{just} because

Busy is as busy does and I've missed a couple of posts that I meant  to get up in the last week or so.  Today seems like a perfect day to play catch up! If you haven't had a chance  yes, check out Operation Beautiful,  Hosted by Shane {Whispering Sweet Nothings}. It's a great opportunity for a little self-reflection,  and a gentle reminder to appreciate who we are as women.
My opinions on what I think is beautiful, heck my opinion of myself, is an evolution.  I don't necessarily feel beautiful day-in day-out,  but I'm learning to see myself through other people's eyes,  be more forgiving and less of my own worst critic.  Seriously, girls, we are harder on ourselves than we should be!
My entry for Operation Beautiful IV: 

My other little catch-up for the week is for the last Jewelry Swap hosted by Melissa  {Life of a Not So Ordinary House Wife}
I had a nice shift change weekend/Labor Day weekend and when I finally got around to checking the mail, I found these awesome, and brand new feather earrings in my mailbox from Marissa {Everyday Lounge Act}. Thanks Marissa!!!
You see I have a Las Vegas trip coming up and they are a perfect match  for the outrageous skirt I bought to wear out.  

I'm going for a Las Vegas Neon Sign look.  We've decided that I shall be called Tropicana the night I don this outfit.   Or Tropical Thunder. It's still being discussed... Yup. Hot (yeah girl) neon mess.   Meow.  So yeah... Viva Las Vegas & Happy Thursday to you all!!! <3

My new friend: The Jewelry Whisperer

I have a tale.

It is a story of kismet.

Once upon a time there was a girl {*ahem* me}

who decided to start upon a new adventure {*ahem* this blog}.

She moved into the land of Blogspot and laid claim to her part of the land.

{thanks, Shane!}

Seeing as the new land was a Land of Lovelies, a new friend came along quickly and said hello.

{the new friend!!}

The new friend, a red-haired madien, was a regular in the Land of Lovelies.

She was also the host of many gatherings {that's a lot of linkage!} with all the other lovelies in the land.

One day she set up a market, a place where all the lovelies could come and share their wares & trade their goods.  Something they called "bling".

The new girl wanted to play and so one day that she stumbled upon a brand new trinket in her little cottage that she knew she could share.

{this little guy needed a new home and someone to love him}

She told her new friend that she would come to the market but did not tell her what she was bringing. 

A few fortnights later, the new friend sent the new girl in the land a message saying she had a arranged for a fair market trade with another lovely in a far away place {New Jersey!!}

An owl?!  How did you know new friend? 

Did the jewelry Fairy Godmother come and tell you what I had to share?

And then it came upon her - the new girl realized that her new friend was actually: 

The Jewelry Whisperer

{everyone say "Ooooohhhhhhhhhh" with me.}

_________________________________________________________________

Ok, so I'm not gonna quit my day job anytime soon and get paid handsomely to write fairy tales, buuuuut, I do want to thank Melissa, my new {and oh, so close} blogger bud for being a sweetheart, saying hi after she found me on Coast-to-Coast, pimping out my audience with a July post sponsorship, and then making such a fabulous, fantastic, fatalistic (too many F words!) jewlelry swap arrangement and helping me find a new home for a long-neglected piece of bling.  *hoo, hoo!*

Sandra, my swap buddy {yo! way ova' thea'} at RedRoseVintage, I hope you like your little treasure and p.s. your baby is so, so stinking cute!!

And, to Rachel from lalalists for my new earring bling, thank you!!

They're super cute, I would have totally snagged them at the store if I saw them.

This was a super-fun swap.

Now can we do it with clothing, furniture, and scrapbook materials that have gathered dust? 

Can we, can we? 

No. *sigh*

Ok, I'll head over to Craigslists before I have to be featured on an episode of Hoarders. 

I'm seriously like one Old Navy bag full of clearance items away from an intervention. 

Hope you all had a great Swapportunity too.

XoXo ~ Lauren