pinterest love

one//pretty glitter reindeer 

two//gold diy trees

three//branch tree

four//cute "banner"

five//darling wreaths 

just some christmas pins for this wonderful friday, in my dream world i would recreate the darling wreaths and branch tree, someday when i have a house of my own! happy weekend! 

xoxo

treat yo self

yep. that's baking soda on my face. have you ever done one? it feels so dang good. leaves your skin feeling so soft. which i need since utah has done a number on my skin. i usually do a mask once a month or sometimes once a week. {like the water all over my shirt? bahaha}

what you need: 
baking soda
a sink
towel

how to:
+grab that baking soda out of the cupboard
+pour a dollar coin sized amount into your hand
+turn on faucet and using your fingers drip a tiny bit of water into baking soda. just enough to make it into a paste like mixture
+apply to face + let sit until it dries/gets crusty 
+rinse with warm water {after your rinse you could wash with your normal face wash if you want}
+pat dry + lotion up

&& now it's your turn to treat yo self maybe take a hot bubble bath too! 

be happy. be bright. be you.

if you have been a long time reader of abcde you know i have struggled with being happy with myself. i always have struggled with finding happiness with myself. of course i am happy with my family, marriage, friends and life in general. it's me i have not been happy with. the last few weeks i have really been focusing on being happy with my imperfections. daniel always tells me to take it easy on myself, i know i need too but, it's so hard. you ARE your worst critic. 

i have done my best to keep busy during my days. some of you know that i am home all day. i don't work. i have my shop but, thats it. since i am home all day i have ALOT of time to think which in some cases is not good. with all this time on my hands i spent way too much time thinking of things i needed to change and how i am not perfect. blah blah blah. 

recently i have started reading more, saying more meaniful prayers/really thank my heavenly father for all my many blessings, taking pride in cooking good meals, cleaning more {sure the hubby loves it!}, reading scriptures daily, and sometimes taking walks to clear my head. i have noticed a HUGE difference in my attitude. one thing i do want to start is working out again. when i was working out regularly i was in a better mood generally but, it's oh so hard to get motivated right?! so, anyways here's to being happy. being bright and being me!! 

book review >>> the american heiress

I received this book from the fall book swap and I could not put it down. It was amazing. It made me laugh out loud, cry, scoff, and angry all in a matter of a few pages. I love me a book that can cause me all those emotions. The American Heiress is one of my new favorite books. I owe it all to Alacia for sending me it for the fall book swap! Here are the amazon reviews/description:


"Anyone suffering Downton Abbey withdrawal symptoms (who isn't?) will find an instant tonic in Daisy Goodwin’s The American Heiress. The story of Cora Cash, an American heiress in the 1890s who bags an English duke, this is a deliciously evocative first novel that lingers in the mind." --Allison Pearson, New York Times bestselling author of I Don’t Know How She Does It and I Think I Love You

Be careful what you wish for. Traveling abroad with her mother at the turn of the twentieth century to seek a titled husband, beautiful, vivacious Cora Cash, whose family mansion in Newport dwarfs the Vanderbilts’, suddenly finds herself Duchess of Wareham, married to Ivo, the most eligible bachelor in England. Nothing is quite as it seems, however: Ivo is withdrawn and secretive, and the English social scene is full of traps and betrayals. Money, Cora soon learns, cannot buy everything, as she must decide what is truly worth the price in her life and her marriage. 

Witty, moving, and brilliantly entertaining, Cora’s story marks the debut of a glorious storyteller who brings a fresh new spirit to the world of Edith Wharton and Henry James. 

"For daughters of the new American billionaires of the 19th century, it was the ultimate deal: marriage to a cash-strapped British Aristocrat in return for a title and social status. But money didn’t always buy them happiness." --Daisy Goodwin in The Daily Mail"

I loved her writing and the way she made the main character Cora feel relatable even though she is from a different time and fictional. Cora was a spoiled, head strong, not by the book rich girl. I loved the story of Cora and her struggle to know her real love/what is best for her future. She was an unconventional duchess of her time and I loved that about her. There were times when I wanted to scream at her and times when I just wanted to hug her. Can you tell I get really wrapped up in books?!

I highly recommend it, like no joke guys. read it! I was so heartbroken when it was over. The ending will leave you in tears! Maybe it's my love for most things from this time period but, man this was one good book! Next on the read list is: Heart on a Chain by Cindy C Bennett for this awesome book club. Did you join?! 

Ps. The winners of the What the Helvey giveaway and the We&Serendipity never claimed their prizes so I have chosen new winners and they have been emailed. Please check your email inboxs and spam folders for an email from me to see if you are the new winner of either giveaway! 

a california thanksgiving

last week we went to california to visit my mom and family. we took the train and oh boy it was long but fun! i loved being back in the beautiful state of california. the weather the whole time we were there was amazing. im talking like in the 70s, plus they are still having fall so the leaves were amazing! 

when we were in california we visited some favorite spots to eat {marys pizza shack and joes buffet} and visited with family and some old friends. thanksgiving was spent with my stepdad's family in sacramento it was great to see them since i havent in like a year. we loved spending time with my family and i especially loved seeing my kitty chloe who i miss oh so much. wish the hubby wasn't allergic or we would so have a cat!

friday we headed to san francisco and oh my gosh the weather was amaze balls. so warm and such a clear day. we went to the painted ladies {you know from this show!}, walked fisherman's warf, ate clam chowder and of course the golden gate. oh how i love that city and california. we miss it already! 

did you all have a good turkey day? have you decked the halls in your houses yet for christmas?! oh yeah, im giving away some shop credit over on kailyn's blog because it's her BIRTHDAY WEEK!!!! 

fall book swap: reveal day

Kaycie and I want to say thank you to those who signed up for the Fall Book Swap. It was so much fun and we cannot wait to see all the fun things you got! If you aren't familiar with the Fall Book Swap. It was a fun blogger swap in which those who signed up were given a secret blogger and were to send them a book and one item to go along with the book. In return you received something as well! Well, today is the BIG REVEAL DAY! Simply link up your post below and check out the others as well! :)

I had the darling Elizabeth from What I love. I just love this girl so much! I sent her some cozy cozy socks since I love cozy socks and one my favorite books Matched by Ally Condie. I sure hope she loved the book, its pretty good! I still need to read the 2nd one and 3rd since it just came out. Oy so many books to read! 

My secret blogger was Alacia from Hoodwinked. This girl is darling and knew exactly what to get me. That adorable monogram mug from Anthro. How did she know I had been coveting it forever and the book The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin. I have lost myself in this book. So dang good. I love the characters and the story line. Its alot like Downtown Abby and Pride & Prejudice. Which if you know me thats my all time favorite movie! A huge thanks to Alacia for my goodies. I love them all! Love ya girlie! 

Now, it's your turn to link up your posts below and check the other Fall Book Swap posts! We hope you all enjoyed this swap and loved all your goodies! 

XO

KC+E

it's black friday, friday, fridayyyy

Livy Love Designs  is offering 50% off ALL orders! Diana is the owner of the shop and she is letting you use the coupon code BLACKFRIDAY50 at checkout to take half off.  These prints would make great Christmas presents! This sale is going on until Monday, November 26th until Midnight PST.  You can customize any print with colors from her provided color chart to match the colors of your room or for a gift.  To go to the sale, click here and enter BLACKFRIDAY50 at checkout to receive your discount. 

Please note that all orders during this sale will be shipped no later than December 3rd to ensure delivery by Christmas. If you are wanting it sooner please contact Diana via Etsy Conversations.

I also am having a Black Friday sale over on my shop Made with Love. 50% off all orders from Friday- Sunday with code: BLACKFRIDAYMWL. Visit my shop here and buy some gifts for your loved ones or you! 

If you don't see an item in a color you like listed. Email me at abcde.the.blog@gmail.com and we can talk a custom order. All orders that are order before Monday will be shipped by December 3rd at the latest, to be sure you get them for Christmas! Hope you all have a happy day and happy shopping! 

xoxo

giving thanks

+my loving family without them i wouldn't be complete
+my heavenly father 
+eyes that allow me to see the beauty around me
+good friends who are an example to me 
+a husband who is my rock and is always there for me
+you readers of this blog 
+grandparents who are an example to me of how a marriage should be
+the roof over my head 
+in-laws who showed me love from day one
+laughter 
+the power of prayer 
+good food
+ unconditional love 
+eternal families 

there are just a few things i am thankful for. i could go on and on and on. but ,i wont! so, what are you thankful for this beautiful thanksgiving?! share a few things below in a comment or leave the link to your thanksgiving posts. cant wait to read them! 

we are still on vaca but, i will read and respond to comments as soon as i can! happy thanksgiving, loves! ps. did you like tuesday and wednesdays guests posts?

{print via}

guest post >>> live.laugh.love

Hi guys! Yesterday you heard from Amanda and today I have another amazing blogger taking over for me while I am away....the lovely Cassie!!! :)

Hey Yall! I’m Cassie and I blog over at Live.Laugh.L0ve.! I am a wife. momma. dreamer. writer. blogger. virtual assistant. believer & picture taker. My blog is all about mommyhood, fashion, life, love and everything in between! My favorite color is red and I absolutely love the handmade world!

Blog //Website//Twitter//Facebook//Pinterest

1. What inspired you to start blogging?! 

It was a cold winter day in Texas. There was snow and ice all over the ground for two days. I had done crafts + activities with the boys. Watched movies and enjoyed being trapped inside - but then I was bored & came across a blog and instantly got hooked! I then thought to myself, I could do that and so I did!

2. When you aren't blogging, what are you doing?! 

Taking care of, teaching & playing with my two sweet boys. Working as a Virtual Assistant! Cleaning our home. Spending time with my husband. Trips to the park & spending time with family. I also write & read on the regular as well as crochet!

3. If you could meet any blogger in real life. Who would it be?! 

Oh goodness!! There are wayyy to many I want to meet in person. To name a few, Casey - Chelsea - Skye - Kristina - Digger - Cassie... but truly there are so many more. Blogging has become such a wonderful thing for me and I have met so many amazing women that I can only hope to meet in person one day!

4. Describe yourself in one word and explain why you chose that word. 

Spontaneous - because I am truly a spontaneous person. Most things in my life are done spontaneously. Like chopping all my hair off or starting a blog and everything in between. I don't like doing what people expect and I love just being like "hey let's do this" and just go right out and do it!

Isn't she the best? I just love her and her blog. Be sure to stop her blog and say hi from ABCDE! XO

guest post >>> we and serendipity

Hi loves! We are officially on a little vaca, like we are on a train as you are reading this. Im sure we are so tired and ready to be in CA.  Anyways, today Amanda from We and Serendipity is taking over for me talking about things she is thankful for. How fitting since this week is Thanksgiving!!! 

Blog//Twitter//Facebook//Instagram 

November is a fabulous month. We get the opportunity to express our gratitude toward everyone and everything. It is lovely! I thought I would gather a list and talk about everything I am grateful for. In honor of Thanksgiving.

I am so thankful for my husband. He has shown me how a lady deserves to be loved and how a woman should love her man. He has taught me strength and endurance. Faith and patience.  I sort of feel like we have been through more than most at nine months of our marriage. That is a good thing. Our faith has been tried to the core. And I truly believe we have come out stronger because of it.

That being said, I am thankful for trials. Say what? Yes. I really am. I have never ever gone through a trial and not come out stronger in one way or another. Unless you are completely bitter with your situation, of course. God knows you. He has a plan for you. He won’t forsake you. He won’t give you anything you can’t handle. He loves you—he’s giving you trials because he loves you.  

I am thankful for God. For his tender mercies, his powerful miracles, and the serendipitous moments he purposely plans. I am thankful for family and religion. My religion believes in forever. Not til death do us part. Boy oh boy, I am thankful for that. I am thankful for bloggers who allow me to be myself and relate with me. I am thankful for the day we can be thankful. I also think we should take that day and multiply it by 365.

I just love this girl so much. She is pretty much the best. Be sure to stop by her blog and say hi from ABCDE!!! Wasn't that a beautiful post! Have a happy day!! 

that one time i had a birthday

our heater is still broken. so we are using portable heaters for now//i couldn't help myself. i decked the halls//a little pattern mixing//my bearded hubby//of course i put up the happy birthday banner//birthday donuts saturday morning//birthday outfit//after dinner with phil+bridget and jase+rachel we walked around city creek sipping yummy winter drinks//me and my love//the hubby baked me a yummy cake. which we ate during the last 10 min of my birthday//beautiful roses from phil+bridget//packing for our trip

what a birthday. this truly was one great birthday. thank you for all wishes via fb, texts, instagram, blog, and tweets! you sure made me feel loved. my heart was definitely filled to the brim with love!  

well, we are off for california for thanksgiving and boy we are excited to see my mom and family! while i am away i have few posts scheduled for you lovely readers. be sure to come by and see what is a happening! i wish you all a happy happy happy thanksgiving holiday with your loved ones. see you in a few days! 

ps. did you win any of the giveaways?! see here, here, here, here, here, here and here. i have emailed you all and you have 72 hours to email me back to claim your prizes! if i do not hear from you i will be forced to choose a new winner. if you haven't received an email for some reason please email me!!! 

it's my birthday and a giveaway!

Hey guys, it's my BIRTHDAY {finally}!! I am actually really excited to be 24. So Happy Birthday to me. I plan on spending the day with Daniel and friends! Who knows what shenanigans Daniel has planned but, I am excited! When I wake up this morning it will go a little like lily from How I Met Your Mother!.....oh how I love How I Met Your Mother!

How awesome have all the giveaways been this week? I want to thank those ladies who participated in this week of giveaways. You ladies are so amazing. I love you all! If you haven't had the chance to check out all the giveaways you have until Monday the 19th to enter. See them here, here, here, here, here and here. && a thank you to those who entered. Good Luck!! 

So, it's my BIRTHDAY today {in case you missed that. haha!} and it is now my turn to give you something! One lucky reader will win 2 items of their choice from my shop Made With Love. Winner of this giveaway and the others will be announced Monday November 19th! Winners will be announced in the morning and will have 72 hours to claim prizes! 

&& because I love you all. From now until Sunday you can get 24% off your Made with Love orders by using code ITSMYBIRTHDAY at checkout. :)!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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Ps. This is for all shop owners out there. Are you having a black friday sale? Please email me at abcde.the.blog@gmail.com. I am putting together a list of sales around the internets fro my readers. I would love to feature your shop! Please email me ASAP! 

it's my birthday giveaway {sunny with a chance of sprinkles}

Hey Guys. It's my Birthday week and to celebrate I with the help of some of my favorite blogging friends have put together a week of giveaways. I thought what a better way to show you how much I love you all than to give you gifts the week of my Birthday! There will be a new giveaway each day this week, leading up to my Birthday on Saturday! All giveaways will end Monday November 19th! Today we have one of my newest blogging crushes Chelsea from Sunny with a Chance of Sprinkles!

Sunny with a Chance of Sprinkles is my little space to ooh and ahh over my little girl, Alea, and share our family's favorite recipes and DIYs. You can find lots of toddler activities and oodles and oodles of pictures. I sure hope you'll stop by! Today I'm giving away a Starbucks gift card and an ad space on my blog! I can't wait to see who wins!!

Blog//Twitter//Facebook//Pinterest 

I just love Chelsea and her blog is adorable! Not to mention the headbands she makes are so dang comfy. I love mine. I wish I could win a Starbucks card! haha! Good luck! Giveaway ends Monday November 19th!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

<center> <a href="http://abcdetheblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="abcde" src="http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x374/erykaann/itsmybirthdayweek200X200.jpg" /></a></center>

it's my birthday giveaway {elise's pieces}

Hey Guys. It's my Birthday week and to celebrate I with the help of some of my favorite blogging friends have put together a week of giveaways. I thought what a better way to show you how much I love you all than to give you gifts the week of my Birthday! There will be a new giveaway each day this week, leading up to my Birthday on Saturday! Today we have the adorable Elise from Elise's Pieces! 

I'm Elise and I blog over at Elise's Pieces. I love life, design, and all things blogging. I'm opening a print shoppe soon with cute prints like this one I'm giving away today. Happy Birthday, Eryka!!

Blog//Facebook//Twitter//Pinterest

Let me tell you that this girl is just as darling in person as she is on her blog. && how cute is that print?! Love it! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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snow oh oh oh oh

it's a full on winter wonderland here in utah. we have 10+ inches of snow. with more forecasted for the rest of the weekend. i hate to say this but, goodbye fall. hello winter. with snow comes me having this song from white christmas stuck in my head. "Those glist'ning houses that seem to be built of snow. Snow. Oh, to see a mountain covered with a quilt of snow..." 

pinterest love + random bits

one//two&three//four//five//six//seven//eight

happy friday, my dears! do you guy have any fun plans this weekend? we are getting our pictures taken by this lovely blog bff of mine tomorrow. i am so excited to finally have new photos of us and im so excited to see ash. it's been too long! if you follow me on instagram im sure you will see a sneak peek or something. @erykaann. if you don't follow then you should and be sure to leave me a comment on this post with your instagram name so i know its you!

on a totally different note, did you guys see this post from erin at living in yellow? it is pure genius and provided much laughter over here in the case de clark. some of them were gross but, some were so funny. seriously go read. the hubby and i had a good laugh at some and some i felt so proud of those who really opened up and let things out. kudos to them. .:hugs:.

&& thanks to all those who emailed me yesterday with their cramp relief tips. i got some vitex last night and started taking. so lets hope it helps with my cramps. thanks amanda for the tip!!! 

ps. if you come back sunday there may be a giveaway on abcde.....and there may or may not be a giveaway everyday next week. .:wink wink:.

oh, you know. just things i dont understand

i better warn you i am pmsing and very cranky. hence this post of things i don't understand....

+ i love me some christmas but, why are some people so quick to forget about thanksgiving? our neighbors have their christmas decorations up. i don't get it. i know i am holding onto fall for as long as i can! 

+ why must we girls suffer from cramps every.single.month? i am making a doctors appt asap. it is not normal for me to be in this much pain every month. i give up. 

+ kirsten stewart. enough said. 

+ time change. why do we need it? it pretty much can kiss my butt. 

+ why brownies cant be healthy. wouldn't things be alot easier if they didn't have so many calories?

okay, i am done ranting....on a happier note yesterday morning i took a little walk around our neighborhood and snapped these photos of the beauty that is fall. how amazing is that tree?! gosh, i love our little neighborhood. 

wishing you a happy parks and rec day!!  {oh how i missed it last week}

words on this wednesday

this is not a political post. this is a post on moving forward. wether you are happy or sad about the outcome. you must "come what may and love it" and "pray more, worry less". fighting and bickering about your opinions is not going to get you any where. my news feed on facebook is a mess, i literally cannot look anymore. 

the church released this statement last night. i cannot more grateful to be a member of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints. you need to be thankful that we live a beautiful country where we have these freedoms.  of course, we can have our opinions. i mean that is one of our freedoms but, debating/bickering/etc is not going to help. we need to love one another and be thankful for all we have in this country. it is thanksgiving time, the time of year when we really need to remember to be thankful! && that is all i am going to say. 

here's to a new day! 

xoxo

{prints here and here}

love of my life

this weekend we heard a girl dan works with, had tragically lost her husband in a shooting accident. she is the same age as me and her husband was the same age as dan. i cannot even begin to imagine what she is feeling. it breaks my heart that she has to feel this pain at our age but, it makes me all the more grateful for eternal families. 

since hearing this, i have been thinking how truly grateful i am for dan and all he does for me. he is my rock. he always makes me feel beautiful, when i don't. he knows exactly what to do when i am feeling down. he loves me for me. he helps me be the best me. he is the best shoulder to cry on. he gives the best hugs. his kisses make me weak in the knees, every time. he is my best friend. he knows what candy or sweets can make my pms better. he really is the love of my life. 

i try my best to be all those things for him. {well, all but the bringing candy for the pms part. haha!!} life is short and i believe in always showing your love to your loves ones. so, do you show your spouse or loved ones how much they mean to you everyday?!

i love you daniel bruce. thank you for being my best friend. i am so grateful we can be together forever and ever!

xoxo

a glimpse into our weekend

triple date with my cousins the helvey's and the dahlin's {plus the berk}, breaking in my new boots, movies {did you see wreck it ralph? so cute right?}, cold medicine for me, sleeping, apple cider drinking, finally finding a sweater for our shoot with ashley {thanks for the help brielle}, family, snuggles with the hubby and candy eating. that is a little of that our weekend consisted of. it was the perfect weekend. well not the whole i have a cold part but, whatevs. 

did you blog about your weekend yet? leave your blog link in a comment and i'll check it out. happy monday, loves! 

ps. im guest posting over here today.

kindness in the blogging world

i am breaking my no blogging on the weekend rule because, the last few days i have had something weighing on my mind. i know we are all guilty of judging others or thinking mean thoughts about someone. for me personally it's something i work on all the time. i try to remember not to judge others, for everyone is different. this leads me to bullying. we all have heard the ad campaigns to stop bullying in schools with kids. which i believe is a GREAT thing. it hurts my heart when i see kids being bullied. kids are not the only ones being bullied. 

i have this blog friend who has been essentially been a victim of being "bullied". actually there are handfuls of bloggers who are victims of being bullied. i'm sure you've heard of those websites where people go and say horrible things about these bloggers. i haven't been on any and don't plan on it. 

you guys, i cannot even. why do people feel the need to do these things? if you don't like someone's blog, don't read it. it is simple as that. if you don't cheese, you don't eat right? if you don't like the color pink, you don't wear it right? so when it comes to blogging if you don't like a certain blog, you don't read it right?! you shouldn't feel the need to post mean things about said bloggers. 

thinking about this just makes me sick. we are grown ups. let's act like it. how are you are suppose to be an example to the children of the world if we are guilty of bulling too. it really makes me sad when people feel the need to belittle others. so, i challenge you this week to do send a fellow blogger a note. wether it be handwritten and you mail it, or an email, a tweet, facebook message, etc. the blogging world is really a wonderful thing and it has been such a blessing in my life. i hope we can keep it that way. 

i hope you are all having a wonderful day! 

xoxo

{prints via here, here, here, and here}

current loves

lamp shades re-do. they just add a little something, something to our bedroom. im slowly getting our room more put together. next on the list, curtains!//these boots. they are an early birthday gift from my momma. aren't they amazing?! i am in love. they"re so comfy and light. i love them so much!//the smell of pumpkin spice that fills my home, smells so dang good!//my new adorbs headband from sunny with a chance of sprinkles. it is so dang comfy. get your own here. 

just a few things i am loving right now. oh, and did you notice the new design thanks to kailyn from lost boy designs? if your blog needs a little makeover, you should email her!  

happy weekend, darlings!

xo

happy list: november

+boot weather 

+primary program sunday 

+my birthday 

+laughing 

+a loving hubs 

+tights 

+target runs 

+family time 

+a clean home 

+pumpkin spice candles

+love

+birthday presents 

+new cups for tea 

+snuggles with my love

ummm, it's november? im not going to complain since it's now my birthday month. woohoo! i love my birthday. always have, always will!  what is on your happy list?! leave a comment below with a few things making you happy this month. cant wait to read what is making you happy!