West PA Pride Photo Contest

Hey everyone! Today I'm inviting you local readers to enter in a photo contest, brought to you by UnitedHealthcare, West PA Pride. All you have to do is upload a picture of you being active somewhere in Western Pennsylvania and you're entered to win!

There are daily prizes of $25 cash and a grand prize of $400 at the end of the contest. It's super easy and with so many chances to win, why not!? I really like this campaign because I'm a snoop and went through all the submitted pictures to see what people are doing. But it's also great to see where people are having fun and being active in the area, and there are so many great places in the Western PA area to choose from. So great out there, take a picture and upload it at http://westpapride.com before December 24th!

But, best wishes on trying to beat this classic of me and my friends, Hannah and Marci, biking at Ohiopyle!

Fashion Forward Fridays: Wearing Winter Hats

As I mentioned on Wednesday, I love wearing hats and I think winter is the perfect time to do so. For today's Fashion Forward Fridays, I'm sharing with you three of my favorite ways to style different hats during the cold months. 

Hope you have a fabulous weekend! Which is your favorite look?

DIY: Clothespin Christmas Card Wreath

As I'm sure many of you on Pinterest have seen, there is a pin floating around that shows a wreath made out of clothespins to hang up Christmas cards. I decided that was the cutest thing I've ever seen and had to try it for myself because I promised myself that I would actually do more of the things I'm pinning. And of course, I think mine is great! Here's how to make your own!

Gather your supplies.
Clothespins - I got a pack of 100 from Walmart for about a dollar. (Tip: when doing crafts, don't just go straight to the aisle where crafts and DIY supplies are. Go to where you would normally find these things. There were clothespins in the craft aisle at this same Walmart 24 for $2, but in the laundry aisle, they were 100 for $1. Be smart about making things, companies take advantage of all of us out there pinning away.)
Paint and brushes - I already had these. I wanted my pins to be different shades of green so it looked more realistic so I mixed black and white with them, but you can always just get one green if you wish. Just depends on the look you're going for.
Wire - I was going to use a wire hanger, but I couldn't find one in the house anywhere. No wire hangers! (Whoever gets that reference gets a prize.) So I bought this wire pack. They ended up being more bendy than I wanted but twisting them real tight helped build support enough to hold up some cards.
Bow - To top it off and make it festive!

Paint your pins.
Self explanatory. I only painted three sides so nothing would rub off on the wall but so that everywhere you look the pins are green.

Assemble.
Again, self explanatory. Make that sucker look pretty and hang it up. I made my clothespins go opposite ways for every other one so that cards could hang on the inside and outside.

Chels Wears: Puff Trooper by Callanan

Hat: Callanan | Jacket: TJ Maxx | Sweater & Jeans: WalMart | Shirt: Neighborhood Teaze | Boots: Payless

I know, I know, I take an unannounced absence and then when I come back it's with a super casual outfit. How lame of me. But, how great is this hat!? If you know me, you know that I am obsessed with hats. So when I was sent this one to review, I was crazy excited. And to be honest, I really do love this one. It's black so it can go with everything and the lining is so warm and soft. Perfect for winter, especially with the ear flaps, love, love, love it.

Etsy Shop Collaboration Giveaway!

I'm so thankful that Lindsay from Wedding Rings to Teething Rings has asked me to be apart of this Etsy shop giveaway. It's been underway all weekend, but I wanted to save it for you all today. I've been very blessed recently with making online connections to grow the Marion Claire Stationery brand and I really want to show how thankful I am by giving away a five pack of holiday cards. So for those of you who entered the giveaway on Sarah Hartley's blog and did not win, here's another chance AND you can win a lot of other great prizes as well! So check out Lindsay's post below and learn more about these fellow creators.

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Let's celebrate Black Friday by supporting Etsy Shop owners with a huge giveaway valued at $175!  We truly have such a great group of ladies here that have made this giveaway possible!  Please, grab a cup of coffee, meet these hardworking and creative shop owners, and check out what each adorable shop has to offer!

1. Amanda from Bangles & Bauble is giving away two pairs of handmade earrings! Bangles and Bauble is a jewelry line which creates fashionable handmade pieces.  Using the latest trends as inspiration, Amanda likes to create her pieces to give a unique vibe that will accentuate outfits in a new way.  Amanda uses durable material and purchases the majority of her supplies from Etsy retailers, which adds another element of "handmade" to her pieces! 

2. Lena from Root and Blossom is giving away a handmade fabric bunting! Lena is a teacher turned SAHM who blogs over at Root and Blossom.  Lena makes everything from buntings to headbands to baby mobiles and bibs!  Lena's blog and shop are all about owning where you're at in life's journey and flourishing in it!

3. Jessica from A Little Loka is giving away two sets of coffee stained stationery!  Jessica creates art prints, jewelry, holiday items, and more!  She started her shop when she received overwhelmingly positive responses to her artwork.  Jessica also blogs over at Living La Vida Holoka! She is also offering 20% off now through December 28th with code WRTR20!

4. Chelsea from Marion Claire Stationery is giving away five holiday cards of your choice! This shop is named after Chelsea's grandmothers.  She creates greeting cards with a perfect blend of heart and sass.  Chelsea is inspired by her desire to keep snail mail alive, and she never misses an opportunity to send her friends and family a card.

5. Andrea from On Your Wall Prints is giving away $25 store credit towards her original prints! Andrea makes words come alive on paper and can turn words into decorations.  Andrea sells downloaded artwork that is easy to print.  They are excellent gift ideas or perfect for the days when you want to add some life to your walls!

6&7. Tabitha from Tiny Wishes Creations is giving away a custom birthstone necklace and a hand painted wine glass! Tabitha's shop features hand painted, heat cured glassware and jewelry.  She is happy to work on a custom order with you, too.  Tabitha is also a mom, wife, lover of pink moscato, and amateur photographer.  Tabitha also blogs over at A Hundred Tiny Wishes!

8.  Liz from After Dinner Designs is giving away a beautiful pair of earrings!  She and her husband handcraft one of a kind pieces of jewelry, accessories, and home decor from bits of recycled plates, cups, and saucers.  They love to create custom pieces from your own heirloom china, so contact them to discuss custom orders!  Liz always blogs over at Liz Fresh Plate focusing on faith, food, family, and home!

9.  Ashley from Ashley Lorren Designs is giving away a handmade "live laugh love" metal stamped key chain! Ashley specializes in metal stamped key chains, accessories and jewelry.  All items are made to order, and custom orders are always welcome!

Now for the chance to win all 9 prizes, a $175 value! All entries will be verified. Prizes may vary from images shown. Winner must be US resident for shipping purposes. Winner will be notified within two days of selection by e-mail. Winner must respond to e-mail within two days of receipt or a new winner will be randomly selected. Sponsors of raffle are eligible to participate.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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