Insta Replay Monday - Getting Caught Up!

You may have noticed my inactivity lately. Let's just say that it's been a crazy couple of weeks around here. Rather than writing a drawn out post that may come off as complaining, I thought I'd restart Insta Replay Monday (yes, I realize it's still Sunday) and share a few of the absolute best moments. So here goes nothing!

We have done a bunch of bargain hunting -- one of my favorite finds:

We went to see 311 at Festival Pier in Philly (as we do every summer) -- our view from the pier:

Our CSA pick-ups have been bountiful and included a ton of U-Pick produce:

Lots of family time -- here's the Mr. going for a ride with our nephew:

I participated in the Craftaholics Anonymous Summer Handmade Gift Exchange -- here's what I made:

We spent a lot of free time with these little monsters -- Aubergine and Quinn -- and watched them bond!:

(contrary to how it may appear in this photo, Aubbie is about 1/5 of the size of Quinn haha)

My bff from work had her second baby and I'm already in love!

We did a ton of driving in and out of the state -- hello, Ben Franklin Bridge! (we also had a TON of rain):

You already know about my bestie's bridal shower!

But we also had her bachelorette party in Atlantic City:

We even met up with the guys halfway through -- so the Mr. got to dance the night away with us, too :

We enjoyed a fabulous rehearsal dinner for my bestie -- here's us girls:

Most importantly, MY BESTIE MARRIED HER HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEART!:

And I was blessed to be her Matron of Honor:

The Best Man and I loved standing beside our best friends:

After the wedding, we spent some time with the lovebirds on the beach in Cape May:

And now I'm suffering from the worst sunburn of my life -- OUCH.

With that, I think you're all caught up!

Despite being pulled away from my favorite "job" right here, I wouldn't have changed any of it (aside from not putting on enough sunscreen haha). We had had a fabulous summer so far and it has been filled with so much love on so many levels. New babies. New friendships. New marriages. New experiences. NEW MEMORIES. 

That's what life is all about after all, right? 

I hope your summer has been just as incredible as mine. Love you all <3 Things will be back to normal soon!

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Tatertots & Jello | S3 | Classy Clutter | I Heart Nap Time | Mine for the Making | Flamingo Toes | Craftomaniac | Shabby Creek Cottage | My Girlish Whims | Stone Gable | Young and Crafty | Nifty Thrifty Things

Insta Replay Monday #36

Geez, Louise. Can you believe it's JUNE already? Summer will be upon us before we know it. Honestly, I'm not exactly a fan of summer -- heat and humidity are so not my friends. This week was definitely summer-like, for all of the wrong reasons (not the good ones like beach time and vacationing). I am so grateful for air-conditioning... and for diet iced tea and mini Dairy Queen Blizzards :)

Insta Replay Monday #35

Howdy! I hope everyone here in the good ole' U. S. of A. had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend and remembered the true meaning of the day. The Mr. and I spent a lot of time together, with friends, and with family and every single moment reminded me how grateful I am to those who have given their lives so the rest of us could enjoy even the most miniscule of daily freedoms.

I know this is a little late, but I was ridiculously active on Instagram this week... with a record amount of pictures. Take a stroll down memory lane for last week --

Insta Replay Monday #34

Good morning, friends! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! The Mr. and I spent tons of time together and I was able to work on several projects. I won't be sharing those just yet as they are a surprise for someone else (hehe!) but they look fantastic if I do say so myself. A weekend relaxing was just what the doctor ordered. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow night though as our favorite neighbor and I will have our first pick-up at the CSA. I haven't done many recipes in awhile so I think I'll be creating some fun figure-friendly summer dishes to go along with our veggie pick-ups each week!

Insta Replay Monday #33

I really didn't want this weekend to end. To be fair, I can't remember the last time I was looking forward to a Monday though haha. I hope all of you moms (even you mamas with little fur babies) had a wonderful Mother's Day! You all already know how I spent my Friday night... and let me just say that The Great Gatsby was FANTASTIC. If I had any complaint, I would say that it was super long but considering how incredible it was, I'd barely acknowledge that as an issue. Did you have a nice weekend? Do anything fun?

Despite being ridiculously busy last week (or because of?) I was horribly inactive on Instagram but if you follow along, you saw:

Insta Replay Monday #32

This is going to be a crazy week at work so pardon my absence ahead of time.  I'm going to have a few posts prepared ahead of time but I'll be back with some brand new projects next week :) Normally I would be reminding you to go visit So You Think You're Crafty in hopes that one of my projects would be in your fave few and even though I'm out, you should still head on over and support those ladies in their efforts!

Anywho, I had an off and on presence on Instagram this week. Take a look:

1. At one of my fave places on Earth - Starbucks & Target combo

2. My new succulent desk garden for work

3. Quinn & Aubergine being cordial -- I just love those girls!

4. Some gorgeous back roads we were on this weekend

5. On our way to visit some friends for dinner, we stopped for a yard sale... at an alpaca farm! How cool?

6. A bright floral arrangement that came from one of my old employees

7. The cutest little hound dog ever -- pooped after celebrating her adoption day

8. The summer addition of Kids Crafts 1-2-3 magazine -- my project was featured on the front cover!!

9. A pond that we crossed right at sunset on the way home Saturday night

10. The backsplash tiles that the Mr. and I are currently leaning towards

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Insta Replay Monday #31

I can't believe how hard Mondays can be. I have seriously enjoyed the past couple weekends to the absolute max. It seems as though every moment has been jam packed with smiles and laughter. I think that's why it's so hard to wake up and realize that I have to make it through five more days all over again haha.

Insta Replay Monday #30

Hey everyone! Despite the anguish and terror inflicted on the USA last week, this weekend was pleasant and exciting. I'm currently in a great mood -- if you saw yesterday's post you know that I had a half day on Friday. You'd be surprised about how good it can feel to have some free time to yourself. Also, I pulled out on top at So You Think You're Crafty this past week so my tutorial for the stamped seed sacks will first appear there later this week. I'm stoked for this week's upcycle project though -- go vote when you have a chance! Please!

Some memorable moments:

• I spent 20 minutes agonizing over which white paint to buy... we started our kitchen makeover!
• Impromptu dinner date with the Mr. on Friday night
• My fave pregnant lady turned 30 this weekend
• Brunch with my bestie on Sunday morning
• The Mr. took me to visit with some pups at a rescue's Meet and Greet
• Speaking of rescues -- I donated a set of handmade coasters for Quinn's rescue to auction on FB -- check them out through 4/26!

And now -- On to the Insta Replay!

Insta Replay Monday #29

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? 

We did a whole bunch of nothing. Actually, that's a lie... we were quite productive and relaxed all in one. Lots of crafting, friends, gardening, and food. Nice, right? I also spent a couple hours working on next week's SYTYC project... let's hope that I make it through this week's round! I'd love if you stopped by today and voted for your favorite "Kids Can Do" projects! By the way, did you guess that the Scraptastic Coupon Organizer was mine last week? Tomorrow I'll share a tutorial so you can make your own! 

Insta Replay Monday #28

Hello everyone! This has been one of the most beautiful, albeit fastest, weekends we have had this year. The sun was out from sunrise til sunset and I cannot come up with a single complaint. I didn't accomplish all that I had intended, but again, it was just too nice to stay inside.

Insta Replay Monday #27

Happy April Fool's Day! I hope you had a wonderful holiday yesterday. Today isn't much of a holiday but it is my sweet little Aubergine's third birthday. Maybe you're ten times luckier than me and get to stay home an extra day? If so, do you feel me glaring through your screen? I'm going to make this update quick because I'm a busy bee this morning and have to work work work.

Insta Replay Monday #26

Oh my goodness. Best weekend in a long, long time :) Why? It was the Mr.'s brother's wedding! While it was a bit cold and breezy, it was an incredibly sunny day for a March wedding -- almost as if God was shining every bit of his light down on the happy couple.

The groom and his stunning bride brought me to tears more times than I care to remember. As Best Man, the Mr. gave quite a heart-felt toast that still makes my eyes water just thinking about it. Maybe it's the fact that now that I'm married and I know the kind of happiness and love that come from fully committing yourself to someone, weddings make me the sappiest of saps.

Insta Replay Monday #25

Good morning, everyone! Did you have a nice St. Patrick's day? Did you even celebrate it? We are not those kind of people so we were not out bar hopping or pinching the non-green wearers. Instead, we had a weekend full of fun celebrating the Mr. turning 29! (Sorry for putting your age out there, baby!) Unfortunately, this weekend flew by and it's Monday again.

Highlights from this week?

Well, it's not a positive one, but it snowed. Ugh. I love winter but I'm so over it. 

I finished a DIY Link (from The Legend of Zelda) pillow for the Mr.

I started running again.

We had a big company-wide anniversary dinner for one of the managers on Thursday night

I stepped into a thrift store for the first time in over a year (thus the picture of the hexagonal table below! It was the ONLY good find but unfortunately would not fit in my car)

I got an autographed copy of Amy Atlas' Sweet Designs book

Surprise St. Paddy's day food on our doorstep from the best neighbor ever

Oh and yeah, did I mention it was the Mr.'s birthday? I may have been more excited than him!

** We had to cancel our original plans for the city because it was raining and then snowing so we spent the day locally -- breakfast at the diner, tons of snuggling and birthday presents, yummy cannoli cake, Dave & Busters for some gaming and drinks, walking around the KOP mall, and a delicious dinner at Benihana

(please note that I did not magically double my weight since last week -- I was having a ton of fun playing with the FatBooth app on my phone... haha)

Anywho -- come back later this week for some simple watercolor notecards and a little something inspired by one of my new favorite movies!

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Tatertots & Jello | S3 | Classy Clutter | I Heart Nap Time | Mine for the Making | Flamingo Toes | Craftomaniac | Shabby Creek Cottage | My Girlish Whims | Stone Gable | Young and Crafty | Nifty Thrifty Things

Insta Replay Monday #24

Eeep. It's Monday. This has been such an incredible weekend -- not because of anything huge but simply because. The weather was lovely, the company I had was incredible, and the time that passed was just what I needed.

Highlights from this week?

Lots of best friend time -- I was one lucky lady.

A quick Target stop on Friday after work and asked my Instagram friends to vote on a dressing room ensemble (they said yes, so it looks I'll be stopping tonight!)

On Saturday morning I met bestie, her fiance, and her mother for brunch and her first bridal dress fitting!

Quinn and I went out on The Perkiomen Trail -- twice

While the Mr. was at his brother's bachelor party I had a night just for me -- crafting, chick flicks, drinks with the bestie, and HomeGoods!

Last night we watched The Life of Pi and it was beautiful to say the least

Check back tomorrow for the cutest Easter treat bags you ever did see :)

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Insta Replay Monday #23

So I'm getting pretty fed up with the weather around here. One day it's sunny and slightly warmer than the day before and the next day, snow is in the forecast. At least we had a nice weekend -- no rain and chilly, yet bearable, temperatures. 

Highlights from this week?

Well, let's just say that it was a LONG week and a very short weekend. 

I did get to babysit my three favorite kids though

I also got a few new shirts and a necklace from J.Crew thanks to the Mr.

I started Sunday off right with some birthday present shopping for the Mr. and a venti mocha frappuccino 

We also watched The Perks of Being a Wallflower which was ah-maze-ing

I got so many projects done this weekend which was easy because I did my best to really stay disconnected from the computer. One was previewed on Instagram... I wonder what it will be! Haha.

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I'm linking to:

Tatertots & Jello | S3 | Classy Clutter | I Heart Nap Time | Mine for the Making | Flamingo Toes | Craftomaniac | Shabby Creek Cottage | My Girlish Whims | Stone Gable | Young and Crafty | Nifty Thrifty Things

Insta Replay Monday #22

Monday. Oh woe is me. Haha, just kidding... I guess. Nah! We had a really wonderful week to be quite honest. It seemed to fly by and I'm definitely not complaining. Some of my favorite moments:

Finishing the aisle runner for my brother-in-law and his bride-to-be

Donuts at work (it's the little things, right?)

Flowers delivered at work from the Mr.

Lots of snuggle time with both of our little fur babies

Dinner and drinks at our favorite watering hole

An incredible shopping trip with the Mr. :)

Creating the wedding invites for my bestie's wedding

Check in later this week to see what I have up my sleeve! See you soon :)

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I'm linking to:

Tatertots & Jello | S3 | Classy Clutter | I Heart Nap Time | Mine for the Making | Flamingo Toes | Craftomaniac | Shabby Creek Cottage | My Girlish Whims | Stone Gable | Young and Crafty | Nifty Thrifty Things

Insta Replay Monday #21

As always, I'm sad to see that the weekend is already over. I really wish I didn't live for those two days each week but it's my reality. Despite being pretty sick this week, I'm recovering quite nicely and had a lovely couple of days with the Mr.

• I got a haircut last Monday -- went darker, shorter and got way more bangs
• While I was still violently ill, I went to the greenhouse to enjoy the humidity and all of the life (This was heaven, considering it hurt like hell to breathe in 20 degree air, oh and everything is dead dead dead outside, too.)
• The Mr. and I had a date on Saturday at Benihana and boy oh boy, we'll definitely be going back there again. I had never been to a hibachi before and it was awesome (and super delicious, too!) 
• He's been playing guitar again and that's how we concluded our perfect Saturday night date. It was the best.

I did a few Spring projects on Sunday and can't wait to share them in the next couple of weeks. So, again I ask, how was your weekend?

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Tatertots & Jello | S3 | Classy Clutter | I Heart Nap Time | Mine for the Making | Flamingo Toes | Craftomaniac | Shabby Creek Cottage | My Girlish Whims | Stone Gable | Young and Crafty | Nifty Thrifty Things

Insta Replay Monday #20

I saw this picture yesterday afternoon and boy oh boy does it ring true, especially for Sundays. But alas, today is Monday and I could have really used an extended weekend. It was quite refreshing afterall:

• I got to visit and babysit my three favorite little muchachos on Friday night
• We survived snowstorm Nemo
• My soon-to-be sister-in-law's surprise bridal shower was on Saturday afternoon
• The Mr. and I went out for drinks and dinner at one of our go-to watering holes
• We had a spelling bee on Saturday night and a crafting fest on Sunday morning
• My bestie picked out the shoes for us for girls in her wedding

And now, I'm simply counting down the days until next weekend and Valentine's Day of course.

What you have to look forward to this week:

Crepe Paper Flower Tutorial

Wood-Burned Spoons

Sticky Bun Muffins

Until tomorrow, everyone!

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Insta Replay Monday #19

Did you pig out yesterday? We watched the game but stayed at home with a bottle of champagne and pint of ice cream each (frozen Greek yogurt, for me!) It was the perfect way to end the weekend considering I had one of the most stressful weeks in awhile. Oh, and we won part of the football pool too so that was nice! I did my best to stay pretty active on Instagram this week so there are a ton of fun images for you to check out today. If you aren't already, you should definitely start following along because I did two "sneak peeks" this week that you missed otherwise. Boohoo!

Highlights from the past week included:

• Receiving the Save the Date for my bestie's wedding (yes, the one where I'll be Maid of Honor!)
• Getting back on Weight Watchers
• Receiving a package full of Martha Stewart goodies from Plaid Crafts
• (not pictured) The Mr. NEVER has a sweet tooth, and I mean never ever, let alone a craving for ice cream. Still, this weekend he took me out twice for my favorite treat! Yum num num. That was quite possibly the brightest part of the past two days, haha. Wait, do you think he might be pregnant? Tee hee.
• Oh, and don't you just love the face that I captured Quinn Bear is making?? I was crying laughing so hard when I saw that outtake. 

If you caught it on Facebook last night, you saw that this Thursday will be the first week that I write as a contributor at Sumo's Sweet Stuff. Seeing as I will be doing printables, I thought it was fitting to do only printables this week at Spool and Spoon as well. There are some really cute ones coming this week that you won't want to miss so check back soon!

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Insta Replay Monday #18

We finally had a weekend that was 100% at home. Oh my gosh by golly, it was the best. weekend. ever. I think that the crazy Friday night snowstorm was motivation enough to just stay in and it was exactly what we needed. We cleaned, we crafted, we drank tons of coffee. My super amazing bff came over and we had a double date on Sunday night (I made smashed potatoes, garlic and brown sugar salmon, and herbed green beans -- yum num num!) Now that it's Monday, take a look at some of the Instagram snapshots from the last week:

my horrible shoe choice

the snowy gate of the oldest unchanged Lutheran church in America

a sneak peak of a project coming your way soon
my newly organized coffee station
Quinn bear being adorable
my craft room mumbo jumbo

oh, and my healthy lunch :)

STUFF TO LOOK FORWARD TO THIS WEEK

DIY Camera Strap
5 Fab Finds - A Brand New Series

Personalized V-Day Artwork 

Can't wait to see you back here for some of that action!  Happy Monday, all.

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I'm linking to:

Tatertots & Jello | S3 | Classy Clutter | I Heart Nap Time | Mine for the Making | Flamingo Toes | Craftomaniac | Shabby Creek Cottage | My Girlish Whims | Stone Gable | Young and Crafty | Nifty Thrifty Things