Stepping into Summer Swap Reveal

Thanks so much to the 20 fellow bloggers who joined myself and Macy for the Stepping into Summer Swap!  I hope everyone enjoyed getting to know another blogger, I know I did!  I was paired with Shawna, which was so fun because she lives just a town over from where I lived for three years in Connecticut!  I hope we can meet someday on a trip back.  She sent me the most beautiful sandals that I have been wearing all over town.

On Saturday, Mike and I ventured all over town, and they were the perfect addition to my current look of choice: a patterned romper and a string of rice beads.  Before heading to the farmer's market, sidewalk sale, and a food truck rodeo, we got energized for our day with my current favorite coffee shop: Kudu.  Their vanilla iced lattes are the best, and don't even get me started on the ham and cheese croissants - yum!

Thanks so much, Shawna, for the perfect summer sandals.  Now it's your turn; if you participated in the swap, grab a button and link up below!

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<a href="http://www.myborrowedheaven.com/" rel="nofollow" title="SteppingIntoSummer"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfSTG5Ujert9yCnVg50Q-nJNu7U09TuQXjHv-KI03LX0Sh6eCYBjf4F-QqW4UCwnWnO6-YYHYcYhgmDZplJVE8k1L8t9Six9wF4ZCYS4ZFCR16dsqGP5HRSAitJ8-a8prCtNjtnnxGPonX/s1600/summer+swap-2.jpg" alt="SteppingIntoSummer" style="border: none; height: auto; width: 200px;" /></a></div>

Stepping Into Summer Swap

Macy and I are so excited to team up this month for a season-inspired swap: Stepping Into Summer!  Summer means days at the beach, and what better way to get out there than with some new flip flops and perfectly pedicured toes?  Sign up through the form below to be paired with another blogger, get to know her, and go shopping for a pair of sandals and nail polish to send to her before summer begins!

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Full disclosure, Macy and I didn't come up with this idea on our own.  A few years ago, I participated in a "Stepping Into Spring" swap, and I received the cutest package.  I still wear the flip flops I received from Jennifer, and it was one of my all-time favorite swaps!  If you have any questions, leave them in the comments - sign ups end on May 24th!

Five on Friday

Happy Friday, friends!  How was your week?  I arrived solo back in Charleston on Monday morning after an awesome weekend and had a crazy week while Mike stayed in Connecticut to keep working.  I might have accidentally eaten all the take-out and definitely had tons of girl time.

1 /// On the plane rides, I read Neil Patrick Harris's autobiography "Choose Your Own Autobiography" as part of Blogging for Books.  Mike and I just started watching NPH's Best Time Ever (did anyone see him sing with Backstreet Boys?!), so I thought this would be a fun pick.  He, obviously, did not disappoint.  His sense of humor and wit definitely came through in the writing, and I really enjoyed looking deeper into his life from childhood to Doogie to Barney to raising his family.  The only thing I struggled with was whether to read to book page-by-page or jump from chapter to chapter following the "adventure."  Obviously, parts of the book were completely made up for the "adventure," but it was easy to see which parts those were.  I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves funny books or is an NPH fan.

2 /// When I arrived home on Monday, my swap package from The Great Pumpkin Swap was waiting for me.  Swap host Kristin was my partner, and she sent me some amazing goodies.  Thanks so much, Kristin; I was so happy to join in for the 4th year of the swap!

3 /// Wednesday night before kickball, Erika, Jacquelyn, Kelsey and I had a girls' night happy hour at O-Ku.  FYI, if you ever go to O-Ku for happy hour - make a reservation!! We did not but were lucky enough to get a great spot on their couches.  Their happy hour specials are ah-mazing: half off rolled sushi and $3 off signature cocktails.  I indulged a bit and got a potato roll, a crab crunch roll, and a sangria.  Everything was so delicious!

4 /// I attended my first Yelp event on Thursday night at HoM.  We sampled different sliders, delicious cocktails (apple and bourbon - yum!), and met some awesome new people.  We also stopped for cupcakes and explored West Elm - all in all, a great night!

5 /// And from the beginning to the end of this post, we've somehow transitioned two holidays, but Christmas has arrived in Charleston, y'all.  When Erika and I were downtown last night, they were putting up all of the decorations - they look so nice.  It also definitely inspired me to go on a little shopping spree, and I officially have about 80% of my Christmas shopping complete!

Linking up for Friday Favorites, Five On Friday, That Friday Blog Hop, and Oh Hey, Friday!

New Year's Resolution Update and Swap Reveal

Well, we're one month into the new year or 1/12 into our resolutions for those of you who are counting.  This year, I actually decided to set real goals for myself (here they are if you missed it last month).  So far, I've only had to send one "belated" birthday card - I said I'd send them but never said they'd be on time haha, I've been exercising (and eating) pretty well and now have a goal to do the Princess Half marathon in February 2016, and I've been trying to create more exciting blog content and find new blogs to comment on and follow each week.

Around the new year, I decided to sign up with Krista @ Classy & Sassy Mrs. and Kate @ Classy Living for a New Year's Resolution Swap Box.  I thought it would be a way to keep up with my blogger resolution by meeting new ladies as well as have someone to keep me accountable with my goals.  This was a round-robin swap, and I was actually paired with both hosts: sending to Kate and receiving from Krista - how fun is that?!

I received a fantastic package from Krista - thanks so much, girl!

She sent me a sweet, encouraging note and gifts to go along with different components of my resolutions: a planner and post-its for blogging, a salad kit and mini cutting boards for healthy eating, and a bunch of mini beauty samples she saved from different subscription boxes.  She even threw in some great toys for the kittens :)

As for Kate, I really tried to send her a little something for each aspect of her resolutions; you can head over to her blog to see a full recap!

Let's Be Thankful Swap Reveal & Link Up

Thank you to each of the ladies who participated in the Let's Be Thankful Swap with Alex and me.  I hope you had a positive experience and enjoyed getting to know a new blog friend!  Today is the day to link up with a post about what you received.

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I was paired with Kristina over at Pretty Rambles.  She and I were actually partners in a winter-themed swap 2 years ago, so it was so much fun to get paired with her again.  She absolutely, without a doubt, spoiled me!  She said that she wanted to include some things for Thanksgiving and some for Christmas, and I just love all of it!  Not to mention, most of it is from my favorite store on the planet: Bath & Body Works! Thank you so much for everything, Kristina!!!

Here's a little sneak peek of what I sent her.  Head over to her blog to read about everything!

Let's Be Thankful Blog Swap

A few weeks ago, Alex contacted me to see if we could work together on a new blog project.  I absolutely love Alex, so I was so excited to collaborate with her.  We were paired together last year in a holiday swap, and since then, she has become a great blog friend.  We decided that there are so many fall and holiday swaps that it would be fun to space one right in the middle with Thanksgiving.  The point of this swap is connect with another blogger [or non-blogger - this swap is open to anyone!] and show what you're thankful for in your own life in the form of a swap box.  Interested?  Check out the details below and sign up!  

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The Great Pumpkin Swap Reveal

The Great Pumpkin Swap has a special place in my heart.  

I joined in this swap two years ago with Kristin and I was paired with Amanda.  If you've been around this blog for any amount of time, you know how that ended... funny story, she's flying down tonight to visit Mike and me for the weekend!  
Obviously, I had high hopes for this swap and was thrilled to be paired with the lovely Jennifer @ Inner Workings of the Female Mind.  She was such a pleasure to get to know and I loved shopping for her!  She sent me a great fall-themed package that was even personalized from her home state of Washington!

mug, Washington Halloween book, koozie, fall basket, apple candle, and stickers

AND I can't wait to show off everything even more on Monday with this fun link up - you should join in!

Here's a sneak peek of what I sent Jennifer.  Head over to her blog to read all about it!  Also, can I just tell you how excited I was to use my new stationary for the first time?!

Thanks so much to Kristin and Becky for organizing this fun swap!

My First Foodie Pen Pal!

Since I moved to Charleston, I've been trying to get my "foodie" side in gear with all of the great restaurants around town.  Let's be real, maybe I wasn't a foodie before because if you look up foods famous by state, for Connecticut you'll find a steamed cheeseburger or pizza you can get in any other state and for RI you'll find hotdogs... no joke [but seriously, what else do I expect from a state where the state bird is a chicken and the state flower is a weed?].

Moral of the story, I could not wait to join Foodie Pen Pals and share some Charleston awesome-ness with a new friend.  I was paired with Kelcie from Hammers and Hot Plates who is also a newlywed!  She and her husband, Andrew, put together a fantastic package with goodies that all had a story and are from their home state of Oklahoma!

They even sent Mike and me this beautiful 3-year journal to complete together with questions on tons of different topics!

In return, I sent Kelcie a few of my favorites and some new Charleston finds I found in the city.  You can check out more about what I sent her on her blog! 

I cannot wait to participate again next month!  Thanks to Lindsay at The Lean Green Bean for hosting!

Splendid Swap Party Reveal: Summertime Favorites

Today's the day of the first Splendid Swap Party reveal!  If you participated in this swap, make sure you add a blog post or Instagram photo to share everything you received from your new bloggy friend! In case you missed it earlier this month, Dannielle, Patty, and I started the Splendid Swap Party for bloggers to meet new friends and swap packages filled with their favorite things.  If you'd like to get involved, our next swap will be this December, around the holiday season.

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<a href="http://myborrowedheaven.blogspot.com/search/label/splendid%20swap%20party" title="Borrowed Heaven" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz0G0P5x6nfl52w3XPjY3hPemBe1Lnn2_u8TVMGHhm4O1utZN7eoRXOh3tB6PmLMguemEgXCeazI8TUtwiPQmKTM4Maw8TWJE64PRa5L8Uwl67FHdoc_ed_SQRpiKQZ4ks7RK365FZgE0/s224-p-no/" alt="Borrowed Heaven" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

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I was paired with Kate at Daffodils.  She is a fantastic lady with a wonderful family, and I had so much fun shopping for all of them because I had a chance to include both childhood and adult summertime favorites!  In return, Kate sent me an amazing package full of her favorites.  I was so thrilled with everything [especially for the move]: the candy was eaten within the first 3 hours of the drive, the Burt's Bees was perfectly travel-sized to use without unpacking everything I owned, I enjoyed a wonderful margarita after my first day of work, and the Essie "Rooarrrrrrange" polish matched my second day of work outfit perfectly!  Thanks, Kate!

Here's a sneak preview of what I sent Kate; head to her blog to check everything out!

And don't forget to link up here!

Welcome! A Splendid Swap Party!

It's no secret that Dannielle, Patty, and I love blogging.  Not only is writing and sharing our lives so much fun, but we truly value the relationships and friendships formed through our blogs.  We thought it would be fun to start a twice-a-year blog swap to help even more bloggers connect and interact.  Titled 'A Splendid Swap Party,' our swap will run once in the summer and once around the holiday season in December.  Each swap will have a different theme, and the first one will be Favorites of Summertime.  We hope that many of you will make new friendships and even just find some new blogs to read!

Guidelines: - Sign up between today and Friday, June 6 with the Google doc below. - Swaps are open to US residents and military families overseas with APO addresses. - Grab our button, if you wish, to help us spread the fun! - Receive your partner by Monday, June 9 and begin to email her back and forth/stalk her social media to learn about her. - Go shopping and get crafting!  Spend between $15 and $25 [before shipping] to buy and make your partner a package full of your favorite summertime things that you think she'd enjoy. - Mail your package by Monday, June 16. - Link up with us to share what you received from your partner at the end of the month [date TBD].

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<a href="http://myborrowedheaven.blogspot.com/search/label/splendid%20swap%20party" title="Borrowed Heaven" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz0G0P5x6nfl52w3XPjY3hPemBe1Lnn2_u8TVMGHhm4O1utZN7eoRXOh3tB6PmLMguemEgXCeazI8TUtwiPQmKTM4Maw8TWJE64PRa5L8Uwl67FHdoc_ed_SQRpiKQZ4ks7RK365FZgE0/s224-p-no/" alt="Borrowed Heaven" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

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<a href="http://myborrowedheaven.blogspot.com/search/label/splended%20swap%20party" title="Borrowed Heaven"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGN69O_hQLm9iszLLPakXKGe88fpJyqdm1G211Z-Ro0lCJumWxwGKojFDJ9-i24LFzZVgpotXsYehJwg6CZhYIoAtlK2rPPhKidkzNG0I4u3lUpu9ksrrkb3Itm4fTxlf-5bpucAvpHg/s204-p-no/" alt="Borrowed Heaven" style="border:none;" /></a></div>