And So I Did

Today I am so excited to introduce you to one of the sweetest bloggers I know, Madi from And So I Did.  I am so happy that I get to share her with you today!  We have bonded over our love of music and receiving real mail, she actually sent me a card in the real mail!  We have also arrange married our dogs.  It might be weird, but Teddy and Penny are MFEO, Meant for each other.  Alright enough of me.  Let me have Madi take it away.

Do you have a furry baby? If so tell us about him. 

I have a dog named Ted. He's a 7 year old Malti-poo and he's a doll, when he's not being a brat! He loves to snuggle and take long walks... but only until the grass makes his paws itch. Hah!

Who is the most important person in your life and why?

My husband, Jake. I know it's cliche to answer that way, but I am so lucky to have a husband like Jake. He truly is the best, and I don't know what I would do without him!

You are given a free day and $100 what would you do?

1. Brunch 2. Mani Pedi 3. Barns and Noble

What is your favorite color and why?

Pink! Obviously because I think it's the prettiest, but I love that it's feminine and fun without being NEON and in your face!

Who was your childhood celebrity crush? 

50/50 split between Nick Carter (Backstreet Boys, all the way) and Ben Affleck... hottie mchottie

If you are having a bad day what is the one thing that can always lift your spirits?

Sitting on the front porch talking with Jake. There's something so relaxing and positive about sitting on the porch watching the world go by and knowing that you're right there at home. :)

You can follow Madi on Twiter, Instagram, and Pinterest! 

Color Me Brave

I am really excited to introduce you to Paulina from Color Me Brave today! She is a real gem in this blog world and is authentic.  If you haven't read her blog I would high recommend you do so now and never quit!



What is your favorite thing to blog about?

I love to blog about my weight loss journey. I know how much I needed when I first got started that reading others journeys who have already succeeded helped me a lot so I want to do that for others. I also love talking about my dating tales. Not only do my readers love it, but I want to be able to look back many years from now when I am happily married how I got to find my love.

Why did you start blogging?

I started blogging first as a freelancer for other bloggers. Fast forward a year later I am signing up to blogspot and writing my first post to vent on life and then shortly after that how much dating sucks.

Where are you from and what is your favorite thing to do there?

I am from Jersey! Not the crazy fist pumping kind though. Promise. No fist pumping as ever happened. But I do live close to the shore so of course that just happens to be my favorite place and favorite about everything else. Jersey girl born and raised and really never want to leave.

Do you have a furry baby? If so tell us about him or her.

Of course I have a fur baby! His name is Palmer or Palm for short. Or as all my friends call him. He is a person! Which I am sure is true. I am convinced that he thinks he is a human. He has fears and then wants to be carried around like a baby. You even have to soothe him like he is a baby too. By bouncing him up and down and rubbing his back. While that happens he burrows his head in my neck and will calm down and fall asleep. Then I am left to carry his 36 pound body to my bed.



If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go and why?

I usually answer this as Fiji Island because I was supposed to go years ago but my trip got cancelled due to a government overthrow. Now though I really want to go to Disney. My parents keep talking about going to Disney again since its been 5 years since we were last there. And really who doesn’t want to go to the happiest place in the world.

Describe your most embarrassing moment.

Many of them are actually up on the blog. Or I at least think I have blogged about them in the past. But the most was when I was in middle school and I had to pee so bad on my walk home. I may have had an accident and had to use my backpack to cover it which was hard because I wore kakis that day. And haven’t worn them since.

What is your favorite color and why?

Blue. I have tired to have other favorite colors, but blue just suits me. I have a pair of blue ray-bans that people now know its me when they see them. Doesn’t help that I have had them for 6 years; they don’t stay on straight and they have been chewed on by Palmer when he as a puppy. But they are me.

What is your favorite way to stay active?

I would used to say swimming. I was a competitive swimmer for years, but now with no pool to swim in. I have learn to love running.

Do you have any hidden talents and what are they?

Does being able to spot out designers brands on people a hidden talent? If not then I don’t have one.

Who was your childhood celebrity crush?

When I was younger my gay-dar was broken because I was in love with Lance Bass.

Go follow Paulina on Twitter, Instagram, and Bloglovin!

Thank You To My Mystery Car Fixer

This week I am coming at you from the lovely city of San Diego!  Before you get all envious I am here for a teaching conference, not a relaxing vacation.  It appears that when you teach an Advanced Placement course (AP for those of you who still remember high school) you have to sit in a classroom for a week to know what they heck you are teaching (I am glad they are helping me).

Today I decided it was high time to link up with one of my favorite bloggers Emily from Ember Grey for her Grateful Heart Monday link up.  I sometimes need a reminder to be grateful for what I have and what I have been blessed with, so I love that Emily gives me that opportunity every week.

Today I am so grateful for my car looking like a normal human owns the car again.

You see the condo I live in came equipped with the smallest garage ever.  So maybe that is not true, but it is what I tell myself.  Because it was the smallest garage ever I scrapped the side of my car more times than I would care to admit.  The passenger side of my car had what i was assuming a permanent white starch about two inches wide all the way to the bumper.

People would ask me what happened and all I could do was reply, "I happened."

A few weeks ago I was at my uncle's house with my mom and when we left she went over to my car to look at the damage.  She then asked me when I got it fixed.  I told her I hadn't had the time or money to get it fixed yet.  She was confused because the starches were gone.

I told her she was clearly looking at the wrong side of the car, but when I went over she was right.  All the starches and disgusting reminder that I stink at parking were removed from my car!

I have no idea how it happened, when it happened or anything other than my car was fixed!

So thanks!  Thanks if you fixed my car to make the world look better, or if you were a friend who just wanted to help, or if you are God and you just wanted to heal a car this time!  Whatever, whoever, however my car was fixed I am truly grateful!

I am also super grateful to introduce you to some of the best sponsors and bloggers a girl could ask for!

Hill - From Mississippi With Love

Twitter - Instagram - Bloglovin' 

1. Give us two posts recent posts you love that someone new to your blog should read.

1 year of blogging: I recently completed my first year of blogging and was able to reflect back upon what I've learned in this first year. It was fun to realize how far I've come since first starting this hobby and make new goals for how I want to continue growing in my second year.

A list of things I'm really good at doing: This was a silly post I wrote one night when I wasn't feeling too great about myself. Even though it is meant to be humorous I think the message behind it is important to remember; we all have special talents, they just aren't all the same.

2. Tell us a little bit more about your blog.

From Mississippi With Love is a lifestyle blog about trying to navigate life in your early 20s. Sometimes it'll be silly other times it'll be serious or just down right random, but it'll always be real.

3. What is one thing you really love about yourself? 

One thing I really love about myself is how close I am to my family. I thought moving home after graduation was the end of the world, but a year later I'm so thankful that I get to live with the best support system in the world.

4. What is one thing you hope people walk away from your blog with? 

I hope everyone who reads From Mississippi With Love leaves thinking "Wow Hill seems so cool; I want to be her best friend!" Haha just kidding, but not really. I just hope everyone leaves thinking what I write is genuine and can relate in some way.

Jasmine - A Pinch Of Jasmine

Twitter - Instagram - Bloglovin 

1. Give us links to two recent posts you would want a first time reader to read first. 

Avocado Ranch Pasta Salad is one of my favorite meal posts. I'm not one who cooks or prepares fancy meals, so when I find a Pinterest recipe that I can make, I like to blog about it. And I must add, this pasta salad turns out delicious.

Small Closet Organization Part 2 is a recent favorite as well. I don't have the luxury of having a walk-in closet. So, I have to somehow make a small closet work. After a lot of browsing through Pinterest, measuring, cleaning and reorganization, I managed to organize my small closet for all my clothes to fit.

2. Give us a little introduction to you and your blog.

 I'm just a Texas girl trying to figure out how to balance life with work. A Pinch Of Jasmine is just a glimpse of my life through Instagram photos, Pinterest pins, posts about my dog, and more. 

3. What is one thing you love about yourself? 

Yikes. Well, I like being spontaneous. Life is too short to not be. If there's something I want to try or somewhere I want to go, I'm 99.9% down to do it.

4. What is one thing you hope someone walks away with after reading your blog? 

Hopefully readers will feed off of my blogposts of trying new things, even if it's as small as trying a Pinterest recipe or buying tickets to go to the ACM Awards next year. (Yes, I jumped on that opportunity real quick. It's not every day there's a country music awards show schedule to take place within driving distance from your city.)

Getting Gritty With It

Hi Friends!  I am so excited to have the lovely and talented Ashley from The Grits Blog here today.  If you have not visited her blog what have you been doing?  She is a lovely blogger and has some amazing hair tips to make your mane even better.



 

If you are having a bad day what is the one that can always lift your spirits? 

This face. I mean seriously - how could it not?! Well this face and a glass bottle of wine. Both just rock my world and make everything feel  - and look - better. I mean seriously, if you need more reasons to love this face just go read his blog takeover.

If I could go any place in the world where would you go and why? 

Here. I would go here. Nope not going to name this place - it's a little family getaway place that I have been going to since I was three years old. However, you can read about my vacations there here.

It's a small little town that not a lot of people know about - which is why it's so special and secret. This place needs to stay a wonderful, peaceful secret. So for now, just look and admire from afar.

What is your favorite book, TV show, movie?

Well I just read and reviewed The Night Circus and currently it's my new favorite. Obviously, Harry Potter is my number one and will always be my number one - but right after it is The Night Circus. The imagery was beyond gorgeous and so well written that I could see and smell everything. When I cracked the book open to where ever I had previously closed it, I felt like I was instantly transported to where ever the characters were in the book, like I was actually there. It will for sure be a re-read. You can read my full review here.

If you were given a free day and a $100 what would you do?

I would go to the movies and buy panties. There is a Victorias Secret in the mall where our movie theatre is located. I always buy panties when I go to the movies - it's like my favorite pastime. Seriously, you can't argue with me here. Is there really anything better than a new pair of pretty undies and then a large buttery popcorn, large half diet half regular coke, and a pack of milk duds?! Nope. I think not.

What is your favorite line from a movie?

This is easy.

My favorite line is from my favorite movie - Gone With The Wind. If you are like what the hell is that - then you are missing out on life, go watch the movie.

I can't give this line justice, just watch the youtube clip and wait for Rhett Butler's line (about 5 seconds or so in).

Gave you goose bumps right?!

See she is totally great!  Be sure to follow Ashely over at Facebook, Bloglovin, and Pinterest!

Could I Be Anymore Excited? (A New Blog Design)

No I could not be anymore excited! Perhaps you have noticed a new blog design round these parts?  The lovely and talented Melyssa over at The Nectar Collective worked her magic and gave this little space some much needed sprucing up.  I sent her my ideas, they were probably weird, I essentially told her I like twinkle lights and bright happy colors and somehow she created this.  I would recommend Melyssa a million times for anyone looking for a great WordPress designer and blogger too!

This is my last week of work before spring break.  Since January I have been fighting off a cold or allergies or something and I just couldn't do it any longer.  My body quit and let the germs attack me.  I have had to run standardized testing for the whole school this week while sneezing every two seconds and hearing the kids say, "Ms. T, you look tired."  Is there anything worse than being sick and then people telling you, you look like crap?

I only mention this because I had to take some photos today to show off some loverly earnings.  I had to wear my sunglasses to hide my "tired eyes."  I am sure you will forgive me just this one time, right?

Today I am also excited to share with a new blogger on Erica Jacquline - Miranda from Mermade Moments.

Hey! I'm Miranda and I blog over at Mermade Moments. I write about DIY projects/crafts, baking, fitness, and life in general. I started my Etsy shop to try and get my craft supply addiction under control. I was running out of space and knew I had to do something. Everything in my shop is handmade with love and care. You can find things like cupcake liners, party supplies, jewelry, hair accessories and even a canvas from time to time!

Here are some of the super cute things that Miranda has in her shop at very affordable prices!

Also Penny jumped on my lap and wanted to write a review for the earnings Miranda sent us.

"d v"  (Really, Penny just jumped on my computer and that was what she typed.

You can follow Miranda on Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram. AND because Miranda is such a gem she is offering 15% off all items in her shop just for my readers!  Use code ERICAPENNY today through next Thursday the 24th!

So You Want to Start A Blog - Accepting Sponsors

I took a little break from my So You Want To Start A Blog series last week and I am pretty sure it is because today's topic is so daunting.  It is the part of blogging that I have learned to love and I am very grateful.  It is also the part of blogging that has taken years off of my life already - Accepting Sponsors on your blog .

Maybe you have been blogging for a few months, years or decades and you have a few hundred followers.  You are thinking it would be nice to make some money from this hobby you have become addicted to in order to fund your addiction.  It is a vicious cycle.

Below I will tell you what I have learned in the last four months of accepting sponsors.  I would in no way say I am an expert and I am sure there is so much more that I can be doing to make my sponsors feel even better about spending a few bucks to advertise on my blog.



 

1. Time Commitment 

Only open your blog up to sponsors if you are able to commit extra time each week to your sponsors.  This looks different for every blogger, but make sure you actually have time to email your sponsors, plan giveaways, collaborate with others, and still post great content for your own blog.

2. Know Your Limits

This is similar to the first one of accepting sponsors being a time commitment.  If you do not have the time to work with 10 different bloggers every month do not offer it as an option.  If you only have time for two bloggers a month then have two sponsors and do a good job with it.  I know we are all inclined to go over board with the sponsorship options, but it is better to do a good job with a little than a crappy job with a lot.

3. Interact With Your Sponsors

Not every blogger does this.  In fact I can think of many who do not do this.  My motto is that if someone is going to pay me money to advertise on my blog I need to honor that and spend time getting to know them and read their posts.  It makes my write ups about their blog even better and genuine.  I can actually feel good about a social media shout out I provide because I actually choose a post that stood out to me as great.  The bigger blogger that I learned this from is Helene.  When I have sponsored her, she read most of my posts and took the time to comment on them too.  I personally really loved that she took the time to do this and decided to emulate her style of interaction when I offered sponsorships.  If this is not your style that is cool.  You do you.

4. Only Promise What You Can Deliver 

Sure it might drum up a ton of initial sponsors if you promise 12 twitter shout outs a month, but if you do not deliver business will dwindle.  Word of mouth, or word of email, travels fast.  I have a few bloggers that I sponsored that were unable to fulfill their promises when I signed up to sponsor them.  I am not going to publicly write about them, but I would tell you in an email which bloggers I would not work with again.  I also am more than happy to write about great blogs to sponsor.  In fact I have already done that here.

I personally only offer a few social media shout outs as I know that I do not want to take a lot of time to do that. I also am very upfront and let my sponsors know this.  So far no one has written me a mean email telling me I am a terrible human so I guess that is good.

5. Pricing 

I don't know what to tell you on this one.  The only advice I can give is to look at similar blogs and price appropriately.  I know some bloggers have spots for over $100.  Chances are that is not you.  I will say that unless you have at least 1000 followers charging more than $10 for a spot seems  a little unreasonable.  If you can actually get people to buy your spots though then do what works for you.

The first two months I did sponsorships I offered the ads for free until I could feel confident that I was ready to charge.  The next two months most of my ads have been sold at a discount, but that is less and less.  It takes time for word of mouth to spread and the money to come in.

6. Organize

I have an excel spreadsheet I use to keep track of who is sponsoring me and what I have done so far.  I have a hard time keeping track of things if I do not write it down and actually pay attention to what I am doing.  If you can just email and keep it all organized in your inbox more power to ya!  I think using a planner and spread sheets are a must.

7. Persona - Image Is Everything 

At the end of the day you are offering sponsorships in order to make some money.  Since I have opened up sponsorships I have thought of my blog as a business.  I need to post every weekday, because people are paying me to advertise for them.  If I do not post, then they do not have as many people looking at their ad.

Along with this is how we present ourselves to others.  I love that lifestyle blogging is very much up to each blogger to define.  I love learning about other people and how they do life. With that I feel like some people are not as savvy and air too much out for us to read.  Maybe it is just me, but I am not likely to sponsor a blog where the author says they are drunk or hungover in every post.  I just can not trust that they will fulfill their promises.  Remember you are running a business of sorts and the way you present yourself matters.

8. Offer Ads That You Love

You do not have to do what everyone else is doing.  If you do not like having others take over your blog with their own content for a day do not offer it.  I learned that I do not like to do a regular post and tag a sponsor feature on the end.  I got rid of that option and have focused on a Spotlight feature.  I do a short intro with a little blurb and a photo and then give the blog to my sponsor.  I like this much more and have gotten a better response too.

I also thought about what I could do to be a little more original.  I realized I love dogs and I love blogs and I wanted to combine that somehow.  Then Dog Behind The Blog started and I have enjoyed these posts so much.

9. Don't Jump Ship

Obviously you could offer up your blog for what ever amount of sponsorship you desire.  If you want to have sponsored posts everyday that is cool, just plan to lose some readers.  I try and limit my posts to one maybe two during the weekday and one each weekend.  That leaves 3 - 4 weekday for me to keep my content fresh and my own.

10. Friends 

I will say that my connections to other bloggers has become so much stronger since I have had sponsors.  I have made some great new friends out of my sponsors and I am so grateful for the community my blog has built me.

One thing I started to do is offer a discount for repeat sponsors.  Again showing people that I value them and their money is huge for me and I have seen nothing but good things come from letting others know I value them.

What do you think?  What did I leave off the list or what would you add?

Interested in sponsoring Erica Jacquline?  Click here to find out more!

Inspired

Last night I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in Blogger Happy Hour with Erin from Living in Yellow and Taylor from The Daily Tay.  If you have ever wondered about doing one of these I can tell you that it is a great time to meet other bloggers and to learn a little more about this whole blog world.

Before this week I have felt a little, OK a lot drained the last few weeks.  I have desperately needed Spring Break to be here for like three weeks just so I can sleep for long long periods of time.  I still have two weeks until Spring Break and everyday I get out of bed a little later.  I have been feeling a little out of it in terms of my life and my blog.

Three things have really helped me pull out of my mini soap opera: 1. going on a mini vacation to Vegas 2. exercising almost regularly the #1800minutechallenge has been great at keeping me motivated 3. Blogger Happy Hour.

[caption id="attachment_1262" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Penny is such a great trainer she makes me carry her to add some strength training to our walks.[/caption]

After talking with all the ladies that participated in the Happy Hour I felt my blogger spirit renewed to keep on trying and making this little blog better with every post.

Another thing that inspires the heck to of me is other bloggers.  Today I have three ladies to introduce to you and I really hope you visit their blogs and get to know these amazing bloggers a little more.

As always I asked the ladies the same four questions that I will share with you along with all the ways you can connect to them.

1. Tell us about your blog.
2. What is one post you would want a new reader to read and why? (provide link)
3. What is one item in your life you cannot live without? 

4. What is goal you have for yourself this month and how you will achieve it?

___________________________________________________________________________

blog - bloglovin - instagram 

1. Be a Warrior Queen focuses on overcoming the challenges, focusing on the positive and giving back.

2. Ah! I can't decide but I am going to go with this post: Always Wear Your Invisible Crown, Warrior Queens. I think this post embodies my blog, movement and myself to a T.

3. My cell phone because it keeps me connected to everything.

4. This month is a big month for me; my goal is to remain calm and not let me anxiety get the best of me before and after our wedding. I plan on using mantras and choosing happy to keep calm!

___________________________________________________________________________

blog -  bloglovin - instagram

1. My blog is my little corner of the Internet where I can talk about anything and everything that pops into my mind - one rule: there are no rules!

2. I think I would have to say a recent one, Carolina Cup/Stage 5 Hangover, because I think it's my first post where I kinda just let go and wrote EXACTLY how I would talk to my friends and didn't hold anything back. It felt good to truly be myself (not that I wasn't before, but more...blunt?) and see people like it!

3. A physical thing? My phone, absolutely - cannot go anywhere without it. Something a little more abstract? Love - I'm a Cancer through and through - need nurturing and comfort.

 4. My goal is to go 100 days without eating fast food. April 10 is the 100th day, so only a few days left!

___________________________________________________________________________

blog - twitter - pinterest

1. Blogging about crafts, DIY projects, recipes, and life's adventures - venturing through motherhood and getting through it all on a strong cup of coffee!

2. Why I Blog (so original, right?) would be the post I would want new readers to check out because it shares my blogging journey.

3. I could not live without my childhood cabbage patch doll - he was a world traveler and has retired to a nice, quiet home in our closet.

4. A personal goal is to exercise every day but because running or walking every day would get boring, I plan on trying different activities to help achieve that goal.

___________________________________________________________________________

I told you these ladies are great!  I seriously have had some of the best sponsors and I love being able to share them with you all.  If you are interested in seeing your blog here please look at my sponsor page.

What is something that you have done or read or a person you have interacted with that has inspired you lately?

So You Want to Start A Blog - Sponsor Other Blogs

So we are getting down to it now.  I have talked about content, social media, reading other blogs, and basic design. All of that is wonderful and it will greatly help the growth of your blog and your social influence on the internet.

Once you have been at it for a while and you want to keep at it most of us hope to gain more readership I honestly think sponsoring some blogs is a very good way to do that.

If you are confused about sponsoring, essential it is buying an ad on another blogger's site.  If you feel like it is weird I guess it kind of is.  I think of my blog as an up and coming business and when I think of it that way I am paying to advertise my business.  All companies and businesses and writers advertise, it is normal business behavior.

6 Tips To Help You Start Sponsoring Blogs

1. Have a button or two or three

When you choose to sponsor a blog most of the time you will get a button, ad, on the blogger's side bar.  Every blogger has different requirements.  For example all of my options are 300 pixels wide and have different height depending on the spot you buy. If you do not know what that is look to the right on this page or almost any bloggers page.  All those ad are for other blogs and clicking it will take you to their blog!

I recommend you make a button for whatever size ad you buy.  A stretched out button never looks good and will not bring people to your site. I would recommend using picmonkey and looking at this tutorial for how to make a button by Sarah at Venus Trapped in Mars.

2. Look for blogs you love to read

When you are looking for blogs to sponsor it might be tempting to shell out the big bucks to sponsor the big blogs.  Sometimes this is a great idea, sometimes it is terrible.  If you are looking for blogs to sponsor I think you should sponsor blogs you like to read and ones that are similar to yours.

For example I would not advertise on a recipe blog. I have never posted a recipe and I do not think that people looking for recipes everyday would want to read my blog everyday.  Just kidding I think everyone wants to read my blog everyday.

But for reals, sponsoring blogs that are similar to yours will generate readers who want to read similar content.

3. Look for prices you can afford

It can be expensive to sponsor blogs!  The bigger the blog the bigger the price tag, usually.  Do not break your bank account or budget to sponsor a ton of blogs.  Start small.  Try one blog and see if you like it.  If so try a couple more.  Do not sponsor so many that you lose track of the blogs you are sponsoring.

Write down what blogs you are sponsoring and what you are supposed to get in exchange for sponsoring the blog.  Be aware of the product you are buying and what you have been promised.

4. Look for perks that work for you

Not all sponsorship options are the same.  Do you really want someone to promote the crap out of your blog on social media?  Look for a spot that promises a lot of social media shout outs.  Are you looking for a guest post? Look for a guest post option.  What to write a dual post with the blogger, look for that!  There are a lot of bloggers out there and a lot of sponsorship options that you can find a lot of spots that work for you too.

I like it when I can be featured on a blog and be included in a giveaway during the month.  Yes giveaways are a little controversial sometimes, but again it is advertising.  If you get on someone's radar and they click on your blog one day and are hooked it paid off.  I think a giveaway is a good way to initially get people to your site, and you have to write good content with catch titles and photos to hook them after.

5. Be an active reader

The best sponsorships I have had have come when I actively read and comment on the blog I am sponsoring. As someone who also takes sponsorships, I love it when I know my sponsors are reading my blog.  We have more of a connection and it is easier for me to promote them, because I have a better sense for who they are.

I am not always the best at this myself and the blogs I sponsored, but did not read or comment on did not bring me a lot of readers or success. I truly believe if you take time and invest in a blogger, they will take time and invest in you.

6. Let your voice be heard

As I mentioned before keep track of what you have been promised when you signed up for a sponsor spot. If you did not get the post your were promised, or any social media shout outs, ask for it. I have had some bad experiences and called the person out on it.  In some cases I had my ad time extended or they refunded the money, in other cases I never heard back.

My biggest piece of advice is sponsor blogger's that you trust.  If you do not like the way they portray themselves online do not trust them with your money.  If you have seen what they have done for others and like it then go for it.  Start small and then keep adding and growing.

Sponsoring other blogs is probably the fastest way to grow your readership, but it takes time, money, and awareness to maximize your advertising.

 

In case you are looking for a wonderful blog to sponsor, shameless plug, might I recommend my blog! I am currently running an ad sale for 50% off all spots for April.  Visit my Sponsor page select which spot works for you and use promo code AprilShowers at checkout.

March Sponsor Spotlights

Another month another group of wonderful ladies to introduce you to.  I personally love these ladies and I love the unique views they bring to blogging.  Below you can read a ittle more about them and find their blogs.  Please go by and say hi to the ladies of March Sponsor Spotlights.

This Month's Questions:

1. What is your blog about?
2. What is one item you can not live without?
3. What is your favorite St. Patrick's Memory?

Ameliorer la Vie - Twitter - Bloglovin

The Shelby Lens - Twitter - Instagram

The Grand Adventures of Me - Facebook - Twitter

To Travel and Beyond - Twitter - Instagram

Now for some fun!  I asked each of the ladies to share their favorite quote.  I thought it could be a fun little game to randomized the order of the quotes and have you guess which blogger loves each quote.

1. "Science only goes so far, then comes god" ~Noah from The Notebook

2. "Life is not about the breaths you take, but about the moments that take your breath away."

3.  "You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing, there will be no result." ~Gandhi

4. "So long as you write what you wish to write, that is all that matters; and whether it matters for ages or only for hours, nobody can say." ~Virginia Woolf

Want to see yourself featured here next month?  Check out my sponsorship options here.

Gipsy Dharma

I am really excited to share a lovely company with you all today, Gipsy Dharma.

Gipsy Dharma is a company out of the United Kingdom that specializes in unique handmade leather boots and clothing.  The items that they sell are all beautiful and would be a lovely statement piece with any outfit!

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My favorite boots are the red ones.  I am dreaming of wearing them with my black high-low maxi dress.

All the items in the shop are handmade from leather.  Because they are handmade they all are different, you would be the only one wearing those boots.

One of the things that I love most about Gipsy Dharma is her philosophy "of always being on the move and constantly dreaming of what will come next."  I love this because who doesn't love to travel and look cute exploring new places.

Aside from the red boots I am totally loving these tan ankle booties too.  I usually hate ankle boots, but these are really cute and I would totally try to pull them off!

If knee-high or ankle boots are not you thing Gipsy also started to make flip-flops too.  I honestly live in my flip-flops here in California and am always on a the hunt for a pair that is casual for the beach and beautiful for work our just hanging out.

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Go over and make sure you check out all that Gipsy has to offer.  There are many lovely colors and styles you can choose from! If you were to buy a pair which ones would you love to have in your wardrobe?

February Sponsor Lovin'

One of the things I decided I wanted to do when I opened Erica Jacquline for sponsors is to help promote my sponsors in a unique and creative way.  I want my promotion of my sponsors work to come across and genuine and real. I promise to only promote things that I really do like.

With that being said I decided to try something new.  I just reread all my sponsor's blogs this past month and found my favorite post of theirs.  I would like to share them with you in the hopes that you go read these posts and follow some amazing ladies.



 

Allusional - Danielle wrote Stories for the Fighters for the people in her life that have fought and battled cancer.  I loved her wisdom and kindness that shone through her writing here.

Becoming Bailey - I loved this piece about finding a balance between work and life and the importance not letting our work take over your life.

Be A Warrior Queen - One of the things I love most about Raewyn is that she loves herself and loves to help others.  Her challenges to do good for the world and those around her is admirable.  This one was my favorite this month.

Route Bliss - Christina always makes me want to pack up my things and just hit the road.  Her post on using a DSLR camera made me want to go snap some travel photos pronto!

So Fill Your Heart - Renee is one of the sweetest bloggers out there.  Her love for her family is apparent this month as she wrote about her dad's birthday and this touching post about the passing of her grandfather and what a wonderful man he was.

TMInspired - Taylor takes some beautiful photos!  This engagement shoot was great! Taylor is located in Orange County if you are looking for a local photographer.

Kimchi and Sweet Tea - Her post about Stay At Home Moms needing a business trip was so true and funny!

And So I Did - Madi is a smart woman as evidenced by her buying a barbecue grill for her husband for Valentine's Day.  She just hand off the cooking duties!

You Gotta Have Hart - I loved Jaime's The Kind of Girl Who post.  She focused on the positive and laughing through life which is something I can get on board with.

Sew Craft Cat - Kelly posted so many great craft ideas this month.  I actually loved her post yesterday about marketing your Etsy shop.  She has an Etsy shop by the same name and knows what she is talking about.

Mer in America  - Meredith is a great gal going to grad school, loving country music and getting fit! Her Luke Bryan concert experience made me remember when I saw him this summer and how much fun that was.

The Grits Blog - Ashley wrote a post about losing her dog last November.  It was so sweet and sad.  It made me appreciate Penny more and my time with her even if she is being a pain right now.

I had a great time getting to know all of you this month and I am looking forward to many more months of blog reading in the future!

Thank you so much for sponsoring Erica Jacquline this month and I hope you will again in the future!

If you are interest in sponsoring my blog during the month of March there are still some open spots.  If you are interested please click here and choose the option that works best for you

Shine Bright Sponsor Spotlights

Meet February Sponsors for Erica Jacquline!

I am so excited to introduce you to this month's Shine Bright sponsors.  All of the ladies below have wonderful and diverse blogs.

They all answered the following questions and in order to save some room for their lovely words.  Here are the questions that I asked them:

1. Why do you love blogging?

2. What is your favorite thing to blog about?

3. What is one thing you can not live without?

4. What is your favorite Valentine's Day memory?

Now check them out and show them some love!

 Blog - Facebook - Instagram

Blog - Bloglovin - Facebook

Blog - Bloglovin - Twitter

Blog - Facebook - Pinterest

Blog - Bloglovin

Blog -  Instagram - Twitter

In honor of The Olympics, Valentine's Day, Presidents past, or the fact that it is Wednesday I am offering 50% off all ad spots until the end of the Sunday  Use promo code FEBRUARY!

 

Drama At Sugar Stream

I have become the neighbor to hate at Sugar Stream.

Warning: This post is not about getting sucked into the addiction that is Candy Crush!  It is actually about my condo community called Sugar Stream.  No that is not the real name of my condo association, #stalkers.  All I will tell you is that it is equally as Candy Crushesk and people laugh when they hear it.

This post is about the drama that I have been through the last week as a resident of Sugar Stream.

Other titles I considered for this post: Get Off My Lawn!  I Need Wide Open Spaces, The Poop Smelled Round The World.

It is official Penny and I are "those neighbors" of Sugar Stream.  You know the kind, we are the neighbors that you hate because the dog barks, or we play our music too loud, or we get dog poop all over you.  Totally normal right?

I think that question you are asking and the one I have asked myself is "How did Penny and I arrive at this point?"  I can not trace it to one particular incident (lies! I can totally trace it to one incident filled with poop).  I can just present the facts to you and you can determine for yourself when and why I am not the post popular neighbor at Sugar Station, I mean Stream.

 The Poop

In case you are new to Erica Jacquline or just decided to read this particular post because you thought it would help you get more lives for Candy Crush, Penny had a terrible incident with a young man and her poop.  I welcome you to read about it here.

The Letter

In the above mentioned post I feared Penny's poop ended up on said child's leg.  A few days later I came to find out this was completely true when I checked my mail and found this note inside.

The Pain

I had many mixed emotions about this letter.  First, I was mortified that yep, I got dog poop on a kid.  Then, I wanted to move and never face them again.  Then, I reread the note and I was angry.  This lady totally exaggerated what happened and was rude and demanding.  Finally, I could laugh about it because of all the lies and funny moments I have pulled from the incident.

The Lies

The first sentence is funny.  Like I just let my dog wander around Sugar Stream?  It isn't the AMC phone for crying out loud it is a dog.  I hold her leash tightly, sometimes when you are mid-poop clean up and your dog bolts you lose your grip out of surprise.  I also had a friend say that this mom needs to keep a tight leash on her son.  It made me laugh

From here the letter is pure hilarity.  "Your dog got crap all over my son's leg."  I actually saw how much "crap" I got on your son's leg it was a smudge.  Potato, Potato though I guess.  (That saying sure doesn't work in type.

Also I did not make you late for school.  On that particular day I went in to work late because I had my annual eye check up.  I slept in until 8:30 and took Penny out shortly after we woke up.  You then were leaving for school after 8:30.  What middle school starts after 8:30?  NONE!  You were already late and wanted to pin it on me.  Well too bad I teach and have too much time on my hands to figure out your shenanigans.

My favorite line is "Don't let it happen again."  Why do people say this?  It isn't like I plot at home how I can get Penny's pooh to infect unsuspecting kids and then laugh evilly when we get home.  What if it does happen again?  Are you going to chase me down and rub my nose in her poop?  Accidents happen.  Life goes on.  I will continue to have a tight leash on my dog.

The Conclusion 

I think it is pretty clear it is time to move on from Sugar Stream and find new residence at Chocolate Lake or Sugar Plumb Central.  I also think that none of these issues would have happened if I didn't live in Southern California where there is no room to breath around your neighbors.  We need open spaces and room to move around.

----------------------------

OK now it is time introduce you to a real Warrior Queen who would probably make quick work of my neighbors. Raewyn blogs over at Be a A Warrior Queen.  She is too is from Southern California where it is raining for the first time in forever and is a teacher too.  Make sure you read her answers below.  She is funny, compassionate, and fierce.

Where are you from and what is your favorite thing to do there?

I am from Southern California and there are so many things that are my favorite! I truly believe that I was made to live in California - moving out of state leaves me in a funk. My favorite activity is dirtbiking with my family and my fiance. We go out to the sand dunes and camp - riding our quads, dirtbikes, sand rails and driving my offroading truck around!

Who is the most important person in your life and why?

The most important person in my life is no longer with us. My cousin Gregory died after beating cancer right before his 10th birthday. He was the strongest and happiest person I ever met, and the thought of him guides me through each and every day.

What is your go to jam that makes you want to dance a hole in your floor?

Ke$ha. If I need to get pumped up, I put her on and I am dancing and grooving and ready to be the life of the party.

What is your favorite Book, TV show, Movie?

Why Men Love Bitches is one of my top books. It is actually the book that started the Warrior Queen movement when I was in high school.

What is your favorite line from a movie?

"You can't change the world, but you can make a dent." - Death to Smoochy

You are given a free day and $100 what would you do?

If I had a day with no responsibilities, I would probably start out my day giving back in some way - maybe a beach clean up or a #DoGood52Ways activity. I would then take my fiance to lunch, spend the afternoon at the beach and finish up the night at a concert with my best friends! (Pop-punk always rules my heart).



 Who was your childhood celebrity crush?

I had the BIGGEST crush on Kenny G. I know that's unconventional. My uncle is his percussionist and I used to go to his shows as a child. When I was 3, I stood on a chair backstage and shouted KENNY G I LOVE YOU! Needless to say, I was crushed as a 6 year old when I found out he was married and had a baby.

Now go over to her blog, bloglovin, Facebook, and Twitter and follow the crap outta her!

Also don't forget about the most amazing weekend link up since Abe Lincoln's presidency!

 

A Winter Juan-derland

I have a million ideas for blog post but now of them wanted to be written today.  Instead I took the time to write some letters to the cast of The Bachelor.

Dear First Grade Teacher,

Way to not pose nude on national TV.  You have class and realized you  would probably never get a job in education again if you did what the sleezy producers told you to. Now I think you will only lose half the jobs you apply for. I mean you are still on The Bachelor after all.

Respectful clothed,

Never Nudes

Dear Free Spirit,

While I commend you on your lack of inhibitions, there is a time and a place for you to be naked. - your own home, a beach with a group of baby boomers who are not shakeled by the restraints that society places on them in the form of clothing, a shower.

Please wear some shoes,

The Ground and The World

Dear Juan Pablo,

You earned some respect points last night.  You got rid of the drunk child because you could tell she wouldn't fit into your life.  High five.  At this point you are almost even, but, you need to do more to make up for your lack of judgment with Dog Lover and Free Spirit.

Love,

Someone with a job

Dear Winter Wonderland Girl,

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="275"] Ps Winter Juan-derland girl is the same as pregnant girl.[/caption]

It's cool to wear clothes.  I know you were in a hot tub and some guy started to sing and all you could do was grab a parka, but really it was snowing, get some sweats.

Cover Up!

Sweat pants lover

Dear Blog Readers,

Below you will read about the lovely Hima over at Hima Hearts.

I love Hima and her blog.   She started her blog after reading one of my favorite books The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.  If you have not read that book go read it after you give Hima some love.  She also lives in the beautiful state of California where it has been a blustery 80 degrees this week (at least in my little corner of the state).

 

Hima Hearts is a fun blog that offers a little bit of everything from picture of her cute dog, to her sweet but sassy little brother.

If you are looking for tips on how to write a song that will climb the charts her how to will help you out: How to Write a Hit Song

If you are a part of one of the power couples be warned, you have to stay together forever! Couples Who Should Never Ever Break Up

Follow this treasure of a blogger by clicking on the links below

Bloglovin' // Instagram // Twitter

xoxo,

Erica