The Headband Challenge and Link Party

Get caught up on the challenge here.

What I Learned From the Headband Challenge:

1. Apparently my forehead is even larger than I already knew it was. And headbands can either hide or accentuate its massive surface area. I prefer to hide it.

2. I like headbands more than I knew.

3. They can be worn with pony tails. And when a busy week calls for limited hair washing, this style is the method of choice. Before this week, I had never worn a headband this way.

4. Strangers will compliment you. And who doesn't love a compliment from a stranger.

5. Headbands don't need to be matchy matchy with your outfit. 

6. Wearing a headband to the pool can take the attention off your swimsuit--two thumbs up.


7. Don't wear all your headbands at once.


8. Sometimes something as simple as stepping out of your comfort zone to wear a headband, can be just the nudge you need to build up the courage to be YOU.

9. I need more headbands.

family lunch day

pool day

actually flat ironed my hair day

errand running day

stayed in sweats day

bad hair day

sat at computer day

100 degree weather day

What did you learn from the headband challenge?

Now, time to link up.

Here's how:

On your blog, write a post and include all the pictures of you wearing your headbands, be sure to include a link back to LMM so others can join the party.  Publish the post.  Then copy the url {web address} for your specific headband post and head over here.  Scroll to the end of this post and then click "add your link".  Follow the instructions given on the next screen and paste your link in the appropriate box. After you paste your link, complete the instructions provided. Come up with a clever title that will make people want to click on your thumbnail.  Once you finish, a thumbnail of your post will show up here.  And then you're all linked up! That's it. Easy peasy.  

 Tell your friends to head over and "like" your thumbnail.  Thumbnails with more "likes" will most likely get featured. 

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CONGRATS to Comment #473, Katey

you won the lovely Tiffany's Ring from Miss Mommy!

Ask the Duplex

I am a t-shirt and jeans kinda girl.

Or rather a sweatpants and very loose shirt kinda girl.

Like, I would be happy wearing either every.single.day.

Hubs, on the other hand, is not so thrilled with that idea.

And having a baby certainly didn't help motivate me to step it up an notch.

Which leads me to what is perhaps the husbands favorite part

about me and this whole bloggy thing.

I try a bit harder,

I take more risks,

I primp a bit more,

I even twirl in a skirt across the room just for his benefit.

I've learned that a dress can still be casual,

and that skirts don't need to be worn at your hips,

and that short girls with big "muscular" thighs 

can still wear skinny jeans and long dresses,

and that its okay to tuck in your shirt--in fact, its kinda cool.

Oh, and color is good--very, very good!

And I have blogging to thank for my new-found

and developing fashion sense.

Because, trust me, I never would have been brave enough to step outside of my comfort zone without the inspiration of girls like this, this, this and this.

And today, I would like to introduce you to my latest fashion inspiration:

Monica and Whitney of Ask the Duplex.  These girls have style and wit--two of my favorite things.  Here are some of my favorites from their style portfolio:

And now, I hand you over to the girls of Ask the Duplex,

you're gonna love them, I just know it!

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Remember the good ol' days when you had roommates and you could walk right outside your bedroom and ask, "Does this shirt look bad with these pants?" or "What should I wear to my job interview?" and you suddenly had 5 expert opinions?  Well, we remember those days, and boy, we sure miss them.

We are Monica and Whitney from Ask the Duplex, childhood best friends and ex-roommates.

After a few years of marriage we soon realized that our husbands were not helping our fashion questions with answers like,  "Uh..is that a trick question?" and "Those shoes look exactly the same".  Instead of forcing our husbands to be more womanly and instead of having all of our old college roommates move into our one-bedroom apartment with us, we created Ask the Duplex where we could ask these style questions and get more expert opinions.


We are so excited Ashley asked us to come guest blog at Little Miss Momma today because we have some very important questions for you (our new e-roommates) that our husbands can't seem to answer.

Question #1:  Which shoes are best with this outfit?

Question #2:  Can you tell this is my husband's business casual shirt?

So, what do you guys think? Do you have some roommate advice for us?

We need lots of womanly advice over at Ask the Duplex, so come join us!  And, if you're on a budget like both of us and need a few items to liven up your wardrobe, enter our giveaway for a fifty dollar Visa Card!

Baby, You're a Firework

The Fourth of July makes me think of fireworks.
And fireworks make me think of this song.
And this song makes my heart race with inspiration,
and motivation,
and awesomeness.


And awesomeness makes me think of you,
of how much you matter--to me and to others,
and the difference you are making
without even realizing it.


Cuz baby, you're a firework.
Come on, let your colors burst.
Ignite your light and let it shine.
Just own the night like the 4th of July.


So press play,
take a deep breath
close your eyes
and listen.


Because no matter who you are,
this song applies to you.
Trust me.


Ok, I'm stepping off my "motivational" soap box now.

Self Image

It's self image month over at the Shine Project.

And today, you'll find me over there giving my two cents.

A Momma's Fears

So there's this girl
and her name is Casey {cool, right!).
I go to her blog
and I stare at her pictures like a creeper.
She is gorgeous,
and so is her family.
But the best part.
She is 100% humble.
And we like humble.
She is a Momma who loves with every ounce of her heart.
She has an Ashton Kutcher look alike hubs {huge compliment if you ask me}.
She has babes that could be Gap models.
She writes from the heart.
Oh, and did I mention that she is an insanely talented artist?
Because she's that too!

Today Casey is visiting us,
to share some of her beautiful thoughts on Motherhood.
Here she is:

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Hi, My name is Casey Wiegand and I am a freelance artist, wife and mama. I love painting and sharing our life through my blog ...where you can expect pieces of my perspective on life, faith, kids, marriage, with touches of art, creative inspiration, projects and things I love along the way. I have two littles ones in the hopes of lots more and am married to the love of my life!

When sweet Ashley asked me to guest post I was HONORED and so excited. She is such an inspiration to so many of us and to get to be a part of this beautiful blog is amazing! I was thinking about what I should share today and decided to talk about open hands.....something I struggle with when it comes to my littles! 

So very nice to meet you all!!!

Aiden (my 2 year old)is a major snuggle bug. I don't know if it's because for the past 2 years I have snuggled him constantly or if it was already in his nature but he loves to be held, snuggled, tickled, hugged, kissed...all things wonderful.

Some nights he is extra extra loving. Like tonight. 

I went in to put him to bed and both arms instantly wrapped tight around my neck, holding on for dear life and then came the kisses! Countless kisses all over my cheeks.

Then came my tears. 

The hot tears streaming down my cheeks. Oh the love. Sometimes I just can't squeeze tight enough. I stayed in there till he fell asleep and he never let go.

I have an incredibly sensitive spirit. It's both a strength and a curse. I tend to get my heart broken often.  Then I started to think....if something happened to me, could others love my babies the way I do?

Would they know?

Would they know the big things like schedules. What Aiden will and won't eat. His favorite toys, his own little language. His bath routine. His favorite shows & songs to dance to.

What about Ainsleigh ( my 9 month old)? when she eats, the noises she makes when she is tired vs hungry. What makes her laugh.

Then I think...well, what about the little things.

Would they know that when Aiden pulls your eye to his cheek he wants butterfly kisses.

Or that when he runs to the kitchen rug & sits down, he is ready for a pretend picnic.

The countless things I know about them.

What about the nights. Would they get up with him 10 times each night and hold him till he slips into slumber.

Please say yes.

It actually makes me weep.

There is a great hope in Jesus. He loves my babies more than I ever could imagine. More than me. Impossible to imagine really, but true. And no matter if I am here or not, they will be loved greatly.

Open hands Casey, open hands.

"When a woman has a kingdom heart, she has an active understanding of what matters most to the heart of God. She lives in the balance of passion and contentment. She learns to love well, give without regard to self, and forgive without hesitation. The woman with a kingdom heart may have a duffel bag full of possessions or enough treasures to fill a mansion, but she has learned to hold them with an open hand. Hold everything with open hands. I don't think we are ever allowed to grab hold of anything or anyone as though they matter more than the kingdom of heaven. When you hold relationships with open hands, then people come in and out of your life as gifts of grace to be cherished and enjoyed, not objects to be owned and manipulated. And then when you hold your dreams with open hands, you get to watch God resurrect what seemed dead and multiply what seemed small."

S.O.S.

If you have been reading Little Miss Momma for a while
then you may remember the Secret Week I hosted back in November.
An entire week dedicated to revealing your deepest darkest secrets.
It was an emotional week to say the least.
At the end of that 7 days
my inbox continued to be flooded with secrets.
Confessions you had never told anyone before.
I was overwhemled.
And inspired.
I started another blog,
Sisterhood of Secrets.
And while I haven't been as good about updating it as I should,
I try to reveal secrets as often as I can.

Tonight three new ones went up,
and these sisters need our support.
Head over to S.O.S.
If you feel so inspired,
share a comment
and offer your support.

Can't Get Enough

Every now and then I like to let you guys know what you will find in my browser history.  As in what other blogs I have been obsessing over.

As in searching through their archives waaayyyy past my bedtime.

As in want to have their phone number so we can text and become BFF,

because I just know we have so much in common.

And today, there are two ladies in particular that I have been getting to know a bit better, and falling head over heals with.

The first, I learned about from my gal MGR.

Meet La Vie Petite.

Author: Cori

She is my BFF and doesn't even know it.

This girl is me.

No really, she is.

Except she has better eye brows,

she can sew like Martha Stewart,

she seems to have complete control over her 3 stunning kiddos

and she is way braver with fashion.

OK, so maybe we aren't exactly alike,

but I still like to think so.

Did I mention that we are the EXACT same height?!

Yep, 4-10 and 3/4.

4-11 with shoes.

That's really short, and NO we don't get a special sticker for parking,

so don't even ask, because that will only irritate us.

My favorite part about Cori,

she makes us shorties look good!

You will love her.

Yes, she did sew all of these outfits, Mmm Hmmm.

I think she looks just like Jamie Lynn Sigler.

Translation: she is stunning!

{source}

Visit La Vie Petite today,
and while you're their would you mind letting her know that we're BFF--its time I come out of the closet.

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Now this next girl KNOWS I love her.

Meet Lee La La.

Author Lindsay.

This girl has got it all going on.

Crafty super star.

Etsy business owner stud.

Hot Momma with fabulous fashion sense.

And a new REAL life BFF of mine--true story.

It turns out we live around the corner from each other,

and even grew up in the same area,

AND our kids are the same age.

Woah, right!?!

She has been a blessing to my life

and I can tell we will be life long friends.

 

Visit Lee La La here.

Ok, so who are your latest blog crushes?

I must know.

I SPY: Handmade Edition {and DIY leather feather earrings}

Eye SPY: Handmade Edition

Show me all things handmade.

Be creative.

Crafts you have been working on,

gifts, home decor, etsy finds.

So long as its handmade,

it's perfect for this link party.

Also, note that I keep the link party open for a week

so you have plenty of time to take your pictures and link up.

Click HERE, to get caught up on I SPY.

And here are my handmades.

I SPY my latest "handmade" project,

Leather Feather Earrings

{say that 3 times fast}

And for those of you who want to know how to make these bad boys for yourself, here is a little tutorial.

1) Leather scraps, available at Joann's

2) Fabric scissors

3) Fish hook earrings, available at Joann's

4) 4 jump rings, available at Joann's

5) Large, thick sewing needle

6) Needle nose pliers

1) Cut out two feather shapes from the leather scraps.

2) Poke an extra large and thick needle through the top of each feather

3) Wriggle and twist the needle to be sure the hole stays open

4) See hole

5) Use the pliers to open one of the jump rings.

6) Slip the earring on the jump ring.

7) Use the pliers to open a second jump ring and put it through the hole in the leather. 

8) Now attache the two jump rings together and close with the pliers.

9) Use your fabric scissors to cut VERY thin slits at an angle all the way up the sides of the feather.

10) Then go back and cute a second very thin slit right along side the first cut.

11) Pull out the extra fabric.

12) Admire your new feather leather earrings.

I {heart} these and I may wear them every day.

I will link these feathers up to my favorite link parties found HERE.

And now, I SPY some other handmade loves of mine.

From left to right.

Photo Star: made for me by Love Stitched.

Trim lined vases that hold my knob collection.

My Favorite Things blocks, with spots for future babes.

My latest Silhouette project, my all-time favorite Scripture.

Yeah, I know, I know, I'm still working on having a steady hand.

My homemade salsa using the Pioneer Woman's recipe.

My "in process" newly covered couch--handmade by my very talented Grandma.  I will reveal the whole thing once my Grandma finishes. 

My favorite painting, done by a young teenage artist at my Church.

I love this girl, and when I saw this painting, I knew I had to have it.

It reminds me of Baby W.

Now, time to show me your handmade goodies!