Weekly Wishes- The slacker Edition

I link up with The Nectar Collective for Weekly Wishes. This is an opportunity to share your wishes, goals, and or dreams with everyone. For me, it's a way to hold me accountable to get things done and off my to do list!

Last Week's wishes:

1. Blog a week's worth of travel posts. Folks, it's time to get serious on this travel post thing. I am only through like day 6 or so of our Europe Tour from LAST YEAR! The best city, in my opinion, has yet to be posted! I would like to do a solid week where it's nothing but travel posts! How great would that be?  Partially complete. I have written a weeks worth of posts, but they are not travel. Is it insane to schedule blog posts TWO WEEKS out? Maybe not! :) STILL did not complete this one. Friends, as "Chiberia" thaws, it is blessing me with an allergy attack. It's not pretty. I don't see any buds on the trees yet, so maybe this is mold from the ground that is now exposed? Either way, no blogging has been done and it's 1pm on Monday and I'm just writing my wishes! AH!

2. Complete the week's worth of travel posts I mentioned above. See explanation above. 

3. Cook/ plan plenty of freezer meals.   The next few months are going to be jam packed for us, and I hate going out to eat all the time. Don't get me wrong, a date dinner once a week is great, but when it becomes a chore just because I didn't cook and have nothing to whip up in a hurry, it's just not enjoyable anymore. So I want to have things ready to go! 

Done! I have a freezer full of entrees and now I need to meal plan so I don't forget about something and it gets frost bitten! How are you guys at organizing your pantries and freezers? I seem to be throwing out a lot of groceries if I don't meal plan! 

4. Organize my closet.  Why oh why do I have the need for so many clothes? I'm out of space in a walk in closet that is JUST for me. The Mr. graciously gave me the master closet and he has his clothes in the spare room closet. And that baby is slap full of clothes. I think it's because my weight goes up and down so much due to the medication I'm on, that I never want to throw out any clothes! But I know that I can get rid of quite a few things if I just buckle down and go through each piece. Big, fat no on this one as well. I have managed to put away my clean clothes, but just haven't sorted through them! Booo! 

As you see, I did not get much accomplished last week in the way of wishes. But I did manage to breathe through a stuffy nose, sounding like a man as well as a sneeze every hour or so, and all while not have to use my inhaler once! So I'd say that's a win for the week!  

I will not add any wishes to the list because I'll be glad just to get these done! Ha!  I do have a few new posts coming up that you should enjoy. Including a super cheap way to keep your bibles and planners from flopping open in your bags! 

Find Beauty Friday- Tilt A Whirl

Whoa, what a week! As I mentioned before, these next couple of months are going to be a tilt-a-whirl, when maybe it will be more like the Daytona 500- Full of fast speed and craziness!

So, for today, my Find Beauty Friday link-up with the sweet Aimee from Click.Pray.Create. will be simple.

My beauty is the process of choosing my "Life Verse", and I didn't think it would be this hard! I have lots of contenders, and would not mind if you guys share with me yours, or tips on choosing just one!


If you'd like to link up your Find Beauty Friday, please click below and join us! It's always fun!

Not kidding, share your secrets on Life Verses with me! Comment below! 

Sponsor Shout out, Meet Paige!

*Today on the blog, I want to introduce you to a fabulous lady, Paige from Moments for the Journey. She is so inspiring, and such a blessing! 

Hey y’all. My name is Paige and I blog over at Moments for the Journey  I am so excited to be here with you today and I count it an honor to guest post here on The Artsy Cajun! I hope you all don't mind a short break from Jessy’s wonderful posts to read mine.

What do you think of when someone says “vacation spot”? Are you like me and think about Europe, Fiji, Greece, Hawaii, or Bora Bora. Oh how I wish I could say I have visited every single one of those places, but sadly I haven’t. Of course, I do have them on my bucket list...

Those wonderful scenic countries are not the only places I think of when I think about vacation spots. There are also less known towns and landmarks that I have discovered that hold their own beauty. It is these places that have stolen my heart and taken over my photo albums. 

Outer Banks, North Carolina - If you have never been to the Outer Banks in North Carolina you definitely should! It doesn't get any better than sitting in a hammock on these cozy small town islands. They are full of pirate history, have wild horses running on the beaches, and the kayaking is amazing!

Maggie Valley, North Carolina - This is the small town that I want to settle down in some day. It is 30 minutes outside of Asheville and is the perfect mountain town. You have the small town feel with beautiful Smoky Mountain views. My husband and I spent our honeymoon in Maggie Valley and I absolutely cannot get enough of it.

Uinta Mountains, Utah - My hubby and I spend almost every weekend during the summer backpacking in these beautiful, majestic mountains. Scattered throughout them are hundreds of clear, glassy lakes. If you ever visit Utah promise me that you will go hiking in the Uinta Mountains.

Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie, South Carolina - I spent countless days at these lakes growing up. They are manmade from over 40 miles of dams. Fun fact, this land clearing project was the largest project in the whole United States back in 1942 when it was started. Manmade or not they are beautiful! The sunsets are breathtaking while sitting on a pontoon boat or on a pier drinking an ice cold cup of sweet tea and eating boiled peanuts. (Can you tell I'm a southern girl?)

What are some of your hidden gems of vacation spots that you go back to over and over again and have countless pictures of? 

How do you blog?

  I mentioned here that to some, blogging is a craft. I truly believe this. It's something that even if you're blog pours through your fingertips and pops up on screen as a masterpiece, or if all you do is post fashion, it's acceptable! There are folks who want to read exactly what you've written! Which is pretty awesome, in my opinion.

  That being said, it does put some sort of pressure on you once you've started a blog. How often to blog? What to blog about? How involved to get with fellow bloggers? It can all seem overwhelming at first. Well, it can become overwhelming at any point really. So, how do you blog? Do you sit somewhere, void of noise and distractions? A coffee house perhaps? Do you knock out a weeks worth of posts in one day? Or maybe fly by the seat of your pants day by day? For such a public forum, writing your posts is such a personal one.

  The most important thing I can suggest to new bloggers, (not that I'm a pro) or even seasoned bloggers who may be burning out of the whole thing, is to organize your thoughts. I use my drafts and my planner for this.  I have my fabulous Erin Condren planner, that I write down posts for the week. That way I can space the DIYs, posts about faith, photography, just whatever I will post about, I can write it down and see exactly what days I want to post what. It makes it so you have a wide spectrum over the week.

  Also, I have drafts, loads and loads of drafts. Where even as I'm writing posts, I can quickly jump over to the drafts and type out an idea of another post. When I am out of ideas to post, I go and work on the drafts. It makes it a bit easier and you don't have to loose any ideas!

  I tend to write one week ahead for most posts. I feel it puts less pressure on me if I have a few days already scheduled so I can focus on content rather than just putting something up just for the sake of having published a post. I also like to take my laptop and write in the living room where I can watch TV or cook. It's hard for me to concentrate on just one thing, so this works best for me.

And that's the beauty of this, you can blog any way you'd like! But, I do want to know, how do you blog?

Jadore Influenster Box Review

*I received these products free in exchange for my review.

J'adore is the perfect word for this box from Influenster! Basically, you answer questions on their website, and they select people to receive boxes. Once you get the boxes, you use and review the items! Sounds simple right? It is! And this was my very first box from Influenster. I may be a little late with the blog post review, but better late than never!



I loved everything! It all worked so well, especially the lashes! LOVE THEM! Kiss really made a difference with the tapered ends. It looks very natural.

The Red Rose teas were delicious. I've never tried caramel in a tea. I normally go for more fruity flavors, but these were pretty good.

The Hershey's kisses, I mean, what girl doesn't love a good piece of chocolate? These speak for themselves! Always a favorite.

John Freida's magic in a bottle is truly like magic! My hair is mostly straight, but a few kinky hairs here and there. And this stuff straightened it out so well!

Botanics clay mask does wonders. I didn't care for the smell, but other than that it was pretty nice.

I've been asked how to be chosen to receive a box, I can't explain it because I really don't know! I just unlocked badges and answered questions. But, if you'd like to sign up, please visit Influenster and let the fun begin!

Weekly Wishes- Freezer meals and failed coupons

I link up with The Nectar Collective for Weekly Wishes. This is an opportunity to share your wishes, goals, and or dreams with everyone. For me, it's a way to hold me accountable to get things done and off my to do list!

Last Week's wishes:

1. Sew Lilly Pulitzer T-shirts. I have left over Lilly fabric, and my sister requested a T-shirt with a fancy smancy pocket on it. What better way to use up fabric and fill her request? I can't wait to show y'all what they look like! And I did see a few on Etsy that folks are selling.Maybe I'll have enough fabric left to make a few to sell!   DONE! So excited to mail Sister her shirt, and to wear mine! I want to test them out for a month or so before deciding on whether or not I want to start selling them in my Etsy shop.

2. Blog a week's worth of travel posts. Folks, it's time to get serious on this travel post thing. I am only through like day 6 or so of our Europe Tour from LAST YEAR! The best city, in my opinion, has yet to be posted! I would like to do a solid week where it's nothing but travel posts! How great would that be?  Partially complete. I have written a weeks worth of posts, but they are not travel. Is it insane to schedule blog posts TWO WEEKS out? Maybe not! :)

3. Start Couponing.  My little sister has started couponing and is raking in the "hauls" like she calls them. Although she buys things I do not need, like diapers, it's still fun to see that for about 30 minutes of work, she can bring in like body washes for 70 cents. And even if I don't use some things, it wouldn't hurt to keep a small stock pile of items that I can giveaway to friends and family!   DONE! I tried the CVS couponing, but honestly, there was only 2 deals that I completed. The others seemed a rip off! I had forgotten how expensive things are in a pharmacy. Like dish washing liquid. A tiny tiny bottle was as expensive there as a full sized bottle at my local big box store! Yes, the couponing seems like a great deal, but I can buy what I need, when I need, and for cheaper than the coupon deal. Now, I will still bring coupons with me, but I will not spend hours finding deals.

4. Organize book shelves.  I am a book hoarder. I know this. And my problem is, a fun outing includes a trip to the library. I will check out a couple books knowing full and well that I have at least 20 books sitting on m shelves that I haven't read yet. It's true. There is no denying the hoarding now. In an attempt to stop the madness, I've come up with a brilliant plan... to organize my shelves. I will put all of the unread books on one shelf, possibly two, at eye level, so I can see them and NOT check out or buy any books until I finish the ones I already own. Sounds good right? Let's hope it works!     DONE! And let me tell you, I was correct on labeling myself a book hoarder. I have enough to keep me going for the rest of the year. And I think I could start a series of book reviews. I have noticed other bloggers doing it, and it really helps when I'm searching for a new book to read. What do you ladies think? A book review linkup maybe once a week or month? Mind you, I have no idea how to start a linkup, but if you know, please send over tips!

This week's wishes are:

1. Complete the week's worth of travel posts I mentioned above. 

2. Cook/ plan plenty of freezer meals.   The next few months are going to be jam packed for us, and I hate going out to eat all the time. Don't get me wrong, a date dinner once a week is great, but when it becomes a chore just because I didn't cook and have nothing to whip up in a hurry, it's just not enjoyable anymore. So I want to have things ready to go!

3. Organize my closet.  Why oh why do I have the need for so many clothes? I'm out of space in a walk in closet that is JUST for me. The Mr. graciously gave me the master closet and he has his clothes in the spare room closet. And that baby is slap full of clothes. I think it's because my weight goes up and down so much due to the medication I'm on, that I never want to throw out any clothes! But I know that I can get rid of quite a few things if I just buckle down and go through each piece. 

And that's it! Hopefully I'll be able to do another clean slate next week!

How are you guys doing with your weekly wishes? And please, if you have any ideas or tips on freezer meals or starting a link up, let me know!

Just 18 Summers

*I received this book for free from Tyndale in exchange  for my review. All reviews are my honest opinions.

After the tragic death of Butch Browning’s wife, Jenny, four families begin to realize how precious—and fleeting—their time together is. Each is at a different stage in life: Butch is facing single parenthood. The O’Reillys are expecting their first child. The Andersons are approaching an empty nest, and the Buckleys are so focused on providing their children with everything that they’ve forgotten what they truly need. With just eighteen summers before their children are grown, how do they make the most of that time when life so often gets in the way?

As summer flies by, each of these parents must learn about guilt and grace . . . and when to hold on to their kids and when to let go.

My opinion, this book sort of smacks you in the face reminding you that life is so precious, and any time spent with loved ones is never time wasted. While I do not have children, it still ingrains a lesson that you should never take time for granted.  I love the contemporary aspect, even though normally I go for historical fiction. The book also gave a silver lining in turning to God and that is something that you really don't see enough of in a book.

My over all opinion, 3 out of 5 stars. It's an easy read and good for anyone, not just parents. 

Being Authentic, Be What God Made You To Be

  How hard is it to just be authentic? Be yourself. If you don't know who you are, spend some time away from technology, away from influences, social media, away from it all and FIND yourself. Know who you are and what you want from life.

  I saw an article (unknown if this is proven or not) that camping for a week sans all technology will reset your sleep cycle to the sunrise and sunset. How amazingly simple would that be to solve insomnia? Just go camping! I can not wait until it is warm enough to camp! IF nothing else, it will connect you to yourself. Which I am a firm believer that everyone needs at least once a year.

  All too often, I see young girls who just follow what the media says about everything... from makeup to outfits to morals. It frustrates me to no end! Just be yourselves. It's okay to be "not like everyone else", in fact, it's encouraged! Some of the most successful people followed the beat of their own drum.

Ephesians 2:10

10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

  We are made by God. He stitched us together exactly the way he wanted. He has plans for our lives that we may not have any clue about yet, but HE knows! And God equipped you with exactly what you need to get through the life He has planned for you! All you have to do is be yourself! It's pretty easy! And yet, most folks who are too much into this world, change themselves. And I know you're thinking, oh not me, but yes you, unless you are actively fighting this battle daily, then you are changing little by little. Changing and veering off course of what God has planned.  

Which circles back to my original thought, spending time away from technology and influence of others, just you, your spouse, and your God somewhere can help you remember who you are. Who God made you to be. It doesn't have to be camping in a tent. It could be at a swanky hotel on the beach, just somewhere that you can unplug from the world and plug into what God has made you! 

And I link up with the dear sweet Aimee from Click.Pray.Create. for Find Beauty Friday! I LOVEEEE This linkup!

What are some of your favorite ways to reconnect to your true self?

Hamama Falls Hike, Oahu

I thought I'd continue sharing some of the things we did during the three short, but magical years on Oahu. Hiking quickly became one of our favorite things to do. Some of them were pretty steep, but once you arrived at the top, the view was well worth it!

This one is called Hamama Falls. Let me put a disclaimer out there and say that at the time, we did not know it was illegal to hike this trail. Most of the time, the state makes these places illegal because they do not upkeep the trail for the public's safety. If you are going to hike it, know that I warned you! I'm not responsible for any citations that you may get if you get caught. That being said, let me tell you about this hike.

Source

That's the trail in the image above. It's about 3.2 miles round trip. Time to complete depends on your athletic ability, but it took us about 2.5 hours. We did spend some time at the waterfall and of course I had to take a zillion pictures. Now, PLEASE Print out a map of the trail. Also, check on other trail sites for tips and path markers as I did not post about those. Just do your research people. You don't want to be stuck on a trail over night because you veered off the trail and didn't know how to get back! Safety first, even when it annoys your Husband like it does mine! :)

This trail is on the east side of the island. Remember the gorgeous building, Valley of the Temples, I posted about here? It's in the area, so if you want to get two beautiful spots in one day, I'd go to the Valley of the Temples first, then hike after. Directions to Hamama Falls:  Get on either the Pali Highway or the Likelike Highway and drive toward the Valley of the Temples Memorial Park in Kaneohe. You’ll pass the historic Hygienic Store,  near the intersection of Kahekili and Kamehameha Highway. Right past the Hygienic Store will be Waihe’e Road, turn left here. The road ends at a metal gate. This is the trail head. You’ll park in the neighborhood, but be respectful of the folks living there, don't block their driveway or get too close in their yard.

OK, this is the info you'll need, directions above and a couple of tips, ALWAYS bring water and any other first aid kit anytime you go out on a hike. I have a small backpack that I bring (thanks to The Mr. for always taking it when I get too hot) and I have a printed out map of the area, as well as a small compass/orange whistle and a granola bar in there with our cell phones. OH! And for this hike, bring mosquito spray. They are HUGE in the jungle parts and they will attack! Also, this trail is pretty wet, so use common sense here. Don't take your kids or elderly or even someone with a condition on this hike. It does get pretty steep in some spots. Just be smart out there, folks.

Now, on to the pictures! WARNING: as with all of my travel posts, this is very picture heavy with 2 short videos of the waterfall.

A 30ft waterfall doesn't sound like a big deal, but when you are standing right underneath that sucker, it's massive! And that water was colder than ice! They had just a puddle under it, and you had to stand in the cold puddle to get close to the rocks.

Even after all of the trouble of hiking, mosquito bites, and the ice cold water, it was a hike of a lifetime!

So sorry this video is sideways! I don't know how to fix it. 

I hope you enjoyed your virtual hike and waterfall experience! 

Have any of you ever been to a "real" waterfall?

You know you want to enter...

...this giveaway! I don't want my blog to become nothing but giveaways, but let's face it, everyone loves to win things, and so I just have to participate in them!

This giveaway has LOTS of goodies from some fabulous ladies to help Aimee from the former Dear Harper Blog relaunch her blog to Click Pray Create !

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sponsor Shout Out, Meet Samantha!

* Meet Samantha! I LOVE this lady's creativity! And her blog is so sweet and honest, she is an inspiration! Take a look!*

Hi everyone! I'm Samantha, mid-west girl living in the big city. I love living a crazy creative life, being a wife, and living a life focused on Jesus. I run a lifestyle blog, Elah Tree, and shop dedicated to infusing creativity and love into everyday life. I am so honored that Jessy would be so generous to let me share my thoughts with you today.

Before I began blogging I was enamored with photography. That is where my creative journey began and I would love to share some basic tips for shooting with your DSLR. These tips are the very very basics. Everything I am sharing are things I have learned over the years.

From the time I began shooting with a DSLR I was shooting manually. Shooting manually can be intimidating, but it will change the way you take photos in so many ways. It's your job to create the photo, not your cameras. When shooting manually there are three things that you will be working with all the time; shutter speed, aperture, and reading your meter. 

Shutter Speed is the rate in which your shutter opens and closes. The larger the number the faster the shutter will open. The smaller the number the slower your shutter will open.

Aperture is how wide your lens will open to let light in. The smaller the number of your aperture the more light will enter. The larger the number of aperture the less light will enter.

Reading your meter is kind of tricky. Each camera meter has a different sensitivity to the light. When you look through the view finder of your camera at the bottom of the screen you'll see a scale with a plus sign on one end, a minus sign on the other end, and a 0 in the middle. When reading your meter you want the scale line to be even with the 0.

 (properly exposed meter reading)

( over exposed meter reading)

 (under exposed meter reading)

When I shoot I set my aperture first and adjust by shutter speed to create a proper exposure. For example the photo above was shot at f/1.8 (aperture), 1/500 (shutter speed), 50mm(lens). Different lighting, the amount of people, and different events will all require different sittings when shooting manually. Sporting events require a higher shutter speeds. Low lighting requires a lower shutter speed. The more you practice the better you will get at knowing which settings to use. Remember every creative artistic  endeavor takes practice. Thanks so much for having me! xo. Samantha

Weekly Wishes, Clean Slates

I link up with The Nectar Collective for Weekly Wishes. This is an opportunity to share your wishes, goals, and or dreams with everyone. For me, it's a way to hold me accountable to get things done and off my to do list!

This is the deal, I'm starting my list of Weekly Wishes with a clean slate this week because everything from last week, (see it here) is D.O.N.E.! Ahhh, so refreshing to have a clean slate! Now, let me pile a ton of stuff on it! 

1. Sew Lilly Pulitzer T-shirts. I have left over Lilly fabric, and my sister requested a T-shirt with a fancy smancy pocket on it. What better way to use up fabric and fill her request? I can't wait to show y'all what they look like! And I did see a few on Etsy that folks are selling. Maybe I'll have enough fabric left to make a few to sell! 

2. Blog a week's worth of travel posts. Folks, it's time to get serious on this travel post thing. I am only through like day 6 or so of our Europe Tour from LAST YEAR! The best city, in my opinion, has yet to be posted! I would like to do a solid week where it's nothing but travel posts! How great would that be? 

3. Start Couponing.  My little sister has started couponing and is raking in the "hauls" like she calls them. Although she buys things I do not need, like diapers, it's still fun to see that for about 30 minutes of work, she can bring in like body washes for 70 cents. And even if I don't use some things, it wouldn't hurt to keep a small stock pile of items that I can giveaway to friends and family! 

4. Organize book shelves.  I am a book hoarder. I know this. And my problem is, a fun outing includes a trip to the library. I will check out a couple books knowing full and well that I have at least 20 books sitting on m shelves that I haven't read yet. It's true. There is no denying the hoarding now. In an attempt to stop the madness, I've come up with a brilliant plan... to organize my shelves. I will put all of the unread books on one shelf, possibly two, at eye level, so I can see them and NOT check out or buy any books until I finish the ones I already own. Sounds good right? Let's hope it works! 

I think I can complete all of these for next week! That's my goal anyway. I kinda like the clean slate every week!

What are your tips on getting your weekly to-do list complete? I'd love to know! 

Find Beauty Friday, My Green Thumb Is Itching Edition

Hey Y'all! Today is FRIDAYYYY! Time to link up with Aimee for Find Beauty Friday!

 I hear that it will get up to 50 degrees today! I think this calls for another balcony day for Ginny and I as we plan and plot what plants and flowers we want to share our little outdoor space with.  I would love veggies as well as flowers, but I just don't think there is enough space out there for both. Who will will out, my practical side, or my girly side?

We did manage to get out to Trader Joe's this week. I adore that store! Everyone seems so happy to work there, and lets not forget all of the cute signs and displays! And no, this is not a sponsored post. It's a happy one becauseeeeee they put the flowers on display! I managed to get these two beauties and they seem to be doing well inside! I had to add my latest project into the mix. It's a scrap yarn crochet blanket, or will be. But I just learned the bubble stitch and it's so unique!

Are any of you starting to feel your green thumb itching for Spring?

Him vs. Her

I wish I could find the post of who did this survey, so I could link back to them!  When I saw this, I knew we had to participate! It's fun to see on the screen, just how much we are different. Polar opposites, but it works!   

  Shoes
    Him: Anything sturdy in the winter, and open in the summer
    Her: Right now I prefer tall boots to drudge through the snow and slush.

    

    
    Drink/Beverage
    Him: Monsters
    Her: Coffee, tea and water.
    
    
    Ice Cream Flavor
    Him: Mint Chocolate Chip
    Her: Vanilla with Caramel drizzled on top.
   

 

    
    Color
    Him: The turquoise blue of Hawaii water
    Her: Shades of Green
    
    
    Candy
    Him: Not a big candy fan, but liquorice or anything from Albanese
    Her: Reese's cups. Peanut butter and chocolate are my weakness!

    
    
    Music
    Him: 90's and 2k rock
    Her: Contemporary Christian, & Zydeco
    
    
    Go to outfit
    Him: Jeans & t-shirt (Ha! wife answered this for me...)
    Her: Maxi dresses with cardigan

    

    
    Restaurant
    Him: Love a good diner - haven't really found one here yet
    Her: any good sushi place
    
    
    Movie
    Him: LOTR/Avengers/Braveheart
    Her: Pride and Prejudice

    

    
    Food
    Him: Steak
    Her: Sushi!
    
    
    Item You Can't Live Without
    Him: Don't have anything like this - maybe a book?
    Her: Lip balm.

    
    
    TV Show
    Him: Love Firefly - probably the only show I could re-watch multiple times
    Her: Currently, it is Southern Charm. I know it's bad reality TV, but I just can't look away!
    
    
    Wake up time (M-F)
    Him: 9:30am
    Her: 6:20am 
    
    
    Way to relax
    Him: Playing video games 
    Her: reading or crocheting
    

    
    Vacation Spot
    Him: EVERYWHERE! still have many locations around the world we will see! However, a yearly family trip to a lake in Wisconsin is always a great time.
    Her: I have to get to water! Either by the sea or a large lake
    
    
    Holiday
    Him: Thanksgiving because of the food!
    Her: Christmas

    
    
    Sports
    Him: Playing: Softball or Basketball  Watching: Football  Going to the game: Baseball
    Her: Yoga, Try it. It's a sport! 

I'd love to hear your answers! 

Home Tour- Coastal Decor

OK, listen up, I LOVE the SEA. I think I may have been a mermaid in another life, if reincarnation exists... or mermaids for that matter. I love the smell of the salty air, I love the feeling of sand between my toes, collecting treasures from the shores,  the sounds of waves crashing... ahhhh...

SO, while I'm stuck here in Antarctica, I mean, Illinois, I needed to feel as if I was close to the water while I freeze to death. And I had a ton of sea glass and shells from Oahu that were just sitting in a box, feeling a little lonely. So I decided to go... Coastal. (See what I did there?)

Warning: this post has about 18 pictures, and I'm X-large-ing every one of these babies. I'm also putting a video of one of our favorite bands, Irration (one of our first dates was going to see them in concert in Honolulu!) on here, so click the video, and listen to the song as you scroll through our living room tour!

Hope you enjoyed! I realize I focused most of the pictures on the mantle. That's because it's the prettiest mantle I've ever done! The rest of the living room consists of a beige sofa and love seat, blue recliner, and blue rug from Ikea. Pretty boring compared to the mantle!

How do you display some of your souvenirs?