Time to Submit.....Again

It's been a while since I've put this out there into the blogosphere, so that means it's definitely that time again :-) I love to pray for my readers.  Some of you I have been praying over for years and I absolutely love to hear how the Lord works in your life through time: new babies, new jobs, moving, healing, bereavement.  I absolutely love it all.

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions,

prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people”

1 Timothy 2:1  
If you would like to submit a prayer request or praise, I would love to pray for you.  Or if you have a prayer update I would love to hear about that too.
Click here to submit  (FYI, all prayers are kept confidential and information is not shared.  If you'd prefer to be anonymous that is also an option.)

Showering Little Peep

I haven’t written about it yet, but I want to share these incredible pictures with you.  When I was 30 weeks pregnant my smallgroup showered Little Peep and I.  To be honest I never thought I would ever have a baby shower.  We struggled to conceive for so long that I just thought that this event wasn’t in the cards for me.  So the fact that I had the opportunity to be showered and by such loving women from my smallgroup, I felt so honored and blessed.  Pinterest should be jealous of how gorgeous this shower was.  It really was the most beautiful shower I have ever been to; it was picture perfect!  I really didn’t want it to end; I didn’t want to leave.  I would have stayed there all day if they would have let me.  Thank you ladies and Grace Hill Photography for such a wonderful baby shower!  Check out this gorgeous shower! 

Mrs. Preggo and Little Peep!

Remember this lady?  
I sure do miss my baby bump.  
I can’t believe this picture was taken at only the end of March.  I still had 2 full months to go lol

The Outstanding Decorations

The Favors

The Yummies!

The GiftsThank you to these gorgeous women for being the most supportive and giving women!  You are a huge blessing to us and we cherish you greatly!

Last Day for the Mug Swap Sign Up

This is just a reminder that today is the last day to sign up for the Mug Swap that Meg and I are hosting this month. We want YOU to play along so be sure you click here to sign up!

Happy Friday Friends :-)

What I’m Loving Wednesday: Click and Blossom

I found Click and Blossom when I was shopping for my bestie.  I wanted to get her a thank you gift that fit her perfectly.  When I stumbled upon this site, I fell in love with their products.  I can’t tell you how long it took me to make my selection; I really struggled because I wanted everything!  When the gift arrived, I really liked the quality of the products and I can see myself shopping here again.  Here are some of my favorite Click and Blossom products:
I’m really liking the mugs right now….maybe because of the mug swap going on right now? (hint hint ;-)

If you have not yet checked out Click and Blossom’s shop, I highly recommend it!

And if you’re stumped on what to get me for Christmas or my birthday….this is a good start ;-)

Happy Wednesday!

Obligatory Blogger Disclaimer: I was not paid for this post; I just really like this product.

Fool-Proof Homemade Latte

In honor of the mug swap this month (if you didn’t get a chance to sign up you still have time- click here for details), I thought I would write a delicious coffee recipe for y’all!

I have been tweaking this recipe for a few weeks now and it has been a scrumptious project!  With this recipe, I really don’t have an excuse to hit up the ‘Bucks anymore.  I can create something much tastier & cheaper (not to mention healthier) at home in 2 easy steps.

Taste this:

Ingredients:

Coffee

1 tbs spoon coconut oil

1 tbs of grass-fed butter (regular unsalted butter works fine too)

1/8 tsp of cinnamon

1/4 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Make a pot of coffee however you normally do (I’ve used a drip pot, French press, and a Keurig and they all work).

2. Add a cup of coffee (10oz-12oz.), coconut oil, butter, cinnamon, & vanilla to the blender.  Blend for 20-30 seconds, pour into a coffee cup and top off with a little more cinnamon.

3. Enjoy!

I promise this is as delicious as it looks :-)
 Let me know what you think!

Don’t forget to sign up for the mug swap!

Happy Monday friends!

*Fall Mug Swap*

'Tis the season for warm beverages, and who doesn't *love* a new mug?!?! I know I like to get a new one every season.  It makes my coffee taste better ;-)

Have you met my gorgeous & amazingly talented blogging bud Meg?

Meg and I are both new mamas (you've got to check out her gorgeous baby girls!), and we know the value of a good cup of Joe.  In celebration of the new fall season, and our devotion to caffeine, we're co-hosting a mug swap this month.

YaaaaaaaaaaY!!!!!!!

So here is the deal, everyone who signs up to participate (see below) will be given a partner that they will send a brand new mug.  Not only will you receive a new mug, but you also might meet a new BFF ;-)

Fun, right?

***Note, you do not have to have a blog to participate ***

How this works:

• Sign up for the Mug Swap at the bottom of this post. The last day to enter will be Friday, October 10th. Help spread the word about the swap by tweeting this post.
• When the signup is closed we will email you your partner's information. Contact/email your partner as soon as possible to "meet" them so you know how best to shop for them.
• Have fun shopping for your new buddy, and mail your mug by Friday, October 24th. Make sure that you have packaged everything well so it doesn't break. When your gift arrives, notify your buddy so she isn't sitting around wondering if you received it or if it was snatched up by an elf at the post office. If you're one of the "I don't like the post office or mailing things" mindset, I suggest buying online and having it shipped directly to your buddy!
• It is important to follow the rules if you sign up to participate. It would not be cool if someone sent you a gift and they didn't get one in return. If something comes up and you can't swap, please let me know so that we can reassign partners.
• Once you get your awesome cool fall mug, post a picture of it on your social media channels, using the hashtag #mugswapfall14. Feel free to blog about it, as well (if applicable)! We want this to be easy, simple and stress-free, so have fun sharing and share how you'd like to.
• This swap is limited to US residents only, sorry!

Sign up below and spread the word! You can also tweet about it and instagram the picture above! Might I suggest tweeting/instagramming the following message? "Join me in the #fall14mugswap hosted by @mo_meg and @darbyhawley! Details here: http://wp.me/p3MUP7-V5"

Blogland Tour

I don't know exactly when it happened, but when it did, I knew it was going to be great. I met Brooke sometime within the last year or so.  We were both expecting our first babies and due about the same time.  It was awesome to share our pregnancies with each other (She has an adorable and incredibly stylish little girl!).  Not only that, it's amazing how many things our little families have in common, especially our hubbies.   Go check out Brooke's blog!

Brooke nominated me to be the next stop on the tour through blogland (Thank you Brooke!), and set me up with some questions. So here goes:
What am I working on right now? I think the better question for me right now is "what am I not working on?"  My typical Darby Fashion would start and finish something well and fast, so as to race through a perfectly color coded to do list.  Right now, however, I am a hot mess.  I have about 3 bazillion projects going on at the same time, and I don't know where to start so I will start a new project.  I've got half of the laundry done, 39 unfinished blog drafts, 4 craft projects on my dining room table, 3 recipes I'm testing in the kitchen, 3 piles of papers I should be grading right now (don't worry kiddos if you're reading this I will have them done for you by tomorrow morning), 5 books started with a bookmark in the middle laying around the house, part of Dutch's baby album finished, and really I could go on and on with this list.  So I think my new process of working on projects is different: I can't stay as focused as I used to on one thing so I do a lot of little parts instead.  I'm not sure how effective this is (in fact, I'm pretty sure it isn't effective at all), but this is where I am right now at this point in my life.  I'm a little messier and a lot slower than I used to be but I'm learning to accept this aspect of my new life.  I know it is just a phase and wont last forever so I'm embracing the fact that my dishwasher door is open and half loaded.  
Why do I write/create what I do? Why do I blog? Because I adore the blogging community.  It has encouraged me in more ways than I could list.  In short though, blogging makes me a better person.  Sounds crazy, right?  Not really.  I have met so many amazing women (in real life) as a result of blogging that have changed me.  They have encouraged me psychologically, spiritually, relationally, professionally, creatively, etc. Why do I make new recipes? Because, quite honestly, I love to eat :-) Why do I craft?  I find such joy in making things with my hands.  Creating something is relieving for me....and a lot cheaper than therapy lol (refer to Monday's post on Steel Magnolias ha!) Why do I take a million pictures? I certainly do not have any plans or dreams of becoming a photographer.  I don't have that kind of talent, but I do find photography to be a fun learning experience and hobby for me.  I think everyone should have something that they find fun to work on or to learn.  It's always a good thing to be growing.  Photography is my thing I like to learn about and grow in.  I find it fun, but I do apologize for clogging up your social media feeds.  I get a little carried away sometimes ooops!
How does my writing/creative process work? If you refer to the first question, you might be thinking: chaotic. For the most part, you would be correct in that assumption.  Generally though, I will get an idea while I'm exercising or showering and then I just research my options and dive in.  I don't think too much about it and I just go.  Most of the time this is good, because I don't leave myself time to think or develop fear and back out.
Ok so there you have it! If you would like to be the next stop on the tour, leave a comment! Happy Wednesday folks!