Loving Poverty Luxe

I am so glad I decided to do an Etsy shop review swap with Victoria from Poverty Luxe because I received the most amazing Moroccan print infinity scarf. Check it out below.

The scarf was made of great quality soft fabric and I absolutely loved the print. I feel like it is a print that can actually be worn year round and it will definitely be made of great use.

Poverty Luxe has other great infinity scarves, adorable hair bows and the cutest skirts in an array of fabrics. You will definitely want to check out her shop!! xoxo

P.S. If you have an Etsy shop and are interested in doing a review swap contact me! Basically we each send each other something from our shop and we each put a review on our blog about the other person's item. Let's help get each other out there!!

Trendy Tots: Spring Photos!

For this  month's trendy tot linkup, I decided to share some photos from Liv's Easter/Spring photo session. After many failed attempts I finally had a session with her in which I was happy with the outcome. I hope you enjoy these photos as much as me!

Well, there she is, my little cherub and she actually smiled this time. This is super exciting for me because all of you who follow my blog may remember that is not an easy task with this one. She is such a happy kid but usually refuses to smile in photos but not this time. YAY!!!

Thanks for stopping by and if you happen to be a child clothing company and would like Liv to be modeling your clothing for the next trendy tot linkup, you can email me at dancewithadolly{at}gmail{dot}com. Have a fantastic day!! xoxo

My Boho Look For An Owl Shower

Happy Monday!! I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!! I had a baby shower to go to on Saturday and I had this whole Bohemian look in my head for my ensemble. I semi- accomplished what I wanted. I ran out of time to make all the jewelry I wanted but I think I did a pretty good job. Here I am sporting all my necklaces. Love 'em!!I am also kind of loving my new headband and my swept back 'do. Now if I could just work on the body we'd be going places.

The shower was great!! It was an owl them and I loved how this theme was consistent throughout the whole shower. Here are some photos to show you just how great everything looked.

Mmmm...Candy bar!

Cake!

Holy gift table!

It was really a great shower. Good food, good friends, good times!!

Me & the mom to be!

My sis in law, Me and my cousin in law (Please note: I am not tall, they are just that tiny and cute)

Whelp, that's it for now but I will talk to you guys tomorrow!! xoxo

Latest Creations & A Nordstrom Giveaway

Good morning!! I am a little in love with the latest jewelry designs to be listed in Hole In Her Stocking Designs so I thought I'd share real quick. I decided to paint some geometric patterns on wooden discs and use them as a base for my newest necklaces, photographed below.

I'm definitely going to have a hard time parting with these as they sell. But if any of you happen to be interested in any of these pendants or anything else in my shop I am offering 25% OFF with code: SPRINGLOVE.

Now for even more exciting news!! I teamed up with some pretty amazing ladies to bring you an opportunity to try and win a $175 gift card to Nordstrom!! Enter below and good luck!! xoxo

Simply Clarke | A Beautiful Exchange | Enjoy Essential | The Everyday Joys

Boston Sweet Tea Party | Dancin' With A Dolly | Bright + Gutsy | The Dwelling Tree

Southern Beauty Guide | Wearable | Denim & Daydreams | Two Miracles 

Musings of a Museum Fanatic | Like American Honey | Through Crystal's Eyes | Danielle Faith

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Apparently Easter Candy Is A Parenting Faux Pas

Let me first start by saying I am not claiming to be a health guru nor am I the healthiest person but I know I am a good mom. This post may bring a shit storm down on me but honestly even the greatest people have haters so I am prepared to take that risk.

Every week I take my daughter to a Mommy & Me class. She absolutely loves it. We  look forward to it every week. Yesterday was our first class after Easter. Everyone was chattering about their holiday and I overheard the following conversation going on next to me:

Mom #1: "We went to ______'s house for a big Easter egg hunt. But I was really annoyed because they put candy in some of the eggs."

Mom #2: Sigh of disgust.

Mom #1: "I mean I do not want _________ eating candy. Eggs were full of raisins and stickers only at our house."

Mom #2: "I cannot believe they put candy in the eggs. I mean I let _______ have one M&M but that was it."

Mom #1: Nods in agreement.

Mom #2: "Oh and my in laws got him a basket full of candy. It went straight in garbage."

Mom #1: "Yeah. No way!"

Me: (awkwardly chiming in because they were waiting for me to say something) "I guess I am a bad mom for putting candy in Liv's eggs." And then I laugh.

Mom #1 & Mom #2: Give me a look of disgust and I am pretty sure are calling CPS on me.

Me: Turn and walk away, glad I didn't tell them I let Liv eat a whole bag of M&Ms.

What the fuuuuu*k??!! When did giving your kid candy on Easter become a cardinal sin of parenting. I always remember getting a huge basket of candy every Easter as a kid and so did all my friends. We always joked it was the one day of the year we were allowed to have candy for breakfast.

Do I let Liv binge on chocolate everyday? Of course not!! But she ate candy on Easter, more than she should have but it was a one time holiday thing. And she is allowed to have candy once in a while when it's not a holiday. I don't understand what the big hoopla is. She is slender, athletic, super smart and better behaved than these all natural, organic kids.

I think parents have gotten so uptight over the years. I know obesity is a problem in America and there are bad things in processed foods so I do watch what Liv eats but I let her have a little fun once in a while. I think these kids that are made to be so strict on their diet are going to rebel one day and it's really going to backfire on these parents. They were never allowed to have certain things so they will turn around and over indulge when they are able because they were always told no.

I don't know, maybe I am wrong. So moms I ask you: do you let your children have candy once in a while as a treat or am I going to hell? xoxo

5 Celebrities I Love

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about 5 celebrities I cannot stand. I decided to share some good vibes and share what celebrities I love.

Shakira - I was always a HUGE Shakira fan. Love her music and I always thought she was so naturally pretty and sexy. After she was a judge on The Voice my love for her grew. She seriously seems like the sweetest most down to Earth person, not to mention talented and gorgeous.

Blake Shelton - Can you tell I am a fan of the Voice?! I'll admit that before I started watching The Voice I didn't know very much about Blake. But I quickly became a fan. He was just so goofy and likable how could you not love him?! I would just want to have a BBQ with him and my friends. Without a doubt it would be lots of beers and lots of laughs.

Leslie Mann - She had me at: "Let's get some fuckin' French toast!" She's hilarious, love everything she does and I love the fact that her and Judd Apatow have been married for an eternity, at least in Hollywood terms.

James Franco - Hot and strange and talented. The perfect combo in my eyes. He is a fantastic actor and his social media accounts are a little wacky and definitely entertaining. Not to mention he's got brains. He's going to Yale for his PhD. Mom would love him!

Betty White - She's adorable and she's hilarious, the perfect combination for an honorary grandma! Her family must seriously have the best holiday dinners. Although, the fact that Granny can probably outwit any grandkids may cause some tension but who cares?! It's Betty!!

Well, there you go. These are definitely five of my faves. Who is your fave celebrity??

My Easter Ensemble & Taking On Unconventional Fashion Posts

Hello!! I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! I truly did and I wanted to share what I wore. I always struggle with whether or not to do style posts. I always felt because I am not a size 2 and will not look good in all the latest trends that I really had no business posting "what I wore."

That was until recently. I found a plus size model's blog and was blown away. She was double maybe triple the size of all the other fashion bloggers I read and she looked downright stunning. Her style was amazing and honestly her blog is one of the best I found, period. This prompted me to do a little search for plus size fashion blogs and I found quite a few inspirational blogs out there. All these bloggers were gorgeous, were dressed super trendy and were all at least a size 12.

This really struck a cord with me. I used to be that size 2 girl with all the super cute clothing but I am not 25 anymore and life kind of happened. I have been in such a fashion rut because I was used to being thin and  wasn't going to buy any trendy clothing looking "like this." I would dress nice again once I lost the weight. Problem is it's been almost 2 years and I am getting sick of wearing yoga pants and tshirts. These women showed me I can look amazing at my size. They are super inspiring.

Do I still hope to lose some weight? Yes!! But I am also realizing I will never be a size 2 again. I just want to be a healthier, more fit version of me. If that means a size 12, so be it. I am also going to start making regular style posts to show women you can rock cool clothing at any size!!

Beauty Lovers Giveaway!

The sponsors: Jenny (Dancin' With A Dolly) / Rebekah (Wearable) / Cece (Pink Sunshine)
Lauren (Sassy Sweetheart) / Elisa (Sammy's Fabulous Jewelry) / Stephanie (Shades Of Color Art)

Happy Friday!! Myself and some beautiful ladies have teamed up to bring you the ultimate beauty lovers giveaway. How would you like to win the Michael Kors cosmetic bag shown above and a $40 giftcard to Sephora to help you fill it?! Pretty fabulous, huh?! All you have to do is enter below. Good luck!! xoxo

(Sorry this giveaway is US only...)


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Domestic Fail: My Daughter Is A Better Cook Than Me

She's only two and only pretend cooks but she has already surpassed my cooking skills. Her pretend meals sound quite delicious and she talks about mixing, using the oven and frying like a pro. She certainly didn't get this insight from me, the girl who didn't even know how to boil water until she was like 25. I have moved on from making sandwiches and microwaving a mean TV dinner to making pasta (to be paired with jar sauce of course), making grilled cheese and I can actually make chicken cutlets. I am proud of that last one. I have slowly but surely started learning to cook more at the pace of like one new specialty a year but hey Rome wasn't built in a day. Thank goodness my hubby is good at cooking and it looks like Liv is following in his footsteps. Looks like we won't starve. xoxo

Meet Allison of Because I Said So

Hi!! Happy hump day! I've really been enjoying the fact that the super adorable Allison of Because I Said So has been hanging out on my sidebar this month. I am enjoying getting to know her and still learning more. I wanted all you to have an opportunity to get to know her as well so I asked her 10 random questions and here are her answers. 

 1 - Describe yourself in 5 words.

 Classy, sometimes sassy and goal-oriented

 2 - Describe your typical day.

 Typical day. Ok. I get up around 7:30, turn on the today show. It's really the only time I watch the news. I shower, get dressed and ready for work, and most of the time write a last minute blog post. Sometimes I eat breakfast (although lately breakfast is just ibuprofen #bracesprobs) and then walk Laney. Work 9-5 pm consists of answering calls, social media upkeep, and selling the event space. I follow up on leads, send out proposals, and honestly it really changes day to day. Bridal shows, network events, outside sales calls could pop up. Which to me is the fun part--I hate being cooped up inside at a desk. After work, I come home and play with Laney, eat dinner, watch tv with the boyfriend when he gets home from work. Clean maybe? Gym maybe? Bath and bed. I'm so boring---this made me realize that I should add something more interesting to my daily routine.

 3 - Why do you blog?

 Blogging, for me, is like a journal. That people read and can comment with their advice on the particular subject. I blog for a creative outlet and really to learn about myself and others.

 4 - What is your dream job?

 My dream job is to not have to work, but want to work. Maybe something with animals or for a fabulous boutique doing their social media and blogging. Idk lol

 5 - Deserted island. What are the three things that you would need to bring?

Joshua--because he's handy and I would die on my own.     A book--because it'll get boring.                                             Fresh water--because duh.

 6 - Give us three of your guilty pleasures.

 Disney movies, amaretto sours, and Cadbury cream eggs!

 7 - What is your most embarrassing moment?

 My most embarrassing moment hmm I'm so bad at these. I mean my whole life is sometimes an embarrassing moment sooo...

 8 - What is your greatest accomplishment?

 Greatest accomplishment so far is probably graduating college and living on my own. Getting out of my parents house was an accomplishment all on its own--I'm officially a big girl.

 9 - In store shopping or online shopping?>

 Store! I love the attention and help from chatty sales girls!

 10 - Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

 In five years oh geez I'll be almost 28--holy moly. Umm hopefully I'll be married and have traveled to Europe. I'll have a house with a yard or a fabulous loft condo--that J will let me decorate.

Isn't she great?! Now make sure you head on over to her blog and show her some good lovin'. Now if you would like to hangout on my sidebar as well, you are in luck. I am currently offering 25% OFF all sponsorship options with code: SPRINGLOVE. And one lucky winner who comments on this post will get a free blog friend ad. Winner will be announced tomorrow. Have a good day! xoxo

The Sad Truth I Learned While Working In Customer Service

The nice guy loses almost all the time. At least this is the case for a good majority of the time in retail and customer service. It's a sad truth I've learned throughout my life of employment. The nastier, more unrealistic and scene causing you are the better you get taken care of. It's simply sad and disheartening.

My road to discovery started while I worked in a major sporting goods retailer while I was going to college. If a sale sign was accidentally left up and a customer was paying and said  in a reasonable, normal tone: "I thought that item was on sale"  the manager would say: "I am sorry that was left up accidentally. If you look at the bottom of the sign there are dates and the sale has expired." Half the customers would say ok and move on and the other half would go crazy and start screaming and saying that it was our mistake the sign was left up, blah, blah, blah. Guess what?! The manager would honor the sale for the enraged customers. Now do I think the sale should be honored? If a sign is left up I do think it should but it shouldn't just be honored for the nasty customers. If anything it should just be honored for the nice customers who don't jump down management's throat.

Next I worked in customer service for a printing company for almost 9 years. Woah! Anyway, every once in a while customers would call with a complaint on a job they received. A really sweet client would call with a legitimate complaint and management would find a way to twist the mistake to be the client's fault so they didn't need to redo the job for free. Now a super "a-hole" would call being demeaning and downright inappropriately nasty and sure enough they would redo the job for free. Best part is their mistake was completely their fault. As an employee I found this so frustrating, why were we rewarding poor behavior?

After that, I worked at a Veterinarian's office for a couple years. Same thing. Sweet old lady would call that her cat was seriously sick and if we were booked she would be told: "Sorry, no appointments available. We can see you tomorrow or you can go to emergency." But if a raging lunatic called freaking out for a non-serious condition we would "squeeze them in." Why are the psychos always accommodated?!

I used to be a sweet person when dealing with salespeople and customer service reps and got nowhere. Through the years I have become nastier and nastier when I need something. Am I proud of that fact? No, not at all but I learned that is the only way I get what I want. And it is a sad fact that it works. The nastier I am more, the more likely I am to get what I want.

Now are a 100% of businesses run like this? No, of course not. But the majority are and that's a sad fact we have to live with. Business owners and managers are really ruining it for themselves. Most people are on to the fact that you have to be a mean lunatic to get what you want and therefore people in sales and customer service are dealing with sheer craziness for a good portion of the day. What is truly disheartening is that the few people who are still truly nice when dealing with customer service never get what they want. Shouldn't it be the other way around? xoxo

Spring Showers Giveaway

Happy Monday!! Why not start the week with a fun giveaway?!! Spring is officially here so my fabulous co-hosts and I decided to host a giveaway to help keep you dry during spring showers! We have 3 great prizes for 3 lucky winners so be sure to enter below & show your hosts some love!

The Prizes

1 pair of Hunter Rain Boots

1 Monogrammed Rain Jacket

$30 Paypal Cash

Meet Your Hosts:

Living Lavender / Denim & Daydreams / Health, Love & Fire / Meg In Training

Beauty Brawler / Two Places At Once / A Time For Seasons / Jaybird Blog

Carolina Fireflies / September F A R M / Oh Simple Thoughts / Livin' On Sweet Tea

Sassy Sweetheart / Eternally Wanderlyn / Dancin' With A Dolly / To Travel And Beyond

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Photography Lately

Happy Friday!! I haven't shared much of my photography work with you lately so what better way to spend a Friday than share some images that hopefully put a smile on your face. Here's just a few photos from the past week. (You can always stay up to date with my photography on my Jenny O Studios Facebook page. )

Well, have a good weekend!! I have a lot of writing to do for my blog and others this weekend. But you know what that means?! Some fun stuff coming your way next week!! xoxo

(All photos are property of Jenny O Studios)

A Little All Over the Place

Happy Thursday!! I just wanted to take this time to do a mid-week (well kind of) check in. I have so much going on and I am feeling a bit all over the place but in a good way. So let's see what's been going on with me?!

Yesterday, I attempted to take Easter photos of Liv and it was yet another fail. I went to Target and got her the most beautiful floral dress and matching cardigan, even though she has a bunch of cute dresses at home, but it's that damn Target air that makes you go crazy and get things you don't need. Anyway, I tried to convince Liv to go on an adventure with me in the park and even drew a treasure map with her in a floral dress and a treasure chest among a field of flowers  and no mention of photographs. It actually worked. She was so excited to go to the park on an adventure that was until it was time to put on a dress. God forbid! As she tells me: "Dresses are for girls!!" And I ask what are you? Her response: "I am Olivia!!" Long story short after hours of coaxing, bribing, yelling and frustration she put on an outfit that wasn't what I intended but cute.

We get to the park and she had no interest in taking photos so I basically chased her and snapped photos when I could. Then she started with the pout face and arms crossed every time I asked her to smile. Are you serious?! One day she will cooperate for her photographer mother. She's my worst client. Go figure!!

My angel posing so nicely

One nice one I managed to capture. Girl has attitude!

After the photoshoot debacle I had a wonderful surprise. A couple weeks ago I sent a few pieces of jewelry to Cara Maria from MTV's The Challenge. Anyone else still watch that? I do and I love it!! What can I say?! Guilty pleasure. And she was kind enough to give me a shout out on Twitter and Instagram. How freakin' cool is that??!! It definitely made my day!

Besides from all that, my Etsy shops have certainly been picking up in business and I am so excited. But busy, busy, busy!! And my blog is continuing to grow which is great to see because I have really been working on it. Plus, I have lots of guest posts and features coming up on other blogs so it will only get better from here. It's so rewarding to see all your hard work pay off.

Lastly, just a reminder. If anyone is interested in being a part of my Michael Kors giveaway for April, email me asap at dancewithadolly{at}gmail{dot}com. I am going to need everything by Friday night so don't delay. Well have a beautiful day!! Until next time!! xoxo

Sh*t Men Say

Woohoo! Time for another installment of "Sh*t Men Say." This is always one of my fave posts to write, probably because guys just make it too darn easy.

For this edition I am going to take you back to when the hubby and I first started dating. We went to the movies and saw some movie with Drew Barrymore. The conversation after the movie went something like this:

Me: I just love Drew Barrymore. She's so cute!
Hubby: Yeah, she's alright. She's pretty but she's kinda chunky.
Me: Whaaaat?! You think Drew Barrymore is fat?
Hubby: (sensing my annoyance) I don't know. Who cares? Do you know her?
Me: No but I weigh the same as her (this was actually fact because I read an article a few days prior that gave me that info) and if you think she's fat then you think I'm fat.
Hubby: What are you talking about? You're crazy.
Me: How is it crazy? You said somebody who weighs the same as me is fat.
Hubby: (trying to dig himself out of a hole) Well you are taller than her.

That banter continued the rest of the night. I was so annoyed! Okay, I may have been a bit dramatic in my anger over his comment because I have always been sensitive about my weight but come on..Think about what you say before you say it!! Ugh..Men!! xoxo

$45 Paypal Cash Giveaway & A Call For Participants!

Hey, hey! It's your lucky day!! Two posts from moi!! I am part of a $45 Paypal Cash giveaway and wanted to give you a chance to win!! We could all use a little extra cash. Enter below!

I am also looking for a few good peeps to be a part of my April group giveaway. I am thinking the prize will be a Michael Kors wallet or tote depending on funds raised. Comment below if interested!!


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