Domestic Fashionista | Home, Decor, DIY, Fashion

Hutch Makeover

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:39:00 +0000

My January/before Valentine's Day goal was to get our dining room repainted. And as you can see I have not blogged about Valentine's Day much yet because I have been over my head with this stuff!

I am pleased to say that I am finally done...in the sense that the walls and hutch are painted, everything is back to it's proper place, and I am happy with it.

I have a few things I want to still work with but I am having people come over tomorrow and thought I should probably put away all the excess junk {glue gun, fabric remnants, paint cans, receipts, dirty socks...our house has been a mess!}.

In case you forgot, it looked something like this before...

I found this beautiful little hutch on Pinterest and used it as my hutch inspiration. Obviously they are not the same, but you can see that I followed the blue, gold, pink, and grey theme. I even tried painting the doors pink which was a big mistake.

Since I was not blessed with the same molding and architectural elements, I just went with it...

Source: designsponge.com via Ashley on Pinterest

While repainting the hutch, I also seriously simplified our dining room and kitchen...this is now all of my serving dishes.

The house used to be filled with this stuff...and I got rid of a ton of it. It feels so freeing!

I love that I can now get any serving dish I want without getting on a step stool!

I actually use it all now because it is not a pain to get to...what a concept!

Love these pink blingy heart knobs I got from Hobby Lobby {because we have one of those now!!!}. It was my incorporation of pink without being over the top. I think they look like candy!

I realize it all looks a bit sterile, but I promise to show you the rest of our dining room next week, and the colors all work together well.

I am hoping over time to get a few colored dishes that I can incorporate in this hutch to bring out more color...but I will continue practicing all of my decluttering before I buy anything new!

For paint colors, I used paint I already had that are the same color as some of our walls. I love that they all tie together throughout the house and that I did not have to buy any new paint!

It is always so interesting to see how the colors look different in other lights and next to other colors.

Paint Colors:
Doors: Glidden Tropical Surf
Main part of hutch surrounding doors: Glidden Quiet Rain {same color as our living room and bathroom}
Stripes: Glidden Tropical Surf and Pebble Grey {same as stripes in living room}
Gold Embelishments: Martha Stewart Gold Metallic Craft Paint

I am hosting my first clothing swap at my house tomorrow and am very excited! Today I will be setting up this room all boutique like to fill with fun clothes to swap. And I am thrilled there is actually tons more room in this room to do such a thing!

And if you haven't gotten a chance, be sure to enter my advertisement spot giveaway!!! Winner will be picked Monday! And if you have a shop/blog you want to advertise, I am also offering a reduced price until February 1st!! Read all about it here. xo

Advertisement Spot Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:40:00 +0000

Today, on a whim, I decided to host a little giveaway. I must be in a good mood {or perhaps procrastinating from the cleaning I need to be doing}.

Nonetheless, my advertisement sidebar is looking a little stark, so I thought I would fill it with some of you lovelies!

Today I am giving away TWO free 125x125 advertisement spots on my sidebar good for one month {and if you do not know how to make a button, I can help you with that!}. This applies to any and all who want to enter...perhaps you have an online or etsy shop you would like to get some extra love or maybe you would like a little more traffic to your adorable blog. Either way, you have a chance to win!

And for those of you who don't win, or are eager to advertise, I am offering a discounted rate of $10 a month, up to three months, if you commit to an advertisement agreement by February 1st. Email me at: domesticfashionsita@yahoo.com for more information.

A few facts about Domestic Fashionista {which can always be accessed and is updated here}:
Domestic Fashionista receives about 25,500 monthly page views and over 1,300 feed subscriptions. Advertisers are also highlighted on Facebook and Twitter.

To enter:
-Comment below sharing either what you sell or what you blog about.

For additional entries:
-Subscribe to Domestic Fashionista either by email, Google Friend Connect, or RSS feed.
-Follow me on Twitter
-Share this giveaway on Twitter or Facebook linking back to this post {up to 2 entries}

Please leave a separate comment for each entry!!!

And though not a requirement to enter this giveaway, I would love for you to follow along with me on Facebook as well! xoxo

Winners will be picked on Monday, January 30.

Being on Mom Duty

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Scouting a photo spot with my nephew for an upcoming photo shoot. I imagine if he could talk he would say something like, "Aunt Ashley, why do you take so many pictures of me? Let me just eat my lunch."

Over the last month we have been having my 12 year old sister in law stay with us for about a week at a time while her family tends to some extended family needs. Between getting her off to school, helping with homework, and chasing around my one year old nephew, I cannot help but feel the true work of being a mom.

There are definitely and usually most days where I feel drained and tired...talk about some serious birth control going on!

But there are the few and occasional days where something out of the ordinary happens, and I have to step in as a temporary mom replacement. And that is when I get that sense of greater purpose. That I have been trusted and chosen to fully be in that moment to care, love, support, and encourage. And suddenly nothing else in the world matters but being in that moment and being that comfort needed by a child {and even preteen!}.

During this time of transitioning from being at home by myself to having a child running around a couple times a week, the house has gotten messier. I no longer have consecutive days of working on projects before I have to put it all away so little hands will not get into it. Things take longer to get done and laundry gets cleaned but rarely folded.

It would be an understatement to say that it drives me crazy!

This often gets to me and I wonder how mom's do it. How do they function? How do they keep a clean and orderly home?

I used to think that being home with my nephew would allow me to still get stuff done around the house instead of being gone for the day to substitute teach. But instead we are home, dirtying dishes, living and making the house a mess.

I do get things done while being at home, like throwing in a load of laundry and starting dinner, but my time is no longer used to the same efficiency because the child's needs sometimes puts my to-do list on hold.

This has been something I have been struggling with and trying to figure out...until today when I caught a moment to dwell on it all and to consider some of the experiences I have had. I have a choice in how I react, how I speak my words, and how often I get down on the floor to play. Some of these small moments are life changing and I have an opportunity to be there to experience it with that child.

And suddenly I realized that it was okay that so many other things are being put on hold. That this specific moment was more important than my agenda for the day. Finishing up a project or redecorating no longer held the same value.

Along with my goal for more simplified living and having less stuff around the house, I am seeing that being at home with little ones fits so much with this new mentality. By having less projects and less things to worry about, I am able to live in a simple but still pretty home...but instead of always changing it up and making it perfect, like I have been used to for the past few years, I am learning that I am content with how things are.

I am learning to be okay with less than perfect decor. As long as I find it pretty and it allows us to function in a way that fits for our family, than on a day to day basis I am happy.

It is so easy to compare our homes to others. But we often forget how our specific living situation differs from those that we see beautiful pictures from.

Me and my SIL

In this season of non-mommyhood but still a caregiver, I am learning a lot. My attitude and desires are changing. And I am finding a greater sense of contentment and purpose in my home. I feel so thankful to experience and adapt to this way of living now, before we have the blessing of starting our own family one day.

May we always be encouraged by the people who come in and out of our home, and be less focused on all the stuff.

Valentine's Day Chalkboard Wall

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

That time of year again is just around the corner and I am very excited! Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays...I love the pink and red...and I am a sucker for love...and conversation hearts!!!

I am hoping to finish getting the house reorganized this next week so I can start bringing out the Valentine's Day decorations.

But since I finally just erased my Christmas chalkboard saying, I figured I might as well jump into my Valentine's one.

I think it is simple, adorable, and sweet. Sort of my motto for this year.

And in case you missed how I made my little chalkboard wall, you can read about it here. :)

Choosing Action Over Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

I recently read a very inspiring post over at Small Notebook about having inspiration overload...

Source: smallnotebook.org via Ashley on Pinterest

"It’s better to take one idea and bring it to fruition than to continue to collect more ideas."

This really hit me as I am always collecting more ideas...more supplies for more ideas...more shopping trips for my ideas...

Yet all these planning of ideas keeps me from actually making any of them really happen.

My first step in taking action was getting rid of the ideas that were taking over too much of my life.

I grabbed all of my magazine inspired ripped out ideas, put them in a basket...and threw them all away {actually I recycled them in case you were concerned}.

It was a little scary but very freeing. I will have more ideas to choose from later. And honestly, many of my ideas are now being documented online.

These magazine ideas were not being used, were not being organized, and were crowding yet another corner in my home and life.

Do your ideas keep you from taking action?

Another good and similar read from Small Notebook.

Chillaxin' // dressing down but still rockin it.

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

I do not dress down that often when we go out and I am trying to incorporate some more laid back looks into my wardrobe. Sometimes skirts and tights get old and really don't keep you that warm. So here is my recent efforts at dressing down but still looking pulled together.

I try to always look my best no matter where I am at...the gym, lounging at home, running errands, etc. In order to abide by this rule, I search for cute and flattering items that fit into all these categories so I don't start walking down that fine line of frump.

Today's outfit is simple. Sweatshirt, jeans, and tennies. Sweatshirts without hoods look much more chic so be on the look out for a fun vintage inspired piece to throw on for those chilly mornings. Dark jeans are more flattering and can be dressed up with some heels very easily. And have fun with your shoes. They by no means have to be high end but look for something in a fun color or with a little sparkle. It looks like you made effort.

So I took in some of my name brand clothes to Crossroads this week {consignment shop} and got some cash...which I excitedly spent at TJ Maxx where I bought these ca-ute Coach sneakers with {and a small attempt at color blocking...another fashion goal of mine}. Let me just say that I really like them, like REALLY like them. But to each her own...my knock off pink sparkly Tom's could also stand in...as well as some old wannabe Converse from Payless Shoes.

What kind of cute dress down clothes do you wear?

Sweatshirt: VS Pink Semi-Annual Sale // Jeans: DKNY from Macy's // Shoes: Coach from TJ Maxx

Celebrating Seven Years Together

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Our first photo together as a couple. I remember pulling out my camera and asking for a picture. He should have known then what he was getting himself into and that this would be one of a million more crazy photos to come!

Today we are celebrating our seven year "together" anniversary...it was seven years ago today that we officially started this journey together...

We have had lots of adventures in our five years of dating and now our two years of marriage. Brent gives me a hard time about celebrating our dating anniversary but I still talk him into taking me out to dinner and getting me a sweet card!

Seven years is a long time! We joke that we can take our sabatical from each other now! But I couldn't imagine going a day without him being by my side.

We dated what seemed like forever for a girl who wanted to quit her job and be a housewife...but in those years of ups and downs, wondering about if we had found the "one," has taught us so much and given us so much more experience in being together.

For it, I think we have had a better marriage, an easier transition, and a fuller sense that it is each other who we wanted to spend the rest of our lives with.

To some it is silly...I mean, I am writing a post about it even! But to take a moment and look back...my heart is fuller than had I not. Sometimes we need to stop and celebrate the little things. To celebrate our journey. To remember where we came from in order to see where we are at today.

Married for two years, together for seven. I am glad we never looked back.

My Perfect Pair of High Waisted Shorts

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:07:00 +0000

It has taken me over a year to find the perfect pair of high waisted shorts and I have finally found them! I picked them up at H&M around Christmas time and have been sporting them under tights and leggings.

I think the main thing that makes these shorts perfect is the pleats. Right where any other shorts would show some tummy bulge...there they are...some beautiful pleats. The bow also helps draw your eye up to my waist which helps.

I also found some high waisted black flowy pants the same day but have yet to be hemmed and I am on the lookout for a high waisted jean. But that whole tummy hiding thing has made it a tricky find.

My ten cents for the day? If you want to wear a certain trend, find a version that flatters your body. It might take awhile but it is worth it to always look your best. And like so many things right now in this second week of January, I am clearing out my closet, home, life, etc. of all the clutter and trying to only keep around the things I love.

Simplify, simplify, simplify.

I have been a busy girl...painting things...reorganizing...I will be back soon with updates to all my little projects. But the blog has to get put on the back burner in order to finish blog worthy projects! :)

And a note about H&M...they tend to run their sizes small so don't cry if you have to buy a size two sizes bigger than normal. We all have to. Well, at least I do. It is about the fit and not the number on the tag. Mmmkay?

shirt: thrift // shorts: H&M // necklace: DIY t-shirt scarf // leggings: Target // shoes: Target clearance

Here's to 2012...

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

As we have started to get settled into the new year, I cannot help but hope to spend this year slowing down a bit...

Embracing the important things of life...and having the time to enjoy the people around me...

So here's to 2012...a year of simplicity and slower paced living...as well as the year of the Snuggie!

Happy New Year from our 

Snuggielicious home to yours!

DIY Fabric Hair Bows

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I shared about a little gingerbread party I hosted for some girlfriends. One of the girls showed up with the cutest fabric bow in her hair and I insisted we break out the fabric and make some of our own. Thank you Jessica for teaching us your hair bow making ways!

Supplies:

-Fabric

-Needle

-Thread

-Some type of hair clip {or you can always bobby pin it into your hair}

-Hot glue

1. Cut rectangular piece of fabric. The bigger the piece, the larger the bow.

2. Hold over the top and bottom.

3. Fold again to tuck in non-sewn edge.

4 and 5. Fold over right and left side of fabric so they slightly overlap in the middle.

6 and 7. Hand stitch the two sides up the center.

8. Pull the thread so that the bow gets cinched in the center and wrap remaining thread around center and tie.

9. Cut a small piece of fabric for the bow's center.

10. Fold over the top and bottom so they overlap and hide frayed edge.

11. Wrap around bow.

12. Hot glue to bow.

13. Hot glue hair clip to back.

Felt bows have their own unique cuteness and because they have clean edges when cut, even easier!

Supplies:
-Two colors of felt
-Thread
-Needle
-Hot Glue
-Hair Clip

1. Cut out felt rectangles. Make one color smaller than the other.
2. Sew a few stitches to gather bow in the center and pull.
3. Wrap remaining thread around bow and tie. Repeat on the second piece of felt.
4. {Not shown} Cut a small piece of felt to wrap around both bows layered on top of each other and hot glue together.
5. Hot glue hair clip.

Bowtastic! Look how cute our bows are!

New Years Eve Tree

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 18:38:00 +0000

Before you put away all of your Christmas decorations, keep out one little tree for this fun New Year's Eve tree. Whether you have planned a night out on the town or a cozy evening at home, having this little tree around for the next few days will add some 2012 festivity to your home. Right now you can find all sorts of NYE paraphernalia at most local stores. I picked up mine last year from Walmart and it came with a big box of goodies.

I shared on Facebook that I had big plans of putting away my Christmas decor a few days ago, but like I shared earlier today, I just have not had the energy or time. Christmas for us continued up through this week with out of town family visiting so we haven't had a lot of time for much these last few days. I decided that it was okay to wait another week before taking it all down and that sleeping in and trying to recover from this cold was a better option.

You can also check out my New Year's Tree from last year...has a whole different look on a silver tree!

Happy New Year's Eve Eve!

Inspiring Thoughts for 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:00:00 +0000

It is no secret around here that I love Juicy Couture. And though totally random, I found these beautiful words over at their blog about 2012. I don't know about you but I am still exhausted and our home is still knee deep in Christmas. I am not quite ready to run ahead and to be completely honest, I have already thought about Valentine's Day. So while my head runs a mile a minute, my body really needs to lay down. I have lots of goals and aspirations for 2012 that I am excited to share...but it might be a week before I get the energy to get it all together.

So here is to 2012...to not feel like I have to run ahead all of the time to keep up. To slow down. To rest when I need to. To be in the moment and not so quick to look ahead. To be motivated by inspiring ideas but be allowed to accomplish it in my own time.

May these words inspire you to be the best you which starts by prioritizing what is most important in life.

Happy 2012! See ya in the New Year!

Christmas 2011 Highlights

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Happy week after Christmas! I am enjoying catching up with friends and family and hanging with my husband as he has a couple days off of work this week. Hope you are also finding some time to be lazy this week! Here are some highlights from the Christmas weekend!

Jodee of Follow the Leaders always does super fun stuff with her kids, including holiday inspired pancakes. Though we do not have kids to entertain, I thought whipping some of those pancakes up for ourselves sounded like a fun Christmas Eve morning activity!

We tried making some snowmen and a tree...just in pancake form they are a little wonky...but they get better!

They got decorated! So fun! We just used whatever we had in our cabinets...including some cookie crisp, pub mix, and leftover gingerbread house candy.

Our annual Christmas Eve tradition is to have dinner and open gifts at home since we spend Christmas day visiting both sides of the family. It has been a good tradition and practice of boundaries to set that time for our little family unit.

I usually make a ham for Christmas but this year I wanted easy...and something that we would especially enjoy. We both like traditional holiday food but I often put Italian food {and especially cheese!} into the indulgence category and wanted something that I would really enjoy. So we went with a Caesar salad and cheese stuffed pasta. It was perfect!

On Christmas day we headed out to visit all of our families...

The baby had so much fun! His first walking Christmas...he loved running around!

The whole gang on my mom's side...our yearly Christmas photo.

My fam...

And me and the hubster...

Hope you had a very Merry Christmas and soon to be happy New Year! xoxo

Just wanted to say...

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

XOXO

See you all again soon! Hope you have a beautiful and blessed Christmas!

Homemade Ornaments :: A Very TURBO Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:00:00 +0000

My awesome turbo kick instructor at the gym asked me to make some ornaments to hand out to our class for Christmas. Of course, I was excited to help out. I picked up some shiny ornaments, glitter glue, and fun zebra ribbon {our instructor is known to wear zebra shorts on occasion!}.

It was fun to be a part of sharing some holiday love to all our faithful exercisers! Having a strong community at the gym makes working out so much more fun!

A blurry but cute iPhone photo of us before class! Can you see me?!

Always thankful for all these men and women who are my weekly motivators! To a happy and healthy holiday season!

Gingerbread Making Party

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Every year I get together with some girls I used to mentor at church back when they were in junior high school. They are in their third year of college...I will do the math for you...which means I have known these girls for nine years! It has been fun to get together each year during their Christmas break to catch up and hear how their year was. For some of us, we do not see each other except a few times a year, so it is such a blessing that we can still get together every year and connect. I am thankful for the bond that was made many years ago that continues on today.

We have done a variety of things throughout the years but the routine the last few has been that I have the girls over at my house and provide dinner. Each girl brings graham crackers, frosting, and some candy for all of us to share. It is low key and fun. The conversation is the best part.

It is fun to see how everyone is creative in different ways...

Once young girls...now all grown up into beautiful women.

I love that you can peer in and see the little gummy bears chilling inside...!

I love nights that end with a heart of blessing and thankfulness. Love you girls! xo

We also decided to make some cute hair bows that I will share with you all along with a tutorial next week! Fun-fun!

Christmas Baked Goods Gift Wrapping and Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 03:00:00 +0000

The past few years I have made it a tradition to put together little paper bags filled with baked goods for neighbors, co-workers, and gym friends. We always get gifts from our family and some close friends but it is those day to day people that we do life with that I like to give a little gift of baked love.

Putting them in paper bags makes it so easy each year...I just grab them out of the cupboard along with some scrap ribbon I have on hand and I have instant cuteness! I usually just print out a photo on card stock but thanks to the lovely Emily of Happy Hippos, I got to download her free Christmas card template she offered to Domestic Fashionista readers! I just printed them right from home on some photo paper and they came out great! If you are looking for some last minute embellishment to your presents, you can download the free template here.

I learned last year that Amanda's zuchinni bread recipe was such a huge hit, why bother with traditional time consuming cookies! They are a bit healthier and by making a huge batch, I save myself from being covered with flour!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread {adapted from Amanda of Serenity Now's recipe}

3 cups all purpose flour {I do half whole wheat flour}
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil {I use canola}
2 1/4 cup sugar {I use half Splenda}
3 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini {mine is grated and frozen over the summer...makes it even easier!}
1+ cup chocolate chips {or walnuts, I use semi-sweet or dark chocolate}

Grease and flour two 8x4 pans {or muffin tin}. Preheat over to 325 degrees.

Sift {I just mix} flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a bowl.

Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar in a large bowl. Add dry ingredients to creamed mix and beat well. Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips. Pour into pans.

Bake 40-60 minutes {muffins took about 25 minutes}. Cool in pan 20 minutes. Remove from pan and let completely cool.

Holiday Dessert Party

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 22:10:00 +0000

We hosted our 2nd annual holiday dessert party this year and it was a blast! You can read about last year's party here. The theme of the party is that each guest brings a dessert to share and everyone votes for their favorite. The winner gets to take home a fun Christmasy prize! I love incorporating "activity" to parties because it gives something for people to socialize over.

I followed the dessert theme by setting up a candy land inspired tablescape.

As guests arrive the table gets filled with lots of yummy treats. You can see the prize basket by the blue tinsel tree in the background. Some good loot was in there! I love hosting this party because I do not have to bake! I love baking but it is rare occasion to have a large party and not have to prepare any dessert!

There is always such a variety and it is fun to try everyone's "best" desserts. There is usually a majority of chocolate!

My gym friends representing...we burned the cookies off later...wink.

I love the discussion and debate about the desserts...you can see there was some very serious thoughts being had here...

Of course my favorite baby was there...

And he made a very fun friend...you may recognize him from my birthday...he is always the life of the party...

I love the expression on his mom's face..."walking" up the stairs was a new found skill he accomplished that night...yikes...

Cute friends...

Sweet babies...

And silly grandmas...

And the vintage dress hack was perfect!

Me and the hubster...blessed by great friends and family...and yummy treats we didn't have to make!

What kind of holiday themed parties have you gone to or hosted?

How to Make Money Blogging :: Companies I Love

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Some partnerships have grown into great friendships. With Sew Katie Jean.

Last week I shared about time versus money and considering what is worth your time and your blog's reputation in order to make money blogging. Today I wanted to share with you the companies that I work with and why I think they are valuable to bloggers. They are listed in order from highest to lowest paying gigs {for me personally--with #1 being the highest}, though this could vary by blog.

Banner c/o EmilieM Fine Paper Goods.

1. BlogHer

BlogHer specializes in working with women bloggers and their website provides posts written by women within the BlogHer community. When working with them you can choose to have running advertisement on your sidebar and to write paid reviews/giveaways. I do both and have had a wonderful experience with them. I get paid for advertisement on my sidebar based on page views and clicks on the links. Obviously, the bigger blog you have, the more page views you get and the more money you make.

If you were to sign up to work with BlogHer right now, it will tell you that you have to be on a waiting list. It said this when I signed up three years ago. I cannot guarantee anything to you, but if you are interested you should put yourself on the waiting list.

I do not get paid a lot for my sidebar advertisement but I get paid the most compared to all the others. Plus there is no other commitment on my part but to run the ads.

Paid reviews through BlogHer pay very well but as more bigger bloggers are working with BlogHer, I find my opportunities for these are fewer. Though when they do come along, they are great. These usually require you to review an item and host a giveaway.

You can see an example of a post here.

Sometimes I get my mom involved. :)

2. Amazon Associates

Amazon provides an affiliate program called Amazon Associates where you link items you mention in your blog to the item on Amazon. When people click over and/or buy something, you get a percentage cut. Besides the step of linking the item, this is a really easy way to make money.

I personally shop at Amazon a lot and so I am comfortable with linking to them. I never write posts just to link items, rather I link items I am already blogging about. Amazon is a great place to find almost everything you need to know about the item like how much it costs, a summary of a book, and what the item looks like. So I figure this link is helpful to a reader who would like to find out more about the item and possibly purchase it.

You can see an example of a post with affiliate links here.

3. Personal Advertisers

Personal advertisers are people or companies I work with one on one to host buttons on my sidebar. The button includes a logo and links to their website. By having personal advertisers on your blog you get to decided what that relationship looks like and how much you want to charge. I offer a couple of options that fit with the amount of time I have to dedicate to each sponsor. Having independent advertisers requires a bit more work on your part but can be the stepping stone to great online relationships and successful advertisement on your blog.

You can see an example here.

4. Google AdSense

Goggle AdSense is advertisement you can place on your sidebar, above or below your blog, within blog posts, and in your blog's feed {seen by people who read in Google Reader or email subscribers}. I make the smallest amount of money from them and they only pay you every $100...so I personally do not get paid very often! But it is an easy way to put advertisement on your blog without any other commitment and you can place as many on your blog as you would like.

I sometimes trade advertising for free product. Polka Dot Bungalow camera strap.

5. Other Affiliate Programs

There are a variety of other affiliate programs out there put on by independent companies. The way affiliate programs work is you are set up with a link that can be used in text within a blog post or a button to put on your sidebar. Depending on the company, you get paid a cut when someone clicks over or buys their product. I have participated in a few of these for items that I personally own and think readers could possibly buy. The more you promote, the more likely an item is to sell so you control how involved you want to be. I will only write one or two posts and possibly host a sidebar button but besides that these are not enough money makers for me to put in more time and effort.

An example can be found here.

Other companies worth mentioning:

The SITS girls just launched their own paid advertisement gig a few weeks ago. I was able to quickly jump on the bandwagon and was a part of their very first post. The thing I like about this opportunity is that it is open to everyone {sign up and everyone has equal access to the opportunity no matter your blog size} and has very simple requirements {I had to share a video and post on the topic}. They pay you between $30-$50 per post in Amazon gift cards. It is not cold hard cash, but if you are like me and shop on Amazon a lot, it is the next best thing. But I realize not everyone would be thrilled about this. The one downfall? They only have a certain amount of openings per post and since they already have a VERY large community of bloggers, you have to be quick at jumping on these opportunities. Because of my association with BlogHer, certain sponsored posts have to be on a separate ad free page {so that it does not compete with the advertisement on my sidebar} and the SITS girls were okay with the post being on a separate link from my main blog page. I personally like this because as readers, you get to choose to click over if you want to read but it doesn't appear like I am "spamming" my blog with tons of advertisement. Of course, the sponsored post probably gets less clicks over but I think holding on to the trust of my readership is more important than gaining more sponsored posts.

You can see my post here.

I recently also checked out Business 2 Blogger and Social Spark. They both were mediocre in my opinion and required heavily on the size of your blog and stats. On Social Spark you get to choose how much you work for and advertisers choose if they want to work for you. It offers a suggestion based on your stats, and lets just say I found their suggestion highly offensive. It was easy to see that this was most definitely not worth my time. Business 2 Blogger also had strict requirements without very good pay out. I personally found working with either of these companies would be considered a "pay cut" unless my blog was super huge.

If you make money blogging, what have you found success with? As a reader, what do you like and dislike about blog advertisement?

Homemade Caramel Corn

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

My lovely friend Christina recently shared with me how she was planning on putting together a caramel corn recipe post. I jumped all over that and went ahead and suggested that I steal her post to host here at Domestic Fashionista. What can I say, I am a sucker for a little salty and a little sweet...and Christina was definitely very sweet about it! So take it away Christina!

Caramel Corn Recipe

1 cup of unpopped popcorn (or you can use a regular size bag of microwave popcorn)

3/4 cup brown sugar

6 tablespoons of butter

3 tablespoons of corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees.

Pop popcorn and then place in a 9x13 baking dish.

In a sauce pan heat butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt over medium heat, stirring continually until it boils evenly.

Once it's boiling evenly leave it on the burner but do NOT stir. Leave boiling for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove from heat and add vanilla and baking soda.

Stir until blended and pour over popcorn. Put in oven for a total of 25 minutes. Every 10 minutes stir the popcorn to evenly spread the caramel over the popcorn.

Put in a bowl to cool. Then transfer to a pretty container and serve to family and friends!

This is always a big hit in our house and I love to make it for any type of hangout!

Christina blogs over at Mommy Undone where she shares about life as a mom of four adorable girls! When not running around with her family she also loves to bake and craft. You can find her blogging about what it is like to be a mom of four and how she is dealing with the unknown of moving in the near future. Be sure to hop on over and give Christina a big blogging hug for sharing this delicious recipe with us all today!

Hello Kitty on the Shelf

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 21:46:00 +0000

I felt a little left out this year that I did not participate in Elf on the Shelf...mostly because we do not have kids and I felt doing it for myself seemed a little silly {not that that has ever stopped me from doing other things}. So as my husband would say, "just for kicks and giggles," Hello Kitty and I did our own rendition of Elf on the Shelf this afternoon. But instead...Hello Kitty on the Shelf!

I like to think that if Hello Kitty was at the birth of Jesus, she would have brought him a hula hoop...and I think Jesus would have liked it...

Spending a lazy day making art at sanrio.com...

And for extra fun I have a little Hello Kitty giveaway going on over at my Facebook page! I have been going on and on about collecting these cute little Hello Kitty toys from McDonald's with my Facebook followers. Passing on the Hello Kitty love! Hop on over to enter!

Bathroom Update and Christmas Cheer

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

I recently updated one of our bathrooms...it's been one of those rooms that I was not completely happy with and I just couldn't get it right. I am happy to say I love it so much more now. Like I shared recently, I am learning how to tie in trends {like some vintage art} with my own style for a more natural flowing look.

I love clothes...and so I thought why not use it as decoration as well? There is something so feminine about jewelry hanging and a ruffly blouse {that is too big and I don't wear anyways, perfect, right!}. Some black and white photos from our engagement photo session...and the first roses my husband ever gave to me back in the day. My sweet romantic bathroom. L O V E . And I must mention my very supportive masculine husband who puts up with the girliest home on earth. I realize this is rare. :)

What things do you like to decorate with that reflect "you"?

Simple Christmas Gift Wrapping

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Well it is that time again, if you are not knee deep in Christmas gift wrapping you will be very soon. Each year I pick a common wrapping theme...but it needs to be easy and quick as this time of year is so busy.

So nothing too fancy around here...but still definitely cute and thoughtful. After Christmas I hit Target for some clearanced gift wrap. I try to find it in patterns that I can use all year long. And as you can see, a year later, I am still using it! To fancy things up I added some paper doilies and wrote the recipients name on it.

I try to {but not always successful at it} to have my gifts match. I try to wrap gifts right away, so many sit under our tree for a couple weeks and I love it when it looks all matchy matchy.

Different wrapping, same ribbon...and no doily because it is one of my husband's multiple gifts. No wasting doilies on the husband! Don't worry, his feelings will not be hurt....and there is just the two of us so no confusion.

For the men on one side of the family, we got them all the same gift and I added some ties to the wrapping. Adorable, no?! I even finally learned how to tie a tie!

I love things pretty but I do not like to spend a lot of money on wrapping that will only last for a brief moment. By saving ribbon from other gifts and stocking up on inexpensive cute paper, I can have beautifuly wrapped presents without too much fuss.

How do you wrap your gifts? Fancy? Simple?

Our Christmas Tree And How It Tells Our Story

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Our little white Christmas tree is up and I fell in love with the lace and music sheet chains from last year that I continued a similar theme this year...only adding more ribbon for extra fluff!

Lots of lighted tinsel trees...and I love these little candy houses I picked up in South Carolina this year...

I love that all the color pops off the white tree...giving it a candy land-child at heart-feel.

Every year we add more ornaments to our tree. I buy at least one ornament for my husband and I that reflects our personality or something that happened that year. I also pick up ornaments throughout the year when we go on vacation or visit new places. I make sure to write the year and where we were at on the back so that I can look back on it.

I love that our tree tells a story. They are not just filled with pretty ornaments...but instead each ornament tells about our life and who we are. I love a home that tells a story and our Christmas tree is no different.

This year we started our photography business, so I found this DSLR camera ornament at Hobby Lobby and modge podged a photo of us in the view finder!

An ornament from our trip to Hawaii a couple of years ago...

We celebrated our two year wedding anniversary in Lake Tahoe this year and picked up these sweet little bears...

Each year I find a picture frame ornament from that year and put a photo of a memorable moment...here we are again in Lake Tahoe on our six month wedding anniversary...our first weekend away ever {besides our honeymoon}...

And 2009 is when we tied the knot...

Brent gets a tool box...my handy man...

And I have been on the look out for a blogging type of ornament...so a Twitter one had to do...a reflection of this season of blogging...my twitter name. :)

And who doesn't want to look back and remember what 1990 was like???!

More wedding ornaments...we have quite a few...because they make me so happy!

Our South Carolina trip this year...

And a cute little girl from our honeymoon in Cancun...

I love the memories our Christmas tree holds...it reminds me to be thankful during this busy holiday season and makes me look forward to making other great memories this upcoming new year!

ornament wreath I made last year

What stories does your Christmas tree tell?

Linking up with Thrifty Decor Chick's Christmas tree party!

What Is Your Work Worth? :: Making Money Blogging

noreply@blogger.com (Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Something that has been on my mind lately is the topic of time versus money. My husband and I started a photography business this year and we recently raised our prices. As a frugal girl I have a hard time putting an accurate dollar amount to my skills. I am always looking for a deal but when it comes to making a business for myself I need to set my tightwad ways aside and evaluate really what my talent is worth.

I also recently read a post from MomCrunch about blogging and working for free. The argument was that, as bloggers, we deserve to be fairly compensated for our work and it was encouraged we don't just ship out our writing for free. A good read if you are interested in this topic.

For me this all comes down to time versus money. For so long, I have had a lot of free time on my hands. I was looking everywhere to trade my time or skills for something so that I made a penny here and there without having to go out and get a regular job. I have learned now to only commit to things that are worth my time and compensate fairly. Between watching my nephew and having a husband who's job is requiring him to work long hours and sometimes weekends, I do not have the same time and energy that I used to. The time I have now, especially with my husband, need to not be spent doing unpaid or low paying work. My time is just not worth it.

In the blog world it is easy to want to jump on the make money blogging bandwagon. But I challenge those of you who are interested in making money blogging to be choosy about who you work with. It is important to consider what is worth your time and skill as well as what is worth putting on your blog. It sets the standard for all of us as bloggers and what we are willing to work for.

What is your opinion on time versus money...and how does this relate to your work, blog, home life, etc?

To follow up this post, next week, I will be sharing about the companies I work with and why I think they are valuable partnerships with my blog. I hope you will join in on the conversation sharing what you like and don't like about blog advertisement.