12.31.2012

{Lotsa Love}

I thought long and hard about what to share with you all today.  The last, day ever of 2012, that sounds so serious.  I could take you down memory lane with outfit pictures from 2012, but I am too scared I will have that looking through your old yearbook reaction one to many times.  You know that feeling of, "Why in the hell did I wear that."  I decided against that option.  I suppose I could do a recap of some of my big highlights from 2012, but I don't want to think you all would be terribly interested in that, though I know my sweet husband would love that post.  So I decided to recap with what I am most proud of related to the blog this year.  It is not all those amazing outfits {just kidding, even thought I like to think I had a few good ones}, not all those beautiful pictures I shared with you all that pinterest found for me, not all the witty titles I came up with, not the great bargains I found for you, not even the creative ways I found to wear sweaters or that favorite old item, but I want to take today to recap the DahliaLynn "Love You" series.  Remember THIS post.  Well let me give you a glimpse of what it turned out to become....
   Megan loves that she is introverted, can cook anything, is athletic, is the nice person, and takes very little for granted. 
Erin loves that she looks terribly young, has found success in business, and loves her legs. 
Katie loves her eyes, her commitment to marriage, and the ease she has making friends. 
Chelsea loves that she is always overdressed, is learning to love the skin she is in, is much stronger than she knew, she is the funny girl, and her ability to predict plot lines in television.
Michelle loves her courage, ability to trust others, her lips, the fact that she is a dreamer, and her hair.
Erin loves her body, her readers, her ability to laugh at herself, the fact that she is a bookworm, and the fact that she is a romantic.
Christine loves that she is a Jill of all trades, her hair, the fact that she is a great listener, that she is following her heart, and that she is growing in to the best version of herself. 
Alex loves being a dreamer, being a neat freak, that she is real, that she is always encouraging others, and loves her personal style. 
Brittany loves her new hair, that she gets lost in her head, that she can laugh at herself, and her approach to find beauty.
Kim loves that she is independent, outspoken, friendly, interested, and emotional.
Melissa loves her body, her sense of humor, that she is a good friend, her eyes, her bargain hunting skills, and that she is emotional.
Lindsey loves that she goes to the beat of her own drum, that she is a great listener and advice giver, that she is spontaneous, and that she is impulsive.
Meg loves that she is a clone of her mother, that she is open-minded, that she has let go a lot of her former type A personality, that she is very driven, has high expectations of herself, that she is creative and overflowing with ideas, that she is independent, that she is not very sensitive, that she can edit her belongings down, and that she is a fast reader.
Kate loves that she is silly, that she loves Christmas, that she is tall, and that she cares about grammar. 
 Kirsten loves that she is organized and clean, that she is wearing her natural hair color, and that she is a people person.
I love the support I give for the LGBTQI community, rainbows, and being a good ally.
Chioma loves that she is getting to know and love her natural hair, that she is a good judge of character, that she is funny, her legs, and that she is about to become someone's wife.
Victoria loves that she is so independent, her hair, that she is loyal, that she is an only child, that she loves to read, and that she is a very decisive person.
Tess loves her family, the story of us {her and her love}, her amazing shop Savoir-Faire, style, and memories
Anna loves her eye for fashion and beauty, her family, her resemblance to her mom, her parallel parking skills,her ability to drive a stick and her dimples. 
I love my sister, my brother, and the fact that I am a really great big sister. 
Molly loves her ability to trust her instincts, that she is type A, her eyelashes, and that she is affectionate.
Sally Ann loves that she is patient, that she is tall, that she is from a big family, that she is named after her grandmother, and that she likes to read.
Leslie loves her sense of humor, her ability to trust her instincts, her upbringing, her dancing skills, her ability to carry many things, and her heel-wearing ways.  
Katie loves that she is from the South, that she lives in organized chaos, her smile, that she is an obsessive bargain shopper, and her support system.
I love that I am a very empathetic and emotional person, that I can make people laugh and smile often by just being me, that I am a really great puppy mom, that I am a good dancer, and my crazy hair.

Are you shocked that I am misty eyed finishing up my last post of 2012.  I can't tell you how happy it makes me that this many amazing ladies took the time to share with others and me what they love about themselves. We can never have to much love in our lives.  Wishing each and every one of you an amazing New Year.  See you soon and lotsa love...J

12.28.2012

{Love You: Katie}

So glad to be closing the last "Love You" post of 2012 with the amazing Katie from Pearls & Twirls.  I fell in love with Katie's blog because she has style after my own heart.  She always has a little or a lot of glam in every look, but usually mixes her items in a way that gives off this comfy, laid back vibe.  I have never met her, but I bet that her personality mirrors this glamorous, warmth.  Read on to learn more about this sweetheart from the South.
 
"I Love That I'm From the South: The more I travel the more I love where I'm from.  There's a certain charm and calmness when I'm with my friends and family that I truly believe doesn't exist anywhere else. From the mountains to the front porch rocking chairs and the slow speakers I love that Tennessee is where I call home.  

I Love My Organized Chaos: I can't seem to say no to a new project or a night out with friends so I find it hard to find time to fit everything in.  As I get older I see that I get this from my mother which makes me smile but also makes me immediately feel exhausted because she still lives like this. Neither of us can sit still to watch television but we both love being busy and the things we're working on. I've given into the fact that I will live my life in this organized chaos so I will just try to figure out how to balance things! One of my New Years Resolutions is to be a better planner in 2013! 

I Love My Smile: I honestly believe that a smile can get you places. Growing up I think "smile!!" is one of the number one things I was told on a daily basis and I'm so glad it was.  I was baffled when I was once asked, why are you so happy? like it was a bad thing.  A genuine smile and a kind "thank you" will get you places.  If you don't believe me, just try it! 

I Love That I'm an Obsessive Bargain Shopper: this is another trait I've inherited from my mother.  I very rarely will purchase something not on sale and will stalk items until I'm able to find them at reasonable prices.  One of my most recent bargain hunts was a pair of fun hued Hunter Rainboots.  I really wanted either red or bright pink but found the metallic ones for $90 on Beyond the Rack - score! 

I Absolutely Love My Support System: I love that I have amazing friends and family that are behind me 100%.  When I was in middle school I asked my parents to buy me a baton because my best friend and next door neighbor had one and I wanted to be just like her.  My parents bought me the baton, paid for private lessons and let me drop out of gymnastics to pursue a dying sport because it was what made me happy - I (and my best friend) went on to twirl for the University of Tennessee.  Same with my blog, I was scared to start taking pictures of myself and posting them all over the internet, scared of what my friends and family would say. My blog is something that I'm now proud of and love that my friends and family are just as proud!" 

What Katie does not know is that I have a real soft spot for baton twirlers as my mother also twirled batons with her sisters in high school.  And if I am being honest, I am always jealous of the sequined numbers that baton twirlers get to wear.  Katie reminds me today of how amazing our support systems can be.  Not only because they support us in times of need {those times when we, or is it just me, might be curled up in a corner crying our eyes out}, but they help us follow our dreams.  I feel like when we tell stories about following our dreams, we somtimes get focused on all the things we had to overcome to get where we are going.  It is nice to have Katie help us to pause and think not only about the people, who encourage us, but the ones who buy the batons and private lessons to give us the extra push.  I pray we all have at least one person in our lives like this.  Thank you Katie for such a wonderful end to the first year of this series.  Happy Friday, lotsa love....J  

12.26.2012

{Seasons with the Reasons}


Just wanted to pop in for a moment to share some of our holiday pictures now that all my holiday cards have been sent out.  My sweet husband does not love props in pictures, but it always seems to make the pictures more natural because we are laughing about whatever crazy idea I have come up with.  We loved the glitter beards, though I might or might not be finding glitter in my house for years to come.  The only tip I will mention about our tangled lights photo is that they were hot.  I guess we got the wrong ones, but we had to be pretty quick snapping these pics.  We have had an amazing holiday in Iowa and are headed to Denver for the New Year.  Wishing you and yours a Merry, Merry Season.  Lotsa Love....J.Reasons  

*All photos taken by the amazing Eden who does all our family photos.  Might want to check out this post if you missed it last time.

12.21.2012

{Love You: Leslie}


Photos by the Talented Keely Yount 

Happy Friday friends!  Don't you just love this time of year.  The hustle, bustle, lights, smiles, family, memories, traditions, and all that makes the holidays special work hard to keep a smile on my face.  Dont' really have to tell you that today you are in for a treat because that is becoming a pattern around here on Fridays.  Don't get me wrong I like sharing the outfit pics and the fashion and design on my mind, but these are my favorite days at DahliaLynn.  Let me introduce you to the simply, lovely Leslie Sisti from A Blonde Ambition.  I have never met Leslie, but know her from her blog and her sweet husband and I went to middle school and high school together.  I am so excited that we have been able to connect through the blog world.  Read on to see what she is loving about herself.
 
"My Sense of Humor.  I’ve often had a pretty self-deprecating sense of humor, to which I credit my mom. She has pin-sharp wit and I’ve definitely adapted her humor over the years. I firmly believe that every woman needs to learn to laugh, especially at herself. I’m happy to say, I have perfected this ability.

My Ability to Trust My Instincts.  I’ve always been a “go with your gut” kind of girl. Making endless lists of pros and cons have their place in life, but I’ve always held that the best way to make a decision is to let my intuition guide me. Besides, it helped me choose my husband. And frankly, who could argue with that?

My Upbringing.  I love a gorgeous pair of Loubies or a delicious vintage clutch, but at my core, I’m a farmer’s daughter. I grew up in Tumbling Shoals, Arkansas ($10 to the first person that can tell me WHERE that is.) It’s a tiny little community about 15 minutes outside of Heber Springs. My dad and Papaw farmed cattle, but we were all expected to pitch in. It taught me the value of a dollar and instilled in me a hunger to work hard.

My Dancing Skills.  I took dance lessons for the better part of my life, starting when I was around 4 years old. I studied ballet, tap, jazz, Irish step and even clogging. I toured several cities with a dance troupe and had some amazing times on some amazing stages. I love that I’m able to move to just about any music and that I feel comfortable being the first one to hit the dance floor.

My Insane Ability to Carry Multiple Things.  I worked as a waitress during the summers of high school and college and learned the art of tray balancing. I can graceful carry a tray of drinks, several heavy plates of food and a booster seat, all with a smile on my face. (Not to mention, I had some amazing “guns” from all that lifting.)

My Heel-Wearing Ways.  I can’t remember when I started wearing heels, but I do remember playing dress-up in my mom’s closet. I learned quickly that a great pair of heels can do wonders for even the most dull of outfits, so I started small and worked up to stilettos. I firmly believe I could climb a mountain in a pair of 6” Choos if the situation arose."

I love that there are some many sides to Leslie.  A gal who loves a pair of killer heels, but is not afraid to get dirty is someone after my own heart.  I love that Leslie highlights her upbringing.  There is so much about our younger years that shapes who we are and are not as an adult.  Leslie reminds us to love our past as it makes us, who we are today.  A huge thanks to Leslie for taking the time to share a little bit about herself.  Don't forget to catch up with her over at A Blonde Ambition, you will not be disappointed.  Lotsa love...J

12.20.2012

{Second & Dahlia's Style Steals}



One fine day I will have a cozy little reading nook in our home.  I have been trying to decide the best place to put it in our new house.  Which I will be giving you a glimpse of next week on the blog so stay tuned.  Today I am loving pretty much everything that Michelle and I picked.  Just wish I was cuddled up at home rather than working.  Happy Thursday...J

12.19.2012

{This Little Piggy}

Though it is still not terribly cold here, most of my open toed shoes are in hibernation for the winter.  But I couldn't helping thinking about a couple of them today, so I thought I would do a little shoe round up.  Do you have a favorite?  Happy Wednesday...J