Haven 2016 - My First Blogger Conference

I am officially a Haven Maven!  If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen a few of the things I was up to in Atlanta.  So what is Haven, you may ask?  It is a DIY and Design conference for bloggers where you can network, meet with brands, and choose from a plethora (yes, that's a word!) of blogger education sessions.  I probably will not be able to adequately put in to words the amazing time I had, but here goes...

Our Basement Renovation - More Walls and a Door

In my last update, we finished the second part of the plumbing and ran some of the electrical.  Since then, we have mainly been working on getting the rest of the walls framed out (boring stuff...I know!) At the time of the last post, we had only built the walls that were necessary for the plumbing, so we still had 1 wall in the bathroom, along with framing the two doors in the bathroom; the doorway wall in the laundry; and the closet in the hallway.  We also installed the main door to the bathroom; be sure to read on for my #1 tip on installing a pre-hung door!

One Pot Pasta Dish Featuring RAGU Homestyle Sauce

In honor of back to school, I have partnered with RAGU Homestyle to share a one pot pasta dish that will save on time and clean up, while allowing you to spend more time with your family!  Pasta is one of my weekly go-to dishes because it is easy to prepare and you can customize the flavors.

Summer Deck Tour

Since we spend a lot of time outdoors in the summer, I post lots of pictures of my deck.  Today I am going to show you the entire space and how I decorate it for Summer.  I love bright colors and have chosen a yellow, red, and blue color scheme for my decor.

What I am Wearing - Beach Style

My family took our annual beach vacation a couple of weeks ago to Myrtle Beach, SC.  I enjoy getting away and recharging, especially at the beach!  I also get to wear several of my summer outfits that I do not get to wear on a daily basis at work.  Here is what I wore, the few times I changed out of my bikinis!

DIY Lemonade Bar

We hosted a cookout for a few friends the weekend of July 4th and I wanted to showcase my new beverage cart.  I decided to have a lemonade bar with fresh fruit as one of the drink options.

What I am Reading - The Christ-Centered Home

Lately I have been trying to read more faith based books, because I find it helps me to focus on the good in my life rather than the negative.  The Christ-Centered Home by Emily Belle Freeman shares 12 practical lessons (one for each month) to help keep Jesus in your home.  At the end of each chapter there is a discussion question for reflection and a snack recipe that the entire family can enjoy.

Bible Journaling with Washi Tape

I have been Bible Journaling for several months and have even hosted a workshop with my friend Melanie, but I am still getting comfortable with "coloring" in my Bible.  I belong to a Facebook group, Faith in HeART, where we share our artful worship and the question arose about how to use washi tape in your Bible journaling.  I am going to share some ways that I use it and how I have seen others use it.

What I Am Wearing - Distressed Jeans + TFF Link Up

I recently shared a tutorial on how I distressed my own jeans.  I am loving how they look and cannot wait to try it on another pair.  I am showing them off, along with a couple of pieces from my latest Rocksbox and I am Co-hosting a Link-up!

Welcome to Thursday Fashion Files!

Welcome to Thursday Fashion Files with Jill at Doused in Pink and Carrie at Curly Crafty Mom! We are excited to have you here and would love to have you link up one of your latest outfits with us.

We are always looking for Co-Hosts for Thursday Fashion Files. If you haven't signed up to Co-Host, but are interested, sign up by clicking HERE.

We now have a Thursday Fashion Files Pinterest board. We will be pinning our top two picks along with our own outfits for that week. Be sure to click HERE to join our new Pinterest board!

Building a Beverage Cart at Home Depot Ladies Night

If you have been following me, you know that I have been attending the Do It Herself Workshops at Home Depot.  Last month, I actually built my own project!  When I saw they were making a beverage cart, I had to take advantage of this chance to build my own, since I have had one of these on my summer wish list.

Home Depot's finished example