The Incredibly Lucky Winners of the Starling Night Giveaway!

These ladies are EXTREMELY lucky, in my opinion! I am so excited for them. Here are the winners of the Starling Night giveaway... *The winner of the Personalized Baby Blanket is - Katrina F.* The winner of the Love Tree Painting is - Monica* The winner of the Cowl of Choice is - Stacy C.* CONGRATULATIONS, LADIES!!!

Starling Night Review & Giveaway

I can truly say that I have never been more excited and even a little honored to share an Etsy shop and its owners with you. Amanda and Heather (the owners and talented creators of the pieces at Starling Night) are two of the sweetest girls ever, I'm sure of it! Not only are they sweet, but what I like best about them is that they love the Lord. How could I not be excited to work with and share about two beautiful sisters in Christ?! They are the most generous and giving girls as well and I am downright giddy to tell you all of the fabulousness that I have experienced while working with them and that you are now also going to share in. It all started when I came across their shop and saw the coziest, cutest, prettiest, adorablest (ok, now I'm making up words...and any other awesome words you can think of) crocheted pieces. Once I started looking around and saw the incredible wreaths they make too, I was in awe of their talent. Since I started talking to them several weeks ago, they have even added a bunch of other cool things like paintings to their shop! Ok, but I'm getting ahead of myself...let me back up a bit. I had contacted them to see if they would be interested in being featured on my blog and the response I got back made my heart and soul smile. These girls were so excited at the opportunity and even told me that they had been praying for opportunities to get their shop known and then my message had come to them! Isn't God just amazing like that?! In fact, their mission for their shop is "We want to be able to craft full time. More than anything we want to glorify God." I LOVE that! Please take a moment to read this to really hear about their passions and vision for their shop. They felt blessed by the opportunity and so did I. That began our little journey to here today. It has truly been such a blessing and a joy to me and I am thrilled to be able to help them in getting exposure for their amazing shop. When they told me what their plans were for what they wanted to do for me for review pieces, I was a little overwhelmed by their generosity and even almost tried to talk them out of it. I just couldn't believe they wanted to share so much with me! They ensured me that that was what they really wanted to do though and of course I was humbled to be given such an opportunity. They asked me to choose my favorite cowl from their shop and told me that they were going to make a special set for me. How incredibly exciting!!! It took me a long time to decide, but I just kept being drawn back to a lovely cream and white cowl. It was just so pretty and snowangelish (again, making up words, but I can't find any real words that seem to express what I'm thinking). When the package arrived in the mail I thought I was going to burst with excitement and I had to immediately try everything on. In fact, this is what I wrote to Heather and Amanda after I had tried everything on and checked it all out..."That cowl is so snuggly and cozy and just gorgeous! I have never had fingerless gloves before, but when I put them on, I realized exactly what it is that people love about them and I know I'm going to love them too! And the hat, that awesome hat...it is the perfect amount of slouch and those buttons are the perfect touch. I have never had a hat that looked that good on me! I seriously am so excited, I could explode over here!" Now, take a look for yourself and you'll know why I was so excited! This is the lovely Amanda, wearing the set.

Here's me wearing my new lovelies (with my "Thanksgiving tree" in the background)!

Aren't they gorgeous?! I absolutely adore them. They are so soft and the colors are so pretty. The PERFECT set to keep me warm and snuggly and also looking cute! When I came out with them on for my husband to take the pictures, he said "Someone made those for you? They are so nice and look really good on you." Now seriously, if a guy notices how great they are, they must be amazing! They now have this set available for purchase too...lucky you! I'm sure you understand after seeing this set, why I was so overwhelmed by their generosity. How could I not be? And if I wasn't completely overwhelmed by it then, when they told me what their plans were for a giveaway for my readers was...well, let's just say I was blown away. But first, before we get to that, let me show you a few of my absolute favorite things from their shop. I know you're going to love them too... A cowl in gorgeous blues.

Seriously, one of the most fun hats I've ever seen!

Owls, tiny hats for babies...pure bliss!

I've always wanted to rock a beret like this one. So cute!

The most gorgeous baby blanket I have EVER seen!

A scarf in gorgeous fall colors that you can wear so many ways!

What a cool painting. The colors are amazing!

I am all about this pink cowl!

COOLEST WREATH EVER! Who doesn't love the Grinch?!

You may have noticed that I've pictured a few different cowls/scarves. That would be because they are something I don't think you can ever have too many of. They are such an effortless accessory to brighten up any outfit. I have a special love for scarves and cowls...just ask my husband and sisters. ;-) I somehow manage to get them to buy them for me at any chance. They are easily one of my favorite things to receive as a gift, and I pretty much guarantee that there are people on your Christmas shopping list that would love them too. These girls are the perfect combination of talent, sweetness, creativity and I could go on and on. I feel very blessed by getting even just a glimpse into their passions and being able to share them with all of you. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND considering the beautiful pieces at their shop for Christmas gifts for the people on your list. You seriously can't go wrong with a great cowl for anyone. I think the baby blankets would be such a lovely gift for a baby's first Christmas. There are just so many gift possibilities from babies to women of any age! Ok, now for the whole giveaway part that I know you have been very patiently reading through all of my rambling for (I seriously had to stop myself because I could go on and on about these girls and their pieces)... The incredibly generous Heather and Amanda are offering up 3 giveaway prizes for my readers!!! Yes, there will be 3 winners! Now, here's what's up for grabs... FIRST PLACE: A Custom Baby Blanket - The winner will be able to go to the Starling Night website and create their own custom baby blanket. This means choosing colors, thickness, embellishments, embroidery, or whatever you want. They want to make you the perfect blanket! Here's an example of something you could choose.

SECOND PLACE: 1 Corinthians 13 Love Tree Painting - The winner will receive this beautiful painting. Here is how they describe it..."1 Corinthians 13:4-8 is the inspiration for this painting. This painting is even more beautiful in person. The background is a series of transparent whites, greens, blues, golds, and pearls. In the last picture I tried to better capture the golds and pearls, they lightly shimmer through at you as the lighting shifts."

THIRD PLACE: Cowl - The winner will be able to choose ANY cowl from their Etsy shop, no matter what the price. The choice is yours! Here's one you might like...

Didn't I tell you they were super generous?! At the end of the giveaway, I will simply pick 3 winners through rafflecopter (1st winner gets first place prize, 2nd winner gets second place prize, etc.) I really hope that you will not only enter this giveaway, but that you will be sure to like their facebook page and Etsy shop as well. Most of all, I hope you will consider them when making Christmas present purchases. You really could not purchase from sweeter people. I always feel good when I buy something handmade and know that my purchase is directly supporting genuine, hard-working people. That makes it not only a gift to the person you are giving it to, but to the people you are purchasing it from. What an awesome opportunity that is. *I'll also give 25 EXTRA ENTRIES into the giveaway for anyone who makes a purchase from them* (please be honest, because I will check with them to confirm a purchase). So, go check out all their goodies at Starling Night and get your entries in so that you have a chance at being one of the lucky winners! a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclosure: I was given the mentioned items for review purposes and was not compensated in any other way. All views and opinions expressed in this review are mine alone and were not influenced by any outside party.

Faith Hope Inspire Review & Giveaway

I am in sparkle bliss from the gorgeous bracelet that I was blessed with from a great Etsy shop called Faith Hope Inspire! I found this shop while looking on Etsy for faith inspired jewelry and was so excited to see the sparkly joy they offer. When they told me I could choose an item to review, I had to go to the one that just kept catching my eye over and over. How could the colors of the rainbow represented in sparkling crystals not catch my eye? The beautiful Covenant Bracelet is a reminder of God's covenant with us when He sent the rainbow as a promise that He will never again destroy the world by flood. So, not only do I have a beautifully colorful bracelet to adorn my wrist, but a reminder of one of God's promises to us. What could be more beautiful than that? Just look at how gorgeous it is even in this picture.

Guess what...it's even more beautiful in person. When I wear it, it catches my own eye and I can't help but smile. How much jewelry do you have that does that?! I could not be more happy with it. It is made from the coolest cube Swarovski crystals as well as other sparkly beads. The colors make it perfect with almost anything too, so it is very versatile. It's fantastic for when you're dressed up or as a statement with jeans and a t-shirt. I just can't think of any reason not to wear it! There are sooo many other great pieces that they offer at Faith Hope Inspire too and I'd love to share a few of them with you here...

There is so much to choose from! And this is just a very small sampling of all the sparkly goodness at their shop! There are so many great gift items that would be sure to be a favorite for anyone who might find them under the tree this year for Christmas! If you're like me and have a hard time resisting the sparkle, there is some great news I'd like to share with you...they are giving one of my readers a $50.00 Gift Certificate to their shop!!! What a great way to get a gorgeous Christmas present for someone you love or even for yourself, for free! I know you've got to be excited, so hurry and get your entries in below for your chance to win! a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclosure: I was given the mentioned item for review purposes and was not compensated in any other way. All views and opinions expressed in this review are mine alone and were not influenced by any other party.

We Have A Winner!

The winner of the t-shirt of their choice from Forever Lasting Faith is...Jenna Marie! CONGRATULATIONS, Jenna!

Winner Time!

The winner of the pair of earrings of choice from Lemoree Etsy Shop is... Carrie at In the Hammock Blog. CONGRATULATIONS, Carrie!!!

Forever Lasting Faith Review & Giveaway

As you all know, I'm a Christian and since there is nothing I love more than Jesus, it only makes sense that I love to share Him and His love with anyone I come in contact with. Now, I'm not one for the shirts that are a play on popular products and things like that and frankly, I find them corny and don't feel that they are effective in reaching others...they really are one of the things I was totally annoyed by before becoming a Christian. Anyway though, I love to wear jewelry and things that make it obvious that I am a Christian, without being weird. LOL When I found Forever Lasting Faith it was EXACTLY the kind of stuff that I love. Simply stated, simply designed, simply wonderful. I was so incredibly fortunate to be able to choose a t-shirt to review and I knew right away which one I wanted. I have lived in fear of a lot of things for a lot of my life, so when I saw their "Let Faith Be Bigger Than Fear" shirt, I knew it was the one for me.

The website stated that the shirts ran small, so I should order a size up from my normal size, so that's what I did and the shirt fits perfectly! It is such a soft, stretchy material and so comfy. I also love how the white writing pops so vibrantly off of the black shirt so that it is easy to read. It's a great shirt! They have so many cool pieces that I would love to add to my wardrobe, like this awesome jacket. I mean, I just can't resist the rhinestones on it...

Here are several other great items you can find at their shop...

This certainly isn't all they offer though! There are maternity shirts, shirts for toddlers and more! I think you can agree that Forever Lasting Faith does a great job of giving us Christian gals the opportunity to share our faith in a classy, simple way. I really just love their designs. They are generously offering my readers a 15% Discount through November 30th with coupon code: FINDINGME Isn't that awesome of them?! Their items are all very reasonably priced already, so this coupon code makes them even more affordable and a great chance to get some really awesome Christmas presents! That's not all though...they are offering one of my lucky readers the t-shirt of your choice!!! I know you want to get your entries in for this great giveaway, so hurry up and get them in below! a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclosure: I received the mentioned item for review purposes and was not compensated in any other way. All views and opinions in this review are mine alone and were not influenced by any other party.

Lemoree Review & Giveaway

If you're looking for fun jewelry at a really great price, you will love Lemoree! I was instantly drawn to the colors when I came across this etsy shop. Everything is just so happy and bright and who doesn't like that?! I was given the opportunity to choose anything from the shop to review and I chose these awesome Vintage White and Red Dangle Earrings. I loved that they were set in a gold setting as opposed to silver. It just gives them that vintage feel and when I put them on, they actually look very artsy. They are the type of jewelry that can be dressed up or down and I love versatility like that. I'm thinking I'm going to get a lot of use out of these babies!

Aren't they great?! I couldn't be happier with my choice. As I mentioned before, their jewelry is all very reasonably priced, which is a good thing because there are several pieces on my wishlist and they are something I can actually afford to spoil myself with. Here are some of the awesome pieces on my wishlist...

I just love the vintage feel of these pieces and the colors. You can wear a simple, solid color tee and put on a pair of these earrings and add instant interest in a subtle, non-overworked way. Perfect. Especially if you're not a person who typically wears a lot of jewelry, these pieces are an easy way to amp up your style! Need I mention that you could do some good Christmas shopping at their shop too?! If you would love to add some fun to your look, you're going to love that Lemoree is offering one of my readers their choice of earrings! How fun is that?! So, get over there and start dreaming of what pair of earrings you would choose and be sure to get your entries in below! a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclosure: I received the mentioned item for review purposes only and was not compensated in any other way. All views and opinions stated in this review are mine alone and were not influenced by any outside party.

GIVEAWAYS GALORE!

I have the most awesome reviews/giveaways coming up. I am seriously so excited. I have the most generous etsy shop owners who want to share their incredible handmade goodies with all of you and I could not be more happy to help them do just that! Keep an eye out because this will be the perfect opportunity to get yourself some seriously sweet stuff or even get hooked up with some free Christmas presents to give to your favorite people!

Filling my Soul

A couple of women and I have recently started a little Bible study together on Monday nights and it is filling my soul in so many ways. Studying and discussing God's Word together is just such an amazing experience and it's just incredible how God speaks to each of us so personally, even when we're all reading the same exact thing! Not only is my soul being filled with His Word, but it's being filled with the joy of intimate friendship. I'm talking the kind of friendship that I have always wanted. Tonight will only be our 4th night together and yet we have laughed, cried, and prayed together on such an incredibly close and sweet level. I am truly blessed and overwhelmed by this group of women. I was able to share some of the deepest and darkest details of my life with them (I only became a Christian about 5 1/2 years ago, so I had many years of darkness to divulge) and was received with such grace and love, it was just incredible. We are doing a study through a fabulous blog called Good Morning Girls on Colossians and I am enjoying it so much and learning so much too! I thought I would share it with any of you who may be interested. They use the S.O.A.P. method which is S = Write out the Scripture, O = Observations, A = Application and P = Prayer. It has helped me really dig into the Word and I think it's such a great method to use. Oh, and I forgot to mention the delicious snacks and goodies we've had at these Bible studies! I'm talking candy bars, homemade salsa, caramel apple cake and this delicious German Chocolate Lava Cake from Six Sister's Stuff blog that my sweet friend made just because I had mentioned that I wanted to try it! Just look at this stuff! And yes...it does taste as good as it looks!

So, not only have I been filling my soul, but my stomach too. Ah yes, it is pure bliss to surround yourself with good friends, good food and best of all...God's Word. I pray that each of you would know this kind of joy. It's such a blessing and I'm so thankful that God has placed these women in my life.

What's Happenin'

I've been kind of MIA for a little while, but it's only because great things are going on for myself and my family! I'm fortunate enough to have been able to return to being a full-time homemaker and I am absolutely blissful over it! You would think I should have all sorts of time on my hands then, right? Well, I do...and I've been putting that time to good use. I've been doing thorough cleaning jobs throughout my house, that were majorly neglected while I was working. I've finally been hanging things on the walls in my house that we've now lived in for a little over a year. I have been cooking up a storm, which my husband and boys love...my waist doesn't, but eh, who cares. I've been working on craft projects that I was dying to try. There are just so many things I've been able to enjoy now that I'm not working outside of the home anymore. One of those things being my sanity and lack of feeling overwhelmed, stressed and rushed all of the time. With 3 boys (2 in elementary and one in middle school), we have a lot of activities going on and it's nice for me to be able to be home to keep the house up and have meals prepared so that even on rushed nights, my family is being fed well and not coming home to a disaster of a house. There is more relaxed time for homework after school and sometimes even a homemade snack to enjoy while doing that homework. It's just been beyond amazing and it's only the second month of school! Anyway, I thought I would share a couple of the projects/treats that I've been working on around here and maybe you'll find something I've had going on that you can enjoy too! I absolutely love to crochet and there's a great site called ravelry where you can get a ton of crochet and knit patterns for free, as well as ones you can purchase. Pretty much anything you can think of that you might want to make...you can find a pattern for. I have a couple projects going right now, but since they are gifts and our family's Halloween costumes, I can't show you just yet. You'll definitely want to check out the site though, if you're a crocheter or knitter!

I did make this owl hat and really cute lambie for my niece for her first birthday with patterns I got from ravlery though!

I made this Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake from Six Sister's Stuff blog and it was AMAZING! It's already been requested by mom Mom and sisters (Brian and the boys too) to be made sometime during the few days we all spend together at my Mom and Dad's at Christmas time.

I made some seriously delicious raspberry freezer jam. It's incredibly easy and soooo good. Keeping my husband from eating it all is the hard part.

So there's just a little peek at some of what I've been up to lately. I hope you're all doing well and I look forward to being a little more "present" around here. ;-)

WINNER TIME!!!

The winner of the Hogwarts House Necklace from Silverthaw Jewelry is...ashpags! CONGRATULATIONS!!! Thank you to all who entered!

Silverthaw Jewelry Review & Giveaway

Sparkly ears, sparkly ears...I have cute little sparkly ears. Thanks to Silverthaw Jewelry's awesome jewelry artist, Erin! My ears are adorned with a pair of her lovely Raspberry Shimmer Stud Earrings. Aren't they so pretty and sparkly?!

Yay! I just love them! When I told Erin which ones I would like, she made them up for me and sent them a couple days later. I was so excited when they arrived in the mail in a package containing a little box all tied up with a bow (great for sending as a gift, by the way). When I opened the box and saw the shimmery joy that awaited me, I instantly loved them even more in person than I did in the picture I had seen. They are fabulous! I chose this particular color too because it is not something I have much of and I thought it would go great with so many things. Don't you agree? She has sooo many other awesome stud earrings to choose from, as well as really cool necklaces and leverback earrings. Here are just a few of the other fantastic creations she sells in her Etsy shop...

Erin makes all of these gorgeous resin creations that I happen to adore. I couldn't be happier with my new earrings and I'm confident that you would be happy with anything you might purchase from her as well. In fact, you have the chance to win a fun piece of jewelry from Silverthaw Jewelry! That's right, Erin is offering one of my readers their choice of Hogwarts House Necklace! If you're a fan of Harry Potter or know someone who is, you'll love this!

Well, what are you waiting for?! Get your entries in below for your chance to win!!! a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclosure: I received the mentioned item for review purposes only and was not compensated in any other way. All views and opinions stated in this review are mine alone and were not influenced by any outside party.