Brittany Fuson Paper

I recently stumbled upon the most amazing artist.

I am in awe of her artwork and have literally swooned over it for the past two days.

Allow me to introduce you to....

SHOP - BLOG - FACEBOOK

About the Artist

Brittany Fuson, principal designer and owner of Brittany Fuson Paper, started sketching all things fashionable at an early age. She entered college as an aspiring fashion designer. Already envied for her eye for design, it was in the classroom that Brittany developed and fine tuned her unique style.

After earning an Apparel Design degree from the University of Alabama and spending a summer in New York City, she put her illustration skills to work and created a chic ready-to-write collection.


*Brittany has been kind enough to giveaway 1 HOLIDAY BOX SET of 10 CARDS!*



How To Enter:

Visit Brittany's Shop, then come back here and leave a comment of which one of her pretty lady's is your favorite notecard!

Extra Entries (leave a separate comment for each):

1-Follow Brittany Fuson's blog!
2-Follow Brittany Fuson on Facebook!
3-Tweet about this sweet Holiday giveaway!

(Giveaway ends Sunday Dec. 5 at midnight. Winner will be announced Monday Dec. 6)

Miscellany Monday

Post Random and Link Up over at Carissa's Blog!


(ONE) Happy Cyber Monday!!! I wish I would have known about this before I did all my online shopping on Black Friday. Meh. Oh well! Go check out your favorite online stores...gurantee they have some type of deal going on.

(TWO) Turkey Trottin' with Heather (from Fashion Fridays) and her sister Melanie!

Mimosa's at the finish line!

(THREE) I bought Jax a nice bed...Not cheap either. (he is spoiled) But now he refuses to sleep in it. He prefers my parents' dog's bed. Not cool.


(The one and only time he layed in it...)

(FOUR) I don't understand how men wear dress shirts everyday. I have one on today for an offsite event for work I have to attend tonight and I AM SO UNCOMFORTABLE. And on top of that I realized I am not suppose to be wearing jeans...Today is going downhill rather quickly.

(FIVE) Saturday was a great college football day!! OHIO STATE killed their rival, Michigan and the Florida Gators got slaughtered by the Seminoles. Makes me smile.

(SIX) Over the holiday, I started reading Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney (thanks for the recommendation from my sweet friend Rachel). It is so good. I suggest it both for single and married women! I have been moved by this book as we examine Titus 2. Yesterday, I read the chapter on loving your husband. The chapter was based on the phileo type of love, not agape. Agape love comes natural for women. Friendships are built on phileo love and as wives they forget to love their husbands with this type of love. If you are married... Send your hubby an extra special love note/text today! Do it...right now! :)

Fashion Fridays - Black Friday Edition!

Or should I say… Fashion Wednesday!
I apologize to everyone for missing last week, work has been crazy!

First off, I wanted to wish everyone a HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I hope everyone has an amazing time with their families and eat lots of food! Michelle and I will be running the Turkey Trot around Lake Eola at 8am (whew!)

This week is dedicated to Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year. I’ve done a bit of research for you guys to get the most out of your bucks. Here is what I found:

Forever 21
21 items for 20% off

JC Penney (doors open at 4am)
50% off of boots

Charlotte Russe
25% off of everything in the ENTIRE STORE!

Express
(this is my favorite deal)
Thanksgiving Day take 40% off of everything online AND in stores. I definitely plan on using this deal at midnight to get a head start!
On Black Friday, before noon, take 40% off and after noon, it bumps down to 30% (online and in stores as well). Now that is a great deal!!

Macy’s
20% off women’s coats, 50% off cold weather boots
Dress boots $39.99

Target (doors open at 4am)
Women’s select outerwear (fleece pullovers, puffer vests, etc) $5- 9.50
Women’s fashion scarves $5

Kohls (doors open at 3am)
25-50% off select Elle apparel
Early bird specials 3am-1pm including Cashmere sweaters for $34.99 and select jewelry 55-60% off

Amazon.com:
Deals on clothing go HERE
Deals on Shoes and Accessories go HERE
Deals on Jewelry go HERE

Those of you who live in Florida, 50 stores in the Florida Mall will be open at midnight. So if you don’t want to wake up early Friday morning, you can get your shopping out of the way and be able to enjoy your day off from the crowds!

Happy Shopping!!

xoxo - Heather

Miscellany Monday

Join the fun! Link up at Carissa's blog!

(1) BP: My country lover, Brad Paisley, has had a great year! He won CMA's Entertainer of the Year and last night he won AMA's Favorite Male Country Artist!

I am pretty sure the goal at the AMA's this year was to see who could dress the weirdest...agree?



(2) HP7! I saw Harry Potter yesterday! It was SO good! Of course it leaves you hanging and I haven't read any of the books so I am clueless... I am going to go crazy when they do this same thing with Twilight's Breaking Dawn. AH!

(3) Loving that this week is filled with goodness! Short work week...Turkey Trot 5k...Serving those less fortunate at a Thanksgiving Dinner at my church...Thanksgiving dinner with my favorites...Nom Nom Nom... OHIO STATE vs MICHIGAN!... Christmas Shopping!

(4) ARKS OUTDOORS. Need something for the man in your life? Then check out ARKS Outdoors! They have great sandals, hats, shirts, outdoor wear! Save yourself the hassle of shopping at the store!



(5) Thankful for Him: "So I'll stand...with arms high and heart abandoned. In awe of the One who gave it all."

(6) Blogger Meetup: You can find me on Sandy's blog today! She finally posted a picture of our meetup with Sonja a couple months ago! Can't wait to see them both next week!!!

TGIF!

Been crazy busy at work...and will be for the rest of the month. But, I kind of like it like that.

So I have good news and bad news.
Bad News: There is no Fashion Friday's with Heather today. (send her some love on Twitter! @heatherella4)
Good News: You do NOT want to miss her post next Wednesday (11/24) for Black Friday!!!


I am leaving this with you all to take into your weekend:


Coping with Consequences
by Charles R. Swindoll

2 Corinthians 4:10-11, 16-18

I have found great help from two truths God gave me at a time in my life when I was bombarded with a series of unexpected and unfair blows (from my perspective). In my darkest hours these principles still become my anchor of stability, my only means of survival.

Because they work for me, I pass them on to you. Memorize them. Write them on a card and carry it at all times.

*Nothing touches me that has not passed through the hands of my heavenly Father. Nothing. Whatever occurs, God has sovereignly surveyed and approved. We may not know why, but we do know our pain is no accident to Him who guides our lives.
*Everything I endure is designed to prepare me for serving others more effectively. Everything. Since my Heavenly Father is committed to shaping me into the image of His Son, He knows the ultimate value of this painful experience. It is being used to empty our hands of our own resources, our own sufficiency, and turn us back to Him---the faithful Provider. And God knows what will get through to us.

Things may not be logical or fair, but when God is directing the events of our lives, they are right.

Lemons

Many of you may follow Sarah Ann at Bon Mot (if you don't, you should!) and have probably read this, but I wanted to share (paraphrase) it again because it really inspired me this week.

When Life Gives You Lemons...

Sarah and her bible study group are going through different women in the Bible, and this week, they came to Mary. Each week, she challenges the girls to put themselves in the shoes of the woman they're studying. "Well, this week was crazy. Talk about an "interruption" to the life she had planned. She almost lost the husband she was about to marry, and she became pregnant, sans the baby-making. It's kind of more than an interruption. It's a lemon. A big, fat, yellow one.

The thing that blew us all away about Mary was:
She found moments to treasure in her heart, even when her life did not go as planned. She chose to make the interruption a treasure. She chose to love the lemon."

When life gives you lemons, choose to see the beauty of the lemon. Thank God for the lemon. Treat the lemon as if it was such a pleasant surprise, that you can't imagine life without it.

The Beatles!

In honor of The Beatles being released on Apple's iTunes Store, here are my favorite songs!

- MICHELLE

(the song that made me fall in love with them, for obvious reasons)
- STRAWBERRY FIELDS
- ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE
- HEY JUDE
- HELLO GOODBYE
- I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND

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While on the subject of music... GLEE fans... how AMAZING was the closing performance last night of Singing in the Rain & Umbrella?! I absolutely loved Gwenyth Paltrow!

(If you missed last night's episode, dont worry, this is not a spoiler of the performance!)



No lie... I downloaded this song last night and listened to it over and over and over again this morning on the way to work. LOVE IT!

Blessing Box

If you would like to join, check out Natalie's blog, and link up!

-I am so thankful I got to see my best friend Sunday. We have had many problems lately as we are both struggling with personal issues in our lives. We have always had a communication problem and we finally talked about it and promised to both make an effort in fixing it. It's the root cause of our little fights and fall outs.

Communication is a problem I have with those who are close to me and it is something I am and will always have to work on. So blessed and thankful for the forgiveness my friends give to me and the unfailing love of my Father.

-Reading the 5 Love Languages and relationship books have really helped me see relationships in a whole new light, whether they be with friends, family or with a loved one, and I am thankful/blessed for God opening my eyes to these things.

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I wanted to post this beautiful picture and bible verse to today's post.

(via)

"Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with your God." -Micah 6:8

We have so much to be thankful for and we all take it for granted, myself included. We must remember that we are to be His hands and feet. Reach out to those around you.

Miscellany Monday

Join in the fun over at Carissa's blog!

One- I had such a lovely, relaxing weekend! Finally got a bike ride in! It felt so good to be out in the crisp, clean, cool air. Rode 10 miles. I made it a point to leave my ipod at home. I really wanted some reflection and time talking, listening, meditating on and with God. He is so good.

Two- Sunday's church service was amazing because we had this wonderful guest speaker who spoke a message that I needed to hear. I felt like he was speaking directly to me. God's grace amazes me. How thankful I am to have such a loving Father. We also sang one of my favorite David Crowder Band songs. I love it!

Three- Guess you could say Sunday was overall a great day! I got to see my best friend, her hubs, and little ones. Some of you might remember praying for my best friend and her baby girl Kylee. (Many many thanks for those who did! She is precious and a healthy little girl!) Look at how beautiful she is!

FOUR- HARRY POTTER COMES OUT THIS WEEK!!!!! Need I say more?

Fashion Fridays

Shoes… Shoes… SHOES!!

I absolutely LOVE shoes!!! Can’t get enough of them. But, I hate spending a lot of money on them. Call me cheap, but I believe that the most expensive brands wear and tear just as fast as the discounted brands do. I wasn’t sure what to write about this week until last night, I took a trip to SHOE LAND! If any of you know of a Shoe Land (or sometimes it’s called Shoe Town) I highly recommend you taking a visit ASAP! As I strolled through the 5 isles of pumps, sandals, wedges and boots I found so many that I’ve seen in recent celebrity sightings. Along with Shoe Land, these are some of the cheaper versions I’ve noticed:

These Christian Louboutin leopard booties Kim Kardashian is wearing retail for about $600. I found them at Charlotte Russe for $35.50.


Now these structured heels are all the rage in fashion. I’m sure you’ve seen them in every celebrity magazine retailing for about $300.

Here they are at Charlotte Russe for $32.50.



And seen on LuLus.com (in different colors!) for $27!

These Aldo shoes remind me of Lady GaGa (retail for $100):

LuLu’s has them for $44!

I also wanted to share with you MY amazing find at Shoe Land last night! I was so excited, I even called Michelle right after to tell her how much money I saved! Ha!

Lulu’s shoes for $31 (plus shipping).

I got them at SHOE LANDDDD for $20!!! SAME EXACT BRAND!



Here are some other websites to find shoes for the perfect occasion:

AmiClubWear
ShoeDazzle
Urban Original
Make Me Chic

LuLu’s

ModCloth

I hope this week’s fashion topic has inspired you all to add to your shoe collection! After all, as women we can never have enough shoes ;)

Heather

Love

“To fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances; to seek Him, the greatest adventure; to find Him, the greatest human achievement.” -St. Augustine

(thank you for all the kind words, thoughts, and prayers yesterday. i say it all the time, but i love you guys!)

Miscellany Monday

1- I woke up in an awful mood. I am sad. Confused. Hurt. Lost. I have spent my entire morning talking and crying out to God. I am... a mess. Before Sunday I had been doing great.

I recently put myself back out there in the dating scene. I had my first date with a gentleman last night, went to Starbuck's and talked for two hours. It was so nice. I was nervous. It is so frightening to put myself back "out there" again. I want to hide my heart to every man I meet, but at the same time I want to date. I am so ready to meet someone who gets me, who gives me what I need, who is in love with Christ just as much, if not more, than I am! Who is willing to fight for love, who won't leave me when things get tough, who will work through things together instead of pushing it all onto me to fix. This is scary. Maybe that's it... I am scared. Pray for me and my heart, friends.

2-Today also isn't fun because I feel completely awful. Doing a 5k in 45 degree weather on Saturday ruined my body! It aches, my throat is sore and I am congested. Yuck! I didn't do as well as I thought I would, being as how in shape I am, BUT I did do so much better this years run than last years! So hooray for that accomplishment!

3- I chopped my hair off! And I love it!! I forgot how much I love having short hair!

4- Did you see the new feature on the blog? I am so excited for Fashion Fridays with Heather! I love that girl!

5- I am throwing in a picture of Jax bear because he is just too stinkin' cute! (he was trying to sleep)

Introducing...

Hello All!

My name is Heather, Michelle and I have been great friends for years now and I was thrilled when she asked me to do a guest blog on Fridays! One thing you should know about me is that I am no fashionista, but I do love clothes, jewelry and shoes! I am constantly on the Internet browsing the latest trends (good and bad) and I admit, doing a little online shopping during work hours. I also love a bargain! Some things I see on celebrities costing a fortune, and I end up finding them elsewhere for a fraction of the price (Don’t worry, I will definitely be posting my findings on here) Each week I will be blogging about a specific fashion trend. If any of you out there need help picking out an outfit for a special occasion or you found a shirt/dress that you are dying to have but are having a hard time finding it cheaper, I would gladly assist! Remember, just because something is in style, that doesn’t mean you have to wear it. But don’t be afraid to branch outside of your comfort zone. Grab a few different garments that you normally wouldn’t try on into the fitting room. You may be pleasantly surprised the look you put together! Alright, let’s get fashionizing!

Today we will be talking about one of my favorite things… chunky necklaces!



*On a side note: a lot of my pictures will be of Kim Kardashian.. I absolutely love her style!

If you guys only knew how much I am obsessed with these accessories. My boyfriend always teases that I have so many hanging on the wall that it’s only a matter of time before the wall comes down. My view, the chunkier the better!

I chose these two from Charlotte Russe mainly because I own them both. They are not only chunky, but bold as well. And the one on the left isn’t as heavy as it looks.



Target:

Target.com is a great place to get necklaces on sale that you can’t find in the store.

Forever 21:

If you want to go a fancier route… head on over to your nearest Express. (If you sign up for their newsletters, they send you email blasts with coupons like $30 off of a $75 purchase or $15 off of a $30 purchase **Online AND in stores)

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Head to your nearest mall and stock up on these chunky gems, they are amazing!

Heather

BLOG NEWS!!!

**My 2 favorite bloggers and dear friends, Sandy and Ilene, just announced their Cold Hands, Warm Hearts Swap! Be sure to check out the awesomeness and sign up!! I just did! You have til November 11.**

**There is something fun and new coming to my blog on Fridays!! Be sure to check back tomorrow. You won't want to miss it!**

In other news... My brother finally came home from the hospital. Thank you ALL for the prayers, thoughts, and kind words!!

Day 23

30 Day Blog Challenge

Day 23: Favorite Vacation

This is tied between my birthday cruise to Grand Caymen and Cozumel AND the most recent trip to LA!

My favorite family vacation was our trip to Washington state, where we stayed in a cabin on a large lake surrounded by the mountains! Pure beauty.

(I would upload pictures but Blogger is being retarded right now)

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Please pray for my brother as he is in surgery as I write this. Pray that he is comforted and is able to have a speedy recovery. Thanks in advance, friends!

Days 20-22

30 Day Blog Challenge

Day 20: Nicknames

The most obvious one is Michabella... My sweet friend Amanda is the one who came up with it. I love it.

Another one is Shelly... a family I grew up with gave me the name. It's rare that I hear them actually use my real name!

Day 21: Picture of Yourself

Here are a couple most recent pictures of myself:

(Julia and I in Hollywood)

(my sister and I..Queen of Hearts and a brunette Alice)

Day 22: Favorite City

St. Augustine, FL

Charlotte, NC

Wanting to visit NYC, Chicago, Washington, DC...