Moriah Makes

A Resolution For the New Year: Take Care of Myself

2012-02-01T09:50:00.002-06:00

Another resolution for the new year is to take better care of myself. When you become a mother, it's hard to remember to take care of yourself. Especially if you're a stay-at-home mom, it's hard to remember to take a shower or change your clothes since you're probably not stepping foot out of the house anyway. I have to admit that I've completely forgot to do simple things for myself since coming home to be with my kids full-time. My life revolves around them and making sure their diapers are clean, their bellies are full, and their tears are few. Because I give them my 100%, I rarely give myself time to brush my hair, put on makeup, eat lunch... and by the end of the day, I'm left burnt out and exhausted. I often use the excuse that there's no time in the day left for myself. BAD EXCUSE. I need to make time for myself.

My children are on separate naps schedules, so I usually have about 30 minutes of alone time during the day until their bedtime. That 30 minutes is usually spent doing dishes, prepping dinner, folding diapers, etc. I rarely use that 30 minutes to take a shower or get dressed. And even when they're in bed for the night, I fill those last hours of the evening picking up the house, finishing my chores, answering emails, or helping Joseph get ready for the next day.

It doesn't look like I have time for myself, but I really do. I just need to create that time by multitasking for a little bit. An example: while prepping dinner, I should also make Joseph's lunch for the next day. That way, I won't have to do it at night. Another example: while the kids are eating lunch, I should wash the dishes taking over the sink instead of waiting until their nap time. Get what I'm saying here? I'm still giving my children 100% of my time, but also creating a slot for myself later.

So, I've already started this resolution and have been able to do a few things I haven't done in a long time. Like:

- Paint my nails. I haven't painted my nails since November, and that was only because I was on vacation visiting Lindsay.

- Make a healthy smoothie. I've been doing this for a while now, but on days that I don't make one, I regret it. Making a healthy treat instantly puts a boost in my morning and gives me the energy to chase around the toddler with a baby on my hip. It's also something I can share with my toddler during his snack time!

- Go on a walk. I did this last week when my children spent the night at their grandparents' house and my husband had a "guy night." I went to the mall and just walked around by myself. It was amazing. I can't wait until it's warm enough to walk outside!

- Drink a hot chocolate. My husband laughed at me while I was making this the other night because he couldn't remember the last time I ever made hot chocolate. He didn't even know that I liked hot chocolate. How sad is that?

- Create for myself. I can't remember the last time I made something for myself. All of my creative energy has been put into the shop or gifts for others. I made myself a necklace and I might actually wear it someday!

- Get a massage. My mom got me this for Christmas! I think it's something every mom needs and deserves: a time to rest and get pampered for 60 minutes. I got one yesterday, and honestly, I'm pretty sure I fell asleep for most of it. But, it was awesome.

I have a long list of things I'd like to start doing for myself now that I've finally made the time. They may seem little to some people, but they really aren't little to me. I think by doing this, it's going to make me a more refreshed, happy, and all-around better mom for my kids and wife to my husband. I'm going to feel more fulfilled by taking the time to do something for myself once a day... or at least once a week. I may not fit a shower in or have a chance to make myself a super yummy lunch, but I already feel so refreshed and ready to take on the day, knowing that there will be a cup of tea waiting for me this evening before bed.

Are you in the same shoes as me? Do you have a hard time setting time aside for yourself? If you could start making time, what would be the first thing you would do for yourself?

January Sponsor Highlight

2012-01-30T22:56:00.001-06:00

Get to know my awesome sponsors for this month! While high on coffee, I asked them: if you could be any animal, what animal would you be... and why?

Vanessa @ Lynn David wants to be a fish. "Hands down a fish or ocean dwelling creature of some sort. Being under water is like being on a different planet, it's fascinating! Of course it'd be slightly dangerous, so I wouldn't want to be a tuna or other kind of tasty creature. ;)"

Ilene @ Much Love, Illy wants to be a leopard. "Leopard. Then I could wear leopard all the time without taking it off. *wink*"

Kelly @ Sweet & Simple Jewelry Design wants to be a bear. "I would want to be a bear... I would love to be hibernating right now!!"

Lindsay @ Aisle to Aloha Studio wants to be sparrow. "Oh, if I could be an animal, I'd want to be a sparrow. Can you imagine being able to soar through the treetops and somersault through the air? Oh, and I could burst into song whenever I wanted without anyone looking at me funny."

Amanda @ Salvaged Strawberry wants to be a lot of things! "I have NO IDEA what animal I would be. Maybe a butterfly? So gracefuland colorful! But then, they don't live very long do they? I do love manatees, they are so loving and gentle and get to float in the warm ocean in the sunshine all day, but then they get hit by a lot of boats! Then there are hippopotamuses, and that is just so fun to say! I can't choose!"

Carly @ Little Light Prints wants to be bear. "In this moment I'd be a bear because stuffing my stomach and sleeping for a long time sounds pretty wonderful right now."

Megan @ Moonbeam Wishes just wants to sleep. "I would probably be a cat or a sloth or something that sleeps for the majority of the time, as I LOVE to sleep!!"

Tiffany @ Grace for Grace wants to be a sea turtle. "I'd be a sea turtle in Hawaii---love the water, love the sun, and I'd love to gracefully float around all day without a care in the world."

Lisa @ My Little Buffalo wants to be a buffalo. "A Buffalo. :) Then there would be some actual legitimacy to my business name."

Savannah @ MaieDae wants to be a shark whale. "I would want to be a shark whale. Because they are HUGE and nobody (animal or human) would try and eat me. "

Laura @ Along For the Ride wants to be a cat. "If I could be an animal, I would be my little black kitty cat, Jupiter. She's sweet and adorable and is living the life! She spends the day cuddled up, she lounges in front of the window, finds food in her bowl whenever she's hungry, and her "parents" are always so excited when she gives kitty kisses! Does that make me sound too weird?? I was just going to go with flamingo haha."

Joii @ A Full Day wants to be an eagle. "This is a hysterical question. Not a good one to answer after eating dinner :-) Hmmmm, let's see. Maybe an eagle. I've heard that they can fly above the storm. That's kind of cool. When the storms of life come; I'd just fly above it. Thank you Lord, Amen!"

Kim @ Oh, Sweet Joy wants to be a sloth. "That's easy. I'd be a sloth. They sleep 18 hours, but they always party 24."

So pretty much all of my sponsors want to sleep... I had told them I wanted to be a walrus. It was for the same reasons. Seriously, who wouldn't want to do this all day?

...

Eating a whole block of cheese can wear a girl out.

Handmade Giveaway: Sweet & Simple Jewelry Design

2012-01-30T13:58:00.000-06:00

Happy Monday, everyone! I'm excited to start off the week with another lovely handmade giveaway. Moriah Makes' readers have a chance to win something pretty from the lovely Etsy shop, Sweet & Simple Jewelry Design. Kelly is the owner of this awesome handmade boutique and is giving away a pair of her gorgeous vintage-inspired filigree earrings!

These beautiful pale blue filigree earrings with vintage glass rhinestones remind me of Spring! Minnesota isn't anywhere near showing signs of warmer weather just yet, but it's something I can look forward to, right? Wouldn't these earrings go perfect with a light-weight dress or even a pretty sweater? Let's pretend it's spring time together! For a chance to these Sweet & Simple earrings:

- leave a comment telling me your favorite thing about Spring.

This giveaway starts now and ends next Monday. The winner will be announced Tuesday, February (FEBRUARY!!!) 6th.

Be sure to connect with Sweet & Simple Jewelry Design:

shop // blog // facebook

Handmade Giveaway: The Little Shop of Elle See

2012-01-26T13:58:00.000-06:00

Valentine's Day is right around the corner. Have you picked up some cards to share your love with family and friends? Here's your chance to get some free handmade cards from an adorable Etsy shop: The Little Shop of Elle See.

Laura, the owner of The Little Shop of Elle See, is giving Moriah Makes' readers $20 credit to her shop. But first, let's learn a little more about this handmade mama:

"Hi There! I'm Laura (LC) from The Little Shop of ElleSee. I am currently a stay-at-home mom to a beautiful baby boy named Luke. When I'm not busy with him or my shop, I like to crack open a can of Coca-Cola, pour myself a bowl of salt and vinegar chips, and sit down and watch a good movie or television show with my husband of almost eight years. I absolutely love New Girl, Once Upon a Time, and Modern Family. I love having a good laugh, and really try to keep my life light and simple.

I started my shop almost a year ago, and I'm amazed by how much I have learned about owning a shop -- especially an online shop -- and changed as an artist and a person. I've gone from selling abstract art prints and photography, to small simple prints of animals and flora, and stationery -- the photography is still hanging around though. I have been so inspired by the other artists that I have met through Etsy and the blogging world. I would not trade this past year's experiences for anything." - Laura

Thanks for sharing your awesome story with us today, Laura!

For a chance to win $20 shop credit to The Little Shop of Elle See:

- leave a comment with your favorite Valentine's Day candy

The giveaway starts now and ends next Thursday. The winner will be announced Friday, February 3rd.

Here's how you can connect with Laura:

shop // blog // facebook // twitter

New Mom Fashion Tips & a Discount Code

2012-01-26T13:10:00.001-06:00

I'm not sure if I ever posted a link to the guest post I did for my new mommy friend, Sandy! I thought you ladies would enjoy it if you haven't already read it over at her blog. I got to share some advice about new mom fashion and how to stay stylish with a newborn when you'd rather be wearing a ratty t-shirt and your husband's pajama pants... which is pretty much what I wore anyway. Check it out here: New Mom Fashion Tips

**Also, I'm having a sale in the shop for today only. 30%off with code: JUSTCUZ30

A Reminder For Parents

2012-01-25T08:07:00.001-06:00

{Josiah, 3 weeks old}

"The arrival of a new baby gives us, perhaps for the first time in our lives, the opportunity to find out just how much love we are capable of. We find out how patient we can be, how resourceful, how much sleep deprivation we can stand, how much pleasure we can take in the ordinary details of daily life. In this calling out of the parents from their natural self-centeredness, their real transformation begins in earnest.” -Jennifer Roback Morse
A quote from Love & Economics, a book my husband has been reading these days.

A Resolution For the New Year: Love My Home

2012-01-23T15:00:00.000-06:00

One of my resolutions for the new year was to make my house a place that I absolutely love and am proud to call mine. I want it to be a space that people see and instantly see me in every piece.

We never really ended up decorating the way we wanted to when we moved into our house almost 3 years ago. A week after we moved in, Joseph and I went on vacation. A couple weeks later, I found out I was pregnant. The next 9 months were spent being queazy, tired, and planning a nursery. Then I had a baby. Four months later, I got pregnant again. So I spent another 9 months being queazy, tired, taking care of a baby, planning a new nursery, and then having another baby. Now that I'm done being pregnant for a while, I can finally decorate my house! So, it's time to make it into something that I love, starting with the living room and dining room. Here's some Pinterest inspiration I've been gathering for a while that might help give you a better picture of what I'm wanting to create:

Source: apartment34.blogspot.com via Moriah on Pinterest

Source: silvanaaaaa.tumblr.com via Moriah on Pinterest

Source: simplygrove.com via Moriah on Pinterest

Source: minasdecorandfashion.blogspot.com via Moriah on Pinterest

Source: ivillage.com via Moriah on Pinterest

Source: riflepaperco.com via Moriah on Pinterest

Lots of funky, colorful, vintage furniture.

Mismatched and patterned curtains and pillows.

A wall of bookcases and a kid-friendly, creative space for Josiah and Chia.

Light painted walls with lots of personal artwork, lots of vintage, and lots of frames.

Here's what we're working with so far:

A couch and a chair! Pretty nice start, huh? The couch is a light blue, 8.3 feet velvet beauty (I made Joseph lay down on it so you could see how huge this baby really is in size)! We purchased it through Craigslist for $40 and plan to paint the wood dark to match the rest of our furniture. The green chair was also purchased through Craigslist for around $200, newly upholstered and professionally restored to sell.

We also bought a huge, vintage 6 chair dining room set (with carved flowers on the chairs!!) for $100 that's super ugly right now, but has the potential of looking fabulous after throwing on a table cloth and re-upholstering the chairs. We've got a long way to go, and hardly any money to spend on this makeover, but it makes the challenge more fun that way! By selling a hutch for $500, we were able to purchase a lot more furniture, and are on our way to creating a new, awesome space for our family. I'm so excited for our home makeover! I'll be sure to update you when we make some more changes to the living room and dining room in the near future...

Are any of you currently redoing a room in your home to make it more you?

My Babies: 21 Months Old and 8 Months Old

2012-01-20T10:07:00.000-06:00

I'm starting to forget how old these two actually are in age. Pretty sure I referred to Josiah as my 19 month old this week. Nope. He turns 21 months old tomorrow. And Chia? Well, just look at her. The girl looks like she could eat her brother for breakfast:

Josiah is learning more words every day and is putting them to good use in conversations with his Mama, Daddy, and sister. He loves to talk about trucks, food, the moon (still), and anything else that makes loud noises or causes him to bust a move on the dance floor. He has been playing with Legos every night with his Daddy, creating big towers and houses that come crashing down after 30 minutes. They are both very aggressive boys and like to destroy things a lot. Josiah's also been obsessed with reading books for a couple weeks now and would love to spend hours sitting with Mama in his rocking chair with a good Curious George novel if his sister let him. Maybe someday, in a bigger chair for all three of us, and a book that she prefers...

Lucia has been eating very few solids, but we are working on it! So far, she hates everything we've stuck in her mouth except for avocado mixed with banana. It's the only thing we can get her to actually swallow, although she still isn't a fan. Mama has even bought some yummy rice crackers and puffs, but Chia acts like she's being poisoned. So, her brother gets a lot of her leftovers these days. Chia is sitting up on her own very well, shows no interest in rolling or crawling, and loves being held as much as possible. She is a cuddle bug and would rather be carried around all day long and help Mama cook dinner than be forced to play with boring toys on the floor.

Josiah shows more and more interest in his sister every day now that they've been sharing a bedroom. He's growing very attached to her and loves bringing her toys to play with while she sits in her Exersaucer. Lucia always lights up when she sees her brother first thing in the morning, letting out a loud squeal and a huge gummy smile on her face. She loves to grab at his cheeks and clothes, I'm assuming because she wants to kiss him! Now that she can sit up, it's much easier for them to communicate and play together. Life seems to have gotten so much easier this past month with the both of them becoming more independent in their own ways. Joseph and I keep talking about how excited we are for this summer when all four of us can enjoy the same activities outdoors, hang out at the beach and play at the park. It'll be the first time in three years that there won't be a tiny newborn or a sick pregnant lady to keep us indoors. It's going to be awesome!

Sponsor Highlight: Weepereas

2012-01-17T22:32:00.001-06:00

I'm sharing my lovely sponsor, Weepereas, on the blog today! Beth, the owner of this fabulous handmade boutique, sells colorful and eco-concious goodies for children and babies... well, I guess mamas, too, because I want all of her organic quilts for myself! Beth sent my little Lucia a pair of booties from her new line of ruffled and reversible shoes! I currently own several pairs of Weepereas' booties and I love the updates Beth has made to her shoe design. Here are the old reversible booties, still available in her shop, and still extremely cute. I absolutely adore the fabrics Beth uses in all of her products:

The updated version of these booties now have a leather sole that make them even more durable. I love this change and think they are just as cute, if not more than before. Chia likes them, too:

In the winter, we've been able to wear the booties with socks and they still fit great. They'll be just as great in the summer, without socks, when Chia starts learning hot to waddle around on her own! The fit of these booties are perfect and have been the first pair of shoes that haven't slipped off of Chia's long, slender feet. The elastic band around her ankle helps keep the booties much more secure and fit much better than most of her other retail store shoes. They're a great shoe to buy a size larger for the winter and then grow into as the warm weather approaches. And reversible? That's two for the price of one right there!

Some more updates from Beth's shop:

*Spring items will launch February 1st. Dozens of new styles are coming: organic mary janes, organic sherpa lined baby boots and boy loafers. Here's a sneak peek of a few of the mary janes here.

*2T-3T size will be added as a size option on new styles, 6-12 months & 12-18 months will come with vegan suede cloth or leather soles, and 18-24 months and 2T/3T are now made with a rubber soling material that is waterproof/slip-proof.

*Lots of new quilts in the shop; a great example is this one.

Be sure to connect with Weepereas and stay updated with Beth's new designs:

shop // blog // rss feed // facebook // twitter

If your baby is begging you for something sweet from Beth's shop, use this discount code for 15% off your entire order: MORIAHMAKES15 (offer runs until January 25th)

Pursuing Her Passion:: Ashley LeMieux

2012-01-16T23:48:00.000-06:00

Welcome to another edition of my new blog series: Pursuing Her Passion. I've had this topic on my heart for a long time and I knew that I wasn't alone. There are so many creative and talented women out there chasing their dreams, pursuing their calling, and taking risks in order to fulfill God's plan for their life. There are also many creative and talented women who haven't quite found their passion just yet, or may be feeling held back from being able to pursue their dream. This series is meant to inspire women who are currently looking for that passion in their life if they haven't found it. And if they have, then this series should be an encouragement to get out there and start pursuing it head on!

I'm excited to share a lovely lady that is a pretty familiar face around the blogosphere these days. She writes an awesome blog filled with inspiration, faith, service, and fashion, owns a shop, and has started several projects in hopes of helping inner-city kids in her community. Ashley LeMieux, the mastermind behind The Shine Project, has set out to fulfill her passion in life. Hear her story:

"There's one thing in life that makes me happier than anything else...and that's service.

My desire to make the world a little bit better in an individual's life has lead me to the path that I'm currently on. I especially have a place in my heart for inner city high school students. This passion is what lead me to start The Shine Project. You can read more about what I do here, and see the charity event I just put on here. But today I don't want to necessarily share what I do...but why I do it.

This picture sums up why I do what I do:

I created a blog in the beginning of this year to reach a few people and spread happiness to their lives. It quickly grew, and I'm now in the process of making The Shine Project a non-profit organization. People ask me all the time how I have been able to accomplish all of this in a matter of months. My answer is, "a lot of faith in God." I feel strongly that this is what I am supposed to be doing in my life. God has provided miracles to pave the way for The Shine Project to grow. I have many sleepless nights because I get so into what I am doing, and in moments of frustration, God always brings me peace and new ideas to make this successful and help as many people as possible. I have complete trust in Him, and although this is all new, and I'm creating a business from absolutely nothing, my desire to succeed and change lives far exceeds any fear that I have. I look at all the lives that have already been affected, and it motivates me to keep going.

Go after your passion. Your passion can bless others in ways you don't even realize. The world needs you." - Ashley

"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." - Mark 12:30-31

Comments are closed for the Pursuing Her Passion Series. Here's how you can connect with Ashley:
Blog // Shop // Facebook // Twitter

Need to catch up on past posts from the Pursuing Her Passion Series?

Casey's Story

Maggie's Story

Jessi's Story

Danielle's Story

Cole's Story

Lindsey's Story

Savannah's Story

Karen's Story

Oana's Story

Amy's Story

Beth's Story

What's your story? Would you like to be a part of the Pursuing Her Passion Series and share it with Moriah Makes? If so, email me: moriahsunde at gmail dot com

It's the Little Things:: Bacon Donuts, Warm Weather, & a Very, Very Curious George

2012-01-13T00:23:00.000-06:00

I thought I'd jump in for another round of "It's the Little Things" this week! Many awesome little things happened and I can't wait to share them... and then look back on this post in a couple of months. Such great little things:

- Getting to dress up a little girl for church. I cannot handle this picture, people. Can you? She's too much.

- 50 degree weather in January! It was so beautiful earlier this week that I begged Joseph to come home early from work just to venture to the park before the sun went down. Then, we all walked home in the dark. It was fun!

- Having the opportunity to eat lunch in my craft room, by myself, while both children napped at. the. same. time. I had 60 full minutes to myself and the only productive thing I did was eat that sandwich. And Pinterest (that's a verb, right?).

- Finding new books to read from Josiah's huge collection. Because he enjoys watching Curious George in the morning while eating breakfast, I thought it'd be fun to bust out his Curious George books... only to find many illustrations like these. What a curious little monkey, with apparently no morals. But, I guess it's not his fault he was shoved in a bag and stolen from his island. Tobacco use and getting arrested just aren't the best ways to cope, George.

- Watching my kids look at their reflection on my phone. Hilarious! Chia just stares at herself, with absolutely no expression, and Josiah dances and carries on a conversation with himself. These two crack me up.

- My brother baked up some pretty interesting donuts and brought them over to our place on Tuesday. I ate a bacon donut. So disgusting, but oh, so good. Would you eat this?

- And this video. This video pretty much describes my husband's sense of humor. Teaching my kid to say, "Hi, Tom!" We don't even know a Tom.

What are some of the little things that brightened up your week?

Share them below or link up a post with Lindsay's "It's the Little Things."

Let's Talk Shop: Petite Rose Felt Headbands

2012-01-11T00:09:00.000-06:00

Not sure if you noticed, but I added a new infant/child size headband to the shop this week! The flowers are smaller than my normal felt flowers, so I decided to call them petite roses. I have some mustard ones already made, but am currently accepting custom orders if you'd like to change the color of the flowers. Hop on over and get one made in time for Valentine's Day!

Custom Colors:

Being modeled on my model:

Petite Rose Felt Headband with light pink rose also available:

For my faithful readers, I'm offering a 15% off code: BLOGREADER

Enjoy!

Pursuing Her Passion:: Beth Ridings

2012-01-10T08:25:00.000-06:00

Today I am sharing a lovely lady who actually contacted ME wanting to share her story of passion. Remember, ladies: this is encouraged!!! If you have a story to share with the Moriah Makes community, I want to hear it. I'm so glad Beth felt led to share her story today and I am sure you will be blessed by her words. Enjoy:

"Elizabeth is the name, but I also go by Beth, Bethie, Bethie Boo Lizbeth Joy, and a whole heap of random nicknames so feel free to call me what ever you wish. I'm a twenty-something who pretends to be a grown up. I love people, glitter, adventures, dress up, creating, exploring, and dating my best friend. I love life. I suppose that is my passion. The thing I am most passionate about: making the most of my time here on earth.

To some that may be getting the job of their dreams, making butt-loads of money [Side Note: How much is a butt-load? One time my friends and I drove around to fast food restaurants asking for a “butt-load” of condiments. Taco Bell gave us 30 and Chic-fil-a gave us 1... We may never know the value of a butt-load], raising a family, being in the Olympics, etc... But to me, it means loving God and loving others.

And he said to him,“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets. [Matthew 22: 37-40]

This passion began to manifest itself in different ways as the years went by. I spent 4 summers filled with weeks at Eagle Lake Camp, experiencing community, being poured into, and pouring into precious, life-giving, crazy, high schoolers, and that changed me from the inside out. I also ended up at John Brown University where I received a BS in Family and Human Services and I dream of one day holding a Masters & a Doctorate under my belt.

The truth is right now, I don't have an amazing, over-the-top story. In fact, the place of my story that I am living right now consists of: forging a life on my own away from my college family and in the middle of "real life," struggling to pay student loans, working four jobs, searching still for a "big girl job," dating my best friend, and trusting that I am smack dab in God's will for me [He is providing above and beyond]. At the bottom of this post are links to my blog and my etsy [which is my attempt at a 7th source of income!! haha.] but mostly my creative outlet so that I don't let the weight of the world stay on my shoulders. You know how in Chariots of Fire when that guy says "I feel God's pleasure when I run"? That is how I feel when I craft. It is also how I feel when I am with people doing big things and making a noticeable difference. But in these quiet days I am learning that even in the little things I bring God glory and I can feel His pleasure. I want to be faithful with little so that He can trust me to be faithful with much.

My Passion is love. Whether that be sending a note in the mail, being friendly to the people at Starbucks who make my favorite drink, being real & involved with customers at Gap, making time for coffee dates, or spending more time in the Word, it all emerges from my passion to love.

I value authenticity, trust, and believing the best in others [& in ourselves]. My prayer for you women out there who are looking for your passion: Be real. Be yourself. Do what you love. Live what you love. And let the King of the universe define you - no one else. He calls you chosen, loved, beautiful, and made for a purpose. You have a purpose and a passion, ask Him to reveal it to you! xoxo" - Beth

Comments are closed for the Pursuing Her Passion Series. Here's how you can connect with Beth:
Blog // Shop // Facebook // Pinterest

Need to catch up on past posts from the Pursuing Her Passion Series?

Casey's Story

Maggie's Story

Jessi's Story

Danielle's Story

Cole's Story

Lindsey's Story

Savannah's Story

Karen's Story

Oana's Story

Amy's Story

The No Brainer Wardrobe

2012-01-10T00:40:00.000-06:00

Raise your hand if you hate picking out an outfit when going out in public. ::raises hand::

Raise your hand if you simply don't have time to pick out an outfit when going out in public. ::raises two hands::

Imma gunna be honest with you - two babies makes it impossible to spend more than 5 minutes browsing your closet, trying on different shirts, different pants, different shoes, etc. for the perfect outfit. When we plan to go out for the day, most of my time is spent dressing my kids, packing my diaper bag, packing snacks and bottles, changing diapers, putting on their socks, brushing Josiah's crazy hair, finding their shoes, finding Josiah's socks that he removed while I was trying to find his shoes, changing another dirty diaper or two, putting Lucia in her car seat, putting on Josiah's shoes, and GETTING. OUT. THE. DOOR. If I look like a wreck, I usually don't notice until we've returned home. Dressing myself fashionably is simply not worth it.

Until now (I sound like a infomercial host, don't I?)! Behold: The No Brainer Wardrobe.

Untitled from hayley morgan on Vimeo.

This e-book has saved my life. Do you think I'm exaggerating? Well, that's for you to decide... but I'm just going to say that it has saved my life like a pair of floaties. The hassle and stress of getting dressed is no longer, my friends. For once, a piece of my life has been simplified and has left me feeling good about myself. I now have no more excuses for my husband when he tells me to hurry it up for church. After reading Hayley's new e-book, The No Brainer Wardrobe, I have purged my closet, organized my clothes, figured out clothing pieces I need to purchase in order to make my life easier, find my personal style, and learn how to feel confident with the body I have now (who knew being pregnant for almost 2 years could do this to a girl's stomach? Well, being pregnant and Oreos).

"Every woman should be able to choose an outfit in much less than ten minutes regardless of her plans for the day, the state of the weather...or her laundry. Meaning, when your feet hit the floor in the morning–you should be thinking more about the delicious cup of coffee that awaits than whether you will look cute in your clothes." - Hayley

Wow, I get to think about things I want to think about rather than whether or not my clothes are going to match or hide my booty? What a great idea, Hayley! And so thoughtful...

Before reading this e-book, my wardrobe consisted of clothes from before pregnancy (my beautiful, expensive, non-kid-friendly pieces), clothes from during pregnancy (that I wore holes into from wearing so much), and clothes from immediately after pregnancy (oversized, cheap t-shirts to cover up my stomach until I lost weight for my old clothes). What was I supposed to do with all of this? I didn't want to wear any of them anymore, and for good reason! My favorite part of this e-book was learning how to build my new wardrobe. Hayley, being the very organized woman that she is, divides the perfect wardrobe into three groups: the essentials, the additions, and the finishers. This helped me find what needed to be tossed and what needed to be added to my wardrobe in order to make getting dressed stress-free. And you know what's even more helpful from this book? Hayley includes pictures of clothing options and fashion inspiration that helps you create your new look. This was extremely helpful for me - I just need pictures.

After learning how to dress myself with confidence and create a stress-free closet, life has been so much easier for this mama. I'm still dressing my kids, packing my diaper bag, packing snacks and bottles, changing diapers, putting on their socks, brushing Josiah's crazy hair, finding their shoes, finding Josiah's socks that he removed while I was trying to find his shoes, changing another dirty diaper or two, putting Lucia in her car seat, putting on Josiah's shoes, and getting out the door. But, now I look good doing it. And I feel confident about the way I look when I rush out the door with my kids. Hayley is to thank for this!

If you live a life similar to mine (and Hayley), do yourself a favor and get the book. For Moriah Makes' readers, Hayley is offering 50% off The No Brainer Wardrobe for the first 10 customers if they use code: MORIAHMAKES. You are going to learn so much in such a short time and wonder how you never realized some of this common sense before. Hayley's words of wisdom will definitely help you create the look you've always wanted for yourself, with even more confidence, and less time to put together. She's a magician, I tell ya.

To learn more about Hayley and her passion for making life less fussy, connect with her:

blog // twitter // book

*Be sure to come back later today for another edition of the Pursuing Her Passion series!

Compare & Contrast Babies: First Foods

2012-01-09T12:51:00.002-06:00

I thought it'd be fun to take a look back at the day my little boy tried vegetables for the first time... and then compare his reaction to his sister's first time...

Josiah:

Lucia:

Who do you think hated their food more? My gosh, Lucia couldn't have been more dramatic! haha I couldn't bear to give her any more, so Josiah got the rest... and he liked it...

My Babies Now Share a Nursery

2012-01-03T22:48:00.000-06:00

We finally did it. Lucia now sleeps in the nursery with Josiah! We had been putting it off for a while but finally ran out of excuses after the holidays were over.

There have always been two cribs in the nursery (located in our basement), but Lucia has only napped a handful of times in her crib since she's been born. When she was a newborn, we kept her in a cradle next to our bed for a couple days until realizing how loud she slept. We decided to move her cradle into the room next door (my craft room) and have kept her there for all 7 months of her life... until last night:

We got off to a rocky start when leaving those two in a room to themselves. Neither of them get rocked to sleep and are used to falling asleep on their own, in silence. We turned off the lights and closed the door to their nursery at 7:30pm... and heard lots of crying and yelling from the both of them. Josiah was so excited (and probably weirded out) having Chia in the same room as him that he kept yelling, "Hi, Chia! Hi, Chia! Hi, Chia!" She obviously got annoyed and started crying because the boy wouldn't stop talking. This went on for almost 20 minutes until she figured out a way to ignore him and fall asleep. Then Josiah pooped. So, I had to change his diaper and then quietly place him back in his crib without waking Drama Queen.

Then there was silence. From the both of them. Until 7:30am the next morning!

I'm so glad that we finally made the transition and are having them share a room. I can only imagine what it's going to be like in the next couple of months when Lucia gets older and tries talking back to her brother in his crib. Luckily, we have a video monitor to watch it happen.

Pursuing Her Passion:: Amy Cornwell

2012-01-03T00:54:00.000-06:00

I'm excited to share a very talented and lovely work-at-home-mama with all of you today! Amy Cornwell is a mother and business owner, and has just recently been able to start working at home full time! I had the pleasure of meeting Amy back in April when attending the Creative Estates Conference, and have been following up with her business through Twitter and blogging ever since. If you haven't heard Amy's story, I encourage you to check out her blog after reading her words about pursuing her passion:

"Hi! I'm Amy and I'm the owner of Amy Cornwell. Really original name, right? Sometimes I call it Amy Cornwell Designs or ACD too. While creativity is my forte, coming up with a cool name for my business is not. I figure I can be like Kate Spade or Kenneth Cole and just use my name :)

I'm so honored to be sharing my passion and life with you all today. Thanks to Moriah for letting me share her space and friends! My gift and passion is creating. Since I was little, I have been a creator. I still have scrapbooks from middle school. I made and sold jewelry my Freshman year of High School to raise money for Spring Break. All through college I scrapbooked and made cards, candles, soaps and more. I simply love creating! I don't know how I “found” my passion, but I know that it's a God-given one and I try to honor Him in everything I create.

In 2003 I took this passion to a new level and had my first jewelry show. It was so successful that I officially licensed my business in 2004 and haven't looked back since. In June of this year I was finally able to do the business full-time as my only source of income and I know this was all God. He had been telling me for a long time to trust him and finally in May of this year I felt him pretty much shove me out the door of my current job at our church. I don't know that I've ever felt His leading more than I did then and He's blessed us immensely for obeying Him. (read more about my dream and it coming to fruition)

The wonderful thing about what I do is that I get to create beautiful things for other people. I get to bless people with a piece of jewelry to celebrate all of the events in their life. My favorite times are when people share the story of the piece I'm creating for them. I've created items to celebrate weddings, friendships, and children as well as deaths, miscarriages and loss. Hearing the stories and praying for the recipients has been such a joy for me and helps me to remember why I'm doing what I'm doing. It's not all about the income, I love bringing joy to people when they receive their item. Another wonderful thing that I get to do through my business and passion is give back. A portion of every sale is given to my church to help spread the Gospel. I frequently have special items to raise money for organizations such as Love146 and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. I love being able to give back from what God has blessed me with.

I talk to ladies often who are just starting out, wanting to use the gifts that they've been given and be passionate about their work. I think it's so wonderful to find women who are passionate about creating, cooking, blogging and want to share their lives & passions with others. If I could give one piece of advice to someone wanting to pursue their passion it would be to keep at it. It took me eight years until I was able to use my business as my source of income. Sure, there are people who gain a following almost overnight, but that doesn't always happen. If you feel this is the passion God has gifted you with, keep at it. Don't fall into the trap of comparison. Always use your gifts, sometimes with nothing in return. NEVER give up." - Amy

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." - 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Comments are closed for the Pursuing Her Passion Series. Here's how you can connect with Amy:
Shop // Blog // Twitter // Facebook

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Oana's Story

How We Celebrated New Year's Eve

2012-01-01T23:21:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a fun and safe weekend and are motivated for a fresh, new year. We road tripped all the way to Kansas on Friday to watch Joseph's blogger friend get married. It was a beautiful wedding and a nice little vacation for the both of us. Josiah and Lucia had a blast with their grandparents for a couple days while we hung out in lovely ol' Topeka.

These were the only two pictures I took from the trip. I love food, okay? I'm pretty sure we saw everything the city had to offer, from yummy barbecue, ChickFilA, the state capitol, and even the governor's mansion where the reception was held. It was a fun night celebrating a new marriage and meeting lots of new people. Honestly, I would have loved to had already been sleeping long before midnight, but we stuck it out to watch our cell phone strike 12:00am. Then we went to Taco Bell. Then brought it back to our hotel room. The we pigged out. And then we crashed for the night. It was a great New Year's Eve.

I'd love to share some more awesome resolutions from my sponsors. Share yours if you haven't already!

Meg @ Pretties By Meg: "I have a few (probably a bad idea) but the most important is to spend time in God's Word daily."

Shop // Blog // Twitter

Kayla @ My Bella Baby: "My New Year's resolution is to become more organized. Reading my bible, cleaning my house, working on my shop/orders, menu planning, etc. Life is hectic with a 10 month old! I hope becoming more organized makes me a better wife and mom."

Shop // Facebook

Jaimie @ Parker & Posie: "This year i have made two (well maybe three) resoltions with myself! First to enjoy the little things with my kids and instead of reacting with anger in a moment when they may be driving me insane, to just take a minute and for each remember the first moment i met them, having them placed on my chest, getting my first look and how perfect they are....to just remember the feeling at that moment of being so full of love and happiness. Second to work really hard at being a Proverbs 31 women and wife...and last to take more time for just myself!"

Shop // Blog

Beth @ Weepereas: "Be present in all that I do."

Shop

I pray that everyone has a blessed new year and is inspired to do something BIG in 2012!

New Years Resolutions

2011-12-29T23:37:00.001-06:00

I don't usually do them, but I figure this is the best year to start, right? 2011 showed me so much about myself and 2012 is going to be the year that I get motivated to work on some things: my attitude, my priorities, my skills... some light-hearted and some a little deeper: here are my resolutions for the new year:

Source: geronimoballoons.com via Moriah on Pinterest

- Get organized: I've actually already started this one! Yesterday, I cleared out every kitchen cupboard and reorganized every shelf. I was so proud of my work that I had to send a picture of every shelf to Joseph while he was at work. I then tackled the children's nursery by rearranging furniture and purging their unbelievable stash of toys. It's going to be a long process, but I already feel the difference in our home. I'm sure Joseph does, as well!

- Love my home: Well, what I'd really like to do is make my home something to love. You see, we never really ended up decorating the way we wanted to when we moved into our house almost 3 years ago. A week after we moved in, Joseph and I went on vacation. A couple weeks later, I found out I was pregnant. The next 9 months were spent being queazy, tired, and planning a nursery. Then I had a baby. Four months later, I got pregnant again. So I spent another 9 months being queazy, tired, taking care of a baby, planning a new nursery, and then having another baby. Now that I'm done being pregnant for a while, I can finally decorate my house!!! So, it's time to make it into something that I love, starting with the living room and dining room. Wish me luck.

- Quality time with each child: I'm really hoping to make more individual time with my children this year. I'm really not sure if I've ever just hung out with Josiah for an entire day since Lucia has been born. There are so many things I'd love to do with him, but having his little sister around sometimes prohibits certain adventures (as much as I love having her around). This is something I hope to do once a month with each of them. Oh, grandparents!!!

- Date my husband: We've been pretty good about this one for the past couple of months. So, I'm hoping we keep to it. There are so many restaurants we've been wanting to try around the city that aren't kid-friendly, so they should be the perfect excuse for a date day!

- Live in the present: This is a big problem of mine. I tend to think about the future way too much. I love dreaming about what our lives are going to be like when we are out of debt, when we can move into a more comfortable home, when my husband gets his dream job, etc. This year, I am not going to think about those things, and be thankful for where we are at now, why we are here, and what God wants us doing while we are here. Please remind me of this if I get off track.

- Learn to cook: My poor husband. I tend to stick with the easy-peasy meals that only require cooking meat, steaming a vegetable, and either making rice or potatoes. I've GOT to expand and think more outside my teeny tiny box of meals. Many of you have emailed me crock-pot recipes to try out, so I hope to become really good buddies with my crock-pot in the new year!

Here are some New Year's Resolutions from my lovely December sponsors:

Kelly @ Simple & Sweet Jewelry Design: "My New Year resolution is to be more organized and keep things clutter free, including teaching my boys to be more organized as well...lot's of luck with that one is needed! Happy New Year!!"
Shop // Blog // Facebook

Carly @ Little Light Prints: "My New Years resolution is to put my phone down more."
Shop // Blog // Twitter

Tiffany @ Grace For Grace: "I plan on scheduling regular "lunch dates/date nights" with my hubby by actually reserving time slots on my calendar. We've found that when we don't write it in, it just doesn't happen! We find this so necessary in order for us to stay connected in the midst of our crazy schedules and to keep our home happy and healthy."
Shop // Facebook // Twitter

Trish @ Two Peas in a Pod Homegrown Designs: "To lose weight!! After dealing with some medical issues and the stress of that with my littlest, I gained 15 extra pounds this year. In May, I'm running a half a marathon and I'm not a runner! So, hoping that training is the kick in the pants to get my own health back on track."

Shop // Blog // Twitter // Facebook

Lisa @ My Little Buffalo: "For the new year, my resolution is to start sewing again! That, and to lay off of the reeses."

Shop // Blog // Twitter

Joii @ A Full Day: "My new year's resolutions would be to spend more time with the Lord, put fear completely out of my life, and exercise (the pounds don't come off like they used to :-)). I can do all of these things through Christ who strengthens me. God's power and my willingness to obey the Lord will get it done. Thank God, I don't have to do it alone!"
Blog // Twitter

Bec @ Pretty Well Covered: "My resolution for next year is to read/pray my way through a book I was gifted for Christmas, called Praying the Scriptures for your Children. I'm excited to commit my boys to God each day using a Bible verse as a guide."
Shop

I'd love to hear your resolutions for the new year! Share them with us.

Josiah's Seat Upgrade

2011-12-28T23:55:00.000-06:00

We've finally made the move from the high chair to the booster seat! We're all enjoying the upgrade:

Who knew toddlerhood was going to be this hilarious?

Pursuing Her Passion: Oana Befort

2011-12-27T01:00:00.000-06:00

Oana Befort's blog is the prettiest blog in the world. Let me say it again: Oana Befort's blog is the prettiest blog in the world. Please, click the link to her blog, drool over her artsy posts, then come back to here and read her story. Seriously. I can't remember how Oana and I crossed paths, but I have been enjoying her creativity and passion for art for a long time. She inspires me to get out my paintbrushes and create. I am not an artist, guys. It's just her infectious creative spirit that gets me going. I'm so excited to share Oana with you all today and let you in on her story:

"First of all, thank you Moriah for having me here. Itʼs a pleasure and an honor to be part

of such a beautiful post series. My name is Oana (pronounced “Wanna”), a graphic designer and illustrator married to the love of my life, Jeremy, and the mom of our cute little boy, Sammy.

Ever since I was very young, I have loved art in every form but I was especially fond of
drawing. Encouraged by one of my art teachers, I went to a high school focused on
studying art. As I began to understand the art world better and the different forms of
visual expressions, I decided to go to an art university to study graphic design after I
finished high school.

This was a really hard chapter in my life having to move 6 hours

away from home and into a big city with no friends and having to learn to live life on my
own. Even though I knew God was with me and I worked very hard and got really good
grades at school, life was not easy. I had some hard times due to some personal
events that occurred during that time, but through these hard times God shaped me and
showed me a better plan for my future. The thing that encouraged me the most in my
life was the assurance that I am in Godʼs hands and that everything in my life is
happening for a reason, even if I donʼt understand what is going on.

I worked several years in advertising, finished my masters degree in graphic design and

visual communication and got married to a wonderful man. He was and is a great
support and encouragement for me and for what I do. As an artist, it helps me a lot
knowing that the person beside me shares my dreams and helps me accomplish them.

Also, being a mom now helps me stay inspired and creative. I am not saying that every

day is sunny, creative and inspiring, but I am trying to use the resources that I have the

best I can. We are all in a continuos learning process and the important thing is too

keep following your dreams, work hard and never give up.

There are many things that can influence an artistʼs work, process and creativity. I
personally think that determination and hard work helped me in following my passion,
but more than that, I believe that my faith in God has and continues to give me the
desire to create, as He is the greatest source of my inspiration.

Thank you so much for reading and Happy Holidays!" - Oana

Comments are closed for the Pursuing Her Passion Series. Here's how you can connect with Oana:
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Vintage Holiday Giveaway Announced

2011-12-26T10:25:00.001-06:00

I hope everyone had an awesome Christmas! We sure did. Last night was our last celebration out of five! We get a nice relaxation day today and will then get together again with Joe's family tomorrow as we celebration his grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary!

I'm typing this post from my new blog writing iPhone app, so we'll see how this turns out. I want to thank everyone for entering this awesome vintage holiday giveaway! It was so much fun reading through your favorite Christmas memories. As a family, we made tons of new Christmas memories that I'll remember for years to come, one of them being Josiah busting out some awesome grooves on his new piano. Pictures to come.

Everyone put their hands together for the winner of the vintage holiday giveaway:

Congratulations to Courtney W.!

Thanks to everyone who entered. Enjoy the rest of 2011 and see you next year!

A Year of Blessings

2011-12-21T23:58:00.000-06:00

Another awesome year has come and gone by so fast! More babies, new jobs, and even more blessings than we could have ever dreamed of for our family. I thought it would be fun to look back at my blog posts and note some of our highlights from each month:

A look back at a year of blessings:
January: Celebrating my first month as a stay-at-home mom (after Joe was hired at a new job that allowed us to have me home full time)! Just in time to start chasing around a 9 month old while almost 5 months preggo. So many great workouts!

February: Dedicating Josiah to the Lord, Decorating the new gender-neutral shared nursery, and watching my stomach grow more and more.

March: Josiah learned to walk (click the link to watch the video)! This changed everything in the Sunde house.

April: I met my blogging friends for the first time at the Creative Estates Conference and Josiah turned One!

May: Our little angel, Lucia Rose, was born!

June: I learned how to be a mom-of-two-under-two. Well, two under 14 months, really. We got outside a lot to help keep me sane.

July: Continuing to learn how to be a mom-of-two-under-14 months. It was an exhausting, challenging, but awesome month with my babies.

August: Making special memories as a family of four and celebrating our 3 year wedding anniversary.

September: Creating a space in our house to keep all of my art and sewing supplies (still currently a work in progress).

October: Getting our first family pictures taken. Such a special day!

November: Enjoying the little things in life: watching my kids grow and start to form a special friendship. Josiah finally realized that Lucia was a human being and started giving her lots of snuggles and kisses. Every day has melted my heart.

December: Joseph got an unexpected raise from his job, Lucia has learned how to sit up straight, and we've been enjoying seeing Christmas through the eyes of a 19 month old.

It's funny. I looked through the archives on my blog to find some of my favorite documented moments to share from this past year. The number of posts goes down more and more after every passing month, proving to me how hard and time consuming being a mother-of-two-under-two has been for me. It was an awesome reminder of how much time I get to spend with them every day and how I wouldn't change it for the world. These past two years of being parents have been the best of our lives. We're so excited for the coming year and seeing what else God has in store for all of us!

Merry Christmas and have a very blessed new year!

Pursuing Her Passion: Karen Davis

2011-12-19T22:46:00.001-06:00

I've been following Karen's heart-felt blog for a while now and have loved watching her become a mom to the most adorable little Ukrainian sweetheart, Charlotte. Watching her adventure in parenthood gives me so much joy! She blogs about memories-made with her daughter, special adventures in their current home town of Korea, and shows off her gorgeous photography skills on a daily basis. Karen's optimistic and beautiful heart is contagious. I'm so excited to share her with you today:

"Hi sweet friends... my name is Karen from the blog, Celebrating Life and I am so excited to be here on your side of the globe today!

Oh, how I miss the US of A something fierce... please please enjoy a stroll down the aisles of Target, or indulge in a Spicy Chicken Sandwich and side of waffle fries from Chik-Fil-A for me! Pretty Pretty Please? I have lived overseas for over 5.5 years now (currently in Korea, previously Germany) and we still have a little time left, before we move along. Such is the life of a military spouse, and I wouldn't switch it for ANYTHING in the world. When sweet Moriah asked if I would join in on her series on "Pursuing Her Passion"... I thought, "oh wowzers, that's a mighty task... " and "what's my passion?" and "Do I actively pursue my passion?" ... yup, it required some serious digging.

I feel like I have many passions: my love for God and His Son, Jesus... my family (husband and sweet little Ukrainian princess that we adopted 6 months ago), photography, sewing, traveling, blogging... and who could forget COFFEE... and because of that long list... I had to dig deep. And then it hit me... there are times when either before bed or first thing in the morning, that the little one and I sing "This is the day..." You know, the one that follows the verse in book of Psalm.

Psalm 118:24:

"This is the day the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it."

It was a song/verse that the hubby and I sang to Charlotte each and EVERY day that we spent time with her in the orphanage before we brought her home... and it describes my passion, perfectly: Celebrating Life... a life that has been GIVEN to me/us... a life to celebrate and share with others. One that I received the day that I chose HIM... because lets face it, He always chooses us.

Life gets messy. Trust me, there have been PLENTY of times where I've pretty much felt like raising my white flag of defeat. It's in those times that I have to remember my love for the Lord, because He always carries me through... I have cling to His words in Psalm 118:24, that it isn't a day about ME, but rather a day that HE made... and that I need to rejoice in it, regardless of what is thrown at me. That I needto celebrate those hurdles, because that is all that they are... hurdles, to get over... to build myself up, to make me stronger, to make me more like HIM.

Sweet sweet friends, with Christmas coming up, and a new year beginning... I charge you... I charge you to not spread yourselves out too thin... or feel like you need to do 80 million things... it's easy to get caught up in a list of things, and to feel overwhelmed/defeated... but to find that one thing that you absolutely love and do it 100%... that is true passion.

" I... I celebrate the day... that you were born to die. So I could one day pray for You to save my life... "

- Relient K, I Celebrate The Day

Won't you join me, in celebrating life?" - Karen

Comments are closed for the Pursuing Her Passion Series. Here's how you can connect with Karen:
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Vintage Holiday Giveaway: Salvaged Strawberry

2011-12-14T23:54:00.001-06:00

You guys, this giveaway was meant to be - just for you. The other day while I was searching Craigslist for some home decor inspiration (much more realistic than Pinterest, I've realized... leaving me much more pessimistic), I got the idea to find some vintage blogs in the Minneapolis area in hopes of finding someone who could give me some tips for vintage and thrifting hot spots around the twin cities. From one blog to the next, I happened to stumble on a super cute vintage blog, Salvaged Strawberry, that also had an Etsy shop! After looking at all the vintage goodness in Amanda's shop, I knew I had to contact her. But, right after I "hearted" her shop, she beat me to the punch! It was a match made in Heaven, I tell ya.

We got to talking about awesome thrift and vintage shops in the area, she checked out my blog, and offered to do a special vintage holiday giveaway for you guys! Honestly, I'm super jealous, because I would rather keep all of this stuff for myself! But, I'll try my best to stay in the "giving spirit." Let's get to know Amanda and her adorable shop before I show off the goods:

"I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with my love and my two pugs,
Scarlett and Parker. I love thrifting, garage saling, estate saling,
and going to church rummages. I love the "hunt"! I love digging
through boxes and boxes of junk for that one awesome piece. :) I love
the adventure and I love the people who I get to meet! When I bought

the embroidered owl in my living room at a garage sale, the woman told
me that her mom made it in the 1960s and she was glad it was going to
a good home where someone would appreciate it. I love those stories
and that sense of family and tradition. I am the sappiest! I have this
antique butterfly tin on my nightstand, and the lady who sold it to me
(for $1 at a garage sale) said it was originally a face powder tin
from the 50s. (I would have never known!) That same lady invited me in
for coffee and we chatted in her living room while she told me the
story of each and every item in my hands.

This is why I love what I do. I love these stories, and the lovely

and inspiring people that I get to meet! I started my little shop, Salvaged

Strawberry, a few years ago, selling my goodies at local vintage pop-ups in

Minneapolis. I just started my Etsy shop a few months ago, and I absolutely

*love* it! I will be doing pop-ups again in 2012, but for now, I am focusing
on my little shop. The best part about doing pop-ups is getting to
meet the people purchasing your items face to face, or when they come
in wearing something they bought from you previously. I love that! I
really wish this could be my full-time love, but it's only a part-time
job for now. I also work as a freelance editor/writer and I work
full-time as a writer for the university. It all keeps me very busy!

A big "thank you" to Moriah for having me on her adorable blog! So
grateful for all of the bloggers, other etsy shop owners, and my
friends and family who support me in this blooming endeavor. This
give-away is my holiday gift to you! Share the treasures with someone
who loves vintage or keep them all for yourself! :)" - Amanda

Thanks so much for sharing a little bit about yourself and your shop with us today, Amanda! And THANKS for the awesome giveaway! Here's what Amanda is giving away to one of our lucky readers:

HOLY VINTAGE HOLIDAY MADNESS, I tell you. Madness.

Vintage book on wrapping presents from 1950s.
Vintage owl figurine
Vintage brass deer
Vintage necklaces and vintage jewelry box
Two vintage tins
Vintage ornaments
Vintage duck mug

All of these vintage goodies, from the Salvaged Strawberry's home to yours. Merry Christmas. Here's how to enter:

- leave a comment with your favorite Christmas memory from your childhood. Let's get tears flowing, people.

For an additional entry:

- leave a comment telling me that you "liked" Salvaged Strawberry on Facebook!

This awesome contest begins now and will end next Thursday, the 22nd. The winner will be announced on Friday, the 23rd. Good luck!

Connect with Salvaged Strawberry:

Blog // Shop // Facebook