MUNSTER DONUT

I want to remember everything about this season of my life. I want to remember the frustrations of it and the moments I'm aware of how truly blessed I am. So why munster donut? Because its the cutest little donut shop. But really, it is this sweet little baby inside me that makes me crave a chocolate long john and a small cup of coffee with creme and sugar from munster donut. And the husband who takes me there to indulge every so often. What sweeter way to remember these moments than to capture them with my lens. 

I hope you remember to capture the little things...

Joanna

CLOTH CHANDELIER

I was inspired by one of my favorite blogs to attempt this cloth chandelier. And I must say, it is my favorite DIY project I've ever done, so thanks Elise + Emma from A Beautiful Mess for this idea! You can find their tutorial here. A few things I did differently...

1. Instead of a cookie rack, I used this decoration hanging up in my friend's (Michelle, aka twinner) kitchen. I liked that it was big and oval...and free!

2. One trick about fabric is you don't have to cut all those strips by hand! If you just put a small cut at one end, you can tear it all the way down, saving you lots of jagged edged cuts and hours of frustration.

3. I'm not the biggest fan of sewing, so I decided to just tie the fabric in knots around the bars and it worked! 

4. I used the cheapest white fabric I could for the bulk of it, with a coupon I think it was 75 cents a yard. I bought some nice creamy fabric and a few yards of chunky lace for the outer edges to keep it soft. I wanted the chenille they used but I couldn't find it in any fabric stores! Sad day.

5. I cut all my strips the same length and waited until they were all on to add or remove strips. Most importantly, I waited till the end to shape it to look like a chandelier.

Lessons learned: 

1. DO NOT buy LED lights, this beautiful chandelier went from elegant to a scary halloween decoration in a second, haha.

2. Don't hang this yourself if you are not 100% confident. We have cement ceilings, so I asked my handy father-in-law and the husband to take care of that part of the project. 

Let me know if you attempt this project. I highly recommend it if you need something to take your space up to the next level but don't want to spend a lot of money. I also think this would be cute if you dyed the fabric giving it an ombre effect. 

Joanna

*I was asked about the lighting situation...It is lit up by white Christmas lights strung throughout the cloth. Also, I tested the lights for multiple hours and they never got hot, so no fire hazard :)

WAMPUM LAKE

One of my goals this year is to take more pictures just for fun. The husband and I found this beautiful frozen lake last weekend. I've decided I need to take someones pictures here, I'm envisioning an engagement session...Here is to hoping it happens before it turns to spring. 

Joanna

I LOVE SHORTS & TIGHTS

Don't let all your awesome summer shorts sit in storage this winter! Find some nice cozy tights and cute shoes and rock those shorts all year long, I know I will. Pair them with heels for a night on the town or boots a casual get together, who knows, shorts may become you new favorite piece. 

Joanna

SWEDISH TEA RING

You know those recipes that evoke a powerful emotion or give you a sweet memory? Well for me, this is it. I have faint memories of my dad baking Swedish tea rings when I was little. It takes an afternoon to make, but trust me, they are worth your time. The recipe makes two rings, so I chose to do one tea ring with a raisin filling and the other with a pecan filling. Click here for the recipe. 

Joanna

I LOVE COLORED/PATTERNED SKINNIES

I love colored and patterned skinnies. There is no better way to spice up an outfit than by throwing on a pair of bold skinny jeans. Pick your favorite color or pattern, you honestly can't go wrong here. Have fun paring it with different patters, textures and layers to make this trend  uniquely you. I personally think leopard and and black and white stripes can take any outfit to the next level (in a good way).

Joanna