Life at a "Swell's" pace: February 2015

Five on Friday: Spark of Loves this Week (Pearl and Clasp)

It's Friday and I am so ready for the weekend here in the Willamette Valley. We are set to have sunshine Saturday and Sunday here and it couldn't be better timing. This weekend is the first weekend we are able to get out and get The Peppermint Bee Farm in order for the growing season coming upon us quickly. Our poor, old Craftsman lawnmower finally hit the bottom, so we will be on a hunt for a new one this weekend, for sure! I might be sharing the new grass conqueror in next week's Five on Friday, so look out for that! Any suggestions on a good one, are always welcome in the comments section below. :)

So here we go with this week's Five on Friday.

1. These Earrings.

I am starting this Five on Friday off with a review of some amazing earrings. I was contacted by Pearl and Clasp recently to review some of their jewelry. I received the black pearl earrings, and I was pleasantly surprised. They are solid, minimal, and the best part, they don't get caught in my hair.

These earrings can be worn with just about anything really. They are beautiful and come in a pearl, pink, and the black pictured here. You can snag a pair at the Pearl and Clasp site for under $25!

Similar earrings have been seen on Ginnifer Godwin and Angelina Jolie.

Source Source

You can get these Black Pearl Button Earrings on their site at Pearl and Clasp for under $25. You can also get 15% off your entire order from there by using code: shelly15. Check them out, they have a lot of great quality jewelry. Pearl and Clasp will also restring your broken pearl necklaces and bracelets too.

Be sure and follow Pearl and Clasp on Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook to stay up on the latest items they have for sale.

2. This Kitty

I've been doing a lot of posts about my Persian/Siamese named Meia during my Five on Friday because she turns 15 this year. 15! She still acts like a spunky little kitten too. She will be 15 in November of this year, so you will be seeing a lot of her throughout the posts in 2015.

3. This Icing.

Talk about the easiest chocolate icing that ever was. Here's how it's made:

1 cup unsalted butter
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons milk (I used 2%)
1 bag semi sweet chocolate chips (Melted. Do this in the microwave in 30 second intervals)

Pour it into a mixing bowl and mix on medium high until it is spreading consistency. Add more milk if the mix is too thick, or more sugar if the mix is too thin. This icing is the perfect compliment to a white cupcake, or for a chocolate overload, try it on a chocolate cupcake, or cake. It's amazing!

4. This Trip.

We took a trip on the Polar Express back in December, and I have JUST now be able to go through the TONS of photos we took on the trip. One of the things we did on the trip was take shots with our Flat Ryan from Arkansas. Those Polar Express and trip pictures coming soon!

5. This Desk.

Skylar finally has an official desk for out little Red Snail Classroom. I'm so pleased that we finally found "the one." It's the perfect size for him and will fit nicely in the space we are reserving for it. The desk is from World Market and is called the Secretary Desk. You can grab one of these for your own classroom, or home here, but hurry, they sell out so quick. The day that I posted that we bought this desk on Facebook, my mom went to look at it and it was already out of stock. So grab one fast! More on this when it comes in!

You can join this link up every Friday by visiting Carolina Charm. All you do is, blog about five things that made your week special and share it with the others in the linky. It's that easy!

What happened this time last year?

Five on Friday: Spark of Loves this Week

It's the weekend again and I am so happy. The last few days, here in the Willamette Valley, the sun has been out and I feel almost guilty saying that because everyone else I know is getting snow and ice. We've had a fair share of days without the warm sun, so the guilty isn't all that bad for me. We are sure to get our share of winter weather still to come, we always do. This sense of "false spring" always hits us right about now, so I am going to soak in these rays and not feel bad at all! :) Here is a bit of what made my week special.

1. This Book Domino from the Seattle Public Library.

Because it's totally awesome!

2. These sweet kitty.

Because she's old and I love her.

3. This bather.

Because Bluejays are quite annoying sometimes, but this one was fun to watch as he bathed for a long while.

4. This science project.

Because we aren't sure what to do with it quite yet, but it will be amazing when we do!

5. This wall painting.

Because I free-handed it onto the kitchen wall, and I still like it every time I look at it.

And.......

These balloons.

Because they were just floating by one day, out of nowhere.

You can join this weekly five by visiting, Christina at North Carolina Charm and adding your link of five things that made your week, to her list. What five things made your week special? Join the link-up and let everyone know.

Have a great weekend!

What happened this time last year?

Simple decor with vintage bottles

Vintage bottles are my weakness and when I started having a bit of an issue finding a home for all of them I decided to come up with a better decor plan. Sticking with one of my New Year's Resolutions, I decided to make the decor as minimal as possible. What better way than putting them up in a unique and eye-appealing way. Here is what I did to achieve this quick, and easy bottle display.

I started with some simple bottles I gathered up throughout my house. They were pretty much everywhere and perched on top of picture frames, bookshelves, and even window sills. If you don't have bottles like the ones pictured above, you can always frequent antique stores, or second-hand stores to find them.

I used heavy twine.

Tied a loop around the bottle neck of each one.

And hung.

I filled each one with something different and eye-catching. Feathers, dried flowers, lavender, etc.

The hung bottles seemed to mesh well with the other decor in the great room.

Now to figure out what to do with the other larger bottles. Hmmmm.....

What happened this time last year?

Five on Friday (Spark of Loves this Week)

It's Friday and that means another Five on Friday. I've been on a little hiatus from the Five on Friday, but I'm back now and ready to tell you about all the fun things happening here on the west coast. Here are the things that made my week, this week.

1. These Halloween Finds:

Getting organized means finding things you forgot you had. Could have used these at Halloween, but I just found them, so I will hold onto them and use them next year. My goal for 2015 is for two simple things, get organized FINALLY, and get into shape. Two simple goals should be easy to achieve. *fingers crossed*

2. This Karate Kid:

Skylar has been getting jiggy with it in karate class. He is currently a purple belt, but moving on up in the colors to become a black belt. I am so proud of him!

3. Wrapping these Gifts:

It seems that Christmas doesn't end with my family until well after February. That stands true for me, when it comes to mailing gifts to family and friends from Oregon to Arkansas. I always say, it's great because it extends Christmas for everyone. Funny enough, I will be mailing my parents their gift packages today.

4. This old Photo:

My Aunt Paula that lives in Oklahoma shared this old picture with my sister and me. I love it so much! I am the one that's second from the right. My sister is on the far left. My mom always dressed us in matching dresses for family gatherings and Easter.

From left to right, Kendra (my sister), Kellie (my cousin), Kevin (my cousin), Sara (my cousin), Me, Chance (my cousin).

5. This red Car:

This Convertible Car is up for sale from us. We have had it since Skylar was three, but it's just taking up space now. If you're in the Willamette Valley, Oregon area, let us know if you can give this cute, fun car a new home. Here's the listing on Craig's List with all the deets.

One last thing. I wanted to take this week and brag about one accomplishment I am very proud of. I made the very last payment on my student loan recently and couldn't be more happy to be done with that payment. After $58,000, I can officially say that I am student-loan debt-free. Whoopee!

You can join this Five on Friday linkup by visiting Christina at Carolina Charm here!

What happened this time last year?

The Honest Company

When my son was born I picked up on the Burt's Bees buzz and used it religiously. I used every thing they offered from the diaper cream, to the Avocado Hair Repair. Of course, since that time, Burt's Bees has changed dramatically. Burt Shavez only owns a portion of the company now, and Roxanne Quimby sold her portion of the company to Clorox. The day I read on their blog what was happening with the company of Burt's Bees, I literally broke down and cried. I thought, "What is going to happen to my favorite products? What will I be able to use on my son without making him sick? What am I going to do?"

The Honest Company Essentials Trial Box

The Honest Company cleaners and toothpaste, along with Jessica Alba's book The Honest Life.

For people that don't have a go-to product that they use, this may seem a bit extreme. For people that do have that all-time favorite and have used that product for over seven years, news of your favorite company discontinuing an item, or no longer carrying what you use, is heartbreaking. With the overhaul of Burt's Bees, doesn't mean I love them any less, I just don't see them the same way I did when my son was little.

Over the period of 11 years, the age of my son, I've been on the hunt for a company similar to what I once loved in Burt's Bees. After much research, I came across Honest Essentials Trial.

The Honest Company is owned by Jessica Alba, and I've always been a big fan of hers. I read about this company for months before actually taking the leap and trying their products. I backed up what they stood for, and backed up what they offered, and wanted to give to the consumer. I love every product this company has, and I actually use the products that are pictured with this blog post. The floor cleaner, the multi-surface cleaner, the laundry soap, the glass and window cleaner, and the list goes on and on for my favorites in the cleaning category. One thing this company offers that Burt's Bees never did, was a selection of products that could actually get your home clean without irritants. Of course, Burt's Bees is more of a body products and baby-care company.

The Honest Company ships their products by way of what they call "Bundles." You can get the "Honest Essentials Trial" similar to the one pictured below.

Honest Diaper Trial: Comes with Diapers, Lotion, Body Wash and Shampoo, Healing Balm, Hand Soap, Surface Cleaner, and Wipes.

The Honest Company Laundry Soap and air + fabric freshners.

The Honest Company Dish Soap and Multi-Surface Cleaner.

Concentrated Cleaner refill to save on packaging cost and waste.

Give The Honest Company a try with no obligation. You can start your free trial today with the Honest Essentials Trial, Honest Health & Wellness Trial, or the Honest Diaper Trial

Give their Snowflake Pizza a try while you're shopping on the Honest site!