Peggy Ann Design

Thanksgiving Weekend Specials 2012

2011-11-22T00:32:00.000-08:00

The holiday season is here again. To many people this means spending time with family and friends, buying and giving gifts, and stuffing your faces with delicious food.

But to many children, it only means more hunger, loneliness and not a thing under the tree.

In an effort to make a difference to children in the San Diego area, I will be using 10% of my sales from this upcoming weekend to purchase books and toys for South Bay Community Services.

You can help by purchasing from my shop between

12:00 AM on Friday Nov. 25 and 11:59 PM on Monday Nov. 28.

To make these purchases even easier on your wallet, I'm offering some pretty spectacular deals this weekend.

THANKSGIVING WEEKEND SPECIALS

Everything is 25% off with the code THANKSGIVING

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Spending $65 or more?

Use the code EXTRA5 to save 30%

total purchase must be $65 before tax & shipping. only one code can be used per purchase, so orders over $65 would use the code EXTRA5 instead of THANKSGIVING.

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All Ornaments are Buy Four - Get One FREE

add any four ornaments to your cart. type your free ornament choice into the ”message to seller” box during checkout. free ornament must be of equal or lesser value to the ornaments in your cart.

Please place your orders before Friday December 2 for guaranteed Christmas delivery.

I sincerely hope that you and your family have a joyous holiday season.

2011-09-11T15:21:00.000-07:00

I was 17, a senior in Mrs. Caraway's English class in Clay, Alabama.

This boy I knew named Rusty was down the hall in a different class, already planning to join the Navy after his birthday the next week.

I remember thinking that night that my 7 year old sister would grow up in a different world than I had. I was scared and angry and confused. I'm pretty sure my parents were too because I don't remember us ever really talking that night, just watching the footage and crying.

In the days and weeks that followed, story after story came out about the nearly 3,000 people that died that day:

Heroes entered the buildings when everyone else was running out.
Forty brave men and women aboard Flight 93 lost their lives in a field in Pennsylvania while saving the lives of countless others.
Friends and family members joined the military to fight back against the violent extremists that attacked us.

Our country banded together and tried to move on.

Some say it hurts a little less each year. For me, I don't know if there's less hurt, but it's certainly a different hurt.

Because 10 years later, that baby sister is a senior in Mrs. Caraway's English class in Clay, Alabama. She'll be starting her adult life in a few short months, just like I did back then. I'm still scared for the world that she's growing up in.

And that boy I knew from high school? Well he is sitting on our couch here in San Diego, exhausted after working through the night.

He stood watch this morning on his base at the exact moment the attacks began 10 years ago today. I have never been prouder to be his wife.

It comforts me to know that he and so many others have dedicated their careers - their lives - to making sure that the victims and heroes of September 11, 2001 are not forgotten. I feel a little bit safer knowing that they devote every day to protecting our country from such heinous events as the ones that happened that day.

But it still hurts.

And I will never forget.

2011-08-30T14:55:00.000-07:00

Holy Crap. I vlogged.
Make sure you watch the whole thing ;-)

Click here for new Fall/Gameday Clutches!

Pssst...

2011-08-22T01:23:00.000-07:00

It's A Super Awesome SALE

To Make Room For Some New Fall Stuff!

The Sophia Handbag

*Everything is Ready To Ship*

The Suzanne Mini Pouch

**There are only 1 or 2 of each Limited Edition product available**

The Ruthanne Foldover Wristlet Clutch

***Sale Ends August 26***

The Kate Wallet

****HURRY!!!****

Holy Conference Specials Batman!!

2011-06-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

With BlogHer 2011 coming up soon, I have taken it upon myself to make sure that each of you are properly equipped for the conference (or for whatever conference or event you're hoping to go to this summer or fall).

Since this is obviously my responsibility, let's go over the materials that you'll be needing:

1. An oversized tote bag to hold all the swag.

2. A cute little wallet to hold all the zillions of business cards you'll be swapping.

3. A roomy zipped pouch to keep your beauty products close by. I'm sure you'll have plenty of photo opportunities that require lip gloss or something like that.

4. A handy little clutch (with or without a wrist strap) to take to the ballin' parties every night.

5. When your tote bag gets too full, you'll probably want to swap it out for a handbag. (This is basic if-you-give-a-mouse-a-cookie theory.)

Now, again, it's my job to make sure you're prepared so I've made it super easy for you. First of all, you get to pick your own coordinating fabrics from any of the ones that I use in my shop.

Did you hear that?

YOU GET TO PICK YOUR OWN FABRICS.

Secondly, I've grouped everything into cute little discounted bundles. You pay ONE flat rate (plus ONE shipping charge). Here are the deets:

Summer Conference Special #1:

An Alena Tote + A Lindsay Laced Pouch + Kate Wallet (with Key Ring)

A $95 value for only $80!

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Summer Conference Special #2:

An Alena Tote + Kate Wallet (with Key Ring)

A $79 value for only $69

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Summer Conference Special #3:

A Ruthanne Foldover Clutch (with Removable Wrist Strap) + a Kate Wallet (with Key Ring)
A $41 value for only $30!

*****

Summer Conference Special #4:

A Sophia Handbag + a Kate Wallet (with Key Ring)
A $56 value for only $44

Now it's up to you to make sure that I do my job. I can't get you all prepared unless you snatch up one of my super awesome conference bundles!

And don't wait because this offer only lasts through next ~~Tuesday~~ Friday!

Grand {RE}Opening!

2011-06-20T19:59:00.000-07:00

We're going to temporarily pretend like I don't have thousands of things to share with you about our move and San Diego and all the awesomeness here.

Instead I just want to tell you about my shop since it's officially open for business!

The Sophia Handbag & The Alena Tote

Same Bag, Two Different Sizes! Each bag is available in both fabric combos above.
*Named in honor of Alena & Sophia of Charmingly Chandler*

The Kate Wallet

Two pockets make this wallet perfect for business cards, credit cards, etc. Available in SEVEN different fabric combos!
*Named in honor of Kate of Sluiter Nation*

The Lindsay Laced Pouch

A girl can never have too many makeup bags! This one is available in five different fabric combos.
*Named in honor of Lindsay of Aisle to Aloha Studios*

The Ruthanne Foldover Clutch

Classy and simple and perfect for just the essentials! Available in the four combos shown above.
*Named in honor of Ruthanne of Eclectic Whatnot*

The Megan Laced Cuff

Colorful lace over gathered linen make the perfect summer accessory! Available in Navy & Natural linen with tons of different lace color options.
*Named in honor of Megan of Flawed Perfection Jewelry*

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I am super excited to be back open and I hope you like what you see!

Thank you for sticking around while we moved!

*****

This week only:

Use the code GRAND15 for 15% off your purchase!

Things You Find While Packing

2011-04-25T08:22:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I'm moving across the country. What you may not know is that my mom is getting ready to move too. This means that all of my ~~junk~~ lovely mementos from my childhood & high school that had been haphazardly thrown across her attic had to be packed up and moved too.

We collected 5 boxes of ~~total crap~~ sweet memories from my mom's house on Saturday and took them home to be sorted into our growing goodwill, trash, and keep piles. Only 3/4 of one box managed to make its way into the the keep pile because the rest of it looked like this:

Fold-Out Poster of Josh Hartnett from my favorite magazine - Teen People. There was also another image of him on the other side. You know, in case teen Hannah got tired of looking at the hot movie star with his shirt off.

Proof that my craftiness started at a young age: a handmade mixed media collage of Brad Pitt. Please to enjoy my use of glitter gel pens.

And just so y'all don't think that I was just another horny teenager, I'm proud to present my collection of light switch covers and what I can only imagine is supposed to be a coat/purse hook... I don't even know what to say here. I had a very conflicted personality.

Easter Hat Exhibit A: This one was from 3rd grade. I even remember the seafoam green dress with the oversized lace collar that went with it. Also, Just so you know, I did not have 12 chins in my previous life. The super comfortable elastic chin strap just stretched.

Easter Hat Exhibit B: I do not remember ever wearing this hat, but it had to be around kindergarten or earlier cause it is super small.

Obviously this is not an Easter hat, but rather my cap from high school graduation. Notice my serious face since graduations are super serious occasions.

Also found, but not pictured:

- A porcelain doll missing her wig

- Every birthday card I've ever recieved

- My high school diploma (No Mama, I did not throw this away)

- Rat shit

- Rose petals from past boyfriends (I'm sure that I kept these in case I married those losers one day)

- A journal of very angsty, desperate teenage letters to Jesus

- A paper plate left over from my 16th birthday party

All of this should serve as proof that

TEENAGERS ARE WEIRD.

You're Welcome and Happy Monday.

TIYBTWBYSTMLPOMATC, For Short.

2011-04-21T08:56:00.001-07:00

Y'all remember that commercial from the late 80's - early 90's where the fried egg was supposed to represent "Your Brain on Drugs?"

Well this is a little bit like that. Except I'm calling it:

"This Is Your Brain The Week Before You Start The Month-Long Process Of Moving Across The Country"

Or just TIYBTWBYSTMLPOMATC for short.

Behold:

It's insanity, right?

Let's break this down a little so that y'all understand exactly what is going on, mmk?

First, we have the pink.

The pink part is the most happy part. It represents the part of my brain that is currently occupied with decorating ideas and projects and new products for the shop. Unfortunately, it's also the least important part right now.

See how the yellow is overshadowing the pink? Yeah. The yellow is the part that is pee-my-pants-excited about seeing all of my family and friends over the next month.

But then there's the Blue. Oh, the blue.

The blue is for the goodbyes and the ugly cries that will happen over the next several weeks. I'm choosing not to elaborate on this part right now.

RED.

Notice how you can't see the other colors hardly at all anymore?

That's because the Red is the part that is filing for unemployment and fighting with student loans and getting her driver's license renewed (oops) and finding hotels and forwarding mail and cancelling netflix and trying to get the house completely sold and getting copies of medical records and eleventy billion other things.

All while driving 3 hours a day to work because most of those things require money.

Speaking of work...

See that teeny tiny green spot in the top left hand corner?

Yeah that's how much of my brain actually cares about what is going on at work.

I only have 3.5 more work days.

The movers come next Wednesday.

Which leads me back to this:

Any Questions?

Bittersweet.

2011-04-19T08:05:00.001-07:00

April 19 is an important day in my world.

There is just so much happy and so much sad all in one day.

Today is my sister-in-law's birthday (Rusty's sister).

Her name is Angie.

She should have turned 33 today,

but she died of cancer when Rusty was 15.

I never got to meet her.

I wish I had a picture of Angie, but this is the best I have right now.

This is her shirt. Rusty gave it to me right after we got engaged.

It is faded and too big and has a giant hole in the armpit, but I don't care.

It means a lot to me to have something of hers,

but I think it means even more that it was hers and Rusty gave it to me; that he wanted me to have it.

Which brings me to the happy...

Three years ago today, Rusty and I went on our first date.

Two years ago today, when we were newlyweds and struggling for money since I was unemployed, I applied for a job. Next Tuesday will be my last day at that job.

We can't help but think that Angie was looking out for us.

Today we are battling with the realtor and the bank, trying to sell our house since we have to move next week.

I'm counting on Angie to help us over these hurdles.

Fancy Formal Annoucement

2011-04-15T07:21:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have seen this already, but here is the formal announcement.

You know, cause I'm all about being formal and proper and official and serious.

As my girl Ruthanne would say,

::snort::

This is what you'll see when you go to my shop:

At first I was a little sad and nervous about closing up the shop during our move, but now?

I am pee-my-pants excited!

Mostly because when I re-open in June, everything in my shop will be

BRAND SPANKIN' NEW.

New designs.

New products.

New fabrics.

New pictures.

And by new I mean better. And more prettyful. And basically faboosh.

So don't be sad. Be glad.

This is going to be epically fantabulous!

Happy Friday & HAPPY WEEKEND!!!

P.S: If you're really sweet to me and you stick around for the next couple of months, you might possibly see some sneak peeks! But only if you behave. ;-)

What I Love Wednesday: Sunburst Mirrors

2011-04-13T08:54:00.000-07:00

I can't remember if I have told y'all this before, but you should know that in addition to this pretty space full of my randomness, I also have a Tumblr blog.

That's right. There's more of me. Please contain your excitements.

The reality of this extra special tumblr blog is that it's really just a project to-do list for all the DIY/apartment-friendly home decor projects and ideas I keep finding. I was essentially forced into this because I'm about as organized as a squirrel on crack.

(Sidebar: I had to google "as organized as" because I could not come up with a simile to go there. Squirrels, apparently, are not organized.)

(Sidebar again: Please be impressed with my knowledge of English grammar rules and the difference between similes and metaphors.)

No seriously. My browser bookmarks were out of control. And please don't hate me for saying this, but Pinterest is way too overwhelming for me. I occasionally look there for ideas, but it's too easy to get sucked into all the pretty shiny things. No wait, that's just the story of my life.

Which you might have noticed because the title of this post is Sunburst Mirrors and I have typed like 4 paragraphs and not mentioned the mirrors once. Moving On.

I added one of these awesome DIY mirrors to my tumblr to-do list, but then I managed to find no less than eight zillion other tutorials & designs. I've listed a few of my favorites below. I'm not sure which design I'll settle on, but I think I want my mirror to be red or navy or at least a color other than silver/gold/black/brown. Since I can't paint the walls in the apartment, I HAVE to bring in some color somewhere.

1. Leah from March With A K made this one from round wooden dowels. The control freak in me is very impressed that this design is very intricate and still so symmetrical.

2. This one from Crafty Nest is made from several different sized plant markers.

3. This was my original find. Centsational Girl made it from paint sticks - which are FREE.

4. This one is almost too floral for me, but The Nester made it from posterboard, which is also super cheap.

5. The head boss lady over at Danielle Oakey Interiors made this one from flat pieces of wood from the craft store.

I'm linking up with Krystina today for What I Love Wednesday!

Note: Several of these mirrors were originally found via Tip Junkie. I just LURVE her Home Decor section!

Happy Wednesday!

Magic Pants

2011-04-08T09:54:00.000-07:00

Hubs & I are going to the Atlanta Braves home opener tonight!

(You might remember that our first date was a Braves game. We are BIG fans.)

That's right ladies - it's baseball season again. And you all know what that means:

Baseball Players in Baseball Pants.

I don't know that there is anything more perfect for recovering from a dreary winter than a pair of sweet cheeks in tight stretchy baseball pants.

Even when his face isn't something to memorize for future daydreams, you should never give up on a baseball player until he turns around & you can properly evaluate his back side.

WHAT? Stop judging me for typing what you're thinking.

Now let's evaluate some tush, shall we?

(Note: if you by chance decide to google "baseball butt", you should probably stick to the first 2 lines of images. trust me on this one.)

Not sure who this is, but his derrière is quite nice.

Brian McCann (in white), Braves super star catcher and the owner of a fantastic bum.

Scott Podsednik. Oh Sweet Jesus.

According to the girl in Fever Pitch, Johnny Damon has the best ass in the league.

Derek Bubble-Butt Jeter. I swear that's his name.

The Late Mickey Mantle, President of the Baseball Butt Hall of Fame.

And last but not least, my most favorite player in all of baseball:

Tim Hudson. The finest hunk of man meat to ever don those magic pants.

Timmy will be pitching tonight's game and my hubby scored us some front row seats. And even though we are purely discussing the super powers of baseball pants, I should also point out that Tim's face is pretty incredible too.

Corny posed picture, but WOWZERS.

The moral of today's story? The next time your man says he wants to go to a baseball game, you GO. The eye candy is too succulent to pass up. Plus they have beer.

Please enjoy some baseball pants this weekend.
Happy Friday!

Pictures found here, here, here, and here.

A Whole Lot of Happy {AKA Hello New Sponsors Part 2}

2011-04-07T08:22:00.000-07:00

It is almost Friday, which makes me SO stinkin' happy.

Also? I am wearing sweatpants at work today, so I am even more pumped. Sweatpants are cool, y'all.

Oh. And as if that wasn't enough, I get to share four more stupendous handmade shops with you today. (Remember meeting the other half on Tuesday?)

WHEW. That is a whole lot of happy. Can you handle it?

First up, we have the super sweet Amy from Amy Cornwell Designs.

Amy makes gorgeous jewelry that is simple & timeless. It's not going out of style any time soon.

Flat Bar Necklace * Itty Bitty Stamped Ring * Copper Anniversary Necklace

One of the things I love about Amy's designs is that they are fully customizable with any of her available fonts & stamps and they can say anything you want (within size limits of course).

You can also find Amy on her blog, her facebook page, or on twitter as @amycornwell.

*****

Next up we have Betsy, from It's Etsy By Betsy (um, cah-ute!).

Betsy's shop is so unique! She has beautiful nail art, tie-died t-shirts, & pillows made of fabric she found in a village in Rwanda!

Triple Swirl Tie-Dye V-Neck * Yellow Duck Nail Art * Rwandan Print Pillow

The best part about Betsy's shop is that ALL of her proceeds go to fund her trip to Cambodia where she will be working with an orphanage this summer.
You can also find Betsy on twitter as @etsybybetsy.

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Jacqui from Craftee McGee is up next!

Jacqui's shop is full of fantastic jewelry & accessories. I think her wire wrapped pieces are my favorites!!

Bird's Nest Earrings * Jelly Bean Headband * Amber Wire Wrapped Ring

During the month of April, Jacqui is very generously donating 20% of her proceeds to the Red Cross relief efforts in Japan.
You can also find Jacqui on her blog, her facebook page, or on twitter as @crafteemcgee.

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Finally, our last new sponsor is Whitney, from Frames & Names.

Whitney makes unique typographic prints in specific themes & designs, or in your family name or favorite words/phrases.

Create * PS I Love You * All Because Two People Fell In Love

Her prints would make perfect wedding, baby, & housewarming gifts.
(*cough* I'm moving *cough*).
You can also find Whitney on her blog or on twitter as @framesandnames.

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Happy Thursday!! Please go show my sweet sponsors some love!

Blogging Barefoot: Something Bigger Than Me

2011-04-04T22:42:00.000-07:00

Today I will be barefoot.
I will go through my workday without shoes, including trips to my office's bathroom and kitchen.
I will get gas this afternoon and probably cringe as I carefully step around the spilled gasoline on the ground.
I will take packages to the post office and hopefully not get kicked out.
I will spend One Day Without Shoes.

But then tonight, I will take a hot shower and wash my dirty feet.
I will eat a full, satisfying dinner.
I will get a good night's rest in my own queen size bed.
And tomorrow? I will put on my shoes and go about my day.

I am lucky. WE are lucky.
Children all over the world don't get the luxury of a pair of shoes.
They deal with pain, injury, and disease as a result of the barefoot life they have to endure.
They are often excluded from school when they don't have shoes.
This leads to a never-ending cycle of poverty and pain.

My One Day Without Shoes may not mean much to many people.
My two bare feet may not make a huge impact.
But if I convince one person to try going barefoot, that makes four bare feet, and possibly a new TOMS Shoes owner.

For every pair purchased, another pair is given to a child in need.
A child that spends EVERY DAY Without Shoes.
One For One.

This movement is so much bigger than me, bigger than you.
It's bigger than any small thing we can contribute.
It's bigger than 24 hours of bare feet.

I am called to serve. To do for others. To give my time and my voice.
And today?
Today I will give my feet.

"They embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment -- a moment that will define a generation -- it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all."

-President Barack Obama

I encourage you to go barefoot all day if you are able to do so.

If you are blogging barefoot today, please link up your post below.

Help me spread the word about the impact that a single pair of shoes can have on a child's life.

Hello New Sponsors!

2011-04-04T11:48:00.000-07:00

This is my second attempt at writing this post. Blogger did NOT want to cooperate with me last night.

As I mentioned on Friday, I have some fabulous new sponsors this month. I am super excited to introduce some of them to you today. (You'll get to meet the rest on Thursday.) I'm positive that you will love them!

Ashley from After Nine to Five Designs has a lovely little shop full of charm necklaces, bracelets & other accessories.

The Round Discover Necklace, the Anchor Necklace, & the Eiffel Tower Necklace are my (current) favorites!

She is getting married this weekend (YAY!) and will be on her honeymoon for awhile, but you can still browse & buy from her etsy store & she will ship when she gets back on April 16th!

You can also find Ashley on her blog or on twitter as @afterninetofive.

*****

Next up we have Ms. Megan from Moonbeam Wishes. Isn't she adorable?!

Megan's shop is full of "paper magic", including sweet little cards and gift tags.

Initial Me Cards * Dancing Thread Tags * Hedgehog Greetings

You can also find Megan on her blog or on twitter as @moonbeamwishes.

*****

The HILARIOUS Ruthanne from Eclectic Whatnot is another one of my new sponsors.

Ruthanne is best known for her beautiful camera straps, but she also makes bright pleated scarves and that fabulous ruffled skirt above that is sadly not available in my size.

Choose Your Ruffle * Ooooh, Snap * {Melanie Smooter} Edition
Ruthanne is having a great sale today and tomorrow only to celebrate her 14th wedding anniversary. All ruffled camera straps are $14 off!!

You can find Ruthanne snorting on her blog, on her facebook page, or on twitter as @eclecticwhatnot.

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And last, but certainly not least, we have Connie, from Circle Line Studio.

Connie makes really unique and stylish vinyl wall decals - which happen to be perfect for renters. I'm already making a list for our new apartment!

Wrought Iron Dress Form * Family Name * Antique Street Lamp

You can also find Connie on her blog, her facebook page, or on twitter as @circle_studio.

Happy Monday!

Saturday Snapshot: I Should Start Packing

2011-04-01T22:57:00.000-07:00

You better believe that I'm linking up with Kim for Saturday Snapshot again this week!

This picture was taken in January 2010. I was supposed to be putting together my new ladder bookshelves (read: adult legos), but somehow I ended up in a box.

I'm thinking my husband probably had something to do with this.

Me. I'm in a box.

Which reminds me... I should probably start packing since I'm moving in 4 weeks. Yikes.

Make sure you head over to Kim's blog & check out all the other entries!

Happy Saturday!

Random Crap Friday

2011-04-01T08:25:00.001-07:00

Am I the only one who has noticed that my Friday blog posts are mostly just scatterbrained ramblings from my week?

Yeah. About that.

I think its just because I've got so many fabulous things to tell you each week so Friday's are my day for squeezing in all the leftovers. I mean, the stuff I have to say is important, yo. And I want y'all to be well informed. Basically I'm providing a service to you. You should thank me.

OR maybe I should just put down "Random Crap Friday" as a permanent fixture in my weekly blog schedule so y'all can stop assuming that I've used up my ration of brain cells for the week.

On that note, here's your random thoughts for the day:

--> I have some fantbulous new sponsors this month over there on your right. You will get a formal introduction to them on Monday, but why don't you go ahead and pay a little visit to their sweet shops?

--> The banana pudding milkshake from Chick Fil A is TO. DIE. FOR. Get yourself to the closest CFA for a party in your mouth. Pronto.

--> Blogging Barefoot & One Day Without Shoes is Tuesday!! I think I might go get some cheap funky nail polish for the occasion.

--> Since it's April 1, I can officially say that I'm moving this month! I guess I should start packing, huh? (PS - my shop closes for awhile on April 15!)

--> Speaking of the shop, I'm toying with the idea of opening a shop on Etsy in addition to my main Big Cartel shop (kind of like a second location). Most Big Cartel shop owners I know started out on Etsy and then made the switch later as they started to outgrow Etsy. I didn't do that. I went straight to Big Cartel & I feel like I missed out on some important growth opportunities that Big Cartel doesn't offer (front page features, treasuries, the overall community of shop owners). Do you have opinions about this? Good Idea? Bad Idea? Not worth my time?

Thanks for listening to me babble again! Happy Friday & HAPPY WEEKEND!

Blogging Barefoot: She Went Without Shoes

2011-03-30T22:23:00.001-07:00

Have you checked your calendar? Our Blogging Barefoot event is coming up soon - next Tuesday to be exact!

Many of you are just now hearing about TOMS and their One For One Movement. I first learned about TOMS last spring, when an old college friend, Glynne, posted on facebook that she would be going without shoes for a whole day. Glynne very graciously agreed to share that story with y'all today.

Everybody say "Hi, Glynne!"

*****

I first heard of Toms Shoes in the fall of 2007. Yes, I thought the shoes were adorable and instantly wanted a pair, but it was their concept that drew me in: “one for one”. I was sold. The fact that I could buy a pair of shoes for myself and give a pair to a child who has never worn a pair of shoes was pure genius. I have been a proud supporter ever since.

Last year, Toms challenged the public to spend one day without shoes to remind us of their cause. I took them up on their challenge and am eager to do it again this year. Don’t get me wrong, I was hesitant at first, I am that girl who hates touching door handles for fear of catching some sort of sickness, but I felt called to do this. I wanted to see what it was like to not have the luxury of shoes and feel hot concrete and rocks under my feet. I wanted the potential of having blisters on my feet for one day, so that I could feel the pain of those who have never worn shoes a day in their life. I wanted to be reminded with every step that I took that there are children out there who walk 12 miles a day barefoot, just to go to school and get an education, then they walk 12 miles to get back home.

Glynne's feet (& her TOMS) after her Day Without Shoes

So I got up for work that morning, put on my outfit for the day and left my house barefoot. I actually had to bring my shoes (Toms) with me because I wasn’t sure how my work would respond to me being barefoot in the office. For the first part of my shift, I had to wear my shoes, but for the last few hours, I was able to take my shoes off and continue my day without them. I think the biggest challenge for me was the fact that I had to go to the gas station after work. For those who know me know this is a chore even with shoes! But this was no day for hesitation; I knew why I was doing this and it meant that much to me. I even had someone ask where my shoes were, so I used that as an opportunity to inform them about Toms shoes and hopefully inspire them to take the challenge as well.

Toms has challenged us again this year to spend our day without shoes on April 5th. Whether you are inside most of the day or out and about, the purpose of doing this is to serve as a reminder of something that we often take for granted, others don’t have the luxury of. Even if you are only outside of your house for a few hours that day, take your shoes off and put yourself into someone else’s shoes (or lack there of). I hope that you will consider participating, as it is a humbling and rewarding experience!

*****

Just so you know, my heart does flips every time one of y'all blogs/tweets/comments about our virtual One Day Without Shoes event. For serious. It makes me giddy to see so many people ready to bare their feet for those less fortunate.

Please continue to help me spread the word and get ready to show your toes on Tuesday!

What I Drool Over Wednesday

2011-03-29T21:36:00.000-07:00

I'm linking up with Krystina again today for What I Love Wednesday.

I'm doing things a little bit different this week in that there will be no handmade love here today, but there is still lots of yummy yummy goodness.

Here is ~~what~~ who I'm drooling over:

(( WARNING: You might need a paper towel to wipe of your keyboard when you're done ))

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Darren Criss.

The fact that he can sing makes him even more drool worthy. And the hair? The only reason to have gorgeous curly hair like that is so girls can run their hands through it. And by girls, I mean me.

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Jesse Williams (Jackson Avery from Grey's)

The. Abs.

OMG THE ABS.

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Jon Haam

Hubs & I have just started watching Mad Men on Netflix. It's awesome. Mostly because Jon Haam can rock a suit like nobody's business.

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Gerard Butler

scruffy face + piercing blue eyes + dreamy Irish accent = perfection

He seriously makes me melt.

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Ryan Reynolds

This picture is the reason why People magazine named him the sexiest man alive in 2010.

Again with the abs.

So who did I leave out? Who's been making you drool lately?

PS ~ Don't forget about Blogging Barefoot!

100 Things: The Finale {#81-100}

2011-03-28T21:40:00.000-07:00

Remember how I said I like to drag things out? Yeah. Um, this series has taken over a month, but I have enjoyed coming up with 100 random things to tell y'all about myself. Thanks for sticking with me!

Looking for the beginning? Start here & then follow the links at the bottom of each post.

81. I drive too fast, but I've only had one speeding ticket.

82. I collect Disney movies & classic Disney figurines but I've never been to Disney World or Disneyland. This will be corrected once we live 1.5 hours from Disneyland.

83. When making a sandwich/hamburger/hot dog, the mayonnaise is not allowed to touch the cheese. gag.

84. Speaking of food, I HATE pickles. Hate them to the point that I won't eat a sandwich that used to have pickles on it because the juice gets in the bread. When going through a drive-thru, my friend Krystal told the order-taker that I had a pickle allergy so that they wouldn't put pickles near my food.

85. I prefer Conan over Dave, Jay, George, Jimmy, Craig, etc. In fact, he's on my tv right now.

86. One of my favorite things to wear is Rusty's button-down shirts.

87. I require two pillows to sleep.

88. I never got to believe in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, etc. Someone told me the secret when I was about 3 because he is a mean person. I feel like I missed out on so much excitement as a child because I knew the truth, especially since I had to pretend for my younger siblings.

89. I have two tattoos. One is a scroll design on my lower back (insert eye roll here) and the other is pink & orange daisies on my right hip. I don't like either one. I was young and stupid.

90. Once I get a little extra money, I'm getting a real tattoo - i.e., one that means something. I want an anchor in white ink on the inside of my wrist.

91. My favorite band is Train. I've seen them in concert 5 times (once was last December with Jana.)

92. I am currently eating cold pasta salad in bed (at 11:00 pm), straight from the casserole dish I made it in. I'm the only one that eats it and I'm the one who does the dishes, so why create extra work for myself?

93. I don't take a shower everyday. Go ahead, judge me. I sit at a desk all day and then sit at a computer or sewing machine all night. I don't really get dirty everyday.

94. I think that black-out curtains are one of the greatest inventions EVAR.

95. I have an unnatural obsession for baby animals in commercials (like the dancing baby elephant for GE and the mini giraffe for Direct TV). I want to start a collection of celebrity baby animals.

96. I'm a Christian, but a very liberal one. That is the first and quite possibly the last time you will hear me talk about my faith online.

97. I wear my jeans many times between washes. Probably too many, but they come off as soon as I get home so really I only wear them for about 8 hours while sitting at my desk.

98. It bothers me that none of my bedroom furniture matches. I will be fixing this after the move.

99. I hate the phrase "It is what it is." What does that even mean?

100. I'm actually surprised that I came up with 100 random things about myself and even more surprised that you're still reading.

Happy Tuesday!

Saturday Snapshot: Spanish Windmills

2011-03-25T23:00:00.000-07:00

I spent my Friday night with Lindsay from Aisle to Aloha. Unfortunately this little problem of geography kept me from giving her massive smooshy hugs, but I did get to read her entire blog from the very beginning, way back before I met her.

One of the many things that Lindsay & I have in common is that we both studied abroad in Spain during college. I was feeling all nostalgic after reading about her travels, so I thought I'd share one of my absolute favorite photos that I took in Spain.

This is one of the ancient windmills in La Mancha - the very same windmills that Don Quixote "fought". (Did you read/watch Don Quixote in high school Spanish?) I just love the brightness of the sky in this picture and the contrast of the rickety wooden windmill.

I'm linking this gorgeous shot up to Kim's Saturday Snapshot Linky Party!

PS - Lindsay lives in Hawaii and her husband is on deployment right now. She could use a hug or a sale or a sweet comment as she celebrates her blogiversary this week, so you just click on over when your done with me & the yellow songbird, mm'k?

Happy Weekend!!

So Many Updates

2011-03-25T10:04:00.003-07:00

Whew. I don't know about you, but I have had a long week! All this random stuff is going through my brain right now:

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Have you checked out Blogging Barefoot, the One Day Without Shoes event that I'm hosting?

I'd love to have you join us!

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Move Update

In addition to my duties with my desk job & my shop & this blog, I've been extra busy crossing things off our list to prepare for our big move. We got an offer on our house last week and we hope to hear something back from the bank sometime next week. We also found a PERFECT apartment in San Diego and submitted our application paperwork today. The only really big thing that's left is finding me a job.

SO, any good real estate & job hunting juju you can send our way would be super.

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Shop Update

As much as I love it when y'all buy my stuff, I also love not going completely bonkers, so I've decided to close my shop during our month of moving. I will continue to accept orders through April 15 and reopen during early June. (Don't worry, I'll still be blogging the whole time!) If you have been eyeing one of the few things left in the shop, get it ASAP!

The good news for y'all is that this time off will be spent working on all new products. When I come back, the shop will be much more focused & full of prettyfulness!

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Ad Space Winners

WOW. So many fun shops entered my ad space giveaway this week. I let random.org choose the winners and here's what it came up with:

Winner #1 is comment #16 - Ashley from After Nine To Five Designs

Winner #2 is comment #47 - Betsy from Etsy By Betsy

Winner #3 is comment #14 - Ms. Megan from Moonbeam Wishes

Congratulations ladies! I will send you an email shortly. If you didn't win, I'm still giving you a 15% discount on all 1 month and 3 month ad spots as a thank you for entering!

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Happy Friday! I hope you're brain isn't as crazy as mine is right now!

Blogging Barefoot: A One Day Without Shoes Event

2011-03-24T08:07:00.000-07:00

Most women I know will tell you that there is no such thing as too many shoes. I have approximately 25 pairs, and my husband has about 12. A quick twitter poll revealed that this is pretty average for my ~~minions~~ readers/followers & that most of y'alls children have anywhere from 2-6 pairs of shoes.

But what if I told you that we have is a luxury? What if I told you that instead of a shiny new Lexus, simply having one pair of shoes is a status symbol?

Regardless of the terrain or the weather, children in developing countries walk miles upon miles for clean water and medical help.

Those that are allowed will make the long walk to school barefoot, but unfortunately, many children can't go to school because shoes are a required part of their uniform.

Without access to shoes, these children are at risk of injury, infection, and soil-transmitted diseases such as podoconiosis, tetanus, and hookworms that they can not afford to prevent or treat.

This is reality for hundreds of millions of children across the world.

TOMS Shoes is doing their part to eradicate these horrible conditions through their One for One Movement. For every pair purchased, TOMS gives a new pair of shoes to a child in need. To find out more about how, why, and where TOMS is giving their shoes, I encourage you to check out their One For One Movement page or download their 2010 Giving Report.

Now I'm not here to ask you to buy TOMS Shoes (although you totally should because they are super comfy and I wear mine every single day).

I'm simply asking you to go barefoot for one day. Just spend One Day Without Shoes.

On April 5th, 2011, people all over the world will be going barefoot to raise awareness of the impact that a pair of shoes can have on a child's life. There will be organized walks & events that day - all in an effort to spread the word.

Many bloggers work from home, so it can be hard to really raise awareness just by going barefoot when nobody sees your feet except your family. So instead I challenge you to blog barefoot.

What You Can Do On April 5th

Post a picture of your bare feet on your blog, along with the a Blogging Barefoot button (codes found here). I will host a link up that day so that you can come here and link up your post.
You are not required to blog about TOMS or One Day Without Shoes on this day in order to participate. You can blog about whatever you want, just add a picture of your toesies & link up!

Other Ways You Can Get Involved

Post a Blogging Barefoot button on your blog (codes found here)
Make the Blogging Barefoot button your Twitter or Facebook avatar.
Blog about this event before April 5th so that your readers can participate too.
Tweet, Facebook, and Scream From The Rooftops about this event over the next several weeks.
Have another idea? Email me at peggyanndesign AT gmail DOT com.

So can you blog barefoot for just one day?

Leave me a comment if you plan to participate and help me spread the word!

(All images & facts found at www.TOMS.com. Buttons designed by me.)

What I Lurve Wednesday

2011-03-22T22:00:00.003-07:00

Hai! Today I'm linking up with my new friend Krystina from Lollipops Cards for What I Lurve Wednesday. (Krystina actually says "love" but I think "lurve" is super fun, don't you? DON'T YOU?)

Let me just say that I tried really hard to come up with a theme for this little collection, but I couldn't. There are just too many wonderful things.

1. Yellow Heart Art is my new obsession. I may have emailed my husband a link to this adorable print on our anniversary.

2. One thing that you should know about southern girls is that we LURVE our pearls and our ribbon. This necklace from TwillyPop is the perfect mix of both.

3. A duvet cover from West Elm would make my new bedroom very happy.

4. This coral frame gallery from The Inspired Room would be excellent in that new bedroom as well.

5. aPearantly sew's Lindsay Clutch in Coral needs to come live with me.

6. I already have 5 coffee cuffs, but I don't have one from Oh, Sweet Joy, which is a tragedy.

7. I spotted this shop on the front page of etsy a few weeks ago & I immediately fell in lurve with this turquoise & gold wallflower set. it has been sitting in my favorites & taunting me ever since.

Why don't you go over to Krystina's lovely blog & check out all the other fun blogs linking up? Happy Wednesday!

100 Things: Part FOUR {#61-80}

2011-03-22T10:12:00.001-07:00

Hi Friends! I'm back with 20 more things about myself!

If you are just tuning in, you should check out Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of this series.

61. I wear jeans every day and I almost always have something in my back pockets (usually my phone), even though I have a huge purse and a clutch that I carry around.

62. I have moles in weird places: on the bottom of my foot, the bottom rim of my eyelid and in my ear. I think this is weird.

63. My favorite color changes at least once a week. Right now its coral, like my new $5 sunglasses from Forever 21.

64. My husband and I went to Paris for our honeymoon for 8 days. It truly is a gorgeous city (except for the metro. that's gross.)

65. I am a massively huge Auburn fan. I feel like most of you already know this, but I needed to say it again just in case. War Eagle.

66. I drive a 2004 Ford Escape but only for the next 2 months. We are only taking on car with us when we move.

67. I have a fancy Sony DSLR camera and I pretty much don't have a clue how to use it. We bought it as a demo/display model (cheap!) so it didn't come with a manual.

68. When I hear other people pop their knuckles, I automatically feel the need to pop my own. Kinda like when you see someone yawning. I guess it's contagious.

69. I just had to pop my knuckles and yawn after typing that last one.

70. I wear contacts for nearsightedness (& occasionally glasses). This lovely gem from Christmas 2009 is the only picture I could find as proof of the glasses. Please ignore the strange angle that makes my boobs take up 1/4 of the picture.

71. Our house was broken into on September 15, 2009. The ~~douchecanoes~~ thieves took thousands of dollars worth of stuff (YAY for homeowners insurance), but left one of their hats in our bedroom floor. The cops were able to get DNA from the hat & at least one of the culprits was arrested just before Christmas.

72. If you have multiple grammar & spelling errors in every single post, I will not read your blog. Not trying to be bitchy, I just can't read it. (Occasional typos happen. That's not what I'm referring to here.)

73. I will stay in the shower for a 5, 10, even 20 minutes extra just because I am afraid of freezing my butt off the second I step out.

74. I'm scared of falling. I don't like to stand in chairs, close to balcony ledges, on ladders, etc.

75. I am extremely un-athletic due to ZERO hand-eye coordination. My insane love of sports comes from my Daddy, who was the P.E./football/wrestling/baseball coach at my school.

76. A kid I used to babysit will be playing in the NFL this year (assuming the NFL actually plays).

77. I have had to utilize the search feature on my blog at least 9 times while writing this post just to make sure that I'm not repeating myself.

78. Another blog pet-peeve: I NEED you to have a search bar on your blog, preferably an easy-to-find one.

79. I got my first sewing machine on my birthday last year. I now have FOUR different machines: My original Brother machine, two vintage ones from the 50s/early 60s that my husband snagged at a thrift store, and a very nice Janome machine that my great aunt gave me when she upgraded.

80. I have had my wisdom teeth, my tonsils, a tiny piece of my jaw, and my appendix removed from my body. I think I should set a goal of having as many non-essential body parts removed as possible. What do I have to do to get my gall bladder taken out? Anybody need a kidney? I got a spare.

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Don't Forget: I'm giving away three ad spaces!

The giveaway ends Thursday at midnight!
Part 5 is Here