TUTORIAL: milk maid braids & winner announced

Just wanted to pop in and say I am over HERE today sharing my milk maid braids tutorial! Here is it and enjoy!

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Hey everyone! I'm Amy, the life and personal style blogger over at Blank Pages! There you can find out my life and the little happenings in it, along with the clothes that I think are uniquely me, but also ideas that anyone can incorporate into their wardrobe. You will also meet my stud of a man and get to be jealous of how we still don't have snow, but rather 80 degree weather in January. Hey, when it seems the majority of bloggers are somewhere freezing their buns off and you're sweating right as you walk out the door, the weather becomes an appealing thing to talk about.

I am super excited to be able to share a tutorial on how to achieve the super simple milk maid braids hairstyle that has made it's popular way around the blogosphere recently. In my book, they are seriously a go-to for pretty much any day that I want to put my hair up while still looking put together (I've worn this hairstyle more than a care to mention). I'm pretty sure we all can love a hairstyle like that, right? Anyways, I'll let the video do the talking. *Please excuse the auto focus noise from the lens. It was my first video done with this camera, and to say the least, I am a newb. Sorry!


Well, there you have it! I hope everything was simple enough to understand and if you feel brave enough to try, I would love to see how they turned out!

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The winner of the Blank Pages Birthday Giveaway is
Jesslyn Claywell
Congrats girl! Sending an email your way soon!

guest post: by the porchlight

There is so much about the holidays and getting everything together that can make you feel like you're dragging an 100 lb weight behind you. Things get behind and deadlines missed but life moves on. My wonderful sponsor, Lesley, had the cutest guest post planned about her trip to Bermuda (lucky girl!) but apparently she was having too much fun in the sun and things didn't get done as she planned. So here she is today, telling you a little about herself and her wonderful time in paradise (if you could hear my talking, you would be able to hear the jealousy in my voice.)

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Hey there! I'm Lesley from the blog By the Porchlight. I blog about living creatively - crafty stuff, cooking, good books, good causes and, maybe my favourite topic - adventures. I thought I'd pop over here and tell you about my latest!

So, I'm not typically a "beach" kind of vacationer. But, coming from Newfoundland (that's in Canada...) where the snow is about to hit, this sunny break was very welcome.

I spent the past two weeks in BERMUDA! Woo woo! What a great break from real life! I'm lucky enough to have shacked up with a wonderful man who's got family living in Bermuda, so we went down for a visit. Perks!

Me in my oh-so-sexy scooter helmet... They're all the rage in Bermuda!

Like I said earlier - I normally travel in less traditional ways. I guess I consider resorts the "traditional" way... I've gone to Poland (post about this trip coming later this week) & Thailand with Habitat for Humanity, I've spent a month in Spain working on an archaeology dig, I've backpacked western Europe... I think I'd get bored lazing around beach resorts.

That being said, my vacation must-haves are as follows:
- good books
- good company
- nice weather
- a place to take a stroll

That list of things could really lead me anywhere in the world.
So... good books? Check! I had those on this trip!

I couldn't put either of these books down! I read The Night Circus as a part of the brand new book club I created with Taylor from Goings on in Texas called Literary Junkies. Wanna join?

Good company? Yes.. I definitely had that.

Hubby and I had a great time sampling the food & drinks all over the island!

Nice weather? Duh! It's Bermuda. (Do people still say "duh"?)

November 29th in the Atlantic ocean! My "adventure" in Bermuda. I swear, it was cold!

They are indeed driving on the left side!

And, finally, a nice place to stroll. Yes! Bermuda definitely has that. Although the country is teeny-tiny, there are lots of great sights and places to visit. My favourite is strolling down Front Street.

So, by all accounts, I'd say this was a great vacation! And, yes, I would recommend Bermuda to anyone looking to get away. It's a safe, beautiful, luxurious and friendly destination.

Thanks so much, Amy, for having me guest post on your beautiful blog!

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So go give this girl some Christmas love, and tell her how jealous you are that she got to spend some time in paradise while most of you are in snow.

Don't forget to enter the She Makes Hats $40 giveaway
Get those entries in HERE
Winner will be announced December 7

featuring: new products at she makes hats

Making a quick stop over here today is Robyn from She Makes Hats! This lady is one that I cannot brag enough about. She has been a faithful follower since the beginning of this little adventure of mine in the blog world and I could not be more grateful; plus, she makes THE best knitted hats and accessories around. You may remember our couples shoot featuring two hats from her shop and this cowl that I cannot wait to start wearing more since the cooler weather is arriving! Today she is here to feature a few new hats from her shop! Keep reading for some pretty cool perks!

Quinn Hat. The Quinn Hat features two contrasting stripes and is perfect for keeping baby snug and cozy year-round. This hat will keep your little one's head warm in super soft style, and makes the perfect prop for newborn photos! Check it out HERE

Sandoval Hat. The Sandoval Hat is a minimalist yet warm and cozy ribbed hat, the perfect gift for the men in your life! Classic design means this hat will keep any man's head warm, and knit up in a classic color means he can wear it every day. Check it out HERE

Luka Hat. The Luka Hat features three contrasting stripes and the perfect amount of slouch! Check it out HERE

Bear Hat. This baby bear hat is perfect for keeping snug and cozy year-round. This hat will keep your little one's head warm in super soft style, and makes the perfect photo prop! Check it out HERE

Jane Hat. A signature hat to the She Makes Hats shop, the Jane Hat features eyelet design and thick, slouchy stitching. The Jane Hat will keep you warm in style this winter! Check it out  HERE

There is nothing I love more than chunky knitted items this coming season, and now you can too because all Blank Pages readers will receive 20% off their order through the month of November! Just enter BLANKPAGES20 at checkout.

Plus, all the Quinn hats are marked $3 off! Perfect for that little nugget that you may know that may need something wrapped in pretty paper in a couple months wink wink

Well, I think I'm done bragging, but you really need to go check her shop out!

Don't forget to enter the Style Lately giveaway HERE
Only 2 more days to enter.
Winner will be announced November 1st!

guest post: the Hat-tember project

 Hey lovelies, I have a beautiful thing for you to be a part of this September! Hat-tember is an amazing project that one of my first blog friends and supporters is giving her whole heart to. She knits these amazing hats that are for sale in her shop (currently closed for how hard she's been working!) and you can see some of her work here. Anyways friends, get involved and help her dreams in this project come true! Here's Robyn!
-------------------------------------------- Back towards the beginning of August my friend Joel over at The Blog Of Impossible Things introduced a crazy new project he’s undertaking - he’s challenged his vast community of readers to help him raise $25k for Pencils Of Promise by the end of 2012! Reading through his post regarding the impossible challenge, I began to get excited. Not only is Joel raising a world-changing amount of money ($25k will build a school in Guatemala AND proved quality education for 1,000 kids!) he’schallenging readers to undertake impossible goals. I immediately knew two things – first that I was going to help out, and second what my impossible project would be.

 For the last few months, I’ve been knitting faster and faster, producing quite a large number of hats for charity. It’s been so amazing to see just how many hats I can actually get off the needles, but I’ve missed the challenge aspect I had with the One Hundred Hats project I finished two years ago.  Quietly I’ve wondered if I could complete a “hat a day” project - knit or crochet one hat every single day for one full month. I’ve been excited about the idea, but quite scared at the amount of time and dedication something like this would mean. And then Joel challenged his readers to do impossible things for the sake of getting some kids a decent education. Sold. During the month of September, I am crocheting a hat a day!I’ll be donating the hats to the Chicago Food Pantry, and will be asking folks to sponsor the hats as a way to raise money for Pencils Of Promise.
Hat-tember 2012 will be epic to be sure! 

 The basics of this challenge are simple enough - using one crochet pattern, my stash yarn, and a lot of determination, I’m crocheting up and sharing on the blog one hat each day in September.  Each hat is sized to fit a teenager through adult so I can wear it for photos,and I’ve enlisted Zach (my amazing husband) to help me take photos as much as possible.

 On top of sharing each hat that I make, each day’s hat will be available for sponsorship - this is my way of raising money for Pencils Of Promise. As I share each hat on my blog She Makes Hats, there is also the option to sponsor the hat for just $25 - the cost of a year of education for a child!  I’m just about a week into my project, and I couldn’t be more pumped … I’m on track with my hats and folks have already donated over $200! There is still alot of crocheting to be done in September, but I’m confident that if I continue on with the pace I’ve currently set for myself, I’ll sail into the 30thwith 30 hats crocheted and $750 raised to help send kids to school for a year!

sponsor spotlight; blog takeover

Hi there Blank Pages Readers!!

My name is M. I blog over at Rock Paper Scissors, a lifestyle blog where I ramble (I mean that, rambling is second nature to me) about some things that are meaningful, some things that are fashionable, and some things that are just down right awkward; everything except rocks, paper, or scissors. Clever, I know.

When I won (wooo-hooo, I never win anything) the 100 Follower Giveaway here on Amy’s blog I literally jumped for joy. I mean, who doesn’t want a sweet little bracelet and a free sponsorship? But a GUEST POST! Naturally, I had a million questions for Amy about what I should talk about. When she suggested I do an outfit post I couldn’t be more excited to share one of my go-to summer pieces with you all.

Now, this summer the one staple piece that I seem to not be able to get enough of is the sleeveless blouse. Being an elementary school teacher, and a recent college graduate, I try to incorporate pieces in to my closet that can be transitioned from a girls night out to a day in the classroom. I have put together three looks to show the versatility that will get you through the entire summer no matter how crazy the weather can prove to be.

Outfit One:

blouse h&m// jeans kohl's// sandals baker's

Who doesn't love a girls night out? A little bit of sophistication, a little bit of sexy. Pairing this sleeveless blouse with a dark pair of skinnies dresses it up but the gladiator sandals grounds it so you aren't too overdone for some fun with girls. I go simple with my accessorizing. Easy yet put together.

Outfit Two:

blouse ny&co.(old)// shorts gap// sandals f21// belt target// purse Michael kors

The pairing of the black and white is classic and brings some fun to running some errands on a hot July afternoon. Add a little bit of leopard on the belt (by far my second most used item in my closet!) to dress it up and a side braid to keep you cool running in and out of stores.

Outfit Three:

blouse banana republic factory// skirt h&m// wedges bakers(old); pearls thrifted

A light skirt is my second go-to item for the hot summer months so naturally pairing it with an equally breezy top was a must for a brunch with momma. Pop on a lightweight cardigan or a blazer and this would be a perfect date night outfit with your man.

I want to thank Amy for the opportunity to be able to steal her blog away from her for the day and get to know all of you lovelies. If you ever want to read about my dad’s love advice, the time I met my “other mother”, or the time my aunt body surfed at a bar, hop on over to my blog and stay awhile!

I’d love to get to know you all!

xo,

sponsor spotlight; blog takeover

Hi Blank Pages Readers!!

My name is Mary Susan (but I often go my nickname Mae or as my sister calls me "Mae Mae".)

I blog at Two Hoots & a Holler, a lifestyle blog about everything from growing up on a farm with a zebra to being married to a musician to adopting our baby girl.When Amy asked me to write about how I met my husband I got super excited.  While I love telling this story, I've never actually written it down before, so it was fun to pour a cup of coffee, take an hour and put it all on paper (or computer screen ...)... So, without further ado, here's how I met my husband...

In 2003, I was spending a summer at the beach when my friend Bethany told me about a class she would be taking the following semester called "Jesus of Nazareth."  She explained that it was supposed to look at Jesus from a historical perspective, rather than a religious one.  I said, "Really?" scratched my chin for about 2 seconds, and then marched my butt to the nearest internet access and rearranged my entire schedule to accommodate for this class.  It didn't matter to me that it had absolutely nothing to do with my major in Middle School Education,  I just knew I wanted to take it... plus this meant I'd be with Bethany every Tuesday and Thursday night, which was bound to be fun. Unbenownst to us, Sean (my future hubby...a complete stranger at the time) was at home in GA making a similar decision... choosing to take the class as well, even though it had nothing to do with his major either (Music Business.)

Three months later, we were back in TN and Bethany and I went to our first class together. Sean walked in the door and Bethany leaned over and told me she had seen him play music in a cafe on campus and that he was really good.  I brushed it off.  Everybody at MTSU played music, and everybody thought they were good... 90% of the time I wasn't too impressed and I figured this was another one of those times.  After a few weeks, Sean handed everyone a small flyer he had printed about a show he was having at a local bar that weekend.  Bethany immediately leaned over to me and said, "We're going."

"I don't think so." I said.

"No, we're absolutely going."

"I don't want to."  And that was that.  Conversation over.

That Friday night I was in my pajamas (hoodie/sweat pants / slippers) when Bethany called.  "I'm on my way to come get you."

"Huh? What for?"

"Sean's show!"

"Bethany, I'm not going."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."... (Let's pause, it's not that I didn't want to see Sean, it's just that I wasn't a huge fan of loud bars... and I was under the legal drinking age.  Sitting amongst drunk college kids, enduring the stares of creepy old men that hung out at all the college hangouts, while sipping on my Dr. Pepper just didn't sound like a great Friday night to me.) But regardless, Bethany insisted.  I finally buckled, "Okay, I'll go only if I can go in my pajamas.. I'm already comfortable." Aren't I a super fun friend? Bethany said "whatever" and a few minutes later she pulled up to my apartment and off we went.. Bethany looking super cute and me in my pajamas, a hoodie, and slip-on shoes.  Thank goodness for real friends right?

As soon as we got there I saw that it was everything I had anticipated, the place was packed with really cute girls in super short skirts and high-heels and a handful of obnoxious drunk men.  But before I could even get through the crowd I heard an insanely good voice come out of the speakers and I stopped in my tracks. At the end of the bar, I could see that Sean was singing.  He was already half way through his set and I couldn't believe what I was hearing.  I pushed my way through the crowd and sat down near the stage.  At one point I darted outside to call my friends and tell them I was witnessing my new favorite artist... At the end of the show I bought 3 CD's, briefly said hello, (in my pajamas) and left.

The rest of the weekend was spent listening to the lyrics, analyzing every line, and singing like a crazy person in my apartment.  The next week at class I tried to play it super cool, and briefly told Sean I had really enjoyed his show and thought his music was awesome.  (He was totally unaware I had already memorized every line of all 3 CD's AND made all my girlfriends AND family listen to it.)

In the meantime, there was another guy in my class who had taken an unwanted interest in me and become quite difficult to deal with. For the sake of keeping this post just short of a novel, I'll say this guy was "unstable." It became clear that it wasn't safe for Bethany and I to walk to our cars alone after class... and so we quickly decided to ask Sean (conveniently the only male we kind of knew in class) to be our nightly escort.  Sean, being a gentlemen, said he'd gladly walk us to our car every night and as my grandmother likes to put it, he's been walking me to my car ever since :)

Basically, to make a long story longer, we became friends during that semester and I was somehow able to transition from stalker-like crazy fan to a normal friend.  Naahhh... who am I kidding... I'm still that same crazy fan ;)  Luckily, I played it cool long enough for him to think I was reasonably sane and 3 months into our friendship he asked if he could take me on a date and a year after that we were married... that was almost 8 years ago.

Crazy how time flies...

Thanks so much to Amy for letting me guest post on her amazing blog and if you're ever interested in reading about us adopting our little girl, embarrassing childhood stories (like the time I cut my finger off in school) or growing up on a farm with a zebra, then shoot on over and say hello! I'd love to hear from you and check out your awesome space!

Much Love,

Mae

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Yeah, their story makes me jealous. I know every single one of you are flocking over to her great blog RIGHT THIS SECOND. So why am I still writing? I don't know. So stop reading my blabber and go give her some love.

Also, today is the last day to enter the giveaway!

Get those entries in HERE

sponsor spotlight; blog takeover

Photo courtesy of Michelle Roller.

Hi there! My name is Alexandra, and I'm a photographer based out of California. I run a little photography blog where I share my work, as well as my every day inspirations and lots about my little Border Collie, Bonny. I specialize in conceptual and fashion portraiture, and am going out on shoots almost every single day of the week. Today, I'm going to be sharing a few tips on posing! Most of my models are actually just pretty friends [I'm pretty lucky!], who have never had any modeling experience before. I'm sure many of you are in the same situation when taking photos, so here are a few ideas on how to instruct your ladies on adding a little extra umph to their photos!

(c) Alexandra Wallace, 2012.

Now, I know this seems like a pretty ordinary one, but believe me, it works! Hands on hips, shoulders dropped, chin up [or down, depending on the mood!], and you've got an instant supermodel pose goin' on.

(c) Alexandra Wallace, 2012.

I've never been a real strong believer in props. I think too much prop-age can take away from the photo focusing on the beauty of the model. But! A little prop use can do wonders. A prop can really help a model become more comfortable around the camera, especially if they're a little nervous starting off. You don't even need anything fancy; I highly suggest heading to a local thrift or goodwill store and just picking up some things you think look neat!

(c) Alexandra Wallace, 2012.

Need to mix things up? Backs are beautiful. And, like props, they can relieve some of that uncomfortable feeling you get from staring straight at the camera. I love how graceful a slightly arched back looks, especially with some extended arm action. Don't believe me? Try it in the mirror for yourself. You'll feel like a ballerina, and I guarantee you'll love it.

(c) Alexandra Wallace, 2012.

Lastly, laughter is key. If you've got a model laughing, you've got a stunner photo. A genuine, natural smile is the most beautiful thing you can capture out of a person - it tops any smize or Vogue stare a person can give. I hope these help out! Feel free to stop by my blog and let me know how they worked for you! -AW www.awphotographyblog.com

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Yeah, she's amazing, I know; her photography is simply stunning. I hope you enjoyed these little tips from Alexandra, I know I will be using them more in my outfit posts! Make sure you send some love her way.

p.s. She's got a little surprise coming for you this week, so stay tuned!

Want to be featured on Blank Pages?

Check out my SPONSOR page

and email me at

amyjpalmer54 (at) gmail (dot) com

Guest Post: Kaytee Lauren

Embrace Who You Are

Hello! I'm Kaytee, author of the lifestyle blog Kaytee Lauren. Currently on my blog, I have been blogging a lot on the topic of style and renewing my wardrobe. I am using Hayley Morgan's e-book, The No Brainer Wardrobe, to help me through the process. The basic idea of this project is to free up negative closet space to make room for positive closet space. Negative closet space represents anything in your closet that just hangs there day after day, month after month, and never gets used. It could be something you feel guilty about giving away, something you wish would fit but no longer does, or something you thought you could make work and have never quite been able to. Positive items would be anything that you love, and items that make you feel good about yourself when you put them on. 

Now take this closet concept, and add it to your mind. What thoughts have you been keeping that are negative and holding you back from being the person you want to be? Pin point the thoughts that are keeping you from being happy with yourself. Now replace those thoughts with a positive thought. For example, if you always have thoughts like 'if only I was that person', is that thought really true? If you were that person that you are admiring, who would fill your shoes? Who would fulfill your dreams? Each of us have at least one talent. Some of us may even have the same talent, but there are no two people that will take that talent and do the exact same thing with it. You should constantly renew your mind to new ways you can use your own talent, and let other people with similar talents inspire you. That's just one example. 

I don't think any one person is an expert on the topic of embracing yourself, because we all have thoughts that can hold us back, but knowing that negative thoughts are just that, negative, helps to balance out the negative from the positive. They can come in the form of an insecurity, an image that we don't quite live up to, and even people we admire can cause us to feel inferior at times. Just like the quote 'no matter how tall you are, the tallest person in the room will always sit in front of you', there will always be someone doing something bigger than you, a little differently than you, or little better than you.  Having people you look up to is a good way to keep yourself inspired and moving forward daily, but be sure you aren't forgetting to nourish your own life. Thoughts also play a major role in the way we feel about our body. I am not one of those people that think this body type or that body type is the ideal way to look. I am one of the those people that strongly believes in loving your own body. An important way to love your own body and shape, is to dress your body in your own style. Be inspired by styles on Pinterest and various sites, but add your own personality into them. It's really easy to follow trends, which can be great, but be sure you are mixing the trends into your every day style that really represents who you are. 

blog//twitter//photography//pinterest//No Brainer Wardrobe Project

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She's awesome, right? Today, I am also over at Kaytee's awesome blog sharing...well I guess you will just have to go check it out yourselves. What are some of the ways you embrace yourself by the clothes you wear?