Come On Over!

Smile and Wave has a new home! I've transferred all of the posts from this year to Typepad and plan on bringing the rest over later this week or next for easy access and to keep the feeling of a substantial blog intact. I've still got some unpacking to do in my new space but it feels good to have a fresh, new look.

Thank you for all of the sweet comments shared on Twitter and Typepad about the makeover. I'm taking the rest of the night off to relax and spend some quality time with a husband who hasn't seen much of me in the last few days! He's been so great to keep the kids occupied, keep the house running, and keep food in the fridge while I knocked this monster out. I think he's earned at least one long afternoon to ride off into the sunset with his scooter friends.

I'd love to have you join me in my new location, whether you use Google Friend Connect or Blog Lovin', and I hope to get the RSS feed plugged in this week. The list continues.

Come see me!

xoxo,
Rachel

Updating my FAQ's Page

I'd love to hear any of your blog/life/crafty/vintage related questions in the comment section below so I can update my FAQ page and keep it fresh and relevant. I know you guys are DYING to know if I floss my teeth every day. Ha! (For the record, I don't.) Thanks in advance for keeping it polite.

The blog makeover is coming along nicely and will be ready for action tomorrow afternoon!

xoxo,
Rachel

Work In Progress

I've been spending most of my increments of work time rebranding and creating a new blog over on Typepad. It's given me a new appreciation for how much work goes into these things, even for those who aren't spending over two hours figuring out how to correctly code a nav bar. I plan on sharing a full post (or two) on how I decided to make a change, what tools I've used to feel slightly more adequate, and some tutorials that helped fill in the blanks.

I spent most of Saturday afternoon clearing brush from a fence line in our backyard for a background for a banner photo idea. Then I scrapped it. I also hauled (with help from the poison ivy-covered husband) props out to the other side of my house for another banner idea, spent two hours designing said banner idea, and then scrapped that one this afternoon after coming up with a third idea.

It's been quite the challenge but I haven't felt this excited about having learned something technical and complex since college. It feels good to have set a big goal and then knuckle sandwiched it into submission. This may lead to setting more goals. WATCH out.

I'd like to publicly thank Elise Blaha Cripe for offering her class on blog design and saving my night with some post-class assistance in coding. I heart that girl.

I hope you have a lovely Memorial Day. We're celebrating with a handful of neighbors and remembering those who have served and sacrificed for our country. There will be ice cream and a kiddie sized swimming pool involved.

xoxo,
Rachel

Giveaway Day: May Sponsors

It's giveaway day on Smile and Wave which means ONE HAPPY COMMENTER will win ALL OF THE GIVEAWAYS BELOW! A few of this month's sponsors are generously offering items ranging in value of $25 - $50 to a lucky Smile and Wave reader. Read through and see how you can enter to win.

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Gingiber

"Hi, my name is Stacie and I run Gingiber, and online nursery decor shop. I love to create doodles that will appeal to both the kiddos and adults in a home! I am super excited to be giving away a $25 credit to my shop!

Giveaway: $25 shop credit

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Arian Armstrong

Arian Armstrong is a wife, mommy, drawer of cute things, experimental chef, crafter, and lover of all things vintage.

Giveaway: 3 prints of the winner's choice, value-$45

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Green Dandelion

Hi!! Green Dandelion is a very new business set up by three sisters Lauren, Jess and Tatum to create and sell clothes, toys and accessories for children (sizes 2-12). With a love for thrifting, a majority of our pieces feature upcycled and vintages materials found on our treasure hunts.

For us the ultimate goal is to be a 100% ethical, fair trade, organic company catering for adults and children in all sizes. If you have any questions or want to work together to create a custom order, email us on info@greendandelion.com.au and together we can work something out.

Find us on our website Green Dandelion and from there you will find links to our online store, facebook and twitter.

Xxx The Green Dandelion Girls

Giveaway: $50 gift card to Green Dandelion

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The-Loudmouth

Hi! My name is Stephanie. I'm a small-town girl who recently moved to Los Angeles with big dreams & a zest for life! I have a blog about food, fashion and city adventures at The-Loudmouth.com and an Etsy shop that showcases my photography! I am sure one of these prints would look great in your home :)

Giveaway: Your choice of 5 prints, valued at $25.

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No Ordinary Mommy

Hello! I'm Faith, designer and creator behind OrdinaryMommy. My line includes hair accessories, jewelry, and home decor pieces full of color and soft textures; intertwined in all of my designs is a love for fun, style, and also my unique perspective! My fondest wish is that my pieces make you smile. If you open that package and there's a smile on your face, that's what really matters to me.

Giveaway: Plush Owl Door Hanger shown above. Valued at $25.00.

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One winner will receive ALL of the giveaway items mentioned above!

TO ENTER TO WIN leave a comment below sharing something you love about the handmade community. Short and sweet or long and wordy! The comments will close on Monday and a winner will be announced soon after. Thank you to all the sponsors that joined in on this fun giveaway!

Also, I'm making the move over to a new blog soon. I'm MORE THAN A LITTLE excited about this space getting a fresh look! If you'd like to join Smile and Wave as a new summer sponsor check out this post for details.

xoxo,

Rachel

Vintage Here, Vintage There: Out and About

Yesterday, we headed out to a park we always forget exists despite the chilly temps. I was on a mission to find mushrooms! Nathaniel Green Park apparently has some fun play places, one of which is mushroom themed, that are not only interesting but interactive. Fun for the kids AND cute for photos, right?

Not that we need much more cuteness than this.

We didn't make it to the mushrooms but we did stumble upon a pretty little garden with a Ruby-sized bridge and a small pond full of tadpoles and water bugs.

Ruby was so excited about those tadpoles that I thought she may fall in. She shimmied right down to the edge of the pond and waved and waved at those little swimmers. It's the little things, folks.

I bought my dress from Past Times Vintage a few weeks ago after seeing it pop up in a search for cotton dresses. I immediately fell for the colors and I loved the vertical stripes. Hello, slimming!

I found the bag at a church sale that I randomly drove past last month. You can't beat an interesting purse for $ .25. Deal of the month? Close.

I'm wearing: Vintage dress, Past Times Vintage. Cardigan and belt, Target. Boots, thrifted. Vintage purse, thrifted.

Ruby's wearing: Denim pea coat, thrifted. Vintage dress, gifted from an online friend. Tights and shoes, gifted from Mom.

Ruby loved trying to keep up with Sebastian when she wasn't getting a free ride on Daddy's shoulders.

Sometimes little adventures in town can be just what a work-at-home mama needs. They're usually inexpensive, can be enjoyed before (or after) nap time so that everyone is in a good mood, and can happen on a whim. I've been thinking about making another list of all of the places we never think to visit in Springfield for afternoons like these.

Here are some fun purses for afternoon adventures such as these: leather, needlepoint, floral, carpetbag, woven leather, hand-tooled, ethnic.

What kinds of little adventures do you take yourself or your family on? Head 'over there' later today to see what kind of big adventure Rubyellen and her girls went on this week (local AND free!) and try not to wish you could have gone, too! Hint: the most magical place on Earth.

xoxo,

Rachel

Running In Place

Going to bed a bit early tonight. I looked in the mirror this morning and it really bothered me how tired I looked. I'm bad at going to bed before 11:00 p.m. but that's my goal bedtime. Starting...tomorrow night. Look for a long overdue Vintage Here, Vintage There post on Friday as well as sponsor giveaways!

Sweet dreams,

Rachel

Just Pull The Blanket Over Your Head

Today's sunny, breezy, warmish weather paired with a porch project involving outdoor string lights reminded me that summer is almost, almost here. It took me back to last summer's family vacation to Destin, FL and the perfect afternoon Ruby, Brett and I had the day before we went home.

I made this beach blanket out of some of my favorite vintage sheets the week before we left for that trip, sewing late into the night to make sure it was finished before we boarded the plane the next morning! It is soft and light for summer days but nice and large so the whole family can fit on it.

Today, however, I just wanted to crawl under it and hide from tornadoes. Joplin, MO is only an hour up the road from us and was completely devastated by an F5 tornado earlier this week. I couldn't stop reading tweets about it and checking news sites for the latest information. Then I got a phone call from my mom this afternoon saying they were corralling everyone at her school into the safe room and that she loved me. I could hear the adrenaline in her voice and started calling the rest of the family in OK to see what they knew.

I called my dad who was on the road coming back from a work event and passed along the message from Mom that he shouldn't drive any further North. I don't think he paid any attention to that because he ended up in the basement of a hospital pretty close to their home. I couldn't reach them for awhile so I called my grandparents to get news updates and stayed glued to Twitter and online news sites.

I called my Meemaw when Brett told me one of the tornadoes was headed towards her town and she told me she was headed to the closet. It skipped her town and headed to Shawnee, the town we went to college in and still have good friends in. Then I heard it was headed to Ada and called my grandparents again to check on them.

A little later and another tornado was headed towards the Dallas area, which makes sense, BECAUSE THAT'S NEAR WHERE THE REST OF MY SIDE OF THE FAMILY LIVES. I felt like a crazy woman! Thankfully, all were safe at the end of the day. Except as I type it's the end of the day and the storms are headed to Springfield. Awesome.

I'm so thankful for the safety of my family after seeing the devastation in Joplin. I will forever take tornado warnings and sirens more seriously. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers today as I shared my concern for family on Twitter. My heart goes out to those who have sad stories to tell.

I'm off to hide under my blanket until I hear either the sirens or the sound of a four year old saying he's ready for breakfast.

xoxo,
Rachel

Project ReStyle Guest Post on A Beautiful Mess

I found two old children's cots awhile back at a local thrift store. This is what happened next. For the full story head over to Elsie's blog for my Project ReStyle Guest Post and favorite ReStyles from our Flickr group.

xoxo,
Rachel

Now Accepting June Sponsors

I've been working behind the scenes for a few weeks on a much needed Smile and Wave makeover after almost two years with it's current design. I'm refreshing the navigation bar pages, organizing my features, and generally bringing things up to date in appearance to reflect what this space currently represents in my life. I can't wait to see if it turns out how I envision it in my head. Fingers crossed!

That said, I'm currently accepting sponsors for June. Ad sizes will be different but the price will remain the same through the end of the summer so it's a great time to jump on board before I raise rates in September!

I am introducing a new single feature ad spot starting in June. It will be larger, remain at the top all month, and have the option of a separate giveaway or feature post. First come, first serve! E-mail my ad managers at admanagers(at)frecklednest(dot)com for more details and to secure your spot(s).

I'm excited for a new look and can't wait to share!
xo,
Rachel

More Wedding Photos!

Here are a few photos from my regular camera. I know the photos that Sarah from Arrow & Apple took of the wedding weekend are going to be stunning and I can't wait to see them! That's the thing about weddings. They take months to plan and a day to enjoy but then you can revel in the photos that start popping up for as long as you want!

Have you been to any weddings yet this year? What was your favorite detail? This is the first wedding I'd been in since my other bestie got married almost seven years ago and it was such a fun time!

xoxo,
Rachel