While Wearing Heels: August 2013

Friday, August 30, 2013

This is Me August Self Portrait Link Party

The optional self portrait theme for August was recreating a picture you love.

For me, I recreated a picture I loved of my Grandma cooking in the kitchen.

Last month, the theme was 'the great outdoors'.

Who wouldn't like spending some time in the great outdoors riding a swan or a flamingo?

Rea from Home 4 for Sweet Home

The best part of spending time outside, for me, is spending it with my family (especially Grace). This picture from Janiene at A Bunch of Bishops captured such a sweet moment with her daughter.

And, the only thing better than spending time outside with family (while riding a swan) is spending time with family outside while on vacation!

Katherine at Kat's Almost Purrfect World

So, now it's your turn, come out from behind the camera and share your self portraits.

Let's get this party started...here are our linky rules:

There will be a link up here on the last Friday of every month this year, and the linky tool will remain open to your submissions until the last Friday of the next month.
Please link back to the permalink for your *This Is ME* blog post or flickr image, not just the general url for your blog or flickr stream.
Linked entries must be to a blog post or flickr image of your recent self-portraits, not just any old photo. Your photo does not have to relate to the optional monthly theme, but it does need to be a self-portrait.
Please do link back here to my blog either through a text link, or with my button found below to help encourage others to participate and grow our community.
And most importantly, be the encouragement you hope to receive and help build our self-portrait community! Please try to visit a few of the links of your fellow *This Is ME* participants and leave a nice comment--it only takes a few minutes and you may be inspired by what you see.

Well, that's it...now get linking everyone! I'll see you back here on Friday, August 2nd, for our August theme announcement, but in the meantime, keep showing us your stuff in the flickr pool.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Kindergarten

I think the hardest part of being a parent is letting go. No matter their age.

This was my experience last week, as I fought back tears and learned how to let go just a little bit.

This week, I sent Grace off into the world, at least for half a day.

And, though she did go to pre-school last year, the thought of sending her off to kindergarten was very emotional for me.

To feel less like we were sending Grace into the world alone, we decided to buy her a heart shaped locket. A locket that contains a (very tiny) picture of me and of her daddy.

The hope, we explained to her, was that if she ever felt sad, lonely or upset, while at school, she could look at her locket and know that she is not alone.

So, with her heart shaped locket on, off to kindergarten we walked, hand in hand.

When we arrived at the school, Grace quietly and bravely left my side and joined the other excited kindergarteners.

Though my heart was breaking, I was so proud of this sweet little girl of mine.

I waited outside the kindergarten window, until I saw her take her seat. I could have stayed there all day but I knew she was ready so, I quietly and bravely walked home.

When I saw her at pick up, my heart was so full of love and appreciation for my brave girl. We walked home and splashed in puddles. She gushed about her day and I realized...

It's official, Grace is a kindergartener.

And, we both survived.

Friday, August 23, 2013

The Kitchen Tour Continues

The kitchen tour continues AND the giveaway is still open.

Yesterday, shared the details of my kitchen...

Along with these other talented bloggers:

Thursday, August 22

Atta Girl Says

Practically Functional

Recreate and Decorate

Worthing Court

The Happier Homemaker

Rain on a Tin Roof

Mom 4 Real

Town and Country Living

Debbiedoo's

TODAY 11 new tours went live. Go check out the amazing details in these beautiful kitchens.

Friday, August 23

The Everyday Home

Good Life of Design

French Country Cottage

Marty's Musings

Adventures in Decorating

Cedar Hill Ranch

So Much Better With Age

And, if you haven't already make sure you enter this amazing giveaway. There will be two(!) winners. Pfister will supply a free faucet worth up to $300 and a second winner will receive a $250 Visa gift card.

And now for the giveaway!

Pfister generously donated a faucet for this giveaway, and the winner of the faucet will also receive a $250 Visa gift card! To enter for your chance to win, just follow the steps below, and good luck! Step 1: Follow the bloggers below on Pinterest

Step 2: Enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Kitchen Tour AND Big Giveaway

I've joined 24 talented bloggers to show off our kitchens, and not just what makes it pretty but also what makes it work.

Welcome to my kitchen. Come on in, take a look around and when you are done, enter a giveaway to win and amazing giveaway. The best part of this giveaway...there will be 2 winners! You'll have the chance to win either a Pfister Faucet worth up to $300 OR a $250 Visa gift card.

I like to keep things inspirational (be happy just because) and encouraging (EAT!) in my kitchen.

We built a small island in our kitchen, one that houses a wine refrigerator. This island holds my recipes, gives my daughter a place to sit and snack or craft.

BUT, the custom greenhouse window is one of the major focal points of our kitchen.

If I had more of a green thumb, the greenhouse window would be the perfect place to grow fresh herbs. Though I have tried to coax basil into living on one of these shelves, I've never succeeded.

So, my greenhouse shelves are filled with succulents, trinkets and inspiration.

Another custom feature we added to our kitchen was a DIY custom knife drawer. My knives now stay safely in place and organized.

I do a lot of cooking in my house, though I rarely share recipes on my blog. I like to use the recipes of other talented bloggers, friends and family. When I cook, I like to grab some fun cooking accessories to make the process more inspiring and fun.

The flower frog is the perfect, unconventional holder for my recipes and the milk bottle Anthropologie measuring cups make me feel as if I am a better cook.

Between cooking meals, I like to have fresh fruit out and accessable.

Since I have a small kitchen, to maximize space, I use command hooks inside of my cabinets to hang oven mitts, towels, aprons and, at one point, bibs hung here as well.

My bib wearer, though, is now a sweet little 5 year old SO my kitchen is also a kid friendly and kid inspired place.

A kid inspired nook of my kitchen is next to my stove.

There you will find my recipe box. Inside my recipe box, not recipes like you might expect but note cards filled with moments I want to remember spending with Grace. In this nook, there is also a hand painted trivet covered with Grace's finger prints.

The kid friendly areas of my kitchen would include the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. I have it filled with easy to grab kid friendly snacks (with the exception of the tomatoes, I can't get her to eat a tomato for the life of me).

Another kid friendly area of my kitchen, a drawing station on the edge of my cabinet.

She can stay close, while I am busy in the kitchen yet still have a space of her own.

The chalk board isn't just for the little one, I've also added it to my canisters as well.

And, those canisters are in my favorite part of my kitchen, the walk in butler's pantry.

Thank you so much for stopping by and...

Don't miss the rest of the kitchen tours this week!

Thursday, August 22

Atta Girl Says

Practically Functional

Recreate and Decorate

Worthing Court

The Happier Homemaker

Rain on a Tin Roof

Mom 4 Real

Town and Country Living

Debbiedoo's

Friday, August 23

The Everyday Home

Good Life of Design

French Country Cottage

Marty's Musings

Adventures in Decorating

Cedar Hill Ranch

So Much Better With Age

And now for the giveaway!

Step 2: Enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Goodwill Hunting Roundup

It's that time of month where I recap my thrifted finds. So, without further ado...

Goodwill is the perfect place to find vases (and baskets).

I found this silver vase for $1.99. The shape off the vase has a loving cup feel.

I also found this glass vase for .99 cents which I customized and turned into a faux perfume bottle vase.

Often times, Goodwill will buy overstock or returned items from Target. I had, at one point, assumed Target donated their merchandise to Goodwill. This is not the case, Target sells their merchandise at a discount to Goodwill and Goodwill, in turn, will then sell it.

I found a shabby chic pink Threshold candle for .99. The lowest Target price was $2.98.

No trip to Goodwill is complete, for me, without looking through their coats.

I found this vintage trench for $4.99. I loved the label (and it was made in Chicago). I wasn't sure the style was completely me, especially for $4.99. I scoured this coat to see if there were any flaws, wear and or tear. Under the arm, I discovered the seam had come out under one of the arms. *If ever you find a missing button or a tear ask the manager if they will knock something off the price.

I brought the coat to a manager, who looked at the ripped seam and offered to take half off the coat.

For $2.50, I think this coat is definitely my style.

I get a lot of comments about how 'my' Goodwill has great prices. In reality, though, I only show my thrifted purchases AND I only make a thrifted purchase if it's a great price.

Last month, I stumbled across a Kids Kraft pink play kitchen in BEAUTIFUL shape for $7. This month, I stumbled across this Barbie house for $49.99. *I did not buy this Barbie house. I found it interesting, in comparison to the kitchen set I found, this was priced over $40 more.

I also came across this metal Rainbow Brite stove, which I also did NOT buy. It was fun to look at. The cost was $35.99.

Now it's your turn. What thrifted finds have you splurged on this past month? Or what thrifted finds did you pass up?

Until next time, happy thrifting.

Monday, August 19, 2013

DIY Faux Perfume Vase

Before I share my DIY Perfume Flower Vase, I have a confession to make.

I don't wear perfume. To be really honest, I don't even like perfume. I haven't since I was pregnant with Grace. I don't even like for my husband to wear cologne. And, yet, I can still admire the labels of a beautifully designed perfume bottle.

Though I may not like the smell of perfume, I do like the smell of flowers. And, recently, I've been very lucky to have been on the receiving end of flowers. The flowers have made pretty props to go along with our recent art projects and...