sponsor highlight + giveaway: aPearantly sew

Alison, the sweet gal behind aPearantly sew is next up on my sponsor highlight list & I'm thrilled that I get to brag about her for an entire post. 

aPearantly sew offers accessories for women. Alison sews gorgeous clutches, makes fun headbands & bobby pin sets, and also has great zipper wristlets. Functionality meets cute. 

Alison recently had a successful day of craft shows (yay!), so although her shop seems bare, keep an eye out for some new things that will be popping in shortly! I can't wait to see what she sews up next. 

These cuties are currently catching my eye in her shop:

Today, Alison is giving away this CUTE wristlet pouch. I told you she was sweet! 

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Here's how you enter:

Mandatory Entry

Head on over to aPearantly sew & leave a comment telling me your favorite item in her shop. 

Additional Entries

1. Follow Yellow Songbird via Google Friend Connect

2. Follow Alison AND Oh, Sweet Joy on twitter. 

3. Blog, facebook, or tweet about the giveaway. Feel free to use this:

"Enter to win a clutch from @AliLittle28

 on @ohsweetjoy's blog! www.yellowsongbird.blogspot.com"

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love. 

handmade monday: urban posture

If I could pick two words to describe today's shop, they would be hip and fun. 

Urban Posture is a team effort of Sarah & Leslie. They make stationery, clocks, stuff for the office, tshirts and that's not even the half of it!

Using earth tones & lots of nature inspired designs, Urban Posture has a product for you, no matter who you are ((I mean it!)). 

"We focus on creating practical products for everyday use in the office, home, and for apparel. All of our merchandise has been designed and printed by hand. We have taken careful consideration in being environmentally friendly and pride ourselves in using as many local and eco-friendly resources available to us."

Here are a few of my favorites from their shop.

Here's the interview :)

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What inspires you most? 

{Sarah}  My childhood and current blogs and magazines.

{Leslie} Sarah, and my brother Dave inspire me greatly, as well as reading blogs, magazines, and being outside and apart of nature. I also get really excited after doing a great craft show and being around all the crafting energy.

What is your favorite color/color scheme?

{Sarah} Yellow and gray

{Leslie} Pool Blue... also known as UrbanPosture Blue and grey. 

What is the most gratifying part about having your handmade business? 

{Sarah}  Being able to take ownership in something that people truly love and knowing they understand and appreciate the hard work behind each item!

{Leslie} I really love to see a customer get excited about what we make and really appreciate the hard work we put into each item. I also love being my own boss.

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If you just can't get enough ((which I don't blame you)) head on over to the Urban Posture blog to stalk read more and their shop to get some Christmas shopping done!

love. 

ps by the time this is posted, i'll be in doha, qatar. weird, huh? almost home!!

favorite things friday: Christmas

I hope you had a wonderful day of giving thanks & eating yummy food with your family. 


Thanksgiving is now over ((sad face. we missed it. no turkey or pumpkin pie for us)) and it's officially OK to bust out the Christmas tunes and those Christmas decorations! I won't judge you if you've already done either or both of those things. 

Here are some of my Christmas/Holiday favorites! 

1.  Gussy Christmas stockings. Hello, ruffles! You're pretty.

2.  GORGEOUS Christmas wreaths from Handmade Colectibles.  

((Her name is Cole. I didn't spell it wrong...for the record haha))

3.  Red, white & green bunting! You can thank Snow Fish on etsy for this pretty strand to hang...complete with jingle bells on the ends. 

4. Williams Sonoma holiday message cookie cutters. These are so fun! 

5. Merry Christmustache Cards from My Little Buffalo. I already put my order in. I couldn't resist the hilarity!

29 days until Christmas!!!

love.

**ooh, i almost forgot! the winner of the HollyDay Cards loot is:

 Alison, email me & I'll get you all hooked up with Holly!

a strange thanksgiving & some cupcakes

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever. ((psalm 107:1))

I hope your Thanksgiving is wonderful, friends! Enjoy every second with your family & friends. I'll admit, I'm quite jealous. 

Today has been quite a strange Thanksgiving. No turkey, no stuffing, no pumpkin pie...90 degrees, no breeze & no family around. It's just strange. 

However, back in September  my best friend from college, Kelley, sent me a package of Pumpkin Spice Cupcake mix from Williams Sonoma. I saved it for this week and I'm thankful for ONE taste of Thanksgiving today. We splurged on a package of Philadelphia cream cheese (ahem. $7.50) and it was so worth it. I made the Sprinkles Cream Cheese Frosting recipe. YUM. 

Our apartment smells delicious, too :)

((you can go ahead and ignore how crazy my fingers look))

Hope your day is full of giving thanks, soaking up every second with loved ones, and eating yummy food. Not to mention, I can't wait to watch my dear Aggies 

BEAT THE HELL OUTTA t.u!

love. 

tugboats & toy ducks

I made a vow to myself (and to whoever follows me on twitter) that I wouldn't complain for this entire week. I said I wouldn't complain about the heat, the food, the transportation, anything. Let me just be honest with you, I've complained a lot, just not on the interwebs. ;)

what? sue me. 

I'll give you a heads up. This post isn't me complaining...but I am going to be real with you. Hopefully, you will leave this page today encouraged. My hope is that you will maybe gain some hope that you aren't the only one struggling. My hope is also that you will leave with some peace in your soul.

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Being over here has brought a lot of sins to the surface that I was pretty good at hiding. It also has brought a lot of sins to the surface that I didn't even realize I was struggling with. It's become an explosive combination. 


I keep finding myself being, not just a tiny bit, but completely overcome with..

jealousy

anger

fear

bitterness

contempt

pride

It's not pretty, y'all. 


It's all just eating me up. I've been wondering why, all of a sudden, I can't shake these evil evil things. I pray against it (briefly), and notice it in myself, but I still find myself cussing in my head at the boat crew who made us late to class, or at the foreign workers who stare at me constantly.

On our way back to our island after class on Monday evening, I saw a tugboat...and it hit me. This is exactly what I'm doing. Sometimes tugboats are pulling their big ol' cargo ship. The one I saw was towing a flat barge of railroad cars/cargo boxes. 

(Kind of like this)

It simply reminded me of how much I choose to carry....how many burdens and sins I continually put on every day.  Instead of choosing joy and daily laying my burdens down at our Father's feet, I load it up on the barge and tug it around. 


I forget to seek forgiveness. I don't think to fight my sin with the Word.


Instead, I choose to haul it around like a kid with one of those yappy duck pull toys. 

But y'all, our King is FOR us and He wants to take our burdens. 

His yoke is easy and His burden is light (matthew 11:30). 

So why do we continually wallow in our sin and keep it for ourselves? 

We can't fight bitterness, jealousy, fear, etc on our own. We just can't! 

And the best news? He is a God of forgiveness. So ask for it & feel that burden lifted. Today, I encourage you to taste forgiveness & feast on redemption*

Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. (romans 4:7)

The bottom line is this: We will fall short. But we don't have to walk around with that guilt & shame. We are redeemed. And that sin? That sin is gone. forgotten. forgiven. 

No need to tug it around anymore. 

love.  

*tasting forgiveness by robbie seay band is a must-listen. (on his miracle album, which is a must-buy)

sponsor highlight + giveaway: HollyDay Cards

We're on a roll with these sponsor highlights and giveaways, aren't we? So fun. 

This week, I want to tell you about HollyDay Cards. I'll be honest, Shutterfly is great, but to me, you can't get any better than a handmade Christmas card. This is such an easy way to support handmade!

 Click here to see Holly's etsy shop and here to read more about Holly and her heart behind the business. 

Holly offers pretty handmade cards for all occasions. I especially like these two :)

Today, Holly is offering you a chance to win your choice of 10 free cards! 

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Here's how you enter:

Mandatory Entry

Head on over to Holly's website or etsy shop & leave a comment telling me your favorite card. 

Additional Entries

1. Follow Yellow Songbird via Google Friend Connect

2. Subscribe to the HollyDay Cards Newsletter ((here)).

3. "Like" HollyDay cards AND Oh, Sweet Joy on Facebook. 

4. Follow HollyDay cards AND Oh, Sweet Joy on twitter. 

5. Blog, facebook, or tweet about the giveaway. Feel free to use this:

"Enter to win a set of @Hollydaycards on @ohsweetjoy's blog! www.yellowsongbird.blogspot.com"

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**please keep in mind that if you would like to order Holiday cards from HollyDay Cards, the deadline to order is December 1st. Thanks!**

love. 

handmade monday: funky vintage kitchen

Here we are again. Another Monday Handmade Monday and another sweet handmade shop for me to share with you. This week, we're all about Funky Vintage Kitchen. This shop hasn't been on my radar for very long, I will admit, but I am making up for lost time drooling over everything in it. 

Aprons, necklaces, chalkboards, rings, earrings, pillows, dessert stands...this shop has it all. It's all so bright & colorful ((and you know how i love bright & colorful...i think Funky Vintage Kitchen & oh, sweet joy should be best friends)) and every item has a vintage feel to it. 

If I could pick a favorite item in her shop, it would be these necklaces. 

Especially the grey one on the right and this robin's egg blue one!

Here is April's fun interview. 

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What inspires you most?

With regard to product....definitely color and texture. I love to browse fabric shops, estate sales and shops looking for colors and textures that make my insides feel alive. I am drawn to anything with layers. 

With regard to life....people sharing real life stories inspire me. Talking about the tough stuff. Sharing honestly. I believe strongly in sharing the good + the bad. When only the good is shared we tend to feel like we can never measure up, that we aren't good enough. But guess what I have learned.....as long as we are trying our best, we are good enough. Our best is good enough. And our best differs every day. And, is good enough.....even if some days our best is Wendy's Apple Pecan salad, tossed at home and brought to a girlfriend's 40th birthday luncheon! 

What is your favorite color and/or color scheme?

As much as I hate admitting it because it isn't necessarily a girly color, my favorite color since I was little was blue. The shade has varied throughout the years, but it started when I was young. I had a light blue blanket and would declare that my favorite color was blue because of that blanket. Shhhh...don't tell anyone, but I still sleep with a blue baby blanket in my bed. For a few years now, my favorite color has been turquoise, but this season it is leaning to a darker form of teal. I love it mixed with mustard, gray or red. 

What is the most gratifying part of having your own handmade business?

Definitely the opportunity to be able to do what I love, help with the family finances and still be home full-time. Also, Dave + I have been teaming up on some of my new product. That is fun working side by side with my hunk! We have two children. Kaia is 13 and Blake is 8. Blake, was born with Spina Bifida. He requires nursing needs every few hours and I love that I have been able to be his primary caretaker in his early years. Now that he is in school full-time, I still love that I am home for times when he needs me or when Kaia needs me.

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If you haven't already, click on over to April's shop, Funky Vintage Kitchen and also check out her blog. 

love. 

a sunday special: spool no. 72

I have professed my love for Spool No. 72 on numerous occasions. Their styling is incredible and I can't get over the cohesiveness of all of their unique products. 

They just released their new Winter catalog that is gorgeous, as well as revamped their website.

Take a look at the catalog, but don't get too distracted! Come back for an exciting offer JUST for you!


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OK, are you back? Here's the deal. :)


For a very limited time (hurry!), the Spool No. 72 team wants to offer Yellow Songbird readers a special 10% discount site-wide. This even includes their new salvaged collection! Just use the code "Spool" at checkout to receive this special offer. YAY!

Between you & me, I'd buy this entire outfit from their fall collection. Can you believe that necklace?! beautiful...and I'm pretty sure i need that sweater vest. Need, I tell you.

love. 

above all fabric wish list.

this is a wish list that gets longer & longer. thankfully, melanie made it more tempting easier on me by allowing a wish list feature. way to go, mel.  ;)

so here ya go.... a few of the things on my wish list at above all fabric. 

1. Tula Pink's Fans in Sprout. Not out yet, but I'm tapping my foot waiting patiently. 

2. Joel Dewberry's Herringbone ((in berry & maple)) from the Modern Meadow Collection. I have this in the grass, yellow & blue, but think it's such a versatile fabric, I'd love it in more colors. PLUS, I have some products in the works for the fellas in 2011, and this would be perfect. perfect!

3. Sunday Picnic Blouse by Sew Liberated. I don't really do patterns ((my brain doesn't work that way)), but I have heard that theirs are so easy to follow. I will try the Schoolhouse Tunic first and then maybe give this one a whirl. 

There you have it, friends. Head on over to above all fabric and see all the fun fabrics she has to offer! ((including the new anna maria horner voiles & velveteens. heck yes.))

love. 

favorite things friday

This week, I wanted to do a favorites list that doesn't make you want want want or drain your paycheck. Today, let's be thankful for the little things. How about it? :)

1. Sleeping in. I haven't been sleeping well at ALL lately and I think my body had finally had it. Today I slept until almost noon. Jackpot.

((photo credit))

2. Breakfast buffets ((even if there is no bacon or sausage to be found)). We changed up our date night this week to be a "date brunch" in the capital island. It was lovely :)

3. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. They never get old. ((strawberry jelly, please))

((photo credit))

4. Long walks around the island with my "husman" ((he prefers to be called "husman" rather than "the hubs")).

5. Giveaways. Lisa Leonard has an AWESOME one going on now. Go enter!

love. 

((ps scroll down to see the winner of the MaieDae headband!))

maiedae winner!

The lucky winner of the MaieDae headband is...

Megan at Megtab Designs! 

Megan, please contact me with your info and I'll get you hooked up with Savannah! Thanks!

love. 

a couple of things...

Today is the last day to enter the MaieDae headband giveaway! Click here & enter if you haven't already.

Basically I'm blogging today solely to show you this print. 

It is just too much cute for it's own good. My four favorite things: cotton candy, popcorn, corndog (hot dogs, too), and naturally, there has to be Dr. Pepper in the cute cup on the left.  I'm not sure where I would hang such a print, but I think it might be fate...even Chase laughed that it was hilariously perfect for me. 

 It's from the Caged Tomato on Etsy and you click here to see more of their deliciously cute goodness. 

I'm still cracking up...and for the record, it's titled "Delicious Parade." HA!

love.