, check out my super sneaky (and veggie-filled) chicken enchiladas that i shared yesterday.

and don't forget about the sunny with a chance of sprinkles giveaways (here and here) that end today. and my sponsor giveaway is still going on too, so be sure to check it out here.

okay, now let's get down to business. today i'm going to share with you how you can have a disappearing navbar.

what's a navbar, you say?

you know that thin little bar across the top of blogs that looks kind of like this:

that's what blogger calls the "navbar." and there's a not-so-well-known trick that you can do to make it only appear when your mouse hovers over it. it's like a magical disappearing navbar! now you see it, now you don't!

if you want to find out how, you'll have to head on over to dianaspantz where i'm guest posting today's tutes on tuesday. you won't be sorry that you did! (sneaky, sneaky, aren't i?)

happy tuesday, y'all!

menu monday: sneaky chicken enchiladas

2012-01-30T22:09:00.000-08:00

and by sneaky i mean sneaky. if you know me in real life, if you ever talk to my boys, you better not spill the beans, got it? this is top secret. and if you were to let them in on this little secret, i'd lose all credibility that i have with them.

my relationship with my foster boys depends on it.

tonight i made chicken enchiladas for supper.

but not just any chicken enchiladas.

enchiladas chocked full of vegetables.

and they didn't even know it.

that's right. in order to sneak some veggies down my ultra-picky boys, i created my own recipe for chicken enchiladas. if you want to get all sneaky sneaky on your kids, i highly recommend it. the self-satisfaction is completely worth it.

ingredients:

olive oil
1 pound chicken breast
mccormick chicken taco seasoning
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 - 2 cups of whipping cream
1 1/2 cups shredded monterrey jack cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup baby carrots (insert evil chuckle)
1/2 onion
1/4 clove garlic
1 4 oz can of green chilies
2 oz canned jalapenos
tortillas
sour cream (optional)

carrots + garlic+jalapenos not pictured.

*if you don't have a food processor, don't even think about trying this recipe. the whirring sound of my food processor sounded like magic happening right there in my kitchen. i could not have pulled this off without it!

to prepare:
in a large skillet warm olive oil over medium heat. dice chicken breast into 1/2 inch chunks, and pan-fry over medium heat.

meanwhile, in a ~~magical instrument of epic proportions~~ food processor combine 1 1/4 cup whipping cream, green chilies, baby carrots, onion, garlic, and jalapenos.

turn food processor on, and let it work it's magic. you want the end mixture to be thick and creamy. transfer mixture to a bowl and mix in cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup monterrey jack cheese. set aside.

once the chicken is completely cooked, add water and the mccormick seasoning. cook according to the instructions on the packet.

Grease bottom of 9X13 inch baking pan. (I used a little bit of olive oil.)

To assemble, apply a generous layer of creamy mixture to to tortilla. layer with chicken and monterrey jack cheese.

wrangler asked for cheese enchiladas, so i skipped the chicken for him. more for the rest of us, right?

place filled tortillas in baking sheet. i made 14 enchiladas, but you can adjust the amount according to how full you fill each tortilla.

use the remaining creamy mixture to layer on top of the enchiladas, followed by (about) 1/4 cup of cream. top it all off with the remaining monterrey jack cheese. (and if you shred some more so as to make the top nice and cheesy, don't worry...i did too.)

cover with foil and bake at 375 for about 25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and golden.

i served it with (some amazingly orange) spanish rice and refried beans.

the verdict:

red (15) thought they were great. he said they weren't as good as the last time i made chicken enchiladas, but he still liked them - even went back for seconds!

cowboy (11) said they tasted good. but he took forever to eat. (although he'd told me most of the afternoon that he wasn't really very hungry.) he finished the enchiladas without much fuss, and never complained about how they tasted or the texture. so i'm not really sure what he thought about them.

wrangler (10) did not like them. his were sans chicken, remember, and he said the texture was "nasty". He was specifically referring to his ultra soggy tortillas. but he also found a tiny piece of onion (thankfully not carrot!) and from that point on he was convinced that he could "feel the onions". so it was not a hit with him.

mr e. (30) thought they were amazing. he didn't have a clue that they were chocked full of carrots, and he was actually surprised when i let him in on my secret. he was also pretty pleased that i came up with such a crafty plan to sneak veggies down our stubborn boys.

nobody complained about them being too spicy. just so you know.

so there you have it! my very own recipe creation for this week's menu monday. i might be just a teensy bit proud of it, so i'm linking up all over the place:

organizing junkie
susie qt pies
5 days 5 ways
vintage wanna be
more bang for your bucks
create with joy

okay -so you guys let me know, do you sneak veggies in your kids' meals? if so, how do you do it?

sponsor saturday {a giveaway}

2012-01-27T22:12:00.000-08:00

happy saturday y'all! what better way to start your weekend than with a giveaway valued at over $100? yes, please! won't you join me in giving a big "thank you" to my lovely sponsors?

blog//shop//facebook//twitter//pinterest//blog lovin'

blog//rss//shop//facebook//twitter

blog//shop//facebook//twitter//pinterest//rss

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aren't these ladies great? i hope you'll head on over and say hi to them!

*want to sponsor rdd + suppor the shine project? learn more here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

royal daughters who inspire: thea of collide

2012-01-26T06:15:00.000-08:00

name & age

thea nelson, 35

my favorite thing about my hometown:

i’m from turlock, california, and it’s my favorite place ever! i am amazed at how a town of 70,000 can feel so incredibly small. my eye doctor was the mayor, my sunday school teacher was our veterinarian, and my childhood babysitter years later would be my pastor’s wife! everything feels wonderfully connected. my parents, siblings, and lifelong friends live there, and i feel completely and totally filled up and love-covered any time i can visit (which is far too seldom, since i live in atlanta!)

my favorite passage from the word of god:

right now i am unpacking joshua 3:5: “consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the lord will do amazing things among you.” i personally feel compelled to consecrate myself, to purify myself, to be set apart, to ready myself for things not yet done and not yet seen. i believe god is ready to move, and just because i don’t know what he is about to do doesn’t mean i shouldn’t be busy about the task of readying myself for amazing things he will do.

meaning behind my blog name

i chose the name “collide” because for years now i have been struck by how what i read in ccripture collides with the events of my life. i think sometimes we think god is hidden—but it can be downright humorous how blatantly god makes truth known in the seemingly unspectacular moments of life!

i blog about

how scripture gets in my business! J in my marriage, in my mothering, in my friendships, in my work, in my life. but in the best possible way!

i am inspired by (in real life) by

my husband justin and my best friend kelly are tied for the two steadiest people i know. they are just such people of peace. they’re both like the trees planted by streams of water who yield fruit in season and have no worries in a season of drought (jeremiah 17).

blogs that inspire me

my friend denise is at victoryrd.blogspot.com and i love the way she lives such a beautiful life of worship. she doesn’t pretend to have it all together, but is honest about her love for jesus and the ways in which she wants to want more of him in her life. i’d love her even if she wasn’t a hometown girl! i also love Jamie at easilyamusedmommy.blogspot.com because she makes me laugh, dina at thesenotions.blogspot.com because of her honesty, and amanda at daesofourlives.com because i’m always inspired by her words.

one tip for newbie bloggers

Just be faithful and obedient. Don’t stress about the number of followers you have, or posting on some super-rigid schedule. Pray a lot and post when God presses something into your heart—but pray for faithful instruction to be on your lips as often as He sees fit to give it (Believe me, I am having to read those words and let them soak into my own soul)!

if i were guaranteed to succeed at only one thing i would pour my heart and soul into…

…building up and sending Justin, Trevor and Aila into the world to use their God-given gifts to make dents in this world in the name of Jesus Christ. I am crazy desperate to see each of them walking in truth and impacting people on their paths. I want my children to know and love the Word, to live face-down lives of faith and worship, and to trust the LORD God in all their ways. I want to build into my husband, my son and my daughter at home so that they may go out and do what they are called to do in His name.

inspired? get to know thea: blog//facebook//twitter//pinterest

thea will always be special to me. she was my very first customer after i officially launched royal daughter designs. she has been such an encouragement to me, and i'm thrilled to have her as a featured sponsor this month!

what i wore: little black...sweater?

2012-01-24T22:10:00.000-08:00

y'all know that i'm not the the most fashion savvy. i wear a lot of black. you know why? because you can't go wrong with black. it pretty much goes with everything!

i have a black sweater that i really love. i can dress it up, or pair it with some comfy jeans for a more casual look. this week i went for both. but i only photographed one. shame on me.

don't forget, my photographer is eleven.

necklace: lisa leonard

bracelet: miss mommy

hair clip: agape love botique

sweater: apt 9 - kohls

cami + shoes: cato

jeans: wal-mart

i finally found a mustard yellow sweater (on major clearance for only $5!) yesterday - hopefully it will cool off enough for me to sport it this week so i can share it with you next week.

linking up:

P.S. Have you entered the giveaway from me and Sunny With a Chance of Sprinkles? I'm also participating in the HUGE birthday celebration giveaway at After Nine to Five - go check it out!

tutes on tuesday {giveaways + a giveaway}

2012-01-24T06:15:00.000-08:00

hey y'all! today you are in for double the tutes on tuesday goodness! you can find me over at sunny with a chance of sprinkles, where i am sharing 5 tips for hosting a successful giveaway. and chelsea is here today taking over tutes on tuesdays to share the top five rules for entering giveaways. you might want to read all the way to the end of both posts - there's a little something it if or you!

hello, royal daughter designs readers! first off, isn't amanda lovely? she's just one of those sweet, down-to-earth bloggers that I'm fortunate enough to have met over the interwebs and formed a friendship with. my name's chelsea, for those of you who don't know me, and i blog over at sunny with a chance of sprinkles. i use blogging as a way to document my young daughter's life and my day-to-day life as well. it's become somewhat of a creative outlet and i enjoy sharing the occasional recipe or diy when I get the chance.

unbeknownst to me, i have "earned" the title as the 'giveaway queen.' i enter a lot of giveaways. and sometimes i even win a lot of giveaways. *knock on wood*-- (and apparently i'm superstitious as well.) i won casey wiegand's big group giveaway and beth's black friday giveaway within days of each other. And not only did they help immensely with our christmas shopping, but i also got to pick out lots of lovely things for myself. honestly, just getting packages in the mail was fun!

there's a couple simple rules i go by when entering giveaways and i thought it might be fun to let you in on my little secrets. if you win big time, you better let me know!

top 5 rules of entering giveaways:

01. enter!
like they say, you can't win if you don't play the game. what are you scared of? just do it!

02. complete all possible entries.
why not follow another blog and make a new friend or make a new friend on twitter? heck, they may even follow you back!

03. tweet/facebook daily
if the giveaway rules allow, tweet/facebook the giveaway daily. though it may annoy your followers, it will only up your chances of winning, especially if it's something you'd really like to win. i have won several giveaways that i completely believe were won because of my daily tweeting.

via
04. bookmark
especially if you plan to get your "tweet-a-day" entry, i suggest adding the giveaway page to your bookmarks. that way it's easily accessible and you can also check back once the giveaways over to see if you're a winner. this especially comes in handy for bloggers who choose to post the winner of the giveaway directly on the page they hosted the giveaway on.

via

05. don't need" the prize? enter anyway!
we're talking free birthday, vlentines, christmas and just-because-i-love-you gifts here! i can't tell you how many times i've entered a giveaway because i want to win the item for a friend.

winning something isn't always the complete objective of the giveaway either. i know that sounds kind of wonky, but let me explain myself. some blogs link directly to your blog when they announce you as their winner. this can be huge for traffic to your blog. when i won casey's giveaway i had a ton of traffic from her site to my blog and not only did i gain more traffic, but i also gained some friendships with shops/blogs i won prizes from. that's how i met, miss amanda here!

now how would you all like to use these tips in a little giveaway here? how about for a $10 target gift card? just think, a new nail polish, maybe a new lip color? oh the possibilities are endless! and not only a target gift card, amanda and i are also giving away a large ad space for each of our blogs!

but wait a second, it gets better! head on over to my blog, sunny with a chance of sprinkles and enter for the chance to win a $10 Starbucks gift card from amanda, plus another chance to win a large ad space on each of our blogs! double the chances, double the fun!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

sponsor and make a difference (the shine project)

2012-01-21T06:15:00.000-08:00

i would truly be honored to help promote your blog and business. in february, 50% of all income earned from sponsoring will be donated to ashley at the shine project. they're coming to dallas, you know!

sponsoring royal daughter designs is a win-win situation. you get more exposure + you get to make a difference.

for options and prices, please visit my sponsor page. for the first time, in february advertising space will be limited, so i look forward to hearing from you soon.

and don't forget to check out these fabulous ladies who helped support jami at call me blessed in january:

they're fabulous - and together we raised almost $60 for jami's mission trip to Mexico! i can't thank them enough for joining me in making a difference!

freebie friday

2012-01-20T21:31:00.001-08:00

i know this is super, super late.

after not feeling well for a couple of days i went in the er last night. and i had a follow up appointment this morning. i am fine, so don't worry. i won't be blogging or sharing about what was wrong, but i can tell you that i am fine and will be back to my normal self soon! i was told to take it easy for a couple of days, but obviously the doctors don't know that "taking it easy" is impossible with three boys!

tonight, while my sweet mr. e. fixed supper, i worked (i had my feet up - so i was taking it easy!) on a little treat for you.

to download click here.

this cute little card is sized to fit perfectly on an index card. you can personalize it to share with just about anyone. except for the people you don't love, of course.

have a great weekend, y'all!

royal daughters who inspire: laura at along for the ride

2012-01-19T13:17:00.000-08:00

name & age

laura- almost 27

my favorite thing about my hometown

it's where my parents are!

i moved around growing up and although i consider my “hometown” where i went to high school and where my parents still live, i've never really felt a huge connection. i was born in alaska and will always consider that my real home.

my favorite passage from the Word of God

proverbs 3:5 has become my personal motto and speaks to me on so many different levels of my life and relationship with the lord- “trust in the lord with all your heart; lean not on your own understanding.”

meaning behind my blog name

along for the ride is my way of “trusting in the lord with all my heart.” like so many, i would much rather be in charge of everything, all the time. but I know that this is god's way for me. he's in charge, providing me direction, guiding me towards a life that will bring him glory. along for the ride is the reminder that he's the one leading the way.

i blog about

i'd like to say my blog is a healthy mix of lots of things, but i'm not sure if that's always the case. at the end of the day, i just really enjoy writing about my story as it unfolds. i try to sprinkle in things i enjoy, people and handmade shops i care about, quirky messages, funny quips- but i really strive for my blog to be something that glorifies the lord and makes the folks who read it smile.

i am inspired by (in real life) by

my mother. she's my hero. she's a warrior and a champion. smart, funny, kind, brave, and the list goes on. she is who i strive to be, as a wife and as a someday-mother.

blogs that inspire me

i really, really love lisa leonard. i find such joy reading her blog. although i don't know her in person, i can so relate to her. i love her genuine writing and heart for her beautiful family!

one tip for newbie bloggers

for me, words are so important! i know that sounds silly, but it's so easy to get bogged down in all the other stuff that makes up a blog. although giveaways and sponsors and other elements are really important (and fun!), what makes a blog stand out to me is genuine, thoughtful, vulnerable writing. take time to craft content that really speaks about who you are, and sprinkle in those fun things to add even more pizazz.

if i were guaranteed to succeed at only one thing i would pour my heart and soul into

holy cow, that's tough. although I'm not a mom, my mind has been on babies lately. i would pour my heart into my family and really understand and live out what submission to them really means.

inspired? get to know here here: blog//shop//facebook//twitter

tutes on tuesday {removing word verification}

2012-01-17T08:15:00.000-08:00

i know there are plenty of tutorials out there showing you how to do this. but since so many of you haven't taken it down yet, i thought i'd show you how it's done. but first, let's answer the question you're probably asking:

"why should i get rid of word verification?"

the short answer is: because it's annoying. especially if you host giveaways, let me assure you: word verification is not cool.

i know why you have it, really i do. you're worried about spam comments.

there are two ways you can deal with spammers:

the first is to install disqus. i use it over on my personal blog, and i very very very rarely get spam comments.
the second is to not allow anonymous comments. i'll show you how to do that too, okay?

alrighty, let's get started.

log into your dashboard. duh.

to exclude anonymous commenters just select "registered users"

now is the time to be brave.

that's it! believe you me, your readers will thank you.

now for the rest of us who are stuck commenting on blogs with that ever-dreaded captcha, i have a fun way to make it bearable. it's called "captcha balderdash." it's a new virtual take on the classic word game balderdash.

you can see how it will make that tedious task of filling in word verification just a little more fun, no?

happy tuesday y'all!

menu monday: make the best of your ingredients

2012-01-16T20:34:00.000-08:00

hey y'all!

i know i'm a little late on this post. it was a school holiday today, so i had the kiddos home from school and i dedicated the entire day to being with them. tonight we threw out the ol' menu plan and took the boys to TCBY for supper. yep, we're those kind of parents!

but when i am sticking to my menu i try to follow this little rule:

make the most of the ingredients you have on hand.

for example: last week i planned two completely different meals that use very similar ingredients:

french bread pizza
spaghetti and meatballs

french bread pizza:
ingredients:

french bread
spaghetti sauce
parmesan cheese (optional)
mozzarella cheese
pizza toppings of choice

to prepare:

cut the french bread into two equal halves, and then slice each half lengthwise to make four individual pieces.
before assembling the pizza, place the french bread quarters on a baking sheet and bake at 375 for about 7 minutes, or until slightly toasted
assemble pizza as desired: we started with spaghetti sauce.

then we added cheese.

next we put on the toppings - everyone's favorite part! this is a great meal to fix with little kids - just make sure you let the cookie sheet cool before letting little children get too close to it. we like to make "meat lovers" pizza (vegetarians don't hate!). pepperoni, italian sausage, and hamburger meat. you can also make a chicken, garlic and spinach pizza using a white sauce - it's also yummy!

once the pizzas are assembled, bake at 375 for about fifteen minutes, or until the cheese is melted to your liking. we like the cheese to be kind of toasted - so we baked them a little longer.

french bread pizzas are quick and easy! a great idea for those nights when you don't have a lot of time to prepare and serve a meal. preparation & cooking time was less than 30 minutes!

unless you're the duggars, there's no way you're going to use a whole can of spaghetti sauce when making french bread pizzas. at least we didn't, and we have three boys - who eat a lot.

on friday i planned spaghetti and meatballs so that i would be sure to use up our spaghetti sauce leftover from making french bread pizza. i took the sauce (we really like ragu's sauteed onion and garlic) and added a can of tomato paste + garlic & onion powder + dried basil + a little bit of sugar. i put it through the food processor (the boys don't like chunks of tomatoes) and simmered it with meatballs for about 30 minutes. i served it with a fresh spinach salad and crescent rolls - and the boys thought it was a feast!

there you have it! two recipes using some of the same ingredients. let me know if you give it a try - i'd love to know what toppings you put on your homemade pizzas!

Sunday Miscellany

2012-01-15T18:47:00.000-08:00

hey good lookin'
happy sunday lovelies. notice anything a little different around here?

brighter colors.
pretty font.
more aesthetically pleasing layout.

in keeping with my business goals for 2012, royal daughter designs got a makeover! how do you like? please, oh please say you do! i stayed up way too late last night getting the new design installed.

one thing i'm pretty proud of is that my customizable premade design order form is built right into the page. how convenient is that? go check it out. and if your blog is in need of some beautification, fill out the form, e-mail me with the subject: "new designs rock" and i'll give you a lovely 20% off your entire order! it's a win-win situation!

goodbye christmas

so how was your weekend? we finally took down our christmas decorations. mr. e. taught a one week long class last week. (basically, it is a whole semester's worth of learning crammed into 5 eight hour days.) so taking down christmas was not really on his radar. and since i was was busy making sure that our life stayed on track, our house stayed all festive for a few extra days.

when is the latest you've taken down your christmas decorations? i know i'm not setting a record here!

i am really sad to put this away though:

my willow tree nativity is almost complete.

can i just leave it up all year? it's too pretty to be stuck in a box for 10 months out of the year.

a picturesque getaway
the day after christmas we packed our family of five into our little suv and headed to missouri to visit david's family. this was the first time that the two younger boys had been outside of texas, so we tried to make the most of it. the 12+ hour drive was a little daunting, so on the way there we took two days to get there. we stopped in winslow, arkansas, at a quaint little cabin that david and i stayed at a few years ago.

sky vue lodge bed and breakfast is definitely one of our favorites. if you're ever traveling through northwest arkansas, definitely look into staying at sky vue - the family environment is wonderful, and the views are (as you can see) breathtaking.

being organized
in case you missed it, i dedicated an entire post on my personal blog to my love for my erin condren 2012 life planner. do you have one? do you love it? I read a post today about a gal who didn't really love hers. it was the first not awesome thing i've read about the ec planners.

week in review
i had a pretty successful week of sticking to my blogging schedule, don't you think? in case you missed it, here's a little review.

on monday i shared 10 reasons why i decided to plan my menu one month in advance.
on tuesday i showed y'all how to remove that pesky little image shadow that blogger insists on putting in their templates.
on wednesday i did not link up with the pleated poppy for what i wore. instead i recruited your help in deciding how to spent a $20 shopping spree on etsy. unfortunately, it just made my decision that much harder! i finally settled on this: