Fellow TEXAS BLOGGERS Series: Part 5

Please give a warm welcome to Emily who blogs over at Insanity Rules.  She is the fifth and final installment in my Fellow TEXAS BLOGGERS Series....well at least for July anyway.  Emily is mom to three super cute boys and if that doesn't keep her busy enough, she is also super crafty.  I don't know how she squeezes it all in.  She changes out her mantel according to the season or holidays...I am lucky that I get mine changed out once a year for Christmas.  Enjoy a little glimpse into Emily's world as well as her crafty goodness.....

Hey y'all I'm Emily from Insanity Rules w/ three little boys. Yep that's right I am the mom of three energetic, some what crazy little boys that add to the insanity that is life. 

Aren't they just so handsome. I know I'm a little biased but that's what being a mom is all about right? Okay not really but I do so enjoy hanging with my little men. I am so excited to be here at Julie's blog today. I wanted to share with y'all my new found love of creating subway art. I love to hang it all over my house and I have this thing for redecorating my mantel every time the seasons change. So, this new obsession has come in handy. I got My Memories digital scrap booking software last year and this has come in so handy. So, let me show  you what I make and then I'll tell ya how. 

                                                      

   

Aren't they so much fun! You can always find great blogs that will let you down load the subway art that they have created for free too. I make mine using photoshop and then importing the pictures from the My Memories software. I just open up a blank document in photoshop. Whatever size you would like it. I do 16 x 20 over my fire place and then I have these weird little nooks in my house and I will usually do an 8 x 10 for those along with some 5 x 7's. You can check out my summer decorating soon on the blog! You just open up the document and then have at it. Picking fonts, colors, words etc... Some times I will make a list of words that apply to whatever art I happen to be making at the time. I then just open up the My Memories software and look through what ever scrap booking kits I have to add fun little pictures. It's really simple and I so enjoy doing it. It can be a little time consuming if you don't have a list of words ahead of time. You would think that you'd just be able to pull words out of a hat but sometimes I get really stumped. My boys are great at helping me come up with words though!

Well thanks for letting me stop by and share my new favorite craft to create with y'all. I hope that you will stop by and share in the Insanity that is life with me. Thanks Julie for letting me hijack your blog for awhile. Have a wonderful day y'all!

Thank you, Emily for sharing a bit of your crafty passion with my readers.  I wish that I was half as committed to decorating with the seasons!

A Great Saturday

Saturday was a really good day.  I loved every single bit of...except that short five minutes when I thought I lost my wallet at AMC Grapevine Mills...that part was definitely NO BUENO!!!!

I started out the morning with a much overdue pedicure...my feet were truly a disaster.

Then Zach and I headed to the Sea Life Aquarium in Grapevine.  My little guy is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to all things saltwater fish related.  I was amazed at all the details he could give me on pretty much every tank we visited.  Now, if I could only get him that passionate about his school work!!!  Here are a few pictures from the aquarium.....

Star fish in the touch tank

Lion Fish....one of Zach's favorites

Eels!!!!

Shark and a giant turtle

Nautilus...these were really cool

Our next stop was the movies.  We saw Dark Knight Rises.  I admit, as a result of the horrific tragedy in Aurora earlier in the week I was a little hesitant, but made the decision to go ahead.  It was really good and Zach had the ending figured out well before I did...sometimes he is just clever like that.  I really enjoyed it much more than I thought I would.  Although I am not a huge fan of Christian Bale, he did a really good job and Anne Hathaway was awesome and seriously rocked that catsuit!!!

As I was looking for the Dark Knight Rises image I stumbled across this statement from Christopher Nolan, who directed the movie...thought it was noteworthy:

"Speaking on behalf of the cast and crew of The Dark Knight Rises, I would like to express our profound sorrow at the senseless tragedy that has befallen the entire Aurora community. I would not presume to know anything about the victims of the shooting but that they were there last night to watch a movie. I believe movies are one of the great American art forms and the shared experience of watching a story unfold on screen is an important and joyful pastime. The movie theatre is my home, and the idea that someone would violate that innocent and hopeful place in such an unbearably savage way is devastating to me. Nothing any of us can say could ever adequately express our feelings for the innocent victims of this appalling crime, but our thoughts are with them and their families."
-Christopher Nolan

 As we were heading home, Zach and I decided to pick up a pizza from his favorite place: i Fratelli.  Their pizza is seriously yummy!  It was a great finish to a great day spent with my favorite guy!

Fellow TEXAS BLOGGERS Series: Part 4

Happy Monday! Glad you stopped by for the fourth round of the "Fellow TEXAS BLOGGERS Series".  I am so excited to have Kelley visiting today from The Grant Life.  For those of us in blogland that don't have a clue when it comes to the technical stuff (yes, I am totally referring to myself) Kelley is your gal. "If ya got a blog problem, yo' she'll solve it".  If you picked up on that Vanilla Ice reference good for you, and if you don't know who VI is, well I just don't know what to say to that other than I REALLY showed my age.  And if you are now tempted to not read any further because that was just too hokey for words, I apologize.  Please read on...Kelley is going to enlighten you if you have ever been curious about offering paid sponsorships on your blog.  Take it away, Kelley!

Hi A Beautiful Day fans!  I am so happy to be here today!  [Isnt Julie the sweetest?!  Love her!]  My name is Kelley and I blog over at The Grant Life.  I'm kinda crafty, always thrifty and I love to cook.  I also write about my two blonde haired and blue eyed babies, Ryley and Avery.

 

I've ben blogging for a little over a year now and I absolutely love it!  The blog world is full of so much love, support and genuine friendships.  One thing I enjoy doing is promoting fabulous blogs and shops. A few months ago I began offering paid sponsor spots on my site and it has been so much fun!  Im not an expert but I wanted to share what I know about accepting sponsors on your blog/site.  

1. Have time to promote

I suggest waiting to accept sponsors until you have the time to promote.. not only the sponsor but your site as well.  The more visitors to your site the greater the exposure for you and your sponsor. 

2. Have similar content

Its best to accept ads from sites with similar content.  People visit your site because they enjoy your posts.. its best to promote sites that you know your readers will enjoy.  

3. Set Expectations

Share your stats with your potential sponsors which lets them know how many readers you reach each month.  Also, tell them if you include any extras in their paid spot.  I.e. - social shout outs, giveaway and guest post options.  

4.  Establish an online presence

Its an added bonus when you are involved in other social outlets that will help drive traffic back to your site. 

5. Have a common interest

Establish not only a working relationship but a friendship as well.  [This one is my favorite!]   

6.  Stay organized

Keep up with your sponsors needs and help them as much as possible.  I created a simple sponsor checklist that helps me stay organized.. and Im sharing it with you today!  

Right click, save and print! 

I hope you enjoyed my sponsor printable and my tips on accepting sponsors!  If yall get a chance be sure to stop by my blog, enter my giveaways, link up to my party or just say hello!  Thanks again to Julie for having me on her amazing site!  

Kelley, thank you so much for sharing this valuable information on sponsorships.  It has confirmed for me what I had already been thinking that I am just not quite ready to jump into the paid sponsorship arena.  For now I am going to stick with the button swap / guest post option and continue to focus on being a more consistent poster.

That Crafty Stuff I Have Been Murmuring About

I would like to start this post by saying that in the one and a half years that I have been blogging, I don't think there has ever been a time that I have submitted a post five days in row.  I am sure that some of you are reading this and thinking so what, big deal.  But for me, it kind of is a big deal.  I have been known to go weeks without a peep.  Granted, I did have two guest posters this week, but I still had to get the post ready and put in a bit of my own two cents so in my book they count!

Alright, on to the fun stuff....I have been wanting to do this post for a week!  I have a former coworker Ryan, he is a great guy and through blogging I "met" his wife Rachel.  We follow each other's blogs and have exchanged an email here and there.  Shortly after Ryan left the company I contacted him and asked if he thought that Rachel would like a collage for her birthday, which was Monday.  Ryan said that she would love it and said that he would work on getting me pictures.  Prior to this collage I had always done 12x12s that would fit in a shadow box.  When I saw how many pictures Ryan sent, I decided to go bigger...much bigger!  He also told me that Rachel's favorite colors were red and purple and I made sure to incorporate those into the collage.

Here are a couple of photos of the work in progress...

Laying out the pictures

The background

I am worrier by nature. I just can't help it. So to say that I was fretting from the time I dropped the package at UPS until the time I got word that it was there in one piece, would be a gross understatement. Oh, did I forget to mention that it had to go to Colorado and the finished project was in a 20x30 wood frame with glass? I put all of my faith in the stranger at the UPS store who assured me that it would be in the best of hands. True to his word, the package made it safe and sound.

If you have been reading my blog for any length of time and have seen any of my previous crafty posts you know that I absolutely love presenting what I made to the recipient and seeing their reaction....there is nothing like it. Obviously, that wasn't going to be the case with this one,  but I had made peace with it and Ryan promised to send a picture of her opening it. She loved it and although I wasn't there in person she did call me and thank me and there wasn't a doubt in my mind that she was happy with it. SCORE!!!!



It made it safe and sound

The completed collage

This was such a fun project...I loved every minute of it and I hope that Rachel will treasure it for years to come!  Oh, I almost forgot.....I also made this coordinating birthday card....it was so simple but I loved how it turned out.

So one last time for this year...Happy Birthday, Rachel!!!  Hope you had a wonderful birthday week.  If you are interested in what is going on in Rachel's little slice of the blog world you can find her blogging over at "R" and "R".

I hope that everyone has a great weekend!  I believe that my posting is done for the week....it has been a busy one for me.  But never fear...I already have posts brewing for next week!

Blog Award x Three!!!!!

I think that there is something special about getting a pat on the back, especially from someone who does what you do.  Not that any of us really need validation, but it is nice to be recognized for what we do.  Let's face it, even though most of us love to blog it is a commitment and takes away from other things that we may consider important.....like SLEEP!  Last week my email was bursting with blog love.  Not one, but two fellow Texas Bloggers nominated me for this award:

Huge Texas Hugs going out to Sarah of City Girl Gone Country and Tif of Ramblings of a Southern Belle.   You ladies made my day!  By accepting the award I agree to do the following:

*  Thank the blogger who nominated me for the award
*  Include a link to their blog in your post, as well as the award image
*  Give 7 random facts about yourself
*  Nominate 15 other deserving bloggers for the award
*  Include links to the nominated bloggers' sites
*  Let the other bloggers know that they have been nominated for the award.

Here are my 7 (VERY) Random Facts:

1.  My favorite flavor of cupcake is red velvet and yes it kinda has to be Sprinkles.  I have tried other flavors, it just didn't work out for me.

2.  I have come to the realization that I am the most at peace when I am at the beach...that stinks since I am literally states away from a really great one.

3.  I love listening to Matthew McConaughey's Reliant Energy commercials.  If you have not had the pleasure you have my condolences...there is nothing like that southern drawl (except maybe his abs, or dimples, or hair - sorry, I digress).

4.  I am a vegetarian - except for shrimp.  I am fairly certain that it wouldn't be too difficult to be vegan if I could just manage to kick my cheese habit...oh, the torture of it all!

5.  I want a really good camera and I want to learn how to use it ....meaning I want to take it way off of AUTO.

6.  I don't have cable or regular TV...only Netflix and Hulu Plus streaming.  Honestly, it really isn't too bad.  I get so much more done!

7.  I have three tattoos....and if they weren't so expensive, I would have more.

Make sure you drop by and visit these ladies...they are deserving of some blog love - I mean it.  And for those of you who were just recently nominated, don't worry about doing it again, just link to the post where you accepted the award....we don't want to miss out on your 7 random facts!

*Katie @ Katie Stories
*Kelley @ The Grant Life
*Jennifer @ Finding My Way In Texas
*Amanda @ Princess of the Panhandle
*Taylor @ Goings On In Texas
*Crystal @ Mason's Mama
*Emily @ Insanity Rules
*Nicole @ Three 31
*Tiffany @ Monuments & Memories
*Shannon @ I Should Be Cleaning House
*Jana @ An Unstyled Life
*Valerie @ Make Mine A Cosmo
*Erica @ Mi Todo
*Jacy @ My Name is Jacy
*Cassey & Brittany @ Natural Nesters

Before I bring this fun post to a close, I also have to send out a huge thank you to Valerie!  She blogs over at Make Mine A Cosmo - don't you just love that name???  She nominated me for these awards:

Didn't I tell you about my email.....bursting with blog love?!?!  Anyway, although I am over the top excited I am going to try to combine all of this without stepping on any toes or not returning the love.  Because let's face it...soon this post will be approaching novel status and I feel like I have been working on it for days!!!  For those of you that have been nominated above, consider yourself included in these nominations as well...why?  Because I really do love each and every one of your blogs....so three times the love! 

For the One Lovely Blog Award you are asked to nominate 11 other bloggers - my 15 are listed above.  It also asks for 11 random facts.  I am going to add 4 more to my list above:

8.  I recently discovered that I am quite fond of Latino Rolls - my first attempt at sushi, unless you count that time that my coworker tricked me into trying ahi tuna.....seriously YUCK!

9.  When I pump gas it has to stop in an even dollar amount.  I am not even joking.

10.  When I was in junior high I won a radio contest and got to bowl with Journey (I only entered one time!)

11.  Until I started scrapbooking, I was horrible about finishing projects.

The Liebster Award asks me to create 11 questions for those nominated to answer....I am going to be satisfied with the 7  or 11 random facts - whichever you choose.  I am going to answer the questions that Valerie listed so here goes....

1. If you could live in any decade which would it be: Roaring 20's, The 30's, The 40's, The 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, or 90's?  To be quite honest, I am happy to be just where I am.

2. Where do you get your news: TV, print, social media? Social media...definitely.

3. What was the most favorite Halloween costume you wore as a kid?  One year, I was a black cat and I really loved the fact that I had a long tail...I know, weird huh?

4. Worst Christmas present ever received? (Like, outright given; not something you ended up with from the office Dirty Santa game).  I much prefer to give gifts so if I received something terrible I probably didn't dwell on it too much...either that or I have never received anything THAT bad.  

5. Favorite Disney Princess? Why? Cinderella....don't we all want to be that girl with the glass slipper?  OK maybe not now, but we did when we were little girls didn't we?

6. New Kids on the Block or Backstreet Boys? Backstreet Boys

7. Team Jennifer or Team Angelina? Team Jennifer all the way

8. Do you own a pair of "Norts" (Nike Shorts)? Can't say that I do
 

9. Roller Coaster or Log Flume? Definitely roller coaster

10. Favorite Awards Show: Grammy's, Oscars, Tony's, Espy's, People's Choice, MTV Video Awards, Teen Choice Awards???? When I used to have regular TV (see first round of random facts), I liked to watch the Oscars

Whoops....there were only 10 to answer!  I apologize for altering the rules, but thought that was better than not giving thanks where it was due and didn't think I should dedicate another entire post to blog awards....you guys might not ever come back.  So, thank you, thank you a million times thank you to Sarah, Tif and Valerie.  You guys truly made this small time blogger mucho happy!  For any of you that were nominated above that would like to see the "rules" for the two awards that Valerie nominated me for you can find all the details here.  Claim your nominations in whatever manner is best for you in any combination of the above mentioned "rules".  If you are still here, bless you for sticking with me til the end!

Fellow TEXAS BLOGGERS Series: Part 3

Welcome to part 3 of my July "Fellow TEXAS BLOGGERS Series".  I would like to introduce you to Brittany, who is one half of the duo that make up Natural- Nesters.  She is a sweetheart and I am honored to have her share her latest mission experience as well as a little bit about her blog with you all.

Hello everyone! 

I am Brittany, the Little sister that blogs over at Natural-Nesters! I am so excited that Julie has invited me to guest post over here at A Beautiful Day! Julie has asked me to share with you a little about my most recent mission trip to Trinidad, but before I do, let me tell you a little bit about us the Natural-Nesters.

  

We are two sisters that love family, taking care of our homes, kids, cooking, doing DIY crafts, home projects and more. We would love for you to join in on our adventures with us! 

My Name is Brittany!

 I am a wife who works full-time, goes to graduate school at night, and is taking care of three Asian exchange students! My entire life is an adventure being lived for the Lord and I love it! I love my husband, and I love taking care of our home, which involves, cleaning, organizing, fitness, crafting, creating and planning! I have a passion for each of these things because of the gift the Lord has given me as a Natural Nester!

Now to tell you about my trip...

At the first of July my husband and I helped lead a mission trip with half college students (we are leaders within our college ministry,) and half adults from our church.  We took 36 people from our church to Trinidad to partner with an organization called Every Home for Christ (EHC).  EHC is an organization with the vision of going into every country and putting the word of God into every single home.  They have already partnered with local churches in Trinidad and had a lot of the outreaches planned out for us.

My husband and I at the end of the trip when we visited the beautiful beaches of Trinidad. 

A neighborhood view of Trinidad

A big part of our trip consisted of us going out with 5 different churches to their designated neighborhoods, and walking the streets of Trinidad, going into homes, asking to pray for people, and sharing the love of Christ with them.  Not everyone was kind and welcoming, but as a whole the people of Trinidad were very friendly and hospitable.  Even if they didn't believe in Jesus they loved to just chat with you. 

We saw the Lord do so much while we were gone.  As some people were out evangelizing on the streets, half of our team was in each night worshipping and interceding on behalf of our team in the neighborhoods.  I learned so much about the power of prayer as we watched specific prayers being answered in the work that we were doing. 

Members of our team and the local church praying for an elderly Trini lady

We saw people be healed of physical ailments from eye sight, to being able to walk, to straightening our of limbs that had been messed up by strokes.  We saw people come to love the Lord God, and only God, who had been worshipping multiple Hindu gods.  They would give up their devotion to all of the gods that they had been serving since childhood because they experienced the true love of Jesus Christ. It was amazing to see the miraculous changes.  

Some of the college students that we took on the trip

It was also very encouraging to meet other believers and get to learn from them and spur them on.  We made some wonderful relationships with the local church body, and I pray that as our team left, that they would still be going throughout the streets to spread the name of Jesus to the country of Trinidad.  

It was an amazing time of serving the Lord and seeing his love and power at work.  The country of Trinidad was beautiful, and I would love to go back one day. 

A beautiful sunset view in Trinidad

I hope that after reading this and seeing how good the Lord is that you are spurred on.  On this trip I was reminded so much about the power of prayer.  Different nights, my half of the team would stay in and pray, and in the back of my mind I would think we should all be out DOING. But as our team would come in from neighborhoods, and we would hear testimonies of the prayers that we prayed THAT NIGHT! I was amazed and reminded that our prayers have power, and that daily I need to be using prayer to war for things on this earth.  

Blessings to you all, and thank you for letting me share with you. 

I would love for you to stop by and get to know us more!! 

-Little Sis

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-Natural Nesters

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So far, when someone has agreed to guest post and asked what I would like them to post about, I have left it up to them.  But knowing that Brittany had just returned recently from her mission trip I asked if she would mine sharing her thoughts on that.  It has been on my heart for years to go on a mission trip and one day I will make it happen...not sure when and not sure where but mark my words I will.  Thank you, Brittany for sharing your lastest mission experience in Trinidad....your faith and passion are a true inspiration

Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Me, Myself & I: A Link Up Party

I am excited to be linking up with Breanna (yep, she is part of the Texas Bloggers group) of My Beautiful Crazy Life for the first  "Me, Myself & I" link up party. 

 This is a great way to learn fun, random facts about your fellow bloggers. The hosts give you five questions and you provide the answers and any details that you may want to share.  So, here goes......

1. What is your biggest phobia?    SNAKES...hands down, there isn't even anything that comes in a close second.   They petrify me, freak me out and down right scare the beejeezus out of me in a nutshell.  Although the large ones are worse, they are all bad in my book and even the smallest ones completely creep me out.  Remember this scene from "Raiders of the Lost Ark"?  I adore this movie, one of my all-time favorites, but when it comes time for this scene, I literally have to pick my feet up off the floor and hug my knees...no kidding!
<>

"Snakes.  Why did it have to be snakes?"

2.  If you could relive any day of your life, what would it be and why?  The day that my sweet Zachary Braedon was born.   Let me just preface this by saying I would not want to change one minute of the actual birth, just perhaps how it was remembered.   These days there are so many wonderful and creative things that moms to be are doing to make this day even more special and I so wish that I had those opportunities….first and foremost, a professional photographer on hand documenting the day.  My son is almost twelve…we did not have a digital camera at that time and although we did have a camera at the hospital and shot a roll of film, when we got it developed the film was blank.  It was absolutely heartbreaking!  Our film was not expired, but there was definitely some type of camera malfunction.  We contacted Kodak and although they apologized profusely and sent us a brand new camera the loss of the treasured photos was something that can never be replaced.

3. If you could choose to stay a certain age forever, what would it be?  This is a tough one, but I choose to believe that I have plenty of wonderful times ahead of me and wouldn’t want to stop at any age and miss out on all the good things to come.

4. Which celebrity do you get mistaken for? Years ago, literally, a few people told me that I looked like Elizabeth McGovern.  Elizabeth who?  Well, she was in a movie with Sean Penn (I think it was called “Racing the Moon”) as well as "She's Having a Baby" and she is currently starring in Downtown Abbey, which I hear people raving about but I have yet to see.  Honesty, I don't see it, but I was flattered none the less.

Elizabeth McGovern

5.What songs are included on the soundtrack to your life?  Not surprisingly, based on the name of my blog… “A Beautiful Day” by U2.  It doesn’t matter what kind of day that I am having or what is going on in my life this song never fails to put a smile on my face.  It makes me happy, plain and simple!  Also, “Bittersweet Symphony” by The Verve.  When I was taking childbirth classes, the instructor told us to pick a song that would help us focus during labor.  Not sure why, but this song jumped out at me and every time I hear it, it NEVER fails to remind me of November 2, 2000.  The day that I was blessed with the sweetest miracle.  The last one may be kind of cliché, but “What Doesn’t Kill Us Makes Us Stronger” by Kelly Clarkson.  It has kind of become an anthem of sorts.  It is hard to listen to it and not get kind of pumped about and not feel just a tad invincible.

And there you have it for the first installment of Me, Myself & I.  Hope you enjoyed and don’t forget to head over to My Beautiful Crazy Life, give Breanna a shout and then for heaven’s sake answer the questions and link yourself up!!!!

Fellow TEXAS BLOGGERS Series: Part 2

Happy Monday!  It's time for the second July installment of my "Fellow TEXAS BLOGGERS Series".  I couldn't be happier to introduce you to Jennifer of Finding My Way In Texas.  Jennifer is the master mind behind our Texas Bloggers Facebook group, and yep, I kinda love her (but not in a weird way)!   I had the pleasure of actually meeting her a couple of months ago at a craft show she was participating in, and honestly it was like being reunited with an old friend.

Hello Beautiful Day readers! Or Should I say “Howdy”? Nah… I’m not THAT Texan… well not yet anyways. Hehe!
I’m Jennifer and I am the scattered, blonde, coffee addicted mind behind Finding My Way in Texas. I pretty mugh write about what ever catches my fancy. There’s usually something crafty, something yummy and/or something chaotic going on in my house. I started writing and blogging about this craziness that is called life because a year ago today, I moved to Texas to be with the man of my dreams!



So to celebrate, I’m going to do a little bit of reminiscing about everything that I’ve learned and how I’ve changed.
I arrived in the middle of July… the first thing I learned is that Texas is HOT and I needed to get over my clothing/self-esteem hang ups in order to survive! My poor little white legs hadn’t seen the sun in years! Ask pretty much anyone from back “home” and they’ll probably tell you that they’d never seen me in shorts. One of the very first things I did was hack the bottom off of several pairs of pants :)

I definitely went through a period of being homesick! Its hard to believe that as of today its been an ENTIRE year since I’ve been able to hug my family or hang out with my friends. CRAZY! I have had the opportunity to meet amazing people here and I am so thankful for them :) Not to mention that people are SUPER friendly around here! Since I got here, I’ve had more in depth conversations with complete strangers, than phone calls with my family!



My hubby and I recently expanded our little family and welcomed the most adorable german shepherd puppy into our home. Well she’s adorable when she isn’t eating my flip flops, or chewing on socks or biting our toes. Hmmm… sounds like she has a bit of a foot fetish. Silly puppy. She’s incredibly smart though and is learning very quickly!



One of the other things I quickly learned about Texas is that Dr. Pepper isn’t just a drink… its pretty much a  baking staple! Don’t believe me? Type in Dr. Pepper on pinterest and see what comes up!



There are so many other things that I’ve learned and experienced since I got here, there isn’t enough time to share them all! I hope you’ll drop by, check out my blog and say Hi!

Jennifer,  thank you so much for guest posting today and sharing fun insight into your first year in Texas.  Although you haven't been here long, we know you got here as fast as you could!

I'm Guest Posting

Good Morning!  Although I am not posting here this morning, you can find me hijacking Crystal's little slice of the blog world!  Yep, she was visiting here yesterday . 


Go ahead....I know you are dying to know what has been swirling around in my steel trap of a brain!  It was actually kind of enlightening....no really.  Check it out and hopefully I will be able to post some crafty goodness in the next day or two!  Have a great day!

Guest Poster: Crystal From Mason's Mama

I am excited to share the first installment of my July "Fellow TEXAS BLOGGERS Series".  I "met" Crystal through the TEXAS BLOGGERS Facebook page.  She is such a sweetheart and has a precious family.  I hope that you will enjoy learning a little more about her.  And now, without further delay.....here's Crystal!

Hello readers of A Beautiful Day!! I am so delighted that Julie is letting me guest post here today. I am an avid reader of Julie’s blog and love it to pieces.

My name is Crystal and I blog over at MasonsMama 

I’m married to my high school sweetheart, Nathan. We have been together half of our lives. {16 years this November}. He is my best friend and the love of my life. We’ve been married for 6 years {this August}. We live in a little country town about 35 miles South of Dallas. We are both from the city, but knew that we did not want to raise our kids there. So, 6 years ago we bought us a house with a little land. Lots of room for littles to roam! We have a miniature donkey named Jake and tons of chickens. Just the start to our little "Hall Farm"!!

A little over two years ago we welcomed our sweet little Mason Lane into the world. He has made our lives complete in every way. He’s the main source/inspiration behind my blog and gives me tons to write about! Mason is a very fun, silly and active two year old. It’s sometimes exhausting keeping up with him…but it’s worth every last second. He’s my little best friend and my heart and soul.

Over at MasonsMama I blog about family, love, life, Texas, Mommyhood, Toddlerhood, marriage, living in the country and everything in between. Oh and I post tons of pictures! I do hope you will come by and say hi. I’d love to meet you.

Xo

Crystal

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Have a beautiful day!!!

 Thank you so much, Crystal!  It was my pleasure to have you guest posting today.  Don't forget to drop by and show Crystal some love.....honestly, how could you possible resist this sweet little face?!?!?!?