in need of valentine’s day gift ideas for your man? look no further.

February is a BIG month for me and Matthew.  The 5th is his birthday, the 7th is our 2 year anniversary, and obviously the 14th is Valentine’s Day.  This year we’re thinking about a staycation to save some dolla-dolla, and I’ve also been trying to come up with some creative (low-cost!) gift ideas.  Matthew likes thoughtful gifts, but the problem is… weeeell… I’m not that thoughtful.  I’m the kind that prefers to fork over the dough for an expensive gift because a) it requires less thought and b) you’ll HAVE to like it, because it was expensive! Right?!

Enter my incredibly sweet and creative friend Kristin over at Kristin’s Veranda.  She’s one of those girls that puts the rest of us to shame with her thoughtfulness—I have encountered it again and again.  And when I saw she was selling these sweet little Valentine’s Day packages for 20 bucks each and realized this could be that ticket to an inexpensive, thoughtful gift I so desperately needed, I was ALL OVER THAT.  And I thought you guys might like it too.  She has all kinds of patterns so you can customize to your guy’s tastes (I chose tools for Matthew since she didn’t have one with guns).  And not to worry… I forbade him from reading this post so not to spoil the surprise. :) If you’re interested, go here for more details!

Happy Friday everyone, and don’t forget to have your Best of Instagram pictures ready for Sunday!

Christmas in your mailbox. Once a month.

Hello lovers… anyone out there feeling the after-Christmas blues?  January can sometimes be a bleak month.  This year, though, I was only briefly visited by that post-holiday depression—like, only during the time it took me to pack away all the Christmas decorations and get my filthy house back in order.  Now I’m just super excited about the year stretched before us!  So much possibility! :)

Anyway, I know lots of bloggers are probably already privy to this information, but I wanted to do my part to spread the word, too.  (plus, I get free stuff if you sign up… holla…)  I want to tell you about Birchbox, the most ingenious thing invented since dry shampoo which, consequently, came in my December Birchbox.

What IS Birchbox, you ask?  Why, it’s like Christmas in your mailbox, once per month.  A reason for living, if you will.  For the price of $10 measly dollars per month, you get a delightful little box of high-end beauty samples tailored to your tastes, so that you can try them out before you spend the big bucks on them.

I’ve received a Birchbox for both December and November so far, and have been thrilled will the samples in each.  I ended up ordering the dry shampoo pictured in the last photo!

My January Birchbox…

 

And a few of my favorite items from December’s Birchbox…

Seriously, why didn’t I think of this concept?! (*bangs head against the wall*)      Brilliance.

So go sign up for your Birchbox.  It’s $10 a month, and there’s no commitment.  Only awesomeness.  And a Birchbox subscription would also make an amazing gift.  Doooo it.

Etta Grace giveaway! (cowls and pins and poppies, oh my!)

Happy Tuesday everyone! Today’s giveaway comes courtesy of Etta Grace, a favorite Etsy shop of mine! (see one of their shirts I wore here!) One of you will win a…

A $30 shop credit to purchase whatever your little heart desires!  Yippeee!

To Enter:

+ Visit  Etta Grace and leave a comment letting me know which item(s) you’d choose if you won!
(only mandatory entry—and please include your email if it’s not on your profile!)

For extra entries:
(all separate comments please!)

+ Follow the Etta Grace blog via Google Friend Connect
+ Pin a photo from the shop to your PInterest page
+ Like Etta Grace on Facebook
+ Like Story of My Life on Facebook

Winner will be announced FRIDAY! Good luck!

* * * * *

And the winner of last week’s date necklace giveaway is…

CONGRATS Ciara!  :D

Also, please note that the 20% discount at Stella Collections is definitely still on, so if you’re bummed you didn’t win, don’t forget to use the code SOML if you decide to make a purchase!

(Some Of) The Best Things in Life Really ARE Things

Matthew and I have the following framed quote above the entrance to our master bathroom... but I must say, I don't entirely agree with message:



Now before you get all judgy, allow me to explain myself.  I understand the sentiment behind this saying, and I suppose to an extent I agree.  The point behind it is that non-physical things like love and life and health and family and togetherness are better than anything money can buy. BUT, in the past days and months since Matthew and I were married, we have received some pretty AMAZING, thoughtful wedding gifts that totally challenge the accuracy of the little adage above.  The following three gifts, though they may fall into the category of physical "things," were created with so much thoughtfulness, creativity, talent, and love, that they become representative of so much more.

And just for a quick disclaimer here: Matthew and I TRULY appreciated each and every one of our wedding gifts, all of which we love and most of which we use every single day.  But the gifts pictured below are the few that transcend being just a useful kitchen gadget or houseware item, and fit more into the category of something to simply be treasured.

1. Quilt that Matthew's mother, Chris, made for us 

She sewed this message into the fabric.

Some of the pieces have this beautiful, faint reminder: "love is...."

During the week when I first met Matthew's mom (after he and I were already engaged), she took me to a fabric store and I picked out all the colors and patterns that I might like to see in our quilt.  This makes it that much more special to me, since I had a part in creating this fabulous work of ART!



Notice the heart-shaped stitching incorporated here and there throughout the quilt.  If you know a thing or two about quilting, you may already be aware that part of the art in a quilt is in the stitching itself! How beautiful.



I just adore all the little hearts and dainty flowers in this lovely, aqua colored fabric.  I remember picking the two fabrics in this picture, but I never imagined how fabulous it would look once everything was complete!

I picked these fabrics as well... more of all my very favorite color combinations!

Love the hearts and flowers and polka-dots!!!

Here we were after receiving the quilt at our rehearsal luncheon... all smiles. :)

A big thank you to mom Chris for all the hard work and love that went into making this fabulous quilt!  No doubt this will be a family heirloom!

2. Scrapbook from Jennifer, one of Matthew's sisters

Matthew and I just received this gift a few days ago, and it was actually what inspired me to write this post.  Jennifer is a hardworking, single mom and wasn't able to make it to our wedding.  However, she's been working on this scrapbook for our wedding gift, and it came in a package with  a loving letter and a CD to listen to while looking at the album.  We were so touched by her thoughtfulness, and yes, tears were shed!

She used pictures from our engagement and bridal photo sessions, as well as from the wedding.

She also must have been in cahoots with the moms to get these childhood pics of us! How clever!

Some of these photos she got from our Facebook pages... SMART! And how GREAT is she at this scrapbooking stuff?!  I'm impressed!

I am just in awe of all of the hard work and creativity and love that went into making this scrapbook.  We will cherish it always!  Thank you Jennifer!!!

3. "Jenni's Cookbook" made by Monnie, one of Matthew's aunts

Last but certainly not least, pictured is another gift into which was poured so much TIME, creativity, thoughtfulness, and love. 

Monnie wrote me a long letter and also included notecards with extra notes and helpful tips.

She created each page on her computer and included fun, colorful graphics! She even added a few of her own typed recipes in every category!

Love the pictures on every page!

How thoughtful to include this section!!

So much work and thought went into this.

 

There are even extra pockets in back, and I've already started filling them with articles I've torn out of cooking magazines!  :)

Monnie, thank you for being so thoughtful and kind, and for knowing just what a newly married young cook would need!  I will treasure this always!

And those, my dear readers, are the best of the best when it comes to "things."  I know that time and life don't always allow us to give these sorts of gifts often, but by golly, if we have the opportunity to, we sure should take it.  We miss so many chances to make someone feel truly special and loved enough to get a gift that really says "you are worth this much to me."

Hope you were as inspired as I am by these beautiful THINGS. :)

J