It's time for another gift guide! With Christmas only a few short weeks away, the holiday parties are in full swing. Whether you are the host or are heading to a family or friends house this holiday season, hostess gifts are always a plus. From wine glasses to cheese platters and everything in between, showing your host appreciation for the party they've put together is a must!
The best Hostess Gifts for this season:
The best month of the year is here and I couldn't be any more excited! Christmas and the holiday season is my favorite time of year - from decorating, to the weather, to the holiday food - I can never get enough! This is my last week of classes this semester which is an even bigger and better reason to be excited. Decorating the house has officially begun too, everything lit up looks so pretty!
Speaking of decorating, you probably saw this print on my Instagram last night, but if not here it is:
Happy Thanksgiving week! This is always such a busy week for me and getting everything done is a serious struggle! Tomorrow I'll be baking for Thursday and I can't wait. Be sure to follow me on Instagram to follow along! : )
Since the holidays are upon us, I've been putting together tons of gift guides - find them with #dailydoseofgifts! Here's some things I'm loving and that are on my own wishlist so far:
Happy Tuesday!! I've been super busy this week focusing more and more on scheduling blog posts and social media alike. I cannot believe it, but I have my editorial calendar complete through the end of the year! While I know it'll change a bit over the next month, I'm so happy to have that done.
This week is also the Bloomingdales Friends and Family sale!! Here is what I'm loving from the sale:
Okay seriously, wasn't I just making my October goal list?! Where are the months going?! This year has flown by and I really can hardly believe we're in the BEST time of the year!! While I do love summer, there's really nothing better than being able to get your Red Cups at Starbucks (got my first one yesterday!), wearing cozy sweaters and scarves and getting excited about the holidays.
I have some pretty high goals set for myself for November, but I'm 100% dedicated to meeting all of them - especially since I didn't meet all of my October goals! Although I did see improvement which I'm still very happy about. Here's a recap of my October goals:
Happy Tuesday!! Fall is in full swing around here and I'm so excited that its Halloween week! And good luck to all the children who come trick or treating in my neighborhood because I cannot stop eating the candy haha!
Lately there's been trends I love and can't stop shopping for and I've found a lot of variations of each...
Happy Tuesday! Recently, I've been reading a lot of articles and learning a lot in hopes of further growing my blog. In addition to this weeks link party, I wanted to share the success that I have with link parties. Not only are they fun to participate in, but it's such a great chance to meet new bloggers and find new blogs to connect with. On top of the social aspect, they can be real drivers of traffic to your blog.
Happy Tuesday and happy link up day! This past week has been very busy but an awesome one to say the least! Last week I shared my October goals and I'm happy to say that I'm off to a great start! Okay, so I still haven't created a media kit... BUT my social media numbers are increasing every day! That's a start, right?! It's getting super chilly and Fall-like in New York and I seriously couldn't be happier. This weekend it's only going to hit the high 50's so I cannot wait to wear a pretty sweater and scarf! And of course, boots which you probably saw a whole lot of in my most recent post!! I love summer more than anything, but I've said it before and I'll say it again - there is nothing better than fall clothes!
Here's some happenings from the past week:
Where in the world did September go?! Seriously this year is flying by - it's so crazy! At the beginning of another month, I decided to finally share my monthly blogging goals and this month I have some big ones that I'm trying super hard to accomplish. I've always seen bloggers creating goals for themselves each month and always have loved the idea of doing so. I even write some vague goals down in my planner each month but I'm starting to think that if I really think about said goals and even write them AND publish them, that I will likely have a better chance of achieving them every month. I think it's super important both for blogging and in general to set attainable goals for yourself that are a bit challenging too! As I always say, there's always things to do when it comes to your blog - I don't think there's ever any "finishing" point and truthfully, that is by far the best part of it all!
Here's my goals for October:
Can anyone else believe that we only have a week and a half left of September?! This month (and this year) is flying by! It's definitely starting to feel SO much like Fall in New York and I'm loving every second of it! The leaves are starting to change to gorgeous reds and oranges and we've been able to keep the windows opened to get the most beautiful fresh air! I even got to wear my first cardigan of the season yesterday and I was way too excited. I'm heading to the mall tomorrow to buy some Fall scented candles to start burning too and I cannot wait!
Happy Tuesday! The weather is beautiful here and I'm looking to all things Autumn and it's making me super excited for the start of this cooler weather to start! Today was meant to be a very productive day but that hasn't really happened.. I sat down this morning to get some homework done and then work on some upcoming blog posts and I made the mistake of turning Bravo on and I've been watching My Fab 40th ALL day! I tweeted earlier how it's just like the old MTV show My Super Sweet 16 but with alcohol - it's hysterical and I'm officially addicted!
First of all, I want to thank everyone who wished me a happy birthday yesterday!! I appreciate it SO much! I had such an amazing day and couldn't have asked for anything better! I went to the Yankee game (on the most beautiful day of the summer might I add) and got to see my favorite team win SUCH a good game to see! I then went to a brand new shopping center on the way home that is literally like a small town of nothing but stores! It looks like NYC with so many tall buildings and sidewalks with pretty flowers but instead of skyscrapers there's nothing but endless stores and shopping! My jaw hit the ground the moment we drove in - it was every shopping lover's dream!
Another week another link-it to me party! Last week we had so many new bloggers whose awesome posts we got to read and share and I was so excited to find and connect with new bloggers! Link parties are such great ways to connect and expand your reach - which is exactly why I've added them to my daily blogging list! I think it's so important to have your blog on someone else's page. As we all know as bloggers, blogging successfully takes a LOT of work, time and effort. That's the beauty about link parties; new faces on your awesome content!
I'm so excited to be hosting another link-it to me link party with Chantal! Link parties are such a great way to connect with other bloggers and as a part of my August goals, I've been trying to join more and more link parties!
Is anyone else freaking out about tonight's episode of Pretty Little Liars?! This show consumes my life one episode at a time and I seriously cannot wait until 8:00! It's a super rainy day today so I'm working on tackling my to-do list, watching the PLL marathon on TV and making some PLL food for tonight!
These took WAY longer than expected....try all day! But so worth it! Broken, bloody glass cupcakes - couldn't be more perfect for this show!
I've made August a month full of goals and I'm working super hard every day to meet them! Writing down a list of goals either weekly or daily really has made me much more productive and it's definitely something I recommend if you're having trouble getting things done - especially in these summer months! I also started working on my gallery wall in my bedroom and let me tell you, it's SO much more work than I anticipated. Finding images, frames and a theme to work with is never ending especially in order to get it exactly how you want it! Once I finally get it all together and put up in the next few weeks (ok maybe within the next month... lets be realistic...) I'll be taking lots of pictures!
For some reason it always seems like the best songs come out during the summer time. I've been listening to lots of new music lately while I continue to wait (patiently, sort of) for OneRepublic's new album!!! It's supposed to come out early Fall, so I've been occupying myself with other awesome music I've heard lately! Here's some of my current favorites:
These are my top 10 songs this summer (so far)! I have these on whether I'm working out, in the car, by the pool - anywhere and everywhere! I love listening to new songs so if you have any suggestions please let me know!
Okay - time for the link party! Make sure you're following Chantal on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter too!
Here's weeks featured posts!
7 Lessons I learned in my first year of blogging from Bella Brita
Banana Blitz Cookies from Lexi Michelle Blog
Fall 2015 nail polish trends from Mid Twenties Gal
DIY baby shoes from Eat Pray Create
Chicken bruschetta cheese toast from Art from My Table
5 Ways to build up your marriage not break it down from Mom on the Move
Now that you've had a chance to look at these awesome posts, let the party begin!
Please be sure to link a blog post, not a Pinterest link; you want to make sure others are visiting your blog, not just re-pinning!
The Guidelines Are Simple to link up:
1. Check out our profiles on Pinterest; if they interests you, consider liking our boards and/or following us.
2. Share the party on your social media. More visitors = more eyes on your posts!
3. Add any family friendly blog posts or pins (maximum of 3)
4. Share the love; view, pin, or share at least 3 other links on the link up!
5. By linking up, you agree to allow Painted Teacup and Daily Dose of Design to share your links and photos (credit is always given to you) on our blogs and social media sites. You also agree to allow us to contact you via email to inform you of future link-ups.
Chantal and I will comment/pin/share all links to one of our Pinterest boards!
Happy linking! Thanks for joining, we'll see you again next week!
Link Up will run from 8pm EST Tuesday – 11:59pm EST Thursday
Be sure to pin this image to your Pinterest boards - more pins will give more eyes onto your links!
Happy Tuesday! Can you believe we're already in August?! I'm enjoying every little bit of summer that I possibly can! This past week has been very exciting and I feel like I've gotten so much done - which is something I usually don't feel during the summer. (I can't be the only one!) I purchased and super successfully set up my domain which was such an amazing feeling! I was excited to make the move but I had such anxiety about the difficulties I was planning on having when I set it up, but this post that Dana Fox wrote was SUCH a lifesaver! Seriously - if you're on Blogger and are thinking about purchasing a domain/have purchased one and are hesitant to set it up, use this post as your guide!!! It's completely step by step and SO simple to follow. I can't even describe how many "tutorials" (if that's even what you could call them..more like useless!) I've read on adding your domain that made zero sense! Trust me you will not be disappointed with Dana's post - it's a serious life saver!
I also am in the midst of setting up Daily Dose of Design's newsletter (finally!) and some other exciting projects that I can't wait to share with you guys! Also - if you haven't already seen or heard, this past weekend I finally opened my Etsy Shop!! I've had this all wrapped up and in the works for the past few months and am so happy to finally be up and running! I have four different mugs available for purchase right now but am working on SO many more great sayings (including one really adorable one that you're all going to LOVE that Chantal gave me the idea for!!) and also accepting custom orders if there's a certain saying you would like! You can check out this post for a coupon code!
I'm a pretty organized person who plans every single detail out (which you also likely already know!) which is why I'm dedicating most of this month to organizing myself better! Both for my blog, now with my new Etsy shop, and the dreaded Fall semester starting in roughly a month - I definitely am going to need to be more organized! This is my 8th month as a blogger and I've seriously come such a long way and still learn new things every day - which in my opinion is the best part about blogging! I'm always looking for ways to better brand my blog, create better and original content; the list could go on forever! It can be a little discouraging at times, but knowing how excited I get about blogging every single day is what proves to me that I'm meant to be blogging and am in this for the long haul! So I hope you're enjoying this journey as much as I am, and I can never, ever say it enough - thank you SO much for reading my blog : )
A couple pretty pictures I've taken over the last few days:
Last night's sunset! Steamy weather always leads to the best sunsets and I love the daises growing in the front yard!
Last winter ruined our pool liner so at the beginning of this year we got a new one. It looks like a totally different pool! I love the way it makes the water look too!
I'm currently reading Fredrik's book! It's SO good - he's such a good writer and as I read it, I hear it in his adorable voice! His story is really amazing - and as someone who loves real estate and interior design as much as I do, the Million Dollar Listing shows are series' that I never miss an episode of! I plan on interning for Ryan Serhant after I graduate next year - high hopes? Anyway this is definitely a must read!
I also wanted to show you guys some of my July product favorites! I did a lot of shopping (shocker right?) and with such amazing summer sales like the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale that just recently ended, there were SO many great deals - too great to pass up on! Here's some of my July favs that you can shop!
Now I'll stop ranting and get to the link party! Make sure you're following Chantal on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter too!
Here's weeks featured posts!
One Kings Lane knockoff table from Savvy Apron
Grilled Zucchini Bruschetta from Fuchsia Freezer
How to Style the Instagram Widget from That Natalie
Favorite DIY Projects for August from Haley's Vintage
The Sleep Smoothie from Steam Powered Family
50 Essential oil diffuser recipes from Wise Wife Soaps
Now that you've had a chance to look at these awesome posts, let the party begin!
Please be sure to link a blog post, not a Pinterest link; you want to make sure others are visiting your blog, not just re-pinning!
The Guidelines Are Simple to link up:
1. Check out our profiles on Pinterest; if they interests you, consider liking our boards and/or following us.
2. Share the party on your social media. More visitors = more eyes on your posts!
3. Add any family friendly blog posts or pins (maximum of 3)
4. Share the love; view, pin, or share at least 3 other links on the link up!
5. By linking up, you agree to allow Painted Teacup and Daily Dose of Design to share your links and photos (credit is always given to you) on our blogs and social media sites. You also agree to allow us to contact you via email to inform you of future link-ups.
Chantal and I will comment/pin/share all links to one of our Pinterest boards!
Happy linking! Thanks for joining, we'll see you again next week!
Link Up will run from 8pm EST Tuesday – 11:59pm EST Thursday
Be sure to pin this image to your Pinterest boards - more pins will give more eyes onto your links!
I hope everyone's week has gotten off to a good start! I've been super busy this past week but I bought myself a new planner so I'm officially getting re-organized! I've also been working a lot on updating my bookshelves in my bedroom. They desparately needed an update and getting them just how I like them has been super challenging but SO fun also! I've bought so many decor pieces trying to mix and match things and it's finally coming together!
On Saturday, I got the chance to work with a company to style a jewelry space that I can't wait to share with you guys! It'll be coming up in the next couple of months and it's been super exciting for me. This week is going to be much more low key, so expect some exciting posts coming your way! : )
Until then, here's this weeks link up and featured posts!
Easy Strawberry Banana Smoothies from A Cowboy's Life
Accessorizing with Metallics from Life with Rosie
How I tripled my Pinterest followers in 10 weeks from The Caramel Dream
7 Unique & Delicious Campfire Meals from Lexi Michelle Blog
DIY Natural Cocoa Butter lip tint from Wise Wife Soaps
Facebook for Bloggers: Tips from My Life Well Loved
Now that you've had a chance to look at these awesome posts, let the party begin!
Please be sure to link a blog post, not a Pinterest link; you want to make sure others are visiting your blog, not just re-pinning!
The Guidelines Are Simple to link up:
1. Check out our profiles on Pinterest; if they interests you, consider liking our boards and/or following us.
2. Share the party on your social media. More visitors = more eyes on your posts!
3. Add any family friendly blog posts or pins (maximum of 3)
4. Share the love; view, pin, or share at least 3 other links on the link up!
5. By linking up, you agree to allow Painted Teacup and Daily Dose of Design to share your links and photos (credit is always given to you) on our blogs and social media sites. You also agree to allow us to contact you via email to inform you of future link-ups.
Chantal and I will comment/pin/share all links to one of our Pinterest boards!
Happy linking! Thanks for joining, we'll see you again next week!
Link Up will run from 8pm EST Tuesday – 11:59pm EST Thursday
Be sure to pin this image to your Pinterest boards - more pins will give more eyes onto your links!
Welcome to the 11th week of the link-it to me link party - and my 4th as a host! This is so much fun and something I look forward to every single Tuesday (next to PLL, of course!) Chantal and I love reading each and every one of your posts so much and we're going to start sharing them more than we've been more than commenting that way you have an extra chance at seeing an increase in your traffic. We love going through each week and picking our favorite posts to feature and I really have learned a lot from your posts along with finding amazing DIY's and finding new bloggers that I can keep in contact with!
This past weekend was so much fun - we had family in from all over the country and spent the weekend at the beach along with a super fun BBQ with everyone that came. I love long beach weekends and actually am thinking about spending some extra summer time here for a while!
My mom and I even made our own sangria for the weekend which we've never done before, but I'm SO glad we did because it turned out amazing! We added so many different fruits; straberries, grapes, oranges, apple, cantaloupe, blueberries and kiwi:
You can shop this gorgeous sangria pitcher here! It looks like glass but is easily movable because it's really plastic! The best part - it's under $10!!
Also, I've been updating my Blogger's Picks page a lot lately - especially with the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale that's going on! Here's some of my favorite things right now:
Okay - link up time! Here's this weeks featured posts:
Free printable planner pages from Becoming Christine Smith
Low calorie peach pops from Stephanie Rose Knows
Craft room tour from Eat Pray Create
Summer salsa recipe from Home made Zagat
Copycat Anthropologie confetti mugs from The Montessori Moms
Pasta with white bean Alfredo sauce from Harmony and Happiness
Now that you've had a chance to look at these awesome posts, let the party begin!
Please be sure to link a blog post, not a Pinterest link; you want to make sure others are visiting your blog, not just re-pinning!
The Guidelines Are Simple to link up:
1. Check out our profiles on Pinterest; if they interests you, consider liking our boards and/or following us.
2. Share the party on your social media. More visitors = more eyes on your posts!
3. Add any family friendly blog posts or pins (maximum of 3)
4. Share the love; view, pin, or share at least 3 other links on the link up!
5. By linking up, you agree to allow Painted Teacup and Daily Dose of Design to share your links and photos (credit is always given to you) on our blogs and social media sites. You also agree to allow us to contact you via email to inform you of future link-ups.
Chantal and I will comment/pin/share all links to one of our Pinterest boards!
Happy linking! Thanks for joining, we'll see you again next week!
Link Up will run from 8pm EST Tuesday – 11:59pm EST Thursday
Be sure to pin this image to your Pinterest boards - more pins will give more eyes onto your links!
