Recent Work: Banjo & Scout

I had the wonderful opportunity to install another blog design last week. This time it was for the lovely Amber of Banjo & Scout. We've been following each other's blogs for quite some time, so getting to know her a little better while also designing something for her was a great experience. Below, I'll share a little about the design inspiration and process with you!

When Amber contacted me, I knew right away what sort of style and feeling she would want Banjo & Scout to evoke. With such a folksy title, we took a lot of inspiration from nature. I referenced photography from several of her past posts (specifically her outfit posts in wooded areas) for ideas. This was especially helpful when creating all the foliage, as I wanted it to feel authentic to Amber and be representative of her surroundings. Amber was not at all afraid of color, which is a real treat. It allowed me to pick some gorgeous, bold, natural colors and Banjo and Scout's color scheme just might be my favorite yet. Mossy green, deep mustard yellow, dark moody grey, a bold berry blue, and a bright fig inspired purple. The real magic was balancing out all the earthy, woodsy, moody elements with a streamlined and clean backbone. All that color pops beautifully against the soft white and linen.


To see the design in action, be sure to give Banjo & Scout a visit! I had a lot of fun with little details this time around, such as hover effects, so check all those out as well. Be sure to say hello to Amber while you're there, too! She's a great friend to have in the blogging community. Thanks so much for letting me design for you, dear!

xx Emorie

P.S. I mentioned before that I would be slowing down my design services a bit. I'm still trying to figure out the best way to schedule out clients, so I hope those of you who have already contacted me can understand and bare with me a bit. My design services are booked until the end of 2014 and I will be updating the information on the Design Services page soon to reflect some changes that will be happening. It's an exciting time! Thank you all so much for your interest in my services.

Recent Work: The Desert Poppy

My schedule has been a little hectic lately, so while I actually did the install for this design on Monday I'm finally getting a moment to tell you all about it on Friday. That's just life sometimes. Regardless, I'm so excited to share my most recent work with you! Designing for Kassandra was really fun — we have very similar styles and tastes, so getting to the same place creatively to envision the new look for her blog was relatively easy. I'll share a little about the design inspiration and process with you!

Kassandra's blog is titled The Desert Poppy, so rightfully I wanted to take a lot of inspiration from the desert. But, having already done a very deserty design, I didn't want the design to feel unoriginal. And as with the previous (Desert Darling) design, I didn't want it to be too deserty (think cactus) or come off as cheesy. Kassandra also wanted everything to come off more modern and clean and moody, so we made some bold choices that I think made all the difference. Adding a chalkboard sidebar really set the stage for this design. It added such a unique and interesting element! But, I didn't want it to be too distracting — so I kept it slightly grey instead of a harsh blackboard. This complimented the paper textured background and desert colors wonderfully. I went with a array of desert greens this time, with a pop of coral and poppy pink. The addition of hand-drawn desert floral and succulent accents really tied everything together.



Be sure to give The Desert Poppy a visit to see the design in action and see all the fun details at work. Be sure to say hello to Kassandra while you're there, too! Thanks so much for letting me design for you, Kassandra!

I'll be slowing down my design services a bit, as I just don't have the time to work on them as I used to. But if you are at all interested in having me design for you, don't hesitate to email me for more information and let's reserve you a spot!

Happy Friday!
Emorie

Recent Work: Alma's Darling Dailies

Happy Monday! I'm excited to share some recent design work with you today!

Alma contacted me wanting to completely redo her design. She told me about how she had stopped blogging because she had lost the desire to post due to frustration and boredom with her simple design. I wanted to bring everything about her blog back to life. We both agreed that what she needed was an entirely new look to accompany her new blog and blog name; that way Alma would be able to blog without the limitations her current blog was posing. And she needed a place to post freely and comfortably, a place that felt like herself, and to have everything posted beautifully.

Alma was a dream to work with. This girl has some serious style, and that style is adorable. The day after we began hashing out ideas she posted an image to instagram of her bike. The basket on her bike was stuffed to capacity with letters and packages for a trip to the post office. I knew immediately I wanted to incorporate that into the design; it fit perfectly! Inspiration for this design came easily, Alma spewed it out in every direction and I sure ate it up! I also took a lot of ideas from mod fashion and her adorable wardrobe. Polka dots were a must, but keeping them calm colors was key to them not overpowering the design. All the other colors were selected by flipping through her instagram and the great mood board she created for me on pinterest!



Be sure to head over to Alma's blog to get the full tour, say hi, and let her know what you think of the new design! She's starting over with this design, so show this new blogger some love! And don't forget to check out her About page. We did an adorable design for it, including an illustration of her pup and other doodles :)

And of course, if you're looking to redesign be sure to click that "DESIGN SERVICES" link up on the Navigation Bar to see the Design Services page. I'd love to design for you! You can read more about what a complete custom design from me includes here.

xx Emorie

Recent Work: Desert Darling

I'm so excited to share my most recent work with you today! I am so happy with how it turned out. Cam contacted me wanting to completely redo her design as she needed an entirely new look to accompany her new blog name. Along with a design redo, Cam changed her blog from Sincerely Cam to Desert Darling. I'll share a little about the design inspiration and process with you!

Cam expressed that she wanted to take inspiration from the desert (the new title is desert darling, after all) but didn't want the design to feel super deserty or come off as cheesy. I'll be honest, designing for Cam was pretty simple. We both started blogging around the same time and I've been following her from the beginning — I've gotten to know her style really well. Once she told me what she wanted, things started to roll out! I went with strong yellows, pinks, and oranges but kept their usage minimal. I downplayed the strong colors with a soft, sandy linen background. The main column and sidebar naturally became bright white, to make her posts pop and to gently contrast the sandy linen. The addition of hand-drawn desert floral accents really tied everything together and made the overall look more girly and a touch whimsical. It turned out rather 'desert-darling', if I do say so myself!



Be sure to head over to Cam's blog to get the full tour, say hi, and let her know what you think of the new design!

And of course, if you're looking to redesign be sure to click that "DESIGN SERVICES" link up on the Navigation Bar to see the Design Services page. For a limited time, you can get a complete custom Blogger design (including installation) for only $75. I'm increasing my prices at the end of the summer so reserve your spot now — they're filling up fast! You can read more about what a complete custom design from me includes here.

Happy Friday!

xx Emorie

Let Me Design For You

If you've been thinking about making some changes to your blog — and are interested in working with me to do so — now is when we should make that happen! Right now is the perfect time to redesign and have a completely fresh look just in time for Autumn. I absolutely love having the opportunity to work and design for fellow bloggers and working with you would be a real treat. Let me create a way to give your blog a fresh feel you’ve been wanting. I’ll take those ideas swarming around inside your head to create a site that will be gorgeous, efficient, and completely you. That way you can stop worrying about the appearance of your blog and get back to focusing on what you love. Let's get all your energy back to creating content and posts!

I'm busily working with a few fun clients right now (and I can't wait to share the results with you), but I have two or three spots left for the summer. Grab those spots now because come September Oh Whimsical Me will undergo a change of it's own — moving to a new place under a different name. And with that move, my super awesome summer discount design prizes will go up a bit!

This is a great opportunity to give your blog a major makeover without having to do any of the grunt work. I'll do it all for you, and at a great price! Hurry up and book your spot now and let's get brainstorming together!

Learn more about my design services at a great price on the Design Services page.

xx Emorie

Recent Work: Design for Some Call Me CJ

There are some exciting things going on today! Do you remember the Reader Appreciation Giveaway I did about a month ago (to celebrate One Year of Oh Whimsical Me)? CJ from Some Call Me CJ won a free custom blog designed by me! We had so much fun working together and I think it was a learning experience for both of us. I know you've all noticed that "DESIGN" link in the pages on my navigation bar, that has linked to an adorable picture of Pippin for months. Some of you have even expressed interest in working with me on designing your blog. I've been working hard to get ready and comfortable before beginning to offer my services to you. CJ was happy and willing to be my guinea pig, as this is my first ever complete custom design for someone else! I'm excited to share the results with you today!

Most of the work that went into this project started before I was designing and creating. Getting all our ideas on the same page and understanding exactly what CJ wanted was the most time consuming part. I'll definitely streamline this step more in the future and ask my clients much more specific questions from the very beginning. Once we figured out what CJ wanted the rest was a breeze; it was still a lot of work, but mostly just getting approval and opinion here and there.

CJ wanted a geometric and colorful design, while still maintaining a really sleek and streamlined look. I originally tried triangles, but quickly discovered that was far too busy and distracting. A Hexagon/Honeycomb pattern was a much better option. And oh boy, she really isn't afraid of color and I love that. I went really bold and bright, which makes everything very cheery — just like CJ! No but really, this girl is a dream to work with (here is proof). Will kept overseeing our iMessages (I had up on the computer) and he kept saying "Wow, she has got to be the nicest, most excited person ever!" Which is pretty much true. The colors suit CJ wonderfully. Because she wanted to go so bold with the background, I colored the spaces between the hexagons a light tan to soften it a bit. I kept the main blog background bright white to contrast the liberal use of color and to keep the attention at the content of the blog.






Be sure to head over to Cj's blog to say hi and let her know what you think of the new design!

I'm also happy to announce that I am now offering design services! Click that "DESIGN" link up on the Navigation Bar to see the Design Services page. For a limited time, you can get a complete custom Blogger design (including installation) starting at only $50. Reserve your spot now! You can read more about what a complete custom design from me includes here.

Happy Monday!
xx Emorie

Reader Appreciation Giveaway (Closed)

While I celebrate one year of Oh Whimsical Me, it is only natural to also celebrate my readers! As a huge thank you, I've put together a giveaway for all of you lovelies. I have met so many wonderful people and heard countless stories from you. Thank you for sharing with me as I've shared bits of my life with you. If you haven't introduced yourself to me yet, please do so. I simply wouldn't still be up to this blogging thing without your continued support. You are my number one inspiration, friends! 

This giveaway features two unique prizes, and each will have it's own winner. Enter to win both, or just the one you would prefer — it's up to you!

— PACKAGE ONE —

Custom Blog Design Services to include, but not limited to:

+ brand working

+ logo design

+ custom header, sidebar, footer, buttons, favicon, etc.

+ step-by-step, one-on-one collaboration 

+ installation of new template and design

+ continued communication and support after installation

As I work toward opening a design services shop, in conjunction with this blog, I am working to build my portfolio and gain experience working with clients. I'd love for you to be a part of it! 

— PACKAGE TWO —

Homemade/handmade goodies from me! 

+ notebook/notepad

+ custom embroidery art

+ custom hand-cut, hand-painted cork coasters

+ woodland animal pillow

+ a surprise gift!

Please note: All items in package two (with the exception of the notepad) will be different than what is pictured. Unless you absolutely want an item pictured, I want to custom make your giveaway prizes to suit your taste! This means you may chose your quote and color scheme for the embroidery art. A selection of up to four colors will be used for the cork coasters, and you may choose between square or circular coasters. The handmade pillow can be either an owl, deer, or rabbit. I'll throw in a surprise, too! This prize package is open to US and Canada readers only. 

HOW TO ENTER :

1. Follow Oh Whimsical Me on Bloglovin, then simply leave me a comment below stating that you do so. Also, tell me what your favorite Oh Whimsical Me post has been so far!
2. At the end of your comment, please state if you would like to enter to win PACKAGE ONE, PACKAGE TWO, or BOTH. Make sure I have a way of contacting you as well.
3. I will randomly select a winner for both prizes and contact the winners via email. Giveaway is open for one week starting today, and closes Friday March 28 at 5:00 PM MST.
4. Prize PACKAGE TWO is open to US and Canada residents only. Sorry, international readers! Shipping is expensive. Anyone, anywhere may enter to win the custom design services, though!
5. ADDITIONAL ENTRIES: 
• For each additional entry, reply to your original comment and tell me how else you follow Oh Whimsical Me. Leave a separate reply comment for each example. You have up to 4 additional entry opportunities — meaning your name can be entered into the drawing up to 4 more times, per prize package (you have a better chance of winning!). See additional entry qualifications below. 
• Like Oh Whimsical Me on Facebook
• Follow Emorie on Twitter (@emoriekidder)
• Follow Emorie on Pinterest
• Follow Emorie on Instagram (@ohwhimsicalme)

Good Luck! Thank you for reading and sticking around this past year. I really like you.

xx Emorie

Congratulations to CJ for winning Package One and Dus for winning Package Two!

One Year of Oh Whimsical Me

March 19th, huh? I think I've been losing track of my days lately. That, or March has been flying by a little too quickly for my liking. Can everything just slow down for a minute please? Or can we all just unanimously agree to ignore the rest of the week and all it's duties? Let's have a mutual restart/refresh/catch-up, shall we? That sounds good to me. Because, I'll be honest, it is rather difficult to pause even a moment to reflect here with you. But, regardless, I'm here to celebrate!

This week I am celebrating one year of Oh Whimsical Me.  One year ago, I hit publish on my first post and gulped down a mouthful of anxiety and self-doubt. The growth and change I have experienced since then has been more than I ever anticipated.

WHAT HAS ONE YEAR LOOKED LIKE?

What began as a simple way to document important memories and moments from my everyday, quickly transformed into a place for me to share my thoughts, passions, and discoveries. I even began participating in outfit posts (something I originally swore off) and began to talk openly about my anxiety and depression. My favorite thing to share here, with you, would be beauty recipes. Because we could all use a good pampering every once in awhile, especially with homemade concoctions. Here's a quick look back at a few of my favorite posts this past year.



A FEW FAVORITES:

+ Anniversary Weekend Camping at Little Payette Lake
+ Quinoa Garbanzo Burgers
+ The Criss-Cross Applesauce
+ Spirit of Boise (Balloon Classic)
+ Toxaway Loop Day 1
+ Our Halloween Costume: PACMAN & MS PACMAN
+ Oops, I Cut My Hair Again
+ Fish Creek, Idaho
+ Lace Dress 4 Ways for Fall/Winter
+ Gingerbread Lip Scrub
+ Magic
+ Bow Earwarmer DIY
+ A Freeing Feeling
+ Loungewear: A Cozy Night In
+ Balsamic Veggie and Cous Cous Salad
+ Snow White Button Up
+ Junk Food Valentines | Free Printable
+ Honey Oat Lotion
+ Double Berry Smoothie

SO WHAT'S NEXT FOR OH WHIMSICAL ME?

+ I'm building a new website and playing around with different domains and hosting options. I won't launch the new site until I am absolutely certain that I've got it the way I want (and that it is right). This blog will most likely still be called Oh Whimsical Me, but it will be a part of a larger, more professional site. My blog will always be a main focus and passion of mine. All posts will be transferred over to the new site, and all current urls here will redirect to it. Expect that to happen in a month or longer.

+ With the launch of a new site, I will also be opening up shop. What does that mean? I will offer a wide range of design services to clients, from branding work and logo design to full installation of blog design and templates. I will also be selling some digital art, embroidery art, and other handmade goodies. I am still debating if these shops will be self-hosted on my new site, or if I should simply set-up a Society 6 and Etsy. I'll keep you updated on that front.

+ If you are interested in getting any sort of design service at a super-ultra-disscounted rate and, also in helping me gain experience working with clients (as well as build on my portfolio), you can contact me at ohwhimsicalme@gmail.com; let's hash out ideas!

+ A lot of things are changing around me right now, and I am not able to dedicate the same amount of time to this blog as I had previously. I will continue to focus an quality over quantity. You can expect many more long text posts from me — look for many updates to the Learning Happy and Healthy series, the Inspiring People I've Met Online series, the One Book a Month series, and monthly goals (of course). But there will be lots of fun things, too! I've got more beauty recipes coming your way, a ton of DIYs are in the works, and I have a everyday short hair tutorial series planned.

I'm excited to see where this next year takes both me and my blog. Thank you for reading and sticking around this past year. I really like you. Be sure to come back for a special giveaway tomorrow!

xx Emorie

Cuddly Cacti Feature

The lovely Dus of Cuddly Catci was kind enough to interview me and feature me on here blog today!  She asked some great questions and I had lots of fun answering them. Be sure to check it out and maybe learn a few new things about me, just for kicks. Dus is one of my very favorite blogging buddies, so be sure you check out her great blog and beautiful fair trade shop, too!

xx Emorie

Confessions of a Blogger

Lix from A Classic Notion tagged me to do the Confessions of a Blogger post. I felt it a perfect way to collect some thoughts and for you to learn a bit more about me and why I blog here. It is also a great break from all the crafting I have going on today.

1. When did you first start blogging and why?

I started this blog in March of this year. I had tossed the idea of Oh Whimsical Me back it forth, for a year or two actually, while I was still in college. I struggle with depression and anxiety (you can read a bit more about that here and here) and hit a real low while I was living in Moscow. I started this blog after moving back to Boise, sort of in celebration of overcoming some things personally. Also because I had wanted to for so long and I was tired of not doing the things I wanted out of fear. It is a place for my to stay organized as well; to share my thoughts, inspiration, and creations.

2. Have you had any past online presence?

Yes, I've had a tumblr since September 2008. I had to go look at my archives and check, and wow that seems like forever ago. I have changed so much since then. That is what I love so much about tumblr, and why I still use it (although I must admit I mostly just reblog things I like a lot now).  It was my safe haven for so many years. I have met so many great people I call dear friends. It was even my support system at times, back when I felt like I had no one else. I love going back and reading through my old posts (I use to write there a lot) and seeing my own growth over the years.

3. When did you become serious about your blog?

The moment I started it, truthfully. Although it started out more as a place to record memories of my personal life (more for my own benefit). I still like to use this place to document those things and share them with my readers, but my vision for where I would like my blog to end up has changed drastically.

4. What was your first blog post?

The very first one is just a very brief intro into why I was starting this blog. The first full post (the second post here) was pictures from a hiking trip Will and I took with the pups.

5. What have been your biggest challenges blogging?

I have a lot of ideas constantly swarming around up in this head but I have a tendency to let the majority of them slip away unexecuted. I'm working on it and trying to keep all my ideas organized/written down for later use. At first, I also struggled with what to post because I wanted to keep my reader audience in mind. I also felt, for some reason, that there was an unspoken quota I had to reach each week or month. Now I mostly just post what I want and when I comfortably can, which seems to work out better for everyone. I also struggle with networking and reaching out to other bloggers, because I'm shy and have terrible social anxiety (yes even on the internet) but I need to more.

6. What is the most rewarding thing about blogging?

The community, no competition. I meet so many caring, inspirational people all the time. I don't know why, but before I started my blog I thought things were going to be a lot harder than they are. I didn't expect so many people to be interested in the content I post and to be so welcoming.

7. What is the most discouraging thing about blogging?

This may only apply to me, because I feel like I got myself into this situation. Sometimes I do feel a little limited. There are definitely things I keep myself from pursuing or posting about because I feel that there would be no interest. I have such a wide array of things I find interesting and enjoy, but I feel that within the context of this blog those topics would feel like outsiders (like the podcast appreciation post).  Perhaps I created the parameters here a little too thin. I love sharing snippets of my life and personal style and crafts and recipes I love. But I'd also love to discuss feminist issues, social constructs, racism, gender norms, my favorite sci-fi films, how great Netflix is, why I want to live in Canada, my struggle to build a portfolio, etc. I don't know how to balance all of that. I have created a great and supportive readership here and I don't want to burst that.

8. What is your lasting inspiration or motivation?

I just love sharing things I discover/create. I am a very passionate person and when I really love something I want everyone else to know about it too. Every time I share a recipe I wish I could come over to your house and whip you up a taste. When I share pictures from a trip I took I wish you all could have been there to witness how breathtaking the mountains were and feel how refreshing the air was too. And I wish you all could have your own personal Pippin, because he is the greatest and keeps me happy with puppy snuggles everyday.

9. What is your blogging dirty little secret?

It's not dirty, nor is it probably a secret, but I blog from bed a lot. It is the comfiest place and warmest place in this cold house, so it is bound to happen.

I'm still currently 'unemployed,' so this blog is my main thing. And I still don't do it all that well

I also really hope to collaborate with more bloggers, brands, businesses in the future.

10. What is your current goal as a blogger?

I really love seeing my blog grow organically and never try to push anything too hard. I want to maintain that, while somehow networking more and growing my readership. I do feel that my blog is currently an extension of me and a great representation of my character. I don't want that to ever change. If anything, I need to improve on it.

11. Have you learned or become passionate about anything through blogging that caught you by surprise?

When I began I never had any interest in outfit posts or personal style posts. I thought they would get boring really quickly, as my wardrobe is quite small and very few of my pieces are new. In fact, the majority of my clothes have been with me for at least 5 years. I haven't posted many, but my personal style posts are quickly becoming my favorite. I never plan them too carefully (except my Lace Dress 4 Ways for Fall/Winter post, of course), and I usually shoot a few pictures when we are out doing something already on the weekend (thanks Will) with whatever I happen to be wearing that day.

I'm tagging:

Kara from As Always Kara
Dus from Cuddly Cacti
Gabrielle from Hippie Go Lucky
Carolynn from Kitty Adventures
Jessica from Life Laid Bear
Ella from Paper Umbrella
Danica from Good Heart
Cam from Sincerely Cam

Because I want to know more about all of you! Simply answer the questions above if you'd like to participate.

xx Emorie

A Case of the Mondays and No More Passionfruit

I'm having a terrible case of the Mondays today.

follow me on instagram @ohwhimsicalme

Who am I kidding, I do most Mondays. Why do they always seem longer than every other day? There is a lot I would like to get done within the next 9 hours but I'm having a difficult time finding motivation. I'm sure I'll dig some up at some point. Until then I'll be endlessly sipping on coffee and listening to good tunes to try and get some creative juices flowing.

In the mean time, I want to share with you another little change I'll be making around here. This is mostly just a heads up to my current sponsors/swap buddies, and to anyone who is interestied in swapping with me in the future. I will no longer be using the services offered by Passionfruit to coordinate the swaps/sponsor spots I offer here on Oh Whimsical Me.

It seems like just about everyone is using Passionfruit to manage their ads these days (rightfully so). So I'm sure you've heard of the killer updates they have introduced. You can now not only sell banners, but also sponsored posts (guest posts, product reviews, giveaways), social media shoutouts, sponsorships, and even services (ad design, blog design, consilting, etc.). In other words, if you want to sell it, Passionfruit can mange it all for you! So awesome!  they've even updated the Ad Shop into a Shopping Cart style. Plus so many other updates that I'm envious to not be having. The updates are live now, and free to use until September 1st. You can read about all of the updates here.

image source

I've loved using Passionfruit. They have done nearly all the work for me and have made editing ads so easy peasy. Adding the ad shop onto your blog is as simple as copy and pasting html; it is all so effortless. So why am I stepping back from Passionfruit? To be honest, I wish I could keep Passionfruit. But with all of the new updates I am drooling over, there also comes a price. Up until now, Passionfruit has been completely free for me to use. The updated version costs $9 a month for unlimited access.

I get it. I do. I was surprised that I could use it for free to begin with. And for established bloggers who are working with other bloggers and companies all the time, that low monthly fee probably seems like nothing. But realistically, at this time, I cannot afford it. I am still such a new blog, and such a small blog, that I only am comfortable offering swaps. I am fine with that. In fact, I love it. I have met some wonderful bloggers. I just can not keep using Passionfruit. Their monthly fee is small, but because I make no money from this blog I would just be paying for people to swap with me.

What does this mean for my current sponsors?

You don't have to do anything, dears :) I will simply use you current button image and link to your blog when I make the transition. This may require some adjustment and cropping of your current button. If you are unhappy with the adjustments I make, please let me know and send me a button sized 270x100 to replace it. Your ad/button will be "renewed," giving us all a fresh start, and I will email you in a month or so to make sure you want to keep your swap up. If at anytime, you do not want your button up on my blog anymore, for any reason, please email me (ohwhimsicalme@gmail.com) and I will take care of it.

What does this mean if you want to swap with me in the future?

My advertisement page will be updated with all the details really soon. Please look there for specifics. We'll be doing things the old fashion way; I'll upload them myself manually and you can always coordinate with me over email (ohwhimsicalme@gmail.com).

I hope you understand the changes I am making and why. If my blog expands as I hope it to in the future, will I go back to using Passionfruit? Perhaps.

Liebster Award Nomination

The lovely Rita from Champagne-n-Pizza has nominated me for the Liebster Award! Thanks, Rita.

The Liebster Award is an award for blogs with under 200 followers. Liebster is German for dearest, or beloved and a blog nominated for the Liebster Award is said to be worth watching. The main aim of the Liebster Blog Award appears to be an attempt to offer public recognition to relatively new and unknown bloggers for their blogging. I think this a lovely idea, so I suppose I will play along.

There are a few things to follow once you have been nominated:

• Acknowledge the blog that nominated you with a post.
• Share 11 facts about yourself.
• Then answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you.
• List up to 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers that you believe deserve some recognition.
• Post 11 new questions for them to answer.
• Notify all the bloggers you've selected that they've been nominated.
• Do not nominate the blog who nominated you.

Pretty simple and a bit fun, too! So without further ado...

11 Facts About Me:  

1. I have a legitimate and annoying fear of birds. 
2. I am legally blind in my left eye. It has always been that way, but it is getting worse.
3. I absolutely love tattoos. I only have one so far, as they are expensive, but I have plans for at least 3 more.
4. I have a few musical abilities. I was a choir child, participating in choirs of some sort as far back as I can remember. I may have dabbled in music theater, as well.  I even took voice and piano lessons growing up. I also played the flute for years in band. I miss choir the most. If you really want to creep on me here is an old, poor quality video of me performing in a high school variety show. Haha.
5. Here's a secret: I am 22 and still do not have a driver's licence. #2 is part of the reason for that, and my severe anxiety is another. Obtaining my licence is a goal of mine I am still far from accomplishing. 
6. I have really wide spaced toes. They are also pretty long and curl a bit. I am pro at picking things up with my feet.
7. I didn't graduate from college. I could write a post on what not to do in college. I may go back and do things just completely and entirely different. I would love to get a degree in graphic design.
8. My ultimate dream is to build and own a Tumbleweed Tiny House, with my love, in a nice place in the woods. I wouldn't mind living somewhere on the pacific coast, either.
9. I am a bit of an adrenaline junkie. I love love love heights. I would totally do base jumping, sky diving, bunging jumping. Sign me up!
10. Will and I had only been dating 3 months when we decided to move-in together. I think we scared a lot of people :)
11. I love to cook for people. If you come over to my house, I will feed you.

And the 11 questions that Rita asked me to answer:

1. How'd you decide to name your blog? I love whimsy little things, and I think I am a little whimsy myself. I picked out the name for my blog way way way before I ever had one.
2. What is your favorite thing to do when you get home? Well, I am home most of the time these days. But in my free time, I love reading and playing with my pups and snuggling Will.
3. First word that comes to mind in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... go! WINTERFELL!
4. Never have you ever... been snow skiing. It is a tragedy, I know.
5. Weirdest place you've... eaten. I once climbed over the barriers at Shoshone Falls and ate some sandwiches on the edge of a cliff overlooking the waterfalls. Not so much weird as cool.
6. Favorite food to eat?  (You must eat it tonight now.) Ugh, this question is always so hard because I love food way too much. Can I be boring and say pizza? It has just never let me down, okay? And my homemade pizza is to die for. 
7. What will you name your first child or next animal (if you don't want a kid)? Children really scare me, but I may or may not have names picked if I ever decide to have them (not likely, but ask me when I'm 35?). I love the name William, Liam for short, which is fitting considering who I love. I love Finley or Sagan for a girl. Maybe I will just name my next pets those names :)  
8. Hot button issue:  gifboom or A Beautiful Mess.  Which app do you like more? I don't use either, just not much of a fan of those apps :)
9. If you were to take me on a blate (blate= blogger date), where would we go? I would wake you up early to go hike some trails in the Boise foothills. I'd then treat you to some coffee and breakfast downtown!
10. What is the most interesting thing you know about Texas? I was actually born in Texas. Is that interesting enough? Haha. 
11. How excited are you that I nominated you for this award? Super duper excited?!

I am nominating:

1. Kristen from This Radiant Life
2. Gi from Trials and Tribulations of a Fat Girl
3. Kailagh from Love Always, Freckles 
4. Stephanie from Stephy Penny
5. Brianna from We are the Hodgkins
6. Vicki from Oh Abby Day
7. Heather from After the Hill
8. Fariha from Fariha is Here
9. Lisa from Something Infinitely Interesting 

And some questions for you lovely nominees to answer:

1. If money wasn't an issue and you could travel freely, where is the first place you would want to visit?
2. What is your favorite tea? If tea isn't your thing, what is your favorite thing to drink?
3. Do you have any pets? TELL ME ALL ABOUT THEM!
4. What is the best book you've read recently?
5. Have you ever been to Idaho? How much did you love it!?
6. Favorite Film(s)?
7. If I was having you over for dinner, what would your request be?
8. What is your favorite woodland creature?
9. What is a go-to stress reliever of yours?
10. Where is the coolest place you have roadtripped to?
11. What is your favorite thing to blog about?

Thanks again, Rita! I loved answering your questions. Check back later today, or maybe tomorrow (I'm tired, okay?) to see a little concoction I created for a DIY body scrub!

Interview on Mary Makes Dinner

If you've had a look at my 'darling sponsors/friends' section on my side bar, I'm sure you've noticed I've been working with Mary from Mary Makes Dinner. She is one hell of a woman, and one of my new favorite bloggers. She posts so many delicious healthy, ethnic, and sometimes even vegetarian recipes.

Mary has started a new interview series, featuring food bloggers, and I am so lucky to be the first.

Check out my interview here, and be sure to browse some of Mary's recipes as well. I promise they will have you drooling.

Updating

Hello lovelies. This blog is undergoing some minor updates again today. I know, when will it stop, right?

Please excuse any hiccups that occur. And thank you!

P.s. Check back later for another floral crown DIY!