Well, here is my Music Monday a couple days late. :)
Matt Costa
We are off visiting my father in law in the hospital today. He just had a hip replacement for a previous hip replacement, so we are going to shower him with hugs and smiles. I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday! xoxo Katie
Wednesday, February 29
Tuesday, February 28
Victory Rolls
I have another hair DIY over on A Beautiful Mess-- this time I'm styling victory rolls. If you give it a try or already wear your hair like this, leave me a link. I'd love to see pictures!
Have a great Tuesday!! xoxo Katie
Monday, February 27
11 Things
My lovely friend Danielle from Sometimes Sweet tagged me in her 11 Things post, and while I usually skip out on these things for whatever reason, if Dani Hampton tags you for something, you do it! ;)
There are five rules:
1. Post these rules.
2. Post a picture of yourself and 11 random things.
3. Answer the questions set for the original post.
4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them.
5. Go to their blog/twitter and tell them you've tagged them.
11 Random Things
1. I have a super power. It's a majorly heightened sense of smell at all times. I hate it... unless something is on fire or melting. Then it is handy.
2. I love soft pretzels more than I could ever describe. When we went to Disney World my only mission was to get a giant pretzel from Germany in Epcot. Mission accomplished!
3. I used to have a really hard time with finding shoes that I liked. When I started figuring out what I liked to wear and how to pair things with different outfits the flood gates opened up. Now my collection is outgrowing my bedroom and closet.
4. I'm the unhealthiest healthy person ever. I do my best to eat tons of vegetables and exercise regularly (and I really enjoy it), but if you give me the option to choose food for date night or a birthday and I will always choose a place with onion rings or cheese dip.
5. I'm super competitive when it comes to board games... which is why I don't like to play the ones I'm bad at. I do my best to keep it under raps, but sometimes I have raging fits over board games like a little kid. It's so not cute.
6. When I was a teenager I was convinced that I needed to move to Canada because I could play in the snow, wear lots of coats and watch Much Music all of the time.
7. I think tennis is the most fun sport to play... even though the old ladies always make us look bad when we go. ;)
8. I love soft, fluffy kitties. I wish we could have another one.
9. I am married to an over-explainer, which has turned me into an under-explainer.
10. I'm addicted to nostalgia... which also means I'm kind of a "memory hoarder". I have boxes and boxes of old notes and trinkets and "meaningful" memorabilia in a storage unit. And yes, I'm still collecting. ;)
11. I have a serious love of fishing. Whenever we'd visit my dad growing up, he'd always take us fishing at his "lake house" (which was a little trailer parked by a lake in IL). My grandma and grandpa had a pontoon boat called "Large Marge's Barge" and we'd go and spend our days fishing, swimming, and riding around in the boat. My grandma is in the Guinness Book of World Records for largest fish (somewhere).
Questions from Danielle:
1. If money, schooling, or time was no obstacle, what career would you choose?
This might sound lame, but I'd choose to do what I'm doing now. I would (and will someday) take it to a higher level, but I love sewing, creating, and blogging. They are some of my very favorite things. Johnny and I have also talked about opening a vintage guitar store. I'd also like to maybe use a portion of the shop to offer coffee and treats and old school video games to the people tagging along with the guitar browsers. I know how super fun standing around a vintage guitar shop listening to them talk can be. ;)
2. What's the one thing you look forward to everyday?
There are a ton of things, but one of my VERY favorites is getting Poesy up from her nap(s). The way she laughs and smiles and says, "hhhhiiiiiiiiiiiii!" is one of the best things in the whole world.
3. What's your number one, all-time, favorite blog?
This is bad because I'm a blogger, but I don't have one. There are so many different types of blogs, and maybe I don't always feel like reading a crafty blog or a fashion blog or a lifestyle blog. That's the beauty of the blog world, there's something to feed every need. I love too many to say just one!
4. Biggest online pet peeve?
Wellll... for me it's bloggers complaining about other bloggers. I don't understand why we have to be so concerned with how certain people are choosing to blog, or who gets to be the authority on what's the RIGHT way to blog and what's the WRONG way. I enjoy different blogs for hundreds of different reasons, but I never enjoy a negative post or tweet about how "this is wrong". Do your thing and if you don't like the way someone blogs, don't read their blog. I think it's as simple as that. Choose encouragement over negativity EVERY DAY.
5. What is your all-time, favorite book?
Slapstick by Kurt Vonnegut. We are pretty big Vonnegut fans in this house.
6. What would your "last meal" be?
Onion rings. Cheese dip. Fries. Oh, and there had better be some cherry-apricot pie.
7. Do you believe in love at first sight?
It's a romantic thought, but I don't believe in it. Love is amazing and wonderful and fun, but it is also a lot of work. You know when your mom or sister tells you "love is a choice, not a feeling"-- it can be annoying, but it is true. The butterflies and crushes can fade, and when the newness and excitement have diminished, hopefully you have a partner and a friend to go the distance with. That's not to say that love and relationships don't stay fun and exciting. They can and do. They just change shape a little bit.
8. What would your ideal Sunday morning consist of?
Sleeping in and then going out for breakfast/brunch. Those are two of my very, very favorite things.
9. Why do you blog?
I blog for tons of reasons. I love to connect with other people. I love to document what's going on in my life. I like to share my work. I think that my family has perspective to offer and perspective to gain. I enjoy doing crafts. I really love putting together outfits and having photoshoots. I think there are some very deep reasons I blog and some super shallow reasons I blog. I love them equally. :)
10. If you had to choose one color to pick forever, what would you pick?
Easy: RED.
11. What is your all-time favorite band?
My all-time favorite band is the Cardigans. First Band on the Moon in junior high/high school was my favorite and Long Gone Before Daylight is my favorite album as an adult. I love them.
Questions for the ladies I will be tagging:
1. Do you drink coffee and if you do, why did you start?
2. What is the most important quality you look for in a friend?
3. What was your #1 favorite toy when you were young (K-4th)?
4. Do you prefer sunshine or rain?
5. What movie can you watch over and over and never get sick of?
6. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
7. Skype: is it more awesome or more awkward?
8. Who is your favorite band and what were you doing when you discovered them?
9. Cats or dogs? (and don't say one is dumb and the other is great)
10. What's your favorite thing to collect?
11. What is your favorite breakfast food?
Okay, so now I'm tagging Vanessa, Tieka, Diana, Katie, Abi, Holly, and Thursday. I'm also tagging the first 5 people who comment on this post. Tag!
Alright, now I'm off to get some work done and to neverdoanotheroneoftheseeveragain. xoxo Katie
There are five rules:
1. Post these rules.
2. Post a picture of yourself and 11 random things.
3. Answer the questions set for the original post.
4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them.
5. Go to their blog/twitter and tell them you've tagged them.
1. I have a super power. It's a majorly heightened sense of smell at all times. I hate it... unless something is on fire or melting. Then it is handy.
2. I love soft pretzels more than I could ever describe. When we went to Disney World my only mission was to get a giant pretzel from Germany in Epcot. Mission accomplished!
3. I used to have a really hard time with finding shoes that I liked. When I started figuring out what I liked to wear and how to pair things with different outfits the flood gates opened up. Now my collection is outgrowing my bedroom and closet.
4. I'm the unhealthiest healthy person ever. I do my best to eat tons of vegetables and exercise regularly (and I really enjoy it), but if you give me the option to choose food for date night or a birthday and I will always choose a place with onion rings or cheese dip.
5. I'm super competitive when it comes to board games... which is why I don't like to play the ones I'm bad at. I do my best to keep it under raps, but sometimes I have raging fits over board games like a little kid. It's so not cute.
6. When I was a teenager I was convinced that I needed to move to Canada because I could play in the snow, wear lots of coats and watch Much Music all of the time.
7. I think tennis is the most fun sport to play... even though the old ladies always make us look bad when we go. ;)
8. I love soft, fluffy kitties. I wish we could have another one.
9. I am married to an over-explainer, which has turned me into an under-explainer.
10. I'm addicted to nostalgia... which also means I'm kind of a "memory hoarder". I have boxes and boxes of old notes and trinkets and "meaningful" memorabilia in a storage unit. And yes, I'm still collecting. ;)
11. I have a serious love of fishing. Whenever we'd visit my dad growing up, he'd always take us fishing at his "lake house" (which was a little trailer parked by a lake in IL). My grandma and grandpa had a pontoon boat called "Large Marge's Barge" and we'd go and spend our days fishing, swimming, and riding around in the boat. My grandma is in the Guinness Book of World Records for largest fish (somewhere).
Questions from Danielle:
1. If money, schooling, or time was no obstacle, what career would you choose?
This might sound lame, but I'd choose to do what I'm doing now. I would (and will someday) take it to a higher level, but I love sewing, creating, and blogging. They are some of my very favorite things. Johnny and I have also talked about opening a vintage guitar store. I'd also like to maybe use a portion of the shop to offer coffee and treats and old school video games to the people tagging along with the guitar browsers. I know how super fun standing around a vintage guitar shop listening to them talk can be. ;)
2. What's the one thing you look forward to everyday?
There are a ton of things, but one of my VERY favorites is getting Poesy up from her nap(s). The way she laughs and smiles and says, "hhhhiiiiiiiiiiiii!" is one of the best things in the whole world.
3. What's your number one, all-time, favorite blog?
This is bad because I'm a blogger, but I don't have one. There are so many different types of blogs, and maybe I don't always feel like reading a crafty blog or a fashion blog or a lifestyle blog. That's the beauty of the blog world, there's something to feed every need. I love too many to say just one!
4. Biggest online pet peeve?
Wellll... for me it's bloggers complaining about other bloggers. I don't understand why we have to be so concerned with how certain people are choosing to blog, or who gets to be the authority on what's the RIGHT way to blog and what's the WRONG way. I enjoy different blogs for hundreds of different reasons, but I never enjoy a negative post or tweet about how "this is wrong". Do your thing and if you don't like the way someone blogs, don't read their blog. I think it's as simple as that. Choose encouragement over negativity EVERY DAY.
5. What is your all-time, favorite book?
Slapstick by Kurt Vonnegut. We are pretty big Vonnegut fans in this house.
6. What would your "last meal" be?
Onion rings. Cheese dip. Fries. Oh, and there had better be some cherry-apricot pie.
7. Do you believe in love at first sight?
It's a romantic thought, but I don't believe in it. Love is amazing and wonderful and fun, but it is also a lot of work. You know when your mom or sister tells you "love is a choice, not a feeling"-- it can be annoying, but it is true. The butterflies and crushes can fade, and when the newness and excitement have diminished, hopefully you have a partner and a friend to go the distance with. That's not to say that love and relationships don't stay fun and exciting. They can and do. They just change shape a little bit.
8. What would your ideal Sunday morning consist of?
Sleeping in and then going out for breakfast/brunch. Those are two of my very, very favorite things.
9. Why do you blog?
I blog for tons of reasons. I love to connect with other people. I love to document what's going on in my life. I like to share my work. I think that my family has perspective to offer and perspective to gain. I enjoy doing crafts. I really love putting together outfits and having photoshoots. I think there are some very deep reasons I blog and some super shallow reasons I blog. I love them equally. :)
10. If you had to choose one color to pick forever, what would you pick?
Easy: RED.
11. What is your all-time favorite band?
My all-time favorite band is the Cardigans. First Band on the Moon in junior high/high school was my favorite and Long Gone Before Daylight is my favorite album as an adult. I love them.
Questions for the ladies I will be tagging:
1. Do you drink coffee and if you do, why did you start?
2. What is the most important quality you look for in a friend?
3. What was your #1 favorite toy when you were young (K-4th)?
4. Do you prefer sunshine or rain?
5. What movie can you watch over and over and never get sick of?
6. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
7. Skype: is it more awesome or more awkward?
8. Who is your favorite band and what were you doing when you discovered them?
9. Cats or dogs? (and don't say one is dumb and the other is great)
10. What's your favorite thing to collect?
11. What is your favorite breakfast food?
Okay, so now I'm tagging Vanessa, Tieka, Diana, Katie, Abi, Holly, and Thursday. I'm also tagging the first 5 people who comment on this post. Tag!
Alright, now I'm off to get some work done and to neverdoanotheroneoftheseeveragain. xoxo Katie
Sunday, February 26
Sponsor in March
Saturday, February 25
Vegan Housewives: Vegan S'more Brownies
Hello! We're Kortney and Katie from Vegan Housewives and we're so excited to be over here on Skunkboy Creatures today! Sharing vegan baked goods and roasting marshmallows over an open fire are two of our favorite things to do, so we figured why not combine them into one delicious concoction... say hello to Vegan S'more Brownies.
While baking from scratch is fun, it isn’t always necessary & can get pretty time consuming. Our goal is to make your life as simple & tasty as possible, through quick & easy recipes. This one will only take you about 7 minutes to prepare, 15-20 in the oven & you won’t even have many dishes to clean up afterwards!
What You Need:
Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees (or as stated on the box)
1. Prepare the brownie mix according to the package, using the olive oil to replace the butter & Ener-G egg substitute http://www.ener-g.com/gluten-free/egg-substitute.html> *Some boxed mixes don’t call for any more liquid, however add 1/4 C of vanilla almond or soy milk, to make your brownies extra moist!
2. Mix in your chocolate chips & marshmallows (we won’t tell if you add a few extras!)
3. Layer your baking dish with graham crackers then pour your brownie mixture over top of them, being sure to spread everything evenly & marshmallows are completely covered in chocolate *Any cookies popping out of the top, may get a little burnt. We like them this way, but if you’re not too fond of crispy cookies, just be sure to break the tops off before popping them in the oven
4. Bake the brownies for the recommended time or until your marshmallows have completely expanded and slightly browned on top
5. Enjoy!
These little sweet treats are perfect for an indoor camping trip- serve with a
side of family room blanket forts for the full effect. We hope you enjoy them
& thanks so much for having us! Also, if you have a favorite recipe that you
would like to have veg-i-fied, we would love to help out. Head over to VeganHousewives.com to submit your dish & we will slave away until we
have created a vegan version just for you!
***************************************************************
Thank you so much, Katie and Kortney, for this recipe! I can't wait to try it out this weekend!
I hope you all have a great one! xoxo Katie
Friday, February 24
Sick Day(s)
I've been very sick for over a week now, and even though I've been doing my best to power through and stay caught up on sewing and blogging, it gets tough when you just feel like eating ice cream and sleeping all day. There have been some highlights to take my mind off it a little bit...
1. A little online shopping. I definitely do more online shopping when I'm feeling a little run down and want to treat myself. This dress and a pair of these tights from Emerging Thoughts would be so cute for a mini golf date when I feel all better.
2. These silly girls. They can take any old box, rip out the contents, and have an all day adventure. I love them so much.
3. New Parks and Recreation. That show kills me EVERY TIME. And, hi, the addition of Paul Rudd? Perfection. He is just too funny.
I hope you all have an amazing weekend. I think we may be taking Hope to see "The Secret World of Arietty" and getting some ice cream, so it's shaping up to be a good one over here. xoxo Katie
1. A little online shopping. I definitely do more online shopping when I'm feeling a little run down and want to treat myself. This dress and a pair of these tights from Emerging Thoughts would be so cute for a mini golf date when I feel all better.
2. These silly girls. They can take any old box, rip out the contents, and have an all day adventure. I love them so much.
3. New Parks and Recreation. That show kills me EVERY TIME. And, hi, the addition of Paul Rudd? Perfection. He is just too funny.
I hope you all have an amazing weekend. I think we may be taking Hope to see "The Secret World of Arietty" and getting some ice cream, so it's shaping up to be a good one over here. xoxo Katie
Wednesday, February 22
Weekly Wears: Mother, Daughter... Daughter
My sweet friends Erin and Steph from the Oh So Lovely Vintage blog sent my family a very special package recently. When I opened the box and saw what was inside I KNEW these outfits needed to be documented. Plus, I love any opportunity to get Hope and Poesy to stand still long enough for me (or Johnny) to snap a photo. They are busy little girls.
On Hope-- Dress: gift from the OSL girls; Tights: American Apparel; Boots: Minnetonka; Hair Clip: easy DIY
On Katie-- Dress: gift from the OSL girls; Tights: Target; Belt: c/o ModCloth; Boots: Minnetonka (Christmas gift from my awesome MIL); Scarf: vintage
On Poesy-- Dress and Shirt: gift from the OSL girls; Shoes: Minnetonka; Headband: c/o Evelyn's Whim
For those of you wondering why we're raising our hands, Poe's favorite game is "so big". She loves it even more when people participate.
Thank you again for the outfits, ladies! We adore them (and I adore the mommy/daughter/daughter matching)! xoxo Katie
You can see our other Mother, Daughter Weekly Wears here. :)
Tuesday, February 21
DIY Faux Terrariums From Please Note
Hi, friends! My name is Elizabeth and I run a little blog called Please Note. I've been a fan of Katie's blog for a while now so I'm absolutely thrilled to be able to share this faux terrarium DIY with you today! Enjoy!
What you'll need: clean mason jars, preserved sheet moss, wooden pegs, dirt, pins, tiny toy animals, red paint, white spray paint, white paint pen, fabric scraps, lighter
Stick the pins in the bottom of the wooden pegs and the animals. I had a little bit of trouble with the animals so I used a lighter to make the end of the pins hot and then they slid right in.
Spray paint the pegs white.
Fill the jars with a little bit of dirt. Cover the dirt with the moss.
Once the pegs are dry, paint the tops red. Now they're starting to look like tiny mushrooms!
Once the red paint is dry, use a white paint pen to add the white dots.
With the pins still attached, stick the animals and the mushrooms inside the jars.
If you're giving these as gifts, a cute finishing touch is to add a little bit of fabric when screwing on the mason jar lid.
Tips: If you plan on using dirt in your terrariums, make sure it is fertilizer-free! Charcoal is another good option. Also, covering them for transporting is a good idea but they should not be kept covered at all times. Without air, there is a chance that they could get a bit smelly.
That's it! I don't know about you guys, but I definitely do not have a green thumb so I really love these. I hope you love them too! :) --Elizabeth
****************************************************************************
Thanks again, Elizabeth, for sharing this fun DIY with us! I hope you all have a great time making your own faux terrariums at home! xoxo Katie
Monday, February 20
Friday, February 17
Friday Favorites
Here's a little peek at what I've been loving lately!
1. This adorable DIY for mounted toy animals is so cute! This looks like such a fun project to do with Hope!
2. I've been shopping for pretty planners lately and I'm smitten with this one!
3. This little necklace from Poppy and Fern is the loveliest!
4. The amazing embroidery of Lucky Jackson. This one KILLLLLLLSSSSS me!
5. This whimsical necklace found via WishWishWish.
Happy Friday, folks! I can't believe the weekend is here already and I REALLY can't believe that it's time for a sponsor call! Soooo... if you are interested in sponsoring for the month of March, please see my sponsor page or email sponsorskunkboy@gmail.com. You know I'd love to have you. <3
I'll talk a little more about my tattoo next week and show you the original design. Thank you all for the positive feedback. I always get nervous about that stuff for some reason. Have a great weekend!
1. This adorable DIY for mounted toy animals is so cute! This looks like such a fun project to do with Hope!
2. I've been shopping for pretty planners lately and I'm smitten with this one!
3. This little necklace from Poppy and Fern is the loveliest!
4. The amazing embroidery of Lucky Jackson. This one KILLLLLLLSSSSS me!
5. This whimsical necklace found via WishWishWish.
Happy Friday, folks! I can't believe the weekend is here already and I REALLY can't believe that it's time for a sponsor call! Soooo... if you are interested in sponsoring for the month of March, please see my sponsor page or email sponsorskunkboy@gmail.com. You know I'd love to have you. <3
I'll talk a little more about my tattoo next week and show you the original design. Thank you all for the positive feedback. I always get nervous about that stuff for some reason. Have a great weekend!
xoxo Katie
Wednesday, February 15
Weekly Wears: I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
This may or may not be going through your mind right now: "Girl! Don't you know it's winter?! In Missouri, no less??" Well, how am I supposed to show off my sparkly new tattoo if I'm wearing that winter-appropriate sweater? It's been healing for a couple of weeks and driving me a little crazy (itchy, you know), but it's finally feeling much better. I've honestly had a little bit of a break-in period with this one. After I had it done it took me several days to adjust, not knowing how I felt about having such a large, sudden change to my body. Now that I'm over the initial shock I do love it.
Dress, Tights, & Belt: c/o ModCloth; Knee Socks: Target; Boots: Vintage; Necklace: c/o Shlomit Ofir
Johnny was teasing me a little bit while we were shooting these about when my country album was being released. I think it was the location + the cowboy boots, but we got a good chuckle out of it.
xoxo Katie
**This tattoo was designed by Olivia Mew and done by Ethen at Hearts of Fire Tattoo in Springfield, MO.**
Tuesday, February 14
Happy, Happy Valentines!
I hope you all had a wonderful Valentines Day! Ours was a little different this year. Johnny and I had grand plans to go out and have a magical evening just the two of us, but everything changed at the last minute and we decided to have a party at home with the girlies. We deemed the night the "feast of cheese" and stuffed ourselves with truly unhealthy things. Hope hung up handmade decorations, we laughed a lot and colored Valentines for each other, and then ended the night playing a homemade board game that Hope made us and had been saving for 11 days. It was so thoughtful and special... just like her.
The "everything changed" part was an unexpected out-of-town overnighter. Miss Rachel's going away party was Monday night and (just my luck, seriously) it ended up snowing a bunch. Rather than skipping the party, we just decided to make it down very slowly and stay overnight until it was clear to drive home. I'll share more about the party soon, but I will say that it was a special and important last hang out for a while, and I'm so glad I didn't have to miss it. When you have a group of amazing friends, it makes life that much sweeter. I wouldn't trade those girls for anything. (missed you so much, Holly!)
The "everything changed" part was an unexpected out-of-town overnighter. Miss Rachel's going away party was Monday night and (just my luck, seriously) it ended up snowing a bunch. Rather than skipping the party, we just decided to make it down very slowly and stay overnight until it was clear to drive home. I'll share more about the party soon, but I will say that it was a special and important last hang out for a while, and I'm so glad I didn't have to miss it. When you have a group of amazing friends, it makes life that much sweeter. I wouldn't trade those girls for anything. (missed you so much, Holly!)
I hope your day of love was filled with plenty of it! xoxo Katie
Monday, February 13
Friday, February 10
Etsy Love: Valentine Inspiration
It's time for another round of Etsy love! This time I'm feeling inspired by all things Valentiney!
I LOVE these new brooches from Giant Dwarf!
A sweet vintage dress would be perfect for a date!
This locket is oh-so sweet!
This card pretty much sums it up.
Happy Friday! xoxo Katie
Thursday, February 9
Weekly Wears: You're The Storm
I can't remember if I've mentioned this before, but I have a little bit of a coat thing. They are one of the reasons I love winter and fall so much. "Is it a little brisk today? I have a coat for that!" I'm sure plenty of you can relate. Oh! And when a coat has pretty lining... well, that's just the icing on the cake. *swoon*
Coat: c/o Emerging Thoughts (it's on sale, too!); Dress & Shoes: c/o Lulu's (see how I styled the same dress here);
Scarf: thrifted; Tights: c/o Tabbisocks; Bracelet: c/o Poshlocket;
Dala Horse (which is actually a brooch): c/o Electric Elephant
Scarf: thrifted; Tights: c/o Tabbisocks; Bracelet: c/o Poshlocket;
Dala Horse (which is actually a brooch): c/o Electric Elephant
Do you have an collections (obsessions) in your closet? Tell me about them!
xoxo Katie