Wednesday, September 28, 2011

The “Just Because” Giveaway Week- Day 3

Yes, indeed.  I have another giveaway for all of you this week!  :)
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Girls, this is such a fun little Etsy shop!  Maddy is a self taught artist from Toronto and the designer for Marolsha Jewelry.  She is super sweet!  I'm very happy that I've had the privilege to work with her this week!


Thanks to the lovely, Maddy from Marolsha, you have the chance to win a pair of these beautiful earrings!   
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Aren’t they so cute?!  
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Here is how you can enter the giveaway:
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Mandatory Entry:

Follow this blog publicly
&
Visit Marolsha, find your favorite item(s), and leave me the link(s) in the same comment!
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{really, really wanna win?}

Extra Entries:
Please keep comments separated to count as individual entries. If it says "2 entries," please leave two comments, etc.

Add my blog button to your blog's sidebar.
{1 entries}
-
Blog, Tweet, or Facebook about this giveaway and leave me the link. 
{2 entries}
-
Like” Marolsha on Facebook.
{3 entries}
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For those with Etsy accounts, "heart" Marolsha.
{2 entries}
-
Purchase something from Marolsha.
{10 entries}
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This giveaway ends on October 4th, 2011. I will draw a winner via Random.org. The winner will have two days to get back to me with an e-mail or comment left on my blog, or another winner will be drawn.


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Also, if you are Raquel...you won this earring giveaway!!  Congrats, girl!  I'll be in touch soon, so I can get your mailing address!  :)

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

The “Just Because” Giveaway Week- Day 2

It’s time for another giveaway!
 
Let me introduce the lovely, Lauren from Seek First.  She is a Jesus lover, newlywed, and nurse to-be.  She loves crafting and creating things as a creative outlet, and a way to pay for her school! lb1

I’m so excited that she is participating in the giveaways this week! Wait until you see her gorgeous shop!

Here is the brief version about her Etsy shop in her own words…

“My shop consists of rosette accessories. I started my Etsy shop as a creative outlet to cancer research. It started as a dream, a thought. I wondered if I could, how it would go. And then, the day came that instead of wondering IF, I just opened it. It wasn't grand. It had one item for a long time. But it has grown and changed. I have learned a lot and still have a long way to go! Now my shop is the way that I am helping to pay for nursing school.”

{The Giveaway}il_570xN.264704579

Lauren is giving away this beautiful fabric rosette necklace to one of the readers of Practically Pink!!  Are you going to be “that special reader”??  il_570xN.264739562
Want to enter? Here's how it works.

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Mandatory Entry:

Follow this blog publicly
&
Visit Seek First, find your favorite item(s), and leave me the link(s) in the same comment!
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{really, really wanna win?}

Extra Entries:
Please keep comments separated to count as individual entries. If it says "2 entries," please leave two comments, etc.
 
Blog, Tweet, or Facebook about this giveaway and leave me the link. Feel free to use this tweet:
I just entered the necklace giveaway from @runninglauren over at @MissEmily520’s blog!! Enter here:http://tinyurl.com/yd9acce
{2 entries}
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Follow @runninglauren  and @MissEmily520 on Twitter.
{2 entries}
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Follow Lauren’s blog via Google Connect.
{3 entries}
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For those with Etsy accounts, "heart" Seek First.
{2 entries}
-
Purchase something from Seek First.
{10 entries}
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This giveaway ends on October 4th, 2011. I will draw a winner via Random.org. The winner will have two days to get back to me with an e-mail or comment left on my blog, or another winner will be drawn.
Thank you for letting me host this giveaway, Lauren!!

Monday, September 26, 2011

The “Just Because” Giveaway Week- Day 1

Who is ready for a few giveaways to celebrate this beautiful “Fall” weather we’re having?!  I do believe that it’s time to welcome this new season!  Get ready for some awesome giveaways, ladies!  I’ve got some awesome sponsors lined up for the next few days. 

First up this week is…

Darcy from The Pretty Girl Shop!!

Thank you for participating, Darcy!  I love your Etsy shop so much!iusb_760x100.8438813

{The Giveaway}

The winner of this lovely giveaway will have four different note card styles to choose from…

Option #1- Vintage Dictionary Dress Form Note Cardsil_570xN.255420861Option #2- Bicycle Note Card Set, Personalizedil_570xN.246816929   Option #3- Shoe Note Cards with Vintage Dictionary Envelopesil_570xN.256894257 Option #4- Hot Air Balloon Note Cards, Vintage Dictionaryil_fullxfull.261416956

Aren’t they so pretty?!  I would *love* to win a set of them myself… Christmas ideas, maybe?  (hint hint) :-)

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Mandatory Entry:

Follow this blog publicly

&

Visit The Pretty Girl Shop, find your favorite item(s), and leave me the link(s) in the same comment!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

{really, really wanna win?}

Extra Entries:

Please keep comments separated to count as individual entries.  If it says "2 entries," please leave two comments, etc. 

Add my blog button to your blog's sidebar.

{1 entries}

-

Blog, Tweet, or Facebook about this giveaway and leave me the link.  Feel free to use this tweet:

I just entered the giveaway for a set of pretty note cards over at @MissEmily520’s blog!! Enter here:http://tinyurl.com/yd9acce

{2 entries}

-

Like” Practically Pink and Pretty Girl Shop on Facebook.

{3 entries}

-

For those with Etsy accounts, "heart" The Pretty Girl Shop.

{2 entries}

-

Purchase something from The Pretty Girl Shop.

{10 entries}

-

This giveaway ends on October 4th, 2011.  I will draw a winner via Random.org.  The winner will have two days to get back to me with an e-mail or comment left on my blog, or another winner will be drawn.

Friday, September 23, 2011

It's Officially Fall!!!


Gorgeous, huh?  

I’m so excited for this new season!  It’s a beautiful time of the year!  

 I love that the cooler weather is just around the corner, that the leaves are going to change in the next couple of weeks, that scarves, hats, and gloves will be the accessories for almost every outfit again, and...

 ...it's almost time for warm sweaters and boots.  Also, it's pumpkin season, and it's almost time to start wrapping up in cozy blankets and drink warm apple cider again!  Oh, and did I mention that Thanksgiving will be here soon?!! 

Let’s face it.  It's an awesome season all around.

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." {Ecclesiastes 1:1}

Goodbye, Summer… Hello, Fall!

Blessings friends!
~Em

Thursday, September 22, 2011

A Peek Into Our Sister’s Lives: Sarah

Are you ready for another "A Peek Into Our Sister's Lives" interview?  I know, I know… I haven’t done an interview in an extremely long time.  I’m so sorry, ladies.  I will try to do better this time.  Life has been pretty crazy around here the last few months. 

Anyway, this month I had the privilege to interview my beautiful blogging/ writing friend, Sarah from Daughter of the King.  She is such a wonderful young woman and is on fire for the Lord.  Seriously, this girl is such an inspiration to me.  I always leave her blog feeling so much better and more encouraged.  I am so blessed to have been able to “meet” her through blogging.  She is a wonderful friend.  I'm sure you will love getting to know her! 

Sarah, can you tell us a little bit about yourself, family, and current life, for those of us who don’t read your blog?VictorianGirl
I am just going to be really blurbish and random here, okay? Only because I love randomness though. I hope ya'll don't mind!

I am a 22 year-young woman who is so in love with her Jesus. I was an '07 Homeschool graduate who now studies at the school of My-So-Called-Life and I'm truly loving it! ;) I live at home with my loving family...still. And I just so happen to call the WNC mountains my home away from home. My family consists of my dad, momma, younger sister, a bichon frise named abby and 6 chickens. Oh, yeah...and I live next door to my grandparents too which is pretty awesome. I work in a Christian bookstore and love the fact that I get to talk about books, music and Jesus (not necessarily in that order) all day long. I write on my blog every chance I get and I absolutely adore sharing my heart and getting to hear other women's hearts through the comments that they leave for me to read on my blog.

I also love photography (neovictorianphotography.blogspot.com), playing piano ( I taught lessons for a few years), Starbucks mocha frappes, used bookstores, hiking, worn-in quilts, victorian-ish things, the band anberlin and the BBC phenom Doctor Who.

Oh, yeah and I bet you all might like to know about "The Guy" in my life. His name is Jared and he is my BEST FRIEND. I've had the pleasure of dating my best friend for the last two years of my life, well, that is it will have been two years come November 8th. Honestly, I love him to the moon and back again and just when I think I've discovered all of the reasons to thank God for him I realize that I've only just begun. Yes, he is my other half. The better one that is.My current life consists of working at the bookstore, going to two different churches, being a part of my awesomely wonky family, raiding used book stores for awesome deals, writing tons, laughing loads, saving money so I can *possibly-fingers crossed* get married next Autumn and driving back and forth to Asheville, NC to visit my handsome love. Also, I am currently starting to gather my frazzled thoughts into a novel idea. I've had some ideas laid on my heart recently and I am just reeling to do something about and with them! Yes, I'm going to attempt to write a novel. Call me crazy, because I'm pretty sure I am!? The details on my current writing endeavor are sure to be written about on my blog sometime in the near future rest assured. I just hope and pray I will succeed!

TheLovey's2How did you start blogging and how did you come up with the name for your blog? 
I had been writing random stories and poems for many years, but it wasn't until I started sharing them with a few people that I knew I NEEDED to write. After having sent my poems via e-mail's to a dear close friend of the family she suggested that I start writing my poetry on this thing called a blog, and so I took the plunge and started writing my blog in July of 2009. As far as the blog name goes, well, my name means "Princess" and I decided that whatever I wrote about I wanted it all to be to His glory. So that's ultimately why I chose to go with 'Daughter of the King.' It encompassed my growing heart for Him and my princess-dom all in one fail swoop, plus I liked the way it rolled off the tongue. =)
 
What are some things that you love about blogging?
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I love that I've been able to connect on a deep level with women of all ages who are all in love with the same man: Jesus. And strangely enough we don't fight over Him! Odd isn't it? I can't tell you how many times I've wished that I could meet all of my blogger friends face to face some day. I'd love to be 'in real life' friends with all of the lovely ladies I've gotten to know through blogging. These bloggers I've met have so strongly and constantly poured into my life and have helped me grow deeper in my faith and walk God. And I will admit that I just love getting my own thoughts out there too! Sometimes I don't even really "get me" until I "read me." Sounds a bit silly I know, but I really do find myself through the words which I write. Blogging and writing are my voice of choice. 
 
What are some things that you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I love going for long walks with Jared, book hunting, reading fiction books, hiking on the blueridge, singing in the car, photographing everything I see, blogging, scrapbooking, daydreaming about the loooog scarlet tapestries in Leviticus, quilting, playing 'Think of Me' on the piano and partaking in movie watching binges from time to time. Yes, those are among some of the crazy things that occupy my time. Oh, and then there's spending time with my silly family (honestly, we are bunch o' goobers!) and the amazing man in my life too! ;)

What were you like as a child? Girly girl, tomboy, outgoing, shy, etc?
I was definitely a tomboy/bookworm/compulsive daydreamer as a young girl. My favorite toys were books, bugs, my singing voice, my imagination and dirt. Oh, and I was also extremely shy too, although strangely enough I was a BIG chatterbox around my family. I bet they'd wished that I was as shy around them as I was around other people, but sadly that wasn't the case. ;) I am still sort of a nerdy-tomboy, and I'm definitely still the daydreaming bookworm sort. I have a feeling I will be that way for LIFE, and that's totally fine by me! IMG_0769What are three main goals that you would love to accomplish by sharing God's love with others, encouraging other young girls, etc?
1) That they would see that in my BROKENNESS I am made WHOLE. And that they can be made WHOLE too.
2) That living TRANSPARENTLY and AUTHENTICALLY under HIS GRACE is a beautiful thing.
3) That beauty is not found in how you look, but in how you live for HIM.

Would you share a few of your favorite Bible verses with us?
I'd LOVE to!
"I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." (2 Corinth. 6:18) IMG_0652
"My daughter, if your heart is wise, then my own heart is glad, and my inmost self rejoices when from your lips come honest words." (Prov. 23:15,16)
"And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." (1 Peter 5:10) 

Do you have anything else that you would like to say to the readers of Practically Pink before we end the interview? :-)
Never forget that... YOU are treasured and valued. YOU have been called and set apart. YOU have been purposed in this life by Him. YOU have GRACE all you need to do is ask for it. YOU have the chance to live beautifully for HIM!

Also, many thanks to Emily for asking me to be interviewed on her fabulous PRACTICALLY PINK blog! She is a super lovely young woman, and if you already know her IRL (in real life) or through the words which she writes on her blog then you should count yourself among those who are truly blessed, because I know I sure do!

Awww, thank YOU for doing the interview, Sarah!  I so enjoyed reading your answers to my questions!  I hope you were all encouraged by this interview. Have a wonderful evening!  I’m off to go help with some supper. :-)

Inspiration Workshop: The Family Room

I just love participating in Gussy Sews Inspiration Workshop!  It's a great way to share my inspiration with all of you and I'm able to be inspired in return!  What could be better than that? You should really write a post of your own this week and join us.  It's so much fun!  Thanks for hosting the link-up, Gussy! ;)

This week’s prompt is FAMILY ROOM!  Like Maggie (aka Gussy), our family room is one of the most lived-in rooms of the whole house.  We read books in there, we reply to emails and blog in there at the desk, we watch movies and TV in there, we visit with family and friends, we take naps, and we do some of our schoolwork in there... 
Let's face it.  Our family does a lot of things in there together.  Here is a sneak peak into our family room:
101CANON1
101CANON2   and…
Here are a few of my “dream family rooms”…
I love rooms that have a cozy and warm feeling when you walk in and the one above definitely does that for me.  I love lots of colorful pillows and lots of light streaming through the windows and doors…
I have no idea what “style” I would decorate my house, but this room makes me really happy.  I love the yellow and gray.
I absolutely *love* this room below!  I don’t think I would ever be able to do anything like that in my future home, though.
Haha! It' doesn’t hurt to dream, right?  :)
 
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What does your family room look like right now? 
What are some of your “dream” family rooms?
 
Linking up with Gussy Sews' Inspiration Workshop here!


Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Earring Giveaway!!

My lovely blogging friend, Miss ALK sent me a pair of earrings for my birthday, and she also included a pair for me to give away on my blog inside the package.  They are very cute little earrings and I’m sure that one of you would love to have them as a new accessory!  Thank you  for letting me host the giveaway, sweet friend! :)

{Giveaway}IMG_0433


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Would you like to enter? 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mandatory entry:
Leave a comment about something positive that has happened to you this week.
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Extra entries:
Leave separate comments for each "entry." If it says "2 entries," leave two comments, etc.
-
~Blog, Tweet, or Facebook about this giveaway and leave me the link.
{3 entries per}
-
~Add my blog link or button to your sidebar.
{2 entries}
-
~Follow me on Twitter (MissEmily520)
{2 entries}
-
Follow Miss ALK's blog
{3 entries}
-
This giveaway ends on September 28, 2011.  The winner will have 48 hours to contact me after I publish the giveaway results or another winner will be drawn.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Hello Monday {11}

{Hello Monday}
{hello alarm clock}
{hello getting ready for the day}
{hello warm cheese toast}
{hello quiet time}
{hello school}
{hello lunchtime}
{hello doing more schoolwork until around 2:45ish}
{hello making fabric rosettes and sewing}
{hello cooking with Andrew}
{hello spending time with family and supper}
{hello reading blogs and emails}
{hello sweet sweet bed}
This post was inspired by my sweet friends, Sarah-Anne and Lisa Leonard. If you want to participate in {Hello Monday} too, then please give credit to Lisa in your post. She is the first one to start this weekly blog series.

Friday, September 16, 2011

it’s the little things:: {link up #1}

I’m linking up with Lindsay from Aisle to Aloha tonight.  She just started this link-up last week and I thought it was an absolutely lovely idea!  It gives us time to actually think back to all the little things that made our week a good one.  God has beautiful lives planned for each of us, but sometimes we don’t really see how He is working in us and blessing us during the week.  Won’t you join me as I reflect on the little things?
Aisle to Aloha
IMG_0428…drinking a delightful pumpkin spice latte while reading.
…cooking with my awesome grandma.
…beautiful blue skies and sunshine.IMG_0429...cooler weather.
...texting with friends.
…singing in the car on the way home with Katie and Andrew.IMG_0414…finishing all my school assignments for the week.
...going to a movie with friends. (Thanks for letting me tag along, Sarah-Anne and Samantha!)
…a new Paris desktop background for my laptop.IMG_0441…sweet emails and packages in the mail from blogging friends.
…spending time in God’s Word and starting Bible study back. (love those girls so much)
…laughing with my family.
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What are some little things that you are thankful for this week?  Have a blessed weekend!

Monday, September 12, 2011

Hello Monday {10}

{Hello Monday}
{hello cloudy morning}
{hello trying to wake up and fixing breakfast}
{hello delicious cinnamon roll}
{hello quiet time}
{hello awkward UPS man}
{hello checking my online school assignments}
{hello reading for school}
{hello math}
{hello mac and cheese for lunch}
{hello texting with Sarah-Anne}
{hello more schoolwork}
{hello rain showers}
{hello straightening/ cleaning the house from the busy weekend}
{hello family time and supper}
{hello blogging and entering some giveaways}
{hello bedtime routine}
This post was inspired by my sweet friends, Sarah-Anne and Lisa Leonard. If you want to participate in {Hello Monday} too, then please give credit to Lisa in your post. She is the first one to start this weekly blog series.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Andrew’s *Surprise* 14th Birthday Party!

On Friday night, we had a surprise birthday party for Andrew!
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I'm so thankful that we were able to pull it off for him.  He was so surprised and had no clue that he was going to come home to a house full of close friends and family.  It was great! 

Katie and I thought about doing a party for him a couple of weeks ago, but we didn’t think about doing an actual surprise party until a few days before… I talked to Daddy about it and got the “okay” from him, talked to Katie some more, and then I started texting Sarah-Anne about it. She absolutely *loves* surprises, so I knew she would want to help with the planning.
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I called everyone to invite them and told them the plan the next day (Sunday afternoon), and then we (Katie, Daddy, and yours truly) had to go through the entire week without mentioning anything to Andrew.  It was so hard!  I can’t tell you how difficult it was to keep a secret from him…Friday morning and early afternoon went by so slow.  Haha!
IMG_0325The guests arrived at our house a little before Andrew got home, so we could all hide and yell “SURPRISE” when he walked inside. IMG_0323and…

Thanks to Mrs. Melanie and Clark, they were able to successfully get him home without him knowing anything about the party.
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Everyone gathered in the dining room when he drove up in the driveway...and then we, well, just watch the video below.  Haha. :)


Andrew's Big Surprise! from Emily N. on Vimeo.

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After the big surprise, we ate pizza, and then it was time for some games and fun outside.  IMG_0341 IMG_0346 Time for cake!  It was delicious…I wish I had piece right now. :)IMG_0354


IMG_0356 IMG_0367 Lot of laughter and fellowship. :)IMG_0370 Burton’s face cracks me up every single time… Haha!IMG_0381 IMG_0384 Yep, and after we had cake and ice cream, Andrew opened some presents and we had a little more fellowship… IMG_0390It was a great night and I’m so glad he was actually surprised.  Thank you to everyone that helped us make the party a success!


I hope you had a wonderful 14th birthday, Andrew!  We're all so proud of the young man you're becoming.  Keep serving Jesus!  We love you! ;)