South Carolina Vacation Photo Book

Back in 2011 we went on a trip to South Carolina (and North) to meet my husband's great grandma, celebrate her birthday, and get a taste of the south.  Since then she has past away and though we only got a small glimpse into her life, I am grateful to have met her and get a taste of my husband's family's history that we can one day share with our own children. 

Plus it was a major bonus to be able to travel across the country for my first time.  Everything was so beautiful and lush.  I loved getting a peek into another city's culture.  I blogged all about our trip back in 2011...and finally getting around to printing that book out!

I feel so grateful looking at these books of all the places I have had the opportunity to visit.  Too often we do not do these fantastic locations justice by letting their photos sit on our computer.  These books remind me of the life that I have lived so far as well as the many adventures I have been on.  It is easy to forget when I do not look back. 

How to Print Instagram Photos (and Instagram Look Alikes) at Home

I am a big fan of using your photos--not just letting them sit online or on your phone or hard drive.  I like to have them in my hands to look at and share with others.  One of my most recent ways of sharing my photos has been printing them to use on cards.

Today I am sharing how I print my Instagram photos (or Instagram look alikes) at home.  There are a lot of places out there that print your Instagram photos in a square but I wanted to be able to print a few at a time and from my own home. 

The first step in printing your photos is the print setup.  If you are printing Instagram photos, they will already be cropped to a square.  If you want to print square photos that are not from Instagram, simply crop your photo before printing it in any photo editing software (including the many you can find for free online).

When the print screen comes up you will want to print your photos on 4x6 paper size.  I use 4x6 photo paper to print on but you could print on any type of paper (sometimes I print photos on white cardstock).  You can choose whether you want the photo to have a border to not (if given the option) as well as how the photo fills the page.  I use "print entire image" for this basic square size.

Once printed, your photo will be set in the center of your 4x6 print.  These look great as is (lots of white space is very popular and has a polaroid feel to it) but in order to have that Instagram look, you will trim the photo around the image.  If you wanted larger photos, you could do the same process but print on 5x7 paper.

Once printed I like to tape mine to blank cards with washi tape.  They also double as decoration to gift wrap!

This photo was used for my parent's anniversary gift.  More recently, I printed out a few photos to send out on thank you cards.  I used the same concept but printed them slightly differently.  I chose to print smaller images so I created a 4x6 collage with two of the same image and then printed them out.

I wanted to try a few new variations so I trimmed each photo slightly differently to see which looks I liked best.

When sending out blog related notes, I like to add my custom made blog address sticker to the envelopes.

Printing photos is a fun and personal way for me to dress up cards, gifts, and use around my home.  I hope you will be inspired to print your own at home as well!

Having a good printer helps make printing photos at home much easier.  We used a lower end model for many years that served us well--Kodak ESP-3.  We currently have a professional model that I love--Canon PIXMA Pro-100.

Hello, Beautiful | A Girly Office + Giveaway

Over the past few months I have made a few changes to my office/playroom for my nephew.  I found a new side of the road gem, purchased a new printer, and my nephew is getting older so we have started to use the space slightly differently.

This space has been so good to us.  As my nephew has gotten older and more independent, having a spot for him to play while I work has been perfect for us.  I love that it is a designated place separate from the other rooms we spend our time in.  When we go in this room, it is usually with intentions that I need to get a few things done while he independently plays.  I have found that having a specific purpose for the room helps him to play better as well as understand that auntie needs to sit in front of her computer for a few minutes.  It is far from perfect (there are plenty of days where I am trying to type as he crawls all over me asking if we can "take pictures" on the computer) but it seems to work well for us most of the time.

I will be sharing in a future post some of the changes that have been made for this room, but today specifically I am focusing on one of my newest and prettiest additions to my girly office.  This darling Hello, Beautiful pillow cover.

I know my house is plenty girly as it is.  But my office is my one designated space that is not shared with my husband.  It definitely has a lot more pink but also serves as an inspiration to me.  I fill this room with more quotes and girly art than the rest of the house to feed into my creative spirit.  This room is all about me (minus the chalkboard and children's books!) and it a retreat from the rest of my home that is constantly reminding me there is laundry to do and dishes to clean.  This office is a place to focus.  To write.  To work.  To dream.  To meet women.  It means a lot to me.  So a reminder of "Hello, Beautiful" just seems fitting.

This beautiful pillow is from The ArtWerks, which is very much feeding into my whole water color and floral obsession!  The ArtWerks is an Etsy shop full of beautiful and original art and jewelry.  I personally love the pillow covers but there is plenty more to see in this beautiful shop!

Today The ArtWerks is offering two winners a $25 shop credit!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Work At Home Wardrobe

Whether you work at home, are a stay at home mom, or just like to look comfy and cute, today's fashion roundup is all about my "work at home" wardrobe.  While I blog and take care of my nephew from the comfort of my own home, it is important to me to get dressed most of the time all the while remain comfortable enough to chase a three year old around and occasionally clean the toilets.

Victoria's Secret Pink top, Ross scarf, Old Navy skirt

My wardrobe is all about being comfy, which includes lots of spandex, elastic, and stretch.  I wear a lot of skirts and dresses because I do not like things tight around the waste.  I am pretty sensitive (to everything!) so you won't find me wearing tight jeans too often.

Marshall's sweater and dress, thrifted scarf

Temperature is also a key factor.  The house can get pretty cold, especially if I am not moving and sitting in front of my computer, so I try to layer a lot.  It is tempting to throw on my robe or a baggy sweatshirt, but instead I try to keep it stylish with scarves and sweaters.  I want to be able to run out the door to run an errand, stop by a neighbor's house, look presentable for UPS, and have friends drop by without worrying about changing first.  

American Eagle sweater, Old Navy spaghetti strap, American Eagle skirt

I have never been one to do much with my hair so I keep it fairly long so I can throw it up in a messy bun or ponytail.  

What I wore to speak on 31 Days of Serving My Husband: JC Penny cardigan, homemade flower pins, hand me down top, thrifted belt, thrifted H&M skirt, Ross Steve Madden boots

I believe in the power of a few great things: comfortable shoes, flattering sweaters, and a neutral wardrobe.  I am pretty serious about the shoes I buy.  I have a few brands that fit me well and have proven to be wearable over the course of an entire day.  I am extremely picky about finding the right fit and keeping them in neutral colors.  And then I am willing to spend the money it costs.  By investing in a few pair of shoes I really love, being uncomfortable on my feet no longer has to be an issue.

Cardigans are much the same.  Finding the right sweater can make my body look more flattering.  Just like the shoes, I take them home, try them on with my existing outfits, and only keep if they work well with the majority of my existing wardrobe.  

American Eagle sweater, I don't even know what top I was wearing!, Ross scarf, old skirt, DSW rain boots

This winter I have embraced scarf wearing much more than I have in the past.  I streamlined my collection to a few long pieces in color schemes I could wear a lot and tied them all on the end to create my own infinity scarf.  I like how by tying two out of four corners together, the scarf hangs with more body creating a v-shape instead of a round shape.  For a square body type, having the scarf drop low and full accentuates me better.  I have also found that throwing on the scarf takes a simple outfit to a much stylish and chic one...even when I am simply just wearing the same three scarves repeatedly. 

 American Eagle sweater, again--can't see my top, old scarf, Ross skirt, DSW rain boots, Bob stroller, nephew watching Blue's Clues on my iPod while I try on clothes

Ross top, TJ Maxx sweater, Ross skirt, 31 Bits necklace

JC Penny sweater, hand me down top, thrifted scarf, Ross skirt, DSW wedges

I recently picked up these new wedges for spring.  I wanted something with a little bit of a heel but not as high as my other heels.  These are still a tiny bit high but low enough to walk around in for most of the day.  I must be getting old.  Every year my heels get lower!

Are you seeing a trend here?  I am pretty sure I typed out quite a few things I wore at least twice.  I am constantly wearing the same clothes but in different combinations.  It doesn't feel old but it also doesn't feel like a chore to get ready.  Everything mix and matches so well.

The last thing I am going to share are these slippers.  For Christmas last year, my parents got me these Michael Kors slippers I had been wanting.  I love that they look like regular flats but are warm and cozy.  Especially when I am having guests over, I don't always want to wear shoes but my feet will get cold.  So instead of walking around the house in bright pink fuzzy slippers, I now wear these when I want to look pulled together but remain cozy.  They are definitely a splurge but for someone who spends the majority of their days at home, having a little luxury on my feet are a well appreciated treat.