{Love You: Shayla}

I just recently had the wonderful opportunity to connect with Shayla for the love you series.  She had read a "Love You" post on another blog, and reached out to me and asked if she could write a post herself.  Of course, I was ecstatic!!  When I first started this series, I of course had to reach out to my blogger buddies and the blogs I read to see if anyone was interested in guest posting about their self love. 

But I just want all of you out there to know that this series is about creating a movement of self love in our blogs' spheres of influence, so my theme is "the more the merrier."  If you ever want to do a "love you" post on DahliaLynn please do not hesitate to reach out to me because I would be happy to share with both your readers and mine all the amazing things that I know you have to love about yourself.  So seriously just email me.  I do not want this series to be one that is only for popular, big readership, insert whatever you want blogs, but rather inclusive of everyone.  The blogger world can be both welcoming and intimidating, and I really admire how Shayla put herself out there.  So thankful to have been conncted to her, and I bet you will be too after reading what she has to say today.

"My blog is Designing A Life and I work as freelance graphic designer | shayla grace and photographer | Kee Photographers and I own a paper shop | laLa Grace.

I first heard about this series on another blog and I immediately fell in love with this concept; I am so honored to be a part of such an important and unique series on the web. I've been reading through the previous Love You post and many of them have brought a tear to my eye for many different reasons. I especially enjoyed reading the very first Love You post that talks about why this series was started in the first place.

So here we go, 5 things I love about myself...

1. I love that I wear my heart on my sleeve. I don't think God gave me even a smidge of the fake gene, it is literally impossible for me to hide how I'm feeling. Of course there are times that I wish I could but as I've gotten older I've learned to appreciate openly expressing my feelings and I understand that wearing my heart on my sleeve is what keeps me humble and grounded and genuine.

2. I love my curly hair. I really can't believe that anyone with curly ever wishes it were permanently straight. Curly hair is a lot of work (it's all about finding the right products), but once you learn to manage it, it's fabulous! And what's nice is that I can straighten it every once in awhile for a fun and different look, but I really love my curls so I leave it au natural 99% of the time. To me curly hair is soft and romantic and it makes me feel pretty and feminine. I've even learned to accept the fact that I wake up looking life Mufasa from the Lion King; I often joke with my husband that I know he really loves me because he can look at me in the morning when my curls are going crazy in a million different directions and tell me that I look beautiful.

3. I love that I can draw. I've enjoyed drawing and coloring since I was a little girl but it wasn't until recently that I really explored using my drawings in my work. Even though I've been working as a freelance graphic designer for over 6 years I mostly focused on my straight forward design skills vs hand drawn elements. This was due mainly to insecurity about my art but I've recently put that aside and embraced my love of drawing with open arms and have even created a line of Greeting Cards in my laLa Grace Etsy Shop that are all hand drawn. My style is very whimsical and playful and I love it. I honestly get giddy with joy when I'm drawing I love that I have it as a creative outlet and that I have such an endless of source of joy at my finger tips!

4. I love being a homebody and a bit of a loner. It's true, a friend of mine often jokes with me that if left to my own devices I'd be like the yogi in the cave. Now that I'm married I'm less of a loner than I used to be but I do still very much value my alone time; it's one of the reasons my husband and I work well together, he appreciates this quality in me and gives me my space when I need it. And working as a freelancer is the perfect fit for me because it allows me to work from home and home is my absolute favorite place to be, I can go an entire week without ever leaving my house and be blissfully happy.

5. I love that I live a holistic lifestyle. I've been a vegetarian since I was 15 years old and my husband and I are now mostly Vegan. I've also meditated and practiced yoga since I was 17. For as long as I can remember I have been interested in animal rights, the philosophy of Ahimsa (non-violence), whole living and different spiritual practices that help connect us with something bigger than ourselves. I'm a Christian but I love all religions and spiritual beliefs and incorporate many of them into my daily life. Jesus teaches us above all to love and that is what I keep forefront in my at all times."

So I am convinced that Shayla and I would be very close buddies if she lived closer.  I can really relate to everything she shared except being able to draw.  I draw a mean stick figure and bubble letter, but that is about it.  It is really hard for me to highlight just one "love" like I usually do, but Shayla has really got me thinking about loving your lifestyle.  I have always thought that when you are doing healthy things for your mind, body, and spirit you should maybe not be super appreciative to yourself because you should be doing it.  But I am just flat out wrong.  I really believe that all of us strive to do things in our lives that are healthy for us, and we should love that about yourselves.  Thank you so much Shayla for sharing with us today because now the blog world has a little bit more self love in it than yesterday.  Lotsa love...J 

Photo Credit: Shayla Grace

Second & Dahlia's Style Steals

Bedding / Suitcase / Bed / Lamp / Wallpaper

Top / Booties / Necklace 1 / Necklace 2 / Pants / Bag

I have really felt like a Pinterest addict lately.  It is really almost overwhelming how many beautiful things there are out there.  I fell in love with THIS little bedroom picture yesterday, and I think Michelle and I came up with some pretty amazing looks.  Really loving the vintage trunk Michelle found, and the accessories that I found are all calling my name.  Happy Thursday...J

Question?

So at this point I have shared very few home pictures with you all.  Really for two reasons.  Well three. 

1.  I am not finished....starting to realize I will never be.

2. I don't take great indoor photos, need help.

3. I am a total perfectionist and it is painful for me to share unfinished products.

But I am writing today for a little help.  It is so hard to make priorities with a new house, especially your first, because there is so much you want to do and buy.  Dirty little secret of the day, we don't have any sort of window coverings on most of the windows in our house.  The master bedroom has curtains, the guest room has sheer curtains, and the kitchen has curtains.  But the main living areas are still wide open for the world to see.  I am certain by now most of the neighborhood knows more about me that I want them too, but I have had the toughest time with curtains of all things. 

I am determined in the next month to fix this problem in both the study and the family room, which is where I like to spend time at night.  Well not right now for fear of looking out the window and seeing beady little eyes staring back at me.  Are you starting to see my dilemma?  So I am pretty set on the curtains I want for the study, but I am having a tough time with the family room.  We have a large linen ottoman, a cream rug, leather chesterfield couch, salmon wing backed chairs, and this amazing "light orange and salmon had a baby and ate some sherbert...called orange fizz" paint color on the wall.  It sounds insane, but I promise it is pretty.  Did I also mention this is where my husband's one and only house request lives...a 70" TV.  It is ridiculous and looks just silly, but it is all he wanted and he deserves it.  

So now that I have painted the picture of what is currently in the room and shared the inspiration pictures above I used to create the warm and fun space I was hoping our family room would be, I have a question for you.  I could do a creamy, silk curtain and take the easy way out, but I really want to do a playful curtain.  I was about to make plans today to start hunting through fabric stores to make my own curtains, when I came across two pairs of curtains that I love, and that knocked some sense in to me.  And I mean who has time to make their own curtains?  Did I mention, we also need 108" long curtains.  This has added to the troubles since they are harder to find.  But, I have narrowed my family room curtain search down to the following two options.  

1. These amazing curtains in a similar color family to the paint on the walls on super sale at Anthropologie that are neutral with amazing detail.

2. These painted curtains that I think would make the room feel light and airy.

3. I somehow by the grace of God learn to make curtains, and make my own Ikat ones. Seriously who was I kidding.

Any chance you could take a quick moment to weigh in on what you think I should do.  Sometimes you know it just helps to hear what your friends think.  Hope everyone is having a great day....J 

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8

 

{The Nice Way Out at The Starbucks Drive-Thru}

So last week I took, "the nice way out."  As opposed to the "mean/icky/annoyed/frustrated/angry way out."  I hope you all are not starting to think after these posts that I usually take "the not so nice way out.":/  After getting two great Starbucks gifts cards for Christmas and my Bday I have been working like a mad woman to get the gold Starbucks Reward card.  Don't ask me why I want it...but if you are wondering it is just so pretty.  This has caused me to start swinging by Starbucks on my way to work for a latte each morning.  Now...you must know the Starbucks with the drive-thru closest to me in the mornings is like preparing for battle.  There is always a line, people turning in from all directions, the occasional adult tantrum, and some mornings just does not seem worth it.  That is why I am keeping my eye on the gold Starbucks rewards card prize.  

Anyways....last week there was this woman in the left hand turning lane wanting to turn in to the Starbucks drive-thru line, but she was unwilling to wait her turn since she had gotten in the turning lane after many of the cars in the lane I was in.  When the person in from of me did not let her go in front of them, she started honking her horn repeatedly and screaming from her car.  It was nuts, and she looked like a lunatic.  I of course let her go in front of me in fear of what might happen if this woman did not get a latte.  Initially I was annoyed because her tantrum was just simply unnecessary, but then I thought what an awful way to start her morning....pissed off and screaming at strangers from her car. 

I found myself wondering what it was going to take for her to get her morning back on track.  So I decided to buy her coffee.  Let me be clear though, I did not want.  I thought she was rude and impatient, but you know, me sitting their judging her for acting like a fool was starting to ruin my morning, and I had the control to turn things around for both of us.  Luckily she was not on a Starbucks run for a couple of drinks and breakfast sandwiches to feed a small army, but she just wanted a tall latte.  So I did, I took, "The Nice Way Out."  And it felt...nice.  Happy Wednesday...J   

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{Shop On}

So my DahliaLynn shop if finally live again after a couple of months being closed.  For those of you that are new around here I started my blog as a way to share not only my personal style, but my love for making one of a kind jewelry designs and finding one of a kind vintage baubles.  I started my little Etsy shop almost 2 years ago, and currently I have two collections....DahliaLynn Designs & DahliaLynn Vintage.  

DahliaLynn Designs is a collection of my handmade one of a kind pieces.  I often mix modern materials with vintage materials in an effort to be kind to the environment and to make those old, lovelies, new again.  I am constantly dreaming up new designs with a vintage and modern influence.   Below are just a few pictures of some of my one of a kind pieces.

DahliaLynn Vintage is a collection of carefully curated and often repaired vintage jewelry.   I have a great passion for shopping vintage and sharing that curated eye with fellow vintage, style lovers.  Some of you probably would not be caught dead elbow deep in piles of old jewels at Flea Markets or Antique Stores.   I on the other hand, love passing the time looking high and low for the perfect vintage piece.  I do the sorting, searching, sifting, and repairing so you don't have to.  Take a look below at the some of the diamonds in the rough, I came upon, and fixed up just for you.

Like what you see?  Feel free to check out my Etsy shop as often as you like.  DahliaLynn is also currently sold at Savoir-Fair and Hazel's Haven.  Have a favorite piece out of what I have posted today...please do share.  As always thank you for checking in on DahliaLynn.  Happy Monday lovelies...J  

{Love You: New Friends}

So today I wanted to share a personal love that I have been really proud of this year.  I love that I am putting myself out their.  I am terribly shy when it comes to friend making, but people who know me well are always shocked by this because once you get to know me I am pretty out going, chatty Cathy, love hanging out with people, etc.  But when it comes to putting myself out there I am just really shy. 

So this year I have made it a point when I meet someone I really click with to invite them to hang out.  Throwing all anxieties about being awkward, nerdy, random, uncool out the window, I have been trying to make friends with reckless abandon.  Well not that reckless...we all hopefully know we must choose our close friends wisely, as I do believe there is some truth to this notion of  "being the company that we keep."  So this year, especially, I have really been challenging myself to put myself out there.  I think the blog has really helped me with that because with the blogging community comes so many potential new friends that I have instant connections with like, Jessica.  

Her name is Jessica, we both have blogs, we love dogs, we love Nashville, we work at Vanderbilt, I mean why shouldn't I make an effort to befriend her?  {P.S. isn't she the cutest??}  That was my new confidence calling.  So we have done just that, and as many of you know, we have been planning what we hope will be an amazing first event  to get all of us Nashville area bloggers together to continue building this wonderful blogging community.  Thank you to those of you that have already expressed interest, but today we wanted to make one last call to ensure we are not leaving anyone out.  

As always, thank you for stopping by.  Your support and readership means the world to me.  I hope everyone has an amazing weekend.  Lotsa love...J   

*Remember when I first introduced you to Jessica as part of the DahliaLynn "love you" series.  Interested in sharing what you love about yourself?  Would love to have you guest post on the site, just shoot me an email.

*All photos courtesy of Jessica's amazing site!  

{Second & Dahlia's Style Steals}

Rug / Table / Portrait / Drapes / Settee / Sofa

Top / Bag / Bangle 1 / Bangle 2 / Heel / Pants / Scarf

Isn't this look that Michelle sent over yesterday a dream?  It might be a little to pretty for me.  I am imagining myself sitting on that sofa with a coffee and trying my hardest not to spill it.  But just because it might not be Jessica friendly does not mean it is not gorgeous.  My favorite picks for today are th rug Michelle picked and the top I found.  Happy Thursday...J