{Handy Coffee Lovers Gadgets}

I love coffee. It's a big part of my life. My husband proposed to me in a coffee shop, for crying out loud! Coffee just makes me happy. It smells good, tastes good, and looks so pretty in coffee mugs. Hot or cold, frills or plain, it's just wonderful. I love all the varieties of ways to make a cup of joe too. The options are endless.

Two little nifty items we received from our wedding is the Mr. Coffee Espresso Maker and Cooks Power Blender with attachments. I love these items and they get used a lot around our home:)

Mr. Coffee Espresso Maker

 My bridesmaids purchased this for me and I am addicted to it! I use it all the time. I takes a little learning, but once you get the hang of it, it's really easy and makes an uber delish cappuccino, latte, or frap. You can find it at Amazon for under $40.

Cooks Power Blender

This item is so awesome for blending up smoothies, or my favorite, frappuccinos! You can find it at JCPenny on sale right now for about $30.
I use this several times per week and it rocks! So easy to use and cleanup is a breeze. Yesterday, a friend came over for lunch and I made Black Raspberry Chip fraps using this. They were wonderful! I just wing it but you can hardly mess this up. The recipe goes something like this:

Black Raspberry Chip Frappuccino {1 serving}

1/3 C espresso

1 C Breyers Black Raspberry Chocolate Ice Cream

2 - 3 ice cubes

1/8 C Milk

Whipped Topping

Chocolate Syrup

Prepare espresso in espresso machine. Combine espresso, ice cream, ice cubes, and milk in blender. Top with whipped topping and syrup drizzle. Sip and enjoy!

Cuisinart DCC-1200 12-Cup Brew Central Coffeemaker

This is the next item on my list of wishes:) I currently own a bare bones Black&Decker. You can find it at Amazon for under $70.

• Retro-style, black-chrome coffeemaker brews 12 5-ounce cups
• 24-hour clock/timer for wake-up coffee; brew-pause; programmable shut-off
• 1-to-4- or 5-to-12-cup brewing options provide maximum flavor; Gold Tone filter
• Charcoal water filter; decalcification indicator; heat-adjustable warming plate

{Kari Jobe}

So now that I am at home, I can listen to whatever music I want and as loud as I want, lol. This is a major perk for me because I really got so sick of listening to the exact.same.radio.station.every.single.day at work! To top it off, it was one of those that replays the same songs over and over and over again.

Anyway, I love all kinds of music. Christian genres get me the most. I go for all types...rock, contemporary, indie, etc. Right now, I have found that Kari Jobe is great and peaceful to work to. Her music is so inspiring and she has a beautiful voice. Her website is super adorable too! Check her out.

I love hearing about new music. What tunes get you through your day?

{Drawing}

I have such a love for drawing, so I always enjoy the motivation to actually do it when I get a request for one! A good family friend asked me to draw this portrait of their daughter and her fiance for their upcoming southern wedding in May. They are a beautiful couple so it was so fun to capture that.

You can view more samples of artwork at my Etsy shop.

I must say, staying at home is magical! I adore it. I have never been so motivated to get up in the morning. Some mornings, I get so excited to start the day, I can't even make myself sleep in, lol! This is t o t a l l y new for me:) It's amazing to have the opportunity to work toward my own personal goals and agenda {God's too, I hope}. I LOVE what I do! I think the husband is really enjoying me running some of his errands for him and having dinner ready {or close} when he arrives home. He really likes his food:)

{Pages Turning}

This invitation package turned out incredibly well! It's so beautiful and unique and I had a blast designing it.

I love the idea of including the couple's first dance lyrics in the invitation!

{It's Official!}

WE ARE HOMEOWNERS!!! I cannot express just how completely excited we are!...and totally grateful to God for working everything out. I look forward to decorating our new home and offering my ideas for you. The baby room will most likely be our first project:)

Here is a wedding package designed from the base of my shabby chic design. The bride and groom wanted to transform it into a gatefold invitation to hold all the extra elements. It's so lovely and I'm excited to see the finished product. They have the most adorable quote on the front,

"He is soft-spoken,
and I am a chatterbox
He loves a love story
and I like to laugh...


He whispered,
"Will you marry me?"
and I shouted, "Yes!"

Love it!

{Sponsor Intro}

Yay! I'm so excited about this opportunity to work with Erin from Dandelion & Grey! My ad is up and she wrote a lovely introduction about Days Gone Design today! 

I've already received a request for a project via the ad! It looks like a bright future ahead:)

Also, as promised, a 26 week preggo pic...

It's not the best pic but it'll have to do since it's the only recent one I have at the moment:)