Practically Pink

Highlights in my hair?! Yes, indeed!

2012-01-31T14:45:00.001-05:00

I told myself a few years ago that I was never going to do anything to my hair besides get a new haircut every once in awhile, but I did something drastic last night. I honestly can’t believe I actually did it…

Now, before any of you freak out on me or something, it’s not extremely drastic. I promise.

I decided a few weeks ago that I wanted to get Katie to put some light brown/red highlights in my hair to make it a little lighter. My hair was beginning to look extremely dark and I was ready for something different, so last night seemed like the perfect time to get her to do it. Have I ever mentioned how much I love having a sister that is a hair stylist? You always have someone here to help fix your hair or help you decide what to do with your hair… So blessed. Not sure what I would look like with the help of Katie sometimes. :)

Here are the before pictures..

Ready for the BIG reveal? :)

What do you think?! Can you see a difference?

InstaFriday {1}

2012-01-27T15:51:00.000-05:00

It's Friday!!

Since I have an Ipod now, I've decided to start participating in the "InstaFriday" posts and show you what my week is like in Instagram pictures. It should be pretty fun!

On Tuesday afternoon, I had a lovely visit with one of my good friends from WOL...
Thanks for coming over, Becca! :)

I also did some sewing one afternoon...

I announced some winners...Did you see the post HERE?

I made some muffins...they were gone in less than two days. I'm not kidding.

I've been cleaning out my closet...

Sarah-Anne came over for a visit too this week! (Look for pictures of our fun afternoon soon)

I also was able to find time to reply to some actual "snail mail" this week.

I was having a little too much fun with my Ipod the other night... hehe. :)

School, school, and more school.

My awesome grandma came over on one day this week and helped out with some laundry and cleaning. She is such a blessing to us. She just randomly calls us and wants to know if we need any help with anything and she doesn't take no for an answer. Love you, grandma!! :)

The weather this week has been absolutely crazy... It's been in the upper 60's and it feels more like spring then "winter"?? I'll be glad when it goes back to the colder weather.

That's about it...except for the fact that I'm sitting in the Coffee Shack with a friend at the moment. I love this place! So relaxing...

Sooo...that's my week in Instagram pictures. I hope you have a wonderful weekend, friends!

Giveaway Winners!! {4 Year Blogiversary}

2012-01-25T23:39:00.000-05:00

I’m sorry to keep you all waiting to hear who the winners were today! My aunt and uncle came down for a visit this afternoon and I didn’t have much time to post the videos until now.

Anyway, I made two videos this time because I was recording them on my iPod and I realized halfway through making them that I couldn’t make them very long. I sound super hyper in both videos, but it’s just because I had to talk fast. I’m not used to that… :)

Winners #1 and #2:

Winners #3 and #4:

Congratulations to our winners! Like I said in the videos, please send me a quick email (and claim your prize), so that I can send your contact info to the sponsors. Thanks for entering all the giveaways, everyone!! Also, keep your eyes peeled in February because I’m going to be hosting another one.

Have a lovely evening!!

Almost Wordless Wednesday: “Moriah? Is that really who I think it is?!”

2012-01-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

Last week, I got to see my lovely (and very beautiful) friend, Moriah!! We were super excited (if you couldn’t tell) ;)I’m serious. We hadn’t been able to get together (for various reasons) since we went to see Courageous together in theater.

That’s the longest we’ve ever NOT seen each other. It was nuts and if I have anything to do with it, it’s never happening again. I was having “Moriah withdrawls” or something after awhile. Hahaha. Yes, I just said that. We spent the afternoon playing several games of “spoons” around the kitchen table, taking pictures, and…basically just catching up on life, and trying to encourage each other… Oh, so many stories to tell each other. I don’t think we stopped talking for a minute while we were together. That’s the best thing about having friends like Moriah, you always feel right at home at their house and feel comfortable talking about anything and everything. Don’t you love having friends like that? I’m pretty sure this is what we sounded like the whole time we were visiting that afternoon…”Oh, did you hear about (blank)!! Oh, my goodness. Yes, that was so fun. Wow. You need to tell me that story…like NOW.” *insert lots of giggles here* Hahaha… Seriously. She is awesome. I’m proud to call her my friend and sister in Christ. :)

Thanks for a fun afternoon, Moriah! We’ll have to do it again soon!

Hello Monday {20}

2012-01-23T20:47:00.000-05:00

{Hello Monday}

{hello new week (goodbye awesome weekend)}

{hello waking up late- my alarm clock didn’t go off this morning!!}

{hello dreary morning, quick breakfast, and shower}

{hello Quiet time and coffee with hazelnut creamer}

{hello schoolwork and thinking about the fun weekend we had- pictures soon!!}

{hello lunch break and call from my grandma}

{hello finishing schoolwork before 3:00- (happy girl right here)}

{hello visit with a neighbor that just had knee surgery}

{hello emailing new friends and blogging}

{hello receiving texts from out of town friends that make me laugh until my stomach hurts- love those}

{hello family time/ reading a new book in my cozy bed}

{hello bedtime}

This post was inspired by my sweet friends, Sarah-Anne and Lisa Leonard. If you want to participate in {Hello Monday} too, then please give credit to Lisa in your post. She is the first one to start this weekly blog series.

Hello Monday {19}

2012-01-16T21:20:00.001-05:00

{Hello Monday}

{hello cold 27 degree morning}

{hello toaster strudel for breakfast}

{hello upset stomach and sore throat}

{hello schoolwork}

{hello lunch made by Andrew}

{hello more schoolwork}

{hello helping Katie with a quick grocery list}

{hello warm potato soup for supper}

{hello cozy blanket, laying on the couch, and watching a movie}

{hello blogging}

{hello Quiet time, reading, and bed}

Lots of cold rain, shopping, and card games…{Williamsburg Trip}

2012-01-15T22:54:00.001-05:00

{Day 2}

On Tuesday, we woke up to a very cold and rainy day, so after we all went downstairs for breakfast, and finally got ready to go out, we decided to do a little shopping at a nearby outlet.

I only took this picture of Andrew in the car while we were out shopping. It was so windy and raining the entire time we were out, so it wasn’t the best time to take pictures. We ended up finding quite a few deals while we were shopping, even though it wasn’t a very pretty day.

When we got back to the hotel late that afternoon, we decided to go down to the breakfast area and play some card games.

Lots of Mad Gab and Uno was played to pass the time before supper.

…and of course, leftover Starbuck’s coffee from earlier that afternoon.

I promise, everyone was having a good time while we were playing. We were all tired from shopping at this point, though.

This elevator was awesome! There was a huge mirror for the ceiling, so Caroline decided to try and take a picture of all of us while we were going up to our room before going out to eat that night.

Haha! This picture makes me laugh every time I see it! Look at our faces. Andrew only has one eye and apparently, I don’t have a mouth...

Weird? I know. ;)

Outback Steakhouse? Yes please!! :)

Silly faces.. Haha "What are you doing?..."Bahaha...no words for this one. We’re crazy. :)

We finished up our day by heading back to the hotel, and Christopher, Andrew, Caroline, and I decided to head down to the indoor pool before taking our showers that night. We didn’t stay down there very long, but it was pretty fun. We had a super busy day ahead, so we had to go to bed earlier that night. Caroline and I did end up editing a few pictures with Katie before going to sleep, though.

Only one more post about Williamsburg, everyone. I promise. ;)

Next up: Colonial Williamsburg!!

Celebrating My Four Year Blogiversary {Giveaway}!!

2012-01-14T23:28:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it friends? Today is my FOUR YEAR BLOGIVERSARY… or in other words my BLOG’S 4TH BIRTHDAY!!! When I first started this blog four years ago, I would have never imagined it would be at the point it is now. I have met so many wonderful and talented people, improved in my writing and photography, and I’ve been able to encourage and bless others with my thoughts and ponderings. It’s amazing to see the Lord using this blog the way He has… It’s been a place for me to glorify Him, share the love of Christ with others, and it’s opened so many doors already. I can’t wait to see what else God has in store for Practically Pink this year!

I have so much to celebrate today: 4 years of blogging, reaching 400 followers, and having the best readers I could possibly have…

Sooo, are you ready to help me celebrate??!! Let’s get this party started!

Giveaway item #1 sponsored by The Pickled Poppy

One reader will win this lovely mini wallet from her Etsy shop… Isn’t it cute? :){Blog} {Facebook} {Twitter}

Giveaway item #2 sponsored by Anna Delores Photography

{Blog} {Twitter} {Shop} {Facebook}

The winner of this giveaway will win a 8x10 or 8x12 print of their choice from this awesome Etsy shop! She has some amazing pictures in her shop, so it’s going to be a hard decision for someone… :)

Giveaway item #3 sponsored by Livy Love Designs

{Shop} {Blog} {Twitter}

Diana is graciously giving away a custom state print to one of Practically Pink’s lovely readers. They will be able to pick the state, city where the heart goes over and colors. There is a color chart in the pictures of the product for that special someone to choose from in her Etsy shop. So cute!

Giveaway item #4 sponsored by Fair Ivy

Have any of you heard about Fair Ivy before? I just found out about them this week and I’m very impressed. You can receive a surprise package in the mail every month for a small amount of money. The package will contain something like these items below, but it’s a complete surprise every month!

One reader will win a 1-month mini surprise package delivered to their front door! All you have to do to enter this giveaway is…

{1} Go to the fair ivy website and sign up for the newsletter

and…

{2} Post a reply to on this blog post with a response to this question: “What makes you happy when you’re having a bad day? Chocolate, talking with friends, going shopping, listening to music? What is that one special thing that always puts you in a better mood?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How to Enter The Giveaways:

~Mandatory Entries

Leave me a comment telling me your favorite items from each of the above shops. (The links are below each prize!)

**Please leave a comment letting me know that you did this entry.

Extra entries:

- “Like” their Facebook pages or post about the giveaway on your Facebook.

- Tweet about this giveaway and include MissEmily520 in your tweet (or) Follow the lovely ladies on Twitter that are sponsoring this giveaway! (Links are above)

- Blog about this giveaway

-Follow Practically Pink (or let me know if you already follow)/ and follow the other ladies blogs (links above)

(Make sure you leave a separate comment for each thing you do, otherwise they won't all count as extra entries!)

**This giveaway ends January 22nd 2012, at midnight EST. **

Winners will be selected (Lord willing) on January 23rd.

I hope you all have fun entering! These four years have been great! Oh, and a VERY big thank you goes to all of the lovely ladies that decided to give away some of their items from their shops. :)

Christmas Town at Busch Gardens-{Williamsburg Trip}

2012-01-14T15:01:00.000-05:00

Ready for more pictures from our road trip? Yep, I thought you would… ;)

{Day 1: Christmas Town at Busch Gardens}

After we all got settled in our rooms on Monday afternoon, we played games, explored the hotel downstairs, and got ready to go out in the cold to experience Christmas Town at Busch Gardens. We were looking forward to going that night, but after the sun went down…it was cold. Like really, really, really cold.

We all made sure to put on our gloves, hats, scarves, and extra pairs of socks before we left the hotel that evening. We left the hotel about 4:30…We had never been to Christmas Town, so it was a whole new experience for everyone. We didn’t expect that lots of people would be there the day AFTER Christmas, but we were wrong. That park was so busy! We could hardly find a parking space and had to walk a few miles just to get to the entrance. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a little, but it was busy. We finally got to the entrance of the park, found our tickets, and got inside Busch Gardens.

It was so pretty! Christmas music was playing throughout the different “countries” and the lights were breathtaking. Can you believe that this is actually a water ride during the warmer months? They even made the water look like it was moving! It was so neat!

Beautiful ladies: Katie, Caroline, and Aunt Kim Isn’t he so cute? He needed his picture taken. ;)

Cousin and brother/ sister love! ;)Yep, more cousin pictures. It’s not everyday that you get to sit on a polar bear bench. {Left to right: Andrew, Caroline, Katie, me, and Christopher}

They also had a few shows for everyone to watch during the evening. This was when we were standing in line for “Deck the Halls”…

It was really good! I’ll be posting a video in a few days that has a glimpse of the show, so stay tuned.

Thinking about my lovely friend, Anna… It’s her “traditional Busch Garden” picture. Don’t ask. Hahaha. :)

Uncle Bobby and Aunt Kim… So very thankful for them. They have been amazing this past year. Love you guys!!

So many pretty lights and Christmas cheer! You should definitely go to Christmas Town if you’re ever in Williamsburg during the end of the year. It’s so much fun!

Sooo, we were almost completely frozen at this point and we’re all ready to start heading back to the hotel, so we decided to ride on the train. It would have been more fun if it wasn’t so cold, but that night it was in the low 40’s…and breezy. Not the best night to ride on a train, but it was pretty fun. It just made it feel more like Christmas. :)

While we were on the train, I snapped this picture. I think it turned out pretty cool….what do you think?

We loved the gift shops. We never bought anything, but it was fun to do some window shopping, and by the end of the night, we had almost made a game of who could find the heater inside the fastest…Haha. Yeah, we were cold. Family pictures before we left… The 5 grandchildren and our lovely grandma. Isn’t she pretty? :)…and one of Uncle Bobby’s family.

Such a fun night! I’m so glad we decided to go to Christmas Town while we were in town. It was really cold, but it just made it all the more fun. You should have seen us running/walking quickly to our cars in the parking lot so we could turn the heat on as high as it would go and finally feel our toes again. You would have thought that someone was chasing us to our cars or something. Haha… good times.

Once we got back to the hotel that night, we all went to our rooms (We had two different rooms right next to each other: the boys room and the girls room), we changed into our pajamas, and most of us got snuggled under blankets in our beds to watch movies late into the night.

Next up: {Day 2: Playing games, shopping, and going out to eat}

"We're going to Williamsburg, and we're going to take..."

2012-01-13T12:45:00.001-05:00

I know, I know. You’re probably all thinking…”Well, it’s about time she posted these Williamsburg pictures.” Am I right? Haha…I hope not. There are way too many pictures to put in one post, so this is the first set of pictures. I’ll be posting them throughout the next few days. Sorry it’s taken me so long! I hope you enjoy seeing a glimpse into our family vacation.

{Day 1: On the way to Williamsburg}

The day after Christmas, we got up early (like 6:30ish…), took showers, finished our packing, loaded up our van with many bags and pillows, and then we (my family) headed to my grandma’s house. It was 8:30 when we actually left town, so it was pretty early when we left our house. Anyway, my Uncle Bobby and his family were staying at my grandma’s house that night, so we (my family) went to grandma’s and helped them load up their car, and then we all left town together.

We also changed seats while we were at grandma’s house… Caroline decided to ride with us, so in our van we had: Daddy (our awesome driver), Katie, Caroline, and yours truly.

…and then the rest of the crew was in Uncle Bobby’s car: Aunt Kim, Christopher, Andrew, Uncle Bobby, and grandma. ;)

{Caroline had my camera at this point...You never know what she is going to take a picture of.. Haha. Love that girl. }

We had beautiful weather that day for traveling and there was hardly anyone on the roads throughout the entire trip, which was amazing. {We kept trying to pass Uncle Bobby on the highway. Hahaha..}Meet Seymour!! (Caroline’s new pillow pet)

We spent most of our time just talking about random things, Caroline and I played the ABC game (I’ll post the video in another post), singing to Daddy’s new Lady Antebellum CD he got for Christmas, taking pictures, and making random videos (~~and laughing until our stomach’s hurt…)~~

We only stopped at one rest stop during the whole trip, people. That’s probably why it didn’t take us very long to get there. Hahaha…we only stayed there for a minimum of 15 minutes.{Caroline and yours truly…”Squeeeeeeeee!!! We're here!!!” We had been looking forward to this trip for months, so we were extremely excited. } We got into town just in time for lunch, so we decided to head over to Cracker Barrel while we waited to check into our hotel. We attempted to play this game {above} while we waited for our food, but I’m sad to say that we failed miserably… :)

And…Caroline and I played “Checkers” before we left to do some shopping. Check in time at the hotel was at 3:00, so we had about an hour to shop and ride around town…Another random picture by my lovely cousin, Caroline. Katie chilling in the backseat with her awesome aviators. :)

Our hotel!!! It was very nice and I highly recommend staying there if you go to Williamsburg. The people that worked there were very helpful and nice to all the customers, and the rooms were very clean and weren’t small. Loved this hotel. ;)

Next up: Williamsburg pictures {Part 2}--Christmas Town at Busch Gardens.

Happy Friday, readers!!

Would you “Shop My Closet”?

2012-01-12T15:30:00.001-05:00

Sorry for being MIA lately! I’ve been working on a bunch of school and cleaning/ organizing projects this week. Oh! Speaking of projects, I’ve got a few exciting giveaways planned for next week to celebrate my 4th year of blogging! Get excited, ya’ll. It’s going to be huge!

Also, I don't know about you guys, but I love buying things from other bloggers... I freak out when I see the words "blog sale" or a "closet" to shop. It's almost like you’re shopping at a thrift store or an extremely awesome yard sale that you wouldn't have been able to go to because you don’t live in the same state! All of that to say…I’m working on a cleaning project this afternoon in my room and I’m wondering if any of you would be interested in a “shop my closet” page here on Practically Pink? It would be a place where I would sell clothes that I don’t want anymore, but that are still in good condition. I might even be interested in swapping some of my clothes with something you don’t want. Let me know if you’re interested at all because otherwise I’ll just give my old clothes away to Goodwill or something this weekend.

Have a wonderful rest of the afternoon!

P.S. What do you think of the new blog design? Big shout out to the amazing Megan for working so hard on my new design!! She’s awesome. :)

Hello Monday {18}

2012-01-09T22:14:00.001-05:00

{Hello Monday}

{hello dark morning and cold rain}

{hello cheese grits for breakfast}

{hello schoolwork}

{hello homemade soup for lunch}

{hello more schoolwork}

{hello baking a batch of banana muffins}

{hello more rain and doing a “quick pick up” around the house}

{hello reading, blog reading, supper, and watching a movie with the family}

{hello sweet bed and much needed sleep}

Christmas Day Highlights {2011}

2012-01-07T22:38:00.000-05:00

Yes, I am finally posting these. How long ago was Christmas? I’m sorry it took so long to get them up here. It’s been pretty busy around here as we try to get back into a school routine again. Oh, and Katie started a new job closer to the house. Praise! That’s another post, though.

Anyway, here are the Christmas pictures! *sigh* Such a fun day to look back on…

Oh, and by the way…I took several pictures on Christmas morning, but since we were all in our pj’s… Daddy said he would rather me not post those. I completely agree. Ahem…we all looked rough. (Bed hair, etc.) Hahaha…

BUT! I took lots of pictures later in the day when we got to grandma’s house, so here is a glimpse of our Christmas afternoon.

Caroline and her new pillow pet…What did she name it? Stay tuned. You’ll never guess.

The “Crazy Elf”…

Hahaha. Andrew turned on the ceiling fan for grandma and we (all the ladies) screamed as a little stuffed elf flew to the ground and almost hit us in the head. Thanks to Uncle Bobby and my dad. Let’s just say we had a little too much fun that afternoon. I love my family. Isn’t my grandma so pretty? Look at her new stylish scarf!

Pretty presents waiting for someone to finally open them… ;)

Opening more gifts…

Christmas Day Highlights!

:: Waking up early to find the rest of the family already in the living room waiting to open our gifts…Oh, and making breakfast with my Daddy. Just the two of us. It was fun to say the least.

:: The Pandora Christmas station playing in the background as we opened our gifts.

:: My awesome surprise gift that Daddy bought me… You ready? An Ipod Touch!! I was beyond excited. Oh, and if you play “Words with Friends”, leave me your username and I’ll try and play a game with you. It’s so much fun!

:: The excitement and smiles that filled the room that morning. I haven’t seen my family so happy in a long time…

:: All of the amazing gifts we received. We are so blessed.

:: Visiting my mom’s mom at the nursing home she lives at and opening some gifts with her… She was so excited to see us.

:: Spending time with family all afternoon at my dad’s mom’s house.

:: Christmas supper prepared by my awesome grandma. It was good…like really good. I wish I had another plate of the awesomeness right now. :)

:: Being surrounded by family that constantly makes me laugh and smile.

:: Wonderful homemade sweet treats and cookies to snack on throughout the day.

:: Singing Christmas carols with the family on the way home that night…and reading the Christmas story before bed.

Hope your Christmas day was as great as mine!

P.S. Pictures from our Williamsburg trip are coming soon!! Oh, yeah. You’re going to want to see those. I promise. I might post a short video too, if Blogger will let me upload it. Until next time, friends!

Happy Birthday in Heaven…

2012-01-06T12:53:00.001-05:00

I would have never dreamed that last year would have been your last birthday…

I would have never dreamed that as I made your birthday dinner, as Daddy came home with those beautiful yellow roses for you, and as we sat around the table that night and ate delicious birthday cake after you blew out those candles, that it would be your last birthday here with us.

Even though you aren’t here today, please know that January 6th will always be a special day for our family. It will be a day for us to remember you and reflect on all the wonderful memories we have of you. I’m just glad we have such sweet memories of celebrating your past birthdays.

This year, we're celebrating the fact that Mom is having the most amazing birthday in Heaven right now. I bet it’s the most amazing birthday party ever… :)

You will always hold a special place in our hearts, Mom. You were an awesome mom and truly a special person...and blessed so many people. We miss you and love you so very much!

Love, Emmylou

New Year’s Eve {2011}

2012-01-03T23:53:00.000-05:00

We started our day with a few chores and projects around the house and then for lunch, we went over to my dad’s aunt’s house to eat with some out of town family. We also had the privilege of meeting little Miss Sophia, my dad’s cousin’s baby.

We all enjoyed playing and holding her that afternoon! She is adorable. :) Isn’t it nice to get together with family that you don’t see very often and spend the afternoon catching up? I love it.

We had such a fun afternoon with everyone, but we did have to bring our visit to a close after awhile……and then, we headed over to the Furlough’s house! They invited us to come over for supper and games that night. These boys make me laugh so hard sometimes…

I’m serious, my stomach hurt after we left their house that night because of laughing so hard. Hahaha…

Between the singing, the dancing, the funny stories told by Mrs. Danielle and Mr. Lenny, playing games, eating delicious pizza and salad for supper, and making making s'mores outside around the fire…

It was great way to end 2011 and start a new year. Thanks for inviting us over Furlough’s!!

It’s already 2012?!

2012-01-01T22:35:00.000-05:00

First off, I’m back!!! Did you miss me? I’ve really have missed blogging these past few days, but it was nice to have a break and spend more time with my family. Make sure to come back later this week to see pictures of Christmas and our wonderful trip to Williamsburg, Virginia with my dad’s family. We made so many memories…

In other news, can you believe that it’s already 2012?! Where did the time go?

2011 was a difficult year for sure for me and my family, but in some ways…it was a beautiful and exciting year. This past year was filled with the excitement of turning one year older, starting my last year of high school, traveling with my family, and so many other sweet memories were made with my family and friends. There were also lots of hard trials to walk through in 2011 and it definitely had it’s fair share of tears and disappointments…

For me…it was a year of trusting God more and more…and learning to accept His plan even when it’s not my own. 2011 was far from being the best year of my life, but…I don’t think I would change the things that happened because God knows exactly what He is doing, and each trial was placed there by God to strengthen me and help me grow.

I’ve grown so much in the past year and I wouldn’t be the person I am today without all of those trials… Yes, I would love to change a few things, take back a few words, love a little more, and have certain people back in my life again, but I’ve learned that I really and truly have to put my trust in God each and everyday…and take each step by faith.

My new year's resolution for 2012 is to really enjoy the life God has given me, shine for Jesus, and love all of the people around me equally…even if some of them do get under my nerves sometimes. I want to take chances, try new things, meet new people, travel, and live each day like it’s my last. I also want to stop trying to “fit in” and just be me, I want to do hard things, dream big, and be a better daughter, sister, and friend.

Only God knows how much longer each of us has left and I don’t want to waste the precious time He has given me. I want to challenge each of you to enjoy every part of life and capture each moment. Life truly does fly by when you’re not looking...and I certainly do not want to miss it. :)

I’m so excited to see what awesome plans God has in store for me and my family this year!! I have a feeling it’s going to be a pretty exciting year. Bring it on 2012. I’m ready for you.

Wordless Wednesday: Christmas Eve

2011-12-28T19:38:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas & Blogging Break…

2011-12-22T14:19:00.000-05:00

With lots of love from our family to yours! :D
I hope each of you have a wonderful Christmas that is full of family, love, and blessings!

Also, I’m going to be taking a blogging break until the New Year, so I’ll see ya’ll in 2012!! Much love, everyone! Thank you for everything that you’ve done for my family this past year. You all are truly a blessing and I’m so thankful for each of you.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, friends!

Only 4 days until Christmas.......

2011-12-21T12:09:00.001-05:00

Can you believe it’s only 4 days away? Time flies by so quickly…We’ve been busy around here these past weeks and I’m really glad that Christmas is almost here…Our Christmas tree is so pretty this year! We are so blessed to have so many gifts under the tree. It breaks my heart that so many people won’t have anything to give their families this Christmas. I wish I could do something for them…

These next few days are going to be busy for us…We’re finishing the wrapping today, we baked cookies for the neighbors yesterday, we have family coming in tomorrow for the day, and Friday and Saturday are pretty busy with cooking to do and last minute things to check off of the “to do” list. Between all the craziness these next few days, let us remember the true reason of the season. Let us never forget that Jesus is the reason we celebrate Christmas. It’s not supposed to be all about the gifts, Santa Clause, and how many parties you attend. We need to keep Christ in Christmas...

Well, I’m off to go finish the wrapping and then work on baking some more cookies for my Daddy. He’s been asking for some peanut butter cookies lately and since it’s a dreary rainy afternoon, it’s the perfect time to do some baking. :)

Are you baking something this afternoon? What are your plans for Christmas this year?

Christmas Tea Party!

2011-12-20T13:51:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was really fun, but super busy. We went to my grandpa’s house on Saturday to celebrate Christmas, and Sunday we went to church in the morning. On Sunday afternoon, Katie and I went to a Christmas Tea that one of our friend’s (Mrs. Kathi) always hosts in December. We've been going to the tea parties ever since she started and I think I was about eight years old. I might have been a little older, but I can’t remember. Anyway, we always have a really fun time and it’s great to fellowship with other ladies.

Mrs. Kathi always makes the tables look so festive!

She also makes the most amazing food. It is absolutely delicious, and I always eat WAY too much. Haha!

Sweet treats...

Lots of fun, food, delicious tea, and good fellowship…A perfect way to celebrate Christmas together with friends. (Below picture- left to right: Mrs. Melanie, Sarah-Anne, and Kaley)

Mother and daughter… aren’t they so gorgeous? I love those ladies. :)Me and my beautiful sister, Katie! Love her bunches too. :)More lovely ladies… (Above picture- Mrs. Tammy, and Mikeala. Below-left to right- Mrs. Paula, Margaret Katharine (one of the beautiful Anderson ladies, and Sarah-Anne.)

A great time was had by all that afternoon!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

You know how I was saying it was a really busy weekend? Well, that’s not all I did Sunday afternoon. Haha! After I left their house, I went to my Word of Life group for our Christmas party! It was so much fun. We went caroling, ate pizza, and had a gift exchange. It was awesome. So thankful for everyone in my life this year and during Christmas.

We’re trying to stay busy and enjoy the holiday season as best as we can under the circumstances this year. It's not the same without Mom here, though. We're all trying have as much fun as possible, but it doesn’t truly feel like Christmas. We're also trying to keep all our family Christmas traditions alive like Mom would have wanted. She might not be here to celebrate with us, but you know what? I have the sweetest picture in my mind right now…Mom is going to celebrate our Savior's birth in Heaven...and I’m pretty sure that it’s going to be the best Christmas party EVER… :)

Questions from Another Blogger…

2011-12-19T11:01:00.000-05:00

Abigail from Down From the Door Where It Began, randomly asked me a few weeks ago if I would like to do a little interview with her. We both sent each other 10 questions and were supposed to post them on our blogs, just for fun. You can read her answers to my questions here. Ready for my random interview?

1) If you had a pet grandpa spider, and you saw him about to stick one of his feet in a light socket, would you let him and why? Haha…Hmmm…First off, I would NEVER have any type of pet spider because I am terrified of spiders and if I saw my “grandpa spider” put his feet in a light socket…Ummm…yeah. I don’t think I would stop him. That sounds terrible, I know.

2) Were you affected by Flynn Ryder's smolder? Bahaha! Ohhh, Flynn… I wouldn’t exactly say that I was “affected” by his smolder, but he always makes me laugh when I watch Tangled. He is awesome.

3) If you somehow knew that you would never get married, and also knew that at some point in life you'd have to support yourself financially, what profession(s) might you now pursue? That is a really good question. I’ve always wanted to be a wedding photographer, but I’m not sure if that would be the best business to go into if I had to be the main provider financially. I’m thinking about possibly going into: photo journalism, physical therapy, or being a secretary for a doctor’s office…Not sure what I really want to do, yet.

4) Have you ever wanted to throw a rotten vegetable at someone? Have you ever done it? Ummm…no?

5) If you came upon President Obama's personal bus parked on a quiet street and there was no security around, would you prank it? If so, what might you do? *puts thinking cap on* I can picture it now… lots of shaving cream on the windows, empty cans, etc… Haha! Yeah…I can picture it, but I don’t think I would ever do it.

6) If you were shipwrecked onto a tropical island where nothing but pineapples grew, how would you arrange to be rescued? Hmmm…lots of prayers and emails sent to family to tell them where I was located? (Yes, I would be on my laptop. And yes, it would be in my suitcase that got thrown off the ship with me. Haha! Of course, I could always just make a huge pile of pineapples, make a bonfire, and hope that someone would see the flames… I don’t know.

7) Would you marry a man who loathed the color pink? Oh, girl. If he doesn’t like pink, I am sooooo not interested. Haha! No, I’m kidding. If the guy that I marry one day (Lord willing) doesn’t like the color pink at all, but he meets all the other requirements…Well, I guess he’ll have to do. :)

8) If someone began singing "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina!" under your window at 2am on a Saturday morning, how might you respond? “Stop singing! Go away! *throws lots of pillows out the window*”

9) What do you think is REALLY over the rainbow? Pretty flowers, white fluffy clouds, and streets of gold… :)

10) "How Does She Know?" Does she really and truly know what she is talking about?? It’s the question everyone wants to know.

Well, that was fun! Thanks for sending me the questions, friend! Sorry it took so long to answer all of them…

'Twas The Night Before Jesus Came

2011-12-17T12:12:00.000-05:00

I thought you all might like to read this…

~~~~~~~~

'Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house
Not a creature was praying, not one in the house,
Their Bibles were lain on the shelf without care
In hopes that Jesus would not come there.

The children were dressing to crawl into bed,
Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head.
And Mom in her rocker with baby on her lap
Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap.

When out of the East there arose such a clatter,
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!

When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here.
With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray,
I knew in a moment this must be THE DAY!

The light of His face made me cover my head,
It was Jesus! Returning just like He had said.
And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth,
I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.

In the Book of Life which He held in His hand,
Was written the name of every saved man.
He spoke not a word as He searched for my name;
When He said, "It's not here," my head hung in shame.

The people whose names had been written with love,
He gathered to take to His Father above.
With those who were ready He rose without a sound,
While all the rest were left standing around.

I fell to my knees, but it was too late;
I had waited too long and thus sealed my fate.
I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight,
Oh, if only I had been ready tonight.

In the words of this poem the meaning is clear;
The coming of Jesus is drawing near.
There's only one life and when comes the last call,
We'll find that the Bible was true after all!

Author: Dianne Frances Donenfeld – 1988

~~~~~~~~

We need to be ready at all times because only God knows the day, what time, and year that He is coming back. Will you be ready when He comes?

Wordless Wednesday: Gingerbread House Party!

2011-12-14T11:46:00.000-05:00

Cold Hands Warm Hearts Swap!

2011-12-13T16:44:00.000-05:00

I was so excited to find out that there would be another Cold Hands, Warm Hearts swap this year! Last year, I wasn’t able to participate because the sign up sheet filled up so fast, but I quickly signed up this year after Ilene posted about it.

My swap partner this year was the lovely, Liz from Here’s to Handy Andy.

Liz is super super sweet and I’ve really enjoyed getting to know her over the past few weeks. ;)

She sent me a box full of awesomeness! (and I basically squealed with delight after opening each of the individually wrapped items)...

She sent me a really sweet card with my package. :)

My package included:

Two sets of beautiful note cards...
Pretty yellow hair clips...A cute little Christmas ornament...

Adorable gray and pink mittens (love them!)...

..and a few other fun goodies...

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Liz! I really enjoyed being your swap partner this year!

Also, huge thanks to Ilene & Sandy for hosting the “Cold Hands, Warm Hearts Swap” again this year! It was so much fun and I’m very glad I decided to participate!

Hello Monday {17}

2011-12-12T15:36:00.000-05:00

{Hello Monday}

{hello Christmas break!}

{hello sleeping in late and no schoolwork}

{hello catching up on blog reading}

{hello Christmas shopping with Katie and Andrew}

{hello Zaxby’s for lunch}

{hello more shopping}

{hello texting with friends}

{hello supper at a friend’s house}

{hello short visit with my grandma before heading home with Katie}

{hello getting home and showing Daddy what Christmas presents we bought}

{hello watching Terra Nova /checking emails/ getting ready for bed}

{hello sleepy time}

Christmas Break!!!

2011-12-11T12:48:00.000-05:00

Dear Christmas break,

You have NO idea how thankful I am for you. Soooo excited to not have any school assignments to complete until the first of January! Also, I'm super excited that I finally get to spend time enjoying the holiday season and celebrating our Savior's birth. Let the fun begin!

...I made it through my first semester as a senior AND completed my first college class...it feels good. :)

P.S. I have a lot of blogging post ideas in my head now that it's not full of school assignment deadlines, so keep checking back for new posts this week on Practically Pink!

Happy Sunday, readers!!

Almost Wordless Wednesday: Senior Photoshoot!

2011-12-07T15:50:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, my awesome (and very talented) friend, Lindsay from Linden Tree Photography took my senior pictures. We had such a fun afternoon and I’m so glad I asked her to take them. I’m sure that she will probably post all of the pictures on her own blog soon, but I wanted to share a few of my favorites with ya’ll.

All the pictures above were taken by Linden Tree Photography. Thank you again, Lindsay!!!

Thanksgiving Weekend: Saturday

2011-12-05T23:30:00.000-05:00

I’m sorry about the lack of posts lately; I’ve been super busy with school and haven’t had much time to sit down and edit pictures. This is my last full week of school before Christmas break, so I should have more time to blog in the next week or so… I would really appreciate your prayers throughout this week as I wrap up my first college course and prepare for my final next week. I don’t think it will be too bad, but I’m just ready to have it over with, so I can enjoy Christmas. Thank you all for your prayers last week. :)

*******
The Saturday after Thanksgiving, we loaded up in the van (early in the morning) and picked up my grandma (my dad’s mom) at her house, and then we all headed to my Uncle Bobby’s house who lives near Raleigh, North Carolina. …but, before we left town, we got some breakfast at Mickey-Dee’s. Hotcakes, sausage, and delicious coffee? Yes, please! :) We got to their house a little before 11:00 and almost as soon as we got there, Caroline (my cousin) and I headed over to the library to find a book she needed for a school project. Fun times, ya’ll. We looked everywhere for that book, but couldn’t find it. Someone must have put it in the wrong place because it said it was there when we looked on their computer… Oh, well. She did end up finding another book that would help her, so it ended up being okay. :)When we got back to their house, we found everyone else doing random things around the house. Aunt Kim, my grandma, Daddy, and Uncle Bobby were mixing up the sausage balls that we were going to make later on that afternoon (it’s always been a Christmas family tradition for us), and the rest of the family (Katie, Christopher, and Andrew) had gone to the store to get something for supper that they had forgotten the day before.

Caroline and I were quickly put to work on making lunch because we were all getting pretty hungry at this point… After lunch and clean up in the kitchen, we all gathered around the kitchen table and got ready to make all of our sausage balls for Christmas. We always get together and make a huge batch and freeze them. We usually have enough to take to parties, give some to neighbors, and then still have enough for each family to eat during the holiday season.

Although, this year, we went really big. Like…really, really, big.
We ended up making at least 800 sausage balls when we were finished rolling them that afternoon. I’m not kidding. It might have been more than that! We made three recipes these year because we ran out really fast last year after we all took some to Christmas parties, etc.

Can anyone say breakfast AND snack for the the rest of the winter? :) There is nothing like sitting around the kitchen table with your cousins and grandma talking and laughing about some of the funniest/ craziest things and rolling little sausage balls together… sweet memories. :) We finished the sausage balls and then Caroline played some pretty music for us……then we (the cousins) decided that it would be fun to go have a little photoshoot down the street in their neighborhood, so we grabbed the tripod and camera, loaded up in the car, and set out to find the perfect place to take pictures.
We had such a fun time taking these pictures together!

Caroline…“Look, let’s get behind this tree and take a picture, Andrew!” *insert nervous laugh here as a random guy walks past us with his dog* :)
Have I mentioned before how much I love this girl? She is so beautiful. I count myself blessed to have such an amazing cousin who laughs with me, prays for me, texts me randomly to ask me how my day is going and how I’m doing, and encourages me…she is also almost always around when I have a “Crazy Em” moment and need someone to laugh at my weird jokes or give me a hug when I’m having a bad day and need a good cry…

I love you Caroline. (aka. Carolina/ Carebear)

We also did some shopping that day and had some delicious food for supper. It’s always nice to spend a day with family and I’m thankful that my dad’s family is close by, so we can see them more often. :)

Thanks again for having us up there, guys! We love you bunches and can’t wait to see you in a few weeks!

xoxo,

Emily

It's December!!! (and Lilla Rose free shipping)

2011-12-01T10:13:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to mention that one of my lovely sponsors, Lilla Rose, is having free shipping now through December 3rd!

Why not buy a few Christmas presents or lovely stocking stuffers while you have the chance, ladies?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THANK YOU all for your your prayers! Katie got through her exam and she thinks she did well, Daddy is having a less stressful week, and I've completed a few assignments for my class that were stressing me out a little. I still have 2 more that need to be completed before Saturday (and another due next Saturday, but it shouldn't be too bad). I'm just trying to work hard and get this class finished. Only about two more weeks left of school!!!!

I'll leave you with my current Facebook status because it pretty much sums up how excited I am about this month...

"It's December!!! Only about 2 and a half weeks left of school, 25 days til Christmas, lots of visits with family, Christmas parties, and a trip to Williamsburg later this month! *excited*"

What is your favorite thing about this exciting month...besides Christmas? :)

Wordless Wednesday: Our Thanksgiving

2011-11-30T23:36:00.000-05:00

"I think I can, I think I can, I think I can..."

2011-11-29T09:43:00.001-05:00

I have a couple of prayer requests for this week, if you think about it...

{1} I'm feeling a little overwhelmed this morning with homework that is due this weekend for my online college course...My teacher just posted the assignments this morning and he usually posts them on Monday morning.

I have 3 regular projects due this weekend (that aren't exactly easy), 1 quiz, and a major PowerPoint project that is due next week that I have to find time to work on... on top of everything else that we've planned for this week and all my other schoolwork.

{2} Katie is going to take her major State Board exam tomorrow morning (which is like really, really, reeeaaallly big and kind of strict), so if you think about her during 7:00am until around lunch, please say a quick prayer for her (and her nerves). It's her practical exam, so she will basically just work like normal in a salon setting and everything that she does will be graded. It sounds pretty intense, if you ask me. I think she'll do fine, though.

{3} One last thing, would ya'll please pray for my dad too? He is also having a stressful week with work and could use some prayer. I won't go into detail, but he is really tired.

*deep breath* :)

Yep, let's just say it's going to be a very long and very busy rest of the week for all of us, and I don't think I'll have much time to blog for the rest of this week. We'll see. Thank you for all your prayers, friends!

We CAN (and will) get through this week.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." -Philippians 4:13

Talk to you all soon! Much love!

xoxo,

Emily

Hello Monday {16}

2011-11-28T21:52:00.000-05:00

{Hello Monday}

{hello new week and a long to do list}

{hello Bible time and breakfast}

{hello schoolwork (Oh, how I have not missed you these past few days on Thanksgiving break)}

{hello dog sitting for our neighbor down the street}

{hello beautiful Christmas tree and decorations around the house}

{hello leftovers from the weekend for lunch}

{hello running out to the mailbox and finding a sweet surprise}

{hello more schoolwork and making a few phone calls}

{hello editing pictures from the weekend and Thanksgiving Day (I'll post them soon!)}

{hello random texting convos with friends}

{hello supper/ family time}
{hello watching Terra Nova with the rest of the family}

{hello reading/getting ready for bed}

{hello sweet sweet bed}

Simply Elegant Giveaway Winner!

2011-11-27T11:16:00.000-05:00

The winner of these two lovely items is....

Miss Raquel!!!!!

Congrats, girl!!! Look for an email in your inbox from Kristen in the next few days!

Thank you all for entering the giveaway!

Thanksgiving memories…

2011-11-21T16:53:00.001-05:00

I have so many wonderful Thanksgiving memories floating around in my head today. I knew this holiday was going to be hard on all of us, but I don't think I prepared myself enough for every single memory to come into my mind from the past years. I love all the sweet family memories that I have to mind today and I think God is helping me remember them for a reason. (to be thankful for all the Thanksgiving's that we had with Mom while she was with us...)

One of my favorite memories of Thanksgiving was when we went down to South Carolina and celebrated with my Aunt Cathy and Uncle Allen at their house a few years ago. We had such a wonderful time down there...we all took turns cooking in the kitchen, sat on the back porch and listened (and laughed) as Mom and Aunt Cathy told stories from their childhood together, watched the parade and good Hallmark movies, we took walks in the woods, and rode their horses after we ate that afternoon... Aunt Cathy and Uncle Allen are coming up here on Wednesday and Thursday this week and I hope we make more special memories. I know it's not going to be the same, but I want us all to try and make it a good day.

Another special (and hilarious) memory I have of Thanksgiving is when we had it at our house, and after we ate our delicious meal, Daddy made us laugh until we cried with his funny faces...and the candy corn. You had to be there to see how funny it was, but those are the special memories I have to hold on to as this Thanksgiving comes up... I just remember that Mom was laughing so hard that she had to go out of the room for a few minutes, so she could breathe and then when she came back in the dining room, she burst out laughing once again. Mom and Daddy were best friends and one of the very best memories I have of them together was when they would be laughing with each other. Laughter is such a wonderful thing. Mom had the best laugh in the world...it was contagious too. I bet she is laughing and smiling down at us right now in Heaven and having a wonderful time with our Savior. I wish she could tell us what she is seeing up there, though. :)

I just have to keep telling myself and encouraging the rest of the family that Mom would have wanted us to continue to celebrate Thanksgiving (It was her favorite holiday...) and the rest of the holidays coming up. I'm going to keep pressing through, even though it does hurt that she isn't here with us to enjoy time with family, all the good food, watching the Macy's parade together, and fun times cooking in the kitchen.

We have made it this far...and I know that we can, (and will) get through these first holidays... Only with God's strength, though. Thank you for all your prayers, sweet friends. They mean more than you can imagine.

Thinking about you tonight, Mommy…

2011-11-20T22:23:00.001-05:00

Thinking about all the fun memories we had making gingerbread houses at Mrs. Lori's house in December tonight, Mommy... Miss you so much as we all start thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas... I'm so blessed to have had such a beautiful and strong mother...

I also really miss hearing your voice and telling me what needed to get done... I can hear you right now..."You are always one step ahead of me, Emmylou." :)

Love you forever and always,

♥ ♥ ♥Your one and only Emmylou ♥ ♥ ♥

I’m looking forward to…

2011-11-15T18:42:00.000-05:00

Before you read any further...this post was inspired by the talented and beautiful Carlotta from "Pastor's Girl's Ponderings". It was completely her idea, but I loved the idea so much that I thought I would make my own "looking forward" list and share it with all of you. Thanks so much for the inspiration, Carlotta! You’re awesome. :)

I wrote out my own “looking forward to” list this morning. I think it will help me get through the long cold months ahead. You should make your own list! Just be sure to give Carlotta credit where credit is due.

“I’m looking forward to” list:

{Fall 2011/ Winter 2012}

Cozy blankets and watching movies with my family.

Football games.

Enjoying the crisp weather and pretty trees.

Fall photoshoots/ my Senior pictures.

Coffee dates with friends at Starbucks.

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s.

Christmas music, candles, good food, and parties to attend throughout the holiday season.

A trip to Williamsburg with family in December.

Breaks from school…

A whole new year. (2012!! A very exciting year for me…graduating, turning 18, etc.)

Visiting with family and Christmas shopping.

Baking adventures in the kitchen.

Possible snow?

The Regeneration concert in February!! (So excited!)

Drinking hot tea, apple cider, and hot chocolate.

…and warm sweaters, cute boots, pretty scarves, and gloves.

-------------------
Soooo, what are you looking forward to in the next few months?

Simply Elegant Giveaway

2011-11-14T23:01:00.000-05:00

Kristen of True Elegance is sponsoring this lovely giveaway. She recently opened a jewelry store called "Simply Elegant" and is selling her jewelry using her blog "True Elegance"… She makes beautiful jewelry and I think many of you will enjoy her looking at her work. Click here to check out her shop. You won’t be sorry you clicked that link.

Isn't this necklace & earring set so pretty?

It's the set Kristen is giving away to one of Practically Pink’s faithful readers! (Yes, one of YOU lovely people)

It is a lovely bronze, green, and off-white pearl set that is perfect for autumn. sigh

{How to Enter the Giveaway}

Mandatory entry:

Leave a comment about one of your favorite things about Thanksgiving or something you’re thankful for this week.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Extra entries:

Leave separate comments for each "entry." If it says "2 entries," leave two comments, etc.

Follow Kristen’s blog- {3 entries}

Blog, Tweet, or Facebook about this giveaway and leave me the link. {1 entry}

Follow Practically Pink. {1 entry}

Buy something from her shop. {10 entries}

-
Like Kristen on Facebook {2 entries}

This giveaway ends on November, 21st, 2011 when the clock strikes midnight. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me after I publish the giveaway results or another winner will be drawn.

P.S. Thank you, Kristen for emailing me about hosting a giveaway for you! I’ve found a new favorite jewelry shop. :)

Hello Monday {15}

2011-11-14T22:52:00.000-05:00

{Hello Monday}

{hello bright sunshine pouring through my windows and my (not so lovely) alarm clock waking me up early}

{hello quick shower, then Bible time and breakfast}

{hello late start on schoolwork}

{hello getting ahead on lots of other subjects besides my online college course (Yay!)}

{hello “playing nurse” with my patient Katie (Please pray for her; she can hardly talk because she has a sore throat)}

{hello chatting briefly on Facebook with my cousin (Caroline) while eating lunch}

{hello more schoolwork}

{hello cleaning up the house and talking to my grandma}

{hello scheduling my senior pictures with my very talented friend, Lindsay}

{hello supper prep and playing Wii bowling with Andrew}

{hello supper/ family time}

{hello replying to emails/ blogging/ and getting ready for bed}

{hello lovely bed}

Did YOU win the giveaway??

2011-11-12T11:10:00.001-05:00

Watch the video below and see if you're the winner...

Congratulations, girl! Email me at: practicallypink@gmail.com to claim your awesome gifts. :)

P.S. I'm so sorry that I haven't posted any other outfit posts this week! It's been a really busy week and I've had a lot of different school assignments to accomplish, so I didn't have a whole lot of time to blog the last couple of days. I'm sorry, ladies! Forgive me?

Fall Fashion Challenge (Days 2 and 3)

2011-11-08T19:39:00.000-05:00

I've decided that I'm going to begin participating in the Fall Fashion Challenge this week and just be a day late. It will definitely be a challenge trying to keep up with the rest of you (very fashionable) ladies. *Ahem* I'm afraid my sense of fashion might be lacking...a lot, but we'll see what ya'll think about my outfits. Haha! :)

Yesterday, I did do the challenge, but I didn't have a chance to post my pictures before bed.

Day 2 challenge: colors that don’t usually go together.

This one was a little difficult for me at first because I had to actually pick out clothes that kind of clashed, but still went well together. I finally decided to go with navy, brown, and a teal/ green scarf. It’s different, but I think it goes together pretty well.

brown pants: Target // scarf: Kohls // brown flats: Target? // navy sweater: Walmart

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Day 3 challenge: {Bold Tights}

The challenge for today is bold tights. I didn't have any "bold" tights, so Ashley said that I could wear knee socks instead. Also, you can't really see the pattern, but they are blue, gray, and white striped socks. They're not too bold, but fun at the same time!

Also, I've never done this before, but I thought I would be "bold" and try something new in the fashion area of my life today. What do you think of my new blue jean dress?

Does it look like a dress because it's actually one of my jean skirts that I turned into a strapless dress. Surprised? :)

Yeah...I'm not sure I like it. Does it look weird to you? I was trying to make it look similar to this. Please be honest and tell me if it looks strange. I asked my family, but I got lots of different comments. :)

jacket: I can't remember what the store is called! // skirt/dress: Chadwick's on sale // brown boots: Katie's (I love having an older sister!) // brown belt: Katie's // "bold" socks: Walmart

That's all for tonight, ladies! Let me know what you think of my outfits. I'm off to go relax a little with the rest of the family before bed...maybe, I'll go read a book? :)

Would you please vote for me??

2011-11-07T19:54:00.001-05:00

I feel so blessed tonight. <3

I found out today that my blog has been nominated by YOU, my sweet followers, for not one, not two, not even just three, but four “homeschool blog awards” on the HSBA Post! Thank you so much! I didn’t even know that I was nominated until tonight when I went to vote for someone else.

I would absolutely love it if you would vote for me—here are the categories I have been nominated for…

Best Homeschool Blog Design

Best Encourager Blog

Best Homeschool Variety Blog

Best Crafts, Plans & Projects Blog

Just click on each of the links to vote for Practically Pink and spread the word, if you don’t mind!

Thank you so very much, my lovely blogging friends. You have no idea what this means to me. :)

“Wait for me as I wait for you…”

2011-11-07T15:47:00.001-05:00

‎"I don't know if we've ever met or if we've known each other for years and are already friends…{via}

…I have no idea where you are right now, or what your dreams might be…

…but I do know that I will wait patiently for you and will continue praying for you to grow closer to the Lord through each year.{via}

Darling, wait for me as I wait for you.

Lord, please help me to guard my heart during these years and grow in my walk with you, so that I will be ready when you bring that “special someone” into my life.”

“Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” -Psalm 27:14

Free Shutterfly Christmas Cards!

2011-11-05T09:09:00.000-04:00

I know it's a little early for this, but I got an email a few days ago from someone that works at Shutterfly and they mentioned that they're offering free holiday photo cards for bloggers like me and you again this year. I thought some of you might want to know about it with Christmas coming around the corner.

We ordered cards from them last year and they are all super nice and easy to work with. The website uploads your pictures very fast and the cards looked great when we got them in the mail. Seriously, we had so many people tell us how much they loved the cards when they got them in the mail! I’ll definitely be ordering again from Shutterfly, and you really should look into it as well.

Shutterfly has many beautiful Christmas card designs this year, but I think my favorites are probably these:

HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE...

Go sign up here and see if you qualify to receive 25 free holiday cards for bloggers this Christmas!

...or you could always just comment here and let me send you discount codes for 25 free holiday cards from Shutterfly. Keep in mind that only 3 people can use these, so the first three people that comment on this post are the only ones that will get the codes. Just leave a comment your email address and I’ll send you the codes in a few days! :)

Happy card making, friends! Thank you again for doing this Shutterfly!

Wordless Wednesday: New Hairstyle!

2011-11-02T22:06:00.000-04:00

Almost Wordless Wednesday: A Walk in the Woods…

2011-11-02T08:02:00.000-04:00

Last week, we went on a beautiful walk in some nearby woods with some friends. The woods are right outside of town and have beautiful walking and biking trails…

We had such a lovely time just spending time with our sweet friends (the Furloughs) and enjoying God’s beautiful creation. It was absolutely breathtaking back there and it was nice to just spend a little time to “enjoy what God has created around us” and not be thinking about everything else that is going on in life.

Sweet Elizabeth…she is such a blessing to me. God knew that I would need someone like her to brighten my day and to make me laugh every single time I was around her during these last couple of months... Seriously, she is one of the cutest little girls that I know. I love her so very much. Btw, sweet girl, I hope you had a wonderful birthday on Monday! I can’t believe that you’re 6 years old! Happy Belated Birthday! :)

The guys (Trey, Josh, Andrew, and Nate) wanted to look for Civil War bullets while we were there. They found a few when they went out there the last time, but they really wanted Andrew to be able to have some of his own. They finally did find a couple in the end as we were leaving and most of us had already packed back up in the van. It was pretty awesome to say the least. How many times have YOU found bullets from the Civil War era?

The water was gorgeous, but it was absolutely FREEZING!

Mrs. Danielle was so sweet to call us and ask us to come along with them that afternoon. I love spending time with her too. It’s nice to have a sweet, encouraging, and loving, “Christian mom” to talk to when I’m having a good (or bad) day. She always helps me feel better and makes me feel so special and loved. I love her so much.Also, I’m super excited that she is expecting baby #5 in June. We’re so happy for them! :)

Thanks again, Furlough family for letting us tag along! We had a lot of fun and would love to do it again sometime. :)

Etsy Group Giveaway!

2011-11-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

I’ve been meaning to post this for a few weeks, but it just hasn’t been one of my main priorities lately.

Anyway, the winner of this giveaway will win all three items listed below!

Prize #1:

This lovely tea cozy from Cozy Tea Treasures…

{Rebekah’s Etsy shop}

Prize #2: This adorable little owl necklace from BrittanyChavers Etsy shop!

{Etsy shop}

Prize #3:

One lovely lady will win $10.00 store credit to Alyssabeth’s!

Each of the pieces that Beth sells are so detailed and sophisticated, whoever wins will have a hard time choosing what items to use their store credit on!

I especially love these earrings…

…and these pretty necklaces.

---

Remember that one winner will win ALL THREE prizes that were listed above.

To enter this GROUP giveaway, all you have to do is tell me something that you love about this time of the year or what you’re looking forward to in the month of November. :)

To earn extra entries:

1. Visit each shop and tell me what your favorite item(s) are in EACH shop (one entry).

2. Follow Practically Pink via Google Friend Connect (one entry).

3. Tweet/Facebook/ or blog about this giveaway (one entry).

4. Email 5 friends about the giveaway (one entry).

5. “Like” Practically Pink on Facebook (one entry).

Giveaway is open to ALL Practically Pink readers thru November 8th until the clock (EST time) strikes midnight! Have fun!

P.S. Thank you to all of the lovely Etsy shop sellers that have participated in this giveaway. This could not happen without you and I’m very happy to be advertising your shops for you today! :)

Hello Monday {14}

2011-10-31T22:18:00.000-04:00

{Hello Monday}

{hello getting up bright and early}

{hello chilly weather and cloudy skies}

{hello shower}

{hello yummy oatmeal and banana for breakfast}

{hello quiet time}

{hello schoolwork until about 12:15ish}

{hello texting with a friend while eating lunch}

{hello more schoolwork}

{hello visiting with a neighbor}

{hello cleaning up the house, washing dishes, etc.}

{hello spending time with some friends and eating tacos for supper}

{hello relaxing for a little while with the rest of the family}

{hello cozy bed and much needed sleep}

What is YOUR Opinion??

2011-10-30T14:06:00.000-04:00

Okay, ladies. I need a little help, if you don’t mind. Katie (my older sister) and I share a bedroom and we’re about to buy twin beds and get rid of our full bed. The only problem is that we’re having trouble deciding on what kind of headboards to buy…This is what our bedroom looks like right now, but we’ve been trying to change the design a little over the last couple of months to more of a “Paris/ vintage” style. We have two different ideas for the headboards, but we aren’t sure which one to get…

That’s where you come into the picture. Should we go with a white tufted headboard like this one… …and make it look a little more elegant and have more of a “Paris” look?

…or should we go with the more traditional look and buy one of these iron/ wood headboards?

We found these comforters last night for really cheap online and we’re thinking of adding lots of pillows to each bed to add some more color. This is kind of our inspiration board…not sure about the light blue, though. We’ll see what happens. We would love to hear what you think! Thanks, ladies! :)

A little of this and little of that….

2011-10-27T10:22:00.001-04:00

Get ready for a super random post, people. I’ve got a few things that I’ve been meaning to mention to all of you, so I thought I would just put everything into one random post. Those are always fun, right? ;)

{1} Have you signed up for this super awesome blog event, yet? This is probably one of the top 10 cutest things I have ever heard of-- Much Love, illy and Sandy from Sandy a la Mode are hosting a "Cold Hands, Warm Hearts" event! The short of it? Swapping gloves & other goodies with other lovely blogging ladies! I signed up just a few minutes ago! Who knows? Maybe, we'll be partners…

Click HERE to read all the details and sign up! The sign up sheet is filling up really fast, so you better hurry!

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{2} Lilla Rose is having a 30% off sale of thirteen retiring flexi-clip and bobby pin styles right now! It would be a great time to start stocking up on a few Christmas items, don’t you think? Click on the "Retiring Styles" tab on the website HERE, then 30% markdown to see all that are on sale.

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{3} The beautiful Ashley from Bramblewood Fashion is hosting a Fall Fashion Challenge! It starts on November 6th and goes through November 12th. You should check it out HERE! It looks like a lot of fun! I think I’m going to try and participate…but, we’ll see what happens.

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{4} It’s absolutely beautiful in my neck of the woods right now! Speaking of woods, I went out into the woods the other day with some friends and took a walk. The trees and everything back there were so pretty! I’ll try to post some more pictures in the near future of our fun afternoon, but for now…here is a little teaser.

Have a beautiful day, lovelies! I hope you enjoyed my random little post… :)

Homemade Apple Pie? Yes, please!

2011-10-25T15:54:00.001-04:00

I am so sorry, but this post will probably make you hungry. I’m just warning you.

The other day, Andrew and I had the brilliant idea to make a homemade apple pie with the apples we brought home from Virginia.

We went online and found a recipe for homemade crust too…after we found out that we were out of frozen pie crust. We had a blast making it together. Andrew cut up the apples (and basically mixed up most of the filling recipe) while I was over on the other side of the kitchen rolling out pie dough. I felt like Betty Crocker afterwards. It was so fun! There you have it… our first homemade apple pie. What do you think?

I really wish I could offer you a slice, but it’s all gone. It was so good. ;)

Okay, I’m done. Have a lovely afternoon!

Happy 15th Birthday, Moriah!!

2011-10-24T13:24:00.000-04:00

For those that do not know…

It’s my beautiful friend, Moriah’s birthday today!!

Happy birthday to you, friend! I hope you have a wonderful day filled with lots of fun, family, and memories! I love you so much, girly.

{We recently went to see Courageous together. It was so good! If you haven’t watched it yet, you NEED to go watch it. It’s a great family movie. }

Thank you so much for being such an encouraging friend to me and for always having a “listening ear” no matter what. Also, you can do anything that you put your mind to…with God’s help. Can’t wait to see what He has planned for you in this next year of your life. Oh, and did I mention that you are beautiful inside and out? :)

Head over to Moriah’s blog and wish her a very special 15th birthday!

She is FINISHED with Cosmetology school!!

2011-10-20T12:00:00.001-04:00

Yes, yes, YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

‎Katie, I am so proud of you. Congratulations on graduating from cosmetology school today!!!!! You did it!!!! I love you so much and can't wait to see what other awesome things God has in store for the rest of your life! Keep working hard and...don't stop being fabulous! I LOVE YOU!!!!!!

♥ ♥ ♥

Also, with your awesome cosmetology skills, well..you're going to make all the ladies look beautiful. Just sayin'... Let's celebrate! :) :) :)

Leave some comment love for my sister, if you feel like it. We are so excited for her big news!! She has worked so hard the past year and a half at school and this is a huge accomplishment!

P.S. Thank you for all of your sweet notes, emails, and prayers for me. I am feeling much better now, less stressed, and it has turned out to be a good week. Thank you so much for being there for me, everyone!

Hello Monday {13}

2011-10-17T15:52:00.000-04:00

{Hello Monday}

{hello wake up time}

{hello new busy (and really overwhelming) week ahead}

{hello quiet time and breakfast}

{hello huge laundry pile waiting for someone to start tackling it (anyone, want to come help fold it?)}

{hello warm sunny day}

{hello schoolwork, lunch, and more schoolwork until 2:00ish}

{hello gorgeous new pink and green scarf from a friend}

{hello dentist appointments for the whole family}

{hello running errands}

{hello supper and loads of dishes to be washed}

{hello encouraging texts, reading Bible verses, and talking to a friend}

{hello sweet bed}

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

P.S. Soooo... it hasn't been the best day and I am already feeling overwhelmed for this week with school and things that need to get done. It's hard to keep pressing on when you don't feel like doing much... I haven't been sleeping very well the past few nights, so that isn't helping.

I'm missing all the long talks I had with mom when I was feeling this way too... Also, I think I'm finally coming to realize that I need to learn how to let go of some things that (in the long run) really aren't that important at the end of the day. Just be praying that everything will go a little more smoothly this week and that I will figure out how to manage everything in my day a little better (without adding more stress to the situation). Prayers please? I love you all...

Lord willing, I'll be back with another giveaway soon. Also, I'm very sorry that I haven't posted in awhile. I'll try to do better, but I'm not feeling very creative in the "writing posts" area of my life right now. You can pray about that too, if you want. ;)

xoxo,

Virginia Trip- The Lackey’s House

2011-10-12T22:57:00.001-04:00

We had an absolutely amazing trip up to Virginia. It’s one of our favorite places to go on trips. It was mom’s absolutely favorite place to go too, so it was a little difficult being there without her, but in the end…we had a great time. I just had to keep reminding myself that she is in a much more beautiful place and she is so happy. It’s still hard doing family things without her, though.

We started the trip on Friday afternoon after Katie got home from school (she is going to be a cosmetology graduate in a few weeks!) and Daddy got home from work. We left the house later than we had planned, but it was okay in the end. We were all anxious to get on the road because it takes us about 6 hours to get to the Lackey’s house. And that’s without getting stuck in traffic.

Ready for the drive to VA on Friday... :)

We got stopped a few times on the highway because of traffic, but we actually did do a pretty good with our time, and got to their house earlier than we had planned that night. We stayed up late that night talking and the boys (Colton and Andrew played a board game) before heading to bed.We got up pretty early on Saturday morning, ate some breakfast, and started getting ready to go out for awhile. Colton (Andrew’s friend), had football practice early that morning, so we had to wait for him to get home before going to our first destination for the day.

Once Colton got back home, we all loaded up in the cars and headed to a local farmer’s market near their house. We always like to get a bag of delicious Fuji apples before we leave town. It was super busy that day; they were having some type of festival or something, so we got our apples (and apple cider doughnuts) and went to the next destination.

Mrs. Marci, Katie, me, and Scott (one of the boys in the family that is my age) all went back into town and did a little shopping, and the rest of the crew, (Mr. Fred, Daddy, Andrew and Colton) went the opposite direction to do some other things in town.

We also tried an awesome new frozen yogurt shop that opened up a few weeks ago while we were in town. Scott had heard a lot about it, so we decided to give it a try before going back to their house. I didn’t have my camera at this point, so I don’t have any pictures, but that was some of the best frozen yogurt that I’ve ever had in my life. I’m not kidding. Sweet Frog’s is so good!

{via}

Isn’t their logo so cute?! The shop was absolutely adorable as well. :)

After we went to Sweet Frog’s, we headed back to their house because Scott had to go to work. We ate some lunch and stayed around the house for a couple of hours, and then Mrs. Marci decided that she wanted to take me and Katie downtown to one of her favorite little shops…It was a “simply charming” boutique for sure… ;)

Did I mention that we were blessed with some amazing weather while we were up there? It was so pretty! The boys came along with us, but they went the other direction (yet, again) and went to an antique car show with the dad’s down the road… This is where we found them after we came out of the shop. They’re so silly when they get together. Wait, until you see the other pictures I got of them… ;)

After we left the little shops downtown, Daddy suggested that we go to another farmer’s market to try to find some of his favorite apple cider. They didn’t have any at the other one we went to that morning, so we drove a few miles to the other one closer to the Lackey’s house. They had the most beautiful orange mums surrounding the parking lot, so I snapped a couple pictures while everyone else was walking to the building.

Oh, these boys… I told you they were silly… ;)

Haha… Colton the Creeper, perhaps? I had no clue he was behind me when Andrew was taking these pictures.

These next pictures are absolutely hilarious and show exactly how crazy Colton and Andrew are when they are together... Life would be boring without them. :)Bahahaha! Please notice Colton's shoes... (above) :)

Saturday evening was filled with football, capture the flag, and cooking out on the grill for supper. …and we watched a movie that night. ;)

Sunday morning we had to get up pretty early, pack up, eat breakfast, and get on the road, so we didn’t do a whole lot.

The boys did end up finding a small amount of time for a game of Stratego and throwing some football before we left. ;)

I hate goodbyes…especially saying goodbye to the lovely land of Virginia…And the Lackey family. ;)Thank you for such a fun weekend, Lackey’s! We had a blast and can’t wait for next time! ;)

“For the beauty of the earth, For the glory of the skies;…”

We came through this area at night when we were going up there, so I was snapping pictures left and right all throughout the drive down the mountains. Sarah-Anne started texting me at this point and I quickly texted her back saying that I was in the middle of having a huge photoshoot in the mountains. Haha. It’s a photographer’s dream to have such a beautiful place to take pictures. ;)

“You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.” -Nehemiah 9:6

Sooo, there you have it! Our trip to Virginia. I hope you enjoyed the pictures!

A couple of random things...

2011-10-10T18:05:00.001-04:00

First, we're back from our wonderful trip to Virginia! We had such an awesome trip and made lots of memories with our friends, the Lackey family. I'll post more pictures from our trip soon! :)

Second, today begins the nominations for 2011 Homeschool Awards!! Would you please help me out by nominating Practically Pink, so it can be voted on??

There are lots of different categories on the website, but if you're going to nominate Practically Pink, then please go to this link (http://hsbapost.com/7th-annual-homeschool-blog-awards-nominations/) and scroll down to: Best Teen Blog, and put in this link: http://www.practicallypink.blogspot.com/... I would so appreciate it!

Also, I didn't see any other category that would best fit my blog other than that one, but my blog is far from being the "best teen blog"... I would be so honored to receive such an award, so please, if you feel like it, please go enter Practically Pink on the website.

Thank you!! Love you guys so much!

♥ ♥ ♥

Practically Pink

Highlights in my hair?! Yes, indeed!

InstaFriday {1}

Giveaway Winners!! {4 Year Blogiversary}

Almost Wordless Wednesday: “Moriah? Is that really who I think it is?!”

Hello Monday {20}

Hello Monday {19}

Lots of cold rain, shopping, and card games…{Williamsburg Trip}

Celebrating My Four Year Blogiversary {Giveaway}!!

Christmas Town at Busch Gardens-{Williamsburg Trip}

"We're going to Williamsburg, and we're going to take..."

Would you “Shop My Closet”?

Hello Monday {18}

Christmas Day Highlights {2011}

Happy Birthday in Heaven…

New Year’s Eve {2011}

It’s already 2012?!

Wordless Wednesday: Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas & Blogging Break…

Only 4 days until Christmas.......

Christmas Tea Party!

Questions from Another Blogger…

'Twas The Night Before Jesus Came

Wordless Wednesday: Gingerbread House Party!

Cold Hands Warm Hearts Swap!

Hello Monday {17}

Christmas Break!!!

Almost Wordless Wednesday: Senior Photoshoot!

Thanksgiving Weekend: Saturday

It's December!!! (and Lilla Rose free shipping)

Wordless Wednesday: Our Thanksgiving

"I think I can, I think I can, I think I can..."

Hello Monday {16}

Simply Elegant Giveaway Winner!

Thanksgiving memories…

Thinking about you tonight, Mommy…

I’m looking forward to…

Simply Elegant Giveaway

It is a lovely bronze, green, and off-white pearl set that is perfect for autumn. *sigh*

{How to Enter the Giveaway}

Hello Monday {15}

Did YOU win the giveaway??

Fall Fashion Challenge (Days 2 and 3)

Would you please vote for me??

“Wait for me as I wait for you…”

Free Shutterfly Christmas Cards!

Wordless Wednesday: New Hairstyle!

Almost Wordless Wednesday: A Walk in the Woods…

Etsy Group Giveaway!

Hello Monday {14}

What is YOUR Opinion??

A little of this and little of that….

Homemade Apple Pie? Yes, please!

Happy 15th Birthday, Moriah!!

She is FINISHED with Cosmetology school!!

Hello Monday {13}

Virginia Trip- The Lackey’s House

A couple of random things...

It is a lovely bronze, green, and off-white pearl set that is perfect for autumn. sigh