Announcement Number TWO!

I'm so excited to be making this announcement. I've mentioned a couple times that something MAJOR was in the works... well the day has come! 

This little ole blog of mine is moving to a DOT COM and a NEW NAME! Since I've been in Texas for over a year, I'm not working on finding my way so much. Now I am Busy Being Jennifer ... aka the new name :) You can still find the tutorials and other things that I've posted over there. I'm also going to be sharing more of my story. I was very inspired by the writers workshop at Bloggy Boot Camp Dallas and I can't wait to share more of who I am! 

 I hope that you'll head over and join in the fun! I'm starting things off with a bang and a pretty stinking awesome giveaway with some other lovely bloggers!

Announcement Time!

I've got TWO super exciting announcements to make!!!! But I can only tell you one... until tomorrow that is! 

I'm opening a new shop AND its a dot com :) GO check out Homespun Happiness at shophomespunhappiness.com!

AND

To celebrate the grand opening Kelley from the Grant Life, Candy from Candypolooza and I, are hosting a twitter party!! We're talking about fall Decor! There will be over $100 in prizes to celebrate and a $25 starbucks card up for grabs!

You need to go to Kelly's blog and RSVP to be eligible to win!

SO are you in??? I hope you are cause its going to be EPIC! Come back tomorrow for another exciting announcement! :)

Celebrating with a Friend!

I'm part of a pretty awesome giveaway! Here's the details! 

Rules: You MUST be a follower of Yours Truly via GFC. 

All entries will be verified since you're winning some pretty SWEET packages.

If an item has shipping restrictions (only a couple do) and you are outside 

the shipping area then that individual prize will be drawn for someone else.

NOTE THAT THERE IS ONE RAFFLECOPTER FOR EACH PACKAGE.

You can enter for ALL of the packages!

Sponsors are most definitely free to enter as well for packages they haven't donated to.

Package One:

Custom blog planner from lalaLists, 3 months featured ad space from Only Impossible Until Done,

1 month medium ad space and $10 to Starbucks from My Favorite Finds, 2 Pure Ice nailpolishes (red & gold crackle) from aunieSAUCE, 1 month ad space and $20 shop credit from Sassy Lemonade, 250x250 featured ad space from Craftbotic, your choice of print from Livy Love Designs, $10 to place of your choice from The Jersey Flower, 1 month medium ad space from The Chiffon Diary, set of mustache mugs from Mrs. Bonn Bonn (US only), custom about me/welcome design from KV Confessions

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Package Two:

$25 shop credit from Anna Delores Photography, 1 month large 200x300 ad space from Mom2MemphisAndRuby, $15 to Amazon from The Vintage Apple, silver feather ring from Kelly Stahley Art and Design, 1 month 200x200 ad space and $10 to Amazon from Life Feels Good In Portbail Beach, 2 months medium ad space from The Songs On The Way, $10 to Starbucks from Love, Laughter and Lipstick, 1 month featured ad space and sampler pack of handmade cards from Stop! She's Got a Camera, 2 nailpolishes and ombre necklace from Beauty By T, 1 month 200x200 ad space from All Things Lovely

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Package Three:

Set of 10 4x6" cards from Loverly She, 1 month large ad space from Ninth Street Notions, 300x145 ad space and $10 to Amazon from Sweet Tart Beauty, venti ad space and item from jewelry sale from Pointing Up, gift pack (hand lotion, nail care kit, jewelery holder, bracelet, earrings, 2 soaps and candle) from Dreams And Colour, 2 months medium ad space from The Intentional Momma, $10 to Starbucks and $10 to Target from Aimee's World, medium ad space from The Grant Life, $10 to Barnes and Noble from And Here's To You, Mrs. Robinson, Gryffindor Halloween onesie from Rae Gun Wear

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Package Four:

 $20 shop credit and 3 months ad space from Crafty Confessions, Park Avenue ad space from Jennifer Leigh's Blog, $10 to Starbucks from The Crafty Side of Sarcasm, $25 shop credit from Products of 47, 2 months of 150x150 ad space from Juggling Act Mama, $10 shop credit from Sweet Bella Roos, $10 to Target and 1 month small ad space from Delightful Deets, 1 month 300x300 ad space from Like Ordinary Life, 1 month medium ad space from Living In Yellow, 2 months 200x100 ad space from Monkeys and Tutus

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Package Five:

Snow white stretchy headband from Diary of a Brown Eyed Girl, $20 to Forever 21 from Two Smuppies, $20 shop credit from Imprintalish, Scentsy travel tin from A Muse In Purple, 2 months small ad space and $10 Starbucks from Free Spirit Reigns, 1 month large ad space from Lipgloss and Crayons, mug rug and coffee cozy set from Finding My Way In Texas, custom blog design from God's Little Designer, 1 month 300x300 ad space from Coming From a Place of YES and Everything In Between, 1 month 200x200 ad space from The Funny Thing of It Is, 1 month 200x200 ad space and $10 to Amazon from Pretty Living PDX

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Package Six: Zoya NYFW gloss sampler from Glossy Blonde, 1 month De Luxe ad space from To Sew With Love, $10 to Amazon from Three Peas in My Little Pod, 1 month large ad space and digital print from Live Laugh Love, set of dish cloths (2 cloths and 2 scrubbies) from Impractical Composition, 2 months fabulous ad space from Sinead In The Sun, $10 to Starbucks from Sippy Cups and Pearls, 1 pack fold over elastic hair ties, fold over elastic headband, vinyl wall decal and customized scrabble tile pendant necklace from Adventures of Brad and Kendra, any 8x10 print and 1 month ad space from The Charming, $10 to Maurice's and 1 month 200x150 ad space from Girl Booklet a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Post: Kelsey from Embracing Messy!

Fall is here and Halloween is right behind it! The lovely Kelsey is here to share a fun and easy decoration! :)

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Hi Finding My Way In Texas readers! I'm Kelsey from Embracing Messy and I'm SO thrilled to be sharing a tutorial with you all today! I have a mild obsession with burlap and I recently discovered an easier way than sewing to keep it from fraying or to keep just the right amount of fray. It works perfectly for this tiny project! Maybe it's new to me and you all knew about it, but I'm excited to share! 

   

What you'll need: 

-Burlap

-Acrylic Craft Paint

-Jute String

-Fray Check

-Scissors

-Paint Brush

-Glue Gun

{Step 1} Cut out your pennant shapes. I just used a ruler to make sure my edge was straight on the first, then used the first triangle to make the others. 

{Step 2} Apply Fray Check to the edges of the pennant pieces. This keeps the burlap from completely unraveling.  If you want it to be a little frayed, pull out a few strings then apply! Cool, right?!

{Step 3} Paint your letters or whatever else you'd like one your pennants using basic craft paint. 

{Step 4} Using the glue gun, I glued the jute string to the backs of my pennants.

 

And there you have it! Now put this baby anywhere you want! Mine is quite small because I have plans to either use it on a wreath, frame, or jar, but I haven't made up my mind yet! If you plan on tackling this little project, where are you going to place your banner?

I hope you will stop over and say hello at Embracing Messy sometime! Thanks so much for letting me share here on your adorable blog, Jennifer! 

-Kelsey

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Isn't that banner adorable! I think I need to go make one... after I'm done all the stuff I need to finish for the market this weekend! :) Thanks Kelsey!

I LOVE them!

What do I love you might ask? Well watch this video and find out :)

October is Breast Cancer awareness month. In this day and age it is hard to find someone who has not been impacted by this disease.
When I was 13 my Nana was diagnosed with breast cancer. She fought hard and long for the next 8 years to over come the terrible disease. Eventually she lost the fight when the cancer moved in to her lungs. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think of her and wish she was still with us. But I will always remember the lessons she taught me.
Hug the ones you love a little tighter, and help spread the word. Together we can rise above cancer!

Weigh In 09/29

 

Well after last weeks atrocious 6 pound gain, I was pretty motivated to have a good loss this week. I stuck to my goals and it definitely paid off! I slipped up and had soda twice and I wasn’t as good about tracking as I need to be. That is what I’ll on focusing on this week as well as adding in more exercise.

But eating breakfast and replacing some meals with protein shakes definitely made a difference! I lost 4.4 pounds! Yeah baby!

Goals for this week…

Exercise 4 times (walking the dog counts)
Eat more veggies
No soda. No exceptions
TRACK EVERYTHING EVERYDAY!

Guest Post: Carrie from Frugal Foodie Mama

I've got a treat for you today! One of my fabulous sponsors, Carrie is here today to tell us about about her self and share a yummy and easy recipe! Take it away Carrie! 

Blog   Facebook   Twitter   Pinterest

Hello there!  My name is Carrie and I blog over at Frugal Foodie Mama.  You can find me there blogging about how you can still be foodie even if you have a budget, posting my delicious and wallet friendly recipes, and chatting about natural parenting. Today I am hopping over to here to Finding My Way in Texas to share with you all my recipe for a quick and easy (not to mention cheap and yummy!) 8 Minute Mock Rice Pudding...

One of my son's favorite after school snacks (and I know it is a little weird, but...) is white rice doused in soy sauce.  He requested this a few afternoons ago, and I decided to make a little extra for myself.  I was craving rice pudding, but wasn't too crazy about the time that goes into making a whole batch from scratch.  So I improvised and wanted to share with you a little something I came up with that I like to call 8 Minute Mock Rice Pudding.  ;)

What you will need:

2/3 cup cooked rice (to make it truly 8 Minute Rice Pudding, I suggest 5 minute rice)

1 tbsp butter

2-3 tbsp of French Vanilla flavored creamer (I used SO Delicious French Vanilla Coconut Milk Creamer)

1 1/2 tsp sugar

Cinnamon to your taste

*This makes enough for one serving.

Cook your rice according to the box directions.  Most instant rice is 1 cup of boiling water to 1 cup of uncooked rice.  I made 2 cups of uncooked rice.  My son ate a good bit of it for his soy sauced rice, and I had enough rice leftover to make both myself and my husband a bowl of the rice "pudding".  

When the rice is ready and still very hot, add the butter.  Stir until melted and well incorporated.  Now add the French Vanilla creamer and sugar and stir well.  Sprinkle in as much cinnamon as you like.  Stir again.  And there you go!  8 Minute Mock Rice Pudding. :)

What is your favorite dish to mock up?

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Every once in a while I get an insane craving for rice pudding! My Nana used to make it for me on occasion, and it was always a favorite! I'm definitely going to be trying this some time soon! And if I followed the recipe above, it would only be 6 weight watcher points! Woot! Thats pretty good for a sweet treat :)

Thanks so much for sharing Carrie! 

I hope you'll drop by her blog and check out her recipes, she's got some FABULOUS ideas!

Princess S’s Baby Blanket

 

I’ve mentioned the Facebook Group that I started in order for me to meet some fellow Texans that blog. One of the fabulous ladies I’ve met is Emily from Sweet Bella Roos! We even got to meet in REALL LIFE one time! She just had a sweet baby girl and I wanted to make her something special :)

I contacted some of the ladies in the group and asked them to pick out and then send me some pink fabrics. I combined them with some of my stash and created this fun, cozy baby quilt for little baby S.

I used free motion quilting and it was the first time that I’ve done it on something bigger than a mug rug! I really enjoyed it and I am so glad that Baby S is enjoying it too! :) Her momma sent me this pic to share with you all…

Isn’t she just the sweetest thing? I just wanna kiss her cheeks and hold her for hours! Thanks for sharing this Pic Emily! :)

Don’t be THAT blogger!

 

Its been said before, but I thought I’d chime in with my 2 cents….

Don’t be THAT blogger'…

…For the love of pete! Please don’t be a no reply blogger! I like responding to your comments! But I can’t if you’re the dreaded no reply guy! Not sure it this applies to you or how to fix it if it does? Karen from Sew Many Ways has an easy tutorial to walk you through the steps! Go Here

…Captcha = no comments! You probably know what I’m talking about when I say its FRIGGING ANNOYING! So lets turn it off shall we? Go here for a video tutorial on youtube. And incase you’re wondering… mine is turned off and I dealt with the spammers by clicking the “no anonymous comments” option. Hurray! 2 problems – 1 stone!

… If you use twitter, and it is linked to your blog, but its marked private… WHY? I’d like to be able to follow you! If you want to keep your personal account private, that’s cool… just don’t link it to your blog or use it for a giveaway. Yup, you guessed it, ANNOYING!

… If you’re a “fashion blogger” Cool! You’ve got more guts than I do! But do us all a favor and post at least ONE picture LOOKING at the camera with a normal SMILE. Maybe it’s the photographer in me, but golly it frustrates me! I get that its “artsy” but common! Give us a smile!

… Need help? Ask. I like to help. That’s all ;)

ANNNNNNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD…………………………………………… End Rant :)

Farewell Summer, Hello Fall Swap!

 

 

If you know me at all, then you know that I LOVE swaps! Snail mail is one of my favorite things to get and its even better when it comes from a new friend!

I got matched up with the lovely Jessica from Forever and a Day!

 

We’d actually met before the swap assignment through the Texan’s Who Blog Facebook group! AND I’d won a Thirty-One giveaway from Jessica (I got an awesome organizer that I use for grocery shopping and couponing! Love it!) We have a lot in common! We both love Texas, crocheting/knitting, and being crafty! Oh and we both love fall!

I have to say, Jessica spoiled me! I felt like I’d gotten a never ending box of fabulousness! Let me show ya what she sent me!

A very full box full of goodies!

Fun yarns that have already been turned into wintery headbands :) A super adorable scarf. And an Owl candle holder that I ADORE! You know how I love owls!

Fabulous jewelry right? I wore the turquoise “pearl” set to church on Sunday! And I love the blingy bracelet :)

Jessica figured out that I have a fabric obsession :) She found some INCREDIBLE remnants for me! And yes those are Sock Monkeys! My sock monkey obsession is secondary only to my Owl obsession :)

Jessica sent me 2 of her favorite fall recipes (Delish!) and book that sounds great! Its next on my book list :)

 

I scored big time right? This is easily one of the best swap boxes I’ve ever received! I kind of feel like I didn’t send Jessica enough, but I’m going to make up for it, don’t you worry! Oh and if you want to see what I made and sent to Jessica, you can go here!

Jessica, thank you so much for all the thought and effort you put into my box! You definitely figured out what my favorite things are and I am so grateful for my box of goodies!

Bloggy Boot Camp: What I learned, Part 2

 

I’m back with the rest of what I learned from Bloggy Boot Camp Dallas! You can read Part 1 here. I’ll say it again, if you get a chance to go to a BBC event, I highly recommend it! I’m not going to giveaway all the details… that’s why you pay to go! LOL But I will share some of the highlights of what impacted me the most :)

I covered the morning sessions in my first post and after lunch, you had a choice, The Business of Blogging session or the Writers Workshop. Kelley and I had already agreed to split up, she went to the Business of blogging and I went to the Writers Workshop. And golly! am I glad that I did!

The Writer’s Workshop featured the fabulous Francesca (from the SITS Girls) and Kathy (from Mama Kats Losin It)

^{Sorry for the icky iphone picture! I really should have taken my Nikon!}

• ^{There is a difference between blogging and writing (its in the content!).}
• ^{There is an art to writing but success come from including the fundamentals.}
• ^{EVERYTHING is searchable and your first 100 words contribute the most to SEO}
• ^{Writers block? – walk away – check out inspiration links ( Just write: extrordinary-ordinary.net / Pouryourheartout.com / Five Minute Friday: lisajobaker.com) – distract yourself with something “fun” but have paper and pen near by to jot down new ideas.}
• ^{The six word memoir exercise (http://www.smithmag.net/sixwords/) Would this work as your tag line?}

^{The six word memoir was one of the hardest things for me to come up with (and mine ended up being 7 words) but it has inspired me so much! There are big changes coming to this little blog of mine and I can’t wait to share in a week or two!}

 

^{Holly Homer (sheisdallas.com & businesstoblogger.com) was up next! And boy, oh boy, did she have some incredible ideas to share about Local Content and some smart tips for SEO!}

• ^{Change the URL of your “About Me” Page – include an SEO searchable phrase and then use those exact words in EVERY guest post/giveaway opportunity and link it back to your “About Me” page! {Can we say brilliant!}}
• ^{Set up a blog category under the name of your town for your local content/around town type posts.}
• ^{Obscure posts will get more hits.}
• ^{Make yourself available to the local press! You might be surprised to find that they will use you!}
• ^{Attend local events whenever possible.}
• ^{You ARE already a local blogger, but may not realize it! Identify your local sphere of influence! – check out your analytics, search for geo-centered boards on pinterest, Twitaholic .}

 

^{Growing Your Traffic with Tiffany Romero and Francesca Banducci of the SITS Girls (Two flipping-fantastic women if you ask me!) was intense! They blasted us with a TON of info in a short amount of time ( we were running a little behind schedule lol), but it was a fab session and added about 38,748 more things to my To Do list!}

• ^{As soon as a new social media is introduced, register your name! Even if you don’t use it right away! Otherwise it may be gone!}
• ^{Editorial Calendar! Plan out the next 12 months! It doesn’t have to be for all 365 days or uber specific, but get the gist of it on paper.}
• ^{Twitter – sign up both your personal name and your blog/business name –FILL IN THE BIO!}
• ^{Keep a healthy Tweet ratio – 8 convo tweets vs. two promotional tweets.}
• ^{Facebook – Get visual! Create your own images and use them! – Add a freebie to your FB page.}

 

^{Have you heard of Flourish in Progress? Elizabeth was one of the funniest speakers of the day! And a total Gem! I got to talk to her a bit at the Mirassou Wine Tasting After Party and she is so genuine!  She spoke at BBC about Authenticity.}

• ^{What is your Story? Its YOURS! No one can tell you how to use your voice!}
• ^{If you’re honest and don’t try to hide details, you will be surprise by the number of people who “get it”!}
• ^{When you get discouraged (about a lack of comments/interaction) remember that people have lives!}
• ^{Not everyone will like what you do, and not everything is about you!}
• ^{If you put out honest content and work it, you can make a space for yourself in the blogosphere!}

 

^{Honestly, at 5 pm I was sad! I was sad because the day was over and the learning was done :( I could have listened to these remarkable women talk for another week! Of course heading upstairs to the Mirassou Wine Tasting party helped a little bit ;)}

I was so glad to meet up with some of “My Texas Girls” from the FB group I started in the spring! (Photo Creds to Cynthia from Oh So Pinteresting)

Overall it was an absolutely INCREDIBLE experience and I can’t wait to go to another BBC (hopefully) next year! And maybe even a weekend conference? We’ll have to see :)

Sunday Snaps

 

I desperately need to to grab my camera, head to the lake and go for a walk! Its been ages since I practiced different techniques with my camera. Anybody want to come to my part of Texas and be my model for a day?

My puppy is getting so Big! Riah will be 5 months on Tuesday. And I think she is close 50 pounds now!

I can finally show you this baby quilt! A friend from the Texan’s Who Blog facebook group just had a beautiful little girl. Some of the ladies from the group sent me some pink fabrics and I combined them with white to make this fun baby quilt! I’ll share more details soon :) I’m waiting for the Momma to have a chance to take pics. Hehehe

That’s all I’ve got this week. Maybe next week I’ll have something that’s more “photography” like. :)

Happy Sunday!

Weigh In: Back to Reality

 

Some of you may have noticed that I haven’t posted any updates/weigh ins for over a month… Most of you probably didn’t notice a thing ;)

Well I fell off the WW wagon for 5 weeks. The first week I missed I was sick/slept in. Second week I was in a funk/depressed/eating everything in sight. Third week I was shopping/thrifting with my MIL. Fourth week I was in Dallas at BBC.

weheartit.com

So today, 5 Saturdays since the last time I weighed in, I am up 6.2 pounds.

OUCH!!!!!

I’m so pissed at myself for letting it happen, and yet at the same time happy that its only 6.2 pounds. It could have been a lot worse considering how many times I’ve eaten out over the past month. I had basically stopped tracking my points and exercise has become a 4 letter word.

So, I’m starting over. Forgiving myself for messing up, and getting back on the Wagon!

This week I’m going to go back to the very basics of the WW plan. Tracking everything I eat and working out. I’ll be cutting out soda, limiting coffee and giving up all forms of junk food. I’m going to actually eat breakfast (Body by Vi shakes are awesome!) and exercise.

Time to get back to business!