Button Design Blog Battle!

Hey Lovelies! Sorry I have been kind of absent lately. First of all, I know I haven't mentioned the tragedy that occurred in Oklahoma but they are in my prayers and I will be talking more about it on Sunday. Also, one of my good friends Veronica lives really close by to the affected town. So if you want to help out, she has some great ideas for you.

 A few weeks ago I signed up to be apart of Bre's Button Design Blog Battle. It is always great to see if  others think your design is visually interesting and eye catching. So please help me out by VOTING below :) I hope you have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Ty and Gabby are coming to visit again!! We have a lot of fun stuff planned (including hiking and fireworks) How will you be celebrating?

Welcome to Round 3 of the Blog Button Design Battle with Peacoats & Plaid. Want to know who won Round 2? Drum roll please...

Congrats to Kalyn from Love, Laughter, Happily Ever After! Kalyn's winning button design:

The runner-up spot goes to Amberly from Life with Amberly & Joe.

This week's participants include:

Samantha from Designer in Teal
Jess from Plucky's Second Thought
Petro from The Seaman Mom
Diana from DD Kimball Road
Danysia from That L.A. it Girl
Bethany from Before, During, and After
JMc from Running on Empty
Ashley from Him & Her
Danavee from This Vintage Grove
Kristin from Hopelessly Ever After

Vote for your favorite and most eye-catching button by clicking on the thumbnail below. Make sure you're voting solely on eye appeal. You can only vote once, so make it count.


Check back next week for Round 4. If you're interested in participating in Season 2 of the Blog Button Design Battle, make sure you subscribe to Peacoats & Plaid for updates.

Shopping Favorites- Etsy

I love talking about shopping!!!! Don't you? So today tonight I am going to share some fabulous shops and finds!

Keep in mind it could take me years to show you all of my favorite from every store that I love so I am going to focus on one that I have not talked about much. We all know my love for Target, J.Crew, Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Forever 21, Gap and Old Navy but I want to show you a few more you might not have expected.

This post is kind of a prequel to my giveaway! Remember Brielle? She featured my wedding over on her Event Planning blog. Well she is going to be a part of this upcoming giveaway and is also giving ALL of you readers 10% off your order with code TEAL10
see the link for her shop at the end of this post :)

Lets get to it. What are you loving from Etsy?? Have you ever purchased through them?

Etsy- The Teal Version :)

Now obviously there are many shops within but I will just share specific products. I searched/bought many wedding things on Etsy and they never disappointed. But they have way more to offer than just wedding products. Here are some of my favorite things recently:

Tiger and Fox Clock

Home Sweet Home sign

Savannah Rae Designs throw pillow covers

Ombre SinNombre mason jars

Turquoise Bubble Necklace

lots of these...jewelry is my favorite category on Etsy!

Modern Tape- Teal Washi Tape

Of Course you can Braided Rag Rug

Eleven Love Custom City and State Print

and last but definitely not least Brielle's shop!

It's almost Friday folks...hang in there!! 

New Look..

Did you notice something different about visiting my blog this time?? I decided it was time for a unique, new look. My lovely friend Sara gave me some great suggestions on design/layout and so I built up the courage to just dive right into Photoshop and try it myself. 

I wanted a brighter, cleaner look. And I definitely think it is more "ME" I knew I had to incorporate teal, some sparkle, navy, chevron and the citron was the perfect balance. The new about me section is much easier to read and the text area is much wider allowing for bigger pictures!! I was joking with my friend Veronica about having my own blog design business, but who knows with some practice ;)

My new button I am going to add to my sponsor page soon!

What do you think? Did you notice the color scheme is from the Office Mood Board I posted last week? 

Hope all of you readers had a wonderful weekend...we visited our parents this weekend and it was very relaxing! Now I can't wait to watch the Walking Dead tonight! If you think I am crazy for this, I would highly recommend giving it a chance first! Haha and if you do watch the show, you should take this funny quiz! Any guesses on which character I was??

I also just finished reading Divergent by Veronica Roth. I am waiting to get the second book Insurgent from the Nook library. If you liked the Hunger Games, I would definitely recommend this book.

Get excited for what's coming to the "new" blog this week:

Bedroom Mood Board- linking up with Design Your Dwelling

Design Dilemmas- rug options and new accessories

and possibly another Wedding Wednesday or The Newlywed Game link-up!

Mood Board: Home Office

One of my favorite parts of design is coming up with a "mood" or inspiration board for the client. This helps them to visualize the space and the options are unlimited! Well sometimes I like to make these for myself as well. Check out this post for more inspiration on Home Offices!

I am always really excited when I find other Interior Design blogs but what is more exciting is a link-up for designers. Beth from Design Your Dwelling is starting a link-up for mood boards and so I am joining in! 

This mood board is what I would LOVE my future home office to look like. I love blues and greens and these to me are the perfect shades. I think the citron gives it some warmth as well. Would you want your office to look like this? What do you think are essentials to a home office?

5x7 Ombre Art Print- Etsy Shop Retro Menagerie {here}

Green Seeded Glass Table Lamp- Lamps Plus {here}

Ikat Zig-Zag Accent Pillow- Etsy Shop Palace or Hut {here}

Expedit Shelving Unit- Ikea {here}

X Base Nickel Desk- Shop Ten 25 {here}

Threshold Turquoise Wicker Basket- Tartget {here}

Cream Desk Chair- Target {here}

Ironwork Trellis Dhurrie Rug- Shades of Light {here}

Other Mood Boards/Design Inspired posts to check out:

• Dining Room
• Autumn
• Get this Look
• Get this Look 2

If you would like a mood board for you space, let me know and we can work something out for you...and who knows it could end up on the blog!

A few other things:

1) I signed up for a Bigs and Littles blogging network. I was paired up with Sara @ You and Me are We. Go check out her blog asap :) Learned so much from her already.

2) I'm going to be experimenting with my blog design so I apologize if the site is temporarily down. Also, if you know of an affordable custom design, PLEASE send it my way!

3) I set up Passionfruit ads! My sidebar was getting pretty messy, but so far I really like it! So check out my new Sponsor tab. Currently all of my ads are free so if you have a similar blog style I would love to have you!

Linking up with:

http://designyourdwelling.blogspot.com/2013/02/mood-board-link-party-week-1.html

Wedding Wednesday #4

Happy Wedding Wednesday! Today's topic is STATIONARY!

Before I get into things, I want to wish my Mama a Happy Birthday! Love you!!

Stationary can define what your wedding is all about. It is the only picture into your wedding that your guests will receive beforehand.

You want all of it to be cohesive but it doesn't have to be too matchy. I was so thankful to have plenty of time to plan our wedding so I could find the best deal and make the best decision.

I knew I wanted our save the dates to include our engagement photos. I spent a ton of time searching for the perfect invitations. When I saw the mason jar shaped ones I couldn't pass them up. Etsy had so many beautiful ones but many were out of our price range. Remember that simple is better for a budget friendly wedding. The more elaborate you get the more costly and time consuming it is.

Save the dates:
Did them myself. You don't have to do a save the date but since we had such a long engagement I decided to.

Invitations:
The Blue Envelope Etsy Shop. They worked with me until we got the font, wording and colors just right! I was more than pleased with them and received many comments on how beautiful and unique they were.

Programs:
Did them myself. I waited until the last minute but still happy with the result. Had to cut them all out!

Guest Book:
Its My Day Etsy Shop. Love my guest book! Its made as a binder so you can add/take away pages if you please. So happy we could do the burlap to tie into our theme.

Here were some of my inspirations photos from Pinterest when I was thinking about my stationary:

source

source

source

source

Do you think stationary is an important aspect of a wedding? Do you think mine reflected the rest of our wedding?

To see more Wedding Wednesday posts go (here), (here) and (here)

Don't forget to link up to Wedding Wednesday w/ Mary @ A Happy Wife in NOLA!

Linking up to:

 

XO Samantha

the LIEBSTER award!

Thanks Kristen @ theModageCottage for nominating me! and sorry I am so late in posting this....lots of other bloggy things going on!

The Liebster Award is given by bloggers to up and coming bloggers with less than 200 followers. The meaning: Liebster is German for sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, pleasant, valued, cute and endearing.

Here are the rules:

1. Post 11 Random things about yourself
2. Answer the questions that the nominator sets for you
3. Create 11 questions for the people that you nominate
4. Create 11 blogs that you love (also with 200 or less followers). Link them to your post and let them know they have been nominated
5. No tag backs!

11 Random things about me:

1. I am addicted to Coca-Cola! I could drink it for breakfast or right before bed and it wouldn't matter!
2. I DO NOT have a smart phone (I feel like the only one in the world, but I'm okay with that). and it drives me crazy to see little kids with them :/
3. I wasn't at all excited about moving to Richmond, but now I love it!
4. I have never lived outside of VA.
5. I LOVE dancing shows/movies, dancing games and anything dance and wish I had never given it up. I only did ballet when I was little. Is it too late to give it another shot?
6. If I had to choose another profession I would want to be a chef or run a bakery.
7. I love getting/giving cards. I think they should be given for all occasions!
8. I have to hit the snooze button in the morning at least once. I am really slow at waking up.
9. I love cooking but can't stand to do dishes :(
10. I am addicted to shopping even if it's just window shopping.
11. It makes me super happy that people actually read this blog! hehe!

Questions from Kristen:

1. What enticed you to start blogging? I really wanted to start a blog because I feel like I have a lot to offer when it comes to sharing design advice. I really wanted a creative outlet to keep my design fresh and inspired. I also wanted a "journal" of memories and ideas that I can look back on.
2. How would you describe the style of your home? Well, I don't have a house and the apartment is kind of a jumble of all of our stuff. But ideally I want the style of my home to be contemporary with some rustic touches and definitely some teal in every room.
3. If you could have any career in the world, what would it be? I am actually doing it. I love design and getting the satisfaction of seeing my ideas come to life. 
4. Red wine, white wine or no wine? White wine. I don't drink it often but I much prefer it over red wine.
5. What is your greatest guilty pleasure? A Cookout peanut butter fudge shake. Haha! I've probably mentioned it before but I could be having the worst day and one of those would definitely cheer me up. Even though I feel like I gained 5 pounds afterwards.
6. If you had your own reality show, what would it be called? I really have no idea. I'd hate to not answer this question, but I guess if I had any type of show it would be a cooking one (on the Food Network). Ha a girl can dream, right?
7. Chocolate or Vanilla? CHOCOLATE. No question about it!
8. What is your biggest pet peeve? Parents that don't watch their children and let them act up.
9. Introvert or extrovert? Extrovert. I love being around people and meeting people. If I didn't my job would be a lot harder. I have to admit though, some nights I just love to stay in and relax with the hubby.
10. Where is your favorite place to go to relax? Haha, I guess my bed. Otherwise, I would say the beach. The sound of the ocean and the warm sun shining down makes for a nice relaxing day for me.
11. If you could watch only one television show for the next month, what would it be? I would say House, but since I've seen almost all of the episodes I guess I would go with Vampire Diaries!

The 11 (AWESOME) blogs that I nominate!

1. Libbie @ Libbie Doss
2. Leanne @ And Away We Go
3. Sarah @ A T-Shirt and Pearls
4. Lindsey @ Countryside Chic
5. Jamie @ Cozy Contemporary
6. Lindsey @ Fourteen Feet Ceilings
7. Deme @ A Fresh Coat of Paint
8. Kristyn @ Organic Grey
9. Rachel @ Rachel Emmilee
10. Rachel @ Raves + Revelations
11. Debbie @ Tales of the Benedicts

Questions for the Nominees:

1. Where is the coolest place you've ever visited/vacationed?
2. What is your favorite meal?
3. What season do you enjoy most and why?
4. What is the best gift you have ever received?
5. Do you prefer coffee, tea or neither?
6. Are you an early bird or a night owl?
7. What was your favorite subject in grade school?
8. How did you come up with your blog name and style?
9. Cat person or dog person?
10. What does an ideal weekend look like for you?
11. If you could live in any other era, what would it be?

Day 7:

So I have to admit, I didn't take a picture that day, so I am going to post 2 from day 8! I took a lot over the weekend!

Colonial Williamsburg

Day 8:

Busch Gardens Christmastown

Day 9:

Today is our 6 Month Anniversary!!

XO Samantha

YHL Book Signing @ Mongrel

Where do I start?? As I mentioned before in this post Tim's parents came to visit this past weekend. We took a self/driving tour around Richmond, stopped in @ the Jefferson and had lunch. We ate at Carytown Burgers and Fries YUM and then I walked down to Mongrel where the book signing was.

I took my spot in line and got really anxious waiting to meet those super bloggers that I talked about here. It was actually a really nice warm December day and I got to chat w/some other YHL fans. I perused through the book as the line slowly moved forward. Once I was in the store I could hear John and Sherry laughing and talking to the people ahead. They sounded so sweet, but for some reason I got sooo nervous. I have never met a really super famous person but I have met some really cool folks like Frank Beamer and So You Think You Can Dance Season 7 dancers (some of whom are in Step Up Revolution!) Yet John and Sherry seemed like such a big deal. I mean they are known all over the world (even if it is to mostly women and people in my age group.) But still they have over 5.5 MILLION hits in a month and they have 143 MILLION overall!! Woah :)

Anyways I finally got to the front of the line and guess what? It was like they were my friends. We just started chatting and I told them I work at a design place in Richmond. I also commented on their blog sharing the post that I made about getting their book and they remembered that ;) I of course got my picture taken with them. It probably lasted all of about 1 minute but it was SOOO worth it. I wish I could just hang out w/ them all of the time but I guess we will have to communicate via blogging.

:D Isn't Sherry so pretty?? Love her teal earrings! 

YAY! Admiring it on the way home...

I've spent hours already looking through it. Next step: flagging all of the projects I want to do! Don't think I've ever been this excited about another book!

I will be sharing many projects from this book as I do them :) and I have already done this one: Painted Curtains. Do you have their book? Is it on your Christmas list? What bloggers do you look up to?

Day 3 & 4 Photo Challenge Pics to come later this evening!

XO Samantha

I LOVE young house love!

So I have still been feeling pretty lousy from this cold, but yesterday I got just the thing to cheer me up! (p.s. I apologize for the lack of blogging) When I got home from work 1) My passport was in the mail (with my new name on it) and 2) There was a package at the doorstep w/ my name on it! Ok, so you are probably thinking WOO I get packages all of the time...not exciting. Well, you are WRONG! This was one very exciting package. Why?

It said it was from Barnes and Noble and I thought to myself "I didn't order anything from there, did I?" I proceeded to open it and inside was a beautiful thing:

Get yours here

THE Young House Love book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My AMAZING friend Denise sent it to me as an early Christmas gift. She sent it early because there is a book signing this Sunday! And now I get to go :D I need to get reading through the book before then!! I wanted to put it on my Christmas list but I kept debating that since I wanted to buy it in time for the signing. Well, my wish came true!

Anyways, John and Sherry (if you ever read this) I can't wait to meet you on Sunday @ Mongrel!

Now I just need someone to go with...anyone else want to join? It will probably be a long (but well worth it) wait in line.

Here are some of my favorites from their blog:
(All of the following images belong to Young House Love)

They got married in their backyard too!

They have an adorable little girl Clara and dog Burger!

Their GORGEOUS kitchen! (and the rest of their house too!)

They are willing to try anything!

They give great tutorials!

They are super creative!

They are one of the 2 blogs that I check every day!

They are the blog of all blogs!

(Hopefully that was enough reasons for you to go and check them out)

If not here is one more: they live in RICHMOND!

THANKS Denise!

XO Samantha