Creative Kristi

LIVE From Blissdom!

2012-02-25T00:29:23Z

Hi Ladies!

I wanted all of you who are NOT at the conference to feel like you were so I invited a few bloggers to do interviews before Blissdom and DURING Blissdom.

Today I have two lovely ladies who recorded a video for you before Blissdom and tomorrow I will have the interviews that I recorded today while here.

First up is Sarah who blogs at In The Trenches of Mommyhood

She is the first Bliss Coordinator this year.

Second I have Calie from Broccoli Cupcake! I’ve met Callie a few times and think she is just amazing in what she does on her blog & site.

Untitled from Calie Shackleford on Vimeo.

ENJOY & Let me know in the comments what is YOUR best Bloggy tip!!!

Have a happy day,

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Friday Freebie | {Imperfections}

2012-02-16T21:20:49Z

Since BlissDom Conference is less than a week away I thought that it would be a good time to share this little gem of a freebie I’ve been sitting on for over 2 months (seriously made it & then forgot to post it).

It’s about a theme some women feel before, during & even after some blog conferences:

Imperfection.

We all know in our head that no one is perfect. No one has a ‘perfectly’ clean house with clean, well dressed perfectly coiffed kids & is a perfectly healthy weight and looks fabulous in ‘any old thing’.

But in our hearts it’s hard to look at those perfectly staged photos and NOT feel bad when we look away from the screen at our reality. And my kids could be clean, well-dressed and perfectly coiffed for about 4 minutes then it’s at least a little messy. My weight is not what my doctor would be calling ‘healthy’ & my ‘any old thing’ is pjs with holes in the leg & unraveling elastic.

So many women think one of two things when they attend a blog conference:

1. Oh no! I have to look as cute as I do in my photos or people will know I only do that for the photos!!

2. I can’t wait to find out that xyz blogger is a regular person like me and not that perfect image I see online.

Sometimes it’s BOTH.

Guess what? No one will be wearing their pjs with holes int he leg & unraveling elastic.

They might claim they don’t buy anything new & threw on ‘any old thing’ but it’s not true. I cut tags off every top I wore last year in my hotel room.

This year? I bought 2 new dresses for speaking engagements I had earlier this month & will wear those and I’m packing my favorite 3 pairs of shoes plus some accessories. I WILL be bringing the pjs with the holes but those are just for sleeping

I don’t want to show you my *yuck* stuff because I want you to like me, want to do business with me & be proud to be seen with me. Maybe someday after I’ve known you as long as I’ve known my husband will I show you my hole-y pjs.

But I AM trying really hard to embrace my imperfections.

For example. I LOVE love love The Pleated Poppy. I only managed to say a teeny little peep of a ‘hi’ during a Wednesday Wisdom Workshop last year when she just happened to sit next to me. I love her products. Seriously SWOON. But I have a hard time pushing the ‘purchase’ button because a) they are expensive for me (I’m not saying they are overpriced because I understand they are handmade & I don’t think they are overpriced at all-just too expensive for me & my budget) and b) I know how to make them. I sew. I can visualize how to make them for $5 and I just can’t justify paying for something I can make. (Some might consider this a character flaw )

Anyway. This year I made myself some accessories so I could look cute & pulled together at BlissDom & I don’t want to offend her but I really loved that look and just couldn’t purchase. I actually had most of the material on hand so it was free for me.

They have imperfections.

I have imperfections.

We all have imperfections.

Today’s free printable is about leaving things imperfect.

HUGE Special thanks to Marian from MissMustardSeed.com for not only letting me use one of her photos but for also emailing me a HUGE selection to choose from. xoxo friend!

FREE FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY. Photo Terms do NOT appear on the pdf file for printing.

Please click the photo to download.

Have a happy day,

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Playing Dress-Up

2012-02-16T15:07:34Z

So I’m playing along with my friend Suz today and joining her Dress To Impress Closet Challenge!

The rules? Pick one item from your closet and wear it 3 times this week. Re-invent it with accessories you already own.

So here are my looks!

I choose an express black dress as my ‘item’ this week!

Next I paired it with a brown Target belt & a green necklace (source unknown it was a gift)

and finally I’m thinking of putting this green polka dotted cardigan (Target) over the top with the Target belt again. Not sure about the Cardigan so the tags are still on it haha

What do you think of my attempt at playing Dress-up?

Have a happy day,

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What to wear- Blog Conference

2012-02-14T12:58:16Z

Lindsey Elise is an actor, baker & clothing afficianato who blogs at From Sugar With Style.

With Blissdom less then a week away I am sure there are more then a few ladies searching through their closets wondering what to pack. With only a few short days to show yourself off to the blogging community everyone wants (and should!) look their best and wear things they feel confident and amazing in. I have put together a bunch of outfits to give you some inspiration on what to wear.

The biggest thing you want to concentrate on when choosing your outfits is COMFORT. Conference days are long and sometimes involve a lot of walking, so you don’t want to be miserable in 5 inch stilettos during the day (although comfortable heels during the day are a great choice). Also rooms can get pretty chilly so wearing something on the warmer side or layers is always the safest bet. Another thing is that you want to wear something that YOU feel comfortable in. This conference is about meeting people and showing the face behind your blog.

You don’t want to feel like you are wearing somebody else’s clothes.

Polyvore

Skinny Jeans, Jeggings ( my favorite ) or leggings are great ways to look fashionable and still be comfortable through out the day. There are so many ways you can wear them and honestly if you change up the shoes and accessories you can wear one pair multiple days and nobody would ever know! Also notice the heel of those booties are super thick which makes for easy walking!

Polyvore

Tee shirts are my favorite staple and one that you definitely should add to your blog conference wardrobe. They can be dressed up with a skirt, worn casual with a pair of boyfriend jeans or layered under a blazer or cardigan. Nothing is more comfortable then a tee shirt and when paired with jeggings, cute flats and a bold necklace you have the perfect day outfit!

Polyvore

For those who want something a bit more dressy during the day or need an outfit that can transition from day to night without a lot of work wrap dresses are perfect! You can pair them with tall boots and a jacket during the day and then add some jewelry, tights and pumps for a night time look. They don’t take up a lot of room in your suitcase and there are so many different options out there with different lengths and patterns.

via Polyvore

There are a couple night events that call for a dressier outfit. This is where you can have a bit of fun because you know you wont have to be sitting down or walking for long periods of time. This is the time to break out the heels, the short dress, the bold color etc! I chose three different looks for different styles. The first one is more business. You can switch out the leopard pumps for something less dramatic if you want!..The second is more playful and can be dressed down a bit for a more casual affair. and the third is a classic look that would look great on a lot of different body types and is sure to get you some compliments because of the color.

A final tip I have for you is that if you are trying to pack light, pack things all in the same color scheme so you can mix and match without having to pack 6 different pairs of shoes! I recently went on a two week Christmas vacation where I could only pack a small amount so I chose things that worked with a black grey and peach scheme and was able to created lots of outfits with a small selection of clothes. Accessories can do a LOT to change an outfit!

I hope you found some inspiration in this post and HAVE FUN at you next conference!!!

How amazing are those looks? Tell me in the comments what you would pack for a bloggy conference?

Tell Me About It Tuesday | {Cold Weather Beauty Tips}

2012-02-14T11:56:42Z

Thanks to Walgreens for underwriting this post. I was paid as a member of the Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all mine. Visit http://www.discoverbeautywithin.com/

Welcome to Tell Me About It Tuesday! Sorry I’ve been a little MIA lately. Life got crazy & work got crazier so I had to let something slide for a bit. This blog is usually it when that happens. But hopefully I’ve scheduled out enough posts to not go MIA again and still work!

Today I want to talk about something that I have to deal with each year while living in Maine–cold weather beauty routines! I’ve learned a thing or two over the last 28 winters here and I want to share my tips with you!

Now if we could all look that cute while freezing our buns off we’d be good to go huh?

So as you know by now I prefer to not spend a lot on anything in my life & am always looking for ways to do it myself first. With beauty I believe there are a lot of great products at drugstores and you don’t need to spend more than $10 on something to get the latest in skincare technology.

Let’s get started on the list!

1. Start in the shower. Yes, really. Turn the water temp down ladies! I know it’s cold, I know the hot shower feels good. I know. But you are ruining your skin!! Scorching hot water is drying out your skin & creating those very un-appealing crocodile scales. Cost: FREE

2. Bring a washcloth in the shower and do a gentle rub to your face while washing it & lightly rub your lips (you can also rub your lips with the toothbrush when you are done brushing your teeth for the night & rinse it off) too. (You can continue down your body after softly exfoliating your face/lips) This will get off those scaly patches and leave you with the softest skin possible. Cost: FREE (if you already have a washcloth)

3. As soon as you turn off the water when you are done with your shower you should first reach for the lotion & not your towel. In the winter get a heavier/creamier facial moisturizer and gently rub it into your face, neck & at least the back of your hands (I do my arms usually too). This is a facial moisturizer that has SPF in it & you need to protect areas you might not have thought about before. Your neck & backs of your hands are exposed to the wind, cold & sun everyday-protect them! Before you towel off you should apply a good full body lotion/cream to your skin as well to avoid the scales & itchiness. Cost: $2-$8 for a good facial moisturizer & $2-$15 for a good body lotion

image via walgreens

4. Same goes for your lips (although you can towel off & get dressed before you apply it ). Apply a good lip protectant/chapstick with SPF & moisturizers. I use a moisturizing, SPF tinted lip balm so I don’t have to put lipstick on later. Cost: $0.99-$2

image via walgreens

5. Now you are all exfoliated & lotion-ed up. This is the fun part! Trends come & go each season but I stick to a few basics each winter. I stay away from turquoise or tangerine colors since to me, those are more ‘summer’ colors. I love plums, shimmery pinks, whites, deep blues, etc. for eyes & light pinks and roses for lips. While you don’t have to worry about it ‘melting’ off your face in those sweltering summer days I still like to keep my makeup light in the winter. I just use creamier foundations/lotions so my face is well moisturized. Cost: Varies with how many products you use but each product should be under $10.

Side tip: If you have a foundation you use in the summer and is a couple shades darker than your skin in winter you can easily use it by making it lighter. How do you do that? Put a pea sized blob in your hand and then squeeze some of your facial moisturizer (with SPF!) on top and mix together until fully blended. This will lighten your foundation.

6. Don’t forget to pick up a fun color for nail polish while you are at the drugstore! That is the one thing that can make an outfit pop & it doesn’t matter what season you are in! Cost: $2-$6 per bottle

So tell me: What’s your #1 ‘go-to’ beauty tip for winter? Share in the comments!

Have a happy day,

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GE Profile™ Advantium® | {Deer Steak}

2012-02-01T02:54:14Z

So the very first meal (besides Chicken nuggets! Yes, I am a Mom haha) Military Man & I cooked?

We used the Speedcook technology to cook a large deer steak!

YUM-O

(to steal Rachel Ray’s line)

My Dad got a deer this past fall & gave us some steak for Christmas. I put it in the freezer to await the delivery of the Advantium®!

All we did was thaw it & put a little McCormick Steak Rub and cook it using the filet setting on the speedcook.

I believe it took about 20 minutes but since it was our first time cooking with this technology we kept stopping it and checking & re-setting. Now we know to just trust it & let it do the work.

I couldn’t resist taking a macro photo with my iPhone camera lens

and one more for the road (btw posting about this makes me want it all over again!)

Juicy & delicious!

Have you ever had deer steak? How did you cook it?

GE provided me with the Advantium® for free in exchange for me to post about my experiences using it. Post content & wording is up to me and is in no way dictated by GE. I have not been compensated in any way other than the receipt of the appliance.

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Everything Ebook | {Tell Your Time-Ebook Winner!}

2012-01-31T02:02:05Z

I’m so happy to announce the winner of the “Tell Your Time” ebook giveaway!

SUZ!

I have already emailed her & will pass her info along to Amy so she can collect her prize!

Thank you all for entering & make sure you come back later this week for another great ebook review!

Have a happy day,

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GE Profile™ Advantium® Oven | {Learning}

2012-01-30T23:16:25Z

I am so excited to tell you about an appliance that is quickly changing what time we sit down to dinner at my house. The GE Profile™ Advantium® Oven!

I’ve been quietly getting to know this new appliance over the past few weeks (and not-so-patiently waiting for it to arrive for over a month!) and itching to tell you all about it!

See it all started when I went to BlissDom last year and met a few people from GE. I left my business card and didn’t expect to hear from them. Fast forward to April & I get an email from Megan (super social media woman extraordinaire!) & GE asking if I’d like to come to their #GEMomsperience at GE headquarters in Kentucky. I, of course, said yes (I even got to give away a ticket to the same trip right here on my little ‘ol blog)! All of us who went had an awesome time, got to network a bit more & even got to see some of the appliances in action.

One we got to see was the GE Profile™ Advantium® Wall Oven. To say we were impressed would be an understatement. We saw a filet steak cooked using the Speedcook convection technology.

I decided right then and there that I would have an Advantium® in my new house (oh I need to write a post about that huh?). Well I didn’t have to wait to get into my new house. I also didn’t have to wait to save up the moolah either. Right after Thanksgiving we got an email from the GE Team and part of it was asking if we were interested in an Advantium® opportunity. I replied that yes I was–not really sure what I was getting myself into.

Well here is what I was getting myself into. An opportunity to receive a free Advantium® in exchange for learning how to use it and writing about my experiences. I am not a food blogger and actually, I am not the main cook in my household. Military Man is. So I feel that this is a great experience because I will learn not only about cooking but also about a new appliance that saves time!

Here she is all installed! The exact model I received can be found here.

Military Man and I already have a few dinners (and a breakfast!) under our belts & many more microwave meals since it arrived & we installed it. (Which by the way could not have been easier-even with plaster & lathe walls!)

french toast recipe to come soon!

I was concerned about the size of the interior on the above range model we received but my full size casserole dish fits with room to spare!

taco bake recipe coming soon!

Here is to the many meals to be cooked in less time & hopefully new recipes to be developed.

I’m excited-how about you?

Have a happy day,

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Freebie Friday | {Dress-to-Impress}

2012-01-21T14:28:10Z

So my good friend Suz who writes “Well To Do, You” blog has been wearing the same dress everyday this year. Yes for the last 21 days she has worn the same dress.

BUT!

She has created a project where she has received donations from many people & businesses of different shoes, accessories, etc. to change the look of the (donated by L.L. Bean) dress each day. So for the entire month of January she is posting about this project, fittingly called:

Dress To Impress

Photo credit: Krystal Kathleen Photography | Graphic compilation: Creative Kristi Designs

At the end of the month ‘the’ dress & all of the accessories will be donated to Dress for Success of Portland, ME. This is huge because they don’t usually get many accessories or ways to ‘finish’ an outfit.

So besides telling you about this awesome project, why am I mentioning all of this on a Freebie Friday post?

Well because she asked me to create a “Keep Calm” poster in honor of her project. So I created 4.

Two colors (Turquoise & Pink)

Two shapes (dress form & clothes hanger)

Two sizes (8×10 inches and 5×7 inches)

Just for you!

For free!

Click the image below to download!

Free for personal use only. If you would like to share this freebie with your blog readers or twitter/facebook fans please send them here to download-do not share the download link or host the files on your site. Thank you!

Have a happy day,

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Everything Ebook Series | {Tell Your Time}

2012-01-28T11:19:29Z

Welcome back to the Everything Ebook series!

Today I’m reviewing Amy Lynn Andrew’s “Tell Your Time”

This ebook is in it’s 2nd revised edition & is at a fantastic price point: $2.99

Yes- TWO dollars and ninety-nine cents. When she says it’s for ‘less than the price of a fancy cup of coffee’ she’s not kidding!

For that price you get 30 pages, 3 printable templates & loads of practical advice.

I spent the weekend going through the book again (I had bought the 1st edition previously so I wanted to read the 2nd edition for this review) and filling out the templates for my schedule.

In general I think this is a helpful book for people who have a hard time managing time (and even those who don’t). Amy first walks you through figuring out your ‘roles’ in life & the activities for each role. Then you prioritize them and place them into categories.

The categories part was what really helped me: negotiable, non-negotiable, flexible & non-flexible times. This really opened my eyes that the items that I *had* to do and were at set times should be what I fill my calendar with first then work everything else around it. This is the part where “Tell Your Time” differs from other time management books. It has you list all of your activities but place them on a grid that separates them by if they are a flexible time or not and then also by negotiable or not-this helps you to see that while your yoga class is something you love to do that there might be other things you need to do first. So yoga could go in non-flexible (because you can’t change the time of yoga class) but negotiable (because you could choose to not go and do something else if need be).

I’ve used my new schedule for a week and while I didn’t quite stick to it because I had some emergency dental work, for the most part it was awesome! I got most of what I wanted & had to do done each day.

I think that this ebook is a quick, easy read with plenty of actionable items in it and for the price it is un-beatable!

If you would like to purchase a copy then Click here to visit Amy Lynn Andrews.

Contest is now closed.

If you would like to WIN a copy then please leave a comment telling me what your biggest problem is to getting stuff done.

Is it too many after school activities? No time left after work for all the things you want to do? Is it hard to get moving in the morning?

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents 18 or over. No purchase is necessary to enter. One winner will be selected using a random draw plugin on January 26, 2012. The winner will be announced on this post and must contact me within 48 hours to claim their prize. The approximate value of this giveaway is $2.99. Void where prohibited.

Review #1 in the series can be found here: 31 Days to build a better blog

Have a happy day,

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Some links in this post are affiliate links. If you click these links and then purchase an item the seller will give me a small percentage of the purchase price-you will not be paying more for the item than if you went directly to their site to purchase. Thanks for helping to support CreativeKristi.com