Another afternoon of blog “research” and I serendipitously stumbled upon P is for Party.

(I like to call it research because it justifies the amount of time I spend indulging in other people’s blogs.)

Anyhoo…I stumbled upon P is for Party and promptly kissed all productivity goodbye.

Melanie Blodgett of You Are My Fave started P is for Party because she was noticing how many photos of events she was saving to her “inspiration folder” and felt she needed a better way to organize them.

I couldn’t agree with her more. I actually keep a flash drive with me to collect thoughts and ideas that I know I’ll be able to use one day. Both as an event planner and a bride-to-be, I love looking at wedding blogs because there are so many great DIY ideas that can easily translate to a birthday party or bridal/baby shower or housewarming celebration.

Here are some adorable ideas:

ribbon drink stirrers

cupcake wrapper party garland

a handy way to avoid "oops, which glass is mine?"

holiday ornament table decor

tin can hanging vase

tin can table markers

A big thank you to Melanie for creating a place to gather endless inspiration. I know I will be visiting P is for Party…E as in Everyday.

Marisa at New Dress A Day is nothing short of a genius…she’s also my new hero. The intro to her “about me” page says it all:

So here’s the deal friends, I’m going to be spending the entire year without doing an ounce of traditional clothing shopping. Yes, I know what you’re thinking, “this girl is outta her gourd”, and I completely agree with you.

Each day for the entire year, I’m going to introduce a new piece into my existing wardrobe that I’ve found at flea markets, thrift stores, and neighborhood garage sales.  On top of this, I’m giving myself a budget of only $1 a day.

One person’s trash is becoming my treasure this year.

365 days. 365 items of clothing. 365 dollars. And the blogging begins…

Not only is she incredibly industrious (she’s created some really cute things) but she’s also pretty damn funny. Her site is such an inspiration…I am FOR REAL about to stop shopping retail. Here are some of her more impressive creations.

Members Only makeover - before

Members Only makeover - after

polka dot perfection - before

polka dot perfection - after

muumuu miracle - before

muumuu miracle - after

I hope you check out her blog, and follow along each day like I do. I’m always so excited to see what she’ll make next!

We all have those days…work sucks, traffic sucks, a random blemish, a broken nail, realizing your skinny jeans are now skinnier than you. 

Funny how on days like that, kind words can make all the difference… 

I do so much blog research each day that I easily lose track of my initial path and just leap from one blog to the next. I’m not even sure how I stumbled upon Daily Pep Talk From A Best Friend. I can only guess that I was supposed to discover this place of abundant positivity and lovely words of affirmation. 

It had been one of those days. 

Rachel Simpson calls herself a “professional best friend and pep talk giver” and she’s pretty darn good at both. Check out her site. It is perfection and just what “those days” call for. 

www.dailypeptalkfromabestfriend.com

your new BFF, Rachel

You can also check out her “pepcasts”
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/youre-effing-awesome-a-pepcast/id315796462 

Always remember to love yourself as much as
your best friend loves you.

One of the things I like so much about the world of blogging is the ability to connect with like-minded people, learn about their interests and talents, and in the process learn more about your own. I recently discovered a new blog that I am quickly falling in love with. 

www.meditationsonlifeandstyle.blogspot.com

Life + Style: Meditations of Life and Style is the dream child of Dayka Robinson, a designer and talented ‘re-purposer’ who has just taken the plunge of going back to school for interior design. Best wishes to her in this endeavor!

Check out her blog and be sure to feast upon her “Before and After” page. The way she transforms old, lifeless pieces of furniture into beautiful and functional works of art is pretty incredible. She has an Etsy store if you find something you want to add to your own collection of home furnishings. http://www.etsy.com/shop/vintagestyledhome

She’s also celebrating her 100^th blog follower and has a giveaway for her readers – a custom-made address stamp from Lettergirl!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/lettergirl

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I win. How cute would one of these stamps be for the soon-to-be Toledos? We’ll have lots of ‘thank yous’ to send, for sure! 

custom stamp from Lettergirl

custom stamp from Lettergirl

I hope you enjoy discovering Life + Style as much as I have. Happy reading!