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

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

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

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.

Website // Facebook

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