Breakfast?

Friends... I need your help!

Dilemma: I have to be at work at 8am. I value my sleep and therefore do not wake up extra early to eat, and also because I can't eat that early in the morning. I never know what to eat when I get to work. It's not like I can whip up some french toast, eggs, pancakes. If I can't find anything in the pantry at home I just won't eat breakfast. I have tried protein bars, yogurt and oatmeal. I enjoyed those for awhile. I would love to eat cereal but that's just too much. I need something quick and easy...and healthy.

Where you come in: What is your go-to breakfast meal? Anyone have healthy, but delicious, muffin recipes?

Thanks in advance!

Miscellany Monday

{link up here}

Can you believe it's the last day of January?!

*ONE* Spent my entire weekend hacking up a lung and blowing my brains out. I did sunbathe Saturday in my backyard with the pups. We had some beautiful FL weather and I wasn't going to let this cold stop me from enjoying it!

*TWO* Can't wait for Luke Bryan's new cd, Spring Break 3!! Releases on March 1!! Love him.

*THREE* Triathlon training got put on hold last week. It begins tomorrow though! I got some swimming gear. I will def be taking a picture of how funny I look for y'all's entertainment!

*FOUR* One of my very close friends and sorority sisters, Anna, got engaged yesterday! I LOVE love, especially true love. I met her fiance, then boyfriend, last month. What a blessing to find the one God has meant you to spend your life with. Extremely happy for them both! I get to see them next month on my SC road trip! Anyone know of an etsy shop where I can get some monogrammed stationary?

*FIVE* I watched Paranormal Activity with my sister and her bf last night. OH MY GOODNESS. It took me forever to fall asleep last night, I talked to Jesus all night and made sure Jax was right next to me.

*SIX* Song on repeat:

HAPPY MONDAY!

COOKIES!

Came across this video from my sweet KD sister, MJ of Teaching in Heels.

The power of a cookie...

Awesome, right?? 

Click {here} to find out where you can purchase GS Cookies.

My favorite GS Cookie? Samoas!!

{Me and my Samoas - 2010}

*Girl Scouts are one of Kappa Delta's national philanthropies*

FF

Hey friends!!!

Welcome to Feature Friday! I decided to start this because I come across so many wonderful blogs/bloggers throughout the week that I just adore, don't you? I also thought it would be a great way to support each other and the blog community and make new friends. 

If you would like to play along, grab the button, and spread the love.

<a href="http://michabella.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v398/pinkstarr403/FF.png" /></a>

Today I would like to feature two blogs/bloggers that I am just adoring!

Katie of Love with Katie

&

CMae of Live What You Love

Stop by and visit these lovely ladies!

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Harvest

{via}



You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.

- Psalm 65:11

{thank you for all the get well wishes}

WILW

{link up here}

-MICHELLE IS SICK EDITION-

Loving NyQuil/DayQuil Cold and Flu medicine.

Loving tissues with lotion. But I dislike blowing my nose at work...so embarassing.

Loving Campbell's Select Harvest Mexican-Style Chicken Tortilla soup and Saltines. Mmmm.

Loving brownies to comfort the soul. So what if I practically ate the entire pan and left the edges pieces.

Loving my sweet furbaby-JAX-to cuddle with.

Loving Twitter. Seriously, if you don't have one you really should consider joining. Not only do you gain closer friendships with your fellow bloggers but last night FL had a "severe" storm and a couple local news stations were on top of the ball with updates! Whenever I see ambulances/police cars/news stations I automatically check Twitter and know what is going on before it hits the TV.  Don't ya just love technology!?

Happy Wednesday!

Orlando Bloggers

CALLING ALL ORLANDO BLOGGERS!!!!

Let's have a blogger meet-up/girl's night out!!!

(tentative)

When: Thursday- February 10, 2011- 7pm

Where: Farris and Foster's Chocolate Factory in Baldwin Park!

The Low Down: Chat, laugh, eat and make your own chocolates! $22 per person. First pound of chocolates are free! {more info here}

Come join the fun and let's be chocolatiers together!

Let me know if you would be interested so I can call to make reservations!

WE HAVE A WINNER!

First-I want to give a HUGE thanks to all of my followers and all who entered the giveaways! You all are amazing and your comments about my blog and myself mean the world to me! Love you guys.

Second-There are some exciting things going on with this blog/myself that I can't wait to share with y'all!!!!! Soon my friends, soon!

Without further adeu...

The winner of the Blogiversary TOMS Giveaway is:

((drum roll))

JAMIE of INSPIRED MESS!!!!

CONGRATS!!!!! I am so excited for you girl! Email me! pinkstarr403@yahoo.com

Ewww!

Sorry for my lack of posts and comments!

I took a sick day yesterday, and am drained. Literally...I am being drained of my congestion. Yeah, you know what I am talking about...I won't go into detail. {ewwwwwww} I was up practically all night last night. My body is aching today though, I am hoping im not catching the flu or something. Ick!

----

A big hello and welcome to all my new followers! Hope y'all stick around and I look forward to getting to check out each one of your blogs!

I signed up for a Triathlon in April! Today is the first day of my training plan. I hope I feel better by the end of the day so I can start! Ugh. I hate being sick. Swimming is going to be the biggest challenge. Any swimmers out there have advice?

It was a beautiful day in FL yesterday! 70 degrees. My favorite. Since I took a sick day, I got to hang out with these two boys all day.

**Today is the LAST day to enter for my TOMS Giveaway!** 

Have a lovely Tuesday friends!

Fasting Update + Giveaway Winners

Regarding my previous fasting post, the kind of fasting I was talking about is one that is considered a "special" fasting. One where you get rid of something that distracts you from God. Or that you find yourself addicted to, the comforts of the world, etc. Not starving yourself. I think that is too extreme. I believe that one must be called by God to go to that extremity. We all have our own views on fasting. These are mine.

On to the giveaway winners! All winners were picked by Random.org.

The Pleated Polka Dot: Rachel of After I Stepped Out in White

Oh, Sweet Joy!: Brooke Geiger!

IHOD: Ashley Hasty of A Hasty Life

CONGRATS Ladies!

Please send an email with your mailing address to pinkstarr403@yahoo.com

*TOMS Giveaway ends tomorrow at midnight!*

Fasting

"The weakness of our hunger for God is not because he is unsavory, but because we keep ourselves stuffed with "other things" -John Piper

Went to church this morning with Baily and it was a great service! The pastor talked about Fasting. I have never fasted nor has it been preached about at the church I attend. This quote from John Piper stood out to me. We are so caught up with "other things". I am so guilty of it! I choose to sleep in instead of getting up early to spend time in devotionals with God, I get caught up in blogging, Facebook, Twitter or the Internet in general instead of spending time with Him. I am guilty of thinking I need things like a Dr Pepper, Starbucks, ice cream (my comfort foods) when God is the one who should be my comfort...the one to indulge myself in. 

Where is our hunger for God? Where is MY hunger for God? I long for Him, to feel His presence but what am I doing, what am I sacrificing for it? 

I haven't figured out if I am going to fast this week, and/or what "other things" to sacrifice yet. Have y'all ever fasted before? I would love to hear your thoughts.

PS-*THREE of my giveaways end tonight at midnight!!!*

1 Yr Blogiversary!!

A year ago today I stepped foot into the blog world... 

I actually started Living a Life of Love via WordPress... Feel free to take a look {here}. It's kind of awkward to look at the beginning posts as compared to how/what my blog has turned into today. I never thought the blog community would become an enormous part of my life... a part of ME. The best part of blogging, for me, has been the people I "meet". Many of you have become my very dear friends. A lot of you have been there for me when others haven't. Y'all inspire me. 

I love y'all. 

So what better way to celebrate my blog's 1-year birthday than with a stellar giveaway???

A pair of TOMS Shoes anyone??

($44 Value-Classic Style-Color of your choice)

How To Enter (1 entry):

-You must be a follower of my blog-
Leave a comment telling me one thing you love about my blog.

Additional Entries (leave a comment for each):

1. Follow me on Twitter (@michabella4)

2. TWEET about this giveaway:

(please include this link- http://bit.ly/fcV0LF, @michabella4 and @TOMSshoes)

3. BLOG about this giveaway.

GOOD LUCK!

Giveaway ends at midnight (EST) Tuesday Jan 25.
Winner will be announced Wednesday Jan 26.

Wildflower

Hey y'all! I am linking up at Kelly's Korner for her Show Us Your Life-Show Us Your Singles!

 

MEET BAILY!

Isn't she the cutest?!

She's 23 years old. 

She's a life-lover and craves adventure and new experiences.  She has a giving heart and is passionate about life and making a difference in the lives of others.  Baily usually kicks it in blue jeans and cowboy boots, but she likes to fancy things up and dress up nice sometimes, too!  She's a little eclectic and has her own unique way about things!

Baily is passionate about her relationship with the Lord and strives to live according to the plan He has for her.  She's a family girl and values her strong relationship with her sister & brother-in-law and with her parents. 

She loves college sports, especially basketball (she was born a Tar Heel) and football (she attended the University of Alabama - Roll Tide!), but she enjoys college baseball, the NBA, and NFL as well.  Baily enjoys being active and is usually outside doing something fun with her dog, Millie, in her spare time.  Always a lover of writing, she has a blog where she finds her creativity and life experiences come together. 

She loves children!  Baily hopes to pursue a career in education/advocacy for children with developmental disabilities.  Many people admire her for the love she has for children with special needs. 

Baily is also a music lover!  She grew up Country, Classic Rock, and Southern Gospel.  She collects vinyl records and very much enjoys seeing "live" music.  Her favorite time of year is summer when it's time for the beach and good music!

Most people would describe Baily as: a wildflower, a "guys' girl", and a girl who will never forget where her roots are.   

Visit Baily's blog to learn more about her:  pickingwildflowersblog.blogspot.com

You can find the post about me {here}

IHOD Giveaway!

Hey y'all!

So very happy to announce my 1-year Blogiversary Giveaway #3!

SHOP-BLOG-TWITTER-FACEBOOK

Anna Liesemeyer is the lovely lady behind IHOD! She's a graphic and accessory designer. IHOD is one of the first blogs I started following. Her blog is so inspiring and her shop is SO cute! She is also a fellow OHIO STATE BUCKEYE. Woop Woop! She is a beautiful woman-mother-wife-blogger, inside and out.

Anna has kindly offered to giveaway this super cute IHOD headband:

How To Enter:
-You must be a follower of my blog &
Visit the IHOD shop and leave a comment telling me which item is your favorite!

Additional Entries (leave a comment for each):
-Follow me on Twitter (@michabella4)

-Follow Anna on Twitter (@inhonorofdesign)
-TWEET about this giveaway:

(please include this link- http://bit.ly/cUYPZE, @michabella4 and @inhonorofdesign)

-"LIKE" In Honor of Design on Facebook

GOOD LUCK!

Giveaway ends at midnight (EST) Sunday Jan 23.
Winner will be announced Monday Jan 24.

Oh, Sweet Joy Giveaway!

Hey ya'll!

I am so excited to announce my 1-year Blogiversary Giveaway #2!

SHOP-BLOG-TWITTER

Kim Davis is the lovely lady behind this absolutely adorable shop! And, if you don't follow her blog, you really should. She constantly inspires me and is such a sweetheart.

Kim has kindly offered to giveaway two items from her shop:

*Coffee Cuff & Covered Earrings*

How To Enter:
-You must be a follower of my blog &
-Visit Oh, Sweet Joy! and leave a comment telling me which item is your favorite!

Additional Entries (leave a comment for each):
-Follow me on Twitter (@michabella4)

-Follow Kim on Twitter (@ohsweetjoy)
-TWEET about this giveaway:

(please include this link- http://bit.ly/cUYPZE, @michabella4 and @ohsweetjoy)

-BLOG about this giveaway

GOOD LUCK!

Giveaway ends at midnight (EST) Sunday Jan 23.
Winner will be announced Monday Jan 24.

Pleated Polka Dot Giveaway

Hey ya'll!

So excited to kick off my 1-year Blogiversary with a giveaway from The Pleated Polka Dot!

SHOP BLOG

I "met" Melissa from the Cold Hands, Warm Hearts swap. I simply adore her and her shop!

Polka dots make everything better :)

Melissa has kindly offered to giveaway this cute wristlet from her shop:

How To Enter:

-You must be a follower of my blog &

-Visit The Pleated Polka Dot shop and leave a comment telling me which item is your favorite

Additional Entries (leave a comment for each):

-Follow me on Twitter (@michabella4)

-Tweet about this giveaway. Be sure to mention me! @michabella4

-Blog about this giveaway

GOOD LUCK!

Giveaway ends at midnight (EST) Sunday Jan 23.

Winner will be announced Monday Jan 24.

VLOG!

(I know I say "um" a lot)

TAG YOUR IT!

Here's the list of words to say and questions to answer:

Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught

▪ What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?

▪ What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?

▪ What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?

▪ What do you call gym shoes?

▪ What do you say to address a group of people?

▪ What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?

▪ What do you call your grandparents?

▪ What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?

▪ What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?

▪ What is the thing you change the TV channel with?

Miscellany Monday

(link up here)

{one} I LOVE country music!

{two} We are having our first thunderstorm here in FL... but sad it's on my day off!

{three} I LOVE CUPCAKES! This weekend I made Carrot Cake and Snicker's. YUM!

{four} Baily and I went to the ALL STAR ACOUSTIC JAM last night! It was an amazing concert! Got to see Thompson Square, Chuck Wicks, Lee Brice, Luke Bryan, Craig Morgan. Luke Bryan is my all time favorite now. His voice is amazing and he is a hunk! I am excited for the new singles Luke Bryan, Lee Brice, and Thompson Square have coming out this year.

Luke Bryan

{five} Went to the gun range, again. Yes...I am addicted. I got a lot more comfortable with guns. I got to shoot an M16! Pretty BA.

{six} My blog birthday week starts tomorrow with awesome giveaways!

Happy Monday!

Pillow Cookies!

My friend Heather (from Fashion Fridays) sent me a link to heaven...

Pillow Cookies OR Chocolate Chip Brownie Pillows {recipe here}

I couldn't resist, so I made some last night. I am in love.

They were a HUGE hit with my co-workers too! Nom nom nom!

----

*Now that I have your attention... Things for ya'll to look forward to:*

Next week is my blogiversary week! Meaning, I will be celebrating my blog's one year ALL week (minus Monday)! Tuesday-Friday I will be having GIVEAWAYS! You don't wanna miss out on this!

Have a great weekend, friends!

5QF

(link up here)

1. What movie could you watch over and over again and not get tired of?

Hands down...Pride and Prejudice!!

2. What's your biggest pet peeve right now?

Inconsiderate people. Enough said.

3. If you had to describe your best friend in five words or less, what would you say?

Sefless, Loves Unconditionally, Forgiving, Amazing Father, Holy... Can you guess who He is?

4. If you did not have to worry about money or go to school what would you do for a living?

BAKE CUPCAKES ALL DAY, EVERYDAY IN MY OWN CUPCAKERY! :)

5. What is your one "splurge" item, that you will always buy, no matter the cost?

Depends... anything from shoes to pedicures to Starbuck's.

Dim Sum?

Okay, I am going to be completely honest here... so don't laugh.

I have NO IDEA what Dim Sum is.

Am I the only one?? I have heard this term over and over recently. So...what do you do when you don't know something? GOOGLE IT!

Dim Sum- according to Wikipedia- is a Cantonese term for a type of Chinese dish that involves small individual portions of food, usually served in a small steamer basket or on a small plate.

nom nom nom

Um, I LOVE food, especially Chinese. How did I NOT know of this?! I feel sheltered. I found, thanks to Google again, a few Dim Sum places around my town. Yeahhhh.

Do you have a favorite Dim Sum dish that I must try??

New Eyes

(via)

WILW

(link up here)

I am loving my sweet (blogger and real-life) friend Baily and our rendevous last night...free-bird style. It was nothing short of amazing.

I am currently loving macarons, not to be confused with macaroons. Big difference there people! I have become slightly obsessed with them. I have been researching how they are made, the best techniques, etc. I hope to try making some this weekend or sometime this month. Aren't they just so pretty



I am loving CUPCAKES...always! I was asked to make some this weekend for some dear friends of mine. VERY excited! I'll be trying out a new recipe!. Cupcakes make my heart smile.

I am always loving my bubby (aka furbaby; Jax). I took this picture from our little trip last weekend. Don't let him fool you, he is happy here. He just hates it when mommy takes his picture. LOVE LOVE LOVE him!



I am loving this new creamer I got for my morning cup o'joe. It is so dreamy. I will probably end up drinking more than one cup a day because of this creamer. Ha. You should try it. International Delight Coffee House Inspirations - Dark Chocolate Cream. Mmmmm.



I am loving that while it snowed in 49 states yesterday, it was a beautiful 72 degrees here in FL. They don't call it the Sunshine State for no reason!

I am loving my sweet blogger-real-life friend Sandy! It is her blog's one year birthday- aka blogiversary! I love her blog. Sandy is an amazing woman, crafter, blogger, friend... (even though she is a Michigan Wolverine, hehe!) So lucky to have met her through blogging. Go wish her a Happy Blogiversary! She has some great giveaways too!

What are you loving today?

One Word

I am joining Alece of Grit&Glory for One Word 2011.

[read more about it here]

I first read about it Jan. 3 and had thought about what my word would be for days upon days now. Many words popped up in my head but nothing stuck out to me. I prayed God would give me a clear sign of one simple, but powerful word. A day or two went by.

I was casually emailing back and forth a very sweet blogger who has become a very dear friend of mine. Then... there it was. The word. I didn't know whether to cry or laugh. I sat here stunned.

It was so clear. Thank you God.

My word...

DANCE

Last week I read a quote that made me smile:

"DANCE with God, He will let the right one cut in."

+

"There is...a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to DANCE" -Ecclesiastes 3:4

I read somewhere that doing God's will is a lot like dancing. When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn't flow with the music, and everything is uncomfortable and jerky. When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music. One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing lightly in one direction or another. It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other.

This year I will DANCE together with God, trusting Him to lead and to guide me through each season of my life.

What's your One Word?

Miscellany Monday

(link up here)

*one* Hello new followers! I forgot to mention this is last Friday's Fashion Friday post: My lovely, gorgeous, and "real life" friend Heather guest posts on my blog for Fashion Fridays...not me. There was some confusion there!

*two* I got to mark something off of my bucket list Friday! I shot a gun for the first time!!!!!!!! I was REALLY nervous when I walked into the gun range. I jumped at the sound of each bullet going off around me. After many deep breaths and talking to myself I finally gained my composure and shot a 9mm gun. My first shot went right in the head of the target!!! MONEY! I felt calm and comfortable after a few rounds. I also shot a 45mm. That is a little too much for me. Shootin rounds is a great stress reliever, by the way. At the end of the night, I fell in love with guns. I am now hoping to get my own gun here soon!

(note-the gun was not loaded in this picture)

*three* Jax and I went out on the lake this weekend! It was his first time in the boat. I was a nervous mommy. But he did so well and absolutely loved it! I love my lil man. You can see how happy he is in these pictures...

*four* Finished the first week of P90X... And I am feeling great! Bring it on Week 2!

*five* I have an itch to go on a Missions Trip this year... Praying God will lead me in the right direction.

*six* Carissa, who hosts Miscellany Monday's, is having a giveaway! Go check it out!

(I have a giveaway coming up around the corner as well...if you have followed my blog for awhile now, you know what I will be giving away, wink wink.)

Fashion Friday

Hello my long lost gals! Sorry I’ve been on hiatus these past couple of weeks. As you know, I was in New York the week of Christmas… which, thanks to the blizzard, we were there for an extra FIVE days! Don’t get me wrong, I loved being there longer than expected but as my boyfriend said “The money tree doesn’t bloom in the snow.” Haha! We made it work though and it was a blast! Hope everyone had a great Christmas/New Years!!

While I was in the city, I noticed two things: half of the population wore next to nothing in the winter weather, the other half didn’t care what they looked like. I saw lots and lots of leggings. Sometimes, I was thinking that these girls were crazy since the temperature was about 30 degrees everyday. But I guess that’s the sacrifice to look cute ;)

I took a couple of photos of three outfits I wore while I was up there.

(covered up by a pea coat, of course)

Occasion: Lunch at The Breslin
Shirt: Target
Jeans: American Eagle (fit PERFECTLY by the way, I bought two pairs)
Boots: Steve Madden (These are the ones I was talking about in the last post)

Occasion: Christmas Eve dinner
Shirt: H&M (bought it in NY)
Leggings: Target
Boots: Forever 21
Necklace: Forever 21

This shirt is more flowy than it looks in this picture. I am in love with it!

I brought the necklace with me from home and it ended up matching perfectly.

Occasion: New Years Eve
Shirt: Forever 21
Necklace: Forever 21
Jeans: Wet Seal
Shoes: Charlotte Russe

Look at my adorable cat in the background. Haha!

Here are some other pictures I took while in NY:

Central Park

(Another great accessory that’s very useful: RAIN BOOTS!)

-HEATHER