thanksgiving diy | place settings

I. Love. Thanksgiving. 

I love what it stands for, I love the atmosphere it creates, and I love. love. love the food. This year I'm hosting my very first one ever with some cool pals! So I wanted to make it special by creating some diy thanksgiving table pieces. My goal was to make these practical, simple, and affordable while ultimately embracing kick-ass rustic deliciousness at the same time. 

I made the place-card holders out of sticks (clearly), hot glue, tacky glue, and glitter! bam.

The dinner boards I made with wood, sanding blocks, stamps, a homemade stencil, and paint. boom.

I love how these turned out & I hope they inspire you to get creative and bring in the cozy and the food (oh my..... yes.. so much food!) for thanksgiving!

ready to eat.

- ronnie

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rocky mountain dwelling

Colorado Springs, Colorado. The snow has begun to fall on the mountains. Every morning I wake up and stare. I allow the serenity and the humility that the strong and constant Rockies give envelop me, often to a point that makes everything seem surreal. I have to remind myself, I am here. I live here. I have a place here. I can make a difference here.

I took a leave of absence from my blogging world. On my journeys I have had time to get my life together, organize my thoughts, and search my heart. It wasn’t until my arrival in Colorado that I realized that blogging is the Rocky Mountains to me - intimidating, overwhelming, and a reminder of how small I am in such a big, big world. Then I put things into perspective and thought of how our government shut down and how there are millions of girls across the world being sold for sex and how there are so many lost and broken people in every town I’ve ever driven past and how so many people die of starvation every day and I almost can’t breathe. We live in a world full of huge, damn Rockies.

But then I recognized that the very same vastness of the mountains that makes them terrifying is the same vastness that gives them unspeakable beauty.

Though we live in a frightening world with many people who are more powerful, more visible than us, and though every morning we wake up and may feel so small that we are practically invisible, wouldn’t you agree that the gentle voice of one is often more moving than the overbearing shouts of many? Just because you can’t change everything, doesn’t mean you can’t change something. Sometimes you just have to step back, take it all in, and remind yourself, I am here. I have a place here. I can make a difference here.

glad to be back.
ronnie

dip dye beach sheet & thoughts lately

summer craft! simply follow the instructions on the back of the dye package & dip a portion of your sheet into it. Then sprinkle another color dye powder onto the sheet while it is wet to make a fun tie-dye pattern. 

On a different note...

I've been thinking a lot about meaning. What gives life meaning? your income...number of followers... your degree... your relationships... your looks ... your talents. Crazy how we often get so consumed in our culture that we start defining our success by perishable things. Things that come with no promise or guarantee. Even though I don't have many followers to begin with, when I notice that the number has gone down one or two, I totally sink into failure mode. As if the fact that someone chose to not follow my blog makes me less valuable or meaningful. To be honest, I started a blog because I thought it would be a great outlet for me to grow in creativity, meet new friends, and perhaps use as a professional tool for the distant future. But now it seems as though it's just become another ruthless game of comparisons and fake filters that has sucked me in. A myspace upgrade. Another tool for people to use to portray themselves however they want to be perceived. Well... #nofilter ... I don't want to play anymore. I'm tired of going onto so many girls blogs and leaving feeling like I need to change xy&z about my blog and myself. I free myself from the stereotypical blog status quo of artificial perfection and officially allow myself to be imperfect and blog about whatever I want. I mean what meaning does freely ronnie hold if I don't really feel free? Blogging does not give me meaning. I give my blog meaning. Time to quit it with the fake and get down to the real. 

Thoughts?

- ronnie

the bright side of may

Top // Free People , Skirt // XXI, Earrings // Ruche, Wedges // Payless

May came and went quickly but brought many big changes with. The end of my junior year of college, a new home, hundreds of miles between my boyfriend and I, and a new camera (canon 60d used here).

 Through such major transitions, its really made me look at who I truly am and where I find my identity.  There have been several days that I've felt really lost, in many ways. But I'm reminded to search deep within myself and find joy that gives me such incredible peace for whatever seasons I may walk through. It's been a crazy few weeks for me, and though I am thankful for the things I've learned along each step of the way... I am definitely welcoming the warmer days with open arms!

always look on the bright side.

xo ronnie

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summer living >> long hair tips

Time for summer! Today I'm kicking off my new series dedicated to summer living. It seems like there are so many things that us females have to prep for once the warm weather starts to hit. Beach body, pedicures, summer skin, flattering swimsuits (that don't break the bank), shaving consistently LOL!! etc etc. So I'm going to be offering some simple tips to help out. For starters, hair growth.

Sooo many girls always want that long, beachy wavy hair for the summer. It's taken me a while to get mine where it's at... so I wanted to share a few things that I've used that have really made a difference. But ultimately, all of these things are great for any length and type of hair. Let's get started. 

~

Most people grow about 6 inches of hair per year! However, if you aren't getting enough vitamins...it could result in slower hair growth. But if you are getting plenty of amino acids and vitamins that your hair needs, it can grow twice as fast!

Eating these nutritious foods will definitely give your hair growth a boost.

- Legumes // beans, nuts, and peas contain iron & zinc

- Veggies // dark green veggies are rich in iron & vitamins

- Eggs // great source of biotin & vitamin b-12

- also Salmon // high in protein and healthy omega-3 fats

Apply these natural masks to your hair for quicker results!

- Egg Whites // the best natural tonic for damaged hair! Simply crack one egg open, strain the yolk, and put the egg white mask on your hair for 10 minutes. It'll look healthier & grow faster!

- Coconut Milk // Helps hair grow long & thick. Rub on scalp and leave in for an hour.

- Olive Oil // Helps reduce frizziness & damaged hair and the proteins and nutrients stimulate growth. Leave in for atleast half an hour. 

Most of these items you probably have laying around your house. 
So get to it! :] 
- ronnie

follow along for more summer living!

lazy day attire

Lazy Day by christieclause featuring j crew shirts

J.Crew j crew shirt / Wildfox Couture t shirt, $115 / Joie tank / Woolrich plaid flannel pajamas / Free People printed legging / Jack Wills pajamas / Woolrich . socks / Jack Wills / Tech accessory / Cath Kidston Chelsea Rose Blue Crush Mug, $7.62 / A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

My sis Christie put together this awesome collection of lazy day inspiration on Polyvore. This is pretty much exactly what our day looked like yesterday and it was glorious!! She will be helping me with my blog this summer so I'm pumped. Now if only Mondays could actually be lazy days.... 

xo

- ronnie

real summer goals

The way I see it, the only summer plans that anyone should be making are plans to not have plans. Summer is such a special time to let your hair down, be spontaneous, and do whatever the heck you want!! So I put together a list of real summer goals. Not just another typical to-do list of things that tie you down. I have enough of those year-round! I'm all about living freely. So here we go...

1 //  pull over on a country road, blast the tunes, dance

(elizabethtown inspired)

2 //  run into the ocean (or a lake) with your clothes on

3 // learn a stranger's story

4 // bike ride to get ice cream cones

5 // cook a kick-ass meal and eat it outside

6 // climb a mountain and yell at the top

7 // star gaze on a roof

8 // sit at an outdoor cafe with a cold drink and a good book

9 // close your eyes & feel the cool summer rain on your face

10 // bridge jump into the water

Now those are some goals that I'd enjoy completing. I also plan on documenting each and every one to prove it at the end of the summer!!

join me?

- ronnie

all things new // repurposed bag

Check out my very first guest post over at Telling Oceans!

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a freely ronnie friday

This past Friday, my good friend Rebeca and I went to an amazing women's rally at James River Assembly. We participated in the Spring Market, selling some crafts that we made to promote my blog! We were soooo tired but had a great time. It's so important to make sure you are putting yourself out there to meet people and remember why do what you do!!

sein.box

sein.box

sein.box

Nothing like a night full of lovely friends, crafts, and fun!
Special thanks to my friend Sein from Sein.box for snapping some fun pics at our booth.
& Rebeca for walking with me through the ups and downs of life :]
"with grace in her heart,
& flowers in her hair"

- sharon

workplaces that inspire

I crave being surrounded by things that inspire me. I'm currently cramped in a dorm room at college, but in only a matter of months I'm hoping to have a nice little apartment to call home. To prepare, I've allowed myself to daydream via pinterest and get inspired by workplaces that are meant to inspire. Here are my finds! 

Looks like the main things that appeal to me are windows, white furniture, and pops of color in the art and decor. Love the simplicity too. Gives room to think!!

the end!

- sharon

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all things new // upcycled matchbooks

I've had a jar of vintage matchbooks sitting around, asking me to do something with them. & on this rainy, cold day... I came up with a few ideas. Here are 3 ways to upcycle old matchbooks!

1. Matchbookmarks

I love how these turned out. So simple and so effective! The matchbook flap is perfect to cling onto the page where you left off and make sure you won't lose your spot!

2. Decorative Matchbook Mini-Banner

So simple! I hung mine over my mirror for now. But I think this would look best on the top of an inspiration bulletin board. You can find the mini clothespins and lace ribbon at walmart!

3. Matchbook Magnet Set

This was definitely the simplest idea. But I love it. I'm always looking for creative magnets that are unique, but also a set so that it doesn't look too jumbled. Voila!

Thanks for reading!

Keep on keepin on.

- sharon

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