Burnt Orange

{How To} Wear Black and Not Look Boring

Fall Home Decor + AromaSoy Candles Giveaway

Bloopers {Behind the Scenes with Style Blogger}

Before pictures make their appearance on the blog, there is a lot going on behind the scenes. Here is a look at some of the outtakes and what happens in real life. Out of 20-30 photos only up to 8 make it to the blog. Some are simply comical and other explain a lot about behind the scenes happenings.

 I get caught in action trying to explain which shot I want. 

J.Crew Love

French Flare

A Day In a Life {Motherhood}

How To: Successfully Thrift Shop

Black Velvet Blazer (Banana Republic)  //  Striped Necktie Blouse

Mad for Plaid

Put a Bow on It

Denim X Fur

Perfect Fall Outfit w/Mitscoots

White Denim for Fall

Being Present {Motherhood Challenges Series}

If there is anything we do well in our generation is multitasking. I'm a pro at it. I will complete ten tasks on my way from the bedroom to the kitchen. I will check and answer all my Instagram comments while I'm nursing Abbie, and I will answer emails while eating breakfast, 

I am not good at doing one thing at a time. 

By doing multiple things at once, I'm not doing any of them well enough to be considered the best. I'm always thinking if I'm doing enough and wondering what else should be done. Being present in the moment is something I have to consciously remind myself of . As a person I was taught to strive for more, push for high efficiency but that doesn't mean I am using my time wisely. 

Motherhood requires me to be present.

When we are reading books, I have to remind myself to pay attention to Jonathan, put down the phone and listen to him. When I'm playing with Abbie, I make myself stop Snapchatting and look her in the eyes. Even when it seems that all the chores are done there is always something else to do.

There is always more. More stuff  to do. More responsibilities. More people entering my lives. More ministries to fulfill. More social media to engage.

Being present demands my undivided attention and I love how even all throughout the Bible, God calls us to present with Him. He isn't asking us to be active in every ministry in the church. He doesn't require us to fulfill the entire law. He doesn't even want us to be productive every moment of every day - He created the Sabbath. The following scripture speaks volumes and reminds my heart to seek Him.

Be still, and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10)

You can't know God without being still. You can't go through life without being present to actually enjoy it. 

Life is pulling us in every direction while our children need us to to just be. Be there with them in the moment. They don't need more things or stuff, they need us to pay attention and be present in the moment with them. They need us to pay attention and instead of capturing every moment in a photo, just capture it in our hearts.

Thank you for reading and have a blessed day!

Perfect Fall Layers + White Plum GIVEAWAY

dress // leggings c/o White Plum // similar pumps // similar bag // jacket 

bracelets c/o My Arm Charms // glasses c/o Ditto

When it comes to fall layers, the more the merrier! At the same time I like to mix them up with my summer dresses. Putting a pair of leggings under a summer dress is a perfect solution for fall. I love these White Plum leggings - they are stretchy and confy, plus super soft. Today I'm bringing to you a giveaway for any pair of leggings from White Plum. They have so many different prints and options but I was boring and picked the black ones. Still, they match with everything and can be worn entire season.

Plus White Plum is offering 20% OFF your entire purchase to Happy Medley readers with code HM20 until 10/11

Go to my Instagram account to enter the giveaway!
**No purchase is necessary to enter or to win. Odds depend on the number of eligible entries received. Must be US resident, 18 years or older. Must enter by October 10, 2015 at 11:59 PT. All entries will be verified. This post was brought to you by White Plum, who provided me with the  product. All opinions are my own.

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Thank you for stopping by! 

Rustic Fall Candle Jars

If you are anything like me, you do not have the time, energy or the money to invest into difficult projects. I'm all about the simple and cute! This fall I'm still loving the mason jars and burlap for decorating. I decided to add some fall leaves to the DIY and this is what happened. This project is super easy! After doing the first jar with mod podge I decided to try hot glue. Beside burning my fingers a little, hot glue works great. So whatever you choose, give this DIY a try! 

What You Need

Start by removing the plastic backing from the leaves so that you can bend and fold them however you like. (See the picture below)

Take the leaves and arrange them at the bottom of the jar one by one. Don't be too precise - that's where rustic comes in. When you are happy with the results, tie rafia at the top of the jar. 

Next grab fall-looking burlap (or you can do simple burlap too) and wrap it around the jars. I took smaller jars because it covered them perfectly. You can stick with all big ones but having different size jars on a table looks better than all the same size. Now didn't I tell you this was easy? 

Thank you for stopping by and have a great weekend! 

Burgundy Leather Leggings

pants (similar) //  blouse // pumps (love these) //  hat  // bag // glasses c/o  // watch

When it comes to color names, everyone has an idea but which one is the right one? Fall is full of deeper, darker and stronger colors. I'm such a fan of burgundy/oxblood! In fact it's the hottest color this season and you know why? It's majestic, beautiful and rich, full of styling possibilities. I found these leggings at Target and was totally in love. They are leather in front but than my behind doesn't look like someone smeared butter all over it. ha! (I know, I'm weird). Apparently they sold out online (oops!) Now all I need is my plaids! Stay tuned for new post next week where I'm making something quite amazing (and it's wearable). 

Are you following me on Instagram? See what I'm up to in my everyday life as a mama of two.

Add me on Snapchat (annadkart) for a candid look into my life (by the way I hate hearing my own voice ha;-)!

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How To: Survive the Newborn Stage

When that precious babe is placed into your arms, the emotions and feelings are overwhelming. You feel joy and pride of being a parent. You are scared not to hurt him/her while caring, changing and feeding. You aren't quite sure what you are doing (yet). A few days go by and the baby is sleeping all the time. You congratulate yourself on having the perfect child and try to get some sleep yourself. And then it happens - they wake up, start crying, have colic, diaper rash, spit up and gas. So much is happening that you forget the last time you brushed your teeth because that tiny human being has consumed your life. Here are a few tips on how to survive the first three months, which (in my opinion) are the hardest.

1. Let Go of Expectations

It's so hard to not have expectations and for perfectionists (like me) it's hard not to expect more. First few weeks babies eat around the clock and it feels like all you're doing is feeding, changing, feeding, changing. And that's exactly what's happening. Give yourself a break and don't expect to have everything figured out right now. Don't expect to have an orderly house and dinner from scratch every night - you will be too exhausted to care what you eat. It's OK to just let go and enjoy that little babe because time will fly by way too fast (trust me).

2. Have Patience

Babies are fussy little beings and sometimes you have done everything possible and he/she is still crying. They may be hungry after you just fed them, and pooped the minute you changed the diaper. It takes a lot of patience to just go with the flow. Don't get angry but try to calmly figure things out, even if sometimes there is nothing to be done. Be patient with yourself because you are new at this and everything new takes practice. It takes time to figure out why they are crying and what they don't like. Even if this isn't your first baby, remember they are all different.

3. Laugh Often

The baby pooped on your bed as soon as you took the diaper off? Laugh. Did she spit up on your new blouse after you fed her? Laugh. You forgot to put a bib on and he puked on the car seat (which now has to be washed) and you are late? Laugh. You can't get through the first few months with a newborn without laughing at the circumstance or yourself. It will help you stay sane. At one point you may want to cry and that's OK too. Not everything is peachy with babies so if you have to let your emotions roll, have yourself a good cry and then go back to looking at everything with a smile. 

4. Get Into a Routine

It's hard to have a schedule with a newborn baby. There is nothing set in place. They may decide to sleep four hours one day, and then only hour the next. You do not need to be watching the clock but it's good to have a routine. Babies are unpredictable but getting them into a rhythm will help you later on. I do not have a set schedule because everyday is different but we do the same things every single day (ex. bath, massage & tummy time).

5. Ask For Help

When I was a first time mom, I felt like I had a lot to prove to the world. I didn't want people to think that I couldn't do this mom-thing. Let's be honest, it's hard doing it alone and no on expects you to. Whenever you feel overwhelmed or just plane tired, ask for help. No one will have the heart to refuse a mother with a newborn. Trust me. Don't think that asking for help makes you weak or incapable of taking care of your baby. Life with a newborn is super exhausting. Sleep whenever (and however) you can, don't forget to eat and get away for a minute. Let family members take care of the baby while you sneak in a little nap, or escape for a shopping trip. 

Hope these help whether you are a veteran or a first time mom. Babies are amazing so enjoy them because they grow up way too fast to be worrying about little things.

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