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textures, pt. 2

A victim of monotony-- but not for much longer! This week, I'm feeling like another casualty of the daily grind. I'm still catching up on loads and loads of work from when I was gone-- yes, almost a month later! I'm excited though, because things are about to change. Yes, even more than they have changed already! I'm excited. I know that in a few months, I'll be thankful for this momentary lull. For now, I'll take the monotony and look forward to what's coming next.

xo,

e.m.

some peter pan

Last week, a friend and I had a mini craft-fest. We made these. NO, they are not boobs. They are collar necklaces. I'm aware that they totally look like breasts with little heart nipples. Now that I've said it, let's move on. This is a really easy craft to do if you have some free time. I love Peter Pan collars because they can add SO much to an outfit. I can't wait to pop my white lace one over a plain black dress. 

For this craft, you probably have all that you need lurking in your craft room. If not, it'll only set you back about $1.50. Feel free to add any embellishments that you may see fit. Jewels or studs would be really cute on this craft!

Fold your piece of felt in half and trace your desired shape. Could be pointed, rounded, scalloped, whatever you want! Cut it out, unfold it, and you should have two identical halves. After that, the rest is up to you. I sewed on some little hearts and some lace. Maddy made some heart cut-outs on hers. After you're done decorating, figure out how long you'd like the ribbon for your necklace to be. Attach it with a few stitches or some fabric glue, whichever strikes your fancy. Happy crafting!

xo,

e.m.

a dose of inspiration

Goodness, I've got some amazing friends. I'm beyond blessed to have such incredible and ambitious people surrounding me, it's almost unreal! I've never felt it so much as when I was sitting across from Lauren during a little coffee date yesterday. She's the co-founder of The You Are Project and also pours her heart out on her personal blog. She's a super talented programmer and has recently added "magazine editor" to her already-impressive resume. A MAGAZINE! It's always been a dream of mine to have a magazine, this girl is actually doing it! After a night of talking with her, browsing around Target, sharing our future home-design dreams and lots of laughter, I'm feeling more inspired than ever. Check out her blogs, you'll also feel inspired, I promise!

xo,

e.m.

summing up life in little pictures

I love looking back on all of my cellphone pictures. iPhonographie, in my opinion, is one of the greatest things to happen to our generation. If we're going to always have our phones with us at all times, we might as well capture some memories! I didn't realize how busy I've been until I peeked at some of my photos. These are only an incredibly small fraction of what I have!

xo,

e.m.

ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!

Here it is! I miss my red (already) and will definitely be going back but for now, this is a nice change and so utterly necessary! It might sound silly but a whoooole lot of my identity was wrapped up in my hair. February's been a month of purging and making changes and what's a bigger change than giving up your beloved red hair? I'd had it since high school, can we take a small moment of silence? Anywho, CHANGES. Good.

xo,

e.m.

some tunes for you

This song is beautiful in a lot of ways. Actually, the entire album is. It's good for if you're having an introspective evening or if you need some thought-provoking melodies for a long car ride by yourself. If I could sum up my life lately in a song, it'd be this. Content yet a little disjointed but not without purpose. Makes me look forward to the future and seeing what it's got in store for me.

xo,

e.m.

date night?

This is my dream date... with myself. Ladies, let's not lie to ourselves. We need alone time. I spent mine tonight doing all of the things I love! I drove around and listened to music a lot, ate my favorite food, and went shopping. I find spending time in my car to be incredibly therapeutic. Ever tried it? After a nice drive, I feel like I can conquer the world!

xo,

e.m.

p.s. do any of you follow me on Instagram and know the CRAZY thing I did? If not, don't worry, it'll be up here tomorrow.

textures, pt. 1

Well hello folks! Those of you who follow me on Instagram know that I took a little trip this weekend with a few friends. No camera, no work. It was fun, a nice time off, and also very eye-opening. After coming home from China, I plunged into a bit of an identity crisis. I feel like most of the lifestyle-blog-lifestyle is sort of a watered-down version of real life. For me, I'd share snapshots of my happy moments, my cutest outfits, and the craftiest projects I've conjured up. That's only half of me though. Somewhere between last March when I began this blog and now, I became an empty shell of a person merely living in my "blog persona." China was a HUGE wakeup call, as my time there made me realize that everything else I do is kinda trivial. Now, call it a quarter-life crisis or call it growing up, but I'm learning a lot. I'm learning to just be real. As a part of this revelation, I'm introducing a new weekly feature called textures.

It's a simple concept, just a texture with a word. Here are a few of my last few weeks. A little bit of a roller coaster, no? I'm excited to see how it turns out and I'd love your feedback. Also, if any of you are thinking of doing the same, I'd love to follow your adventures. Here's to always growing.

xo,

e.m.

valentine's day

Valentine's Day is kind of a huge deal here in the blogging community. Why is that? I love seeing pink and red and glitter everywhere but that's about it. Maybe I'll wear a heart or two tomorrow, maybe not, that's the extent of it though.

I know that there's a rich history behind Valentine's Day, but like most holidays, it's commercialized and doesn't mean much anymore. The thing is here though, it's not like any of the holidays that encourage families to be together and to do nice things for others but it seems to be centered around giving a bouquet of overpriced flowers simply because it's what the corporations tell us to do. I guess if a guy doesn't spend $500 on flowers for his gal, he doesn't love her? That irks me to no end! Phew. Don't stop reading yet, I'm done with my anti-Cupid rant and moving on to the encouraging part.

I'm not sure what the statistic is, but I'm sure that there are a great number of people who will be a little on the sad side tomorrow. Don't be! Just look at the back of a Hallmark card and think about if you REALLY want someone spending that much on a piece of cardstock. Whether you have a special someone or not, Valentine's Day can serve a higher purpose. Surprise your elderly neighbor with a bouquet of flowers. (Not red roses though, because they'll cost you an arm and a leg!) Take out a friend or a family member who's been through a recent breakup. If your folks live close by, surprise them with a homemade supper. The possibilities are endless! If you're still a little sad and need a giggle, just remember that your day will probably be better than these people's. 

xo,

e.m.

bits & pieces

Some days, you feel a little too self-conscious to have your whole self all in one picture at once. Today is one such day.

xo,

e.m.

China in snapshots

A whole lot of love in these photographs. There's only a few but I feel like they sum up my trip pretty well. I wish you could all meet these kids and experience this place. I'm feeling a little homesick for Shepherd's Field today. I'm inspired though, because a lot of you have been asking how you can help out. If taking the trip with me when I go back this fall doesn't sound too probable, no need to fret! You can sponsor a child. Some of the children in need of sponsors are listed here. If that trip does sound enticing, I'll have some details for you soon ;) 

xo,

e.m.