W E A R :: a bit of sunshine

details :: sweater c/o SammyDress, jeans/hco, shoes/Sam Edelman

I'm kind of totally obsessed with this sweater. It's the softest and I love how bold the yellow is. Especially since I'm not one to wear very bright colors - it's a great statement piece. 

I'm getting ready for a craft fair this weekend so nearly all of my time is going towards crafting. I have a few new products that I'll be debuting at the fair and then hopefully adding to the shop! I'm going to share a sneak peak here shortly so stay posted!

xo. melisa

N E W S P A C E :: bedside + Kleenex Style

Since (mostly) finishing our living room decor, I've decided to devote my attention to our bedroom. My hope is to create a space that is peaceful, beautiful and calming. After a long day at work, it's nice to have a place for relaxation; our bedroom is sort of our retreat after all. My hope is to share the space piece by piece as we work on it. Here are a few of my bedside essentials:

flowers :: I love having fresh flowers by my bedside! Not only do they bring a pleasant smell to the space, but they seem to brighten it up. I picked these up at the market the other day and I'm just smitten with that purple color. They've got me in spring fever, that's for sure!

candles :: for the last two years or so, I've become completely obsessed with candles. Elisha has actually put a cap on my candle purchases until I use the ones we have, ha! I just love them - their smells, the pretty jars they come in, and how peaceful they can turn any room. Any time I've had an extra long day, I love to come home, light the candles and just sit and breathe them in. They're just so therapeutic, so naturally I need at least one at my bedside. My current favorite scents are Volcano and Crane Flower from Anthropologie.

books + magazines :: I love to read, so it's nice to have some good reading material by the bed. Sometimes I like to read to help me fall asleep at night and it's helping me reach one of my goals! I'm currently reading Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me by Mindy Kaling and Carry On, Warrior by Glennon Melton. What are you reading? 

Kleenex :: When I moved to Texas 6 years ago, I developed allergies. They're something I've had to deal with each season, so having Kleenex by my bedside is an absolute essential. I recently purchased a few boxes from the new Kleenex Style Studio Line, and I love the fun designs. It's great having cute boxes that fit your style and don't take away from your decor, but actually add to it. They recently launched this new line; I love the one with the sweet owls!

perfume :: I usually shower at night and I love spraying on my perfume before I go to sleep. It's something my Mom always did and I never thought it was strange until my sister pointed it out. I just love going to bed feeling clean and smelling pretty, so sue me!

lipbalm :: I think everyone has lip balm on their nightstand. It's a must.

blankets :: I'm a blanket junkie. There, I said it. I have way way too many, but I'm not even sorry. I love blankets, I love being warm, and they're the best! Of course, I have two by my side... ya know... just in case. 

So, does your bedside look like mine? What are some of your staples?

xo. melisa

*this post is sponsored by Kleenex. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make Pie N' the Sky possible.

M A K E :: insta coasters

Since moving into our home, I have been on the search for the perfect coasters. I know, kinda strange, but our coffee table is glass and I hate those pesky water circles that are left behind. I found a few cute designs, but always felt like I shouldn't have to pay thaaat much for something that is keeping away condensation. Ya feel me? So, I decided to make some of my own and I'm way happier with this price and result.

S U P P L I E S :: white tiles (got mine at home depot for 13 cents each), Crystal Clear acrylic coating spray, black felt, mod lodge, (instagram) photos, scissors, hot glue (not pictured) 

1) Cover each tile with a thin layer of mod podge and place your photo on top. Apply light pressure. Let the tile sit for about ten to fifteen minutes, giving your photo time to adhere to it. 

2) Lay your tile down on the felt and cut around it. The felt will keep your coasters from scratching your table surface. Once you have enough squares to match your tiles, then take your hot glue gun and glue them in place. **You may want to cut your felt squares slightly smaller than your actual tile, to keep it from peeking out on the sides.

3) Use your acrylic coating spray to finish your project. Spray a nice and even coat on top of all your tiles. This will create a nice coat, to make sure that your photos aren't damaged by the condensation. This spray is kind of amazing. Let it sit outside for about ten to fifteen minutes, then you're all done!

I'm pretty smitten with how these turned out! I love that I was able to use all of the photos of Elisha and I drinking our bubble tea. It's kind of funny because I had about 15 more of these to choose from - we love our tea! You don't have to use instagram photos, obviously, but it's nice to have some that are cut perfectly to the right size.  These are a great way to personalize any home and would make a fun gift for a housewarming! And a huge perk is that this project only cost me a whopping $1.40!! So what are you waiting for? Go make some cute coasters!!

xo. melisa

B E W E L L :: setting goals

This year has gotten off to a great start! There's been quite a bit of change and life isn't perfect by any means, but we've gotten do to some exciting things and I feel like we're progressing. I decided to write some of our goals on this board we had leftover from our wedding. As the days go by, I think of something I want to add, so I do. It's never too late to set a goal!

H E R  G O A L S  ::  

relearn portuguese - I used to be fluent when we lived in Brazil, but over time I forgot. I've been using the app DuoLingo to freshen up.

take blog to next level - this is kind of broad, but I've actually broken it down into a few more specific goals. I'd like to share them, but I don't want to give any upcoming surprises away! I'll let you know when I meet them!

preach 1st sermon - this is actually the first goal I met! you can read about my experience here.

learn 10 new recipes - I have currently learned 2 new recipes and I can't wait to learn more.

read 5 books - last year I challenged myself to read more and I ended up reading SO much - I loved it! I'm currently reading Carry On, Warrior and Jesus Calling. Do you have any suggestions??

H I S  G O A L S  ::

Ironman - Elisha already has three triathlons on the calendar and will be participating in his first Ironman in Wisconsin, in July! He'll have his first one for the year, next month and has been training ever day. His commitment to these races are so inspiring - I'm so proud of him already. 

Read more - not being much of a reader, this was a goal he knew would be something, he'd have to really work for and he's loving it! He's currently reading  Greater and Ultra Marathon Man.

Read through the bible in a year - he's actually done this before, but wanted to challenge himself to do it again.

O U R  G O A L S  ::

our big goal this year is to get a dog - I would gladly take any dog from anywhere, but there is a particular dog that we both would love to have, and that's a whippet. They're beautiful dogs and have the perfect personality of what we're looking for. We've read that they have two speeds - running at 35mph or cuddling on the couch - which is exactly Elisha and I rolled into one. We've looked at a few breeders in the area, but are still on the hunt for our dream dog. If you happen to know anyone who breeds them, or can offer any further info on the breed, let me know in the comments!

So what are your goals this year? Have you accomplished any big ones yet? I think progress is always so encouraging, even if it's just one step in the right direction. You know, even if you don't meet your goal in the allotted time frame, as long as you didn't just sit around ad do nothing about it, I'd say you're winning! Tell me about your progress!

xo. melisa

B I T S + P I E C E S

I've been painting a lot more as of late. I spent one afternoon just painting for fun and it was the best. Sometimes you just have to craft and take business out of it - helps you remember why you love what you do. It's fun to make things, purely for the joy of making. When was the last time you crafted just for fun??

xo. melisa

W E A R :: blushing through

details :: dress/forever21, belt/urban outfitters, leggings/pink, boots/vince camuto

Lately I've been trying to wear less makeup. I've always been one who enjoys wearing it and always thought of myself as the kind of girl who wore it for fun and not out of necessity. As I've gotten older, I've realized that I lean on it a bit more than I let myself believe. I found that I could rarely walk out the door without putting eyeliner on. I have circles under my eyes and it's probably the one thing on my face that I am most self conscious about. Anytime I don't wear eyeliner, I feel like there's this giant lit up sign over my head saying "tired!" I seriously think I look wiped if I don't have any on. SO, in an attempt to be more secure in my own skin, like I challenged us all to be when I wrote this; I've started to wear less and keep that eyeliner tucked away. Sure I may look a little more worn out, but that's cause I am honestly a little worn out. I am allowing myself to look how I feel. Why do we feel the need to convince the world otherwise? Maybe we do look tired... for some it's because they work long hard  days and are great at their job, for some it's because they were up all night being an awesome mom, for some it's because they're maintaining a high gpa and studying through the night, for some it's staying up and hanging out with friends because they've been blessed with incredible relationships... whatever it is, own it, don't hide it!

Surprisingly enough, the more I see myself this way, the more I realize I don't actually look all that rough, and maybe some of that was just in my head (maybe). So, here's to being more comfortable in our own skin and owning who we are and how we feel. This is me and that's enough.

xo. melisa

M A K E :: leather pouch

Happy Friday! I'm over on Wonder Forest today, sharing how to make these simple and chic leather journals! You can see all the photos and details here! 

xo. melisa