Fall Must-Haves. {SmiLeaGainCreations}

  As far as purses and bags go, I'm not sure any is more Fall than the boho/hobo bag {is there a difference??}. So casual and easy and goes with everything. Enter SmiLeaGain Creations! Susie is basically the queen of the fabric boho/hobo bag. With over 1,600 etsy sales {I know, right??} she's clearly got them down to a science. And they're a hit!

  Here's what she has to say about herself and her shop::

I am a, wife, mother, and PURSE ADDICT! Building SmiLe from the ground up has allowed me to be better at all three! What I love about my approach is allowing each customer to create a bag to fit her style. I offer many styles and sizes and always adding more. All bags start as the basic, simple bag and then are custom created with closures and pockets chosen by the customer.....everyone shops to fit their style and everyone leaves happy!"

  I was so so excited to get this beauty in the mail. After a flop-review of a leather crossbody that basically snapped in half {and clearly isn't going up on the blog, because, yeah.} I needed this comfy style redeemed! And. I. Am. In. Love. I haven't stopped using it since it arrived a few weeks ago! Susie let me pick out my fabrics and I don't regret them one bit. I love the coral punch on the inside with a very subtle outer fabric. Oh, and the length. I can't get over the length. It hits me right on my hip and is ridiculously comfortable. Depending on how stuffed full it is, I don't even take it off when getting in and out of my car. {Lazy, right?} With two trips coming up in the few months, I think this baby is going to become my best friend. So easy to stuff full, but comfy to carry. Perfect for flying and walking around NYC, right? {NYC! We're going to NYC again!}

And that, my friends, wraps up this fun series! Have you had as much fun as me?

  {Don't mind my adorable husky in the first picture. He's just sucking up because he's been so ornery and is mad that we've reverted him back to crate-status.}

Fall must-haves. {Black Tie Caramel}

  How about a mash-up of posts today? I'm combining today's Choosing Joy and Fall Must-Have's posts together! Because,who doesn't love a good giveaway and delicious treats?? 

 Today's the second-to-last of the Fall Must Have's series, and I'm so excited to talk about Black Tie Caramel! I stumbled upon Cindy's shop through HopeSpoken. Black Tie Caramel is one of the sponsors, and anyone who supports a great event like HopeSpoken has my vote! Also, who doesn't love caramel, especially with a dash of fleur de sel?? It kind of screams FALL TREAT to me. At Black Tie, they use only the freshest ingredients to hand make these delicious treats. I especially love their adorable packaging! How cute would these be for a holiday party favor or even wedding favor? But if we're being honest, I really just want a big 'ole jar for myself! Cindy from Black Tie Caramel is so sweetly offering one of you lucky ducks a free 3oz. sack of these delicious treats! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

The Whole series:

Day 1. #31days of Choosing Joy

Day 2. Let's chat. 

Day 3. Nouwen's words. 

Day 4. A choice. 

Day 5. A picture. 

Day 6. A quote. 

Day 7. In marriage.

Day 8. Fake it.  

Day 9. A song. 

Day 10. Zucchini bread. 

Day 11. Best of my days.

Day 12. A picture. {2}

Day 13. A quote. {2}

Day 14. Priorities. 

Day 15. A book.  

Day 16. After loss. 

Day 17. With people.

Day 18. whoops! no post. 

Day 19. A picture. {3}

Day 20. A quote. {3}

Day 21. For others. 

Day 22. A Fall treat! 

Day 23. A shameless plug.

Fall Must-Haves. {Artful Tea}

  If there is one thing that screams fall and colder weather to me, it's tea. I've always liked it, but I credit my college years to falling in love with the stuff. I'm a hardcore non-coffee drinker {even the smell, ew} and will probably always be. But I've yet to meet a tea I don't like {minus the stuff in bottles or fountains- brewed is best}. I honestly think all those hours spent talking and praying and loving on friends over steamy cups during college and these post-grad years have made tea a bit sentimental for me. Case in point: vanilla rooibos. I have this fabulous friends named Lauren and coffee/tea dates are the epitome of our friendship. That's probably where we first even became friends. After college, we would meet up at whatever Starbucks we could find halfway between our towns and one day she raved about vanilla rooibos lattes, so I got one. I was hooked. But lattes are a bit heavy, and not a drink I'm bound to brew at home. And I haven't found a favorite loose leaf or tea bag version I loved- until Artful Tea. Karen, the genius behind Artful Tea, specializes in luxury loose leaf tea. She puts a whole lot of love into each tea she personally blends and its pretty evident. 

  And oh my goodness, this tea is the smoothest I've ever had! Rooibos is great in that way, no bitterness and perfect when paired with vanilla flavorings. I already have a favorite go-to vanilla chai {brewed, not that premade liquid crap}, but I have a strict no-caffeine after 3pm rule, so it's really only a morning drink. But this stuff is perfect anytime. Ever since Karen shipped me some in late August, I can't stop drinking it! Like the 27-going-on-77 lady I am, I've gotten in the habit of having hot tea before bed. And unfortunately for my chamomile, this goodness has taken up much of the rotation lately. Love. It. 

  Karen also included 3 fun samples as a surprise and I rationed them like crazy! The packaging is adorable and Karen is the BEST to work with. Guys, she shipped the tea crazy fast and has been a dream to work with. And really, anyone who loves tea is my fast friend. If I haven't convinced you already that this tea is the epitome of Fall goodness, try some yourself. No seriously, do it. Or buy some for someone you love {ahemMEahem}. Karen is offering ALL of you 15% off your entire Artful Tea order from now until October 30th- just use coupon code WITHASMILE4TEA. And bonus! She'll include 3 fun extras for you sample- just leave a note when you check out or leave it blank and she'll surprise you. How fun!!! Do me a favor and be sure to let me know what you get and how you like it so I can add it to my must-try list!

  Now, for you viewing pleasure: awkward self-timer photos of me and my tea. #bloggerissues #ineedatripod 

Fall Must-Haves. {Gathered&Sown}

   You didn't think the Fall Must-Have's would fall to the wayside with the new #31days series, did you? No way! I'm back with another Etsy shop that I think you have to check out and add to your Fall list. 

   Angie from Gathered and Sown takes time with each piece in her shop to design, handpick fabrics, and sew herself. And goodness, is she talented. She makes everything from ruffle purses to tablet/eReader cases. I especially love her ruffle Bible covers- how adorable! This Fall, she's added gorgeous new leather clutches to her shop and she's giving one away. Um, yes please! The clutch comes in brown and Angie's working on a few new colors. Isn't it perfect for Fall! I especially love that it's leather- I'm hard on my purses and clutches and love that leather is durable and cleans up easily. And looks just a little bit classier and dressier. Also, it's my motto that a girl can never have too many neutral purses/clutches. Amen?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fall Must-Haves. {jaycimay}

   If there's one accessory I love, its a good bag/clutch/wallet/something that holds other somethings. They can be mixed and matched to jazz up even the most boring outfit {read:: what I wear every day} and also, they don't discriminate on fat days {I'm looking at you, jeans}. 

  These days, I find myself extra-crushing {yes, extra-crushing. It's a phrase, I swear} on clutches and hobo/crossbody bags. I fluctuate pretty equally between carrying nothing but my cell phone and keys to carrying my entire office. Enter the clutch that fits into a hobo! What I especially love about JayciMay's foldover clutches is that they are a bit roomier than your standard clutch, but they still fit under your arm. {clutch clutch clutch...how many times can I say it in one post??}. It is perfect to keep keys, cards, and my cell phone in and throw into my new hobo bag when I need even more room. Eek! I just love it!

 Also, I'm pretty sure I'll be using it for all my jewelry when we travel for the holidays. It will be quite the step up from the plastic storage bag I've been using since college. {Yes, the same bag for at least 6 years} 
 Jayci is the designer and creator behind JayciMay and her shop if full of bright handbags and totes. And, because she's super sweet- she is offering all my readers 15% off her entire line for the month of October! Just use the coupon code: DAISY. Go treat yo'self! {name that tv show...}

Fall Must-have's. {laeklee}

   I'm so excited to team up with Graham from Laeklee today to for another Fall Must-Have's feature! Her shop is pretty new, but completely awesome. Her goods made from reclaimed wood are so original and lovely. I especially love this wood sign with map covered letters and she was kind enough to send me one! So what do I think?   

  Holy crap, I love this sign. No joke. It is gorgeous and just really unique. I really really love it. When I opened the box, even Justin commented on how awesome it is. Just like with my linocut print, that's a big deal. One time I cut 11 inches off my hair and he didn't notice at all. So, yeah. For him to comment on a piece of wood is a big big deal. At first, I was kind of regretting choosing reclaimed wood instead of pallet wood {Graham offers both!}, but it has totally grown on me. I like the richer color and the pop of the letters against it. Another cool thing? Graham will customize the maps for you for a small extra fee! How cool would it have been for me to get my letters wrapped in Indiana and New Jersey to represent our home states? 

  I've had so many people ask me about the sign already and I have a running list of who I can gift one to over the holidays. Graham's shop has lots of goodies that are perfect to gift and keep yourself! And, since Graham is such a sweetheart- she's offering you all 20% off everything in her shop. Shut up. That's an amazing deal!!!! So hop over and snag yourself {or someone on your Christmas list!} something good by using this coupon code: TWAS20 {you can thank me later}

  And really, what you've all been waiting for! You're chance to win one of these babies for yourself...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fall Must-Haves. {niloulu}

 If there is one accessory that screams Fall, I think it's a gold statement necklace. Have you heard of niloulu? Oh my goodness, I can't get enough of their trendy but classic handmade jewelry. I am not super adventurous when it comes to fashion or style, so I especially love how all of their pieces are gorgeous, but still really classic. Gold and brass jewelry are especially super trendy right now {ha! like I would know!}, so when the sweet ladies behind niloulu {Nina and Christine} let me pick out a piece to give away to my readers, I knew I had to go with this beauty...

{I know, I know. Homegirl needs a tripod}

 I know, right? These pictures kind of speak for themselves. This tribal pounded brass necklace by niloulu is gorgeous! I'm only sad I don't get to keep it for myself. And since only one of you can win, Nina and Christine are offering us all an amazing sale right now! For the next month {a whole stinkin' month!} you can take 15% of your purchase by using the coupon code TOMORROW15. Um, helloooo early Christmas shopping! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fall Must-Haves. {CoffeeInBed}

{be sure to check out TheSeptemberTree giveaway winner here}

  This week's Fall Must-Haves is one of my favorites. I'm kind of in love with gorgeous prints these days and Mike from coffeeinbed has some amazing ones. I'm most impressed with his art because of the work that goes into linocut block printing. Mike hand-cuts each block to make his prints- and they really are stunning. He sent me two of my favorites from his shop- Forest Ferns and Mason Jar Firefly. 

   First of all, I was leery of the prints being bent in the mail. That's happened to me before. But Mike did a great job padding and packaging them so that they were in great shape. And they are just as gorgeous and high quality as the photos in his shop make them seem. Even the hubs commented on them- which is saying a lot for a guy who never notices things. 

  I love how simple the Forest Ferns plant is- doesn't it fit perfectly on my Fall mantle? But I'm pretty partial to the Firefly print- I mean, aren't you?? I can think of a million different rooms in my house to put it. BUT! It's not for me! It's for one lucky reader :) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fall Must-Haves. {TheSeptemberTree}

   It's here! It's here! I'm so excited for the Fall Must-Haves series...mostly because you have the chance to win some fabulous Fall goodies. Starting today with this gorgeous wreath from TheSeptemberTree {a $50 value}! 

   Katie from TheSeptemberTree has a shop full of home goods, mostly burlap! If there is anything that absolutely screams Fall, its burlap, right?? And guys {or ladies, I mean really are there any guys that are reading this??}, this wreath is so perfectly Fall. You need this for your front door. Or mantle. Or wherever your heart desires. But seriously! The burnt orange burlap, paired with the chevron bow and adorable chalkboard leaf is the perfect pop of Fall for you home! I'm only jealous I can't win it. 

  And since Katie is so wonderful {I mean, who wouldn't be with a great name like that??}, she's offering all of my readers 15% of everything in her shop! Just use this coupon code:: 15OFFTST 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fall Must-Haves.

  

  So, I love Fall. How super trendy of me, right?? I know. Coincidentally, lots of the things I've loved forever are currently very 'pinterest-worthy' {note: I hate that word/phrase.}. Which is awesome. Until 2016 when I am still rocking the mason jars and home-cooked meals and diy'd glitter pumpkins and coral nails looking like a fool, right? Basically, I'm peaking in 2013 and it can only go downhill from here. I should milk it while it lasts.

  Where was I? Oh yeah, Fall. Autumn. Whatever you call it...I love it. And it's almost here. Well, technically we still have a month-ish until the first day of Fall. But everyone who's {or it is whose? English majors, chime in.} anyone knows that the glitter pumpkins and Leaves candles are made to be broken out on September 1st. Amen? 

  And to prove how much I love Fall, I'm teaming up with some pretty wonderful Etsy shops to host a blog series in its honor! Hooray! That means lots of free stuff for you and coupon codes to snag some amazing Fall Must-Haves. Think hobo bags and warm teas and gorgeous prints and some home decor pieces. 

  I really want to just spill the beans right now and tell you everything that's coming and all the goodies you could win- but you'll just have to stick around! Be sure to check back here every Tuesday in September and October {starting next week! Next week!}- you won't want to miss it!