busygirl

gleeful peacock giveaway!

You all know how much I LOOOOOOVE headbands...and I know you love them too!  Remember this gem I won in a giveaway from Gleeful Peacock?

 

Well, I'm giving away a Gleeful Peacock headband on bStylish this week!

 

The giveaway ends THIS Thursday, the 23rd, so hurry and go enter!  All you have to do is leave a comment!

we're baaack!

...from our honeymoon in sunny, beautiful Riviera Maya, Mexico!  It was GORGEOUS.  As in, photos do not do it justice.  But I will still post them so you can bask in the sunshine on your computer screen.

We had an amazing time, relaxing, playing in the ocean and even giving scuba diving a try!  The week went by too quickly as most vacations do and now we're back in SNOhio, knee deep in coldness.  To go from a tank top in the morning to my double-lined snowboarding coat, hat, gloves and boats only four hours later was quite the shock to my body.  Personally, I run better on sunshine, but who doesn't.

I'll post a recap with the photos later this week but I just want to check in and say that we made it home safe and sound.  Ricki was THRILLED to see us, although he seemed to have spent the past week very spoiled and pampered by his two grandmas.  I wouldn't be surprised is he gained a pound or two.

Special thanks to hannah katy, sarah, lauren and katy mary for guest posting while I was away!  Be sure to hop over to their blogs and leave some love.

Now if you'll excuse me, there are about 300 tons of laundry to be done.  Sigh vacation, why must you end?

fashion friday: holiday dresses! *guest post*

Today's fashion friday comes from Katy Mary, the fabulous writer of TangerineHearts!  She not only is a fashionista at heart, but loves music, movies and is getting married soon to a wonderful guy.  Be sure to check out the stunning fashion posts on her blog and take a look at the holiday dress collection she's created below!

 

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Hi there, Katy Mary from TangerineHearts here! I am honored to be guest posting for Nicole while she and the Hubby jet off to Mexico for their honeymoon. Sun & sand in the middle of December, it's like a dream come true and well deserved for those two Newlyweds!  

I know the one thing on everyones' mind lately are the holidays there's Christmas music on the radio, lights all over the neighborhoods and of course the shops are jam packed with holiday shoppers looking for that perfect gift. My personal favorite part of the holidays (aside from the gifts haha) are the parties! 

From the office soiree to a New Years Eve blow-out the holiday season is sure to bring many invites your way and what girl doesn't want to get all dolled up?! I know I do! I've picked out my perfect party dresses for the season and I'm sharing them with all of you. These lovelies are sure to make you the Belle of the ball. 

 
Holiday Dresses by TangerineHearts featuring a halter cocktail dress 

Misses Red Bow Sheath Dress, $99
Atop the Grand Staircase Dress, $118
Premium Cream Drop Waist Embellished Tunic, $100
Ruffle Halter Dress, $69
Windy City Dress Mod Retro Vintage Printed Dresses ModCloth.com, $65
AE Women's Brocade Dress (Purple), $55
AE Women's Sweetheart Party Dress (Black), $50
Sequin Mini Dress - Women's Clothing and Apparel - Chic Dresses,..., $63
Christmas Holiday Time Reusable Wall Decoration Stickers - Santa and..., $15

I know I can't wait to get all decked out for the holidays, I snagged myself a sweet pair of heels that I just know will go perfect with a sparkly gold number like the Arden B dress above! It's been a pleasure guest posting, I wish you all very happy and healthy holidays. 

<3 Katy Mary

etsy finds! *guest post*

Today's post comes from Miss Lauren from Life with a Lab who is one of my best blog friends.  A University of Alabama alumn (ROLL TIDE!) who spends her days jetting around the world as an event planner.  And she plays mom to the most adorable chocolate lab Dixon (affectionally, Dixon-monster).

 

Seriously, he's adorable.

 

Thanks Lauren for guest posting!

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Hi everyone! I’m Lauren and you can usually find me over at Life with a Lab. I am so happy that Nicole and Adam are finally off on their honeymoon! And with this frigid weather most of us are experiencing, I am quite jealous of their tropical locale! I hope they are having a fabulous time.

 

So I am going to share a secret with everyone today. One that may shock you all considering I am a blogger.

 

I just discovered Etsy. Like, 2 weeks ago.

 

I know. Gasp! I had heard about it but not paid much attention. Honestly, I mostly saw it mentioned on mommy-blogs, where cute bows, rompers and boomers are customized to your heart’s content. I thought it was just crafty nonsense I would have zero interest in. But oh my gosh I was so incredibly wrong.

 

There is some amazing stuff on Etsy. Jewelry, in particular, is one of the most common things you will find on there!

 

I wear the exact same rings, necklace and earrings every day. I have 3 watches and tend to swap them out depending on my mood. So for the most part, things are pretty boring in the jewelry department for this girl! But now I have found Etsy and I want it all and don't even know where to begin, but must proceed with caution for my debit card's sake.

 

These are just a few of my favorite things I have found:

 

VIA:

1: One Life Jewelry 2: ShopElegante 3: Jewelry by Margaret 4: Jade Minded 5: Jewelry by Margaret  6: Seychell  7: Betty Bead Boutique  8: Callie Hulslander   9: Under Her Charm

 

I still can't believe I've been missing out on all of the fabulousness that Etsy offers!! I really must be living under a rock. :) Thank you so much Nicole for having me guest blog, and I can't wait to hear all about your trip to Mexico!

traveling through europe! *guest post*

Meet Miss Sarah from Fairy Tales Are True.  Sarah recently relocated from Switzerland to Panama and cronicles her adventures (complete with AMAZING photographs) over on her blog.  Not only is Sarah an avid traveler, but she loves cooking, fashion and entertaining.

Thanks Sarah for writing for today's guest post!  And be sure to check out her lovely adventures over on her blog :)

 

 

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I figured I'd share a bit about travel, since Nicole is lucky enough to be galavanting around Mexico on her honeymoon.  (:

 

First, Hi there! I am Sarah Tucker from fairy tales are true, I married this January, moved to Switzerland for eight months, moved back to florida for a month and am currently living in the beautiful country of Panama.  In under a year, we've been lucky enough to have traveled to fifteen countries together.  We're blessed that my husbands job currently is not very time consuming, pays the bills, and allows us to travel.  We realize our life will not always be so carefree, so we take advantage of our time abroad.  Here's some european travel tips, a few we've learned the hard way.  

 
 Europe is expensive but it doesn't have to break your bank!  Your first task is to get an inexpensive flight.  I usually just stalk travelocity for a good one.  So far we've been pretty lucky and have spent around $600-800 on round trips.  We've also taken a transatlantic cruise back home from barcelona to miami which was surprisingly inexpensive and also an experience we'd recommend if you love the sea and are not in a hurry to head home.  Once you are in Europe you can get around pretty inexpensively.  That is, if you are willing to use budget airlines like Ryanair or Easyjet (and pack light!!) .  You can use skyscanner.net to search every available connection from your departure.  Often we would put Basel, Switzerland (our home) in the "from" box , and the in the "to" we'd put "EVERYWHERE".  Then we'd book one of the cheapest tickets.  It is an amazing tool if you are planning ahead, especially when you search using the months category.

  

If you are planning on purchasing a eurail ticket realize that you will have to pay a reservation fee on a lot of trains.  We've had nothing but good experiences on trains but keep in mind most of our experiences were in Switzerland where things are clean and on time.

   

If you are planning on renting a car then you should just be aware of the tolls and make sure you have a working GPS.  For example, Switzerland has a one time fee of 40 swiss francs for a whole year (do not think fee is for rentals), and in France the tolls are sky high.  Sometimes it is just cheaper to fly or ride the train.  But certainly explore your options.  

 

As far as booking hotels once you choose your european destinations, we often do hotwire or priceline in big cities.  They usually have hotels in great locations or near a metro. Otherwise we stay in bed and breakfasts which we find through tripadvisor.com Firstly, I am a teeny bit of a snob when it comes to hotels.  It just has to be clean!  a good location is nice but not necessary. 

 

Here are a few of the places we stayed and the price we paid.  

Amsterdam:  NH Amsterdam - pricelined for $80

Barcelona:  Casa De Billy Barcelona for 70 euros. (w/ light breakfast)

Milan:  NH Touring Milan for $90 on priceline (Milan is expensive!)

Positano: Villa Sophia for 70 euros (w/light breakfast)

Prague:  Panorama Hotel pricelined for $50 (w/ a huuuuuge breakfast!)

Rome:  Roman Holiday for $99

Venice:  Park Villa Vicini for 65 Euros

 

So, see y'all!  it's not too terribly expensive.

 

Of the utmost importance to us is where we eat.  My husband and I love to enjoy our food and wine.  During the day we wander around looking for our next meal.  Seriously, we are so bad that as soon as we stop eating breakfast we are daydreaming about lunch and then dinner.  We usually check out tripadvisor or the michelin guides for  good suggestions.  We don't spend much time in museums because I am overwhelmed by the beauty of these european towns and to me, that is my kind of art.   Although we have been known to be lost in the beauty of our fair share of museums on occasion.   We always have a list of places we'd like to see and try to tick the boxes off as we go but don't try to do too much in a short trip.  That can make me cranky and worn out.  We also %90 of the time take public transportation.  It helps us to get the local feel of a city when you figure out the metro/bus systems.  And it's a heck of a lot cheaper!    

 

Hope some of these tips have been helpful if you are thinking about taking a trip to Europe!!

 

Thank you so much Nicole for having me here!  

I hope you and your husband are having a fabulous time in Mexico!!

xox

shooing away the new year before the caroling even begins. *guest post*

Allow me to introduce you to Hannah Katy, one the greatest writers I've ever come across! Her blog, As Simple as That is truly inspiring to everyone who reads it.  She's a compassionate peacemaker both in her job and daily life.  Hannah is a a lover of coffee, cupcakes and peanut butter & banana sandwiches. 

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While everyone else is craning their necks, waiting for their ears to perk up over the sound of hooves on the rooftop, I am waiting for her. Her footsteps. And the obnoxious clicking of her heels.

Yes, that’s right. I can hear the New Year and her brat pack of Resolutions coming toward me already.

The New Year has quite the stride, a way of walking that declares the world to listen to her every step. She gets right up in our faces and she dares us to do something. Like those mean girls in high school, the devilish diva and her faithful servants begin demanding our attention before we even get to enjoy our eggnog.

You see, the New Year is the one that everyone waves at, says “hi” to, and pretends to buddy up with. Secretly we all want to shy away from her, simply because she brings along that little squad with her wherever she goes. Those stuck up Resolutions.

Oh, we dread them, shudder to think of them and yet, come December 31, we will be asking them to come right over and clink their champagne glasses with ours.

I am not so sure about you but I am getting extremely tired of these luscious little life wreckers and I have taken it upon myself to swipe out the New Year’s Resolutions before the twelve days of Christmas even arrive.

It is December 13th.  Seems like a perfect day to start changing my life for the better. I am pretty set with a lot of things, but would I like to treat some people in my life a little better? Absolutely! Would I love more organization and to actually know where the pieces of my life are? Definitely! Would I enjoy dedicating some more time to myself instead of always staying pinned to a schedule? I don’t even need to ask myself that question.

So why not start today?

We get all wrapped up in these New Year’s Resolutions. If you are anything like me, you equate the New Year with the Apocalypse.  We spend a week or so reflecting on what we want to change, what in our lives is not good enough or could be better, and get all psyched up for midnight to hit. But in actuality, 97% of resolutions are not kept. The losing weight, exercising, and being organized goals quickly slide into the category of “epic fails” about two weeks after that mystical moment at midnight.

Why do we fail when it comes to resolutions? Is there too much pressure? Are we expecting too much of ourselves?

Yes and no.  We really should push ourselves but we should also recognize our limitations. Let’s be serious, just because a clock strikes twelve and a ball drops out of the sky in New York City does not mean that we can really change six areas of our lives for good. It doesn’t happen that way.

Here are my thoughts:  we should sit down, write down a few goals and then think about tackling them. Think about how it would make us feel to pummel those goals head on. Let’s draft game plans, here and now. We won’t get anywhere without a game plan.  If we want to eat healthier then let’s start with a grocery list. If we want to be more organized then let’s reach for a trash bag. Baby steps, but steps nonetheless.

New Year, as fresh and pretty as you are, I really think you need to shoo away those Resolutions.

Those little twits will not be getting a rose from me this January, or a shot, or a key, or a clock (and any other absurd object meant to signify love in the realm of reality TV). Those little monsters can go bother someone else this year, because I am starting now before they can even try to mess up the notes in my Christmas carols.

Who is with me?

...and we're off!

On our honeymoon, yay!

I'm so ready to be out of here, there's a blizzard coming later today so it couldn't be more perfect timing to head south.  Ricki, of course, is enjoying the luxury of two in-house dogsitters, who will probably feed him way too many treats and will gain more weight than we do this week.

As for all of you, I have some AMAZING guest posts lined up from some of my favorite blogs that I regularly stalk.  Be sure to leave them lots of love - they are fabulous :)

See you next week, enjoy the snow!

fashion friday: 2011's IT color

So long turquoise, HELLO honeysuckle! 

That's right, Pantone annouced the IT color for 2011 this week and it's none other than a gorgeous pinkish-red (looks like my wedding was right on trend!).  According to Pantone, Honeysuckle is:

A Color for All Seasons. Courageous. Confident. Vital. A brave new color, for a brave new world. Let the bold spirit of Honeysuckle infuse you, lift you and carry you through the year. It’s a color for every day – with nothing “everyday” about it.

I have to say, I'm a huge fan.  It's bright, vibrant and fun!  As for how to wear honeysuckle?  Go for bright, single pieces or pair a bright piece with neutrals.

 
 

Have a fashion friday post?  Be sure to link up!  And don't forget my BOLD ROCKS giveaway ends today - so GO ENTER!!!

want a holiday card from busygirl?

Thanks to Shutterfly, we have a 100 holiday cards instead of just the 40 we need.  So I'm opening this up to all of you!  Want a holiday card from BusyGirl&Co (yes, Ricki is on the card!), fill out the form below and we'll send you one!

wordless wednesday: my stylish pup.