Today I’m so lucky to have two amazing shops offering a giveaway to one lucky HLL reader. So if you are in need of some new accessories this Spring season this is the place to be! Today’s giveaway comes from the ever so awesome Style Lately and Soul Makes.
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Style Lately is an online clothing shop based out of Salt Lake City. Bringing you the latest trends and hottest collection of fashion jewelry and accessories for 30-70% off! Full of feminine and fun pieces, it is the online shopping experience you will be left fully satisfied with.

THE GIVEAWAY
The Evo Chain Bracelet 
Pssst, I have the same one and I’ve gotten lots of compliments already 😉
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Soul Makes is a collaboration between two love birds; MacKenzie and Trevor Mars. She is the designer and maker behind this collaboration of wild and free accessories and he is the photographer and visionary that breathed life into their passionate story. With jewelry designs that appeal to both men and women, our collection is inspired by all things worldly, capturing a little of the wild west, a bit of gypsy magic, and a whole lot of soul…

THE GIVEAWAY
A $50.00 store credit to Soul Makes.
You can get great pieces like this and we can be twins! (I adore this feminine, statement piece)
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It’s Thursday!! I can’t even believe it! I don’t think you all realize how relieved I will be once Sunday rolls around and Eric and I are up in the air on our way to Germany! Sunday can not come soon enough! These past few days / weeks really have been a rough one, and wanderlust has kicked in full swing. Just trying to finalize all last minute details. Picking up our euros at the bank, making sure they know that we will be using our credit cards out of the country, finding adapter’s for all of our electronics, travel maps and books. Basically we are going to be the ultimate tourists. Nose in the maps, loads of cameras, fanny packs and all.
While I get myself under control I wanted to keep you guys occupied with someone special. Today we have the lovely Bre’an from ST8 of MIND. This little photo savvy, New Yorker is too cute for words, and so wise in her outlook on life. Don’t believe me? Read below, and make sure to check out her blog after this interview!

As most of you know Google Reader is soon coming to an end. To some this can be devastating. To others, we improvise and find other ways to keep our readers in tact (BlogLovin’, what have you). And then there’s others who took off Google Reader from their sites months / years ago and never really cared. Either way, this whole “numbers” thing really had me thinking. Why do I blog?
When I first started up my blog almost two years ago I was going through a great change in my life of getting married to my best friend and I wanted to document it. I was never very good at keeping consistent journal entries and turned to the Internet, a space where I consume so much of my time, as the next best option. Within weeks of starting I really just found a passion for blogging – the community, the writing, the inspirations I found from other bloggers and within myself.

And as blogging is continuing to be seen as this massive platform for other potential opportunities (writing your own book, becoming a spokesperson for clothing lines, starting your own line, getting your own television show) so many have turned to blogger for their chance. I would be lying if I were to say that numbers didn’t matter to me. Don’t get me wrong, numbers aren’t everything but there is just something so exciting when you sign into blogger and see that you have gone up another reader. That’s another person who enjoys coming to your site, loves reading what you have to say, what you have to show to the world. Who doesn’t want that, to feel that their voice matters? So yes, numbers can matter if you are really wanting to take your blog somewhere “special”.
Where am I going with this? Of course I would love if I could really turn this here blog into a mini business. To make it my big platform into bigger and better things. But more importantly I don’t want to loose that sense of community and being inspired from one another. So going back to Google Reader…
Is it just me or does it seem like ever since Google Reader announced that it will be removing this feature within the coming months that blogging has just changed? It’s almost as if we are all throwing in the towel and giving up on blogging. A lot of people don’t seem to be posting as much, commenting as much (all of which I’m guilty of as well). Instead of building each other up there’s so much contention of comparison and breaking each other apart.

I guess what I’m getting at is, why do we blog? What are our goals?
Don’t loose that first initial passion that I know we all had / have.

As the weekend always teases us with the excitement of sleeping in and getting to spend the whole day together there’s also that anticipating question that we all know and dread, “What should we do?” And for those who are married, you know how important it is to keep the romance alive after the “I do”. When Eric and I dated, for two years we lived in two separate states so whenever we would fly to visit one another our dates would always be amazing. Hiking, exploring new restaurants, Seattle drives, symphonies, canoe rides and lunches on private beaches, night ski lifts, family vacations, bike rides on the island. I don’t know what it is about being married and wanting to just stay in, but I think Eric and I have had our fair share of those now and suffer from major cabin fever. Maybe its all these rainy nights and waiting for Spring to finally kick in here in Seattle. It’s only Wednesday but our conversations last night consisted of “I don’t know, what do you want to do?” “I don’t know, what do you want to do.” Why are date nights just so hard to plan now? Dinner and a movie are always the classic answer, but seriously what do you married people do all the time to keep the romance alive? Please tell me we are not alone here …

Leave your dating suggestions below!

Because love should be all year round…
Here’s to love, all around the world!

Happy Wednesday readers! Today I am happy to introduce you all to one of my lovely sponsors, Anna from Hola, Guapa. I’ve been so privileged to have such talented ladies to feature on my site as of late, and Anna is no exception! This well traveled photographer is one beautiful lady inside and out. Read on to see why …

Sorry for my absence the past few days! The holidays have been keeping me busy, and that is just what I needed. I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas, spending time with families, enjoying the beautiful lights and eating lots of good food. I’m happy to report that I haven’t made one single meal since last Saturday and I’ve been relishing in a dish free sink (Merry Christmas to me!!). Today I’m off with the family to explore everything Seattle has to offer and tomorrow – fingers crossed – we’ll be up at the cabin playing in the mounds of snow and walking around pretty Leavenworth. So while I’m away we have the lovely Rosie from Cider with Rosie. This darling English girl is just about the sweetest, with a handsome boyfriend and just the cutest dog to match! Make sure to check out her site and see all the fun adventures and scrumptious food she eats along the way!
xo TJ.

Happy ‘Doomsday’ readers! If you’re reading this then congratulations, we have survived the supposed end of the world. Glad that’s over with. Especially because I have bridesmaid duties to perform this coming summer for my baby sister-in-law – let the festivities and planning begin!! Let’s also get back to the joys of everything that is Friday, the upcoming greatest holiday of all time (4 more days!!!), and a new December sponsor. Today we have the lovely Rachael from ladylikeness. This Canadian beauty is one thrifty lady who travels around finding great new additions for her Etsy shop. Read on to find out great thrifting tips, the joys of the 90’s and what Canadians really think about the Biebs.
★ Also, January sponsor spots are now available.
xo TJ

Happy Friday readers! Less than 2 weeks until Christmas and I could not be more pumped! I asked the mister the other day what present he was most excited to give and he said the new bed we bought for my family dog. I suppose this says a lot about the rest of the presents he got for the family and myself…? Moving right along. Today we have the lovely Kendra from Little Almanac. This hot mama of two and history connoisseur is just too cute for words. Plus, she puts together the greatest little films of her and her family. And if that top picture doesn’t give you the baby cravings I don’t know what will! Make sure to spred the holiday cheer and head to her site after this interview!
xo TJ