$5 Jewelry? Yes Please!

Hey everyone! I'm sure y'all are busy getting ready for Christmas. Can you believe it's almost here? Only 2 days left!

While I'm still not quite finished with my Christmas shopping, I was able to get a little bit done (for myself) at a Masquerade Jewelry fundraiser!  Neils mom went to one last weekend and said it was great, so of course, I had to tag along this weekend! What did I find? Jewelry, scarves, collegiate apparel and accessories and more!  This isn't the kind of stuff you would expect to find for $5! 

Who is Masquerade? "Masquerade Fundraising is, by far, the largest $5 Jewelry Fundraising Company in the Nation. We currently have over 40 representatives throughout the continental United States each fully backed by a strong and reputable National Corporation based in beautiful Knoxville, TN. We are dedicated to the Hospital Community and to helping our Volunteer and Auxiliary sponsors meet their fundraising goals." - Masquerades website

Here are a few pictures I took while I was there. (sorry for the phone pictures)

This was from the website. The one I took like this was too blurry :(

These were so cute! It is an earring and broach/pendant set! The "pendant" can be worn on a necklace, but also has a pin on the back so you can wear it as a broach!

These bracelets caught my eye, so I just had to take a picture! The blue and red bracelets hanging in the far box at the top were rope and diamonds. They definitely had a very nautical look, and I kind of hate now that I didn't get one!

Here's what I got!

This is one of the earring and broach/pendant sets. These guys were too cute to pass up!

This Pashmina scarf is just beautiful and feels amazing! I also got a set of small pearl studs.

How cute is he!?  It clips into your purse and holds your keys.

I highly recommend checking their website for an event near you! Every event is different though, as we found out this weekend. Some will have alot more than others and might have different items here and there, but over all they are all about the same. And remember, any purchase you make goes to help fund the hospital where the event is held! There's nothing like buying jewelry at great prices while helping the community at the same time!

Have any of y'all attended a Masquerade Fundraiser before? What did you think?

xo Julia

Dreaming of a White Christmas!

Hey everyone! I hope y'all had a great weekend!

As Christmas gets closer,  find myself praying more and more for a white Christmas! I love to wake up on Christmas morning to a fresh blanket of snow.  If you live up North, snow on Christmas is pretty much a guarantee, but here in Alabama, it's hit or miss.

This is a picture of our house from last year. I'm hoping it looks like that this year too! Just think...our house is a plantation home built in 1820, so it has seen 192 Christmas's! Wow, if walls could talk!

Now on to the Christmas Tree!

This year the tree theme was fruit and berries!  It has a classic, old timey look which I love. It reminds me of the way a tree would have been decorated in our home's time period. Simple and elegant!

Are any of you wishing for snow on Christmas morning?

xo Julia

Moms Christmas Gift

Hey y'all! I hope everyone had a wonderful week! 

On Tuesday morning, Neil and I headed up to Indy to visit my family for 2 days and got back last night. More to come about our trip in the next couple days, but for now, I wanted to share with you a gift I made my mom for Christmas! I made her a recipe book!  It took me about two months to finish it, but mom LOVED it!

I called it "Sugar Maples: A Collection of Family Recipes". My maiden name is Maples and my mom always wanted a bakery called Sugar Maples, so since I couldn't give her that, I decided to make her this!

I used a simple black binder and covered it with scrapbook paper. A Cricut would have come in really handy for cutting out the letters and leaves!

My dad past away last year, and he was the best Chef I knew. This was the little dedication page I put in there for him. The car at the top is a car that he had since he was 16 years old. It's been through everything with him, so how could I not include it!?

I typed out every single recipe, since the book was made up of all the special recipes Dad used to fix, as well as Neil's family recipes and of course some of Moms famous desserts!  I like the book so much, I think I'll make one for myself!

What do you think!?  Did you make any gifts for Christmas? 

xo Julia

Q&A Time!!

Hey y'all! I'm so sorry I've been MIA the past week! I have been SO busy! We had our Christmas sale over at the shop, and it went great!  While I'm working on catching up with your blogs, as well as my own, I thought I would fill out this little questionnaire I found on Jackie's blog. Jackie's blog is one of my daily MUST reads, so if you haven't yet, check her out! 



1. What time did you get up this morning? 10:30am

2. How do you like your steak? Well done, I can't do pink meat!

3. What was the last movie you saw at the theater? I think Toy Story 3 in 3D

4. What is your favorite TV show? I was really into Storage Wars, but all they show is re-runs now, so it's kind of annoying. I like Toddlers and Tiaras...their such little DIVAS!

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? Honestly, where I live now or Florida...I'll never leave the south tho.

6. What did you have for breakfast? Well....I guess I had tortilla chips and salsa..great breakfast huh?

7. Do you wear glasses or contacts? Neither. I wore reading glasses when I was a kid, but not anymore!

8. What food do you despise? Brussell Sprouts...is that how you spell it? They are gross. 

9. Favorite Place to Eat? Either the Mexican restaurant, Rancho Veijo, or the new Chinese place, not sure what it's called.

10. Favorite dressing? Ranch, it goes great with anything. Honey mustard too.

11.What kind of vehicle do you drive? A Dodge Durango 

12. What are your favorite clothes? Jeans, sweaters and scarves for winter. Dresses for summer.

13. Where would you visit, this weekend, if you had the chance? The Beach!

14. How many tattoos do you have?  None...my mom would have killed me! I'm too scared anyway.

15. Where would you want to retire? The beach. St. Augustine, to be exact!

16. What is your desktop photo? Neil's mustang! Can you tell we share a computer ;)

17. Where were you born? Jacksonville, FL!

18. What is your favorite sport to watch? None really!

19. How many siblings? 3. Allison, 20. Charles, 17 and Katy (SIL) 18. Love them all!

20. Favorite pastime/hobby? Crafting, baking, blogging, and boating!

21. Coffee Drinker? Not really. I prefer my fake, instant cappuccino!

23. Are you a morning person or a night person? Night, definitely! I hate waking up, but I can stay up for days!

24. Do you have any pets? Yes, Kiki the kitty!

25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? I'm going to visit my family in a few days! I'm really excited!

26. What did you want to be when you were little? I wanted to be a marine archaeologist and dive on ship wreaks!

27.  What is your favorite color? Navy and pink...I can't decide!

28. Are you a cat or dog person? Both! 

29. Are you married? Yes! For a year and 4 months!

30. Always wear your seat belt? Yes! Safety first kids!

31. Been in a car accident? No sir, this girl has a clean driving record!

32. Any pet peeves? Dirty fingernails, long fingernails on guys and the sound of Velcro! UGH!

33. Favorite Pizza Toppings? Pepperoni!

34. Favorite Flower? Lillies or Roses

35. Favorite ice cream? Ben & Jerrys chocolate with chocolate chunks and brownies!

36. Favorite fast food restaurant? Zaxbys!

37. How many times did you fail your driver's test? None 

38. From whom did you get your last email? LL Bean telling me Neil's sweater was on it's way!

39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Oh, I can't choose just one!

40. Like your job? Yes! I couldn't have asked for a better job! I get to do all the things I like...office work (which is OK sometimes...), Graphic Design, Wedding Design and Retail!

I really hope y'all do this too! I love finding out new and interesting facts about y'all! Let me know if you do so I can read!

xo Julia

New Product! What do you think?

Hey y'all!  I hope everyone is having a Fantastic Friday!  Today is our big Christmas Sale at work (If any of you live in the area, make sure to stop by! Check out www.thirddayseed.com for more info!)  We've all been working really hard to get ready for it! I am SO excited that we have live Christmas trees for sale this year too!

For any of you who don't know, Neil's family owns their own company called Third Day Seed (the name comes from Genesis 1:11-13.) It's so much rolled into one business: Greenhouse, gift shop, interior/exterior plant design, and we also do weddings and special events (any of you ladies planning a wedding, if you ever need advice on something, let me know! I'd be more than happy to help!). About a year ago I started making candles and bath products for the gift shop, and I've been going ever since!

That brings me to the reason for my post!  I wanted to add some type of men's products to the ever-growing bath and body line.  It took me a while, but I finally decided on a men's shaving soap! So after about a month of planning, testing, designing and more testing, I made these 3 testers.

What do you think?  Does it look like something you would buy for the/a man in your life?

xo Julia

Top 5 Tuesday: November Favorites

Today I'm linking up once again with miss Rachel from Just Peachy for Top 5 Tuesday: November Favorites Edition!  Let me just start off by saying that November really is one of my favorite months! This is why:

1. Birthdays

The 3 most important men in my life, Neil, Dad and Granddaddy's (mom's dad) birthdays are all in November. Even better, Neil and Dad share the same birthday! How weird is that!? There are so many similarities and coincidences in our combined family, that it's scary! For example:

-Neils sisters real first name is Julia (but she goes by Katy) and she was named after her great aunt Julia...so was I!

-My mom and Neil's grandmother share the same birthday (Feb. 3)

and the list goes on...and on...and on! Anyways, back to the subject!

2. Thanksgiving

I love spending Thanksgiving with our families! It's definitely one of my favorite holidays, and I look forward it! I also like having an excuse to stay up late and go shopping on black Friday!

3. Christmas Shopping

I start my Christmas shopping at the beginning of November, so to me, it counts as a November favorite! I absolutely love buying gifts for other people. To be honest, I could go with out gifts for myself before I would for my family and friends! It makes me happier to give than to receive! I like going into stores and smelling the Holiday scents they have placed through out. I also love all the peppermint flavored hot drinks! 

4. The Clothes

Of course I hate when I have to force myself to put up the flip-flops (ok, I admit that my flip-flops are still being worn, but I promise to put them up really soon!) dresses and shorts, but after I get over it, I realize how great fall fashion is! I love being able to just throw on some cute jeans, a sweater and a scarf and run out the door!

5. Crafts

November seems to be my "craft month". I craft all through the year, but November seems to be filled with all kinds of crafts!  Crafts for the house, crafts as gifts and making all my candles and soaps for work. My latest crafts have been hobo purses, driftwood trees, bow ties and recipe books.  I like to make my mom and sister at least one thing for Christmas to go along with their other gifts...I wont say what I made, but I think they'll love it!

What are your November Favorites?

xo Julia

My First Pins!

Hey y'all! I'm so sorry I've been MIA for the past few days! I've been so busy!  But I promise to get back on my posting right away!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!  Mine was really good! We had a wonderful dinner, then waited for a while and went to some black Friday sales.  I found some pretty good deals, but no outrageous ones. I think we were gone for about 8 or 9 hours! Needless to say, I took a nap when we got home! 

After my nap, I was checking my email and saw that I finally got my invite from Pinterest! YAY! I was so excited. For the first hour, I did nothing but pin, pin, pin! Here are some of my favorite pins from today!

1. Organization- I wish my craft area was organized like this! Hopefully one day, I'll have a whole room devoted to crafts, just like this one.

2. Tshirt Scarves- I love these two designs! They are so easy, and pretty at the same time...who knew!?

3. Jewelry Display- I want a cute way to display some of my earrings, and this is perfect! I think I might try to make this tomorrow!

4. Simple Packages- Sometimes, I really just want simple, and this is it! I love the way these monogrammed Christmas presents look! I think I'll wrap some of my sisters gifts like this!

Have y'all pinned any of these? Hope you all have a great Sunday!

xo Julia

P.S. Check out some of these wonderful giveaways going on!

1. Crystal from Coffee at Nordstrom is giving away a Vera Bradley travel jewelry case! It's so pretty! Head on over to her blog for your chance to enter!

2. Carly from College Prep is giving a way one the fabulous Marley Lilly monogram necklace! I want one of these really bad! Make sure to enter for your chance to win!

Top 5 Tuesday!

Hey y'all! I hope everyone had a terrific Tuesday! There's only 1 more day until Thanksgiving, can you believe it!?  That's why I'm linking up with Rachel today for the Thanksgiving Top 5 Tuesday!

1. Famliy

This Thanksgiving we're staying here in AL and celebrating with Neil's family.

2. The Turkey

There has been talk of a grilled turkey this year. Oh.My.Gosh. Yummy! Neil is the family grill master.

 3. Cranberry Sauce

Y'all...I love cranberry sauce! It's really one of my favorite Thanksgiving Day treats. I prefer the kind that is just a big jelly log, but the whole berry kind looks so much better in a picture!

4. Pumpkin Pie

How could I not include Pumpkin Pie!?  Who can resist that yummy slice of pie at the end of a great meal? I know I can't!  We usually have a pumpkin pie with either an apple or sweet potato pie to go along with it.

5. Black Friday

Last year was my first time ever participating in any Black Friday activities, and I really had fun! I didn't, however, like the woman who rammed her hind quarters in my face to get a video game, but that's a whole nother story! This year I think we will be fighting the crowd at Academy Sport and Outdoors, Target, or JC Penny outlet. 

What are your favorite things about Thanksgiving?  Are you participating in any black Friday activities?

xo Julia

A St. Augustine Kind of Saturday

Hey there! I hope everyone had a wonderful week!  I've been busy once again with work and getting ready for Thanksgiving. It's getting colder and colder out and what does that make me think of? I bet the last thing you would have guessed is....The Beach!!  As the weather gets colder, it always makes me think of how BAD I want to be there!

As you've probably noticed, through my blog posts and on Facebook, I love St. Augustine, FL.  I grew up there and a lot of my family is from there as well.  Neil and I got engaged there and the beach is the best I've ever been too!  It's hardly ever crowded, especially in October, which is the best time to go, and everyone is very friendly!

It's the Oldest, yes I said oldest, city in the Nation.  It's home to "the oldest school house", the Castillo de San Marcos, St. George Street and some of the most delicious food you will ever find!

The Old City Gates. This is where everyone would enter and leave the city back in the day.  If you take one of the nightly walking tours, this is your first stop!

St. George Street. This is the street you see behind the gates. It's full of neat little shops and restaurants.

The Castillo de San Marcos was a fort built in 1672 to protect the city during battle.  They now offer tours and you can go watch them fire a cannon off into the Bay every morning!

The St. Augustine Light House has ALOT of interesting history of romance and tragedy behind it.  It's main use is still to guide ships in from the sea at night. During the day you can take a tour of the Light Keepers house/museum and climb to the top of the Light House!

And now for some of our Beach pictures!

Now I want to go EVEN MORE!  It's ok though, I'll just keep looking forward to 2012. Hopefully it is filled with beach trips all year long!

Have you ever been to St. Augustine?  Where is your favorite beach vacation spot?

xo Julia

Thankful Thursday!

Hey y'all! I hope everyone is having a great week so far! Only today and Friday until the weekend!  I've been really busy this week gearing up for our shop's Christmas Open House!  I've been waiting for my supply shipment which came in today! Yay! Now I have to get busy making all my candles and bath stuff! How fun!?

Today I'm linking up with Christina Marie for Thankful Thursdays!

I'm Thankful For....

....All the blessings God gives me every single day

....A loving husband who's also my best friend in the whole world

....An amazing family that I can always count on

....Thanksgiving is almost here!

....Having a job that I absolutely love and can't get enough of

....Having all the luxuries that I do, there are lots of people who don't

....Alabama gets cold, but not TOO cold...well most of the time!

....Having such great blog friends (yes, I mean YOU!)

There are TONS more things that I am thankful for, too many to list!  What are you thankful for?

xo Julia

Oh, How Pinteresting and WILW!

Today I'm linking up with Michelle from the Vintage Apple for my first ever Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesday!  I have seen all of y'all talk about Pintrest, but never signed up. I finally realized what I was missing! Right now I'm waiting on my invite, so the things below will be pinned as soon as I finalize my account!

I am totally in the Christmas spirit and honestly have been since before Halloween!  I know, kind of weird, but I just absolutely LOVE Christmas time. Not because of the whole gift thing, although it's nice, but because of the feel in the air, spending time with family and just the overall Christmas spirit that goes around.  So with Christmas, in my house, comes baking! Here are some yummy looking treats that I would LOVE to make for the Holidays!

Rolo Turtles

 How easy is that! I am 100% going to try this!

Apple Cider Caramel Cookies

These look delish! I love the flavors of fall, and this is sure to be one of my new favorite cookies!

Red Velvet Brownies with White Chocolate Butter Cream

Y'all! How perfect are these!? As you know, Red Velvet cake is a southern staple, and everyone thinks their Red Velvet cake is the best (which I'm sure it is!).  This will be my new unique recipe! Thanks pintrest :) Oh and it's a perfect treat for your Christmas party!

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

Like I said before, I LOVE fall flavors and Pumpkin is my ALL TIME favorite! I adore any, and everything pumpkin! So these cookies will be a perfect addition to Thanksgiving dessert!

Candy Acorns

Now how adorable are these!? So simple, just take a mini nutter butter cookie and slightly melt the Hershey kiss and stick them together! These would be a perfect treat for little ones to help with!

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

My mom always makes chocolate covered pretzel rods around the Holidays. The M&M ones look really good!

_____________________________________________________________

I'm Loving..... That I have such an amazing husband! xo NMC

I'm Loving..... That our Christmas Open House at the shop is coming up really soon!

I'm Loving.... That my Granddaddy just turned 80! He's going on 20 haha.

I'm Loving..... That the Holly Jolly Swap is going on! How exciting!

I'm Loving..... That I just bought a new sewing machine! It's definitely time.

I'm Loving..... That we are 100% doing Black Friday. Last year was the first time I ever did it, and it was pretty fun!

I'm Loving..... My new sweater I picked up from Marshalls the other day! It's so soft, yet sooo stylish!

Wow...I'm loving alot of stuff right now! What are y'all loving?

xo Julia