The Blissful Bee

I've MOVED to a new site!

2013-06-07T15:34:00.002-05:00

The Blissful Bee has moved to a new site!! Make sure to check it out to see all of my latest projects and DIY's!!

www.theblissfulbee.com

Final reminder to transition to the NEW blog!

2013-06-03T10:22:00.002-05:00

Hey guys!! Ok so I know I've been SUPER annoying this week with all of my reminder posts about the new site, but I want to make sure I get all of you transitioned over!!

I will be forwarding my old site address to the new blog soon and I think that might mess a few things up for you guys. So remember, if you are reading THIS post either from your email subscription, blog reader, bookmarked page, or post feed, then that means you are subscribed to the WRONG blog:) Hop on over to www.theblissfulbee.com and update whatever way you follow.

Also, Google Friend Connect will be gone in just a few short weeks, so try and follow along via email, bloglovin or Facebook. You can find all these options at the new site:) If there is another way to follow that I don't have listed on my new site, email me at theblissfulbee@gmail.com and I will try to add that option as well.

Love you all and thank you so much for helping me in my transition over to the new site!!

xo
amy

Reminder to check out the NEW site!

2013-05-31T12:32:00.002-05:00

Hey guys! Just another little reminder to check out the NEW website and site address for The Blissful Bee! If you want to keep following along, you can subscribe by email to the new site or follow via Bloglovin. And of course, Facebook as well!

The new site address is:

www.theblissfulbee.com

I will also probably be experiencing some technical difficulties every now and then. I noticed today that on some browsers my header isn't even showing up! It works on a Mac, but not on all PC's. If you all don't mind hoping over to the new site and giving me some feedback, that would be WONDERFUL!! I have a new contact page setup on there for you to contact me or you can simply email theblissfulbee@gmail.com

Any feedback would be SO helpful! I'm really trying to make The Blissful Bee more "reader friendly" and also make the site easier to navigate around.

I also have a very exciting post today on the new blog, so make sure to check it out:)

xo
amy

The Blissful Bee is MOVING to a new website!

2013-05-29T13:26:00.000-05:00

Today is a VERY important post, because The Blissful Bee is moving over to a new website! The web address will be NEW, so that means you will have to update a few things.

I recently discovered the domain name {www.theblissfulbee.com} FINALLY became available after a year of trying to get it. I bought it this week and have been working on transitioning my site to its new location. You will also notice a few changes because I will no longer be using blogger to host my blog. I'm making the transition over to Wordpress, so you might see some broken links here and there. I'll be working on all of that over the next few weeks to try and get it all updated for you guys.

I might be able to forward my current address to the new site address, but that might not be for a while. Apparently moving over from Blogger to Wordpress was a lot more difficult than I thought!! I am now realizing that those of you who subscribe by email will have to switch over to my new feed and Google Friend Connect doesn't have a widget for Wordpress, so that will also be a change. If you follow my email (Google Feedburner) you will have to visit the new site and sign up with my NEW feed burner. You will see a subscribe by email area in the sidebar with the new feed. I just transitioned all of my BlogLovin readers over to my new blog, so this is now updated.

Long story short, check out my new setup at www.theblissfulbee.com and try to update whatever way you follow The Blissful Bee. I'm so sorry to change things up on you guys, but I've been wanting this domain name ever since I started The Blissful Bee. In the long run, I think I'm going to be pretty happy with Wordpress as well. With all the changes happening with Google, I was starting to get worried they were going to take away blogger as well. Thought I would make the move before any more changes happened!!

P.S. when I first started blogging, I was using a .blogspot address, then moved over to this address. Basically... whatever address you follow or have saved on your computer, those will become inactive. Try and update everything to www.theblissfulbee.com to get my updated posts from the new website. Sorry again for all the confusion!!!

Classic Kitchens

2013-05-23T18:17:00.000-05:00

I've been keeping my most recent project on the down low, but over the past few weeks/months I have been working with my parents on the design of their new home! They just recently moved from Houston to Dallas... aka... much closer to me!! The house is newer, but still needed a TON of updating. I have taken all of my "before" photos, so I cannot wait to show you everything once it's all finished!

There has been a lot of construction happening in their house, but the biggest project is by far the kitchen. We are basically re-designing just about everything... Cabinets, hardware, fixtures, back splash, floors, layout - you name it! Literally EVERYTHING will be changed, which made my mom a little stressed to say the least. It also doesn't help that my mom isn't the most visual person you've ever met. She has a hard time seeing the end result, whereas I already see the entire room completely finished in my head! I keep trying to console her of her worries and reassure her that it will all be beautiful in the end, but words would not relieve her of the stress.

Since I knew words weren't enough, I spent many weeks gathering examples of kitchens that had similar elements we would be using. This helped her actually see what some of the finishes would end up looking like. I began to see the excitement in her eyes which made me happy too:)

Below are a few inspiring kitchens that helped my mom visualize her soon to be finished kitchen. We wanted to keep things rather traditional, but still give the space an updated and fresh look.

{via}

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If you want to see more of my pins from this project, make sure to visit the Pinterest boards below or follow me if you'd like!

Little Lauren's Photo Shoot

2013-05-22T14:31:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend I had a session with sweet little Lauren! I wanted to try something a little different with this shoot, so I experimented with a new backdrop I recently purchased and took a few inside shots. Of course, I always love the outdoor photos because of the beautiful lighting, but it's also nice to have some different scenes set up as well.

To see more of my work or to schedule a session, click [here].

"Like" me on Facebook!

2013-05-20T16:37:00.000-05:00

Ok so after a YEAR of blogging, I finally decided to start a Facebook page for The Blissful Bee! I know I probably should have done this a while ago, but eh what can ya do? I'm quickly realizing that Google Friend Connect will be going away VERY soon (in about ONE month) and I'm doing my best to keep my readers up-to-date and informed.

I thought Facebook might be another great option on top of some of the other blog readers that will be coming out. I will try not to overwhelm you with too many Facebook posts - I simply want to use it to inform my followers of new posts and updates to the blog. I would LOVE it if you would "like" my new Facebook page and follow along!

On another note, speaking of Google Friend Connect going away.... Does anyone have any advice on what might be replacing it, if anything? I have found that BlogLovin is REALLY great, but I keep wondering if there might be any rumors out there of an official GFC "replacement"?? I've heard it might be Google +, but I really hope not! I'm not the biggest fan of Google +. Any feedback would be super helpful!!

P.S. For a while, I had my Facebook page linked to my business, The Creative Cottage. Sooo if you thought you might have already "liked" my page, that might have been my business and not my blog. I'm trying to organize myself a little bit here, so I decided to separate the two. You might just want to double check and "like" The Blissful Bee too! Thanks y'all!!

May Mood Board Inspirations

2013-05-20T09:15:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to the second month of our monthly mood board inspiration collaboration! This month we have Carissa from Carissa Miss, Samantha from Designer in Teal, and Fletcher from High Cotton Style. I have chosen the inspiration photo this month and we all came up with our own little mood board twist.

The Blissful Bee's Mood Board:

Here is my mood board for this month. As always, I wanted to include a lot of color in the space. To view more of my mood boards, click [here].

Carissa from Carissa Miss:

Carissa from carissa miss here. lucky for me I got to work on one of my most anticipated boards...a little girl's room for my not-so-little-anymore girl! We are hoping to transform her bedroom from nursery/toddler room to sophisticated chic little girl room. I've been working on the design in my head pretty much since she was born:) her nursery wasn't ever really anything but a hodge-podge of handmedowns and clearance items so i've been waiting until she had a space of her own i could slowly save up and design the perfect room. Here's the fun inspiration board! Come visit me to see all the details and sources!

Samantha from Designer in Teal:

Hi! It's Samantha...the Designer in Teal. I'm excited to be joining in on the collaboration again this month. This fresh color palette inspired me to create a relaxing spa like ladies restroom. I typically do designs on living rooms, bedrooms and offices so this was a refreshing change. I hope you will stop by to see the details and resources so that you can recreate the look. Also, because I am trying to build a portfolio, you can get a custom mood board from me for free!

Fletcher from High Cotton Style:

Hey y'all! I'm Fletcher from High Cotton Style. I couldn't be more thrilled to join in on this months collaboration. Hop on over to High Cotton Style to get the scoop on this design board. Stay a while- have a few drinks, and listen to me babble about interior design, recipes, life and who knows what else! All with southern hospitality, of course;)

Hope you all enjoyed our collaboration for this month! If you would like to be a part of next month's collaboration, please email me at theblissfulbee@gmail.com

I have also just created the OFFICIAL facebook page for The Blissful Bee! Make sure to "like" my page [HERE]. I am also now offering AD space as well. Click [here] if you might be interested.

Keith Family Photo Session

2013-05-17T18:10:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago my cousin-n-law, Ashley, contacted me wanting to schedule a maternity photo shoot for her 4th kiddo. It actually ended up turning into family shoot as well! Today I am posting their family session and will post a few of her maternity shots later next week. Her family is seriously SO beautiful and was such a blast to photograph. I think they might all be models... but really... Don't you agree??

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!

How to Use Pinterest to Improve Blog Traffic

2013-05-13T13:06:00.000-05:00

As Pinterest has grown in users, the company has grown as well. There are so many ways to get your business or blog known simply by using Pinterest. For example, when I first started The Blissful Bee last April, I have to thank Pinterest for getting my name out there. When I blogged about my DIY factory cart table, people pinned that project over 3,000 times! My DIY drum light fixture has been pinned over 5,000 times! It's pretty crazy to think about, but very exiting as well. Over the two years I have been on Pinterest, I have somehow gained 2,600 followers! I do have to admit that I might be on Pinterest a little too much at times, but I really do believe it has helped my blog grow.

Today I want to share a few of my favorite tips for using Pinterest. My first tip is to ALWAYS include a "Pin it" button somewhere in your post. Whether it's a button that is placed above the image, at the top of the post, or hovering over the image, they will all work wonders. Simply by having that button somewhere on the post will remind your viewers to pin your project. Including a "follow me" button in your sidebar is another great way to remind your readers to follow you. As you can see, I designed a custom button that matches my blog, but Pinterest offers a "follow me" button as well (as seen in the widget builder below).

I also include a watermark of my website URL on each image I post. That way when it's pinned on Pinterest, people will hopefully start to recognize your blog name even if they don't repin your stuff.

As you can see, Pinterest has given us an easy to use Widget Builder (pictured below). It gives you a few different options to choose from, but a really fun option is the Board Widget and Profile Widget. You can also add your "pin it" button and "follow" button here as well. The hover button is a little more difficult to add because you have to add additional HTML coding. This cannot be done through the Pinterest website, but you can see a tutorial on adding the hover button [here].

To build your own Widget Builder, click [here].

Another helpful tip is to include your blog name on your account. For example, my Pinterest name is Amy@TheBlissfulBee. Instead of using my first and last name, my first name is Amy, and my last name is "@TheBlissfulBee". This is also a great way to get your name out there. To make this change, go to your profile, and click on the pencil icon at the bottom right corner. There, you can change your user name and also write a short description of yourself. I have also included my blog website in this description.

Here are a few of my favorite boards on my Pinterest account. If you like what you see, make sure to follow me!

I also try to pin my project after I have published my post. For a while, I felt silly pinning my own projects, but I feel like it really does lead new readers to my blog. I don't do it with every post, but I will on some of my more important ones. If I feel like it's something a reader will really enjoy or learn from, I will pin it. I hope that some of my words of wisdom will help you all in your Pinterest journey! Let me know if you have any further questions and I will try to help answer them:)

Who I'm linking up with:

Rain on a Tin Roof

Blooming Homestead

Share The {LOVE} Blog Hop

2013-05-12T11:56:00.003-05:00

Today I am excited to say I am involved in a very exciting Blog Hop!! Check it out:)

Share the Love Blog Hop is here!! Yeah!!

Every month Share the Love blog hop will be on both Serenity You and Sew Much Crafting along with the co-hosts (thats ME!)

Rules:

1. Please follow your hosts (numbers 1 & 2 on the linky list below) and also the co-hosts (numbers 3 - 10 on the link list below)

2. Please leave a comment on their blog letting them know that you are a new follower and found them on 'share the love blog hop'

3. Link up your blog's Home page

4. Copy and paste the code at the bottom into a new post on your blog (optional)

5. Have fun!!

Natasha is scheduling co-hosts now, but June is already full, so if you would like to be a co-host in July email me at serenityyou@hotmail.co.uk

{HOSTS}

Natasha @ Serenity You

Danielle @ Sew Much Crafting

And here are this Months Co-Hosts:

So come get your linkin on!!

Please use the hashtag #ShareTheLoveBlogHop when posting on twitter

Blog

Bloglovin

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Google+

Seeing Double Photo Session

2013-05-09T16:41:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, I had a photo session with the cutest little twins I had ever seen. They were so well behaved and we ended up getting some really fun shots. What do you all think??

To see more of my work, visit www.creativecottagephotography.com

Feature on {It's Overflowing}

2013-05-02T08:20:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago I received an email from Aimee at {It's Overflowing} looking to feature my home in her Dreamy Dwelling Home Tour series!! I was SUPER excited to say the least - her blog ROCKS and to make it even better, she is also a fellow Texan and also has a passion for design and photography. Can't get much better, huh??

I hope you all can take a few minutes and check it out. To see my feature, click [here].

Home Office Reveal

2013-04-28T15:30:00.000-05:00

So I'm a few months behind, because I think I might have promised this post a long time ago, but it's finally here!! My home office is finally revealed:)

Since my husband and I both work from home, right across from each other actually, we needed a very large desk. It actually worked out perfectly because we were able to use our massive dining table (from our old house) as our desk. I couldn't imagine getting rid our our old table and was so happy when I realized it would work perfectly as a desk. It's much deeper than most desks, which allows for both of us to have leg room without bumping into each other. Also lots of room for both of our computers as well. And now on to the fun part - pictures!

This Thursday, May 2nd, Aimee from {It's Overflowing} will be featuring my home in her Dreamy Dwelling home series! Make sure to check it out and follow her blog if you don't already. She is a fellow Texan and her blog is SO awesome! Hope you all enjoyed my office reveal!

Who I'm linking up with:

A Diamond in the Stuff

Elizabeth & Co.

All Things With Purpose

A Texan Bluebonnet Photo Shoot

2013-04-27T21:47:00.003-05:00

In Texas, our state flower is the wonderful bluebonnet! Every year once spring arrives, you will find families swerving to the side of the road to get that one good shot with the bluebonnets. That might sound crazy if your not a Texan, but if you live here, it's quite normal to see random photo shoots happening in a luscious patch of bluebonnets on the side of the highway.

Today I had a little adventure with my sweet sister-n-law and adorable niece and nephew. There haven't been as many bluebonnets this year in Fort Worth, so we had to track them down! We finally found a safe little spot in a developing neighborhood near by. Most bluebonnet pictures are pretty simple and really focus on the surrounding blue sea of flowers, but I wanted to do something a little different than the average bluebonnet picture. I wanted to use some fun props and really give this photo shoot a subtle vintage feel and not overwhelm the photo with the stereotypical sea of bluebonnets. What do you all think??

Aren't the kiddos seriously adorable?? If you would like to see more of my work, simply click the handy dandy button above and it will lead you to my new photography website! I am located in Fort Worth, so if you are in the area and would like to schedule a session, please feel free to shoot me an email for pricing and availability;)

Who I'm linking up with:

A Diamond in the Stuff

Elizabeth & Co.

All Things With Purpose

I Gotta Create

Whistle And Ivy

Designer In Teal

BlogLovin' - A New Blog Reader to Replace GFC

2013-04-26T21:20:00.001-05:00

So for those of you who have been a lover and user of Google Friend Connect & Google Reader, unfortunately that will be going away on July 1st. I know... super sad, right?? I have followed all of my blogs through GFC since I started my own blog last April. It's been an easy way to keep my blogs organized and also a great tool for my followers to keep up to date with my posts. When I heard the news, I freaked out a little bit. It's taken me a YEAR to gain all of my followers, and now Google is just going to take that all away from me?? I cherish every follower I gain and truly appreciate each time that number goes up. It's pretty painful to have GFC go away, but don't worry friends, there seems to be a perfect solution!

After researching the blog world to see what other bloggers were transitioning over to, trying to find the best replacement, I found a WONDERFUL solution called BlogLovin'. It is a blog reader that has the same features as Google Reader, but it's basically just an updated version. AKA... better:) It also has a little "followers" widget that counts who all is following you! My favorite part is that it will send you an email each time someone follows you. I love that, because that means I check out their blog and return the favor:) That is something I never got with GFC and LOVE about BlogLovin'.

As you can see, the layout is so simple and easy to use. Nice and fresh! It was SUPER easy to sign up too. It literally took me 2 seconds to sign up and is {of course} free. It even transferred ALL of my blogs over in a matter of about 30 seconds.

So what do you all think about this new Google change? Have you all figured out a solution to the madness? Any suggestions on other Blog Readers?

So far I feel very happy with BlogLovin' and hope for you all to check it out too. If you do join BlogLovin' and want to follow me, you can click on the button below or on the button on my sidebar. There is also a great search feature as well to find any blog or website you'd like. And of course, BlogLovin' will transfer all of your blogs for you, so you most likely won't even have to worry about it.

I hope this post was helpful for any of you looking for a new blog reader! Would love to hear your thoughts:)

DIY Fabric Inserts for Shelving

2013-04-22T21:34:00.000-05:00

So the other day I had this sudden urge to get out of the house and find me a project to create! I hadn't had one in a while and I was just itching to create something really amazing. For a while, I had been eyeing those custom wallpapered bookshelves that you see everywhere, but just never got around to figuring out how to construct one on a budget with the bookshelves I already had. The idea kind of just fell into the background and didn't resurface until last week.

The shelves I have are from Target and aren't what you call... the highest of quality. They are the kind of shelving that you put together yourself, and the backing is not the prettiest. It's that terrible cardboard that is covered in a fake wood veneer. Not noticeable in general, but it bothered me like crazy just knowing it was there. Thankfully I was able to come up with a high end look for literally JUST $40!!! Since I already had the shelves, all I had to buy was the fabric and cardboard. Ain't too shabby if you ask me;)

As you can see, above you will find the before and after. I really wanted something that made a statement and was bright and graphic. My goal was to decrease the decor (aka clutter - says my husband) and give the bookshelves a more cohesive design. Focusing less on the decoration on each shelf, and more on the overall look of the design. Below is my tutorial on creating these wonderful fabric inserts for yourself!

Supplies:
1. Book Shelves from Target (on sale) - $80 or $160 for both
2. Cardboard $10
3. Fabric - about 6 yards (on clearance HALF off $9.99) - Total of $30
4. Scissors and/or exacto knife
5. Glue gun and hot glue

Step by Step:

1. Collect all of your supplies.

2. Measure each shelf's height and width. Draw out those measurements onto your cardboard and cut.

3. Pop in your insert into the appropriate shelf to make sure it fits correctly. Adjust if needed. My inserts fit tightly into the back of the bookshelf so they will stay in place. I might velcro them to the back later on down the road, but for now, they stay in place just fine.

4. Take out your insert and place over fabric. Cut fabric about 2 inches extra on each side of the cardboard so you have room to wrap around the cardboard. Once your fabric is cut, flip over the cardboard, tightly wrap the fabric around and begin gluing the fabric to the cardboard. Make sure to keep the fabric tight during the gluing process so there won't be any wrinkles on the front of the panel. Once you are done gluing, flip the panel back around and insert into the book shelf.

As you can see, this project is VERY easy and extremely affordable to create. At only $40, it ended up becoming one of my favorite DIY projects over these past few months. Such a big bang for your buck!

And just a quick reminder that Google Friend Connect will be GOING AWAY on July 1st, so please please please follow along with Bloglovin. It is SUCH a great blog reader, and I even like it better than GFC! Who knew?? Anyways, you can follow along from the link below, or see my sidebar to click on the button. It took me 2 seconds to sign up for FREE and it literally transferred ALL of my blogs over in about 30 seconds. Can't get much better than that, right??

:: Follow my blog with Bloglovin ::

Who I'm linking up with:
Blooming Homestead
Home Stories A to Z
Kammy's Korner
TwelveOeight
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
A Diamond in the Stuff
Better with Age
Coastal Charm
Elizabeth & Co.
Not Just a Housewife
Primp
Suburbs Mama
Savvy Southern Style
All Things with a Purpose
I Gotta Create
A Stroll Thru Life
Shabby Art Boutique
Funky Junk Interiors
Homemaker on a Dime
Creatively Living
Sumo's Sweet Stuff
DIY Showoff
Cedar Hill Ranch

Cozy Little House

Senior Portraits

2013-04-18T12:40:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I received an email from a follower of {The Blissful Bee} and I was so excited because she was looking for me to take senior portraits of her daughter who is graduating this May. As a part of my new business, The Creative Cottage, I have been working on gaining more photography clients and couldn't wait to schedule this session. After having to reschedule because of rain (thanks Texas!), we finally got to shoot her portraits this past Tuesday. It was 85 degrees and the weather could not have been better! I had a blast photographing this beautiful graduate and wish her the best of luck:)

If you live in the Fort Worth area and would like to schedule a session, please email me at amykwalton1@gmail.com or visit www.creativecottagephotography.com to see more of my work.

:: Follow my blog with Bloglovin ::

Who I'm linking up with:

Shabby Art Boutique
Pieced Pastimes
It's Overflowing

Serenity You

Dining Room Reveal

2013-04-15T20:01:00.000-05:00

A few months ago we moved into our rent house and have been SO happy with our new central location in Fort Worth. The main draw back is the smaller square footage, but as I've said before, that's just another design challenge that I get to take on:)

Since this dining room is significantly smaller than our previous home [here], I had to change things up a bit. I wasn't able to use our very large dining table and opted for a round one instead. I actually ended up using our old outdoor dining table and gave it a little facelift with a refreshing coat of light blue paint. You might recognize it from this post [here] when I used it on my back porch.

I also wanted to make this room nice and colorful since the space is so small. I wanted the room to give off a "happy" feel rather than a bunch on neutrals getting lost in a small space. I had a blast working with pattern and texture and {of course} had to incorporate a bit of a "beachy" feel as well.

What do you think?!

:: Follow my blog with Bloglovin ::

Who I'm linking up with:

twelveOeight
Sweet Little Gals
A Stroll Thru Life
My Uncommon Life Slice of Suburbia
Cozy Little House
Coastal Charm
Primp
Savvy Southern Style
DIY By Design
All Things With Purpose
Shabby Creek Cottage
I Gotta Create
No Minimalist Here
Common Ground
Shabby Art Boutique
Pieced Pastimes
It's Overflowing
Serenity You

Spring Inspiration Mood Board

2013-04-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hello All! I am so excited to be involved in a fun collaboration post today. I have teamed up with a few fellow bloggers to post about our excitement for spring! From one inspiration photo, we all created a mood board to express what {Spring} means to us. You will see a little blurb from each of us along with the mood board we designed. I hope you enjoy our Spring mood boards, and don't forget to check out the rest of these amazing bloggers before you leave! Alrighty, now on to the fun stuff:)

Here is our inspiration photo:

{My Mood Board}

I went a little more crisp, clean and graphic rather than the beautiful organic photo above. I wanted to focus on the beautiful bright colors of spring and came up with my fun living room mood board below.

To see more of my design boards, click [here].

To see my items from this set, click through [here].

{Carissa Miss}

I'm Carissa from Carissa Miss! I blog mostly about design and my DIY projects in my house, but I love sharing my menu planning ideas and easy recipes I make too.

My most popular DIY projects have been my DIY Restoration Hardware Trestle Table {recently featured on knockoffdecor.com} and my DIY Entry Way Board and Batten. I like to tackle whatever creative project I can!

print/pillow /flower art/green striped bow/round rug/fabric print/swimsuit /vase

** Carissa is also having a giveaway today! Make sure to stop by and check it out

{Cuckoo 4 Design}

I'm Julia, or you can call me the crazy German. I blog at Cuckoo4Design where I write about my DIY adventures. I'm cuckoo for my family, cats and design.

1. York Wallcoverings Oriental Spring Blossoms (Pattern #: GG4717)

2. Pier1 Radiant Mirror

3. Chive Inc: Gideon Planet Moon

4. Target Threshold Brass Lamp Base

5. ZGallerie Pierre Sofa

6. Rugs USA: Serendipity Rug

7. Chive Inc: Pooley 2 8-Tube Classic Vase

8. West Elm Branch Side Table

{Designer in Teal}

I'm Samantha and I blog over at Designer in Teal! I mostly blog about Interior design but lately I have been sharing more of my everyday life, wedding inspiration and anything in between.

My latest project is Design in Your Home (a link-up for other bloggers to share their homes and maybe even get featured).

Resources:

Casbah chair- Pier One

Gold Ceramic garden stool- World Market

Golden Yellow Pillows- Target

Multicolored Pillows- Etsy

Outdoor Dining Table- World Market

Hanging Lanterns- World Market

Green Stripe Outdoor Rug- Pier One

Plates: West Elm

Tray: World Market

Planter: Ikea

{Eleven Sixty}

I'm Melissa and I blog at Eleven Sixty. I have a passion for interior decorating, but I also write about life's happenings and everything that make it so lovely.

frame around inspiration photo // mirror // succulent pencil cup // desk // desk chair // wastebasket // lamp base // lamp shade accent table // bamboo blinds (no link) // chevron curtains // pillow lounge chair // ottoman // magazine rack // knob // animal figurines // rug

{Design Your Dwelling}
Hi, I'm Beth, the author blogger behind Design Your Dwelling, an interior design and lifestyle blog, looking to inspire people to lead a beautiful life! I love home decor, fashion, and a splash of inspiration on a regular basis as well as working with interior design clients to design a space they love to live in!

Check em Out!

Now before you leave, make sure to check out these amazing bloggers!

They are really some talented gals:)

Carissa from {Carissa Miss}

Julia from {Cuckoo 4 Design}

Samantha from {Designer In Teal}

Melissa from {Eleven Sixty}

Beth from {Design Your Dwelling}

:: Follow my blog with Bloglovin ::

Moodboard Madness

2013-04-11T19:02:00.001-05:00

So it's been a while since I last created a design board, and with the mood board collaboration we have coming up next week, it just got in the designing mood again. After designing my board for the Spring collaboration{which you will see on Monday}, I got the urge to keep going!

Here are a few of my designs that I recently came up with. Oh I swoon at all of the designer finishes that I can so easily put into a virtual mood board. I just wish that translated in to my real life budget! Oh well - until then, I will just keep designing on paper... or technically speaking, on the computer:)

To see more of my design boards, click [here].

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Who I'm linking up with:

My Repurposed Life

Finding Fabulous

Shabby Art Boutique

French Country Cottage

Serenity You

Sweet Little Gals

Dining Room Teaser

2013-04-11T13:47:00.000-05:00

Today I wanted to give you a little teaser from my soon-to-be dining room reveal. I will be posting the full reveal next week, so make sure to come back and check it out!

I also have a fun collaboration coming up on Monday with some really talented bloggers. We will all be contributing mood boards that will get us all pumped up for spring! Here in Texas we seem to be bouncing back and forth from hot to cold. Needless to say, I am SO ready for the flowers to bloom and sun to shine!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week - if you haven't already, make sure to link up at my {All Things Creative} linky party celebrating my 1 year blog anniversary. You can find that post [here].

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1 Year Blogiversary LINKY PARTY!

2013-04-07T10:46:00.000-05:00

Good morning folks!! Ok so things have been a bit busy around here with the new business, so can you believe I FORGOT about my 1 year blogiversary?? I know, I'm ashamed. BUT to make up for it, I wanted to host my very first linky party!! Please please please make sure to LINK UP and spread the word to all your bloggy friends out there:)

I also want to thank everyone who has followed The Blissful Bee over the past year. Blogging has been such a great experience for me and I am so thankful I decided to make the leap one whole year ago:) I cannot wait to see what The Blissful Bee has in store in the future!

RULES:

Rules? Who likes rules??
I want to keep this open to literally {All Things Creative}. No limits! Link up anything you want that involves creativity. My only request? Link back! Make sure to place my button (see my sidebar) anywhere on your post or blog, or simply include my link in your post.

** I would also LOVE it if you would follow me via Google Friend Connect or through Linky Followers. (See my sidebar) Apparently GFC will be going away in in July of this year, so following me through Linky Followers might work out better in the long run;)

Have fun and LINK UP! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask! Leave a comment or email me if you need help linking up.

Photoshop in Photography

2013-04-03T19:49:00.001-05:00

Howdy folks! So today I am back {yet again} with a photography post. I want to share with everyone one of the many tricks I use in my photography in post production. It's one of my favorite tricks, and although it's quite time consuming, it really makes a world of a difference - It's the good ole paintbrush tool in photoshop!

Before I really got into photography a few years ago, I always knew it was important to use photoshop in post production, but I didn't always do it. Mainly because I didn't have clients at the time and I really had no reason to test it out. Now that I have been back into the world of photography and offering my services, I have really embraced the art of photoshop and all its glory. It really is a FABULOUS tool.

Today's tip is about airbrushing your photos. Everyone wants to look better in their photographs, right?? Well using the paint brush tool in photoshop is a great way of evening your skin tone and creating a beautiful glow that you otherwise might not have with the original file. With adults, it also makes a world of a difference with dark circles under the eyes, wrinkles, harsh shadows etc.

Here is a brief tutorial on how to airbrush your photo:

1. Open your photo into Photoshop
2. Use the eye dropper tool to pick up a similar skin tone color that you will use to airbrush your desired area.
3. Choose your brush tool (with the color you have just picked up) and give it some opacity. Make sure the brush has 0% hardness so the airbrushing will be nice and smooth.
4. Create a new layer on top of the photo and start airbrushing over your desired areas.
5. Choose your eraser tool (0% hardness & about 35% opacity... or less) and start erasing away areas of the new airbrushed layer that might have gone overboard.
6. Repeat steps 4 & 5 until you get your desired look. I end up creating many layers and erasing and adding to all of them until I am happy with the outcome.

Here are some of my process photos. As you can see, the original file is on the left, and my process continues on to the right. The slightest change really does make a world of a difference! Especially in sweet newborn sessions:)

The before photo is on the left and the final result is on the right.

Here is another example of my process:

And as you can see, the before photo is on the top and the after is below.

These newborn examples really show how you can erase that crinkled forehead or unwanted shadow. Before I ever start airbrushing, I always make sure to observe the photo first. I want to make sure I keep the highlights true to the original. Otherwise it will look unnatural. To see more from this newborn session, click through {HERE}

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Who I'm linking up with:

I Gotta Create

Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Happy Easter!

2013-03-31T19:57:00.002-05:00

So what better way to celebrate Easter than with some fun family photos?? Over the past week or so, I have been able to hang out with some of my sweet nieces and nephews, and since I have gotten my new lens, I feel like I have been dragging my camera around just about every where I go! Below are a few shots from this week's family time. Happy Easter everyone - enjoy!

www.creativecottagephotography.com