AZ Sunshine Lemonade

Earlier this year, we visited my parents in Cave Creek, AZ. It was a great time of year to visit, as the days were only mildly HOT and the nights were somewhat cool enough to wear lightweight pants or a long sleeve tee. The other great thing about being there in early Spring, was that their lemon tree was in full production mode, and even had a few blossoms still on it. I wish we could have taken home boxes of their organic lemons, so we could enjoy them at home, but they really only stay good for a few days after they are picked. So, we made as much lemonade as we could handle until our teeth hurt! We had a pitcher a day addiction going on!

INREDIENTS:

1 Part Lemon Juice (We used about 7-8 lemons for this)

3-4 Parts Water

1 Part Sugar (You can make a simple syrup at first if you want, although we didn't)

HOW TO:

We picked 7-8 lemons straight off the tree, cut them in half, and used an electric juicer to get as much juice out of them as we could. We then added the lemon juice to a pitcher, added the water, and sugar, and stirred. If you wind up making a simple syrup first, this is supposed to reduce the sugar from sinking to the bottom. Taste a bit to see if it is sweet or tart enough for your liking. Fill your glasses with ice, and pour the AZ Sunshine Lemonade on top! Enjoy!

I never grew up around fruit trees, and I love them! They do attract lots of bees, because of the little lemon blooms, but my step-mom made us a fresh batch of lemonade almost every day we were there! She has an electric juicer, which really does make things much easier for this whole process. Since we drank her super fresh lemonade, nothing from a bottle has tasted anywhere near as good. It all seems so bland, not tart, and loaded with more sugar than humanly possible. 

I like my lemonade a little bit sweet, and a little bit tart. Feel free to add more sugar if this is way too tart, but I do hope you enjoy the way we make our fresh squeezed AZ Lemonade! 

My little girls always helps me with my photos, poolside preferred! 

Look What's New! Baby Quote Tees

I love the fact that graphic tees are so popular. They're so instagram-worthy and one day while looking at Jawbreaker's Tumblr site, I got super inspired to make some of my own. Not for myself, though, for kids and babies!!! So excited to introduce my newest creations. If you are in need of one of these tees or onesies, for now, please comment below. I will make it so you can purchase them soon! (Please leave your email below so I can get back to you), just let me know what size. The prices are marked below the images. Thanks!!!

To explain my process, I actually iron on each and every letter individually! The letters are old school flocked letters. If you need a different quote, I may be able to accommodate. 

I Woke Up Like This Baby Tee Or Onesie $25.00

Happy Camper Onesie $18.00

Mornings Are For Cuddles Tee or Onesie $25.00

But First, Milk Onesie or Tshirt $25.00

If you are interested in a cute Quote Onesie, just leave a comment with your email below. Thanks!!!

Farm To Table // A New Market in Carbondale, IL

Last week, Carbondale saw the start of a new Farmer's Market! It's super close to our house, and it is organized by one of my friends, Courtney Smith. This market is super convenient because it runs from 4-7 pm on Wednesdays, which is right before I would be making dinner. We ate all of the veggies right after I got home from my market visit, and had an amazing vegetarian dinner of mashed potatoes, green beans, and raw carrots for the appetizer! The reason I named this post Farm To Table is because I spoke with a couple, from Homer Grown, who were vending at the market. They grew most of the vegetables pictured below, and they seemed so incredibly passionate about what they do. They knew so much about each and every vegetable and bean picked, and would even grow you something you request! 

These organic carrots were so good! 

We chopped off the ends of these green beans, and then fried them in 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil, some chopped red onions, and one piece of bacon we had baked the day before for Bloody Mary's :) I didn't get a great photo of the potatoes, but we chopped up the red potatoes and white potatoes and boiled them with a little bit of salt and onion. After they were soft, I strained them, and added a splash of milk, more salt, and some butter. Just taste as you go, and see what you think tastes best. They were amazing with the beans! Beans (above) and Red Onions (below) from Homer Grown.

I also found myself some beautiful flowers from Flora Bay Farm. They're also from my friend Courtney, and she is great with floral arrangements. It's so fun to see what she grows each season, and I will definitely be making this new Farmer's Market a weekly thing! 

And, some super fresh BASIL! What a beautiful smell :)

Catnip by Flora Bay Farms

My Free People Reusable Shopping Bag and my market finds

Garlic Scapes by Flora Bay Farm

Isn't this the cutest Farmer's Market Stand you've ever seen? They built it and are proud that it helps identify the market to people who pass by and hope it makes them want to stop. Homer Grown has some of the best veggies around! 

If you're in southern Illinois, please visit the newest Farmer's Market in Carbondale!! 

Classic Stripes - Free People Denim - Brown Accessories

I love how classic a striped shirt looks, and I have wanted to try out some stripes for the longest time. I received this adorable shirt from Bikini Luxe, and it's super comfortable! I decided to pair it with my new jeans I got at the Free People store in Water Tower place in Chicago a few weeks ago. I have also been using my Sole Society purse quite a bit lately and thought it really fit the classic look I was going for. I also threw on my Lucky Brand Flats in a lighter brown color. 

The shirt is super comfy, and while it's long sleeve, I liked the look of it pulled up to a 3/4 sleeve. It's very loose and forgiving. The jeans are great! I got a lighter pair in Aspen Free People about 2 years ago. They are my absolute faves! They have held up really well and no other jeans fit like these do. I have shorter legs, so the cropped length is also perfect! When I came across a darker pair in Chicago, I bought two pairs, in two different sizes, and am so happy I now have three pairs. 

This purse is from Sole Society, but is no longer on the site! Shoot, sorry about that but you can find similar purses on their site here - http://www.solesociety.com/bags.html - I have had several purses from them, and they hold up super well! The Flats are from Lucky Brand, but they were on a super sale at Dillard's, and unfortunately cannot find them online either :( Check out these other options from Lucky's Website. They're more comfortable than the Born flats I got at the same time, actually! 

The black bracelet is actually from JCPenney, and the rings are all thrifted and vintage! 

VSCO - My Image Was Featured!

I got word that one of my very first VSCO Cam images was featured today! So cool, as I really love their app and available filters. I have been running every iPhone pic through the editor before either posting it to Instagram or even my blog. Check out all the featured images here.

CHECK OUT MY VSCO IMAGES HERE...

It's funny, because I believe VSCO attracts a certain type of person. Your follower count isn't visible to anyone, you can't comment on photos, and you can't even really like images, from what I can tell. I think it would be fun to have access to your metrics, but for now I'm fine with VSCO Cam just the way it is! It's SO very different from Instagram, that I think someone who immerses themselves into the world of VSCO is really utilizing it for themselves above anyone else. Your images actually display as a really nice portfolio, though. It's very genuine. You can either post photos to your grid, or do photo stories as "journal" entries, without any text. 

Have you ever used VSCO? If so, tell us what you think, and feel free to share your link below!

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My Week In Images

We had a really fun time this past week and a half (give or take). We went to Louisville and St. Louis for two Mike Gordon concerts, stayed in great hotels, and drank our fair share of Bloody Mary's and Tequila Drinks :) I'd say that's a good start to "summer" if I do say so myself! 

We used to travel to way more shows a few years ago than we do now. When Bobby and I first met in 2005 (yes, this year marked TEN years, and I'm so happy!!), we used to go to concerts every weekend or two, mostly in St. Louis and Chicago. We would see bands like Widespread Panic (75+ shows!), and lots of bluegrass shoes, and attend lots of festivals every summer. 

We have been going to far less concerts lately. The music scene here in Carbondale just isn't anything that is sparking my fancy. We used to get a few good bands through the area (mostly bluegrass), playing at out favorite venue in town, The Hangar 9, but it seems like the better the music, the smaller the crowd. It's sad to see less than ten people attending a concert, I'm sure it would be hard to survive on ticket sales when there's no one there! 

It's also harder now to leave the dogs home with a friend watching them, with Lily not in her best health, and we do realize how expensive it gets to see a show for just one night. The hotel can easily be $100 + Tickets + Drinks = $$OUCH! So, now that we do these shows less often, they are even more special! 

A SHOW + BRUNCH IN LOUISVILLE, KY

The Mercury Ballroom in Louisville was a great place to see a show! 

Gordo Show was rockin'!!! So much fun!

We stayed right next to the Mercury Ballroom at The Hilton Garden Hotel The rooms were incredibly nice.

We brunched at Wild Eggs in Louisville before we went home, their Bloody Mary was not super strong, but really really good. Hot Chocolate (below) was good, too!

The second best waffle ever, second only to the Passion Pie Cafe, in Truth or Consequences, NM. 

ON TO ST. LOUIS

A couple of nights later, we headed to St. Louis to see the boys again! We stayed in the hotel right next to the venue, where the band also stayed, which is always cool. The Moonrise Hotel is also dog (and cat) friendly, and so we decided to bring the dogs along for some fun.

See, our dogs LOVE the Moonrise Hotel!

Round TWO, We had a little fun mixing drinks for ourselves before the show at The Pageant. 

The Pageant is a place where we have been many times. It's usually PACKED beyond belief, which makes is hard for a short girl like myself to see the stage if we want to dance in the GA area, in front of the stage. But, we were pleasantly surprised to see the place less than half-full. This was one of the first times I have ever been able to get up to almost front row for my favorite band, ever! They put on such a good show, and the vibe of the crowd was also great, also not always the case.

After the show, I visited the merch table and met the band. I even chilled with them for a bit, an experience I will never forget! The poster from STL was one of the best we have seen for Gordo, also, and were super happy to pick up two copies of the poster, and had Mike sign the poster that wasn't already up in the room :) Wow, what a fun night. 

AND MY BROTHER GRADUATED...

My brother also graduated high school and I am SO proud of him! He also turned 18 yesterday! Time flies...FAST

It was nice to spend time back home last weekend. Springfield (IL) has grown quite a bit. Their downtown area is much nicer than it was when we lived there about 10 years ago, and there are more small businesses downtown than there used to be. My mom visited the Farmer's Market, Urban Sassafras, Vintage Pop and the connected antique furniture stores, and Shabby Shack - a shop with hand painted furniture. We had a great time and I will post about those fun businesses soon! 

My Newest Creations - Applique Onesies

I have been uber inspired by the summer, and have created some 100% ORGANIC Onesies for the hippest babies around! Babies smile when they see my work, and I hope you do too!

I take great pride in everything I create. I am so happy with how these onesie turned out! If you would like to order a custom size, please comment below with your contact info, and I will get back you right away! If you have an uber adorable baby (and you know you DO!), and would like to help me spread the word about my organic onesies, also, just let me know in a comment below! I am looking for models in exchange for free merchandise! 

These Camper Baby Onesies (and Peace Hand Onesies), are so fun! The onesies are super soft, 100% Organic, and the appliques are made from linen. So happy with these babies!!!

My Steller Stories!

I absolutely love the Steller Stories app! It is a super fun way to make a little digital scrapbook of images, videos, and text and the stories last forever. I love creating the stories for either vacations or places I visited, as well as DIY projects and recipes. You can only make them on an iPhone at this point, but they're really fun to create. 

I had a lot of fun putting most recent this story together, showing some of my favorite places to eat in Moab, Utah. Looking back at this, I realize we got to test out so much amazing food and drink, and it was so fun getting to know Moab for the week we were there. 

And, in this story about a day in Chicago, I loved placing text right over a video, making it feel like the intro to a movie! You can upload 20 images or videos at once when you are creating these stories, making it pretty quick and easy to be creative! I had such a fun time shopping in Chicago and exploring while the guys were at a Cubs game. 

Below, you can check out our time in Capitol Reef National Park in Utah! Wow, this place was incredible, and the park isn't crowded like almost EVERY other National Park we have visited! 

This Saguaro National Park story was a lot of fun. I love cacti and the beautiful aridness of the dessert. All the plants are shrubby, sharp, and so opposite of anything I'm used to from Illinois. 

We had a great time in New Mexico also! Truth or Consequences is a beautiful, tiny town, that is full of colorful architecture and a really fun vibe. You can see some of the food we ate as well. 

And, speaking of FOOD, here is my most popular Steller Story, about how to make peanut butter cookies. 

And, my very first Steller Story, ever, was this awesome post about Scratch Brewing in Ava, IL. This place is incredible, and you can learn a bit about it below. 

Check out all of my Steller Stories HERE. And, if you have a Steller account, feel free to leave the link in the comments below! Have a good day :)

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How To Make Boho Fringe Festival Boots - Embellish Your Boots For Summer

Summer festival season is upon us and I have a cute DIY tutorial for you to try. I made these for about $14, and all I had to buy was the boots and the fringe trim. If you already have boots, a glue gun, and ribbons and trims, these could be practically FREE to make! These are such a cute addition to your summer festival wardrobe and outfits. If you make some, please comment below with a link to your photo! 

SUPPLIES (YOU MAY ALREADY HAVE THESE)

1 Pair of Boots - Glue Gun & Glue Sticks - Scissors - Boho Ribbons and Trims (about 3/4 -1 Yard each) - 1 Yard of Fringe (Not Pictured) - 1-2 Skinny Belts That Can Be Cut In Half

Next, lay your ribbons and trim over the boots to see where you want them. I glued my ribbon on much lower than this photo shows, this way I could add fringe to the top. 

Below, you will see the interior side of the boots. Cut the trims so they line up half way around the back. These raw edges will be covered by a final layer of ribbon for a finishing touch. 

Below, you will see the ribbons/trims after I hot-glued them all on. The raw edges will soon be covered with ribbon. I used a cheap, low-heat hot glue gun, and it worked super well on these materials! My boots were made of an ultra-suede like material. If you are using leather boots, you may need to use a fabric-ready, 2 part Epoxy, or E-6000. 

Next, cut your belt in half, and decide where you want to position the buckle. The outer side of the boots will look best, as you will see in my first photo.  

Do a test placement of the belt, and then mark where the new buckle hole needs to be, so the belt fits around the boot. Cut the new hole, so that the belt fits snugly around the bottom of the boot, but not too tight. I used an awl from a multi-tool, but a sharp X-Acto Knife would also work. Be super careful not to cut yourself or the work surface. (See below) 

You will see that I also added the ribbon to go up the side of the boot. Glue this in place, making sure to only glue half way up. The fringe will also go under this ribbon!

Make sure your ribbon covers any rough edges of the ribbons. (See Above)

Let's get your fringe ready! This fringe really makes the boots super cute! Cut your yard of fringe in half, and position it around the top of the boot. Cut the fringe to fit all the way around each boot. Hot glue ribbon to the top of the fringe, for a cute boho look. 

Glue the fringe around the top of the boots. Then, hot glue the ribbon over your fringe, and fold into the inside of the boot, for a finished look. I cut a few of the fringe pieces off, that would be under the ribbon, but that's optional.

And you're done! You are ready to and the night away at your next festival!  

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Top 5 Pinterest Tips

Katherine Accettura is a HelloSociety Influencer from Illinois. She has over 1.2 million Pinterest followers. Katherine has been kind enough to share some of her Pinterest tips with us in this post:

This article was written by me and originally published here, on the HelloSociety Blog. 

1. Make Time To Pin & Pin Regularly

- Try to pin every day, several times a day. If you don’t pin regularly, your followers may become bored and won’t visit your Pinterest account as often.

- Utilize a pin scheduler every day. Try to implement it into your daily routine, especially while you are going to be busy, and see if it makes a difference in the overall number of repins and likes on your pins

- TIP: A good time to pin is when you begin seeing your phone blowing up with Pinterest notifications (your Pinterest app phone notifications should be turned on until you understand your audience’s schedule).

2. Pin From Your Phone

- The majority of Pinterest users are accessing the site via the Pinterest mobile app. It’s important to be in touch with your audience and see what your pins look like across all devices. Scroll through your pins on a daily basis, and make sure they look coherent and interesting.

- Make sure you aren’t pinning or repinning thumbnail-sized images. They look deceptively good on the Pinterest app, but look really bad on a computer screen.

3. Keep Your Blog or Website Updated (Important!)

- This is one of the biggest problems I see among pinners. Your blog or website link is at the very top of your Pinterest profile (or should be!). This encourages your followers to click through to learn more about you. If someone is directed to a site that has not been updated in a month or even a year, it can be off-putting, and may not encourage them to continue to keep interest in you and your pins. Make sure your Pinterest profile links to the blog/website that you keep up with most.

- It is important to verify your blog/website. Your pins may become more pin-worthy and show up higher in your followers’ home feed more often. There are lots of tutorials on how to verify your profile URL on Pinterest.

4. Think Of Your Pins As A Whole, Not As Disparate Boards

- It is important to look at your pins as a whole entity. This will provide your followers with the most visually pleasing experience. Example: If you pin the same pin to multiple boards in a row, they will show up as a duplicate pin to viewers on your Pinterest profile.

5. When In Doubt, Pin Food and Quotes

- Everyone hits creative blocks sometimes, so if you’re experiencing this, pin a few recipes or beautiful pictures of food. Inspiring quotes can also be popular to a wide variety of followers.

- In my opinion, Food, Quotes, and DIY tend to be some of the most repinned and liked pins out there. Make sure they are cohesive with your other pins, though!

Connect with Katherine:

Pinterest – Website – Blog – Instagram

These ‘HelloSociety Influencer Guest Posts’ are shared in support of successful influencers teaching best practices to fellow influencers, aspiring influencers, brands and social media users.

L'Oreal Advanced Hairstyle - Cute Hairstyles and Products

I recently created some hairstyles inspired by the line of hair products by L'Oreal Advanced Hairstyle (read about that here). They liked my images so much, they even asked me for more! You can imagine how excited I was, and wanted to show you some of my most recent hairstyles below. L'Oreal provides a wide array of products for pretty much any hair type. Their website, hairstyle.com, also has tons of tutorials that make things pretty easy for some every day styles, as well as some more dressy hairstyles. If you like my style, check me out on Pinterest. 

If you like these photos, please comment below to share your thoughts. I had a lot of fun with this project! A special thanks to L'Oreal for collaborating with me to present these! 

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My Week In Images

The weather has gotten much warmer (and way more humid) in the past 2 weeks here in southern Illinois. I also found a new way to share my photos! I finally figured out the VSCO app, and now I absolutely LOVE the filters they offer! There are a few really good ones, and I like how they don't just make your photos look dark and flat, like some of the Instagram filters. You can also save these images to your cameraroll on your phone, and upload them via Instagram. Check out my photos here! 

Head on over to my VSCO page to see more!

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Aloha Collaboration!

I have been working on a really cool project lately! I was asked by Sony Pictures to create and style some photos inspired by their new movie, Aloha! They also consulted with me to create a Dedicated Board on Pinterest, and I absolutely love how it's turning out. We have been to Hawaii three times, so I have a lot of knowledge of what the island and its cultures appreciate. I also had a lot of time to take in the sights and sounds of the cities and oceans in lots of places among the 5 islands. All of Kauai was definitely my favorite, and Honolulu is my second favorite. Aloha is based on Oahu.  Check out the trailer for the movie here. Photos by myself and Bobby Samat Photography.

A VIEW OF MY ALOHA DEDICATED BOARD (BELOW)

A special thank you to Sony Pictures for sponsoring this project! Check out Aloha, in theaters May 29. 

How I Cleared Up My Skin and Got Healthy!

Welcome! I am so glad you have stopped by for a little bit of info about skin. I am here to share some advice with you that many people have struggled with for many years! I have struggled with breakouts my whole life. If you have issues with your skin, and want to clear it up, here are some tips and advice I have. 

How I Got Clear Skin - I would always hide my face in photos, because I was always broken out! Here are my tips and tricks on how to treat acne.

About 2 years ago, I decided I was completely sick of these breakouts, and finally visited a dermatologist. The doctor suggested I use 2 topical creams/ointments together, Aczone and Tretinoin Cream, 0.025%. I didn't really see any results from the Tretinoin, but WOW! The Aczone is amazing, and I still use it for occasional breakouts or just little things that pop up every few days. She had also prescribed me this great face wash, Neutrogena Pore Clear Cleanser/Mask (containing benzoyl peroxide). I didn't see any results at first, though, and I waited the 2 months, until my next appointment to tell the doctor things weren't working.  I was cleaning my face way more, taking better care of my skin, cut off all soda drinking, was eating WAY less candy and sugar, and also using the prescribed creams, and didn't see much change. I went into my second appointment a bit upset. The doctor then asked if I wanted to try adding an antibiotic as well, and I jumped at the chance to finally get things figured out. Minocycline. An antibiotic is not for everyone, but I believe it was pretty much the only thing that 100% helped clear up my face! I used it for a few months, and it worked wonders. I also use Face Pads a few times a day, and Dial soap on my face a few times a week, instead of the Cleanser. 

HEALTHY HABITS

At the same time, I thankfully stopped drinking soda (1-2 Cokes per day), started drinking tons of water, and almost completely stopped buying and consuming chocolate, candy, cupcakes, donuts, and the like. I was super careful about lowering my sugar intake, and checked the sugar content on every items I bought. I had read so many things about this practice clearing up skin from within, and although it took a while to see results, it helped immensely! 

Now, about 2 years later, I still only drink about 1 soda per YEAR, which I am so proud of! My teeth are much whiter, my nails are much stronger, my face doesn't break out very much, and I feel SO good about being able to pass up ordering an overpriced soda at dinner, or in a gas station!

Desert Series - Available For Sale!

I started a Society6 site, and would love to show you my newest items, available for purchase.

Find The Desert Series Clock Here 

Find this awesome pillow here

Or transport yourself to warmer places any time you open your laptop!

DailyTekk Top 100 Pinner of 2015!

I am honored to be named one of the Top 100 Pinners to Follow in 2015! They did a great job compiling this list of Top Pinners, and you can check out the article and list of Pinners, here. 

I am on this list with a bunch of the top followed Pinners, and I follow about half of them already. BUT, they have included a bunch of people who I haven't found yet! It's fun to be recognized for my Pinning, and I am so thankful to DailyTekk for including me!

Find DailyTekk on Pinterest - Twitter -  Facebook

Our Time In Arizona

One of our new favorite places is Arizona. We love the southwest, and my Dad and Step Mom live there, so we have such a fun reason to visit! We stayed almost a week in Cave Creek, AZ, which is about 30+ minutes outside of Phoenix and also near Scottsdale and Carefree. I can't wait to go back next year! 

These gorgeous pam trees line my parents' back yard. Makes it feel kind of tropical. 

Our girl, Lily had so much fun swimming! She LOVES sun bathing near the pool after a dip! 

And, our Chocolate Lab wouldn't stay out of the pool :) She swam for so many hours!

The lemon tree's fruits were definitely plentiful this Spring! 

OK, so Bobby took this one, but I had to share it with these other photos :)

AZ Sunshine Lemonade! SO yummy!

Their front yard has all these awesome desert plants, and they're all SHARP! 

L'Oreal Advanced Haircare Pinterest Board!

Style It - Change It - Own It - Spring Hair And Style Inspirations

A little while back, I was hired by L'Oreal to create photographs and hair tutorials, showing Pinterest users how I would style my hair using their new line of hair products, Advanced Hairstyles. I scoured their website, hairstyle.com, for videos and step by step tutorials to see what I could create. 

I was also asked to put together a dedicated board (see below), that helped convey the feminine, and beautiful hairstyles that were inspired by their products and tutorial website. Bobby and I took some gorgeous photos for this project, and I think we really captured the essence of these hairstyles and products. I want to give a special thanks to the team at L'Oreal and HelloSociety, both of which made this dreamy project a reality!

 This project came at a perfect time, because we were in Cave Creek, Arizona, before it got too hot to be in the southwest. The bright sunshine made for some beautiful photos, and my wonderful step-mom called around to about 5 salons in the Cave Creek and Carefree, AZ area to find me a stylist at short notice. I knew that hiring a professional would be the absolute best way to showcase a professional look for company like L'Oreal, and we wound up at a gorgeous salon, called Studio C in Carefree, AZ - an adorable and upscale town in the desert! A wonderful stylist named Monica worked on my hair, and I couldn't be happier! I brought her ideas, but she already had so many ideas, it was a match made in Heaven. 

Here is a peek at my Dedicated Board for L'Oreal Advanced Hairstyles (below).

Below, you will see one of my favorite hairstyles, and a couple of my tutorials I created for L'Oreal. 

Check out my board on Pinterest here.  See the album on Facebook here. 

In partnership with L'Oreal to create styles that inspire you to take your look to the next level. I am beyond excited to team up with L'Oreal to show you how to use their new line of haircare products (available at most drugstores for a very reasonable price). I had an amazing time creating some of these unique hairstyles utilizing their products in so many ways. Photos by Bobby Samat Photography. 

The Country Living Fair - near Nashville, TN (Review)

I had a lovely time at The Country Living Fair last weekend with my mom and sister. It's rare for us to all get together, so this was really a treat. As usual, we packed events into every millisecond of the two days we had in Tennessee. Below, you can browse about 300 photos I took throughout the event. This was the first year the fair was held in Tennessee, and it was a welcomed site! There were thousands of (mostly) ladies that were all eager to shop! This was one of the best-attended craft-related events I have attended in the midwest, and I was so happy to be amongst so many creative people. Use the left and right arrows below to page through the images.

I thought the event was mostly going to be a flea market style event with possibly a bit of reclaimed furniture and such. But, I was ecstatic to find that the majority of the vendors were showcasing mostly handmade items, or reclaimed items that were thought up in completely new and unusual ways! It was like Pinterest had come to life, but not the ideas you see everywhere, completely NEW ideas! It was amazingly inspiring. 

This booth, by Tadpole Creations, was one of our faves! This booth was beyond adorable, very cleverly designed, and contained items that I used to try to create years ago when I vended at shows, but never quite accomplished. Their appliqué onesies, stuffed rattle elephants, baby quilts, and other baby-oriented items were incredible! Such talent! 

We fell in love with these hand cut barn wood USA cutouts, and they had every letter of the alphabet cut out of colorful wood as well! 

I was surprised to see a large amount of "booths" that looked like someone had picked up a whole boutique and moved it into the venue as well. I mean, people literally taking 99% of their store fixtures, and rebuilding them onto the grounds, register and all. This was rather incredible. I was surprised to see how much wholesale clothing and home goods there were, though, that were clearly bought at design markets, not handmade, but extremely cute and in the same spirit of the fair near Nashville. I personally liked the mix of both handmade and pre bought items for sale, but I am sure for crafty vendors, they were a bit upset to see how much work they had done to fill their booths, whereas some vendors just went to market and bought things to sell. But, it was fun to see the latest trends, and I now realize how much of a "hotbed of fashion" and home decor trends that Nashville is! And, I live only 3 hours from the place!

This booth, by Spellbound Collections (from Palmer, tX) was HUGE! I loved the teepee entrance, and the Americana vibe they provided. Inside the tent was a vast array of t-shirts, frilly clothing, home goods, cowgirl boots, and jewelry. Check them out here. 

This booth's register/counter was created from old doors! The Century Farmhouse Artisan Soap Company featured lavender from farms in Washington, which I had actually visited last year! 

This booth was also one of my faves, Stash, although I did't see where they were from. The booth looked like an Urban Outfitters! They also utilized an amazing teepee design

It seemed like the trends I saw most were reclaimed wood, "vintage" but new metal signage (which I originally thought was all handmade, then a trip to the Nashville Flea Market proved otherwise), repurposing of old doors, as well as shabby chic pastels, sun washed mint furniture from the 50s (maybe) made from REAL wood, denim adorned with white lace and crochet and stretchy jersey clothes, like pantaloons, that were loose fitting and ultra comfy. Some of the vendors were dressed like urban cowgirls, and more than once I saw women who I wondered if they had their own shows on HGTV!  

One of the cutest booths ever!!! I loved their vignettes so much :)

I do wish the food had been a bit more accessible. Even on Friday at 2pm, we would have had to wait at least an hour in line, a precious hour we wanted to be shopping instead. There were about ten food vendors/booths/trucks, but wow, the lines made it impossible to eat anything but some unhealthy fried apples and an overly sweetened lemon shakeup. I recommend that they provide about double the amount of food vendors next time. Definitely bring a small cooler with food and drinks if you can for next year! Other than that, not complaints, it was amazing and I would definitely visit again with my mom and sis! 

We had a great time! 

Spring Is Here!

I am so happy Spring is finally showing its face around here in southern Illinois. April showers have been going full force, and now that the rain has subsided for a little bit, and the wind is blowing, things are finally starting to dry out and get to where I want to be outside :) I got to plant a few hostas and a beautiful yellow day lily today, and the ground was nice and moist, making ti super easy to dig right into the soft, rich dirt, find lots of worms, and plant my new babies. This year has been really great so far! We got to visit my parents for about a week in Arizona, which is longer than I have been with them in a very long time, too long actually! We also hung out in Utah for a little while, which was amazing. We had only been there for a day or two last year, and were so happy we got to visit all of the National Parks and a State Park in Utah. I also got to go to California in February and see some wonderful friends from work, and attend a conference. I have been busier than ever creating wonderful graphics, and finding the newest items to share on Pinterest, too. I learned today that I in the Top 100 Most Followed Pinners on the site!!! I am also working on some awesome photos of hair and makeup for a large makeup company, which I will reveal later this month!!! It's been wonderful, and I have lots and lots of projects that 

Also, my Facebook Page, HappySolez on Pinterest, has over 3200 Likes! I am sharing some of my favorite fashion trends of the seasons, and people are responding so well to all of my finds! Stop by (here) to check out my (almost) daily, fashionable finds!

My newest blogging adventure is called, She's So Chic, and I have had over 10,000 views since March, which is such a short amount of time, it's awesome! 

Well, thanks for stopping by and Happy Spring!!!