marriage & relationship goal: a linkup

Hello there, loves. I took a social media hiatus this weekend due to a little medical procedure (don't worry, I'm fine) and going to my parents house for the 4th and an early birthday celebration for mi madre since she'll be in California on her real birthday.

But I'm back today to bring you a fantastic linkup with the duo behind Life with Amberly & Joe as well as some other fantastic bloggers! This is my first linkup ever to cohost and I am so excited about it.

Our car ride conversation last night was what do we want to accomplish in our second six months of marriage, since our half-iversary was Friday. Drew's first response? "Well, stay married, for one."

After the laughter stopped we got serious, and here's what we are working towards as we move forward:

• Financial goals:
• By our 1 year anniversary: have a great anniversary vacation booked and paid for.
• Have doubled our savings account.
• Created and stuck to an organized, working budget.
• Eat at home more and out less.
• Romance goals:
• One date night per month planned ahead--maybe even one where I get to get all dressed up.
• Be more intentional in intimacy.
• Eat at the dinner table most nights instead of in front of the TV.
• And...don't split up.

This really opened up a great conversation for us and allowed us to really talk about things that were bothering us without having an argument or any strife between us. We enjoyed the discussion a lot and learned even more about each other and what matters to each of us.

Now, it's your turn. What are some goals you and your spouse/fiance/boyfriend/girlfriend have as you move forward?

<center> <a href="http://www.lifewithamberlyandjoe.com/search/label/marriage%20and%20relationship%20goals" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt=" Marriage & Relationship Goals "; title=" Marriage & Relationship Goals" height="200px" width="200px" src="http://i1356.photobucket.com/albums/q721/Amberly_Lambertsen/Blogging/marriageamprelationship_zps00f8ba54.png"/></a></center>

New to the Marriage & Relationship Goals Link-up? Goals help our relationships grow stronger and get better with time as well as help us move forward and avoid the "ruts" of life. This link-up was created in hopes of inspiring your relationship with your significant other no matter your chapter in life and love. We would love for you to join us in making the things we do in our relationships intentional. 
If you would like more information, click here. If you would like to sign up for the newsletter, click here. If you are interested in cohosting, click here.

An InLinkz Link-up

kaitie lately...

Let me start with...holy {words i try not to use but still pop into my head when really excited/surprised/anxious/in sudden severe pain} my wedding is in two weeks and two days.

Is this real life?

Also the title is because kaitie lately sounded better than kaitlin lately and because my family and my man and my closest friends call me Kaitie basically always. My brother has called me Kaitlin twice ever and both times it was highly upsetting.

Since I'm kind of a homebody with a love for my family and a love for all things handmade and artisan crafted, here's the pergola my father designed and built and younger brother stained for me to get married under.

Heyyy little brother who is actually much bigger than me. Thanks for the stain job!

My family is pretty talented, I must say. If you love timber and are in the home building market (decorator, architect, builder, new homeowner...) you should check out Accent Truss. I'm biased but I have toured many houses in my day and seen many jobsites, and I must say...no one does trusses quite like my parents. Dad has the best eye for timber frames and he and my mom are an excellent partnership.

Here is me telling my amazing hairdresser for pretty much ten years straight because I have trust issues and no one else is allowed to touch my head what I want my wedding hair to look like.

Donna Hathaway. Upstate SC peeps, find her. She's the best at hair. Plus she's gorgeous, hilarious, and happens to be a super cool biker. For real, go get your hair did by her. It's great.

Drew and I are really really good at presents, but we are also really really bad at them. We cannot keep secrets from each other basically at all, and we have the hardest time not accidentally revealing surprises. So obviously we decided that we should just go ahead and open one present each (he had me open 2 because he technically got me a higher quantity of presents within our budget) this week because we won't be together on real Christmas and have to do it early anyways.

Open gift one and....

We got each other the same thing. Each of us has talked about cast iron skillets so much we each decided it would make a great gift for the other! And we were right--we love them.

He also got me a French press! I adore it. I've admired them for ages but never bought myself one because it wasn't a staple and Liz gave me a big regular coffee maker she and Kyle had before they got a Keurig for their wedding. But it's so pretty! And makes the perfect coffee for my pretty mug collection.

I made our stockings this year by buying the $0.98 ones from Wal-Mart (I've only started shopping at WalMart since moving. I still hate it. But it's cheap.) and then embroidering our names on them. I think they're super cute but I think next year I'm going to make some nice ones that have more detail.

I also made my garters. I took basic ones from Hobby Lobby and totally changed them up. In true refashioning form, I had to take old to make this new...

...so I used beads from my mom's wedding dress all over one. The dangling part on the garter I will be keeping was hanging where Mom's bodice met her skirt. I love it. And I took lace from the hem of her dress to my florist to carry in my bouquet on the big day. She's also my matron of honor. Have I mentioned that I love my mom?

So that's life in the world of the soul behind the seams right now. How about you, readers? What's new in your world?

PS--I'm super excited because on Monday we are FINALLY having a last minute engagement photo shoot! Stay tuned for the pics!

PPS--There is a strong chance I'll be somewhat MIA from the blog for a few weeks due to wedding and a honeymoon cruise but I promise I'll be back soon!

Why we disappeared off the face of the earth....

Well. It's been a while. An embarrassingly long while, actually.

What happened was....Liz and I both kinda had the craziest 2013. After our fall semester ended, I went into graduation/what am I going to do with the rest of my life mode. Liz went into wedding mode.

So here are some pictures of what all went down this year.

Liz became Elizabeth Taylor. I am not kidding. She's really Elizabeth Taylor now.

How freaking cool is it that one of my best friends in the world is Elizabeth Taylor? I geek out about her name basically always.

I became a college grad with a degree in Communications: Public Relations and Advertising.

I'm now using that degree working for an arts and culture nonprofit in the famously hot Columbia, South Carolina. And even though I hate heat, I love that I'm surrounded by the arts every day. I listen to a lot of Etta James, The Rat Pack, and Norah Jones every day at work. My heart is happy.

I moved away from home and now have a lovely little apartment in the suburbs (I love cities but living in one stresses me out. I like quiet and trees.)

And....here is the biggest news...I'll be sharing that apartment with a boy in January. Yep, I'm getting married!

It started with a facebook message from my high school sweetheart, who I hadn't seen or spoken to in two and a half years after breaking up {for the second time} at the end of sophomore year of college. A few weeks later, we went on our {third} first date. It was wonderful.

We kept dating. He even got me into college sports fan gear. If you know me, you know...I loathe sports. I do not understand getting all worked up about a team I have no connection to playing a sport I don't understand and am far too uncoordinated to play. Alas, Drew is a die hard Gamecock fan. I get in trouble if I say red instead of garnet referring to the team colors.

And then, on a lovely drizzly Tuesday in September when he was SUPPOSED to be working a twelve hour shift in the hospital he's a nurse at, he surprised me with a scavenger hunt that led to him and the ring.

{there is no filter on this pic--it's that bright. thank you brilliant earth for the best ring ever}

I'll be Mrs. Beckwith on January 4th, 2014. The wedding is going to be perfectly me--very small and intimate, at sunset in winter, in the art galleries I spent three years working at, to my very best friend. God shocked me when he brought Drew back to my life {third time really is the charm}, but I couldn't imagine saying I Do to anyone else.

So now that you know why Liz and I abandoned the blogosphere for so long, I hope you can forgive us. I promise I'll try so very hard not to run away so long again.

I've got lots of little sewing projects ahead as I continue to set up my first home. Plus, it's my first Christmas in my own house. You know I'm rocking some DIY holiday cheer this year.

So. How have you been, web friends? Anything fabulous in your worlds I've missed out on?

A grievously owed apology.

Hi dear readers! It's Kaitlin. Remember me?


I am so, SO sorry it's been such a long time since my last post. You see, the final semester of college beginning...well, it wasn't as smooth, simple, or stress free as I had planned. I have many major life changes on the way, and many decisions to make, which requires much more thought and energy than I expected.

I'm a big planner. There are lists for everything major in my life. Pro/con lists decided which college I would attend, which major I would choose, then which I would switch to. I believe tucked somewhere in a scrapbook or memory box there's even a list I made at age 15 to determine the type of guy I would date/marry. To future beaus: I am terribly sorry for the awkwardness that will come when my family shows you that list and laughs comparing my youthful ideals with the reality of you. I read a lot, so you've got some pretty intense competition with all those literary masculine heroes I designed the list after.

I have always just said, "That's what I'm going to do," and then buried myself in working to make whatever "that" was happen. I'm doing the same thing now...planning, list making, deciding things. It's a process and it's taking much of my brain.

However, I've also been spending time with people I love, trying to enjoy my relationships. I have these amazing friends who are so supportive of me and accept me exactly as I am, quirks and all. When you first meet me, I tend to be very shy. It's not that I'm rude or don't like you; I'm just taking time to get a feel for who you are as a person. Once you have become a close friend, however, you'll find that I'm actually very vivacious, albeit a little odd. I will go from reading a medical journal on the vagus nerve because something about it spiked my interest to watching Tangled with my closest friends singing along with every number. No lie--that's basically what my night looked like tonight.

On May 4th, my years as a college student will be over, and I'll be moving into a new phase of life. It didn't happen according to plan; lots of small details have changed along the way. However, I believe it's happened exactly as it was meant to.

The point of all of this information is this: I am sorry I haven't been posting, truly. I loved creating Sew My Soul, and I want to keep it up for sure. I'm not sorry, though, for the reasons behind the lost post time. I used to think that being efficient and doing everything and growing up to be Wonder Woman was what life was all about, but the past year has taught me this: Wonder Woman was probably really lonely and didn't have much freedom to be true to herself. I'm taking off my cape and terribly uncomfortable bodysuit, and exchanging it for a pretty pink pencil skirt and grey ballet flats.

I'll keep being a blogger, a student (for 106 more days, at least) and a worker, but for the most part I'm going to be me. I think that's going to make me much better at all the rest.

Goodwill explosions!

Monday I had to go to Greenville for most of the day for a few appointments, and I found SO many thrift stores. My mom was with me and every time we passed one I would stop talking mid sentence and look out the window really quickly like a dog watching cars pass. She made so much fun of me.

But I can't help it! Sew My Soul has been so much fun, and now everywhere I go, I see opportunities for it.

For example.

Did you know that Goodwill actually has a clearance store? How much more discounted and thrifty can you possibly get than a Goodwill Clearance Store? According to my mom, "it's really really gross...like take four showers when you leave gross..." which to me translates to "perfect place for a broke twenty something who likes to sew to shop."

And there are approximately seven zillion independently owned thrift stores scattered all over town. We got kind of lost a few times because neither of us is very good at listening to the GPS while the radio is on, so we saw way more parts of town than we'd planned. And in every random area we were in, I found at least four thrift stores.

Back home in Anderson, I found a brand new little one in the middle of nowhere on my way home. Yes, the way home does involve being in the middle of nowhere. I was late to class Friday morning because I got stuck behind a tractor. For about a mile and a half. Yep, I'm from the South.

In seeing all of these thrift stores, I realized something. Donating is super, super important for these businesses.

But I have a confession.

There are two enormous bags of donations in my trunk for Goodwill.

They've been there since September.

Oops.

~Kaitlin

Upcycled Christmas Decorations

The Christmas Gala at the Arts Center is tomorrow night, and we made some REALLY cool ornaments this morning to put on our lovely tree! I forgot to take pictures of it but I can definitely describe!

We first made some out of those mini spools of thread that come in a pack of about 24. We stacked ten of different colors and then threaded them onto a sheer ribbon, which we tied a loose knot with a long tail into on one end, and a loop into on the other. Sort of like these, but without the buttons:

Thanks to Lisa Carroccio over at The Domestic Diva for her Martha Stewart Christmas post! Her blog......it's like going to wonderland for seamstresses. Dead serious. I couldn't get off.

We also stuffed a bunch of ribbon in those clear glass globe ornaments you can get at Target, Michaels, etc. I'm gonna try to get them at the Dollar Store so I can do it at home. We have literally hundreds of yards of extra ribbon all over the Arts Center. Because of how many events we host, we can basically decorate for any theme ever. So lots of supplies. And we reuse them all the time. Need some Spanish moss for that flower pot? Go check the attic. Looking for that wooden cutout we made for art camp six years ago? I think it's in the workshop.

Really. We're nothing if not prepared. And we're economical, because we are a nonprofit, so we maximize our dollars by using everything more than once for a thousand different things. Kind of like what Elizabeth and I are doing with our blog!

I can't decide what I want to make next...I have about fifty ideas and I can't pick one! Anyone have some suggestions?

~Kaitlin

How to get the REAL deals this holiday season

If I am known for anything, it's my ability to bargain shop. Once I walked out of Kohl's with a ten dollar gift card they had to give me because I had used so many coupons my total price was -$10. I got a seventy dollar pair of boots, two shirts, and a pair of sweatpants, for literally nothing. And the store gave me money.

Not a lie, guys. I'm really, really good at finding the best deals.

And here's one of my trade secrets. Black Friday? It's actually one of the worst days of the holiday season to find deals. Earlier in the Thanksgiving week, the markdowns are actually lower and unadvertised, and then marked up a little more with tons of press coverage so that the stores can make people think they're getting an awesome deal while still making tons of cash from all the crowds.

The best day to shop in November is really the day before Thanksgiving. The prices haven't been advertised so the stores can afford to do a bigger cut then, since they know there won't be a huge crowd. Bonus? The stores are practically empty, and you're almost guaranteed to find your size because everything is overstocked in preparation for Black Friday. So next year, save yourself a ton of cash and shop before Thanksgiving. Trust me, you'll be even happier about the deals.

Christmas time is even better for the deals. Two weeks before Christmas and the week after Christmas, the markdowns are at a really high percentage because the stores are trying to get rid of their old merchandise to make room for the shipments they'll be getting in January and February. January and February are awful months to shop. The prices are actually marked up from where they will be in March. When companies introduce new products, the price is higher than when the product has spent a little time on the market. NEVER buy something when it is first introduced. You will be guaranteed to lose money on it.

If you live in a college town where people tend to go away for spring break, stay in town! The stores know the schedule for all of the local schools' major breaks, and will mark down most heavily when they know a significant amount of their population will be out of town. They don't want the massive crowds to know about their markdown schedule, so they will arrange it in a way that saves them the most money. Shop during school breaks. You'll get really good prices.

Also, use coupons. Yes, even at clothing stores. Haven't you heard of retailmenot.com? Sometimes the coupons won't actually work (some of them are user created) but most of the time they work. And it's always worth a try. If the coupon doesn't work, don't act embarrassed. Act mad at the store. Usually, this approach can get you some type of discount. Hey, ten percent off is ten percent off.

Final tip of the day: This is the best time of year to go thrifting and find really good stuff, even current things you don't need to refashion. People are feeling giving because of the mood of the season, and also trying to make room for the presents they're sure to receive, so closet cleanouts and donations are happening left and right. Hit up Goodwill. Like, now. Trust me.

If you're still in doubt, try some of my tricks. Everyone who knows me knows I really am good at this. You can be too. Just try it!

~Kaitlin

Happy Thanksgiving! (a little late)

Sorry we've been a little irregular with our posting this week. Thanksgiving is a crazy holiday for everyone!

I made a lot of pies. Four kinds. I really like to bake.

I'm thankful for about a million things. Here's an abbreviated list:

1. All of the opportunities I have. An amazing job I only dreamed about two years ago, an education I spent my teens trying to earn, classes that are really developing some of my skills (like the class that inspired this blog)...
2. My amazing friends. I took this semester as a sort of fresh start, and the people I now have in my life inspire me every day. While the friendships are new, I have a feeling they're going to last, and I'm SO glad these people are part of my life.
3. My family. My parents and brother have been there for me unfailingly through things I never thought would end, and I couldn't imagine life without them. They're pretty much the best people I could have asked for.
4. A creative spirit! I love the fact that I am able to paint, draw, sew, and see possibilities in some of the most unusual things. Creativity is an incredible gift, and I am so glad I got a heavy dose.

There are countless other things in life that I am glad for. I can't wait to see what new things I will add to my list next year!

On a lighter note, now that Thanksgiving is over...........I CAN START TO DO CHRISTMAS! Which is my favorite. It's amazing. I'm so excited.

What are your plans for the holidays?

~Kaitlin

Holiday Tips: How to Pack Two Weeks in a Carry-On

So first of all, today is Kaitlin's birthday so be sure to leave a Happy Birthday comment for her!

Second of all, today's post isn't going to be about repurposing, but we are focused on giving you facts to help you be more resourceful when it comes to fashion and clothes in general. Also, with the coming holidays I'm sure many of you will be traveling, so I felt this tip would be very helpful.

So here it is... How to Pack Two Weeks in a Carry-On!

I found this post on, none other, than Pinterest. This blog explains how to pack all your clothes in one carry-on. With the rising charges to check a bag, these tips are amazing if you're going to be flying to see family over the holidays. Here are some of her tips:

1. Know Your Destination + Activities
2. Choose Dual Purpose Items
3. Select Your Outfits
4. Learn To Fold Like A Pro
5. Use A Hard Sided Suitcase + Push The Limit Of Your "Personal" Item

To see the rest of her tips and what she has to say about each, go take a look at her post. It takes less than 5 minutes to read.

Let us know your tips for packing lightly and don't forget to wish Kaitlin a Happy Birthday!

~ Elizabeth

Inspiration: 5 Repurposing Ideas for Old Blue Jeans

With the changing seasons, many of you will be cleaning out your closet and switching from your summer to winter clothes. Kaitlin mentioned this in her recent post Preparing for a New Season. So what do you do when you pull out last years clothes and find out that last years jeans have 'shrunk' or you've actually lost a few inches and they just wont fit? Repurpose of course.

Here are some of my favorite ideas on how to repurpose old jeans:

1. Shorts - This one obviously wouldn't be for jeans that didn't fit anymore (unless it was length) and won't be able to be used until it warms up a little, but is still an awesome was to repurpose jeans. This tutorial is so helpful and an added bonus, it's super easy!

2. Koozies - If you want to save your jeans and the environment, then you will most likely like this idea. It save you from burning your hands and you also don't have to use the little cardboard ones.

3. Coasters - This is a great way to use the hems of the jeans to actually make something useable. Also, you not only save the jeans, but also your furniture from the dreaded cup sweat rings.

4. Christmas Stockings - This is such a neat idea and very relevant considering the coming holiday season. Also, store bought stockings can be so expensive and it's hard to find ones that are personalized, but you could make these to be however you like.

5. Scarecrow's Jeans - Another Holiday use, but for fall. Especially here in the south, people love to decorate for the fall months by putting pumpkins, hay bales, and scarecrows in their yards. Just grab your jeans, an old flannel shirt, and a hat and you have your essentials for a cute and festive decoration.


Let us know which use is your favorite and if you would like us to try repurposing jeans. Also, don't forget to let us know if you have have any ideas for jean repurposing of your own!
~Elizabeth

Birthdays and Turkeys and Gifts, Oh My!

I got halfway through a tutorial tonight and then...my sewing machine broke. And I tried very hard to fix it myself, but as it happens, I don't actually know what I'm doing when it comes to using miniature screwdrivers. That's now on my list of skills to learn.

This is my FAVORITE time of year by far. I am so excited. Went shopping today and there was Christmas everywhere! I love November and December more than any other months. In November, it's my birthday (next Tuesday, if anyone feels like sending me refashion tools as a present!), and then I get to bake like crazy for Thanksgiving. December rolls around, and once finals are over, it's all about sweets, family, parties with friends, wrapping presents, opening them...

Wrapping presents is my favorite part of Christmas. I'm SUCH a perfectionist about my wrapping. Actually, both Elizabeth and I were. We had a fairly long discussion about it just last week.

I am spending unreasonable amounts of time looking at ways to re-use other materials to wrap my presents this year. Writing Sew My Soul has really ignited my "go green" fire.

Two years ago for my brother's birthday, I used up the comics section of the Sunday paper to wrap his present. He is a huge graphic novel fan, so he thought it was great. I made tiny strips of the paper into a huge bow, too. I wish I had pictures!

Last year, I took really old shopping tags I found in an attic of a historic building in town and made gift tags from them. Each one was rimmed with gold, thin strips of ribbon made different borders, and I wrote messages on each one. I even shipped one package overseas and I'm pretty sure I wrapped the entire interior of the package and each item I had put in it. I really do spend TONS of time on this every year.

This year's presents are going to have special present toppers. I'm not sure how I'm going to make them yet, but they're going to be amazing.

How do you like to wrap your presents?