{the week in pictures.}

{the week in pictures.}

fresh, homemade guac and chips- best "meal" of the week
new fossil bracelets- best find of the week
fresh mani and pedi- best treat of the week
blossom necklace, old navy skirt, and favorite boots- best outfit of the week

instafriday

i'm linking up with jeannett for another week of instafriday, where we share a week's worth of pictures from our phones.

is halloween over already? i'd like to replay the month of october, please. last friday night we took bailey to participate in a costume parade and walked downtown to see this gorgeous display of pumpkins.

it's been a running joke around the office this past week that i spend my friday nights hanging out with my dog. it's not really a joke though, hanging out with bailey and my hubby at home is certainly one of my favorite things to do. ...and seeing a bunch of dogs in hilarious costumes may be on my top 3 favorite things ever. bailey went as a ballerina hippo.

this picture shouldn't need an explanation. only in milwaukee would you run into a car like this.

yesterday i was able to participate in a PSA for autism awareness. it was pretty amazing to be part of the filming process and being around "local celebrities"

go ahead and link up, i'd love to see your pictures!!

instafriday

fridays remind me how fast the week goes. i'm linking up with jeannett and sharing my instagram pictures for the week.

my birthday isn't for another month, but i love getting birthday mail. how awesome is this coupon from anthro?

b and i took a mini trip to a cute suburb last weekend. we were in town for a work party and had a little bit of extra time to roam around. 

we grabbed a quick bite to eat and timed it perfectly. by the time we left all of the tables were filled up.

we went to a cafe that serves crepes, both of us were crepe virgins.

after one bite, i realized what i had been missing all of my life. SOO, SO good.. apple blossom crepe with homemade ice cream, i'll take 6 more please.

b got me tickets for cirque du soleil for our anniversary.

our seats were awesome and the show was so good! 

a little more about the lovely poppy

i'm so happy today to be posting a little intro about the lovely poppy.
the lovely poppy has been around since may of this year and i've already learned an incredible amount and have connected with some pretty amazing bloggers/indie business owners.

currently my husband and i live in milwaukee, wisconsin, with our puppy (treated like a child) bailey.

Source: thelovelypoppy.blogspot.com via Nicole on Pinterest

Source: thelovelypoppy.blogspot.com via Nicole on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Nicole on Pinterest

during the day i work for a local non-profit, managing an early intervention program for children with autism. i absolutely love what i do and helping children with disabilities is a huge passion of mine. i recently blogged about a football camp that i put together with a local high school.

Source: jsonline.com via Nicole on Pinterest

at night and on the weekends i run the lovely poppy. i decided to open up a shop because of my obsession with dressing bailey in a new collar every week and my love for shopping for fabric. the shop now focuses on accessories, such as necklaces, headbands, blossom pins, camera strap slipcovers, key fobs, pacifier clips, and a few new products are released each month. i enjoy being able to create things for others and have them feel confident wearing it.

Source: etsy.com via Nicole on Pinterest

i've recently started focusing more on blogging and connecting with other bloggers. i love waking up in morning and reading posts- which continue to inspire me and help come up with new ideas to grow the lovely poppy. i'm currently hosting a giveaway to increase followers and have had an overwhelmingly awesome amount of new followers.

i've shared a few quick and easy tutorials...

Source: thelovelypoppy.blogspot.com via Nicole on Pinterest

Source: thelovelypoppy.blogspot.com via Nicole on Pinterest

and love linking up for what i wore wednesdays and instafridays.

thank you so much for stopping by, let me know if you follow me, so i can make sure to follow you back. xoxo nicole

instafriday

oh fridays, today i have the day off and couldn't be more excited. i'm hoping to finalize my new website details (soon to take over thelovelypoppy.com- woohoo!). 

this week we celebrated our two year anniversary. b somehow was able to sneak a day off of work and put together an amazing surprise for me when i got home. he drove an hour and a half away to get a replica of our wedding cake and added my favorite- caramel apples to the top.

 pretty flowers waiting for me at my desk.

 the aftermath of b, bailey, and i taking a bite out of the cake together.

 anniversary dinner- mmmmm.

 last night i headed to oshkosh and attended a make and take class at EmmaJean's. it was great being able to spend time with friends and family.

 the project was handstamped jewelry.

 i decided to make dog tags and was planning on sewing them onto dog collars.

 the shop had a list of inspiration words for us to use if we didn't have anything in mind already.

 my "final projects".. let's just say handstamping is not a talent of mine.

instafriday

fridays are my favorite day of the week. i love being done with work early and have a few minutes to sit down and relax. tonight i'm looking forward to a night in with my husband to catch up on some orders and netflix. saturday we are hoping to get a lot done around the house, but the forecast indicates rain. sunday =football and a trip to our favorite fall spot, elegant farmer (i'll save this for another post).
here are a few pictures i'm sharing over at jeannett's blog that capture a few "photo worthy" instagram pics.

 searching for the perfect ribbon for an upcoming project & loved the colors, so i whipped out my phone and got a few funny looks.

spent part of last saturday with my adorable niece, sephra.

 b was so excited for the football camp, that he made me pick out his outfit. love him!!

 getting in the gear.. man was this hard to get out of afterwards.

 wouldn't these be perfect for a craft fair? found them at pier one on sale and debating if i want to go back and get one today. which one do you like better?

 had a little extra time to make a necklace for myself, best type of advertising! 

 wholesale order.. complete :-)

there's still plenty of time to enter this HUGE giveaway if you haven't already.

instafriday

another week of instafriday is here. i'm linking up with jeannett for a link party that involves us sharing our phone pictures from the week. before i start, i'd like to take a second to honor and acknowledge how much steve jobs has affected my daily life. about 80% of my waking hours are spent with a product he developed, from my iPhone, to my macbook, or my iPad, and my little 'ol iPod. i'm so thankful for all that he's done and my prayers go out to his friends and family.

oh fall, you are so beautiful. this was on my running route on monday. i put on my brakes and snapped a quick shot.

and then i decided to snap a quick pic of my new running shoes. i need to get every mile i can out of these before the snow comes. snow and i do not run very well together, it usually involves me slipping or getting frostbit feet.

my dear old husband has been waking up early (to make the bed, take bailey out, and cut up fruit for me.. i know i've got a keeper). it's nice to spend a few minutes together relaxing before a full work day.

yup. i took a picture of a soda bottle. not just any soda bottle though, but a limited holiday edition soda, which is my favorite. i was SO excited to find it in the store yesterday. if you are a soda drinker- you need to try it!!

instafriday

 oh friday has finally arrived, i thought it would never get here. my week was spent crafting after hours and putting a few new touches on the blog. i didn't notice until i was uploading my pictures, but it seems my post this week has a craft theme.

i took a few hours off of work this week and attended a sewing class. little did i know it was an advanced sewing class. my "bag" came home half done, because i couldn't keep up with the others. i'm hoping to finish it this weekend, but i have a feeling it may be sitting for a while.

i found this jewelry box at an antique store a few weeks ago.. 5 bucks! and it works so well for craft fairs. 

my fabric storage has gotten a little out of control..

..but i'm working on an organization project that i can't wait to share.

i added a few new pacifier clips to the shop.

so excited for next weeks diy feature. i made this yesterday and love it. 

bailey has enjoyed finishing our caramel apples.

i've enjoyed starting them :-)