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7.29.2011

BOW!


Soooo I finally finished uploading all of the new bows! My internet has been a bit splotchy, so it took longer than expected, my bad. Go take a peek! I know I'm biased, but this is definitely my favorite set of patterns. Like the one featured above... geeze! So pretty! Enjoy this discount code for the next three days. It'll be good til Monday at noon!!

xo.
Melisa

Something New and Exciting


Yesterday I spent the majority of my day working on new pretty bows for the shop! It was relaxing and fun. I also watched a marathon/the premier of Project Runway, so I was plenty inspired. These little beauties will be in the shop here in the next few hours! Eeeps! Can't wait; they're some of my most favorite patterns^_^

Also, today marks the Mr's last day at camp {rejoicing} I'm so proud of all he's done out there, but it will be good to have him back. Even more exciting... he will be preaching the last service!! Yahoo! I couldn't be more excited for him.

xo.
Melisa

7.27.2011

Summer Style // Fishtail Braid


I did a post on the fishtail braid a few months back, but I never did a how to, so I thought I would! It's way easy and one of my favorite ways to style my hair this Summer. It's a fun new twist to a regular braid^_^ 

Hope that was easy enough to follow! I know my hair is so dark so it may be hard to see what's going on, but like I said, it really is easy once you get the hang of it! Good Luck!

Girl Talk: The Newlywed

I'd like to introduce you to Kristin. She and I have been friends for 13 years now, whoa! We have been through so very much together and I am so proud of who she has become. She got married just a little over a year ago and she's living in snowy Indiana. I am sure that you'll just fall in love with her.

What is your job title? 
Well the name plate on my door says secretary, but I like to think of myself as being so much more than that! I'm a newlywed, wife, puppy mother, minister, pastor's wife, friend, daughter, sister, crafter, cook, blogger, dog lover, chocolate lover extarordinare! If only all of those could be on my name plate...

What do you love about yourself? 
I love the person I have become. I have learned some hard lessons about obedience, and I know from experience that God blesses those who are obedient. It's not always easy, but it's always worth it. It's what has made me who I am today. And I know I'm reaping the blessings from it; my husband, our ministry, my home, the list goes on and on!


Who is your role model?
I honestly don't have one particular role model. There are different people in my life that I look at and see qualities about them that I would like to have. I want to be more selfless like my dad. I want to be as giving as my sister. I want to be more dedicated like my husband. I surround myself with people that challenge me and help me be better, I have no time or energy for people who only bring me down.


What inspires you?
the things that the Lord has placed in my life - life as a children's pastors wife, other bloggers, and my husband.


What are five words that describe you?
passionate - about my husband, our ministry and life together...and of course my dog
quirky - we all have weird habits right?!
creative - I love to craft and create. And you should see my awesome dance moves in the car
peaceful - I like to think I have calming spirit
sincere - I'm passionate about what I do, and loving people, and I mean what I say.

What is your biggest insecurity? 
I was talking to my sister the other day about how someone "made me feel bad about myself." She replied by saying, "no one can MAKE you feel anything." And that is just it. I am constantly comparing myself to other people, and putting myself down. She's prettier than me, she has better clothes than I do, she's skinnier than me, they're smarter than me, they are better at ministry than I am, she's more talented than I am, she's a better wife than I am. Then I end up feeling awful about myself, and who wouldn't?! And then I realized that just because someone is better at ministry than I may be, does not make me any less great at ministry. Just because someone is talented, does not make me any less talented. Someone else's beauty does not take away from my beauty. If I am constantly comparing myself to other people, then essentially I am taking away from who God created me to be, almost as if I am saying who He made is not good enough. And who am I to say that I am not good enough?


                  Lastly, if you could be anyone for a day, who would it be?
I tried to think of someone inspirational, but I couldn't! I'll say Ellen DeGeneres. How fun would it be to dance around, scare people, and surprise people with cool stuff everyday?? Alright, I don't want to be her, I just want to hang out with her.

Thanks for sharing with us!! Hope y'all enjoyed hearing from her!! I also have some exciting news to share. Just today I sent out new Girl Talk requests for the Fall Season! I cannot believe how successful this little feature has become and I am more than excited to introduce more lovely new faces. Though spaces are limited and I have already filled most, if you are interested in participating, you may send me an email^_^ Thanks so much! Eee! I also just realized that I put Kristin's maiden name and not her new last name, Holdeman, my bad! But really, she'll always be Kristin Grubbs to me... Are you that way with your married friends?? It's just hard to think of them as anyone else, no?



xo.
Melisa

7.26.2011

My Sunday

This Sunday I found myself completely and utterly content. I surprised the Mr with a Surprise Birthday lunch with some of our close friends, then we headed on over to Starbucks, per usual. Unfortunately, I did not charge my laptop and usually the Mr has me covered, but this time he didn't bring his chord. blarg. SO with several hours to kill, he worked on his message and I pulled out my journal, hooked up my headphones to my iphone and daydreamed wonderful blog dreams^_^ It was so perfect. I felt like we were both in our own element, but I loved that we could still be together doing what we both loved. 




xo.
Melisa

Tuesday Treasures



1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

I'm sort of loving a lot of pretty things on etsy! It was so hard to just choose twelve, but there you have them. Which one is your favorite?? I think 5, 6 & 7 are exceptional! 

xo.
Melisa

7.25.2011

Music Monday

This week's music is inspired by the Mr's Birthday {which is tomorrow} SO it was really hard to pick just one song that reminded me of him, because unlike most couples we don't really have a song. It's more like we have 200 songs! I have literally made at least 15 mixes^_^ I like to give them as gifts and I love that when we hear one of them, we know exactly where we were in our relationship at that time. It's literally like the soundtracks to our lives. Aw, how sweet, ha! Okay, so this week's song is The Lucky Ones.


Why I love this song // It's uplifting, it's catchy, and it makes me want to grab his hand and run through a park. It's kind of way inspiring and I think it's cool that it says "this moment is yours, this moment is mine and we're gonna be fine." It seemed appropriate, what with this new phase in his and our life approaches. It's just a good song. Agreed?

7.23.2011

Sponsor Pie N' the Sky


I can't believe that in one week it will be August!! Whoa! Where did the Summer go?? It's been one of my favorite Summers and I really don't want it to come to an end. On a brighter note, since August is just around the corner, that means I get the privilege of inviting new lovely bloggers/indie business owners/photographers/designers to become sponsors on my blog!! I love making new friends! For all the stats, you can check out the sponsor page and to make your purchase, you can head on over to the shop. If you have any questions feel free to email me! Can't wait to hear from you!

xo.
Melisa

Alive and Well

I'm alive! After a week of camp, being outdoors in 100 degree weather, hanging out with hundreds of teenagers, I am alive and happier then ever. I had the privilege of being a dorm monitor for the North Texas Youth Camp and let me just say, God did some pretty amazing things. I'll be sharing more about our experiences on my Conversations page. I did want to share a few photos with you though...













It was a blast and after crashing all day yesterday when I got home, I feel refreshed and ready for a fun filled day. As I had mentioned before, the Mr's birthday is just around the corner and since it's the big 25, I've decided to make it extra special and give him a birthweek! I'm so nice! ha! He deserves it for sure. SO today we will begin the festivities. It's still a surprise to him so I won't spill the beans just yet, but I'll let you know how it goes. Also, can I just say that after being away for just five days, I missed y'all so much! I hope you enjoyed our guest posts; I know I did! I love having guests here and look forward to sharing more with you.

One last thing! Sheesh, I'm writing so much, but I feel like I haven't talked to y'all in so long that I have way to much to share. I just got finished posting the August sponsor spots in the shop. There have already been quite a few requests and I apologize for not having it ready until now. If you have any questions please feel free to email me. I so look forward to working with each of you!

xo.
Melisa

7.22.2011

Summer Style // Summer Makeup

I don't know about you, but I love to change up my makeup every once in a while. SO I thought I'd let you in on how I do my Summer Makeup! I don't know that I have any life changing secrets, but hopefully you'll see something you like!


Here's What I Used:
Foundation: Bare Minerals / Cargo
Lips: eos
Eyes: Maybelline / Urban Decay
Brushes: Sonia Kashuk

Hope you learned something new or found a product you'd like to try!!

Guest Post // This + That

Hello!! So, I have talked lots and lots on my blog about my infamous move back home. Yep, I graduated [with a BA in design], moved back in with my parents and sister, and I re-did my room! That is the best part of moving: redecorating. I had so much fun choosing furniture, shopping, organizing, and such.

I basically chose brown and white as my colors because I always have a tranquil, peace theme going on and I wanted to recycle/re-use a lot of my things so I went with it. I got all new furniture from IKEA.

The collection I chose was MALM. I got the full bed, and a dresser that has 6 drawers [which I thought would be enough but I wish it had 2 more! Lol]. I mixed in some while floating shelves as night stands and the OFELIA blanket for a nice feminine touch on the bed.



The ‘love’ pillow is from urban as well as the peace sign one. The peace sign lamp is from PB teen. It adds such a nice light ambiance when its on at night. My boyfriend gave me the white lantern star that is hung above my bed, which is my favorite part of the room. He is so sweet. I fell in love with it at a store in Tampa, FL and he bought it for me right then and there.


I decided to not have a desk in the room. I have a separate workspace downstairs to separate sleep, leisure, and relaxation from work.

Enjoy the pictures! Let me know if you have any questions about where anything is from. You can visit me at This + That, for more posts like this.  You can also follow me on twitter at camborges. xoxo, Mila 

Thanks so much Mila! Isn't her room oh so cute?? I just love it all; so simple and pretty^_^


xo.
Melisa

7.21.2011

Guest DIY // Lauren the Perfect Pear


Hi friends! I'm Lauren, and I love DIY, hopefully I can pass this love on over to you with this DIY! :)
you'll need: some yarn ( i recommend the non-fuzzy stuff ), glue gun, letters, and scissors
1: glue your yarn to the back and wrap yarn all around the letters. Make sure its not too tight so you cant get pictures on, but not too loose that it falls off! a nice balance.
2: Do the same thing to all your letters, don't worry that if back looks bad, no one will see it!
3: Print your pictures and slip them into the yarn. They'll stay nice and snug!
Voila! an interchangeable picture holder! happy crafting friends!
BLOG⎬⎨SHOP⎬⎨TWITTER
xo, Lauren

7.20.2011

Girl Talk: The Funny Girl


Emily is one of the funniest people I know. I'm not just saying that either; the girl literally doesn't even have to try to make you laugh, she is just such a character. Her bubbly personality and genuineness instantly drew me to her and we've been friends for 3 years now. She sings beautifully, she's driven, she's an amazing friend and I know she's going to inspire you.

What is your job title?
Administrative assistant for Brenton Miles and Key Eye Productions L.L.C. …aka da boss, yo. Brenton Miles is an emerging singer, song-writter and worship leader. Check him out!!

What do you love about yourself?
Honestly one of the big things that I love about myself is that I have the most AMAZING friendships on earth. No lie. Without them, I wouldn’t be who I am today. I love that almost ANY joke, no matter how stupid will prob still make me laugh out loud. I love that it takes a lot to bring me down because usually even when things are bothering me, im still being my silly, ridiculous, goofy self. I like to stay upbeat and keep a-smilin.


Who is your role model?
Role models for me are tricky. I look up to so many people…friends, my own parents, my academic mentors, but one role model that always stuck out to me was my college voice teacher, Meredith Jones. She really did inspire me to truly love and appreciate classical voice and music and helped me to see beyond what I could. She is such an incredible woman of God and an amazing singer and musician. I hope to continue on singing and learning for the rest of my life, no matter what my career is because of the love for the craft that she instilled in me.


What inspires you?
SOO many things inspire me…music for sure, clothes and great style, an awesome and appropriately placed knock-knock joke, but when we get down to the major themes of life, my very own father is the biggest inspiration of all. He is the hardest working man that I know and has always put his family above himself. He inspires me to see that in life, you have to give everything you’ve got and put every effort you have into something if you want to see the desired results. THAT inspires me to take every day by the horns and keep working and working at my dreams and goals.


What are five words that describe you?
….hmmm…energetic? Definitely so. Animated? Absolutely, and throw in a slight flair for the dramatic (only slightly ;). Downright hilarious? Well of course…but probably only to myself. Tenacious and industrious? Well, that’s two words, but yes. And lastly, I would have to say loyal. I’ll stick by your side no matta da weatha.

What is your biggest insecurity?
Getting up on stage to play the piano and forgetting my song 3 measures in. Oh wait…that already happened. Like every year since ive been alive it’s happened. Every recital.  The piano is scary. It was a miracle that I graduated with a music degree. Don’t y’all feel bad for me?

If you could be anyone for a day, who would it be?
This last one is so tough! I would want to be like a million different people!! But I would have to say that I would want to be Amanda Bynes. I think she is one of the funniest actresses of my generation. I have NO idea how great her personality is in real life, but I died laughing watching her in movies and on T.V. growing up. Love her.



7.19.2011

Guest Post // Rouge & Whimsy

Hi Pie N' the Sky readers, I'm Erika of Rouge & Whimsy. I am so excited for the opportunity to guest post for the lovely Melisa!

I make & sell pretty accessories in my Etsy shop and write about life, fashion and all things creative on my blog. Come stop by & say hi :)

My tidbit I'm sharing today is in regards to fashion. One of the things I love about fashion today is that it really is more about what looks good on you and what you feel comfortable in than what's "in." 

When I was in junior high I was concerned about what I wore but even more concerned about what other people thought of what I wore. Thankfully I've grown out of that (a little bit) and have much more freedom to wear things that I like! 

I used to worry a lot about if things matched. I had these turquoise tennis shoes and I would wear them only with my dark jeans and a solid shirt-- I especially liked to pair it with a matching turquoise shirt... a little over board now that I think about it. :) I never would be caught dead in an outfit that had black and brown and mixing patterns? Unforgivable.

Today those rules don't apply. Now, if you want, you can wear black and brown and if you're really daring, mix and match patterns to your pleasing.

If you want to start mixing patterns, try it with an accessory. I personally love stripes combined with florals.


Try a striped top with a floral scarf like I did here, or vice versa--a striped scarf with a floral top. If you're a little more brave, try going further with a striped cardigan and floral top, or even a striped skirt with floral shirt.

Or, as I did here, a polka-dotted pattern skirt with a striped top. 



In both cases, make sure that the items go at least a little bit together. Although my shirt is orange-y and the skirt is blue, both patterns have a lot of white in them which makes it less of a clash. Both items are also in the same color family--bright, cheerful hues. These two things make my outfit more coordinated. :)

If you are really feeling daring, try mixing two of the same prints together. I suggest two florals, and if you want it to mesh nicely, pair a small ditsy floral print with a larger floral pattern.


In this case, I paired a navy floral sundress with a more muted floral cardigan over it. There are similar colors in both prints and by adding a brown belt, the entire outfit is more cohesive. Rather than try and go all out with patterned shoes, I chose a simple purple wedge which picks up the colors in the dress and cardigan.



If you're mixing patterns in your clothes-- keep your accessories minimal. Unless, of course, you're really going for a statement! :) The final thing you need to remember? If you feel great in what you're wearing, than that's all the matters. Confidence over clothes any day. :)

Thanks for letting me stop by Melisa! 

xo Erika