noonday collection + giveaway!

Happy Saturday! 

I'm home at my parent's house for the weekend in Garner, and it is so beautiful out today! We're heading to the Raleigh Farmer's Market soon, which I love!

So, for some reason the HTML didn't work for me, but I still wanted to make sure y'all heard about this giveaway that Rachel is hosting over at Oh Simple Thoughts. 

The giveaway runs for a few more days so go to her page and enter! You will be entering to win the Del Mar Necklace from Noonday Collection. Here's what Rachel said about Noonday:

They are a jewelry and accessories company that gives back in big ways."Together with the Noonday ambassadors across the country, we offer you the opportunity to use your purchasing power to create change in the world {while looking really good along the way}. Your fashion sense can now restore dignity to abandoned women in Ethiopia, empower communities in Ecuador, and create business opportunities for Ugandans." Noonday sells beautiful necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and more, all made by artisans in third world countries. Some of the money from every item bought goes back to these artisans to create a sustainable lifestlye for them and their communities. HOW AWESOME?!

I don't own anything from Noonday yet, but I love their jewelry, their style, their mission and vision and just about everything about them! At the beginning of this year I actually had a phone interview with someone from Noonday, but the position didn't work out for me due to its seasonal nature, but I still support and love what this company is doing. Beautiful vision + beautiful accessories. What else could you ask for??

Click the picture above to head over to Rachel's page to enter the giveaway! Gorgeous necklace!

{This giveaway not only benefits the artisans of Noonday, but also helps fund an adoption! Double win wooo!}

Now go outside + enjoy this weather!! :)

not another tie.

Is it just me, or are Dads (or men in general) hard to shop for??

Father's Day is quickly approaching so I'm doing a roundup of some unique Father's Day gifts that are not ties. Or socks. Or boring. 

All of these gifts are from handmade shops I've come across or small businesses with great causes. Enjoy shopping!

1. For the Busy Dad:

Copper & Torch's Men's Leather Valet / Dresser Tray

Perfect for your Dad to throw his wallet, change, phone on either on his dresser or a table by the front door.

2. For the Hip Dad:

Sevenly's Never Forget V Neck

I tried copying a picture of the actual t-shirt, but it didn't work. This is the design on it. Sevenly is a great company that donates $7 of every purchase to the designated charity of the week. This week it is TAPS, an organization that supports the children of fallen service members who have given their lives. Pretty sweet shirt for a great cause!!

3. For the Gaming Dad:

Crafty Craps' Batman Arkham Origins "Hunting the Bat" gaming coasters

These were made my sister, and are sold in her Etsy shop. She makes custom coasters using reclaimed tiles and she also makes record bowls. These coasters are durable, and perfect for the Dad who likes to relax with a little video gaming, or one who just loves Batman! (Let's be honest - best super hero. Of course.)

4. For the Nerdy Dad:

GeeksandNerdsStudio's Stormtrooper Silver Cufflinks

Star Wars cufflinks. Need I say more?? These are kind of amazing. 

5. For the Rustic Dad:

Hope Collective's (that's me!) Brass Bullet Shell Keychains

I made these over the weekend, and I love them! Such a simple, and really unique gift for your Dad (or your brother / boyfriend / fiance / husband) at a really good price! I made them using reclaimed bullet shells that either me or my fiance fired. I'm selling these for just $8 + shipping. Perfect for the man who loves to hunt!

There you have it! What are you getting your Dad / loved one for Father's Day this year? Any other great sites that have unique men's gifts that you want to share?

{3} on wednesday.

It's funny how one conversation, and some emails can take so much stress away from you. I'm such an introvert and a people-pleaser. I just want to make everyone happy with zero conflict. Well, in case you were born yesterday, this is impossible. haha Especially when it comes to big things like wedding plans. You guys, I'm a slow learner, but it's okay because I'm taking baby steps with the help of my Jesus.

I love this movie!! Bonus points if you can name it. :) Source: Google images.


Today I wanted to share {3} things I'm excited about / grateful for / loving at the moment:

{1} Needtobreathe's newest album "Rivers in the Wasteland"



Guys. 

I cannot say enough about how much their music means to me. I really started to love them in a dark time in my family about 3 years ago. I think my sister shared their song "Something Beautiful" with me and it's wonderful. They absolutely have true talent and I look up to them for inspiration when it comes to showing the hope of God + truly mastering your art form. I saw them live for the first time last April, and will get to see them again with my sister in August AND I CANNOT WAIT. They're talented, fun, Southern, and their genuine love of God shows. What more could you ask for? I just read an interview with them from HM Magazine online. This quote was great and really stood out to me, especially as an artist:(HM) There was a moment after recording The Reckoning where you guys thought the band was over. What advice could you give other musicians who lose faith in what they’re doing?
(Bear from Needtobreathe)  It may be different for some bands, but I do think … the worst thing you can do is to start worrying about the outcome of what you’re doing. Somehow you’ve flipped priorities to becoming concerned with the success of what you’re doing or to how it affects people, even. We’re given certain talents, and we’re supposed to give them up, I think. We don’t own them. When we started feeling like they were ours is where things started going poorly.

You can read the rest of the interview here. That really hit me because, as Christians, we ought to recognize our talents are not for us, or for our benefit. This is a constant struggle for me, and probably deserves it's own post at some point. But I think Bear hits the nail on the head and shows that when we try to take control instead of trusting God, that's when things go haywire.

{2} These colors and textures together



I was playing around with these last night making a new pair of earrings for myself. I love turquoise + brass together. Perfect combo.

{3} Wedding Chicks

 source

If you are getting married anytime in the near future, you need to check out the Wedding Chicks website! I stumbled across it, and they have it all. It's well organized, with beautiful pictures, and chock-full (is that even a real word?) of inspiration. They have tons of DIY ideas, as well as free printables to use for your wedding (free! always good!). They even have free printable save-the-dates and invitations. Now that is cool. We most likely aren't using their free ones, since I made ours, but it's still a really cool option. They also have list of vendodrs. It just seems more personable than a site like The Knot. It definitely has more of a DIY, creative vibe than those kinds of sites, which of course, I really like.


What are {3} things you're loving / grateful for right now?? Love to hear from you! 

wedding inspiration.

Where have I been you may ask? Drowning under Pinterest wedding ideas. 

It is a blessing and a curse, my friends. ;)

My fiance (I just like how that sounds!) knows how easily overwhelmed I can get, so he thinks it's a good idea if I stay off of Pinterest for wedding ideas. And as vast as the black hole of Pinterest is, it has actually been helpful for organizing my thoughts and ideas for decorations, dresses, reception, etc.  

So to ease into the week since it's Monday, I'm going to share some wedding inspiration with y'all. Click each picture, and it will take you to my corresponding Pinterest boards. Enjoy the beautiful-ness!

Wedding Color Inspiration:




Wedding Flower Inspiration:




Table Centerpiece Inspiration:




Reception Inspiration:




I have a few other Wedding Inspiration boards, so click here to check them out (and scroll to the bottom). I didn't want to overwhelm y'all with 15 different boards. haha ;) I'm still gathering ideas for some of them. I went wedding dress shopping this past Saturday with my Mom and sister, and found one I really really liked but it was $950...that's a tad over my budget. It's at a few other stores in the area, so I'm going to call around and see if there's a price difference at different stores. 

For those of you that are already married, what was helpful in your wedding planning stage? And what would you have changed? Feel free to tell all!! I'm all ears. :)

happy Monday!