road trip?!

Hop on over to sweet Hannah's blog where I am a guest blogging today!

you must

hop on over to Wild and Precious and take a peek at my guest post.

You must also enter my giveaway if you haven't done so yet!

package pals

Do you love brown paper packages?
Do you love sending and receiving snail mail?
Do you love making new friends?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, hop on over to Rachael's lovely blog. I am honoured to be guest posting over there today (it's about one of my favourite things!)

" a cheerful friend...

is like a sunny day spreading brightness all around."
- John Lubcock ( English Astronomer )

I first "met" Sharon one night when I was blog hopping (don't you just love blog hopping?). I instantly became smitten with her and her blog. How can you not be charmed by someone who says "The world is your catwalk, so strut your stuff!"

I left a comment on her post, she sent me an email, I sent her back one, and one more email became a few more emails. We had a lot in common, had the same interests and we both married our high school sweet hearts!

Sharon, being the lucky girl she is, lives on the beautiful island of Maui and by luck (or fate?) I was headed to Maui for a wedding!

I hesitantly sent her an email, telling her that I would be heading to her neck of the woods, and would she possibly want to meet up with me? ( I felt like I was asking someone to be my date for the winter formal!) She instantly replied with an enthusiastic "Of course!" Phew!

The day of our scheduled "date" (unlike Sharon) I was nervous, anxious and excited! I felt like I was going on a first date. I wondered to myself: will she like me? what will we talk about? will she recognize me?

Before heading out, I even turned to my hubby and asked " Do I look alright?"

But of course all my worrying was for nothing, from the moment Sharon and her hubby sat down, it was non stop chatter, we talked about everything from etsy to having babies to travelling. Time flew by. Before I knew it, it was 2 hours later and time to go back to my hotel.

She even knew just how to secure me as a friend for life.... she brought me a bag of yummy hawaiian treats!

Sharon, I had a great time chatting with you and your hubby... I am sure our paths will cross again (and not just in blog land!)

Aloha!

spring musings

hi, i'm meg, from meg's musings! i am so excited (and honored) to be doing my very first guest post while jozen is soaking in the beauty of hawaii!

spring
is hands-down my favorite season.
i revel in it.

this revelry may have something to do with the
loooooong, cold Michigan winters i must endure each year.
i (along with my fellow Michiganders) am basically forced to hibernate for (at least) four months, my poor skin receiving so very little of the Vitamin C it craves.
and though i do appreciate a fresh snowfall,
my wonder and awe turns to annoyance and rage come March.
i have to make a real effort to resist
becoming melancholic.
but although i am not especially fond of these winter months,
in a way, i am thankful for them.
because when spring finally does begin to peak her head,
and i feel the warm sun beaming on my face after months of deprivation,
it is one of the most glorious feelings.
it makes me feel alive and hopeful.
there's no way i would appreciate it so much if it weren't for winter.



one of my most favorite parts about spring is the ever-so-brief period
when the trees bloom - particularly cherry blossoms.
they make my heart go a-flutter.



these are all trees i swoon over on hubby and i's daily walks through the neighborhood
with our rambunctious pup Magglio.
i'm pretty sure Maggs likes spring just as passionately as me
because of these walks :)


what about spring makes you swoon?

shine on!

How jealous am I of Jozen's Hawaii adventure! But I am super excited to be guest posting while she is away & I hope she is having so much fun with her hubs.

I'm Blair, the gal behind Wild & Precious & have been following Jozen's beautiful world for a bit now & am thrilled to be included with some other great blogging gals during her vacation.

I've definitely done some damage to my skin in the past -- I'm a fair skinned gal and have fallen victim in the past to the dubious pressure of pop culture telling me I must be a bronzed beauty in order to fit in. Enough, I say! Plus, no matter what your complexion or natural tanning ability, far too often when it comes to health, we ignore our skin. So in honor of Jozen's Hawaiian adventures & as a toast to summer, here is a list of my summer skin tips:

1.) Switch up your daily moisturizing & makeup routine to include some SPF. All bare mineral foundations include SPF 15, but before you put on your make up try a daily moisturizer that includes some light oil-free sunscreen. My favorite (I use it all year round) is Johnson & Johnson Purpose. It's hypo-allergenic & fragrance free.

2.) Don't forget your lips. Lots of great lip balms make versions that include spf specially formulated for lips (badger cream, soft lips, burt's bees...)

3.) Drink plenty of water. I'm a horrible water drinker, so in the summer I have to be very intentional. There is not much worse than a sun burn on top of dry skin. Even if you don't feel more thirsty in the summer, you need more to replenish what the sun & heat is taking out. (Fun water bottles always make water consumption easier...)

4.) Keep cover. I'm all about being out in the sun (vitamin D is a good thing!), but for long periods of time, give your skin a break from time to time. Find a fun light-weight cover up to throw over your bathing suit or sun dress & a stylish straw hat to go with it (i got a great one on sale at j.crew last year).

5.) Sunglasses! Did you know that you can burn the white's of your eyes? It's true! Plus, nothing makes you feel more tired than when the soft skin around your eyes are puffy and red from the sun.

6.) Still wish you were tan? I'm a believer in Jergen's Natural Glow moisturizing lotion. Healthy & natural looking with out the damaging affects of tanning beds or prices of airbrush tans.

Love your body. Take care of your skin. Be happy with who you are & shine on!

xo,

Blair

www.wild-and-precious.com

{photos here & here}

blog friends make the blog world go round #2

Hi everyone! Alely here from oh, sweetlee me. I am so honored to be here guest posting for Jozen whilst she is away basking in the sun on some tropical island with her adorable family. When Jozen asked me to guest post for her I was very excited! I normally post about everything and anything, from family, faith, home decorating, food, traveling, crafting, and photography. This guest post will be about how thankful and blessed I am for having met so many wonderful, sweet, creative and very inspiring bloggers whom I have to say have become my bloggy friends. It use to be back in the day if you wanted to keep in touch with a friend or have a pen pal you would write or type a letter.



then you would sign, seal and deliver it via by mail

But in today's world one can meet and keep in touch with so many via the world wide web. And in the push of a button you can send and receive a message by email, if you tweet by twitter, and if you blog by comments. It all happens instantly and naturally friendships just form.

I truly look forward to their comments as they look forward to mine. I also know as each blogger builds more followers and friendships some friendships may go astray, but that' ok, because in reality friendships go through seasons and times and blog friendships will go through the same. So for the here and now, I'm very thankful and blessed for whom I have met thus far in this blog journey. I hope all of you bloggers are enjoying your journey as well.

A huge thank you to Jozen for having me as her guest today! She is a sweetie and I do hope she's enjoying a shaved ice for me with vanilla ice cream and azuki beans!

xo, alely

a dollop of sheer whimsy

'Tis an indubitable honor to be able to post here on Lola's Girl. Thanks so very much, Jozen, for the lovely opportunity - you are the absolute sweetest!

I've a hankering to share a dandy how-to today: tasty teeny treat bags! They're peachy perfect as handcrafted giveaways for any jolly gala, or even just because to brighten a lovely chum's day up! Behold the following snickerdoodle-stuffed tasty teeny treat bags.First, concoct the bite-sized cookies with the following recipe.

Ingredients:
2 3/4 c all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon Directions (makes at least 45 bite-sized snickerdoodles):
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Cream butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs. Reduce speed to low. Gradually mix in flour mixture.
3. Stir together cinnamon and 2 tablespoons sugar in a plate. Shape dough into 45+ (1 inch) balls; roll in cinnamon sugar. Space 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets.
4. Bake cookies until edges are golden, 9 minutes.While cookies cool, accumulate 15 clear plastic treat baggies, fabric scraps, a sheet of graph or lined paper, and a brown paper bag.Tear the brown paper bag into 15 (2 1/2 x 1 1/2 in.) strips. The rougher-edged, the more endearing, methinks. Cut graph paper or lined paper into 15 (2 x 1 in.) strips. Scribble a mini memo on each strip (I penned "oodles of snickerdoodles for a lovely day!"). Cut up fabric scraps into 15 (2 1/4 x 1 1/2 in.) strips. These need not be perfect rectangles by any means, so ragged fabric scrap strips are wholly welcome. Crafting these tasty teeny treat bags is a resourceful method to repurpose used paper bags and any fabric scraps you may have stashed away ('cause I've bucketfuls more than I know what to do with!).Stuff a treat bag with 3-4 cookies. Layer a brown paper bag strip on top of it, then a fabric scrap strip, followed by a graph paper note. Use a handy dandy sewing machine to zig-zag stitch across the top with vivid-colored thread.Repeat the procedure 'til you're plumb out of cookies! They look daintily darling displayed in a nicked vintage bowl, but they'll get gobbled up in no time at all!I do hope you enjoyed this tasty teeny treat bag tutorial. Be sure to mosey on over to visit my blog, Sheer Whimsy! Thanks a bunch, Jozen, for the opportunity to guest post on your lovely blog!

bringing granny back

Jozen's off having a million funs without us, but don't fret! I'm Elizabeth, her practically-twin, from E TELLS TALES. She's entrusted me with your entertainment for today, so let's get right down to business:

I've said it a million times: I'm a granny at heart. Only twenty-three and old to the core.

We girls these days walk a fine line. The granny line. Allow me to explain:

Thrifting.

Granny: The granny thrifter can find an awesome mustard yellow pencil skirt hidden in a junky box of 50 cent finds, pair it with a cardigan from Target and wear it to work the next day. Her boss will think she's so chic, she'll ask her for advice on what to wear to her next business meeting in Paris.

Not: Finding another ceramic candy dish to add to your collection. You've got 29 so far.

Cooking.

Granny: Baking a dozen chocolate cupcakes with a sweet cherry bathing in the frosting and handing them out at your niece's cherry-themed birthday party.

Not: The only way to stay regular is to eat those stewed prunes for breakfast.

Sewing.

Granny: You just sewed up a really awesome duvet. It's so awesome that Anthropologie buyers are knocking on your door, swearing up and down it's worth the $300 they usually charge for theirs.

Not: Making couch protectors again, out of plastic sold by the yard.

The mail.

Granny: You bought some vintage postcards off Etsy and are using them as quick invitations to your next dinner party. Your guests are so wild about them that they paste them into their scrapbooks and even their grandchildren will know about the awesome parties you used to throw.

Not: Stealing the stamps off already-sent letters to use again.

Decorating.

Granny: You collect every old blue glass bottle you can get your hands on. In fact, friends know you so well, they bring them back from their travels. You line them up on the window sills and keep white wildflowers inside all summer.

Not: Two words...lawn ornaments.

So tell me, how do you walk the line?

{images}

blog friends make the blog world go round

Hi! I'm Jennifer from i art u. I'm fairly new to the blogging world but have enjoyed many aspects of it. I have met so many amazing friends and have made connections with people that wouldn't have been possible without my little bloglet.

Jozen is one of the friends I have made through blogging. I was so happy when Jozen asked me to guest post! she has been such a lovely friend--so supportive and inspiring! When I think of Jozen, the following words come to mind: super sweet, caring, fun (!), inspirational, (beautiful) mom, and crafty! I thought i would compile a list of Etsy faves that make me think of Jozen! here goes! Enjoy!

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Thanks Jozen for asking me to guest post! Happy day to each and every one of you!!! :)

blog serenity

Hi! My name is Gena from Small Burst...of everything. While Jozen and her family are off vacationing, I am so honored to guest post in her absence. I need a little vacation myself and I figured you do too, right? So let’s have our own mini vacation or what I like to call “blog serenity”.

Today I am taking you to The Maldives. The Cocoa Island Resort to be exact. This place is amazing with beautiful spacious rooms complete with private lagoon access. Ok. Now close your eyes and imagine…. You can hear the waves softly crashing in the distance and can smell the saltiness of the sea. See the second photo? DH and I are sitting on those chairs taking in the scenery and I’m hoping to imprint the beauty in my mind forever.

Where do you find yourself in these images?

Ahhh. I feel refreshed already.

heavenly hawaiian haupia pie

Hi! This is Sandy from Sandy a la Mode .My husband and I love visiting the islands of shaved ice, luaus, leis, beautiful beach weather...oh, heavenly Hawaii! Our first trip together in Hawaii was for my best friend's wedding, when we visited Oahu and Maui. Our second time there was for our honeymoon, when we visited Hawaii (Big Island) and Kauai. We loved exploring Hawaii's natural beauties: the cliffs, beaches, waterfalls... and, of course, the delicious beauties: shaved ice, lava flows, maui onion chips, pupu platters, loco mocos and haupia pie.

What is haupia pie, you ask? Well let me tell you, Lola Girl's readers...haupia is essentially coconut pudding. Add in the word pie and you've a got a flaky crust, chocolate (or vanilla), whipped cream topping and a heavenly slice of the dessert that defines a Hawaiian luau. My husband and I first had haupia pie in Ching Young Village in Kauai. A quick web search shows that Ted's Bakery may be the best place to get it in Oahu, but I bet the locals know of other hidden gems! After we had this dessert we could not stop thinking (and drooling) about it. One day after returning from a business trip, my sweet husband even surprised me with a homemade version of it! We never really had a "song" to define our relationship but this was the "dessert" that defined our relationship. ;)

So because we are all jealous (well, at least I am) that Jozen and her family are in beautiful, sunny Hawaii right now, please take the following ingredients out of your pantry/fridge so you can follow along and make your own slice of Hawaiian heaven! :P

Ingredients (taken from Allrecipes)

• 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust


• 1 cup milk


• 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk


• 1 cup white sugar


• 1 cup water


• 1/2 cup cornstarch


• 7/8 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips


• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream


• 1/4 cup white sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake crust for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside to cool.


2. In a medium saucepan, whisk together milk, coconut milk and 1 cup sugar. In a separate bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in water. Bring coconut mixture to a boil. Reduce to simmer and slowly whisk in the cornstarch. Continue stirring mixture over low heat until thickened, about 3 minutes.


3. In a glass bowl, microwave chocolate chips for 1 minute or until melted. Divide the coconut pudding evenly into two bowls. Mix chocolate into one portion. Spread on the bottom of the pie crust. Pour the remaining portion of pudding on top of the chocolate and spread smooth. Refrigerate for about an hour.


4. Whip cream with 1/4 cup sugar until stiff peaks form. Layer the cream on pie; if desired garnish chocolate shavings (I added toasted coconut shavings, which made for a nice contrasting texture!)

This really is the PERFECT summer dessert for a party, BBQ or picnic! It takes a couple hours from start to finish but you will be soo happy you made it, girl scout's honor! I've also seen some recipes that used graham cracker or Oreo for the crust or vanilla, banana, or even sweet potato for the filling. By the way, did you notice the beautiful, flowery fabric I used in these last three photos? Hop on over to my blog, Sandy a la Mode, to see what I made with it with an easy sewing tutorial (hint: it's something you can wear)! :)