Friday Favorites: Our New Link Up Topics!

I’m continuing my blogging streak this week and finishing with Friday Favorites.

I know it’s already the end of January but we have finally gotten our stuff together and come up with some monthly topics! Katie is going to be joining Mattie and I with the link up this year.

She made these amazing graphics and I’m in love with them! So grab our button and join us this coming Monday February 1st and tell us about your favorite girls’ night chick flicks/rom coms and cocktail recipes!

 

 

Last weekend my friend Gretchen and I went for a little walk at Gas Works Park and it was a crisp Seattle “winter” afternoon. Winter here is so mild, it’s just cloudy and rainy and in the mid 50s. Seattle winters have got nothing on the brutal Chicago winters.

It’s so nice to take a walk in the park and be out in nature but still see the skyline close by.

I found two new Seattle based blogs this week: Seattle Bloggers Unite and Lindsay Living on Mil’s blog. I’m excited to find other Seattle bloggers and go to some meet ups! I love finding blogs in areas I’m familiar with or where I’m currently living.

I’ve mentioned it before how Katie and I were blog friends first, met up and then became real life friends and now coworkers! So I know the power of social media and blogging! If you’re a Seattle blogger, please leave a comment or send me an email. I’d love to chat and check out your blog too!

I’m really excited to see Shay’s cookbooks that are coming out this month. She’s one of my favorite bloggers and I’m happy to support her.

 

Have you guys SEEN the little 3 year old girl singing Part of Your World from the Little Mermaid?! She is too cute. I’m so impressed with her knowing all the words. Love her little princess dress.

Have a great weekend everyone! My friends from Texas are coming in this weekend and staying with me while they house hunt. SO excited to have more friends here in Seattle 🙂

 

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Interview Series – Featuring Shay from Mix and Match Family

Last week I started a new Interview Series and featured one of my good friends and her new living small adventure called Tiny House Tiny FootPrint, be sure to check out that interview if you haven’t already.

 

When I had the idea to start this series I made a list of my friends and bloggers I knew I want to interview. Shay Shull from Mix and Match Family was at the top of my list. If you don’t already know, she’s kind of a big deal so you can imagine how surprised and thrilled I was when she agreed to my interview request.

I am a huge fan of hers and her blog about her adorable, sweet family; I read it everyday. She has been  married to her husband Andrew for 10 years, has a 6 year old daughter Kensington, a 4 year old son Smith, and is adopting a little girl, Ashby London. She is also the sister of Sean Lowe from the Bachelor. In her blog she talks about her family, shares her style secrets, blogs her recipes, and travels around the world.

I was surprised by pretty much all of it.  I had no idea what I was signing him up for.  It’s truly amazing that my one application affected his life the way it did.

 

 From time to time, yes.

I have a degree in Journalism and have always loved writing, so I took my passion and put it in a blog.

 

Yes, all the time!  I really love blogging because I will always be able to go back and revisit this time in my life, so I’m so grateful that I’ve done it for so long, but yes, sometimes, I have reservations.

 

Getting to meet so many wonderful women just like me!  It’s truly a community!

 We are really on the same page.  We have the exact same core values and beliefs, so we rarely ever disagree about parenting.

That to love Jesus is the most important thing in the world.  Everything else pales in comparison.

 

 

I do think my infertility plays a part in my gratitude for being a mom.  I also am very much a “glass half full” kind of person and feel like every day on earth is a blessing (and could always be our last), so we should make the most of it.

 

Get over it.  You just have to get over it and move on.

 

The hardest parts for me is letting go of control.  I am sending these kids out into the world where they will be influenced by so many other people and that is hard.  The most rewarding part is the love I feel for them.  I never knew this kind of love was possible.

 

The hardest part is knowing she’s there and we’re here.

(If you want to read Shay’s touching story about the adoption, be sure to go here and Andrew’s side here)

 

All of our kids have British names and Ashby is a common British surname.

 

I think everything will change…and that excites me.

 

My parents (especially my dad) always taught me to appreciate the world and to experience it all.

 

Finland.  I love Finland.

 

Germany.  Without a doubt, I absolutely love German food.

They realize that the world exists outside of their little city.  They know what it’s like to hear different languages and see different ways of life.  It’s an education like no other.  It’s also taught them a tremendous amount of patience.

Enjoy the little things…one day, the little things will be remembered as the greatest things.

 

That I love Jesus.  That I followed His will for my life and lived for him.  After that, I want to be remembered as someone who loved her husband and kids with her whole heart.

 (Other than my family…because that would take up all five spots!)

1. Candles

2. Coffee

3. Something to read

4. Some place cozy to sit

5. Fuzzy socks

You can follow Shay on: Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

It’s easy to see why Shay is so popular in the blogging world, she’s gorgeous, down to earth, loves her family, fashion, cooking, and traveling.

I can’t thank her enough for participating in my new Interview Series!!

mandastrong

On Monday, one of my favorite bloggers, Shay the Mix and Match Mama, shared a story about one of her closest friends Manda Maxwell, who is bravely fighting cancer for the 3rd time.  She is a wife and mother of two young children. I got permission from Shay to share her blog post with all of my readers so we can support and help any way we can.

 

A Go Fund Me donation page has been set up in Manda’s name and all the money will go directly to help her family with medical bills and other necessities. There is also a Facebook page where you can get updates and continue to pray and support Manda and her sweet family.

Manda has a great group of girlfriends supporting her and her family and I would love for my readers to support them as well.

 

For the full story please head over to Shay’s blog.

September Pin-Spired Linked Up

 

 

 

 

It’s September, can you believe it?! Where did the summer go? I’m having a hard time believing that fall is happening. It probably has something to do with the fact that I live in LA and the weather is always 75 and sunny! Coming from living in Chicago and Washington DC I definitely miss the weather changes, the falling leaves, and crisp cool air.

Today I’m linking up with Shay at Mix and Match Mama, Pinterest Told Me To and The Larson Lingo for getting pin-spired.

I love dresses for all seasons and being able to transition them. With just a few accessories you can change the look of an outfit. A scarf, a blazer, cardigan, and boots, can change an outfit from summer to fall in a breeze. Here are a few of my favorite looks of scarves + dresses.

 

Pin-spired Linked Up

 

I’ve enjoyed linking up lately with some of my favorite blogs that I check on a regular basis. So I’m continuing today with Pin-spired with Shay at Mix and Match Mama. She’s got great style that I really like. She doesn’t shy away from colors and knows what works for her. Shay also shares fun pictures of her sweet kiddos. If you haven’t already, definitely check out her website. She also has a food blog and a travel agency. Talk about a multi tasking mama!

Pinterest is an amazing place for inspiration of all kinds (if you didn’t already know!) Weddings, parties, travel, what to read, inspirational quotes, and what to wear. I love browsing to see how other people style their clothes and accessorize.

So this month for my first link up with Get Pin-spired, I wanted to look up pink maxi skirts.  I recently bought both a hot pink maxi skirt as well as a black one. So I started looking for some ideas of what to pair my pink maxi skirt with and here is what I found:

Black striped shirt with a turquoise necklace and gold accessories. 

Black striped tank top, a black belt, aviators, and a black leather jacket. 

 Jean jacket, white tank top, and turquoise jewelry.

 White tank top, turquoise jewelry, and a brown belt.  

 Black tank and blazer, turquoise jewelry, and nude wedges. 

Grey tank, gold jewelry, and a black belt.  

 Black tank, gold statement necklace, nude heels. 

Color blocking with an orange tank, gold belt, black leather jacket, and bright accessories. 

 

I love how different yet simple these outfits are. With a few accessories (mostly turquoise and gold jewelry) and belts these outfits are totally transformed. Next time I put on my hot pink maxi skirt I’ll have these to look at for inspiration. Which is your favorite?