and the winner is...

random.org chose entry #50:

the winning comment:

this makes it official:

congrats, sandy! email me your info & i'll send it on to meg :)

stay posted for more giveaways soon from my baller sponsors!

love.

blog & craft courtesy: 101

((photo credit))

hello!

i know that there are a LOT of us out there in this craft blog world. it can be overwhelming at times, but i wanted to throw a few things out there that might help you out a bit. some of them are peeves. some of them are just things you might not think about but need to be done, some are things that you may not know is wrong but definitely are wrong & definitely aren't good for business, making friends, or networking.

disclaimer: please read all the way through before think i'm a "b word" and click away. my heart in this post is not to be rude or hurtful. 

---

1. are you featuring someone? link them up. put a link to their shop, the item you are featuring, or even both. don't just put their pretties on your site to show your readers you have good taste. give them credit, link up, and let them know you featured them. that's huge. you will very possibly make their day!

2.  are you using someone else's idea? give them credit. 

no one will think less of you if you say "so and so from this rad blog came up with this and i thought it was a great idea, so i was inspired to do the same!"

3. low on cash? someone is selling something you can easily make yourself for a lot cheaper. you make it. fine ((kind of)). but don't show it off on your blog or tweet a picture of it...especially if you have any sort of connection with them. it's just not cool.

((photo credit))

4. you see an etsy shop you like. you decide to make some of the same products. that's one thing & is bound to happen on etsy. this is sometimes OK if it's not a completely original idea, are common sense how to make, or if there are butt loads ((more than 7)) of tutorials out there for that item that say you have free reign on selling them...IF you put your own personal style/twist on it. 

however, if you copy it, and stage your photos the same way on etsy/big cartel/etc, it becomes copying/stealing/wrong/annoying.

side note: ali foster is great about selling her patterns and allowing you tell sell what you make from them. she's super talented and her patterns are stellar, for the record. 

5. don't like/agree with something that someone wrote/typed on their blog? 

it's their blog. they can write what they want. we can agree to disagree, but the LAST thing you should do is type something snotty as "anonymous." we're out of high school, friends.

6. be yourself. this is huge! blog about what YOU want to blog about & not what "everyone else" is blogging about.

not crafty? don't fake it. 

i read a LOT of blogs of which the authors don't sew, design, or craft. it's ok! "just beeee yourself."

((photo credit))

if you want to do something on a weekly basis, come up with something unique...or at least a unique name for your post. 

don't have a new idea? at least call it something different. or, again, give the person you "borrowed" it from credit.

7. please don't comment on someone else's blog just to tell them to read your blog or enter your giveaway. i'll leave it at that.

8. speaking of comments, don't worry about them. seriously. if you are blogging to "get comments," you should stop. it's not about that, friends. but i bet if you comment on a few yourself, the favor will be returned from time to time.

9. don't have something nice to say? don't say it at all. how many times have you heard that in your life? put it to use. no one likes a hater. click away if you want to bash someone. no one asked you to read the blog/tweet in the first place.

((photo credit))

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all this comes down to is common courtesy, people. i hate the phrase "imitation is the best form of flattery." that never made me feel better when someone dressed the exact same as me and it doesn't make me feel better when someone rips off my designs and claims them as their own. 

be original.

be creative.

be nice.

speaking of being nice, i hope this doesn't come across as abrasive. i just think that often times, some don't realize when things they do are wrong/stealing & i wanted to shed some light onto the situation.

i'll close with the words of baller lisa leonard, 

"be inspired but don't steal"

love. 

((ps let me just say that i learned this lesson way too late. a girl in college station had a great idea to take tshirts and make them into gameday dresses. she has a rad company called "material." when i got married, i made gameday dresses to make some cash while we finished school and now look back and think. wow. i totally ripped off kelly's creativity. i hate it, and now, as a designer/seamstress i see how important it is to be yourself. so, if you're wondering why "hemmed in vintage" is no more...it's because after realizing i basically stole from this girl...i lost motivation and felt like i needed to stop. the end.))

much needed breakthroughs

in the past few days/weeks i've overcome a few obstacles...

one of those being, my celsius oven. 

take a second and let that process. 

however! in that crazy celsius oven i have successfully made:

my favorite cookies

AND

  ((several)) yummy pizzas. 

boom.

another obstacle? lack of fruits & veggies. it's gotten better...AND i found enough ingredients to make these delicious salads. the next day we put a boiled egg on it, as well. they may look pretty wimpy, but i pretended i was at jason's deli. 


have we been able to find lettuce since then? no. i try not to think about it...

i think know i found enough stuff to make this wimpy, but delicious, salad because miss haley kristine prayed for it. i'm not kidding. thank you, haley. 

there was an american couple that left right after we got here. they had just gotten a mega awesome package from the states with all kinds of seasonings and packets. with these i've been able to make:

pasta alfredo & tacos.

i don't expect you to think that's as awesome as we do. 

this girl loves cheese...and by cheese i DON'T mean nasty cheese in a can that is quite plentiful around here. although, piper can work magic with this stuff ((e.g., keish & potato/leek soup!)). i couldn't find a photo of it and i refuse to buy another can to show you. 

but since my firstweekherecheeseinacandisasters, i've been able to find cheddar cheese, an herb & garlic cream cheese spread ((!!!!)), and lots of mozzarella. let's all clap.

hallelujah. amen. 

i've also had the chance to do some crafting & decorating. i hand sewed these bunting flags ((can you say desperate?!)) and found a fabric shop that carried some faux wood/rubber embroidery hoops. i used two old shirts,  some leftover bunting fabric, buttons, and some ((robin's egg blue. duh)) purchased fabric to make the wall art. 

((weird angle. not sure how/why that happened))


and i got a fun coconut bowl to hold my beach findings ((coral, shells, and such))

sigh.

i am so thankful for how much these "jumped hurdles" ease my frustration and make me feel at home....as much "at home" you can feel on the other side of the world. 

love. 

my first vlog/video tutorial!

happy saturday! i have a special saturday treat for you. so grab your coffee, a headband that's layin' around and some fabric scraps & let's craft!

here's a quick & easy project for you to do if you're itchin' for a new hair accessory!

ps doesn't the silly face alone make you want to watch? haha why can't they pick more flattering still-shots?

no sew bow headband tutorial! from kim davis on Vimeo.

**edit** i totally meant topstitch, not finishing the seams haha oh geeze. 

love.

Favorite Things Friday - PeggyAnn Design Edition

** don't forget about the awesome giveaway below! **

today hannah, with Peggy Ann Design is doing my favorite things friday for me! how fun is that? enjoy! she's hilarious.

 next week i'll be trying something new with favorite things friday, so stay tuned :)

---

Hi! If you’re looking for Kim, she’s off on some remote islands teaching English because she rocks like that.

Meanwhile, you’ll have to settle for little old me. I hope that’s ok (since I wasn’t really giving you a choice). Here goes…

I’m the crazy lady that writes and creates over at Peggy Ann Design, but my name isn’t Peggy or Ann. It’s Hannah.

I’m a Navy Wife from Auburn, Alabama (but soon to be in California). I love sewing and Auburn football (War Eagle!) and wine and babies and chocolate and twitter (not necessarily in that order).

Now that you’re thoroughly confused, I suggest reading my very first post for a little clarification. You can read the other posts there too if you want.

Moving On.

I did my best to come up with a theme for this edition of “Favorite Things Friday”. I decided not to start a war by dedicating this entire post to Auburn football, so instead you are getting some of my most favorite items in my favorite fall color combo – Charcoal & Mustard.

Note: I don’t like regular color names. Normal people call this gray and yellow, but mine sounds better, right? RIGHT?

 These are such classy colors. Whether you are using them in your home or your clothes, you can bet that you’ll be in style this fall.

#1 – I especially love this gorgeous cotton scarf that I got in Hilton Head last weekend at a random little boutique:

#2 – These Thank You cards that I found on Etsy from Two Poodle Press are just lovely:

 

#3 – Another Etsy find from The Purple Pajamas. Not only are these pillows in fabulous colors, they are also damask. And I. Love. Damask.

  

#4 – As another example of my love for these yummy colors, here is a sneak peek of a new product that I’m releasing in my shop next week.

So there you go. I hope that y'all love these colors as much as I do. Thanks for putting up with me and a HUGE thank you to Kim for allowing me to invade her space!

---


edit from kim:: moriah shared this charcoal & mustard wedding that is too cute and i had to share it! this bride is precious and the video made my heart melt. she's even wearing yellow toms! can't beat it :)


http://vimeo.com/12991473


--

love.

new sponsor welcome! ((plus a GIVEAWAY!!!))

hello, friends! i would like to welcome a lovely new sponsor, meg, behind the jewelry shop pretty things by meg and the sweet blog meg's musings. 

i've become pretty smitten with her creations & personally think that meg has the best eye for color! 

((falling leaf necklace, flapper earrings))

see what i mean?

from this sassy, asymmetrical necklace... 

((lolita necklace))

to these funky turquoise earrings,

((vintage style turquoise lovelies))

meg's shop is FILLED with unique jewelry that will be a perfect gift for yourself or for a friend!

one of my favorite things about my transaction with meg was the *incredible* packaging. i'm not exaggerating. i even tweeted about how pretty it was! nothing like opening up a mailing envelope to find a sweet little box to open. 

my other favorite part, you ask?

AFFORDABILITY. 

you could buy two or three items for under $30. great for stocking up on birthday gifts & christmas presents, if you ask me!

meg has generously offered YOU, yellow songbird readers a chance to win my favorite item in her shop, which i personally own and had to bring overseas with me! 

((the falling leaves earrings))

---

here's what you have to do to enter:

each entry needs to be a separate comment or else it won't get picked up by the random number generator! 

1. you MUST be a follower of this blog to enter. 

2.  head on over to meg's shop and tell me another favorite item of yours in the shop! ((1 entry))

3. follow meg's blog  ((1 entry))

4. tweet, facebook, or blog about this giveaway using this:

"win GORGEOUS earrings from @prettythingsbymeg! enter the giveaway on @ohsweetjoy's blog! http://tinyurl.com/2ddk985" 

 ((1 entry per social media per day!))

---

that's a lot of possible entries! wowza! 


the giveaway goes through august 30th at 12 noon & the winner will be announced august 31st. 

good luck & have fun! :)




ENTRIES/COMMENTS FOR THIS GIVEAWAY ARE NOW CLOSED!

love. 

happy ((belated)) birthday, grandy!

note to memaw: make sure you go grab grandy to see this post! :)

happy ((belated)) birthday, grandy! 

we love you & wish we could have been there to eat cake ((or did someone spoil you with pie?!)) with you. see you in a few months!

love.

agenda

((fabric wrapped tin cans))

i was looking through old pictures and found this project that i promised a tutorial for. it never happened.

oopsies!

i need to make a list of tutorials and blog posts that i wanted to do, but forgot about. 

i think i'm the queen of lists and today, my to-do list is a mile long ((or should it be a kilometer since i'm on the other side of the world now?))

so, tell me....

((what's on your agenda today?))

love.

clean up & new sponsors

(source)

well, hello friends.  

i wanted to point out a few things on this lovely sunday.

1. i have several new ((incredibly talented)) sponsors over there on your left. please take a second to check them out & stay tuned for a few giveaways. whoop!

2. i have taken away my blog list on the left and replaced it with a "blogs i read" button. if you click on it, you will be taken to a more organized list of the blogs i read on a regular basis.  it was getting a bit cluttered on that left sidebar. that says a lot...because i happen to like clutter. 

((exhale))

muuuuuch better. 

3.  there are only a few more advertising spots available, so if you are interested, shoot me an email ASAP & we'll chat. thanks!

---

happy day.

love.

happy saturday

guess what i just downloaded? paintbrush for mac. it's a good day.

love. 

favorite things friday: rainy season

so it's still rainy season over here and i've come to really enjoy the rain ((except for when it makes the seas super rough...sea sick kim is not a pleasant kim)). 

rainy season means 5-10 ((or so)) degrees cooler & i'm usually so hot that the rain feels awesome! haha it just started being sunny again after several days of clouds and rain. no complaints on this end.

this week's favorite things friday is inspired by cute-sy raindrops & umbrellas! 

enjoy :)

1. umbrella pendant by jade scott

2. adorable cloud wall decor by the butter flying 's etsy shop

((when i have a little one i want one of these in the nursery! don't get any ideas. no. we're not pregnant.))

3. what do you get when you combine a fox & an umbrella? 

too much cuteness, that's what. 

you can buy this print from peppermint daydreams's etsy shop

4. my friend, michelle, makes some incredible jewelry. she's waaaaay talented and a super mom....

anywho...she made the following necklace for me this past summer and added 3 rows of raindrops ((blue beads)) and iiiii love it. check out more of her work here.

5. i think i've professed my love for gussy products many-a-time on this here bloggity blog. this umbrella clutch is no exception to my undying love for ruffled accessories. 

 check out maggie's blog and shop here. she's a doll.

((right now she's doing a stellar series about budgeting on her blog. check it out!))

6. and finally, how great is this print from volume 25?! 

happy weekend!

love.

Guest Post: K. Davis from Believe It & Be Satisfied

(( i hope you enjoy the first of many guest posts over the next 4 months! 

first up: k. davis from believe it & be satisfied.))

Hello Yellow Songbird/ Oh, Sweet Joy readers... Kim invited some to guest blog, and I jumped at the chance! I'm K. Davis (I know I know, it's so close to Kim... just a different first name!) and my normal hang out is at, "Believe it and Be Satisfied".  Kim recently moved overseas, temporarily, and that's another thing we have in common!  I'm actually typing away from my computer in S. Korea right now (2.5 years left)... and before that, I was in Germany for 3.5 years.  Such is the life of a military spouse! 

So really, instead of saying "hello", I should start off by saying "an-niyong-ha-say-yo" (spelled out, exactly how you say it... now you know 'hello' in Korean)!  I will spare you the
miserable
18+ hour plane ride, and share some photos of a typical walk around town... so grab a coffee and get comfy, and experience Asia through my lens...

I live about 1.5 hours south of Seoul... even though it's only 60 km away, it takes triple the amount of time, thanks to all the traffic.  Where I live, I'm surrounded by farmland-tons and tons of rice paddies and it's absolutely beautiful, although sometimes the stench can be WAY overwhelming.

I have a thing for bikes... photograph them whenever I see them... I know, total habit of mine! But aren't these adorable?  Right behind those bikes are fields and fields of growing rice plants.  Be happy that the stench can't come through the computer... because it can be pretty STINKY!

There are so many beautiful "temples/shrines" all around the area... there is a huge amount of detail that goes into painting each and every one of these, but I'm so fascinated by the shape because it's so different than anything I saw while living in Europe.  

Now lets head over to the "urban" area of where I live... we just call it, "downtown."  This is where all the vendors are, and boy oh boy, let me tell you the street food is to DIE for.  Okay, so the folks on the military base tell us not to eat it because we might end up with a foreign "visitors" inside our digestive tract, but I can't stay away! 

And did I mention how precious the Koreans are?

Don't even get me started on the fact that I have a huge warehouse FULL of rolls upon rolls of inexpensive designer fabric... did you know that Riley Blake's factory for her fabric is here in Korea and that it is not too far away? Oh yes, I am one happy camper... 2.5 years left to go... I think I can handle it!  

It was hard at first, especially continuing to live overseas after already having been away from the states for a bunch of years.  I miss out on birthday celebrations, holidays, bbq's and seeing my nephews and nieces "growing up"... but I know this... God put me here, right now, for a very specific purpose, and although it can be frightening and scary at times... I can find peace in God's Word when he tells us in Joshua 1: 9, 

"... Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."  

How wonderful and comforting is that?  When everything around you changes, He remains your constant.  I continue to enjoy where He has put me... and I'm so happy that I was able to share with you what I experience on a day to day basis.  

I hope you don't mind if I come by again next month... perhaps it'll be a fun craft tutorial (wink wink!)

too good to keep to myself

lisa leonard ((one of my favorite blogs to read and she is the creator of my favorite jewelry line)) is hosting an incredible birthday giveaway on her blog! 

go to www.lisaleonardonline.com/blog to check out the loot thats being given away!!

love.

considering the birds...

today i'm going to share what's on my heart...so if you're looking for crafty goodness or colorful inspiration, this isn't your place today. 

my heart has been a bitter & worrisome place this past week.


i've found myself complaining constantly despite the beautiful place we are living in.  and by beautiful i mean...BEAUTIFUL. this is the view from our apartment balcony. are you kidding me? 

here are some regular foolish things that come out of my mouth.


i am so tired of wearing pants. 


i just want to wear a tank top for crying out loud...it's flipping HOT outside.


*grumble grumble* running sucks when its 90 degrees outside and i have to wear pants and short sleeves.


everything tastes weird here. 


frick. even my grilled cheese tastes nasty. 


wow. traveling via boat got old really quickly. 


is it too much to ask to get some fresh fruit & veggies and maybe some cheese in a girl's diet?!


i wish i had my sewing machine so i could just make myself a new tunic to wear. 


i could use a dr. pepper right about now.


waaaaaaaahhh. kim you live in a tropical paradise for 4 months. get over it.


i can tell myself that daily, but jesus reminded me of his goodness & promises this week. His word is what changed my heart...not my pep talk to myself. don't you love when that happens?


take a second and read luke 12:24-32


pretty please?

((via weheartit))

clothes have been such a burden and frustration. did i know that i would get tired of my 9 outfits that i brought? yes. but never ever did i think it would happen after 2 weeks. i tried to bring some of my favorite items of clothing...some from jcrew, fossil, anthropologie...thinking if i bring my favorite shirts i will be excited to wear them over and over. 

false.

and i'm constantly consumed with "am i appropriately dressed?" "will ladies think i'm dressed immodestly and not want to talk to me?" "will my students in my class think i'm a skank because i'm not wearing jeans, long sleeves, and a head covering? 

then i get punched in the face with this:

Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! ((verses 27,28))

i'll let that speak for itself.

((via we heart it))

i consider myself a pretty decent cook. i love being in the kitchen and preparing meals for chase and i. however, everything takes twice three times as long to prepare here...and it just doesn't taste "right."  i am not exaggerating when i say that it took me an hour to make some tuna salad the other day. an HOUR! for tuna salad. sheesh.

also, fresh fruits & vegetables aren't really a commodity here, so i'm finding myself eating whatever i can find that reminds me of home. mac n cheese, ramen noodles, grilled cheese.  how many food groups in there? oh, maybe two. sick. i find myself just CRAVING a good salad with some hidden valley ranch or some brianna's honey mustard. not gonna happen. 

but He says: 

Consider the ravens; they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 

((verse 24))

and then:

And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried....Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. 

((verses 29, 31))

boom.

now am i saying all this for you to feel sorry for me? no. ha. NO. please don't. i am so blessed and we have more than we need. I just wanted to share how the Lord spoke directly to my heart this week...

right when I needed it. 


exactly how i needed it. 

love.