January Sponsors

Thank you to all my January Sponsors!

I had some wonderful sponsors this month. I typically do the sponsor post at the beginning of the month, but this month, I decided to do it at the end since things were so busy. There are some special deals you can still take advantage of. You can read all about them HERE.

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I will probably be doing the February post in the next few days.

For more information on advertising or sponsoring In This Wonderful Life, email me at  inthiswonderfullife{at}gmail{dot}com.

*Don't forget this week's giveaway below!

giveaway!

I have a new giveaway this week!

Hi! I'm Julie of Vibrant Designs! I began my little business mainly selling handbags that I have created and sometimes even designed. We have a bag for every walk of life, age and occupation! Each Vibrant Designs bag is handmade with attention to detail. The designs are fashionable and classic. Our style options include (but are not limited to) handbags, shoulder bags, backpacks, travel bags, wallets, clutches, and diaper bags. If bags aren't for you, then you may be interested in knowing I recently added new items that include a number of headbands as well as jewelry. Be sure to visit Vibrant Designs on Etsy!

Julie is giving ALL of my readers 15% off her ETSY site. Just use the code wonderful15 at checkout.

For the giveaway, a lucky reader will receive at $25 shop credit to her Etsy store!

You have a few chances to win! Leave an ADDITIONAL comment for EACH entry. Please include your email if you do not have an active blog.

1. Visit Julie's Etsy shop and tell me which item you would pick if you won the credit.
2. Blog about this giveaway and include the post URL - http://www.inthiswonderfullife.com/2011/01/giveaway.html
3. Tweet about this giveaway and include the post URL - http://www.inthiswonderfullife.com/2011/01/giveaway.html
4. Facebook about this giveaway and include the post URL - http://www.inthiswonderfullife.com/2011/01/giveaway.html

Winner will be picked randomly and announced next Sunday evening. Good Luck!

giveaway winner :)

HI, everyone :) Sorry I've been a bit MIA. I was out of town for a one of my best friend's baby shower for a few days. So much fun.

I'm announcing another giveaway tomorrow and doing the January sponsor post. I got swamped at the beginning of the month so I aimed for the end.

Thanks to everyone who entered this giveaway!

The winner is...

Cristy from Happily a Law Mama. Congrats! Email me for details!

Weekly Fun Phone Pics

Happy Friday, everyone :)

Unfortunately, my weekend ended and we began knocking this off the buffet...

It is the ornament that says "Cohen" that I got in December. I posted it here. We are going to attempt to glue what pieces aren't too shattered, though we may order another one. It was on the end of the buffet and I was taking lights off the kitchen tree and they hit and knocked the ornament into the floor :( I had a slight major breakdown. 

This week, I'm obsessed with these frozen strawberry bars. They are so good. 

All of the snow has melted away this week...

I like snow, but I'm glad the sun is out and the sky is SUPER blue....

 

Since I've come to love the blog world so much, magazines have kind of fallen by the wayside. This week, I got the January and February issues of Martha Stewart Living (they must have been behind with the new year) and I'm going to make an effort to read them. I have a stack from the past six months I should go through as well : / 

Speaking of strawberry love this week, I think I've decided Berry Blast is my favorite N@ked drink. I think it's because it does have a lot of strawberry and it is thin. Some are a bit thick for me. Here are the ones I bought a few weeks ago.

 

I joined Jessica and her girls yesterday for lunch. We celebrated Penny's birthday (which is today, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PENNY!) She was so funny. We got her and us the Reese's peanut butter cup cheesecake and she really liked it and we did too though she really did eat the most. 

See, she really liked it....

and because he is really cute this week, and every week....

*You have until Sunday evening to enter this giveaway!

Blogger Christmas Party

As I've mentioned before, I've been blessed with many new friends since I've been in the blog world. A few of these girls (Katie and Jessica) I knew long before blogging, but now they blog too :)

Luckily, a wonderful group of girls that blog live close by. No, we don't all live in the exact same town, but in the relative area. There are still a handful missing form this picture that hopefully will be in the next one!

I know this post is very late. I will probably move it to December archives before it goes in a blog book :)

I hosted a little Christmas dinner a few weeks before Christmas. Everyone brought a dish and we had a great time chatting and filling our tummies.

 

{Top row - Melissa, Sarah, me & Katie . Bottom row - Megan, Lindsey, Jessica, Ashley, Katie & Lynn)

yummy treats - my mom made the mice. I honestly can't remember who else brought what!

the main foods :)

drink cart

The rest of the pictures I snapped before everyone arrived :) (except table one with food)

Can you tell I love glittery things?

Love my drink cart I think my mom got this cart at a antique store when I was in college. It's been in storage until a few months ago. I went with bright colors are the cart :)

what's a party without fresh flowers?

I love hosting parties and I've had such a fun time getting to know these girls!

Yes, I probably still have more belated holiday posts coming :)

*Don't forget about this week's giveaway here.

NOLA - Part 4 (final recap)

So, this is my final recap post from New Orleans. This recap is from game day, which was also my 27th birthday :)

 (These are links. Not sure why they won't turn blue..)

Part 1

Part 2 

Part 3

It was a really nice day. It was probably the warmest day as the previous few were pretty frigid. We took a carriage ride through the French Quarter. We had a good tour guide who told us lots of knowledgeable info, like which house was Brad & Angelina's.

While we were riding, Brent snapped some pics....

While I was using the ladies room, Brent held a little photoshoot for Micah & Spencer :)

Remember when I said NOLA was a sea of red? Yep....

So, the silver guy was sitting around everywhere. It did take us a day or so to realize he was fake. People would just stare at him....

We rested up before going to the game and then took a few pics before.. 

The game didn't go quite as we would have hoped, but we did have good seats in the club section. It was a suspenseful game, to say the least... 

I really should have taken more pics of Brent jumping and screaming.

We didn't do much after the game, but overall it was a fun day & birthday. I didn't snap any food pics for some reason, but I believe the places we ate were the Gumbo Shop & Coop's.

On the last day, we had most of the day to mess around before leaving for the airport. We ate at Cafe Pontalba. The menu looked great. I ordered crab cakes. Well turned out, they had mushrooms in them. I have mushroom allergy so, that didn't end all too well. I think mushrooms should be included on the list of ingredients, especially when other ingredients were. We made stops by The New Orleans School of cooking and a little cupcake shop. I THINK it was called The Kupcake Factory. I didn't get a cupcake, but I had to try the vanilla bean gelato.

Such a fun trip! I'd definitely like to go back one day!

Don't forget this week's giveaway here!

Eclectic

So, I really don't change up the rooms in my house all too often. We have a medium size home right now and there rooms aren't that large. I have decided that the majority of my decor preference would be eclectic. I do like other styles but I like to be able to add any piece, any color, from any time period and with any pattern. I do know they have to tie together in some way, but with more of an eclectic style, I think you just have more freedom. I may like a very traditional looking bed, furniture, mirror, etc., but have lots of fun pieces surrounding it.

I have a folder on my desktop that I drop pictures in when I come across something I like. Here are just a few of them....

The next two pictures are Candace Bushnell's home...

 

 

 

The rug is too small, but I like the chandelier and drapes mixed with the furniture... 

Images are from

www.elledecor.com

www.traditionalhome.com

www.styleathome.com

www.houzz.com

I know this was kind of random, but I really do love decor and all things home :) I'm itching to paint something, I think. Maybe I will re-do a room soon....or add pieces to a room. You may remember this post about me wanting to paint a room pink. No, it hasn't happened. Maybe it will. I like to think my Elton Warhol is pretty eclectic.

Have a good day and don't forget about this week's giveaway!