FLATastic

I think this probably goes without saying, but I have been awful about blogging this past month.  Our home has been filled with illness; it seems like we've just continued to pass it between the 3 of us.  Hopefully the warmer weather will help.  Anyway, on to the good stuff...


I've officially transitioned from a heel fanatic to a flat fanatic.  I was always a heel-wearer even up until 5 or 6 months pregnant but since then, I've tended to spend more time in flats.  I'd now consider myself to have converted 100%! 


Why???  1) Because heels kill my toes and 2) There are so many cute flats these days that I don't feel like I'm missing out.  I actually rarely find heels that I LOVE anymore. 


What exactly does "converting to flats" mean?  1) I'm getting all of my pants hemmed and 2) Will only purchase flats.  Of course I will keep a few pair of heels for those rare occasions when I may need them, but going forward, my hard earned money will only be spent on shoes that do not torture my feet. 


Here are some of my current favorites:

Born Crown 'Ambrosia' Flat via Nordstrom

 Corso Como 'Fuller' Flat via Nordstrom

 Kate Perforated Patent Leather Flat via Nordstrom

 Sam Edelman 'Ionia' Patent Slingback Flat via Nordstrom

 Betsey Johnson 'Tammiee' Flat via Nordstrom

Tipsy Flat via Kate Spade

iLove My Hubby!

Yesterday, I came home from work to an unexpected gift from the Mr.!!!!  Let me first set the scene.


1) I was in a huge hurry!  I arrived home at 4:30 and had a Stella & Dot trunk show at 6pm.  I needed to be at the restaurant to set up at 5pm but also had to change and freshen up.  I feel like life is always such a rush; why can't it just sllllloooooooooowww down.
2) Grayson and I do not celebrate Valentine's Day; we never have (at my request).  I've always thought of it as a forced and pointless holiday.


So, on with the story.  I came in a little frantic and it was 100% obvious.  I asked him if he would mind helping me because I was running late.  He ensured me that he would but first he had a surprise to show me.  My response, "Babe, I'm really in a hurry!  Can we do this tonight when I get home?"  Well, he knew that the surprise would be ruined if he didn't "do it" at that exact moment; the surprise was in the living/dining room, the same room as my jewelry.  So I hesitantly agreed to close my eyes as he led me into the living room. When I opened my eyes, to my SURPRISE, EXCITEMENT, CONFUSION, etc, I saw these:

AND, THIS!!!!

An iMAC!!!  Set up on my desk with a Stella & Dot logo as the background!!!!  Of course there was a card too, explaining all the reasons I deserved it!


Needless to say I didn't have time to play with it then, but I was so excited to get home after my show and enter the orders :).  And in case anyone is wondering, I arrived to the restaurant and set up the party with plenty of time to spare!


Loving my hubby and my very first Apple!!!


xoxoxo

The Results are In.....

As you may know (and if you don't, you should), Stella & Dot launched their 2011 Spring/Summer line last month.  The entire line is fantastic and wonderful and beautiful and fabulous but in an effort to narrow the wonderfulness down a bit, below are our customer's favorites to-date.

1) Paige Enamel Bangle (turquoise)
2) Sunset Bangle (coral and turquoise) 

3) Bamboleo Necklace

4) Bardot Spiral Bangle -- Gold

5) Bardot Hoop Earrings -- Gold

6) Camilla Ring

7) Essential Ball Studs -- Gold  & Silver

8)  La Coco Turquoise Bead Necklace -- Turquoise

9)  Medina Bib Necklace 

10)  On the Fringe Necklace -- Silver

11)  Awakening Charm Necklace (brown one)

12)  Revival Tassel Necklace (white one)

 13) Prosper Bracelet

14) Revival Bracelet 

15)  Rio Chandelier Earrings -- Gold & Silver 

16)  Rio Triple Strand Coin Necklace

17)  Rio Coin Drop Earrings

18) River Lariat

20)  Soiree Studs

21) Harmony Band Rings

22)  Small Fringe Hoop Earrings – Gold & Silver

Orders can be placed directly online at www.stelladot.com/meganpippin or by simply clicking on the link above the picture. If you find yourself wanting more items than you'd like to pay for, consider hosting a trunk show so that we can earn you free jewels!  Contact me for more details! 

As always, stay stylish!

xoxo

You Never Let Go

I heard this song this morning at church, Matt Redman's "You Never Let Go", and it reminded me that Jesus is the one constant that I have in my life. How comforting to know that while days come and go and life changes, as we face calms and we face storms, as we grow older and as we watch our children grow, as we change jobs, as we move from house to house, as we see loved ones pass on, one Thing remains consistent - God's Love, His Word, His Truth, His Light. He is always and forever, never changing. He NEVER lets go!! May this bring you as much peace as it has me! xoxo

A Must Try Breakfast Place

We're always looking for a good breakfast place for a nice Saturday breakfast/brunch and boy have we found one!  Alfred & Charlies BBQ House in Gastonia, NC has the best, and I mean BEST, breakfast!!!  Their signature dish is the Gourmet BBQ omelet which is Ah-Mazing.  They have also been written up in Our State magazine (see here) for their french toast, and I have to say they deserved it!  The pancakes and bacon are also the best I've ever had!  If you are anywhere near Gastonia, Alfed & Charlies BBQ is a MUST TRY!  Enjoy!

xoxo

Megan

Breaking News.....

Avett (20 months) just put his first 2 words together!!!!  Well, not really his first because of course he already says repeating words like "bye bye", "no no", "night night",etc., but you catch my drift. So what was it?!?!  "Thanks Daddy"!  Sweetest thing ever :); I'm so in love!


Speaking of Avett... I went to a Chez Ami party tonight; check out my precious buys!


1) Avett's will look the exact same but with an "A" of course.  It's a perfect everyday summer jumper; so soft and comfy!

 

2) The baseball will not be on it but instead the triple classic monogramming in lime.  A perfect church jumper!

3) turtles + cutest toddler ever = perfectly adorable. 

And on the wish list...


Reversible swim trunks!!!  LOVE THEM!

And of course a pair of classic white sandals to wear with these adorable jumpers. 

(not Chez Ami)

If you're interested in some goodies for your lil' one, please let me know, and I can get you in touch with Chez Ami Consultatnt, Shan Schultz!!


xoxo


Megan

Crockpot BBQ

Below is my go to BBQ recipe.  I'm getting hungry just typing it!  Super easy and super yummy!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 fresh pork shoulder, 5 to 7 pounds
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
Pepper to taste
1 1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons crushed red pepper
Dash of hot sauce

Preparation:
Put pork in slow cooker. Sprinkle salt and pepper over pork shoulder and add vinegar. Cover and cook on LOW 9 to 12 hours. Remove from pot and pick meat from bones. Strain liquid, discard excess fat, and keep approximately 1 1/2 to 2 cups. Add remaining ingredients. Mix with minced meat and return to crock pot. Cover and cook on LOW for 1 to 2 hours longer. Freezes well.
 
xoxo

Stella & Dot!!

Love love love being a part of the Stella & Dot family!!  Join my team and experience the awesomeness for yourself!!  I look forward to hearing from you! 

Stay stylish!  xoxo

Megan

A Moment of Silence Please

Today, while catching up on Oprah, I realized I had a major need.  The need....silence.  Just a minute, or 2, or 10 a day  I rarely, actually never, just sit in silence. Well actually, I take the "never" comment back because sometimes it accidently happens, but never are they purposeful.  I only realize those accidental silences when my hubby says, "Why is it so quiet in here?!" which is immediately followed by the tv being turned on.  That's when my response, sometimes verbal and sometimes internal, is "Wow!  That was so nice!  Why aren't there more of those?"  After watching Oprah's, "How happy are you?" show today, I realized I NEED those moments each day. Not accidental ones but planned ones, intentional ones.  So, as an amendment to my previously listed 2011 goals which you can find here, at least one minute of silence each day for ME!!!  Because really, why not?!?!?  They can't hurt!  And clearly, based on my responses when they accidently come my way, I absolutely enjoy them!  I'll keep you posted!  xxxxx

Success!

My Stella & Dot launch proved successful!  I am thrilled with how quickly the business is picking up and am already pleased that I took on the challenge.  Between my family, full-time job, and new business, the whole blogging thing has fallen behind.  I will try to do better; I promise. 

Shop with me at www.stelladot.com/meganpippin.  I look forward to styling you soon!  xoxo

Devotion - God Can Fix It

 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His Purpose.” –Romans 8:28 (BPRO)


        A confident woman is not afraid to get out of her boat and shake things up. I’m not talking about doing whatever you want to do, but what you think God is leading you to do. If your heart is right, if you’ve done your best to seek God and done what you know to do to hear from God, and you feel like what’s come to you is right, you’ve got to step out and find out.


        I’m not afraid to make mistakes, because I know that God knows that I’m doing all that I know how to do, and that I’m on a journey. I’m not where I need to be, but thank God I am not where I used to be. I’m more excited about my progress than depressed about how far I have to go. God approves of me. He doesn’t approve of everything I do, but He approves of me because I love Him. You can be bold and step out for Him and try new things and do new things. God is God. He can fix it if you make a mistake.


Prayer:
Lord, I take great confidence from the fact that You have the power to work all things together for good, even my mistakes. I delight in Your approval of my life. Amen

Stay Tuned....

The family has been under the weather, but I will be blogging again soon.  xoxo

New Year Progress To-Date...

It was almost a week ago when I posted my New Year's "Resolution" list, so I thought it was a time to give an update on my progress.  I've found from past experiences that remaining focused and periodically checking in, proves more successful.  So,

To-Be Accomplished in 2011

1) Daily, read my Bible/a devotion - ON TRACK!
2) Launch my Stella and Dot business - DONE!!! My launch party is scheduled for January 22nd!
3) Remodel the kitchen - On Hubby's to-do list for now.  Once we have the estimate, it's back to me.
4) Blog more (at least twice a week) - ON TRACK!
5) Do at least 100 crunches each day - ON TRACK!
6) Learn how to better use my Canon DSLR camera - I still haven't worked on this, but hey, it's only day 10 of 2011.

Surprise!!!

I've launched my Stella & Dot business and am so excited !  When I discovered S&D, it was love at first sight, and I know you're going to love it just the same!  I'm planning my LAUNCH PARTY for January 22th (more details to come)!  I look forward to sharing this fabulous jewelry line with you!  If you're interested in earning free jewelry or becoming a stylist yourself, please contact me!!
Thanks for helping me spread the word! xo

The Infamous Bookshelves

So, my wonderful hubby painted the bookshelves white (remember from the pictures in this post that the entire wall is bookshelves and fireplace).  He painted them the white I asked him to paint them (of course) which was the same that was used on the trim and chair railing by the previous owners.  Well, apparently I didn't think that through because I'm not crazy about (actually, pretty much hate) how it turned out.  Thankfully he only painted the right side before I figured out that it was "ewwwgly"; now that I think about it, why did I even wait to say anything; I knew it was bad after the first minute.  Glossy bright white on a huge wall of bookshelves (well, only half) is just not quite working for me  What does that mean?!?!  Well, hubby's not happy that we have to paint them AGAIN, Megan's not happy with the way it looks or that we have to paint them AGAIN, AND our bookshelves STILL are NOT finished.  Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. 

Santa's Deliveries

Because I was sooooo good this year ;), Santa brought me these....

and this,

and, this!  Actually this one was a birthday/anniversary/Christmas present from my sweet hubby :).

From top to bottom:
1) FRYE Melissa Button Boot in tan
2) Michael Kors Watch (MK5055) in gold
3) Brompton Hobo from J Crew in henna

Bookshelves Status

I'm sure you have all been wondering what ever happened with our bookshelves and the decision to paint or not to paint (go HERE for that big question and the poll results).  Well....we've had some hiccups (not literally) in the process so it has taken us longer than initially anticipated, but I am excited to tell you that they are almost WHITE!!!  Once we are finished, I will give you a run down of our experience and some pictures to prove it.  Until then...we'll be painting :)!

2011 Motivation List

I rarely have a New Year's resolution but thought I would compile a list of things I would like to remain focused on/complete throughout the year.  Hopefully, publishing my list will keep me on track :). 


To-Be Accomplished in 2011

1) Daily, read my Bible/a devotion
2) Launch my Stella and Dot business
3) Remodel the kitchen
4) Blog more (at least twice a week)
5) Do at least 100 crunches each day
6) Learn how to better use my Canon DSLR camera


Whew!  That's quite a list!  I'll keep you posted on my status throughout the year.

Happy New Year!!!

May this year be filled with many many blessings for you and yours! 

Love,
The Pippins :)