Live.Laugh.Love: A Guest Post

Hello lovely ladies (and possibly gentlemen)! My name is Tennille and I run a little space called live.laugh.love. I am so excited to be here for the day while Rachel is off galavanting with her family and adorable baby boy in Sky Valley, Georgia. Hopefully she is enjoying some much deserved rest and relaxation :)

Since the summertime (aka the "postcard days" of Vancouver) is now upon us, I thought I would touch on some of my very favorite summer things. This is a list that could go on and on, so I narrowed it down to just 10 :)

- s.u.n.s.h.i.n.e.

This one goes without saying. Sunshine makes me happy. Very, very happy.

- the smell of fresh cut grass

There is something about fresh cut grass that smells so sweet in the summer. Recently, we were gifted with a lawn mower for a wedding present. Needless to say, the husband definitely gets some subtle hints to get his hiney out there and mow the lawn so I can enjoy the smell of it :)

- hours and hours of daylight

I work 12 hour shifts most days, so when summer hits... it's so nice to get to the office when it's light outside and leave when it's still light. And then there is still enough time to actually enjoy a few hours when I get home.

- the smell of BBQing


Even in the distance, the inviting smell of a BBQ just screams summer... and regardless of what's being cooked, it always smells so good.

- colorful flowers

Vancouver gets a lot of rain, which sucks, but the payoff is that we end up with a lot of lush forests, and nice flowers. Spring and summertime bring out the beautiful, bright colors. Gerber daisies, lilies and lavender bushes are some of my favorites.

Our new lilies... and yet another chance for me to try and keep something alive :)

- happy people

Summer brings out lots of smiles, good moods and overall happy people. Especially in Vancouver, we majorly notice the effect the sunshine has on people and their moods.

- flip flops

Ahhhh. Flip flops. My summer footwear of choice. I am not a fan of "hippy feet" (you know... the gross black feet after a full day of treking around in flip flops)... but I will gladly take them over wearing constricting shoes and socks, any day!

- sunsets

Vancouver summer sunsets are some of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. There is something so peaceful about watching the sun set over mountains and water.

Stanley Park, Vancouver BC

English Bay, Vancouver BC

- patio drinks

Who doesn't enjoy sitting on a patio, either at home or at a restaurant, and enjoying a few cocktails?

- sunglasses

To me, sunglasses make everything better. Just like summertime does :)

Crazy Life of Kaitlyn: A guest post

Hey Bloggers. 

I am Kaitlyn form Crazy Life of Kaitlyn.

 I went to high school Rachel and I am so glad to guest post on her blog. I am still somewhat new to blogging, but right now I am on a blogging kick!! So I hope you follow me. haha.

My blog post is all about Summer Reading!! I love to read. I always have a book with me. I read at least 4 books every month. So I am going to give you four books to read and short little summary with not giving too much away. 

The Wedding Dress

I first off love this book. Maybe because it is based in Birmingham, Alabama where I live. haha

Charlotte owns a wedding dress shop. She buys a trunk at an estate auction and inside it has a wedding dress. She begins to wonder who else wore it. So you get a four person story from Charlotte in 2012, Emily 1912, Mary Grace, 1939, and Hillary in 1968. 

Michal 

If you love learning about famous women in The Bible. This author is for you. Her first book is about Michal, which was the first wife of King David. She struggles with her father, King Saul and that her heart lies with David. It is a three book series. I love them all. 

Save The Date

When I first I saw the author of this book I thought of my childhood. Why you ask? Her name is Jenny B. Jones. Junie B. Jones anyone? haha

Lucy owns a group home and needs to money to fund it. Alex needs votes for his election. So Alex comes up with a great idea. Pay her to be his fiancee and he will get votes and she will get money. Will this plan work? 

Last, but not least 

First Date 

Addy Davidson is chosen out of her school to compete for a date with President's son. She does not want to partcipate at all. On top of it all it is televised. Will she win or not? 

All four of these books are Christian Fiction. I love all four of them. I hope you pick up a copy. :) And maybe come say hello over at my blog. :) 

WIFESTYLES: A Guest Post

Hi Loves! I'm Lauren and I blog over at WIFESTYLES but I'm super excited to be blogging over here today!

I'm a newlywed who loves to cook, clean and be domestic! I'm a lover of DIY projects, my amazing hubby and my cute little fur babies! Blogging is one of my favorite things SO please come over and stop by my blog!

Today I'm going to share some of my favorite things about Summer!

1. Tanning-  I could lay by the pool and catch rays for hours!
2. Popsicles- who doesn't love a good popsicle on a hot Summer day?!
3. Vacations- we usually always take either a weekend trip to the lake or a tropical vacation to the beach in the Summer and I will always love our vacas! :)
4. Aviators- I can't live without them in the Summer!
5. Maxi dresses- these are my favorite things about Summer fashion! I live in them all Summer long!

What are your favorite things about Summer?!

Thanks so much for having me!

Adventures of D and V: A guest post

Hi there! I'm Veronica (the "V" in Adventures of D and V) and I am beyond thrilled to be Rachel's guest poster today. The "D" is for Daniel, my amazingly wonderful husband of 2 years and my best friend. Our lives have been one adventure after another since we met. 

(The best day of our adventure thus far, our wedding day!)

Together we are pretty much the ultimate DIYers.

From cooking to crafting,

home improvement to home renovation

we like to do things ourselves!

At the moment we have undertaken the huge task of finishing our basement.

Well, not JUST finishing...

Take a look {HERE} for more details on our Operation: Finish Basement

Today I am going to share with you one of my most favorite and most frequently used recipes:

How to make your own granola bars! 

Daniel loves granola bars and could eat a whole box if given a change. And to be honest, those little buggers can be expensive! So I set out to learn how to make my own. 

This recipe is very flexible. Our favorite flavor combination so far has been:

Here is the basic recipe I start off with: 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, 2 c. oats (we use gluten free oats), 1/2 c. nuts (for this recipe I used chopped pecans), 1 c. dried fruit (I used cranberries), 1/2 c. white chocolate chips, 2 t. cinnamon.

Step 1: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2: Mix all ingredients together

TIP OF THE DAY: let your can of sweetened condensed milk sit in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes while you measure out the other ingredients. Doing this will make the mixing process MUCH easier!

Step 3: Using a spoon (or your fingers) lightly press the mixture into a parchment paper lined cookie pan, spreading it evenly. The bigger the pan you use, the thinner your granola bars will be. I like mine kind of a medium thickness so I use my smallest cookie pan.

Step 4: Bake them for 25 min at 350 degrees. If you like your granola bars a little more crunchy, you can leave them in for another 10 min, just watch that the top doesn't start to burn. 

Step 5: After your remove the granola bars from the oven, flip them over onto a cutting board and peel off the parchment paper. Let them cool for about 10 min on the cutting board before cutting them.

I have found that the easiest way to cut these into bar size is by using a pizza cutter! Don't wait until they are all the way cool to cut them because they will get a little stiff. 

And there you have it, home made granola bars!  I wrap my granola bars individually in plastic wrap to pack in our lunches. Like I said before you can add or leave out any kinds of nuts and dried fruit. I will even melt some peanut butter to mix in with the sweetened condensed milk just to change things up a bit. 

I would love to know your favorite granola bar flavor combination! I am always looking for new ideas. Jump on over to Adventures of D and V and let me know what you think!

Covered in Grace: A Guest Post

Hey ya'll. Today I am enjoying my first day in Sky Valley, relaxing and enjoying the gorgeous view! Today I'd like to introduce ya'll to Brooke from Covered in Grace. She is one of my daily reads and I am excited for ya'll to learn a little more about her today!

Have a wonderful Saturday

Hello new friends!! I'm so happy to be here today and to get the opportunity to meet you all.

My name is Brooke, and I blog over at Covered in Grace. There, I write about life as a mother, student, military wife, photog wannabe, writer and Jesus lover. For those of you that don't know me yet, I thought I'd answer a few questions about myself so yall could get to know me a little better.

1. How did you come up with the title of your blog?

Covered in Grace was something that had been rolling around in my head for a while. I had been blogging at My Beautiful Brooke for a long time, and while I was ok with the title, "beautiful" because HE sees me, it still wasn't sitting well with me-not completely. Covered in Grace encompasses what I believe, how I live, and pretty sums it all up. I am Covered in Grace through faith in Jesus.

2. If there was one blog post that you'd direct your readers to, what would that be?

Oh man, I'd direct you to any of my faith posts, but right now, the one that I love so much, that really tugs on my heartstrings right now is...all summer long.  You can also see a branch off of that post at From the Guest Room.

3. What is your go-to quick fix meal when you've spent too much time on Pinterest/Your Blog been very, very busy?

Ha! Pancakes? Biscuits with eggs? Anything breakfast!

4. What is something you're looking forward to this coming summer?

I'm finally going back home to Texas for a visit!! I have been stuck on this rock in the Pacific for two and a half years (without leaving) and I am sooo excited to finally head out for a little bit. My little brother is getting married! And I'll finally get to see my niece! Woo!

5. Do you have any goofy talents or specialties?

Why, yes. Yes I do. I can make a siren sound by throat-chopping myself. It's very, very awesome. Maybe you saw it in the I've Got Talent Vlog Linkup Challenge? 

6. If you could be a character from any book through out the entire story, what book-what character?

Oh, that's easy. No question. I would be Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser...wife of Jamie Fraser. (oooh la la) She's the heroine in the best books ever....the Outlander series. If you haven't read these books, YOU MUST! These are the books I recommend over all others.

7. What is the best piece of blogging advice that you've ever received?

Be yourself. Write about what you want, feel, believe. And don't worry about the numbers.

8. What is your biggest dream?  

To grow old with my husband. But after that...it's to become a published author...to just be a writer and have my words reach the masses.

9. What is your favorite Saturday morning like?

Waking up whenever, breakfast with the family, heading outside to be in this gorgeous Hawaiian weather...

10. Why do you blog?

I blog to practice my craft. To use my gifts. To reflect on my spirituality and faith. I blog to glorify God. To share my favorite things. To network with others. To maintain daily writing habits. I blog because it has become a fantastic hobby...and because I love it.

I would love it if you'd stop by and visit me from time to time!

You can find me here:

Covered in Grace | Twitter | HelloCotton | Bloglovin | Facebook 

5 Ideas for Summer

As the summer time comes in we look for ways to keep ourselves entertained, and cool. Well I have come up with 5 ideas that are 10 dollars or less. Ideas that are fun, and cool. 


1. Regal Cinemas offers 1$ movies on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and they offer a pretty good collection this year. 


2. Museums usually have a day of the week where they either offer a free day (on Sundays around here) or half off. 


3. A picnic in the park costs merely the amount of money needed for food.


4. Craft and hobby stores offer classes all summer long for free and up to 10 dollars for adults to children. 


5. There are many little working historic sites that are known for doing things the way did during the old times. These sites can be full of activities that get everyone involved and learning something. 


Well I hope you enjoy this post of fun activities for the summer. 


Olivia from Olivia Blogs! 

Erika Posts

My name is Erika and I blog over on a little blog called t.e. and baby

Basically, it's just a little blog about our growing family. I love to document the ins and outs of our lives--Both good and bad. I would love it if you would stop by and say hi sometime!

Anyway--Rachel asked me to write a post today about some of my favorite books. This is a perfect topic for me because I am a crazy book fanatic.

I love to curl up in bed anytime I have a free second and just read away. I love the feeling of getting lost in a book and developing relationships with the characters.

My favorite book at the moment is The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson. 

Here's the synapsis from Barnes and Noble.

Lennie plays second clarinet in the school orchestra and has always happily been second fiddle to her charismatic older sister, Bailey. Then Bailey dies suddenly, and Lennie is left at sea without her anchor. Overcome by emotion, Lennie soon finds herself torn between two boys: Bailey's boyfriend, Toby, and Joe, the charming and musically gifted new boy in town. While Toby can't see her without seeing Bailey and Joe sees her only for herself, each offers Lennie something she desperately needs. But ultimately, it's up to Lennie to find her own way toward what she really needs-without Bailey. A remarkable debut novel perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Francesca Lia Block.

I found this book by mistake while I was browsing for something to read on my NOOK. The death part is what caught my eye (my dad had just passed away a few weeks prior), but the words completely captivated me. Jandy is a beautiful writer, and the story line really hit home with me. Some of the quotes from the book will stick with me for the rest of my life. This book taught me that it is okay to be happy, even in the midst of tragedy.

Another favorite book of mine is If I Stay by Gayle Forman.

Here's the synapsis from B&N:

In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen­year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces- to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heartwrenchingly beautiful, Mia's story will stay with you for a long, long time.

Mia was one of those characters that I couldn't help but fall in love with. I loved following her story and loved how much this book made me feel. It could have me laughing at one moment, and completely crying at the next. It is written so well, and really makes you feel like you know the characters early on.

The sequel (Where She Went) is amazing as well.

So...What about you? What are some of your favorite books? I would love to hear all about them.

Feel free to stop by my blog and say hi! Oh! And, don't forget to come by every Tuesday for my series "Bloggers and Books" to see what books other bloggers out there in blogland love. It's a great way to expand your reading list!

Thanks for having me today, Rachel!

Friday Letters

I ready Ashley's Friday Letters every week but have never written one of my own. Since my usual Friday link up is unavailable this week I am finally going to participate in Friday Letters.

Dear Blog Friends, Thank you so much for all your precious comments. Your kind words make me smile and I LOVE hearing from all of you! Dear lovely ladies who are guest posting, Thank y'all SO much. I can not wait to read what you have planned. It's HUGE to me that you're taking time out of your busy lives to help me out. Dear The Beatles, Your music is my favorite summer playlist. I wish you were all still alive so I could see you in concert. It would pretty much make my life! Dear Ephraim, Thank you for taking wonderful morning naps for me this week so I could get all the cleaning done I've needed to! However, you throwing your food and starting to have tantrums in the afternoons is not fun for me. Let's go back to you being sweet and loving and HAPPY :) Dear Husband, I love you and I am sorry if I have been snippy at times this week. I am tired from cleaning and dealing with a fussy son. I know that doesn't give me an excuse to be a butt so I'm sorry! Dear Sunday around 4pm, HURRY UP!!!!! I am beyond ready for this vacation. Dear Beach, Pretty please have gorgeous weather every day we are there so our vacation is perfect!

Happy Friday!

Ps: Bracelets seen here are now being made in the following colors

If you would like to order email me: Rachelnichols11.12@gmail.com

$10 per bracelet $3 flat shipping.

100% of $ goes to Olivia to help her kick this cancer in the butt!

Lovely Line Up

With Sunday closing in on me and my to do list not getting any shorter, I feel like I need to go ahead and introduce the lovely line up of ladies that will be posting in my place, while I am away on vacation.

Most of you probably already know Olivia, from mentions in previous posts.

If you haven't checked out her blog you can do that here.

I am thankful for her taking time out of her life to post not once but twice while I'm away. 

Annalee blogs here. She is a sophomore in high school, living in Virginia. She is precious, and makes me feel like an oldie while reading about all her adventures in school. I am grateful she is squeezing me in between school, work, babysitting and spending time with her boyfriend.

Jenny is the fabulous blogger over here. Her and her husband are big Alabama football fans and that makes them okay in my book! We seem to have our bad luck in common these days, but for both our sake I am hoping that turns around soon. She is sure to entertain you with whatever she posts. Thank you Jenny!

Last but certainly not least is Erika. You can read her blog here. She has quickly become one of my favorite reads. She has the cutest little family and a new baby on the way. I can relate to her very well and am sure you will love her!

I have one day still available for a guest spot, so if you are interested it's not too late.
email: Rachelnichols11.12@gmail.com

Time for me to actually get some things knocked off my to do list. Off to, hell,Walmart.

Guest Posters Needed!

In 14 day I will be here:

 in this gorgeous 3,700 sq ft penthouse suite.

The site wouldn't let me post their pictures. Such party poopers! {yes I still say things like poopers, kid at heart.}

You should take a look and be jealous!

To say this is a much needed vacation would be and understatement. I am so thankful for Stephan's grandparents who bless the whole family with a Gulf Shores vacation every year. We all stay together, hence the penthouse suite. It's always a fun time and I can't wait to see my little man's toes in the sand.

While I am away I will be needing guest posters. I will have my computer and might post if we are having a lazy night but it is a vacation so who knows.

You're probably asking:

"Why would I want to guest post on her blog?... She only has 14 subscribers no one will read my post."

Yes it is true I only have 14 subscribers {makes me a little sad but I'm just really getting into this blogging world and I'm sure that will change} however, I have many readers that don't subscribe. People will read your post, discover how awesome YOUR blog is and then fall in love with you! I promise :)

So if you are interested in posting while I'm away

{Those dates are June 4th-9th}

email me: Rachelnichols11.12@gmail.com and we'll talk!

Please and Thank You,

Rachel