Summer is unofficially over now that the Labor Day holiday has come and gone. But before the heat waves even began to dissipate, Fall started creeping upon us as pumpkins, scarecrows, colorful leaves, and even skeletons for Halloween showed up on the shelves of craft stores everywhere! 

I usually welcome Fall and cooler temps with open arms, but this year I wasn't ready for Summer to end. The end meant the beginning of my step-daughter's first semester at college, the start of her freshmen year! It was tough for all of us, we cried and cried some more. That was about four weeks ago, and though we still miss her being here we're all starting to get back into the grove of things. 

Now that all the hustle and bustle has settled a bit I figured it was time to get back to my little blog here! 

I love this quote, everything changes in the Fall and life seems to start all over again. The quote is from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. 

Who doesn't love a good hashtag?! I was considering this one or #PumpkinSpiceEverything! 

Looking for more Fall Things? Check out a few of my favorite fall posts...

Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies

Fall Favorites

Pumpkin Craft Night 

Have you picked up a Pumpkin Spice Latte yet, or gone shopping for Fall decor? What do you love most about this season? 

In remembrance of tomorrow...

Get it Done: Free Planning Printables

Are you a visual person, do you need to write things down in order to stay organized, to remember what's going on for the month, and what items to pick up from the grocery store? 

Well, if so you're in luck because I have rounded up a few of my favorite planner and to-do list printables for you, check them out... 

Hello May...

The end of April gave my family some good news and some bad. There are going to be some busy and exciting days ahead for us, but also some really tough days for one of my family members. Please send good vibes, prayers, and love. Not sharing any details, but I may not be posting as much. But will still be hosting the Love Your Body series and you can find me on Porch.com too if you don't see me on here. 

Make the best of May, make the best of every day and fill it with love and family. 

xoxo

Motivational Monday

Sometimes we're our own worst enemies. We compare ourselves to others, we pick at things we're bad at, things we don't like about ourselves, and we let our past mold who we become.

We also let negativity cloud our judgement.  As a teen and as a young adult, I associated myself with people who put me down and who didn't believe in me. I didn't stand up for myself and I let them walk all over me. I could sit here all day long and blame them, but the truth is I have to own up to not walking away sooner and for not taking a stand. I am in charge of my life, I get to say who I can be, what I am capable of, and how far I can go. 

If you're struggling right now with who you are, where you are in life, and seeing a brighter future for yourself, you're not alone. Our struggles make us who we are, they are part of our story. To get passed these trying times, you have to start believing in yourself, stop comparing yourself to others, and you have to choose to be happy. If that means stepping away from negative people, searching for a new job, or leaving a terrible relationship, know that you can and believe that you will. Seek out the positive and surround yourself with people who encourage you, activities that will inspire you and your life will start to get better each step of the way. 

Here are a few prints I put together for those days when you are struggling and you need a little motivational reminder, which we all need from time to time. 

Happy #MotivationalMonday, thanks for stopping by have a great day! 

Happy Easter!

{Egg background photo found here}

Happy Easter and Passover. Wishing you a beautiful holiday with your family!  Our kids are coming over tonight for dinner and egg dying! 

Enjoy and thanks for stopping by! 

Hello April!

OK, yes it is still March, but I thought I would share a little Hello April print I put together in Pic Monkey so you can share it tomorrow on April 1st! 

As much as I love the month of March {my birthday month}, I love April even more! 

It's our wedding month... April 24th 2010! We're celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary this year and in November we'll be celebrating 10 years together. 

I'm so grateful for this man I get to call my husband, he is so loving and not just to me but to everyone he meets. He has such a big heart and always wants to lend a helping hand when he can, and when he can't lend a hand he lends an ear to listen or words of wisdom to give advice. 

I'm so blessed to have met him, to be in his life, to be a step-mother to his children. They have helped me become the woman I am today and because of them I pushed myself to believe in who I could be. There really is no greater job in life than being able to take care of your children and your husband, because in return they take care of you and you become a family. 

Love rules. 

Thanks for stopping by, have a great day! 

xoxo

Motivational Monday

I promise to post more this week and not just post on Mondays!! Last week got away from me, but I have some awesome news to share... I am now a contributor on Porch and my latest post was shared on PopSugar Home! 

Stop by to see my Spring DIY Planter Makeover post featuring these gorgeous glitter and gold planters from Nest of Posies....

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Plus my post about Ways to Get Your Outdoor Space Ready for Spring and Summer {the one shared on PopSugar!} featuring this awesome fire pit bench from A Beautiful Mess...

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Last week may not have been very productive, but it's a new week and a new beginning! 

{Feel free to print, save, share, pin! I love the designs on the Rhonna Designs app, if you don't have it... get it!}

Thanks for stopping by, have a fabulous Monday! 

Motivational Monday

Who doesn't love a little motivation on Monday morning when it comes to getting out of bed after a really fun and exciting weekend?! I know I do! 

It got me thinking though, why do we let Monday get us down? Why should we let Friday, Saturday, and Sunday have all the fun?! The other days of the week get more respect than Monday too, Wednesday is hump day and then there is Thirsty Thursday when we sometimes start the weekend a little early.  So, just because the weekend is over, doesn't mean we still can't be AWESOME on Monday! 

So to help you and Monday stay awesome I'm starting a new series on my blog called Motivational Monday. No more excuses... let's make the most out of this day! 

Thanks for stopping by...now go and be awesome! 

Hello Spring

Hello Spring...where are you?! 

 It's the first day of Spring and Mother Nature is laughing at us here in the Philly burbs with one last snow storm...

But snow won't stop me from creating bright and colorful Spring inspiration and enjoying a free Rita's water ice! 

{It looks off-white on screen but trust me, it will print with a white background!} 

How is the first day of Spring going for you?! 

Thanks for stopping by, have a great weekend! 

Luck O' the Irish

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

When I chose the date for my birthday celebration giveaway to end, I didn't realize it would be St. Patrick's Day! So, who is ready to find out if they have the luck o' the Irish on their side today?! 

{Made using Pic Monkey} 

A Big thank you to all of the vendors who helped me celebrate and to everyone who entered. Shall we find out who won...

1. {Giveaway Prize: One Case (six cans) of Rust-Oleum® spray paint in winner's choice of color!} 

Danielle 

2. {Giveaway Prize: 6 pack of custom Dawn Nicole Designs flat note cards with envelopes.} 

Karen

3. {Giveaway Prize:  Mo&Pea Wool/Acrylic Blend Raspberry Boot Cuffs, Retail Price $16. }  

Colette 

4. {Giveaway Prize: Atutudes $10 Shop Credit}

Susan 

5. {Giveaway Prize: The Caramel Jar small jar of Fleur de sel caramel sauce}

Marlys

6. {Giveaway Prize: Mila Rose Designs $32 Shop Credit}

Julie 

7. {Giveaway Prize: Suburban Goods $50 Shop Credit off a purchase of at least $60 }

Holly

8. {Giveaway Prize: Piccolo Papercrafts $25 Shop Credit}

Michelle 

*Winners have been emailed and have 48 hours to respond, if I do not hear from them a new winner will be selected. 

Thanks again, have a great St. Patty's Day! 

I'm so Lucky!

When you read this, say it in your "I'm so Fancy" voice!

"I'm so Fancy" becomes... "I am so lucky"! 

The truth is...

Because...

Work hard ladies....but stay humble! 

Thanks for stopping by, have a great day! 

{Lucky prints made with the Rhonna Designs app, Stay Humble print made with Pic Monkey}

Hello March!

I'm pretty excited about it being March, shall I name all of the reasons why I love it so much?! 

1. It's my birthday month, along with my older sister's. 

We were born two years and one day apart! Yep, I was that kid sharing a birthday party with a sibling. Though I'm sure she disliked it more since she was the older one who had two years of celebrating alone! HAHA! I actually love sharing it with her. 

{Turning 5 and 3 and celebrating at McDonald's!} 

Arrow Prints & Graphic Design Inspiration

I've been following a few graphic designer blogs lately and have been inspired by them and Pic Monkey to try my hand at making more prints. Two of my favorite design bloggers right now are By Dawn Nicole and Craftberry Bush. 

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If you don't know Dawn Nicole by now, then you are missing out. She is so much more than a graphic designer too, she has awesome DIY projects and recipes on her blog too! Plus, she just started featuring a free print of the week, how cute is this "If you're a bird, I'm a bird." print inspired by The Notebook!! 

I love everything she does and posts on her blog and social media pages, always so inspirational. Be sure to stop by and tell her Diana said hello! 

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I didn't discover Lucy at Craftberry Bush until these gorgeous pillows started popping up in home tour blog posts during the Christmas holiday season. I was obsessed with little vintage cars with Christmas trees on them at the time, and well you know the deal with my owl love! 

So when I saw them I had to track down who made them and how I could find out more about the designer!! 

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And now Lucy has done it again, I think she knows about my obsessions! First the vintage Christmas tree car, the owl, and now ARROWS!!! I need that arrow pillow in my life! Stop by her blog and her shop to see more prints and home decor designs..she has more than just pillows. 

PS, right now she is featuring the arrow print and a February desktop calendar for free for a limited time! 

Here are the three prints I put together using Pic Monkey, I hope you like them as much as I do! 

I hope you have a great day, thanks for stopping by! 

Valentine's Day Printables for Your Guy!

I shared a few Valentine's Day printables on Monday at the end of my heart shaped treats round up post, but kept thinking about what I would want to print and give to my guy. I love the heart prints I made, but they were more for Valentine's Day decor. 

So back to Pic Monkey I headed to make a few more prints, I think these turned out a bit more guy friendly! I would love to hear which print you would share with your guy! 

My guy's beard isn't as long as this one, but this was my favorite beard graphic on Pic Monkey! 

Superman or Batman? 

I love both movies, but I'm more of a Batman girl...actually make that an X-Men girl, but Pic Monkey didn't have that symbol!  

Kiss, Kiss! Have fun and spice up your Valentine's Day with this print!! 

Would your guy like any of these prints? Maybe print them all and hide them around the house for him to find! 

Thanks for stopping by, have a great day! 

XOXO

Linking with Kathe and Kim for You're Gonna Love it Tuesday!

Heart Shaped Treats for Your Valentine

Happy Monday! Are you planning fun activities for Valentine's Day yet? Maybe a special date night without the kids?  

The day of love tends to put a lot of pressure on the guys, but it really shouldn't be all about us ladies. They deserve just as much love on Valentine's Day as we do and we all know the way to a man's heart is through his stomach! So, I did a little searching on Pinterest and found a few fun heart-shaped treats for your Valentine that won't disappoint. 

1. Raspberry Moscato Cocktail 

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So this drink may be a little more fruity than most guys like, but the idea here is to make the heart shaped ice cubes for his favorite cocktail. I think this recipe from Create Celebrate Explore looks amazing, and who knows your guy might like it too! 

2. Heart Shaped Cake

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No need to rush to the store for a heart shaped baking pan the night before Valentine's Day! I love this trick and may even test it out using red velvet cake mix. It's a fun idea for Valentine's Day and for your sweetheart's birthday as well! 

3. Peek-a-boo Pound Cake

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How adorable are these peek-a-boo hearts? I wonder is this would also work with banana bread, one of my guy's favorites! 

4. Marble Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies 

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These marble red velvet cheesecake brownie hearts from The Novice Chef look more like art than food! Either way, I bet they taste just as amazing as they look. 

5. Heart Shaped Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes 

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My husband is always making breakfast for me; pancakes, waffles, bacon and eggs...okay now I'm hungry for breakfast food! This Valentine's Day I really should return the favor and make him these heart shaped pancakes. You can use a mold like Gina from Skinnytaste did or use a squeeze bottle to squirt the pancake mix into a heart shape onto the pan.

Would any of these recipe ideas satisfy your guy on Valentine's Day? What are you planning for the big day of love?

Wait, don't leave just yet, I have a fun Valentine's Day print for you... 

Have you heard of PicMonkey? It's a Photo editor website where you can crop, write text, and create different effects on your images. But that's not all, you can also create your own fun print...

I made this one for us, but made a blank one for you to fill out with your own initials or whatever you'd like; your kids' names, the word love or forever n always, the choice is yours! 

Just right click, save as and then open it up in PicMonkey and select text. There are tons of font options too, I used ecuyer dax font.

Thanks for stopping by, have a great day! 

All I Want for Christmas is You - Printable

Christmas is only 13 days away!  

Yesterday my husband asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I said, "All I want for Christmas is You!", seriously! Yes, I know it's a Mariah Carey song, but I meant it. This year I just want a nice family Christmas. Oh and world peace...but one thing at a time! 

Since it's really all I want for Christmas and one of my all time favorite holiday songs, I put together this free printable for you. Just right click, hit save as, print, frame, and you have yourself a Christmas gift for your significant other! 

If there is more you want for Christmas this year, stop back tomorrow to enter the holiday giveaway I'm hosting with a few other bloggers for a few fun gift cards, plus $50 right to your paypal! 

Happy Friday! 

She Will Move Mountains...

I have recently discovered the wonderful world of free printables that many DIY bloggers create, whether they are for holidays, birthdays, or just have words of inspiration on them. So, I thought I would use the photo editor site Pic Monkey to create my own...

As you can see I made two versions, one with white mountain tops and one without! I was searching for inspiring quotes and stumbled upon this one and now have fallen in love with it. Did you know that it may have originated with Napoleon who said, "Let China sleep, for when she wakes she will shake the world"? So somewhere in between what he said and now it has been translated to "Let her sleep, for when she wakes she will move mountains". 

The mountains I am hoping to move this weekend are the ones that need to be sold for our Summer garage sale! We just have too much stuff in this house; stuff from when the girls were little, from my college days, and just junk lying around that is collecting dust that no one cares about any more. So, this weekend I am hoping to get a start on what to donate, what to put in the garage sale, and what should just be tossed. 

What mountains are you moving this weekend, next week, this year? For this year, I am planning on moving my blog over to WordPress and getting an entire new design with fun social media buttons. I really want to make something out of my blog instead of just letting it sit. I love what I do and I'm learning so much, but I'm more of a behind the scenes person on other blogs and only share round up lists on AWS. I want people to see me and to learn more about who I am and what goes on in "The World Around Her". So stick around, I plan on moving big mountains this year! 

Thanks for stopping by, have a great weekend! 

xoxo