adelynSTONE

catching up | thru instagram

2012-02-23T13:03:00.001-06:00

February has been a lazy blog month for me. Too bad it hasn’t been this laid back around the house. Between sick babies, two trips to MI, court dates and a house full of 8 children and 5 adults…. lazy has been a word I would definitely not use to describe this household lately.

I love their love. Adelyn has an ear fetish. When she sucks her thumb she HAS to rub her ear, or anyone's within her reach. It’s how she falls asleep.

Somewhere between last March when I started this blog and now, I have lost the reason in which WHY I blog. A way in which to reflect on the days experiences…. sometimes so much happens during the day, we lose track of all the little things that make our hearts happy. I stared blogging initially to capture these things (along with sharing my creative ideas and hoping to inspire you)… not birthday parties or major events… to enjoy little hugs or secret whispers shared during the day. Somehow it’s slipped away.. and I can feel it. I’ve stopped reflecting on my days in a positive light, but rather a negative one “I could have done more, I should have done this” It’s starting to weigh on me.

So these past few weeks I’ve really been reflecting, writing down all my ideas, thoughts and feelings in an old fashion journal….instead of blogging. It’s been pretty therapeutic. And spending much of the time nursing the littles back to health. I’m proud to announce that they are both better than before and finally in high spirits. Be patient with me as I find a new routine with the blog.

I’ve also started incorporating healthier snacks into my diet, not that I’ve ever been unhealthy in my eating habits, but I normally skip breakfast. Not so good, as everyone says it’s the most important meal of the day, so I’ve started making yummy smoothies and snacking on carrots and hummus instead of ice cream and cupcakes.

Have you read The Hunger Games?? I’ve been wanting to read it, but it wasn’t until I heard that it was better than the Twilight saga that I decided to buy it. I’m a Twilight fanatic, so I had to see for myself. I will say that while it is NO Twilight… I could not set it down… every free second I had for 36 hours was spent entranced by this gem of a book. It was a fast read… meaning, it took every bit of will power I have to set it down. If you read it, know it’s not the type of book you can only read a few pages of and come back to. It’s suspenseful and there is not one page that doesn’t leave you wanting more.

Finding Stone sitting in a chair reading a book makes my heart happy. Adelyn has always done this too. I love that they share my love of books.

Sneak Peak into the latest project, which should be up on the blog in the next few weeks, a long with a tutorial too.

I’m holding onto another secret too. OHH. I love secrets. Stay tuned….

# kristanlynn
xoxo

DIY Fabric Bracelet

2012-02-15T23:08:00.001-06:00

So I went to find my VDay outfit last week. While I was browsing the jewelry section I became overwhelmed by all the fabric jewelry, I hadn’t really noticed how popular it was becoming! I had a few bracelets in my hand at the register, but at the last minute I put them back, I knew I could make the same thing… I did however purchase the fabric heart earrings. I love them! (Rue21 for the record)

A few days ago I sat down and upcycled a few of Adelyn Dollar Store bangles, one of which I wore on Valentines Day.

For supplies you just need

some strips of your favorite fabric, preferably 1/2 inch wide and around … oh 40” long? I just winged it and cut off any extra, there really is no right or wrong width or length. The red one I made (pictured above) I used 2 strips because the piece of fabric I had were not long enough.
old bangles or plastic ones you pick up from the dollar store.
hot glue gun
scissors to trim

The pictures pretty much say it all… it really is super easy. Just glue down one end of your strip, wrap it all the way around (pulling tight) , and glue the end, trimming off any excess:

The fabric will fray as you wear them, but it just adds character, more of a vintage feel, right.

Whatchya think?? Like… dislike?

# kristanlynn
xoxo

what I wore | valentine’s edition | lace + fabric jewelry

2012-02-14T22:16:00.001-06:00

Hoping you had a very special Valentines Day! I may, or may not, have gotten all dressed up to post these photo’s on the blog. And I may, or may not, have changed into sweats afterward. HAH. NO, I didn’t change into sweats, but no babysitter = no romantic date for us. I was thinking wine, candles and Breaking Dawn… Craig was thinking PlayStation. Different worlds we are from, I swear. Tis ok, as he came home with roses and chocolate.

BUT I may have thrown a temper tantrum upon hearing the word: PlayStation… and may, or may not, have ruined our Valentines Day… There’s always next year right?!

OH WELL… I have my wine, and he his PlayStation. Our worlds are aligned again.

Us girls had fun this VDay though, mani’s, heart shaped sandwiches, fun VDay art, pink and red mismatched socks… you know, the usual.

# kristanlynn
xoxo

painted toast | getting a picky eater to eat.

2012-02-13T08:17:00.000-06:00

OK, so this is totally not my idea. My friend, Leah, posted a photo of her daughter eating “Painted Toast” yesterday morning on Facebook (one of the reasons why I havn’t deleted it)… I immediately commented and asked her where in the world she got it. She told me that it was just milk and food coloring, in which Taylor painted on. She also mentioned that she found the idea on Pinterest. WHAT! Why have I not seen it… I’m addicted to Pinterest!!!

Within minutes (seconds really!), I had the cups, milk and food coloring out. HAH.

So simple. All you need is:

food coloring
milk (we used vanilla almond milk… I’m sure water would work too, maybe not as good though)
paint brush
bread and toaster

Just add a few drops of food coloring into the milk, hand your little a paint brush and let them have fun.

Pop the toast in the toaster to dry the masterpiece… add butter, and serve.

It was HIT. And I have to say that the vanilla almond milk added an extra yummy factor

A simple way to liven up breakfast a bit. I’m always searching for ways to make things fun for the kids, and this was a great way to turn the ordinary into EXTRAoridinary.
(Maybe painted hearts for a V-Day breakfast in bed for the lover)

Adelyn has been a pretty picky eater lately. She’s been sick, so getting her to eat is like pulling teeth! I knew she’d have a blast with this… and did she ever. We might just have to make a habit out of painting toast on Sundays! Because she CHOWED it! Hmm… I wonder what else we could paint that she would eat?!

How do you get your picky eater to try new foods??

# kristanlynn
xoxo

facebook.

2012-02-12T13:27:00.001-06:00

It’s been awhile since I’ve done a confession post (speaking of, how many of you noticed that I spelt confessions wrong on the left side of my blog?? I surely didn’t, until a reader pointed it out… weeks ago.. and I still havn’t changed it. oops) … so here are some things that I’d tell you if you were here and we were drinking some coffee this AM.

Facebook annoys me. Like to the point I don’t really even get on it anymore. It’s like this popularity contest… not in how many friends you can get, but rather who has the most amazing life, boyfriend, husband, kids… etc…. A friend posted this status yesterday…

“When did marriage become an in your face, "look at us! look at us! we are so in love!!" marketing initiative?! You shouldn't have to prove to the world how happy you are, if you truly are happy.”

AH. Couldn’t have said it better myself. My comment on her status?? “Haha. Love it. It's obvious they're making up for the lack of something.” I totally agree with her statement, and mine. If you are truly happy, you are not boastful, you are not trying to make people envy you. OH you can say whatever you want…. I’m not being boastful, just saying how happy my hubby (ACK) makes me… whatev… we all see through it. I was hesitant to post about this, because I know some people will take this as my jealousy of other’s happiness. Which totally isn’t the case. The fact is, no one is perfect… and when people shout from the rooftops, daily, how perfect their significant other is, it’s like they’re overcompensating for how un-perfect the person really is. Get my drift?? Simple psychology people.

source- left: kyd13 | right: KeepCalmAndStayGold

It got me thinking, I wonder if people read my blog and think these things. I surely hope not. My goal is to be positive here on the blog, but also be real. Lets face it… this post isn’t really all that positive… oh well.. confessions aren’t suppose to be. Right? Anyways… it got me thinking, and I really hope that no one leaves my blog envious, wishing they were me or had my life. (As I’m 100% positive you don’t) While my life is SUPER great (sarcasm)… my goal is to post about relatable topics… not how perfect my kids are, but how un-perfect yet perfect for me they are. Not how perfect Craig and I’s relationship is, but how un-perfect yet awesome we make it.

I also thought about when I post about things like our finances or struggles. and I wondered if you’ve ever left my blog feeling sorry for me/us. GAH! I hope not!! I can’t stand reading those blogs that are all sappy and prey on your heartstrings making you feel sorry for them. Poor pity me. PSHHH. I don’t let myself feel sorry for my hardships.. why the heck would I feel sorry for you. We all have issues. Man, that sounds mean… I swear, I really am a very compassionate person… just sick of all the nonsense! Get a grip.
(Who am I kidding, you probably leave here thinking “Man, her grammar and spelling suck, I’m glad I didn’t go to her school!)

While we were in MI we got to spend some time with long-time family friend. She asked Craig and I when we were finally going to get married. I said “When we can actually go a week with out getting into an argument”. She laughed and said that she has been married over 25 years and still hasn’t had a week like that. Oh how much I love her honesty.

Since we’re on the subject of Facebook… I’d like to touch on another aspect that got my feather’s all ruffled. The posting of false facts. GAH!!! It irks me so much. And I’m seeing it more and more. You are totally subject to your own opinion, but please… don’t use false stats to back it up. Like posting this photo, which has gone VIRAL and stating how amazing you are that you won’t eat meat… or have stopped letting your children eat McDonalds chicken nuggets. THE PHOTO IS FAKE!

image source: fooducate

Well… not really, it’s a real photo, a peek into the process that is called AMR (Advanced Meat Recovery- which is machines scraping the bones clean of any meat, which results in that pink paste.. the FDA ruled this process to be unsafe in beef, but safe for poultry or pork). Stating that McDonalds nuggets (or any other lunch meat, hotdog, etc…) is made this way is nothing short of idiotic! McDonalds chicken nuggets DO NOT look like this. While the nuggets that are mass produced and sold in chain stores could be made in this process… McDonalds nuggets no longer contain “mechanically separated poultry” In fact, the USDA now requires foods that are processed this way to be labeled “containing mechanically separated chicken or turkey” in the ingredients! OH, and also the USDA FSIS also states that no more than 20% of meat in a hotdog can be mechanically separated pork.
So.. here a GENIUS idea… look at the ingredients list of the food you buy. I know all the lunch meat, nuggets and hotdogs in my fridge, right now, do not contain this shit!
I am in no way advocating feeding your children McDonalds… yes, my kids eat it once in awhile. I am advocating, however, to do your damn research before just believing what you read on the internet! Or maybe, just maybe, you could read the article that the image is attached to?!

Are you a FRIENDS fanatic like myself? Do you remember the episode where they bet Chandler he couldn’t make fun of anyone… and then he finally gave in.. let it all out and at the end of his rant, he put his hand out and did that heavy “ahhhh”-like exhale…. like the release of everything that had been bottled up. That is what I’m doing right now…. arms open …. heavy exhale….. ahhh.

Are you wondering why I don’t just delete my Facebook account? C’mon…. what else would I have confessed about; how else would I get my dose of comedic relief?

HAH.

Agree with me?? Or rather, disagree with me?? …. feel free to fill me in on your side of the story. Let’s play nice though… k?

Link up your confession post below. =)

# kristanlynn
xoxo

life in Michigan

2012-02-10T11:59:00.001-06:00

If you’ve been checking in and wondering why I havn’t posted in almost two weeks… I’m sorry. Busy time in the shop, a trip to MI and super duper sick littles. Every one is almost back to normal, and schedules are slowly being put in back into place. It was nice though, no schedule. OH, yes…. so nice.

Our trip to MI was great. We didn’t do much, actually we didn’t really visit with anyone. Three days just isn’t long enough. I’ve learned through the past few years not to make plans, while up there. Things get to hectic and life happens, which means plans sometimes fall through, and I hate to disappoint. So we just go with the flow.

Every night I’d go over the following days events in my head. It usually went something like this:

Wake up around 630 or 7, have breakfast. Everyone shower and dressed. Have small snack and pack bag for the day. Out the door by 10AM.

Hah… yeaaaa. Now here is how it actually goes:

Wake up around 830-9, because we’re an hour ahead in MI and go to bed way past our normal bedtime. Figure out what each one wants for breakfast and most likely calm a temper tantrum. NEED COFFEE. Change smelly diapers, stop every thing because Adelyn has to pee and has to be the center of attention. Go to take a shower but Stone is crying because I left the room. Play cars and princesses. Decide to check my Email. Look at the clock on laptop. IT’S NOON. Where did my morning go?! It’s already lunch time, then nap time. Everyones up around 3, but since it’s an hour (or more) car ride to go see anyone, that puts our ETA about 5PM to get anywhere, which is then dinner time and then bedtime.

Just thinking about it makes my head spin.

Stone got to hang out with his future wife and Adelyn got to spend time with her long distance BFF. It was perfect. Adelyn and Taylor played as if they hung out every day of their life. Adelyn didn’t want to leave, and Taylor locked herself and Adelyn in her room when I said it was time to go “I don’t want Adelyn to go!” . AWE!

We’ll be back up there again in a week, for 2 days… taking care of some stuff. I’m looking forward to it, but dreading it at the same time. The 10 hour car ride is hard on the kids. And when we got home this last time, Adelyn cried. As soon as we pulled into our sub, she started saying she didn’t want to go home, “Lets go back to MI, I want to play with Taylor, and see NaNa and G, I don’t want to go home.”… This went on for about an hour and a half, the sobbing, tears, forceful cry. Until Super Mom chimed in with a “Lets go get a present from the store.” So way past her bedtime, we went to the store and she got to pick out something special. (she ended up picking out an Elmo VDay book and tic tacs, in case your dying in suspense.) On the way there, she whispered to me “Mom, lets just go to MI”… hah, oh dear, if it was that simple.

Poor thing.

# kristanlynn
xoxo

pallets and crates | DIY inspiration

2012-02-01T17:01:00.001-06:00

So I posted the other day about getting organized and finding a spot for everything. Since everyone loved my Suitcase and Ladders post so much, I figured I’d share some crate and pallet finds! Here are some of my pinspirations.

PALLETS:

Left to right:via: SPS | cuartoderecha | NIB | Fine Craft Guild

CRATES:

Top Left: apartment therapy | Bottom Left: Living ETC| Middle: DOOR16 | Right: afton bladet

I really like the idea of stacking crates, maybe putting a divider in and making our own custom sized canvas bins for shoe storage. IDK, but I’m dying to repurpose a pallet into that cute kids bookshelf!! GAH. So many ideas, not enough time/space.

Feel free to share any pallet or crate projects you’ve done.

# kristanlynn
xoxo

the open road.

2012-01-31T14:58:00.001-06:00

via: birdandbloke

This is post is being brought to you from Michigan. I’m currently sitting in my mom’s living room watching the kids play with their uncles matchbox cars. Home Sweet Home. Sipping coffee, watching the snow glisten in the sunlight. Listening to little giggles. (I lied about the snow, there is none, which is why I am overcompensating with photography off Etsy).

I’m going on a few hours of sleep. We drove through the night. Side note: I wanted to leave today. And while we’re on the subject of side notes and driving. I mentioned several times I wanted to leave this morning, reason being that my eyes SUCK at night, I have light-sensitive eyes and all those headlights make me miserable. On top of that, I get really bad migraines once the sun sets. Of course Craig said that he’d drive, and I had nothing to worry about. An hour into our trip, he’s pulling over to rest. As soon as the car stopped, Stone started waking up, fussing. So, guess who drove the rest of the way. I’m not sure why my advice is never taken, but I’m always right.

via: violetdart

I’ve made this trip a million times. Pretty much every other weekend in my late teens early twenties. I loved the drive. When I got behind the wheel last night, I couldn’t remember why I loved driving to and from TN so much then. It took me until we crossed the Michigan state line, but I remembered. There isn’t much to do when driving by yourself, or with everyone sleeping, just time to think. 9 hours of just you, your thoughts and the open road.

via: HumboldtStreet

I thought about life, decisions, upcoming events, my shop and this blog. What I found was clarification. Much needed clarification. Once I crossed the line into Michigan, thoughts turned to dreams, ideas and inspiration. I’ve been really struggling lately with how I offer sponsorship on this blog, I’ve even played with the idea of ending sponsorship all together, because I havn’t found a way that I feel comfortable with. But I finally have a solution, Sponsorship will be changing over the next few months, the way shops/blogs are introduced and giveaways are handled will be totally new, and not like most blogs you see. This will not effect those who have already purchased sponsorship, and if you would like to be showcased the way other sponsors are now, you might want to email me about reserving a spot soon, because once the sponsorship page is updated, there’s no going back.

detroit skyline via: AlannaPfeffer

I’ve been lacking on my confession posts. I started to feel pressured, which made me retreat. BUT I’m dying to get back into them, share some of myself with you, again. There are a lot of things I have not blogged about, things from my past that have molded me and shaped me into the person I am today. Things I am ashamed of and some things I have never said out loud. So be patient with me while I work up the courage to let you in on a darker side of me. We all have a past; we all have a darker side. While I may not be proud of my decisions, I am proud of the woman I have become. The decisions of my past has brought me into my present. For that I am thankful.

I’ve also decided to start vlogging… oh yea baby. My goal is one a month. The first one will be a Q & A. It’s hard to really know someone when you’re just reading words, especially because I use body language like WHOA while talking…. plus I love the interaction I get from all you readers. So shoot me your questions, via comment, email, Facebook or twitter and get to know me and my personality on a different level. Make sure you leave your name and blog/shop so you get a shout out or just sign anonymous, if you do not want your name mentioned.

winter storm rolling in over lake superior via: LJSladekPhotography

And in case you’re wondering, you can still order cards for Valentines Day! I built up all my stock before heading to the mitten, it’s all packed with me, so your orders will still being processed while I’m here. =)

via: CAPow

I swear, I’ve fallen in love with the beauty of Michigan all over again. Going through Etsy and searching for “Michigan Photography” and “Detroit Photography” had me swooning. Home. Sweet. Home.

# kristanlynn
xoxo

This post was sponsored by Polkadot Pretties, so be sure to check her out.

spring cleaning.

2012-01-29T09:41:00.001-06:00

I can’t do it. All morning, I’ve walked into Adelyn’s room, garbage bag in hand… look around and that’s it. My chest starts to feel heavy and my body gets tingly, so I walk out.

The plan is to clean out all the toys. All the things that are no longer played with. We need to make room. Since my sister took over Stone’s room, his crib is in ours, but all of his toys are in with Adelyn. It’s a disaster zone.

I don’t know why it’s so hard, I know they won’t miss the toys. Each toy represents something, either a gift, hand-me-downs or special big sister presents. Things she hasn’t played with in months. Infant toys he hasn’t touched ever.

Saying good bye to babyhood. It’s hard.

flower clip: c/o Treena Bean

I don’t know what to do with the toys. I’ve always just dropped off clothes and other things at Goodwill. Which I think is great. But Goodwill charges for people to buy these things. I want these toys to go to a family in need, a family that can’t afford to even shop at Goodwill, because lets be honest… there are families worse off than us, and some things at Goodwill are too overpriced for me.

February is going to be a month of organizing. Spring cleaning a tad early. Out with the old, in with the clean and organized. I’m at peace when everything has a place, and lately, nothing has a place. There is just too much stuff in this house, I look around, and it looks a mess… even though it was just cleaned. Every closet in this house is filled and over flowing, our attic might cave in on us.

So with our tax money this year, after paying ahead our bills, I will be scouring every thrift store searching for storage solutions, I have a million ideas thanks to Pinterest, it’s just finding the right pieces for the right price.

In the mean time, tell me, how do you keep your house organized? What storage options have worked best for your house. What about the kids rooms?

Hope you had a fabulous weekend, or week, as I’m not sure when you’re reading this.

# kristanlynn
xoxo

one shirt, two looks | day and night | what I wore

2012-01-26T08:46:00.001-06:00

Night outfit: Skirt: (tube dress) WetSeal | Belt: F21

From playing with the kids to date night in 5 mins. I love the simplicity, combing a flowy top with comfy pants during the day, then throwing on a fun skirt for the evening to liven things up. If you stopped by my house any day of the week, you’d probably see me in outfit #1. I am most definitely not strutting around the house all dressed up every day of my life, just so we’re clear. I think it’s important to get out of your routine sometimes though, to put on something pretty and feel girly. Especially when you’re a SAHM, life can become a bit routine, you shouldn’t lose yourself to sweat pants.

# kristanlynn
xoxo

dual giveaway

2012-01-25T08:31:00.001-06:00

(wear my ring ALL the time!)

blog | shop | facebook

gnomes are seriously the cutest… EVER!

blog | shop | facebook

RULES: Follow, favorite and/or Like by clicking on above links. Leave a separate comment for each.

Good Luck.

# kristanlynn
xoxo

Ends January 31st 2012 1159PM

Warm Fuzzies DIY | a guest post

2012-01-23T08:20:00.001-06:00

I’m so excited to have Janae from Letter 4 guest posting today. These girls are nothing short of amazing and so humble! You might have seen them on Martha Stewart (dying from jealousy over here!!!).

Hey there adelynSTONE readers! We're excited as ants on a cracker to introduce ourselves here today.

We are The Letter 4. A blog of 4 sisters with all different talents and tastes. We grew up so close to one another and our blog has been a way for us to feel close to each other again despite living far apart. The oldest is Julianna, who likes to craft and cook. Next is Jade who is our expert chef. Then there is Jamie who is the designer/printable maker of the blog. And last there is the baby of the family, Janae. She is our style guru and is always sharing hair tutorials. You can link up your style related posts to our What I Wore Link Party every Wednesday.

Today Janae is sharing with you a family favorite.

Today, I am introducing one of my life savers to you. A homemade warm fuzzy. Just a bundle of microwavable warmth that puts a smile on my face. Whenever I don't feel so swell or I'm just cold at night, this thing works miracles! I have a million and one in my room. It's seriously one of my most treasured things I've ever made in my life. hahaha

What's neat about it, is that you can personalize it! Get some fabric and draw any shape you want!

Cut out a front and back that match up. Put them together so that the back side of the fabric faces out and sew around it. DON'T forget to leave a small hole.

Turn it inside out...

Fill it up with rice, wheat, beans, barley, oatmeal...whatever you prefer or have on hand. You can also make it have a pleasant aroma by adding peppermint oil, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, lavender...again, whatever you prefer.

Sew up the hole, stick it in the microwave for a minute or two, and there you have an easy made miracle worker. Your own warm fuzzy!

Jamie and I made the heart as a Valentine warm fuzzy. My personal favorite and most used one is Pearl, my whale that I created. The square one is Julianna's that is filled with wheat and peppermint oil. Genius.

Stop by our blog and say hi! Or you can visit us on our Facebook Page!

Thanks for having us on your fabulous blog today Kristan!!!

The pleasure was all mine Janae!

xoxo

trichotillomania | a guest post

2012-01-22T09:41:00.001-06:00

Hiya ladies and gents!

It's me again, Annelise, from Aunie Sauce.

When I first came in contact with Kristan, she asked me this basic question,

"What made you start blogging?"

Oh wow... such a simple question. But I did not give her a simple answer. I replied back,

"Honestly, I began because I have trichotillomania. I blog about it here. It's the disorder of pulling out your hair... I pull my eyelashes (which used to be my best feature) and my eyebrows.

After beginning that blog, I added a nail blog, then a 365-day hair project blog, and now I'm blogging for fun on Aunie Sauce as well. It takes a lot of time but I really love it. I just like to put stuff out there and write."

In that small reply back to her, I told her one of my deepest and darkest secrets.

That I have trichotillomania.

Most people don't know what it is.

Surprisingly, Kristan did.

She replied right back and asked me to guest post about it.

It was probably that moment that I threw up in my mouth a little bit.

See, talking about your biggest insecurity, secret and downfall is not something that most people like to do.

It's not a comfortable topic.

But for me, I knew I had to.

It just felt right.

So... about trich (trick).

It's the disorder of pulling out your hair.

Most people pull their scalp hair,

whereas I focus on my eyelashes and eyebrows.

At one point in time about 2 years ago, I didn't have a single eyelash or eyebrow.

You're probably thinking, "Ouch! Doesn't that hurt?"

The answer? NOPE.

Not in the slightest.

In fact, it feels really good.

Pulling releases endorphins, such as serotonin, that make people happy.

So unfortunately, it's horrible because it makes me look ugly, and it feels really, really good.

A few years ago, I was really struggling.

I was depressed. Lonely. So down on life.

And then I began blogging.

I told myself that even if not a single person read my blog,

I needed to put my issues out there for the world to see so I could hold myself accountable.

And now? Now I have readers from all over the world who suffer from trich.

I get emails from Madagascar, China, and the U.S. of A.

So many emails.

People reaching out to say, "Thank you. Thank you for blogging. Thank you for putting your struggles and triumphs out there. Thank you for helping me realize I'm not alone."

See, more likely than not, you know someone with trichotillomania.

And they probably don't even realize they have it.

It is a disorder that can overtake, and destroy, your life.

I've seen counselors. Been on medication. Gone to hypnotherapists... and now I'm currently going to acupuncture.

Slowly I'm beginning to realize that the only way I can stop the pulling, the urges, and my depression is within myself.

ME.

Recently, I have begun embracing my trich.

I am constantly thinking of new methods to help stop my pulling.

I've also learned that overcoming trich comes with learning a lot about yourself.

Trich has taught me 5 very important things.

Bravery, courage, humility, integrity and pride.

Each of those qualities is ESSENTIAL to moving forward in life, and progressing above and beyond this disorder.

If I can do it, the person who you may know can do it, too.

Anyway... I thought I'd share just a bit of what goes on behind the scenes @ Aunie Sauce.

I learn new things every day, and I hope this post gave you a little insight into something new, as well.

If you know anyone who pulls their hair, obsesses about their eyelashes, or who even could use some help, send them my way. I can also be reached anytime at my email here.

Kristan-

Thanks again for letting me overhaul your blog for the day.

I hope I am able to touch at least one person with this story of mine.

Because it's a big one. A true one. And one that needs to be shared.

You are very welcome Aunie! I am honored to shed some light on this topic!! So THANK YOU for sharing.

It’s been awhile since I’ve done the confession link up. So here it goes, again. Do you have a confession, big or small… link it up below.

# kristanlynn
xoxo

possible.

2012-01-19T19:39:00.001-06:00

.
my thoughts are possible.
my hopes are possible.
my dreams are possible.

I am possible.

if there is a will, there certainly is a way.
i promise. maybe not the way you intend, but there is.
it is possible.

stay positive, friends.

# kristanlynn
xoxo

cobalt and mustard | what I wore

2012-01-19T10:30:00.001-06:00

Shirt: PacSun | Skirt: Hollister | Tights: PacSun | Belt: F21 | Boots: c/o sister’s closet

Want to know how I got this look? Well, for starters, totally scored that top for $1.80, on sale and then 70% off (same with the tights!!). The shirt isn’t really my style, super wide and cropped… it engulfed me! But I loved the color and stripes! The skirt is actually a knee length skirt.

What to do with a cropped shirt and knee length skirt? Pull them together and secure with a belt! Add bright tights and fun boots.

What do you think? The look, the colors? Would you rock it?

# kristanlynn
xoxo

BTW, looking to spruce up your wardrobe with a few new pieces? If you havn’t been to the mall… go, today! Crazy deals and steals in every store, they’re trying to clear out the winter stock.

Linking up with the Pleated Poppy and the Letter 4

internet strike.

2012-01-18T13:12:00.001-06:00

via: sopastrike

Are you wondering what all this talk about the strike is?? Read a great article explaining what is going on here.

Don’t let them take away your right to voice your opinion!

Sign the petition via Google here and write congress here (the letter is already written, you just fill in your info.) See a full list of participants here, including Google, Twitter and Wikipedia. Use Twitter to help spread the word using hashtag #SOPAstrike

# kristanlynn
xoxo

a dose of Aunie Sauce with a side of giveaway.

2012-01-17T08:31:00.001-06:00

hELLO adelynSTONE beauties! My name is Annelise, though I prefer to go by Aunie, because my name is kind of hard to say.

Think Monalisa... so it's Ah-nah-lis-ah. Not so bad, right? I blog over at Aunie Sauce. I also have 3 other blogs (count 'em 1, 2, 3) ... but I'll be back to talk about those later.

OK--> So why am I here? To toot my own horn of course! Basically, I'm here to tell you all about how amazing I am...Well, that's true, right? I'm supposed to try to tell you all sorts of magical things to get you to come visit my blog. Unfortunately, I'm really not all that cool. I don't DIY, I'm not a mom so I don't have tons of cute baby pics (though I do often post about my bearded dragon, Dobby), I don't cook, so no fun recipes... BUT-- I do post about my crazy, quirky life, photos that show off my awkward sense of style, and I've even been known to write a few poems. But hey, that's nothing compared to the sauce I've got cookin' the rest of the time. ANYWAYYYY... How about some incentive to come over and visit me? You got it. I'm giving away a large 200x200 ad space for the month of February!!

MANDATORY ENTRY: Be a follower of Aunie Sauce

EXTRA ENTRIES:

Follow @aunieSAUCE on Twitter
Follow Aunie Sauce on Bloglovin'
Share this giveaway via Facebook and or Twitter.

Giveaway ends January 23rd 2012 11:59PM

hanging pictures

2012-01-16T22:57:00.001-06:00

Twine + Mini Clothespins = easy and interchangeable photo display.

I hung this birthday banner last month, then made the another one that said Merry Christmas. I liked the way it filled the corner, added a bit of fun to the room, but I was kind of over the bunting banner for now. When it was time to take down all of the Christmas decorations, I was left to brainstorm a way to re-incorporate the corner into our home. Insert above photo. LOVE.

Easily change out old photo’s for new ones. Add another line of twine for extra photo’s. ETC. I didn’t even print them on photo paper, just plain ole cardstock… okok… premium cardstock.

Here’s a new favorite just added:

Everyone wants me to get his hair cut. NO WAY! I’m totally diggin’ the shaggy look. HAH. He’s such a HAM! and is FINALLY walking… like actual walking. And learning new sounds. He’s a lover, oh man is he a lover. Knows the way to his Momma’s heart, and has me wrapped around his chubby fingers.

Tomorrow is our last day with my parents. Once again, I have yet to take a picture! I am determined to make up for that tomorrow, and add some new favorite photo’s to my new photo corner.

Is it weird that I have pictures hanging from twine, and empty frames on the wall over?? A frame wall and a photo corner. Please tell me you get it. That I am not alone. hah.

Note: my blogging schedule is all outta whack! But hey, I’m going with it baby. One day you might think you’re gonna get a fabulous outfit.. but you might just get a DIY. Be patient with me, and kind.

# kristanlynn
xoxo

Rant: I’m thinking about putting a disclaimer in my header. Something that reads a little like this:
Oh, hello. You don’t like blogs with bad grammar, dry sarcasm, over edited photo’s or mis-spelled words?? UH OH!! Read at your own risk.

Valentines Décor | inspiration

2012-01-15T11:11:00.001-06:00

So, We have been busy, painting, cutting, punching out hearts and coloring, all in preparation of Valentines Day. The only problem is that I have yet to hang them all up… so I thought I would share with you where I found my inspiration.

NOTE: Most of these links lead to DIY/Tutorials for the image. Other’s are just inspiration pictures that I seen and tried my hand at duplicating.

via: a beautiful mess

via little birdie secrets

via grace and light

via srm stickers

via the idea room

via eighteen25

via pinterest

So cute right!? I can’t wait to finally get the time to hang every thing up!!
But thanks to all of you lovelies, I’ve been busy with Valentines orders from the greeting card shop.

Plus my parents are in town, with an addition of one of the sister’s friends. We have a house full!!! 6 adults and 3 kids… save me?? Just kidding. I’m a happy girl right now, family makes everything perfect!

Happy crafting!
Oh, and incase you didn’t notice a theme… I’m currently obsessed with putting everything on a piece of string. LOL. Banners are taking over my life.

# kristanlynn
xoxo

life is full of rainbows and happiness.

2012-01-12T16:34:00.001-06:00

via Pinterest

I love this quote! It’s so fitting these days. It seems that it’s been raining a lot lately. GAH!

Today I seen this in action. The sadness.. the tears, and then the rainbow at the end, the happiness exuding from her.

I took Adelyn to check out her new pre-school. I was an emotional, sobbing mess trying to sleep last night. She, on the other hand, was very excited. When we got there, the owners greeted us like we’ve been friends for years. Seriously.. not missing a beat. When we walked into the pre-school room, Adelyn’s eyes got real big, she looked at me and said “oh Mom, FRIENDS!” haha. Then got down and ran to play with her new friends, like the big girl she is. Not even caring when I told her I was going to go look around while she stayed. The owners and I decided to let her stay for a few hours through lunchtime to see how she did. She did great. My little, big, girl is all grown up. When I arrived to pick her up, the look on her face was priceless, so happy to see me, so excited to tell me about her new friends. She can not wait to go back.

I’m sad, but oh so happy. She loved it, she needed it. She needs it. The interaction, structure, the learning alongside her peers, she drinks it in.

Bittersweet.

# kristanlynn
xoxo

Be the Change and Shine | Donating to a Cause

2012-01-10T11:51:00.001-06:00

Wednesday, January 11th 2012, all sales from my greeting card shop will be donated to the Shine Project. Just in time for Valentines day. So, go buy your lover a Valentines Day card [or any other card(s)] and know that you are donating to a great cause! Just enter SHINE in the Notes to Seller.

We all have dreams. Some big and some small. A lot of the times we feel like they are out of our reach. Whether it’s finances, jobs or just life in general, something always seems to get in the way. Most of the time it is ones self that stands in the way of ones dreams. I am so excited to introduce you to Ashley LeMieux from The Shine Project. She had a dream. If you havn’t heard about The Shine Project, it’s a movement to help you SHINE through helping others, bringing the Pay It Forward movement to a whole new level. Here’s Ashley to tell you a bit more about the idea behind The Shine Project:

The Shine Project encourages change and going out of your comfort zone through doing hard things and bringing light to people around you. We give you support and motivation to finally go after that goal that's been in the back of your mind for far too long, and help you see that more happiness can be obtained while helping others reach their potential as well.

We sell Shine Shirts and necklaces to remind you of your daily purpose to SHINE here, and proceeds from each product sold goes into The Shine Scholarship Project; Our non-profit formed to send at-risk youth to college. We will be going around the country this year to get you more involved in your communities, with our first stop being Dallas on February 25th, and San Diego on March 24th. We'd love to see you there. Challenge yourself, join the project, and Go Ahead, let the world see you SHINE.

Isn’t she just amazing! You can read more about how The Shine Project got started and a recap of the last year here. Don’t forget, January 31st is the Be the Change event; Wherever you are, make it a point to do one random act of kindness for someone else. It can be small, or big, but commit yourself to being the change. Imagine if every person who is affected by Be The Change, pays it forward?!

I had first heard of Ashley about 4 months ago. And after getting to know her and her story through her blog, I’ve been trying to think of some way to help her achieve her goal. With Valentines Day approaching, and quite a few new VDay cards in the shop, I figured it would be an easy and fun way to get you involved. So go pick out some of your favorite cards from my shop. Then tomorrow January 11th 2012 make your donation by making a purchase. Don’t forget to leave the word SHINE in the Notes to Seller at checkout. All proceeds are being donated directly to The Shine Project.

I’m dying to bring some SHINE to Nashville. What do you think Nashvillians?

# kristanlynn
xoxo

Honey Pot {Pet Studio} Giveaway

2012-01-09T07:25:00.004-06:00

Honey Pot {Pet Studios} is pretty much your one stop shop for all your unique pet gifts, new fun items are added weekly. They offer a wide range of pet products nationwide. Which are uniquely designed, hand selected, tested and catered to you with materials of the highest quality standards.Their products are eco-friendly and handmade, made in the U.S.A. and Canada. Above are two of my favorite items, I’m not even a pet owner, and it was hard for my to narrow it down! Be sure to check out their site, everyone knows a dog/cat lover.
What you will win:

Pet Mess Solution kit includes: 32 oz. Multi Enzyme (GREEN) Carpet Spotter, 16 oz. Pet Head grooming product (choice of dog or cat product). Basket. Micro fiber blotting towel, Yellow cleaning gloves, Carpet hand brush.
Plush Toy (up to 5.99 value)
Happy Apple Snaps Dog Treats: Which use organic ingredients and are wheat, corn and soy free.No artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Made in the USA
$10 gift card: to use as you wish

How to Enter: Fine Print: This Giveaway is for US and Canada residents ONLY.
Mandatory Entry: Like Honey Pot {Pet Studios} on Facebook.
Extra Entries:

Visit their site and tell me your favorite product.
Follow their blog on bloglovin.
Tweet/Facebook about this giveaway.

Be sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do.

GOOD LUCK!

# kristanlynn
xoxo

Giveaway ends January 15th 11:59pm Winner will be chosen at random. This is a sponsored giveaway, all opinions are 100% my own.

happiness brought to you by glasses and babes

2012-01-08T11:58:00.001-06:00

I’m a bit addicted to these glasses. Especially on little faces.
I want to blow these pictures up as big as I can and hang them every where!
I can’t help but smile every time I glance at those pictures. Something about oversized glasses and small chubby cheeks. OH MY!

Stone’s addicted to them too. He loves wearing them, and actually kind of starts to throw a tantrum when you try to take them away. The last few days have been busy. Adelyn turned three on Friday. THREE! And Stone decided that he wants nothing to do with nursing. Literally, one day he’s nursing 5-6 times and then next day he will not nurse. (insert crying, lonely, unneeded momma here).

On a happier note, I’d like to share a status from a friends Facebook that really got me thinking:

My yoga teacher-"if you can't reach your foot, it's not a problem unless you make it a problem... So just so we're clear, it's a made up problem." Ahhh, I love the yogi state of mind!

Isn’t that the truth. I mean…. such a simple way of thinking and living. Happy. Peaceful. So many things in our lives are made up problems.

The first week of 2012 in Instagrams:

Instagram: @kristanlynn

# kristanlynn
xoxo

bump it with no “bump it” | hair volume tutorial

2012-01-07T02:00:00.000-06:00

OK. So I get a tone of emails asking about my hair. Actually… even random people ask me how I do it all the time. My sister does her hair the same way, and is also ALWAYS complimented on her hair and asked how she does it, so here ya go. (you are welcome)

NOTE: I am NO hairdresser. hah. This is simply me sharing my hair routine.

I have super fine hair. Baby fine.And it has NO natural volume to it whatsoever. If I just blow dry it… it’s stick straight and flat to my head. I know that my hair looks thicker but it’s just all the teasing (ratting) I do to my roots. So here is how I get my volume.

FYI: I don’t use any product in my hair. Just shampoo and conditioner and it’s then it’s blown dry upside down.

There are 3 steps to the tease.

Step 1- Tease… I mean really tease… like RAT THAT SHIT. hah. Take your layer, put the comb at your root, and tease atleast 5 times, move the comb up a little bit, and do the same thing. You want about 3-4 inches teased, depending on your length. This is a crucial step, if you’re not teasing right, it won’t stay. (the Sister read through this to make sure I didn’t leave out anything and she made me put an extra emphasis on the teasing… see.. it’s important!)

Step 2. Spray a bit of hairspray onto your tease.

Step 3- Shoot it with the blow dryer to dry the hairspray.

I start with the crown, usually do 3-4 layers. Then move onto the front 3-4 layers. After I’m done… it looks a bit crazy. Totally ok. Grab your trusty flat iron and smooth everything, root to end (making sure to pull straight up at the root for added lift).

That’s pretty much it. Once every thing is smoothed out play with the pieces, you may have to go back in and tease a few random stubborn layers. Spray your whole head with hairspray. You’re done.

Whether it’s being worn down, being curled or put in a pony… my hair is always styled this way first.

I’ve tried so many volumizing products and they all tend to make my hair look and feel gross, plus they weigh my hair down like whoa. I love Big Sexy Hair products, but since $20 hairspray isn’t in my budget right now, Tresemme is the best cheap hairspray for this job.

You can see more pictures of my hair in my what I wore posts.

# kristanlynn
xoxo

DIY Stain Remover.

2012-01-06T02:00:00.000-06:00

See that stain on the left. Well… our floor is COVERED in those little spots. Sippy cups are not leak proof, and they are every where. Combine that with Craig walking through with his shoes on and you’ve got a juice/mud stain that really isn’t all that easy to get out.

A few weeks ago, I cleaned the carpet, like hands and knees scrubbed it two days in a row. It looked GREAT, but cost $30 for the cleaner and only lasted a few days with the kids. (Not to mention that $30 of cleaner barely covered our tiny living room). The other day a friend told me about vinegar and dish soap as a carpet cleaner, so I figured I’d try it. OMG. It worked better than any other carpet cleaner I’ve ever used.

Ingredients:

1 C hot water
1/2 TBSP White Vinegar
1/2 TBSP Clear Dishsoap.
Bowl and Washcloth

Combine the ingredients into a bowl. Dip a wash rag into it and blot the stain. That’s it… just blot it a few times and watch it disappear!
There is a slight vinegar smell.. but after an hour it wasn’t even noticeable.

Am I the only one that didn’t know about this magical concontion?? No way, how the heck is Resolve still in business?!

Happy cleaning.

# kristanlynn
xoxo

thinking

2012-01-05T02:00:00.000-06:00

via: pinterest

Sometimes we think too much. Sometimes, thinking keeps our dreams from coming true.

Sometimes you just gotta go with the flow, baby.

via: pinterest

May 2012 be the year all your dream come true. Stop over-analyzing. You can do anything… I promise.

# kristanlynn
xoxo

freshly squeezed orange juice | wordless wednesday

2012-01-04T02:00:00.000-06:00

# kristanlynn
xoxo

nerdy fashion | what I wore

2012-01-03T02:00:00.000-06:00

OK. So I raided the sisters closet for this outfit… actually, I’ve been doing this a lot lately. hah. I was going for comfort, nerdy fashion. Glasses. Check. Sweater vest. Check. The sister doesn’t like these glasses, I love them. I had an older lady compliment them while thrifting. Nic said it’s because they were the style back in her day. LOL. I have to admit, people do stare at me while I wear them, I think they are wondering “is this girl for reals yo”. OH well… I tend to be an attention whore, so the staring doesn’t bother me. (just kidding…. kind of)

What do you think? Ya dig the four-eyes look?? I need new prescription lenses and I’m really thinking about getting some like these! Maybe another pair for days I don’t feel like making a fashion statement.

# kristanlynn
xoxo

Linking up with the Pleated Poppy WIWW.

thrifty finds

2012-01-02T02:00:00.000-06:00

I went to a few local thrift stores the other day and scored some awesome stuff! The best?? A Verde 1.5 Q casserole dish for … wait for it…. $1. Nothing beats Pyrex for $1. We all know my Pyrex love.

Adelyn found that little carousel horse and HAD to have it. She is finally old enough to (somewhat) enjoy shopping. It’s so fun to watch her in thrift stores, full of nonsense, and find something that lights up her face. It’s annoying to have the little old lady that runs it, follow you around. It’s annoying to have the little old lady tell you out of concern that your child “shouldn’t be running because she might hurt herself on some of the corners”… when your child wasn’t running AT ALL nor even walking fast. Adelyn walks like a snail.

Funny Story: Adelyn was on one side of a bookshelf/nook, I was on the other. There were tons of old toys and then a bunch of glass stuff. (c’mon who puts $100 vases next to vintage kids toys!). So I’m looking through all these little trinkets trying to find a music box or something that makes music when you twist it for Adelyn when I hear SMASH. Oh man!! I ran over there to see what it was, feeling like I was going to die because we can barely pay rent let a lone afford a broken $100 vase. It was just one of those mini ceramic painted masks that were so cool back in the day. Thank goodness.

Anyways, I want to find little nooks of old towns, little thrift stores full of history and drink them up. I think it’s important. Ya know how people say you should buy a dog from the pound instead of a breeder? Well I totally agree with that and I think we should start to apply that thinking to shopping too. We all go out and buy so much NEW stuff, when it’s already out there, abandoned, waiting for us to find it.

This was foreign to me for a long time. Shop at Goodwill… you’re joking right? Mom is the type… well.. that you just would not find shopping at Goodwill. I don’t think it’s because she’s too good, but rather that other’s need it more than her. OK, maybe it is a little bit of the first one too. HAH. I don’t know, there was always this stigma that came with shopping at the thrift store while I was growing up. Not just in my household, but all around me. You’d hear kids snicker about another student “OMG, don’t talk to her/him, she shops at Goodwill”. Like it was a bad thing; shopping at thrift stores meant you are poor. Man, how I wish I could go back and SLAP those girls. But I’m changing, and I hope I’m inspiring other’s that have/had my thinking to change with me.

Have you been thrifting lately? What do you look for when you go? I try not to have a specific thing in mind when I go in, but I always find myself spending way to much time in the dishes. Searching for vintage patterns and pretty Pyrex.

Anyone in middle Tennessee that knows of a must-go-to spot?

# kristanlynn
xoxo

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T22:46:00.001-06:00

Image was created using Red Stamp app on iPhone.

I do not have a resolution this year. Actually, now that I think about it… I have never really had one. This year I have goals though. Creative goals I hope to accomplish.

Crochet my first Afghan. (I’m crocheting at least 1 granny square per day)
Make a quilt out of Adelyn and Stone’s baby clothes.
Make 2 gifts per month. This way, when Christmas comes, I will not feel overwhelmed and will have something for everyone in the fam.
Design and make more of my own clothing.
Learn to knit.
Soak up as much knowledge as possible about photography. Maybe take a class.

And my last goal isn’t really a creative one, but super important to me. It is to buy each child one gift per month and put it away. This Christmas was really hard on us and I don’t want to go through that again.

2011 has been one amazing year. I opened my shop and started this blog. I’m sort of sad to see it go. But super stoked to see what 2012 has in store! Thank you so much for being a part of my journey!

Check out some of 2011’s most popular posts:
1. DIY Clean Eyes 2. Redecorating by Repurposing 3. Fabric Tutu(orial) 4. Citrus Salt Scrub 5. Mason Jar Love 6. The Best Play Dough Recipe 7. Mud Scrub 8. Dream Catcher’s 9. Pumpkin Bread Recipe 10. Burlap Banner Tutorial

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

# kristanlynn
xoxo

Oversized Cowl | the pattern

2011-12-29T13:20:00.001-06:00

Cowls are all the new rage. Huh?

I received an overwhelming response to this one I made from my last post. Ya’ll wanted to know how I made it. So here ya go. It’s super easy!!!

Material:

2-3 skeins of super bulky yarn. I used almost 3 of Lion Brand Aspen Tweed
N hook

Directions.
Please note. While I’ve crocheted for years, I still consider myself a newbie and do not write patterns. So please be kind. hah.

Chain 56 + 4. Turn
Skip the first 3 chains. Work a puff stitch into the fourth chain. Then into every other chain. When you get to the end of row, Ch 3, turn and repeat until you get the height you like. I did 13 rows.
Use a slip stitch to connect the ends, turning it into a cowl.
Weave in ends and you’re DONE!

I searched for a good video to show you and finally found one of this stitch being done here. It’s very helpful to those just starting out in crochet. If my directions don’t make sense, they should when you watch that video.

Enjoy. Wishing you all nothing short of the best for 2012!!!

# kristanlynn
xoxo

Note that Chain is hyperlinked. That is a great video tutorial on how to get started crocheting. It really is easy as pie.

our week | in instagram

2011-12-26T23:35:00.001-06:00

oh, hey there. long time no ~~talk~~ blog!

We’ve been busy, please forgive me. I’ve been enjoying baking, crocheting, Starbucks, shopping, Mani’s by Adelyn Grace, slobbery kisses from Stone and just plain-ole family time! It’s the holidays, so I knew you wouldn’t mind not hearing from me for a few days.

I know you are totally jelly of my mani! I’d offer up her talent, but I may have to check with the Child Labor Laws. BTW, that babycakes is pure genius!!!

Hope your Christmas was merry! And that 2012 is the best year of your life!!!!

# kristanlynn
xoxo

P.S. I’ll be in and out the rest of the week. Hoping to get back to normal posting after the New Year. BTW, This is the first time I’ve opened my laptop in a week. If you’ve inquired about sponsorship, know that I am working on emailing all of you back!!

baking | a confession

2011-12-18T12:51:00.001-06:00

Truth be told, writing this confession post is the furthest thing from my mind. I’d rather be baking Christmas treats and gluing sparkles to paper with my girls!

I say baking, but is it still considered baking when every thing I am making is NO-BAKE?? I say YES. But you Culinary Queens will probably frown upon that. ‘Tis ok, though. I never proclaimed to be an artist in the kitchen. AND… no bake IS kind of the same thing as baking. It’s mixing ingredients just right, and instead of putting them in the oven, you just put them in the freezer. Ah, yes… baking is what I am doing…. so I’m off to bake, or not bake.. whatever.

Recipe for cake batter bites w/ sprinkles is here.

Bow made from this tutorial.

Confession: All the Christmas treats I’ve made this holiday are no- bake. AND they are all melt in your mouth amazeballs. Literally… balls of yummy goodness.

# kristanlynn
xoxo

Link up your confessions below:

Cake Batter Bites | a recipe

2011-12-16T18:45:00.001-06:00

So, as I was getting my daily fix of Pinterest (yesterday), I came across these bad boys! WHAT?! I had to make them. And I did.

Turns out, they ARE just as yummy as they look!!! If you’re a cake batter lover, you will love this. It has the texture of cookie dough, but tastes like cake batter! ~~The outside turned out to be a little bit too hard for my liking, but they were still amazing~~!!Edit: I had put them in the freezer to harden, don’t do that. hah… That is why the outside was so hard.

They were super easy, and fast. Maybe an hour at most.

Here’s the recipe by The Girl Who Ate Everything (She’s got some great recipes!)

Cake Batter Bites:

1 ½ cups flour
1 cup yellow cake mix
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
3-4 Tablespoons milk
2 Tablespoons sprinkles

Truffle Coating:

16 ounces (8 squares) almond bark (or white candy melts)
4 Tablespoons yellow cake mix
sprinkles

Beat together butter and sugar using an electric mixer until combined. Add cake mix, flour, salt, and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Add 3 Tablespoons of milk or more if needed to make a dough consistency. Mix in sprinkles by hand. Roll dough into one inch balls and place on a parchment or wax paper lined cookie sheet. Chill balls in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm up.

While dough balls are chilling, melt almond bark in the microwave in 30 second intervals until melted. Stir between intervals. Once melted, quickly stir in cake mix until incorporated completely. Using a fork, dip truffles into almond bark and shake of excess bark by tapping the bottom of the fork on the side of your bowl. Place truffle back on the cookie sheet and top with sprinkles. Repeat with remaining balls until finished.

Chill cake batter truffles in the refrigerator until serving. Makes around 24-30 truffles.

Enjoy!! You’re forewarned, that they are addicting. I wrapped some up and took them to the neighbors a long with their Christmas card, I hope they enjoyed.

# kristanlynn
xoxo

it’s not too late! | advent calendar | DIY idea

2011-12-15T14:45:00.001-06:00

Are you like me… and JUST NOW realized you never made an Advent calendar?? Well… that’s ok. Traditional Advent calendars are 25 days… but who the heck is traditional anymore?? It doesn’t matter if it’s 25 days, 10 days or even 5 days… the point is to have fun and give the kids something to look forward too, add anticipation for Christmas Day.

I seen these Advent calendar’s on Etsy, so here is my take!

Easy way:
Hang numbered envelopes from clothespins and twine! That’s it. I mean.. if you’re super limited on time, but wanted to add something fun for the kiddo’s, that’s literally all you have to do… buy some fun colored envelopes and add numbers.

If you want to get all fancy:
And I did, you could make your own envelopes out of Christmas cardstock. I have a scoring board, so this was simple, if you don’t know how to make an envelope, check out this picture.

Note: I didn’t have Christmas cardstock on hand. So I just Googled Christmas paper, and printed off some images that came up. (Is that legal?).

Wondering what to put in side such envelopes?
Here are a few things we did: silly bands, family Wii night, Gingerbread house night, cookie decorating contest, fun stickers, slumber party/movie night. As tradition, the last one will have a note saying where a bigger present is, which of course will be their Christmas PJ’s for Christmas Eve.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

# kristanlynn
xoxo

This post was sponsored by The Shutterbug Eye.

A few favorites | Tis the Season edition

2011-12-14T08:51:00.001-06:00

So I wanted to share some of my favorite things right now. Simple things that make me smile.

My heart is definitely a happy heart lately.

AND, reading this story made my heart swell with even more happiness. Caused the eyes to tear up and that lump in my throat grow. It’s restored my faith in the world my children will grow up in. I hope it inspires you, too.

What simple things have made your heart smile lately?

# kristanlynn
xoxo

These pictures were taken using the Instagram App on my iPhone. My username is kristanlynn, in case you are intrigued.

black and blue | what I wore

2011-12-13T22:02:00.001-06:00

Sweater, Check. Dress, Check. Belt, Check. Tights, Check. Boots, Check.

That’s seriously how I chose this outfit. I just thought of my favorite pieces, and made it work.
The textures, the layers, the mixing of blue and black, a random brown belt. It screamed “this does not match”, but I hushed that voice and went with it.

What do you think? Would you wear this?? How do you feel about blue and black together? I LOVE it, but that could just be me.

# kristanlynn
xoxo

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy WIWW and Momma Go Round RMRS.

The Shutterbug Eye | giveaway

2011-12-13T14:48:00.001-06:00

Hello, I’m Diane owner of The Shutterbug Eye.

My dad developed black and white photos in our basement, which prompted me to take my first photography course in high school and continue on with some photography courses in college. I rediscovered it after becoming a mom and getting a nicer camera. I quickly started photographing everything. Flowers and nature along with my sons sports to start and it just went from there. My dad gave me his old camera equipment, a Nikon d70 and I rediscovered the world of SLR photography only this time in digital. I currently use a Nikon D90 and a variety of lenses from super wide to telephoto and of course a macro for those close ups. I couldn't pick a favorite as it really depends on what you are photographing.

I am also a member of The Artisan Group. I have had a photo pendant and ring included in a gift bag that was sent to Jessica Alba and I have a photo pendant and a small metallic print of "Specimen" included in luxury gift bags being given at GBK's Academy Awards Gift Lounge that precedes the Academy Awards.

I find inspiration in a lot of things. For my art photos it usually is one end of a spectrum. Pretty and peaceful, which is what I aim for with my nature photos whether they are landscapes, macros or animals; or the less sunny side of life which is reflected in some of my urban decay photos, mostly taken in Gary Indiana, and in some, but not all, of my self portraits.

A few tips for photos, whether you use a point and shoot or a dslr:
- Know how to use your camera. Whether it's a point and shoot or dslr, you will only get the best photos if you know how to use the features of the equipment. Read the manual, carry it with you and read about it online.
- Lighting is so important, both the quantity and quality. If you can take your picture outside or open the shades to let in natural light your pictures will be much better than if you use a high ISO or the camera flash.
- When photographing children or pets, don't look down at them to take the picture. Get down on the ground and look them eye to eye to take the picture. In fact the same goes for flowers and any other subject that is low to the ground. Some of my best shots I got while lying flat on my stomach. I also do this for sports, I will sit on the ground for some of the pictures which gives the kids a bigger more impressive stature in the resulting images.
- Take lots of pictures. People are always shocked when I tell them how many photos I take. Unlike film, digital pictures are pretty much free once you have the cards and camera. The more pictures you take, the more likely you'll get that one shot you were going for.

You’re in luck. Diane is offering ONE of you a 5x7 calendar of your choice!
Perfect timing as 2012 is FAST approaching.

Mandatory Entry: Like The Shutterbug Eye on Facebook

Extra Entries:

Add The Shutterbug Eye to your favorites on Etsy.
Check out her Etsy shop and tell me your favorite item
Follow her on Twitter
Tweet and/or Facebook about this Giveaway

Good Luck!

# kristanlynn
xoxo

Giveaway ends December 19th 2011 11:59PM.

burlap, lace, tweed OH MY | packaging bows | a tutorial

2011-12-13T08:27:00.001-06:00

Why buy store-bought bows when you can make the prettiest ones ever? It adds such a nice handmade touch to even store bought presents. AND they are reusable! I seen this post by Jessica and had a light bulb moment!

Material:

Any fabric, ribbon, or even paper
- I used Burlap, ribbon lace and tweed.
Stapler
Needle/Thread
Wall mounting tape.

First you want to cut your strips. You will have 3 Large, 3 Medium, 2 Small and 1 xSmall. Just decrease the length of each size by one inch and the last one by 2 inches.

For example,

Large = 10”
Medium = 9 “
Small = 8”.
xSmall = 6”

I didn’t measure the width, just eyeballed it, but I’d say to keep it around 1/2” to 3/4”

You are basically making a figure eight and securing in the center. Try to make them “skinny” eights rather than “fat” eights. That probably makes NO sense, but as you make them, you’ll see. The “skinny” eights are more pointy on the ends, therefore, looking more like the store-bought bows. (unlike the round ones pictured)

Once you have your 9 strips looped and secured, start stacking one ontop of the other. Start with the Large, ending with the circle in the center. To secure, just throw a couple stitches in the center. You could use hot glue, but I promise… the stitches will hold better, and seems more intimidating than it is.

Take the wall mounting tape (I used 3M), peel one off, hot glue the sticky part and press onto the center bottom.
Note: You can just hot glue them onto your package, I used the tape because I gave a dozen of these as a gift.

That’s it. See, super fast and easy, too!

I’m in love with them. ESPECIALLY the lace! Lace bows = Happy heart!

I made these ones out of fabric and they are just as pretty:

And Adelyn HAD to have one for her hair, so I put one on an alligator clip:

Have fun! Play with different patterns and textures. Group different textures together on one present to make it extra special.

(If you notice the gift receiver tossing the bow into the wrapping paper trash, don’t hesitate, or feel bad, asking for it back. They are too pretty to throw away! hah)

Happy Holidays!!!

# kristanlynn
xoxo

This post was sponsored by Heather @ JustLove.lyThings.

DIY Burlap Pennant Banner | a tutorial | Party Decor

2011-12-09T23:08:00.001-06:00

This is probably the easiest and fastest (yet cutest) birthday banner you could whip up. It took less than an hour. It’s super simple. So if you’re a last minute gal like myself.. here ya go.

Supplies:

Burlap
Paper Letter Stickers (or just letters cut out of cardstock)
Hemp Twine
Mini Clothespin
Sewing machine (and it’s normal supplies)

Let’s craft!

Start by making a pennant template. I did this by folding, and refolding, a piece of plain paper into a triangle, until I got the shape I wanted. Then trace the pennant onto the burlap. One pennant for each letter.

Peel off the backing to each letter and stick in the middle of pennant, then just sew a straight stitch to secure. If you don’t have stickers, you can use stencils and pretty cardstock to make your letters, then just hold in place until secured with the sewing machine.
(I have no idea where these sticker letters came from, they were part of an amazing baby shower gift I received while pregnant with Adelyn. But they are A.W.E.S.O.M.E! They’re like sticky- note letters. hah.)

That’s it. No measuring, no complications.

Then, using the mini clothespins, just pin them onto your twine, and hang. I laid the pennants out and measured the twine that way, to make sure I didn’t cut it too short.

I love it. So simple, but it looks so pretty. You’ll surely get some compliments. I think I might just have to make another one that says Merry Christmas, then another that says Happy New Year… and so on and so on. HAH.

This banner + a bag of balloons is basically all we needed for Stone’s 1st birthday.

# kristanlynn
xoxo

loungin | what I wore

2011-12-09T10:40:00.000-06:00

Shirt: thrifted (bebe)
Tank: Rue 21
Pants: Hollister
Necklace pendant: Lia Sophia
Earrings: Lyn Jewels
Button Ring: retrohipmama
Boots: Muk Luks

The other day I ran some errands with the sister and I had to share an awesome thrift find! That sweater was a total steal @ $3.

Speaking of the sister, I’m super proud of her!! She got accepted into the CNA program here in town. The best part is, they pay for it, and most likely she will have a job when she is certified. GO NIC!!!

What’s your comfort style??

# kristanlynn
xoxo

One Year.

2011-12-09T10:27:00.001-06:00

Mr. Man. Big Head. Stoner Boner. Brother. Prince Charmin’.

Where OH where has the time gone little one! It seems like just yesterday I wrote your birth story. It’s still so fresh in my memory. You’re growing into the sweetest little man I’ve ever met! You’re starting to test the waters, and I can’t help but laugh each time you do. You’re still a baby in many ways though. .Still nervous to take those first few steps on your own. Still nursing like a 3 month old. Still up a million times a night. Still needing to be rocked to sleep. Soon these things will be memories. ONE marks the end of babyhood and the start of toddlerhood. I’m clinging on to the last of these baby moments. The milky morning breath, sweet soft ramblings, the way your butt shakes when you crawl really fast, your chubby baby rolls. I’m breathing it all in, soaking it up. I can’t get enough.

Both kids have birthdays very close to Christmas, but it is my goal to make their birthday special, separate from Christmas. It was just us, like it has always been for Adelyn’s birthdays. That’s another one of the downsides to living so far away from friends and family. Adelyn’s first and second birthday we had invited a few people down here in Tennessee, and when her birthday came and went, we heard nothing. So I’ve decided to make birthday’s a close knit “just us” thing. Until they are old enough for friends to come over.

The one special thing was that Aunt Nic is here to help us celebrate!! And thanks to the technology we were able to Skype with both of our parents for the opening of presents and then for cake.

(he’s HEAVYYYYY! in case you couldn’t tell my my straining face. hah.)

I love you Prince Charmin’.

# momma
xoxo

Ad Swaps and Backlinks | Increasing Pageviews

2011-12-07T02:13:00.001-06:00

This is part 4 in a little blogging series I have going. You can read Part 1 here, Part 2 here and Part 3 here.

Buy this print

I feel that Ad Swaps are important. I love me some paying sponsors, because, well… I havn’t found that damned Money Tree yet, but Ad Swaps are important too. Why you ask? Well… I’m going to tell you. Backlinks are when your site is linked somewhere on the world wide web. Maybe it is a button on a blog that is linked to your site or another blogger who linked to a your blog. Maybe a giveaway you participated in, where your site is linked, or a tutorial someone used in their own post. You see, the internet rates each website on how many other people are talking about it. And the internet knows how many people are talking about your site by the number of backlinks you have. (kind of.. I mean.. that’s the jist of it)

If you have a low ranking, then you will come up pages and pages down in a internet search. But if your blog (or specific post) is backlinked a lot, then you should come up in the first few pages of a search for that topic. (i.e. If you go to Google, and type in mason jar ideas, one of my posts should come up on the first page). I get a lot of traffic from internet searches.

I’ll always offer ad swaps. I’ve had to change how I offer them a few times. As the blog grows, so does sponsorship, and I have to make room for the paying sponsors. But all those ad swaps are important. Even if they are from a lower ranking blog, which is not bringing me much traffic, they are upping my ranking in Google by providing that backlink.

It’s like this: A paying sponsor = money for a service. A swapped sponsor = service for a service. I believe they are BOTH important! And it’s why buying sponsorship is important too, your paying for all those backlinks!!!

Backlinking on your own blog is crucial. It not only helps to increase your pageviews, but it lowers your bounce rate too. See how I linked the 3 other parts to this series above? Those are considered backlinks, they are providing you links back to prior posts of mine. You want to give people reasons to click around your blog. If you have no backlinks for them to click on, or anything on the side of your page linking to favorite posts or pages, then where are your pageviews going to come from? Making sure you have your archive where new visitors can easily see it will help guide them to staying. Getting a linkwithin gadget, so readers can read other posts like the ones they just read (see below).

Backlinks are another great reason why sponsoring giveaways and guest posting is good. Your getting some good backlinks while reaching new readers. WIN WIN. Another great way to get yourself some backlinks is to participate in linkup’s. Participate in forums where you can link to your posts. Etsy has some great teams where you can post your daily posts.
(I’d just like to add that combining giveaways and ad space, like giving away all of your ad spaces, is not a smart move, as you are not getting anything out of it… no money, no service. Giving away one or two is fine, but giving most of them away for free is crazy!)

Don’t know how to create a text link? Highlight the text you want linked, then click the hyperlink button. Most of the time it looks somewhat like a sideways 8.

FYI! Did you know that linking to other sites ups your ranking too?? If your linking to a site that has a high ranking, or linking to a post that a bunch of others are linking to; your post just jumped in it’s ranking.

Thanks so much for following the series. I hope to have shed a little light on some stuff!

# kristanlynn
xoxo

all dressed up | what I wore

2011-12-06T15:08:00.001-06:00

Shirt: Thrifted (F21)
Skirt: F21
Tights: Target
Boots: Charlotte Russe

OK. So this is the outfit I wore to Thanksgiving dinner. I didn’t get any good shots because I was the one behind the camera. So I put it back on the other day and HAD to share it with you. For this reason and this reason only: When I walked out from getting dressed, Thanksgiving day, my brother asked me why I was dressed like a grandma. WHAT! I totally thought I looked cute… but he kept saying that I looked like a grandma.

A few days later, after I put the kids to bed, we went out for a few drinks. He turned 21 over the summer, and I had yet to buy him his first legal drink. When I went to go get dressed, he looked at me and said “Sis, wear something cute, don’t come out looking like a grandma again. Your 26, no 86” HAH! (Isn’t he so charming?!)

What do you think. Do you think I look like I’m dressed as a grandmother?

# kristanlynn
xoxo

Linking up with the Pleated Poppy. Come share your What I Wore post!

a stocking full of JustLove.lyThings | a Giveaway

2011-12-05T11:19:00.001-06:00

Hi loves, I'm Heather from JustLove.lyThings

and I'm so excited to be over here on adelynStone

as a sponsor and a little guest for the day here with Kristan!

I don't actually do many of these guest features too often,

and never know where to start.. so thank you for taking the time to get to know me today.

I have blogged on & off for years, but this last year I started to take it more seriously and just recently

quit doing two of my other passions (professional photography & hairstyling)

to pursue this new adventure with my blog & shop full-time.

You can find me sharing bits about my life in Oregon

which isn't very limited as I talk about anything from my studio work, road trips,

fun daily activities, the ~~beast~~ dog Arthur, life with a traveling helicopter mechanic husband and

occasionally I keep it real (but still positive!) when I talk about my fertility issues.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE taking photos (with camera or with phone, i'm not picky!)

as I'm a firm believer that visuals make everything so much better.

And I love to share my shop with people.... its something that is very special to me.

The shop sort of started on accident and has evolved into something that I only dreamed of.

I've been a creative type for as long as I can remember

so I'm always compelled to make things, seek change, and grow.

What started as a hobby led to opening a shop.

Now I'm anticipating the New Year when I will have my first magazine feature in Seventeen,

and see my products being used in the wardrobe of a show on the CW network called Hart of Dixie.

I will spare you all the details here, as I hope you will become a new fan and follow me over

on my side of the blog/shop world, and instead get to the goods... as in giveaway goods!

Since it's the holidays, I'm offering up a full mini-stocking for one of you.

:::GIVEAWAY GOODIES:::

A set of 2 flower clips, a rosebud ring, a cream bowband and a simply silver braidband!

{GOOD LUCK LOVES, XOXO HEATHER}

Are you as excited as I am?? Here’s how to enter:

Mandatory Entry: Follow JustLove.lyThings on Facebook.

Extra Entries:

Follow the JustLove.lyThings blog
Follow Heather on Twitter
Check out the JustLove.lyThings shop and tell me your favorite item
Share her shop with your friends on FB/Twitter
Share her blog with your friends on FB/Twitter
Share this giveaway via FB/Twitter with the buttons below.

That’s a ton of entries! Just make sure you do the Mandatory entry or all other’s will be void. Make sure you leave a separate comment for each thing you do.

Giveaway ends December 11th 2011 11:59PM.

GOOD LUCK!

# kristanlynn
xoxo

Etsy + West Elm = a Handmade Holiday

2011-12-04T21:21:00.001-06:00

I was recently invited by Etsy to be a part of their Handmade Holiday event held at the local west elm stores around the nation.

It was a huge honor to be hand selected by Etsy admin! I don’t know if it was the holidays fast approaching, or our impromptu trip to Michigan a few days before Thanksgiving, but I forgot about the show. YES! Completely forgot about it!! I had no stock built up, at all. The day before the show, the date hit me, something told me to double check my email to see when the show was, sure enough… it was the following day. OH MAN! Thank goodness for my sister and Craig! They helped so much, cutting cardstock, clipping corners, stuffing envelopes. There is no way I would have been able to pull this off with out their help! AND thank goodness that I didn’t have to create my own space. We were not suppose to bring any outside materials if we could help it. We were to use all west elm props. MAJOR PLUS for un-prepared me!

It turned out great! It was pretty low key, a lot of the people coming in to the store did not even know about the event, they were just there to shop, but almost everyone that passed by the table bought something, and everyone kept raving about the cards. Such an ego boost, which I’ve needed lately!!

I met tons of locals, quite a few fellow Etsians, and even quite a few local bloggers! The employees at west elm are some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met, for the record!!!

It was fun meeting the other bloggers. Letting them go on and on and… ON about their blog, letting them market themselves to me to see how other’s do it. Most were taken back when they finally took a breath and I squeezed in that I was a blogger too, but my blog was still in baby stages. OH and of course I made mention that I just reached a momentous mark of 2 million views in less than a year. (grins)

I had not heard of any of the bloggers I met before hand. When I got home, I checked out some of their blogs. I will just say, that the live persona and web persona was quite different in some cases. Some for the better, some for the worse.

Here’s a shout out to some of the amazing vendors at the Nashville West Elm location!
Pine Street Makery (linocut cards and letterpress), The Shabby Creek Cottage (home accessories and décor), Hummingbird Factory (screen printed goodies) and Peaces of Indigo (artisan jewelry).

They are some pretty amazing shops, so be sure to check them out!!!

Did you visit your local west elm for the Handmade Holiday event?? How was it in your area?

Remember, it’s not too late to place your holiday orders on Etsy!! Most Etsy sellers will ship directly to the intended recipient. Perfect for those out of state friends and family members. Help support your handmade community. We all work super hard.

# kristanlynn
xoxo

Confessions

2011-12-04T12:52:00.001-06:00

Confession: I couldn’t pull off daily life with out my sister!

What did I do when she wasn’t here?! The trip to MI really put me behind on emails and posts. I’ve been scrambling since we got back, trying to get and keep the house in order and get caught up on posts. She helps with the kids and the house so much. She’s taken over the kitchen, and even did ALL the laundry when we got back from our mini vaca. While I’m still behind on getting the house back in order, and still behind on the emails/blog, I can’t imagine how behind I would be without her here!!!

Confession: Worst mom ever!!

Yesterday morning was hard. I cried all morning long. I felt horrible! It was early, and the kids were bugging Nic, who was still sleeping. I went to get them out of her room, set Stone behind me, and was holding Adelyn back while she was trying to go back in. I reached behind the door to lock it, and shut it. I didn’t realize that, in the 10 seconds it took to reach in, Stone had crawled and reached forward. I shut his finger in the door. It was stuck, and the door was locked! “OH MY GOD! OPENTHEDOOROPENTHEDOOROPENTHEDOOR”. I know it didn’t take her long to open it back up, but it felt like forever. an eternity. I didn’t look at his finger at first, I just held him and started crying with him. After a few seconds I looked down, and his pinky looked deformed. It was the tip of his pinky finger. The very tip was normal, but right where that first bend is was flat, like paper thin, and not all the way around. I can’t explain it, but it did not look normal. Which made me cry harder. I though I crushed his little finger. After a few minutes he started to calm down, and I hurried to get breakfast in their bellies, I wanted to take him to the ER. My sister came out and looked at it, told me I was kind of over reacting, that it looks normal now and that he’d be fine. It’s not really swollen, but the underside is bruised, he can move it and touch it without making a fuss. Thank God!

I still feel like shit though!

Confession: You and your “perfect relationship” are annoying! That’s all!
(Please don’t read if you are easily offended!)

Really it’s not. That is not all. I am so sick of people making themselves out to be something they are not. Making their lives out to be something it is not, only to try and make other’s feel bad or ashamed or envious.The difference between your perfect life and mine, is that I let him know when he’s doing something (or not doing something) that bothers me. I don’t make excuses for his attitude, I make him own up to it. Instead of holding it in and having a bitch-fest with the girls. We can have “~~disagreements~~” (lets call it what it is) arguments and grow closer, learn more about one another and realize that through thick and thin, we’re here, not going any where. Loving the other more each day than the day before. And, I’m pretty sure if we self-medicated, by downing a few beers every time the kids got on our nerves, or popping a valium when we’re feeling stressed, our relationship would be just as “~~perfect~~” unhealthy as yours. #endofrant.

My point is, don’t judge your happiness by others. Don’t judge your relationship by others. And most importantly, don’t judge other relationships. Because we each live in our own reality. We each have different wants and needs out of our relationships. What works for some does not work for others. Arguing can be therapeutic and healthy. (we’re talking about healthy arguments here!) It can grow your relationship to the next level, I mean.. really… how well do you know someone who’s never shown you their fangs?

# kristanlynn
xoxo

PLEASE NOTE: I am not condoning abusive relationships! Mental abuse is just as serious as physical abuse! If your arguing has become a habit, is demeaning and you come out of it feeling down about yourself, seek help! There is help out there! If you are unsure or would like to know more about domestic abuse and how to end it, check out Safe Horizon.

Sunday Confessions is being changed from a weekly link up, to a semi-weekly linkup. The first and third Sunday’s of each month a confessional linkup will be posted.

Link up your confessions:

OH CHRISTMAS TREE, OH CHRISTMAS TREE

2011-12-03T21:25:00.001-06:00

Last night was the night. I’ve been waiting for it. Wanting it to happen since November 1st, when I first seen the Christmas decorations in Walmart! Craig made us wait until after Thanksgiving. And since we were in Michigan, we had to wait for his day off.

We have a tradition. We play Christmas music. And we hang bulbs on the tree. This is our third Christmas as a family, but the first Christmas that Adelyn cares to help. Last year she hung a few bulbs and was totally over it. This year she pretty much decorated the whole thing. She’d hang a few, then hand me some and point to where she wanted it.

The past two Christmas’, our tree was perfect. Reds, greens and whites, all distributed evenly. This year… not so much.

But I love it. I thought it would bother me. For those who are FRIENDS fanatics like myself… I tend to be a tad OCD like Monica. Remember the episode where Monica let everyone decorate one side, and then turned it around to the perfect side she did? That was my plan.

BUT it turns out that I like our Christmas tree just the way it is. One day, the tree will be perfect again. I’ll look at it, and feel sad that the babies are all grown up and that part of their imagination is lost.

Adelyn loves everything Christmas. The lights, the bulbs, Santa, reindeer… if it has to do with Christmas, her face is glowing! Driving at night is the best. “OH Mom, look, look.” “Oh Christmas.” “Look Mommy, Christmas.” Stone is still too young, he likes looking at the lights, but has no clue what is going on around him.

We’re taking them to see Santa this coming week. I keep talking it up to Adelyn. She says she wants to. We’ll see how it goes. I have a feeling it will be two kids screaming on his lap, but I’m trying to keep those positive thoughts flowing. OH, how nice it would be to have two smiling kids on Santa’s lap.

What’s your tradition for tree decorating??

# kristanlynn
xoxo

Please ignore the bookshelf. It’s such an eyesore!! Fabric, DVDs, books.. you name it.. it’s on there. hah.

Make your own blog/shop button | Tutorial

2011-12-03T11:53:00.001-06:00

There have been a lot of emails lately pertaining to blog buttons and how to make them. Or others not knowing how to resize there button they already have made. I am no graphic designer, so here is how I make mine.

Follow this picture tutorial and you’ll be able to make a button out of any picture you have.

Go to Picnik.com and upload your photo. (You can edit your photo before following the steps below. Adding sepia or any other effect)

Make sure you’re under Basic Edits and click Crop.
Note: You can make any photo smaller, but you can not make it bigger, as it will pixelate and look funny. So start with a full size image. or at least an image that is bigger than the button size you are making.

After you enter in your dimensions, drag the box to whatever size you want and position it on the photo. This will be your button.

Once you have it where you want it, click apply.

Now you could just add text, like your blog name, or you can add some stickers to make it stand out a bit. Circles seem to be popular right now, I used a rectangle for this particular button.

Then you want to add text. The text you add is up to you. You can use your name, your blog/shop name, what products or material you offer, etc….

Once you have it looking the way you want, it’s time to save it. You can save it to your computer, then upload to photobucker (or any other photo hosting site) or you can save it right to Photobucket from Picnik.

____________________________________________________

How to link your photo to your site.

That’s super easy. When you upload to Photobucket, you have a few codes you can copy. Copy the HTML code:

Below is the code you will see once pasted. The blue highlighted url is the picture url. It’s how the internet knows where to grab the photo from. Do NOT change this url.

The pink highlighted url is what your picture will be linked to. This is the one you change to your sites url.

Highlight the first url and clear it out (making sure to keep quotations and http://). Then just enter your site url.

VOILA! You now have an html code for your new button, already linked to your site.

Hope you learned something! =) If you have any questions, feel free to email them to me.

# kristanlynn
xoxo

a handmade gift you don’t have to make! | Vegan Soap

2011-12-02T10:02:00.001-06:00

Yes, that’s the key! You don’t make it. hah.

I love handmade soaps, I had a few favorite Etsy shops that I would pick from for my soaps, until I received a little package from Emily at SoapForYourSoul. A little soap shop on Etsy full of VEGAN soaps!!

She even has holiday soaps!! With over 200 items listed, you are sure to find something you love in her shop!!!

Even Gift Package/Ideas!! From spa sets to one-time use soaps!

I’m not kidding when I say there are over 200 items listed! And if you are anything like me, you’ll want them ALL!!!!

We have Chill Pill and Utopia, they are both amazing. I like the Chill Pill, because it has such a fresh and clean scent, minty perfection. My sister likes them both too, but loves Utopia! They lather perfect! I’ve found that with some homemade soaps, that the bar smells great, but once you wash it off your hands, you are left with an overpowering soap smell on your hands. Not the case with these! My skin is soft and smells great! SoapForYourSoul has definitely beat out some of my other favorite soap shops!

We also tried some of her laundry soap. I’m super picky about our laundry soap, but I knew I had to at least give it a try. (I’m slowly trying to become a chemical free home). We had an accident in Adelyn’s bed the other night, because she filled up on water and juice right before bed. So I figured it would be a great time to test the new soap. It can be hard to get the pee smell out of blankets. Just one tablespoon of laundry soap (what! I have to use a whole cap ful of that liquid stuff!), wash, dry. OMG! The smell was refreshing and the blankets were soft. It’s going to be hard giving up store-bought detergent, but I know I can do it! Especially with this stuff!

One of my favorite parts is the eco-friendliness of her shop! Not only are her products environmentally friendly, but her packaging is recycled! Talk about a WIN WIN purchase!

Hurry and get your Christmas orders in. The deadline for US orders is December 14th!!!
With an added RUSH it’s December 17th.

Handmade soap makes a great gift!!! I gifted some to my parents earlier this year, and they are HOOKED on handmade soaps!

Soo… what are you waiting for? Go get lost in her shop.

Are you buying handmade this holiday?

# kristanlynn
xoxo

Tater Tot Casserole | a recipe

2011-11-29T22:42:00.001-06:00

Tater Tot Casserole is a favorite in our house. Even my sister loves it, and she’s probably the pickiest eater I’ve ever met!!! It’s not only my favorite because it tastes delish, but it’s SOOOO fast and easy. There are tons of recipes out there, but I had to share mine… because, well… as all good cooks think… “mine’s the best”. Hah.

What you need:

1.5 lb ground meat (we use beef)
2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tablespoon Soy sauce
2 Cups French Fried Onions
2 cans Green Beans
1 bag of tater tots
2 Cups Shredded Cheese (or less, or more… whatev)

Let’s make it:

Brown your meat, seasoning it however you like.
Once meat is done, add 2 cans of CofM soup, 1.5 Cups of French Fried Onions, green beans, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce.
Mix it all up and pour into a 9” x 13” casserole dish. Add tater tots to top creating a layer, arranging them however you’d like. I try to fit as many as I can.
Add whatever leftover French Fried Onions you have and cover with shredded cheese.
Bake @ 425 degrees for 25 mins. (Make sure it’s on the bottom rack so the cheese doesn’t get too crunchy.)

Serves 5

It makes a lot, between three of us, there isn’t much left over, Craig eats like a horse though. He also hates onions, but loves this.

Maybe as a side dish at Christmas dinner this year?? If you love green bean casserole… you’ll love this!!

# kristanlynn
xoxo

DSLR’s and flash | Bouncing Light

2011-11-28T22:44:00.000-06:00

image source: DIYPhotography

Awhile back, I was browsin’ Pinterest and happened upon this wonderful idea from DIYPhotography! A DIY Party Bouncer. I would love to have all that fancy photography equipment, but I don’t. And since I haven’t invested in a new flash, this works great. I get lots of emails asking for tips on DSLRS… so I felt the need to share it!

Check out the flash vs. party bouncer pictures:

Now, it’s not professional, but looks hella better than that using that darned flash. Dontchya think? Hopefully you see a difference. HAH.

Just cut slits in the side of any business card or piece of cardstock and slide it on. You could even just hold a folded piece of paper at a 45 degree angle, which is what I did for the second set of photo’s.

Go try it out and tell me what you think.

# kristanlynn
xoxo

Thanksgiving

2011-11-26T10:49:00.001-06:00

Getting ready:

Playing with cousins:

Visiting:

Cooking:

Peeking:

Typical brother:

Brother and sisters:

Grubbin:

Pie:

Hope everyone's Thanksgiving festivities were a HIT!

The sister and I took an impromptu road trip to the mitten for Thanksgiving. Totally last minute, totally unplanned… but TOTALLY WORTH IT. It’s my first Thanksgiving home in 4 years. It was nice to spend a holiday with all of my family. Adelyn playing with cousins, visiting with aunts and uncles. It almost makes me want to move back. ALMOST.

# kristanlynn
xoxo

Initial Necklace Giveaway | designs by jamie boyer

2011-11-23T22:10:00.001-06:00

Jamie is the blogger behind Awesomely Awkward and designer behind the Etsy shop Designs by Jamie Boyer.

She has the cutest hand stamped jewelry and lovely hair goodies. Check out her shop and you will surely find something you must have. One lucky reader will win a personalized initial necklace, hand stamped by Jamie, herself. Check out her listing for more info.

Mandatory Entry:

Follow Jamie’s blog Awesomely Awkward.

Extra Entries:

Like Jamie on Facebook
Follow Jamie on Twitter
Heart Jamie’s Etsy shop
Check out Jamies shop and tell me your favorite item
Tweet and/or share this Giveaway using the buttons below.

Good Luck!

# kristanlynn
xoxo

Giveaway ends November 29th 2011 11:59PM EST

is it a shawl or is it a poncho?

2011-11-22T11:09:00.001-06:00

Skinnies: Wet Seal
Poncho/Shawl: Ross
Tank: Old Navy
Boots: Muk Luks

That is the question. I don’t know what to call it. A poncho reminds me of something vinyl you wear in the rain… but a shawl reminds me of an oversized scarf that wraps around the shoulders. So, I shall call these ponchawls. Ya dig?

My favorite thing about this outfit is, if you were to buy each piece all at once, you’d score the entire outfit for under 70 bucks!

We’re finally starting to feel better over here. Still some nasty coughing going on and a little bit of whining still present. Sleep schedules have been non-existent. But after a week being out of commission, our energy is finally back. Which means I need to catch up on emails and posts! I’ve got a pretty awesome giveaway coming up, either today or tomorrow, so be on the look out!

OH. And while we’re on the subject of ponchawls… take a look at the one I made last night!

Nevermind the gross dark under eye circles… it was pretty late.

There might be a tutorial coming. I’ll have to make another one, as I didn’t measure anything this go ’round. I just cut and sewed, hoping it turned out. I love it! It’s super toasty warm, now the weather just needs to cool down so I can wear it…. not that I’m asking for cold weather!

What has everyone been up to?? Made anything to help keep you warm this winter? I’d love to check them out!!!

p.s.
Do you love all my pretty frames… I posted FOREVER ago about how I painted a ton of frames. I promised to post pictures to show how they turned out on the wall… well… I JUST NOW hung them up. Love it. And the throw pillows? Well.. be on the look out for a simple tutorial for those, I whipped em all up in less than an hour!

# kristanlynn
xoxo

This post was sponsored by Joan from Expecting the Unknown.

DIY Bath Salts | Gift in a Jar

2011-11-17T22:52:00.001-06:00

So, I was at Michael's last week, and happened upon a huge jar of mineral/sea salt, it was cheap so I had to buy it. I knew it would come in handy at some point. It did. I decided to make a homemade bath soak. Super easy. Super Yummy! Perfect for handmade gift giving!

What you need:

jar (I used the Ball jelly/jam jars measuring 250ml)
mineral and sea salt
essential oil (or in my case extract)
food coloring
small piece of fabric

How to make it:

Pour enough salt to fill a jar, or two. (Honestly, I didn’t measure) and add a few drops of essential oil to fabric.
If you’d like your salt to have color, just add a few drops of food coloring to the fabric before stirring.
Stir the fabric into the salt for a few minutes, making sure to get the salt well coated.

That’s it! Just make sure that the fabric is in dripping wet, you don’t want it to dissolve your salt.

You can use any scent you prefer. I used peppermint, with it being the holiday season, peppermint just seems fitting. Remember though, peppermint is an energizing scent. Have fun with it, add a drop or two of a few different scents to make your own custom scent. Add some burlap, twine and lace. A tag would be nice, but I think most of us now know how to use bath salts, so it’s not a MUST but would add a nice décor element.

# kristanlynn
xoxo

This post was sponsored my Little Miss Momma.

Give Thanks | a linkup party

2011-11-17T09:58:00.001-06:00

I have so much to be thankful for. In reality, TOO much to be thankful for.

This year I am thankful for so much. I’m thankful for the usual… health, family, friends… a roof over my head. My sister uprooting her life and moving in with us. How close we have stayed with our family, even though they are 600 miles away. Being able to be a SAHM. The list really is endless. I can go on and on… and on. (and I prolly will post another thankful mushy post on Thanksgiving) But today I’d like to say I am thankful for YOU!

Yes you. My readers. The wonderful friends I’ve made through blogging this year. You have helped me build this blog into what it is today. March of this year, this blog was small…. only a dozen readers and a measly 1,000 pageviews. I’ve worked pretty darn hard to get my posts seen, but all my work would be nothing without all of you sharing my words with your friends.

I can’t reply to each comment, but I want all of you to know, that each time you comment, you touch my heart. I feel so blessed that my words hit home with so many of you. My heart is no longer heavy, knowing that I am not a lone in the struggles of motherhood. That I am not the only one who doesn’t have a perfect relationship with my spouse.

I am thankful that I have been able to laugh with you and cry with you. I am thankful that I have helped some of you get through tough days, because believe me… you have helped me get through many! And I am unbelievably thankful that I have helped inspire some of you to find your inner craftiness. It warms my heart when I get an email letting me know how a first time crafter used my tutorial and are now hooked on crafting.

I don’t blog much about my Etsy shop. But I am thankful for the warm welcoming I received when joining Etsy in January of this year. The success of my shop is based solely on you. Thank you for sharing my work! I am grateful that you choose my cards to tell your loved ones how much they mean to you. The fact that I am part of such a warm exchange is lifting. Each sale is a reminder about how much love is out there in the world.

What a you thankful for this year?

I’ve teamed up with Julie of Julie Ann Art and Ashley of After Nine to Five to bring you a Give Thanks Link Party.
Just linkup your Give Thanks post below, then go get your click on.

Don’t forget to visit each of the hosts and grab our button (or at least provide a backlink) so other’s can join in on the fun.

Not sure what a link party is? You copy and paste the url to a post (not homepage) you’ve written into the link form. Then your post is up there forever, for anyone to click on and see what you are all about. It’s a great way to gain new readers, increase your pageviews and find other blogs you are interested in. You only want to post one link, so if you have several posts that pertain to the link party… pick your favorite one. Make sure you participate too. Click around to other blogs and leave meaningful comments letting them know you found them through the link party. You also want to make sure you are grabbing the party button or at least providing a backlink to the party so others can join in on the fun too.

# kristanlynn
xoxo
I’ve also linked this post up to Casey’s What is on Your Heart linkup.

Ready. Set. GIVE THANKS.
(make sure you’re using the url to the post and not your homepage. homepage links will get deleted)

starbucks

2011-11-17T06:54:00.001-06:00

I love me an over priced latte. I’d love to deny it, say that our little local coffee house is way better, and I’d rather go there to support my community. But the fact is, nothing compares to a Starbucks Latte.

I’ve introduced Adelyn to what an overpriced hot chocolate is. We went into Green Hills yesterday (the fancy part of Nashville… out of place?? hah). Adelyn caught a glimpse of the Starbucks cup in our hand and went into a full blown meltdown about not getting a hot chocolate. Yes, she’s a bit dramatic. To be honest, I don’t blame her. If Craig went into Starbucks and didn’t bring me out one, I’d probably have a full blown meltdown too. HAH.

So we stopped at the next exit up to get her one. (spoiled?) It wasn’t even my idea!! Craig was driving and stopped all on his own. It worked out, because that Starbucks is in a one of my favorite plazas! With Target, Ross, Marshalls, Best Buy and a little bookstore. Oh, and a sporting goods store for the Lover.

We love window shopping! Plus I found some yummy sweater tights!

# kristanlynn
xoxo

downtown Dickson | + a new roomie

2011-11-13T22:26:00.001-06:00

I’m a little late with this weeks confession post. To be honest, I couldn’t really muster up the energy to even think of a confession. So I decided to share some photo’s of our weekend.

My parents came down to visit and get my sister all moved in. We had planned on taking them to some of the beautiful places we’ve found over the past few months, but Mother Nature decided it wasn’t in our cards. So we headed to downtown Dickson, since it’s only a few mins away. Mom and Dad had never been, and while it’s a small little strip, there is a ton of history and fun shops.

Dad and Grant brought their bikes, so while us ladies window shopped, they tried to find some fun things. AND they did!! There was some sort of war re-enactment. Grant found some bullets, and the men were kind enough to let him take a picture. This was great! My little brother loooovesss everything Military (COD anyone?!) He’s always so bored at my house, so I’m glad he’ll have the amazing memory!!!!

I wish we all lived closer. I wish that this was a weekend tradition, instead of just a few times a year.

Confession: I NEVER take pictures when people come to visit. I don’t know why, I plan to! I think about it… and I always fail. I take more pictures of random toddler tantrums, than a week visit with my parents. GAH! This has to change!!!

# kristanlynn
xoxo

Link up!

Put a QR code on your Business Cards

2011-11-12T09:53:00.001-06:00

QR codes are taking over. They are on streets signs, in magazines, posted on walls. It’s like a UPC on steroids. Lets say your reading a magazine, and you see an item you really want, instead of trying to get online and look for it, you just scan the QR code with your smartphone, and it takes you right to where you can purchase it online. It’s taken over Japan, and is quickly catching on in the US.

You can easily make your own. Whether it’s for your shop, blog, Facebook or twitter. You’re literally only a few clicks away from making it easier for your customers/readers to visit you.

Check out the new business cards:

How can you make yours??

visit QRStuff
enter your url.
Then click download image.

It’s that easy and FREE. Then upload the image to wherever you create your business cards, VOILA!

I made one for the shop, blog, FB and Twitter. I was invited by Etsy to be a part of the West Elm craft show (eeekkkk!!!). So I will be printing all four QR codes and displaying them at my table for passerby’s to connect with me instantly.

The codes in my business cards measure .75” x .75”. I thought they might be too small, but they scan just fine. I make my own business cards by using Picnic and cutting out the circles with my Silhouette.

So, what are you waiting for?? Go make your QR code and join in on the latest technology!

# kristanlynn
xoxo

Major thanks to Linda @ Craftaholics Anonymous for introducing me to QR codes! You can see her step by step picture tutorial here.

Getting ready to Give Thanks!

2011-11-10T10:16:00.002-06:00

What if you woke up this morning…
with only the things you thanked God for last night??

I’m teaming up with Julie from Julie Ann Art and Ashley from After Nine to Five to Give Thanks on Thursday November 17th.The meaning behind it?? We all get caught up in life, so this Thanksgiving season we want you to reflect on what you have and share why you are thankful for it/them. The three of us are coming together to help others recognize all the great things in your life!

It’s a Link Party!! What a great way to get your blog seen and find other blogs you relate to.
Just get your Thankful posts ready and link them up on the 17th. Then click around and find some new bloggers that you love.. It’s THAT easy! And in the mean time feel free to grab the button and spread the word about the Give Thanks Link Party!

Looking forward to hearing all the great thing that have happened this year for you. See you in a week!

# kristanlynn
xoxo

Button designed by the lovely Julie of Julie Ann Art!

Taco Soup by Jamie | a recipe

2011-11-10T08:51:00.001-06:00

Hi guys! Jamie from Awesomely-Awkward here. I don't know about you but when the weather gets cold there is nothing better than a great bowl of soup. I don't have a lot of time to cook but I always want something hot and delicious for dinner... Insert taco soup.

It's super yummy, super easy, and cheap... what could be better? Just put it in your crock pot before you go to work and by the time you get home you're ready to eat. Enjoy!

Taco Soup:

Ingredients: -

2 pounds ground beef - 2cups diced onions -2 (15 1/2 oz.) cans pinto beans - 1 (15 1/2 oz.) can pink kidney beans - 1 (15 1/4 oz.) can whole kernel corn (drained) - 1 (14 1/2 oz.) can Mexican- style stewed tomatoes - 1 (14 1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes - 1 (14 1/2 oz.) can tomatoes with chilies - 2 (4 1/2 oz.) cans diced green chilies - 1 can black olives, drained and sliced - 1 package taco seasoning mix Garnishment of your choice: We eat ours with Frito's scoop chips. Cheese, sour cream, and jalapenos are good too.

How to Make:

Brown ground beef and onion in a large skillet.

Drain fat, then transfer to crock pot.

Add all the rest of the ingredients (except garnishment of course). Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

It's that easy! Throw some shredded cheddar on the bad boy and eat up.

The best part is, it makes a whole bunch so we freeze more than half of this. It's a great quick dinner to pull out of the freezer when you don't want to cook. This recipe is not mine, meaning I did not create it. It is actually one of Paula Deen's recipes. Not exactly identical but close enough.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I’m ready to make some of this. It sounds fantastic!!!
If you’ve never been to Jamie’s blog, you must visit. She’ll have you cracking up and relating on so many levels!!!

# kristanlynn
xoxo

purple tights = love.

2011-11-09T21:29:00.001-06:00

Dress: wetseal (it’s actuall a tube dress, I wore as a high-waisted skirt)
Top: Hollister
Cardigan: Hollister
Tights: Walmart
Necklace: Windsor
Boots: Walmart

I want a pair of tights in every color! Tights make me happy!

I was a little hesitant to wear them with this outfit. There is no purple evident in the dress, and I’ve always been stuck on “matching”. But I’m slowly stepping outside of my comfort zone. I’m really diggin’ the purple/yellow combo!

What makes you happy?

# kristanlynn
xoxo