PINK ROOM IN PARIS BY SKETCH42 | FRAME FROM LEVEL FRAMES | FLOWERS BY EMMY RAY
I’ve found that the life of a creative this is probably true for everyone, but especially for us is constant ebb and flow. I have times of gathering inspiration, times of planning, and times of execution. Each season fuels the next. Right now I’m in the planning stages of some major projects for 2018, which means I have less to share with you here. The perks of blogging include amazing partnerships with great brands, but the downside is the secretiveness of it all! I promise to share more as soon as I can. Next week we’re shooting a space makeover I know you’re going to love!
In the meantime, let’s take a look at some of life and what’s caught my eye lately.
⋅BABY SHOWER This last weekend I threw a baby shower for one of my very best friends. Kirby and I go way back. From Sister Act in our nun habits in the 4th grade talent show to Laurey and Ado Annie in our high school’s rendition of Oklahoma, we’ve been by each other’s side through it all. Kirby has the most amazing wax company that she started in her basement and has now moved into a warehouse and has several full time employees. Now that her baby of a business has really taken off, she’s having a real baby of her own! And I was so excited to shower her Saturday and celebrate her daughter, Nellie Rose!
In the search for the perfect invites, many of you recommended Dixie Design to me on Instagram. The minute I saw the African Violet invitation I knew it was the one purple is Kirby’s favorite color. I love the monogram and the sweet little watercolor details. Plus, you can get thank you cards for the mom-to-be and any extra gift tags will be fun for Kirby to use with that beautiful monogram.
⋅DYSON STICK I like to mainly stick to pretty things here, but I just have to confess my love for something really quickly. For Christmas I received the best gift I’ve gotten in ages. Most people would cry at the thought of receiving a vacuum for Christmas, this mom rejoiced! If you have kids or pets you need to get one of these! It is so easy to use, picks up virtually anything, and will vacuum my entire house without dying. Seriously, the thing lasts 30 to 40 minutes! And since Christmas I have only pulled my central vac system out twice. The ease has me vacuuming almost daily and my mood is so much better when things are as they should be. If you can’t spring for one right now, add this to your Mother’s Day list I’m serious!
⋅CASTLE LIFE I will always applaud someone who takes on a project like this and makes it their own. I’m not sure I could sleep with the raccoons though!
MILLY’S DRESS | MILLY’S COAT | DOMINO’S DRESS | DOMINO’S BOW
⋅FATHER + DAUGHTER Saturday was also our church’s father daughter dance. I love seeing the girls all dressed up and got a few shots of them while Micah was still getting ready. He’s such a great dad and handles them with ease! The girls are very lucky to have an extremely generous grandmother who buys them very nice clothing, but if you don’t want to spend big on your daughter’s next event, you should check out Rainey’s Closet. It’s like Rent the Runway for kids. Milly’s dress is about 1/5 the cost to rent for four days!
⋅TRAVEL In September Micah and I will have been married 10 years, and we want to go on a trip to celebrate that. We’re planning to spend it in the Greek Isles, because I love culture and Micah loves beach and Greece feels like the best of both worlds. We’ll fly into Athens and definitely want to do Mykonos and Santorini, but what other islands are a must? And where should we stay? All of the places I’ve found on top lists are thousands of dollars a night. We want to do the trip right, but we also aren’t rolling in money over here either, ha. I would love your tips and tricks, as I haven’t traveled internationally without help before, and I don’t really know where to start planning! Plane tickets are already going up by the week, so I need to get going!
See more of my Bullet Points here.
Affiliate Links used.
LET’S CONNECT! FIND ME ON…
Abby says
Naxos and Hydra!! Would prefer them both over Mykonos, just because the culture is a bit more calm/less clubby. No cars on Hydra; it’s so sweet. And had the loveliest horseback ride on the beach in Naxos. You might like the historic value of Crete???
themakerista@gmail.com says
Oh, so good to hear, thank you! I definitely want the less touristy, but want to see the major things too, if that makes sense. If you have any hotel/airbnb recommendations I would love that!
Bookworms and Travelbugs says
We loved our hotel in Mykonos called the Royal Myconian resort and Pegasus Suites in Santorini! Mykonos is touristy but also very very beautiful!! And Santorini is the best!!! You will love it! Have a great time. Also have you checked out Scott’s Cheap tickets? You could score good flights to Europe/Athens. Let us know if you need any more info. 😀
themakerista@gmail.com says
Thank you so much for this! I haven’t I’ll have to, thank you! I would love any help you can give! Did you fly from Athens to Santorini and then ferry to the other islands? That seems to be what most people say is best. I’d love any other recommendations for places to stay and check out. Thanks again!
DIna says
Hi I`m Dina , I follow your blog the last 3 years but this is my first comment.I`m from Greece and I`m leaving in Athens.If you want I could send you an email with information about Greek Islands , we have about 3.500 islands…:-)
Sorry for my english..
Regards from Greece
themakerista@gmail.com says
I would completely love that! I definitely need some help. I don’t know which islands we must see or how long to stay at each one. So excited…you can email me at themakerista@gmail.com. Thank you!
Judy M. says
I would suggest that you read the travel blog Kevin and Amanda for suggestions on Greece.
themakerista@gmail.com says
Thank you so much, definitely looking into it!
Patricia says
Patmos! Its where John wrote Revelations! Lots of beauty and you can ride everywhere on mopads. I loved it. Very relaxing.
themakerista@gmail.com says
Amazing! Thank you so much, yes, we definitely want to see some biblical places!
Suzanne says
Rhodes was fantastic! More culture and history and less party island than Mykonos. Santorini is stunning
themakerista@gmail.com says
Thank you so much! Sounds up my alley!
Andrea says
I second the comment about Hydra. Haven’t been there myself (yet) but my grad school advisor is Greek and it comes with her highest recommendation. So it gets my vote too!
themakerista@gmail.com says
Thank you so much, sounds amazing!
Kathy Rohlfing says
We loved Naxos as well. We rented a big scooter and took a day-long ride around the whole island. It was a day I will never forget. And since it is your anniversary, what better time to spend a whole day with your arms around your husband!
Angie Bittel says
Hey Gwen …what was the name of the store your mentioned that had the house plants that were seconds in KC?
themakerista@gmail.com says
Junk Appeal in Blue Springs, tell them I sent you!
Monique says
Oh my gosh Gwen! When we went to Santorini we stayed at the Pantelia Suites. They were spectacular! And not crazy expensive. Best breakfast of my life!
themakerista@gmail.com says
Thank you so much, I appreciate the recommendation! The planning of this thing is more difficult than I was imagining, ha!
Brenda says
My son worked on Corfu one summer and said it was amazing – beaches and history – something for both of you…
themakerista@gmail.com says
Sounds amazing! The show on PBS is so stunning, definitely makes me want to visit!
Lisa Dahlberg says
Subscribe to the Thrifty Traveler (Facebook page and email list) for excellent flight deals! They feature Greece all the time.
themakerista@gmail.com says
Just did this, thanks Lisa!