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!

real life.....{christmas at our house}

i love sitting in our living room on a quiet morning, soaking in all the Christmas goodness!
listening to carols, breathing in the scents and gazing at the tree...........
i thought i'd invite you in for a little peek :-)

 

i was certain when i took these pictures that they weren't blurry. sigh.......... most definitely time for new glasses!

anyway, i love how the mantle came out this year. i did the frosted candle holders myself.
and see those bell jars (that i'm in love with!!).......
soda bottles. way! check out the tutorial on seeing things!

there's another bell jar!
i inadvertently started a santa collection a few years ago. front and center is the last music box i gave my mom - and the only one left - of her collection.
and for the first time in six years i broke out the village! little man chose a few pieces to add to it.

the location of the tree changed this year (as did it's size to accommodate the smaller space!)

here's a tip: if you have children, you're probably gonna have to let go of your martha stewartish designer tree ideas. that was a hard one for me.

our outdoor decor remains relatively the same every year but this year we anchored our santa train to the railing. we got tired of it blowing over last year ;-)

so what does your home look like at christmas time? do you keep it simple with just a tree? or is decorating for the holidays a three day process? if you have photos on your blog, please share the link - i'd love to see!

shoppe update

a couple of new items have been added to "the shoppe"!

i really love designing these! i know, i keep saying that.
but i do!!
any graphics and backgrounds you see in my cards, invites, prints and party collections have been created by me.
no clip art for this girl! ;-)

gift ideas........{for the fashionista}

i'm a pretty laid back, casual kinda gal but my secret desire is to be a fashionista :-)
so putting this board together was a real treat!

1. bubble necklace by bubblejewelry 2. bow scarf by anthropolgie 3. nkhenry "lexi" bag

4. leather wrap bracelet from opensky 5. jcrew crystal bow keychain 6. chandelier earrings by ktjewelry

7. nars eye makeup set from sephora

how's your holiday shopping going so far? do you have anyone on your list who's hard to buy for?

12 days of free printables..(day 2: christmas gift tags}

here's another christmas freebie for you........
'chalkboard' gift tags!
i really enjoyed creating these for you - i hope you enjoy them, as well :-)

click on the photo above for a high resolution .jpg, formatted to print on 8.5x11" paper.

craftiness......{holiday card holder}

every year, we receive a pretty good amount of christmas cards and most of them have photos.
i love looking at the pictures throughout the season and usually i hang them along the banister or over the doorway.
this year i wanted to do something different.
a more prominent display, a little whimsical.
and here's what i came up with:

forgive the photo quality - y'all should know by now i take lousy photos *grin*

supplies:

old painting/frame
spray paint
thumbtacks/staple gun
clothes pins
glitter tape

(excuse the hands - i'm in dire need of a manicure!!)

super-easy craft - remove the old painting from the frame (be sure to get the staples, too!). spray paint then attach your chosen ribbon the the back of the frame. add your glitter tape to the clothespins and you're done!

i'm finding that i'm much more crafty around holiday time. how 'bout you?

GIVEAWAY.....{custom photo christmas card!}

surprise, surprise!
i woke up this morning and decided to have a giveaway.
you can win your choice of any christmas photo card design in the shoppe!!

mandatory entry: like our facebook page via the rafflecopter form below.
additional entries can be earned via the rafflecopter form by tweeting this giveaway.
easy peasy!

this giveaway will be open through sunday, december 9th and the winner will be announced monday, december 10th.

good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

gift ideas......{for the entertainer}

exactly three weeks until christmas day.
my house is halfway decorated and not a gift has been purchased.
maybe you're one of those people who finished their holiday shopping in may.
if you are, please tell me how you do it!
but if you're like me, you haven't even made out your lists let alone begun your shopping!!

so for the purpose of inspiration, i'll be sharing some gift ideas for the loved ones in our lives.
up first: gifts for those who love to entertain.....

1. champagne square chargers from world market; 2. champagne flutes from ikea; 

3. ornament place card holders from open sky; 4.  penguin cocktail shaker from pier1;

5. personalized confetti placemats from paper source; 6. serving set from anthropology

you can't go wrong with one of these!

how do i know, you ask?

'cause i want each one for my very own *wink*

tell me, how's your holiday shopping going? have you finished?

12 days of free printables....{day 1: christmas subway print}

happy december!
since this is the season of giving, i thought it would be fun to design some fun holiday printables just for you!
there will be 12 days of free goodness between now and christmas.
first up is a christmas themed subway print - and coincidentally, in the decor colors i'm using this year ;-)

just click on the photo for a high resolution .pdf, formatted to print on 8.5x11" paper.

happy holidays!

craftiness.......{bookprint ornament}

i fell in love with this pinterest find last year..............

this year, i finally got around to crafting my own.

supplies:

ornaments
book pages
modge podge
glitter

1. remove a few pages from your book and tear them into small pieces.
2. take the ornament caps off then get your decoupage on with the strips & modge podge.
3. while the ornament is still wet, add your glitter.
4. let them dry then embellish at will...........tags, ribbons....whatever your heart desires :-)

i purchased my ornaments & book at our local dollar store. this could easily be a dollar store craft by subbing out the modge podge for a diy decoupage mixture using dollar store glue & water (50/50 mix).

are you doing any diy ornaments this year? feel free to share your blog posts in the comments!!

take up your cross...........

painting by petals and brushes

"...whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me."

~ luke 9:23

our pastor spoke on this verse this past sunday.

did you know that the cross was the primary method of execution in that time?

gruesome, right?

yet us jesus-girls display our crosses proudly.......on our bodies, in our homes......

we want the world to know that we are CHRISTIANS.

we follow Christ.

but "taking up our cross" is so much more than just a symbol to show the world.

taking up our cross means sacrifice. dying to self. following the will of our God.

so often, i think i'm doing such a good job....

going to church, reading my bible...........

then i look back and see i dropped my cross a few blocks back.

i realize that, actually, i've just been satisfying my own needs.

ever been there?

reviewing my life, i can see so clearly those times that i put my cross down and continued on my way.

in my own way.

He didn't let me go, even then, but i know it would have been so much more...satisfying, joyful, peaceful.....(insert happy adjective here).......had i bore my cross.

'cause in the long run, it's so much easier.

following HIS way, listening and obeying HIS words.

and - pay attention now, this is a biggie - it says "daily"

we make the decision to follow Christ but the work doesn't stop there.

every day we must pick up our cross, decide to follow Him and do His will.

every day. every hour. every minute. every second.......

i mess up. i'm constantly dropping my cross. so i strive to check in with God every moment.

touch base, make sure i've got that cross...... 'cause i know He's got me.

maybe, instead of using our crosses to show something to the world, we should use our crosses for ourselves.

as a reminder.

got your cross?

what i'm lovin' on......

source unknown

thanksgiving is behind us, next up: christmas!
it really is my favorite time of the year for so many reasons....
in the weeks following, i'll be focusing on holiday decor, gift ideas and maybe a few diy projects.
how about you? what have you got planned?

this past week has been pretty fruitful, in more ways than one.
rhiannon posted words of worth and encouragement that came at the most perfect moment for me....

new in "the shoppe"...........

a little girl's first birthday printiable photo invite!
i gotta tell ya, since working on the christimas cards, i've really fallen in love with photo cards! quite unexpected but you can expect to see a whole lot more :-)

i thought that this was a really sweet gift idea (pun intended!)

and this cool weather styled shoot is awesome - so cozy!

i have a feeling that this pinterest board will play a prominent role in my holiday decorating this year

share with me - have you come across anything interesting/fun/exciting/beautiful this week?