real life....{glasses for the SERIOUSLY visually impaired}

i've had the same pair of glasses for.EVER y'all. for so long that I just got tired of lookin at myself - ever been there? and i'm blind as a bat so they're pretty necessary. so for the past year or so, i've really started shopping for a new pair but money is tight.

i bought one living social deal for a local eye shop - $250 to spend on glasses for a mere $35! score, right?

wrong. the frames start at $325 and after you add my bottlecap lenses.........well, let's just say it was more than we had to spend.

even Warby Parker. LOVE them. had a try-on box sent to me - that was fun! but still, my prescription was bumping the price up a bit more than we had to spare.

(sidenote: yes, i know my vision is super important. but moms: sometimes we have to sacrifice, right?)

okay, last ditch effort. i heard about coastal.com through one of the deal sites. they were offering a coupon for a free pair of glasses.

free? snort. ya, right. free frames? maybe. but free glasses??

i didn't hop right on it. i meandered to the site..........poked around. a week or two later, i chose some favorites. another week or two later, i got around to uploading a horrific basic picture of myself for their virtual 'try on' feature (super cool!). but still, i had doubts. here's a couple of my options:

finally, i couldn't take it anymore. i chose a pair, put them in my basket and then saw their return policy: 366 days, no questions asked!!! seriously, how can you go wrong??

and, i found out that they are just as socially aware as WP. each eyeglass purchase gives back to those in need around the world!

here's the new specs i chose:

 
and how cute is this........they came with a lens cleaning cloth, a travel size bottle of cleaning solution and a repair tool that goes on your keychain. i love little presents!

so were they free? not quite. again, because my prescription is so strong i had to pay a little extra - $58. even i can swing that :-)

no coupon? no worries! your first pair is free with code FIRSTPAIRFREE. i was worried about buying glasses online but i think these are seriously worth the risk. fast shipping, good product and they give back. i'm a happy camper!

**note: this is not a sponsored review. all opinions are my own and i received no compensation for this post.

exciting announcement!

 

okay, y'all! i'm super-excited to announce that the bonhomieDESIGN shoppe now offers printing options!! i've connected with an awesome local printer who is allowing me to give you guys great rates on having your designs professionally printed. AND there's a choice of paper stock :-)

so go check out the deets at the shoppe and let me know what you think!

fab finds........{summertime travels}

in 30 days, we'll be hitting the road for our annual vacation to Cape Cod and I can't wait! with that in mind, i curated this fun etsy treasury:

 

click here to show some love! happy weekend :-)

mint + gold.... {inspiration}

here's an inspiration board featuring my newest engagement party invitation!

1. printable mint+gold engagement party invitation; 2. home-spun cotton candy; 3. glittered vases; 4. mint dress; 5. macaroons; 6. gold "love" wedding sign

freebie friday....{freedom}

i've been doing some thinking lately.
thinking about who i am, how i  perceive myself and who God intends me to be.
have you ever felt weighted down by all that you feel you aren't?
that's been happening to me these past few days. most days, if i'm being honest.
its like carrying around a heavy chain.
and each time i don't measure up to who i think i should be, it feels like i'm adding yet another chain.

sometimes, the heaviest burden we can carry is the burden we don't even recognize.
it can change our attitude. it can alter how we interact with others. it can take away our hope.
and we don't even know it's there.

chains.....  bondage..........
difficult to grow, difficult to bless and difficult to receive blessings all locked up like that.

who do you say you are?
first and foremost, i say i am a child of God.
and if i ascribe to that first truth - i am a child of God - then i must ascribe to these next truths....
i am fearfully and wonderfully made.
i am made in His image.
His love is unconditional and merciful.
it is His intention to bless me.

we want to do better.
it's good to want to be a better mother, wife, business woman, sister.........fill in your blank.
but i know what happens next.
in our efforts to improve, the slightest set back or failure turns into self-incrimination.
we don't notice the progressive slide - from striving to do better to piling on negativity.
we have to give ourselves grace.
use our mistakes and failures as tools - not to berate ourselves with but to learn from.
our negative feelings about ourselves become chains.
weighing us down. dragging us down.
is that what God wants for us?
no way.

God wants us to be free.
and in Him, we are free.
free to be loved, free to make mistakes, free to grow..........
rest in Him. dwell in Him.
give those chains over to Him.
He will bear our burdens.

i've created this 8x10" printable as a reminder. we are free in Christ.
just click on the picture to download the printable .pdf file.

happy weekend!

real life......{inspiration}

i have a friend who asks me "how did you come up with that design" every time i show her something new.

my inspiration comes from so many different sources. sometimes nature will inspire. other times it may be work by another designer........and sometimes it seemingly comes from out of the blue but as a jesus-girl, i know that's not the case ;-)

here's my newest design:

and this was my inspiration, found on pinterest......

source

the photography, the colors and the layout is just gorgeous! obviously, my announcement doesn't perfectly mirror my inspiration. actually, other than the layout, it's not even close. my inspiration has an ethereal quality and my design is a bit more..........solid. BUT, it inspired a new design. something more modern than my norm, definitely unique and a design i'm very happy with.

so what inspires you? just remember, your inspiration and your final product may differ but it doesn't mean that the end result isn't equally fabulous :-)

fab finds...{wedding gifts outside the box}

wedding registries are handy, little tools. the bride + groom get what they want/need and guests don't have to think too hard about what to give as a gift.

but what if there is no registry? or perhaps everything's already been purchased. or maybe you'd like to do something a little bit special.

here are a few ideas - all handcrafted, all unique and meaningful - and all personalized. something special for any budget!

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

while any bride + groom would be overjoyed to receive any one of these gifts, i wouldn't suggest ignoring the registry unless its a couple you know well - ya never know how much they may be looking forward to that blender :-)

let's party!

have you hosted any summer soirees yet? i've always been a bit of a late bloomer so i'm just getting started. here's a few pretty yet practical outdoor entertaining must-haves...........

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

enjoy those backyard barbecues and pool parties! and don't forget, if you're looking for custom invitations, i've gotcha covered!

nursery love..........

the blog is back! can't say for how long and can't really give you a direction but join me on this inconsistent wild ride, would ya?

there's been lotsa baby happenings in my world as of late. births, birthdays, baptisms and dedications so i've got baby on the brain (don't get excited. we won't be adding any new additions to our family unless they're of a 4 legged persuasion!)

but i can remember preparing for our little man's arrival. it's was around this time of year that i was setting up his nursery and i was IN LOVE with his room! soft greens and blues, a touch of yellow and lots of whimsy! almost 7 years later and he still has his original "blankie" :-)

as i mentioned, my days of baby decor are over but putting together this inspiration board was almost just as fun ;-)

1. hot air balloon print from my shoppe; 2. framed book prints; 3. baby blocks (source unknown); 4. explorer nursery; 5. baby mobile; 6. hot air balloon wall decals

for more inspiration, check out additional prints in my shoppe and my "b is for baby" pinterest board!