I'm Ready For Fall!

It's almost September. In North Carolina that doesn't mean much. It's still warm. You still have to mow the grass and wear warm weather clothing. That doesn't mean I'm not ready for fall to get here!

It might be the new dress I just got from Lands' End. It could be all of the cute boots in my closet that are dying to be worn. It may be the discussion last night about Candy Corn M&Ms. Whatever it is, can the leaves go ahead and start changing already?

While we wait please enjoy this picture of my new dress. My beautiful new dress that it's currently far too warm to wear. 

Sad Beaver Is Sad

I've posted a few times about the search terms that bring people to my blog. "Crying face" still seems to be the number one way people find me. (When you think As The Bunny Hops don't you think of tears, too?)

In non-crying hits news: my Draw Something post was bringing in a fair amount of traffic from those who needed a little help drawing a beaver of their very own. My beaver was crawling up the ranks slowly but surely. And then it froze. My little beaver is stuck as the number two image for "draw something beaver".

I just can't seem to grab that number one spot. Why do I want to be the number one hit for "draw something beaver"? Why wouldn't I want to be the number one hit for "draw something beaver"! (OK, I really have no idea why this is important to me now. Consider it a point of pride.)

And just because I knew you'd ask..."Candy Corn M&Ms" are making a comeback. At least on my blog when it comes to top search terms. (I have no clue if they'll be in stores again this year.) I guess people are ready for fall! Now go...search for "draw something beaver" and find me. I'll be right here waiting. 

A Whole Lot Of Little Black Bag

Since my original Little Black Bag I've opened a lot more. A LOT more. I can't help myself. (I might have one on the way and another open as we speak. The first step is admitting you have a problem, right?)

Here are just a few of the things I've picked up in my last few Little Black Bags...

Nila Anthony Color Block Belted Structure Bag

Five Ways I Know I'm Getting Old

So today is my birthday. In a lot of ways I still feel like a kid. I frequently act like a kid and I don't think I look my age. Of course sometimes I still get whacked upside the head with the knowledge that I am indeed getting older. And I'm pretty sure I don't like it. So today to celebrate I'm sharing five ways I know I'm getting older every day.

1. When you can feel the weather. Seriously...when it's about to rain I know it. I thought I had years left before this started to happen.

2. When you look on Facebook and see a post where someone mentions spending time with their grandchild. And you realize the poster was a high school classmate. (Yes, this happened. Yes she was very young to be a grandmother. It doesn't help...)

3. When you find yourself looking up Know Your Meme once a week or more to figure out something you saw online. Kids these days...

4. When you don't get carded anymore. Ever. (OK, I was carded well into my 30s. That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt when I see some people getting carded and I don't.)

5. When instead of looking forward to the weekends so you can go out you look forward to the weekends so you can stay in. (How did I ever make it out three times a week when I was younger?)

So come join me in a slice of cake. And I won't get upset if you tell me I don't like a day over 29.

Fall Decor Twitter Party With Gallery Direct

Gallery Direct is celebrating my birthday this Monday with a Twitter Party! (OK, the party has nothing to do with my birthday...besides, you guys will be getting the presents.)

Five winners will receive a $200 credit that can be used on Gallery Direct's website to purchase their favorite art. (Or you can even upload your own photos or children's artwork for a piece that's one of a kind!) 

RSVP on Thrify & Chic Mom's blog and join in on Monday, August 27th at 10pm ET. So what are you waiting for? Get shopping! 

Disclosure: I am a Gallery Direct Ambassador

Back To School Snack Ideas

Since everyone's heading back to school next week (well around here anyway!) I wanted to share some of my pins from the Del Monte Fruit Cups Back To School Campaign!

Source: momendeavors.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: justshortofcrazy.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: creativeprincessbrandi.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: thegunnysack.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: thecountrychiccottage.net via Amy on Pinterest

Disclosure: I am the Campaign Leader for the Del Monte #SmartSnack Back To School Campaign. This post was not compensated - I just wanted to share some of the bloggers' great work!

I Am A Child Of The 80s...

Last night I was able to live out one of my childhood dreams...for a second time. I was (and continue to be) a huge fan of Duran Duran when I was a little girl. I dreamed of seeing them live in concert. Of course when I was a little girl I could never have afforded paying over $100 for a concert ticket. Ah...the perks of adulthood!

My first time seeing Duran Duran was about four years ago. It was in an outdoor venue and I had lawn tickets. (It was a smaller place and the lawn area is actually quite nice.) This time I was indoors in Row P. Not quite the front row seats of my dreams but still pretty darn awesome.

SoFabU: Did I Graduate?

My campaign photography course has come to it's end. Now it's time to look back at what I've learned and share favorite pictures from my portfolio. 

We started by taking in store photos. 

{Closed}Back To School With Tiny Prints

Have I mentioned Back To School enough for you yet? I know some of you are already back, some of you will be going soon. No mater what state of back to school preparedness you are in, Tiny Prints is ready to help.

There's a great selection of personalized notebooks, sure to make homework assignments a little less painful. 

These allergy alert cards are both practical and adorable. 

And every day will be special with these lunch box notes. 

Have you decided what you want to order yet? Good news! One of you will win a $50 credit and free shipping for your next Tiny Prints order. Just complete the easy RaffleCopter entries below! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Enjoy Arbor Mist Frozen Wine Cocktails

I got a pretty awesome special delivery earlier this month while I was in New York for BlogHer. The Team from SheSpeaks dropped off a selection of Arbor Mist Frozen Wine Cocktails for me to enjoy. 

With flavors like Blackberry Merlot, White Pear Pinot Grigio and Strawberry White Zinfandel I had a feeling I was in for a special treat.

Always The Last To Know: Google Handwrite

Today I was looking up something on my phone when I saw "Try Handwrite" on Google.com. Of course I clicked to see what it was about. Now I can write with my finger on my Samsung Galaxy S III and Google will use handwriting detection to search. Pretty clever, right?

Shiny Happy Bloggers {BlogHer 12: Final Thoughts}

I'm considering a name change for my blog. As The Bunny Rambles has a nice ring to it, don't you think? Even though I did daily recaps of my time at BlogHer I felt like I had one more post to write. This is that post. A little bit of everything else running around in my head after I returned home...

Now that I've had over a week to process BlogHer I realize I'm not feeling much different about the experience than when I first left. I've read a ton of other recaps and in some cases I feel as though I was at a completely different event. I didn't see much in the way of rudeness or greediness. (But that might be because I wasn't looking for it.) The Hilton was fine. Nothing great, but nothing horrible. I only had issues with the elevators when I was going up to the suites on the 42nd floor. (I think the elevator issues started on the 34th floor and we were on the 25th.) We can all agree it was hot. (Yes, I'm from North Carolina. Yes, I'm used to the heat. One difference: in North Carolina we like air conditioning.) My BlogHer memories are filled with shiny pictures of me and my new friends. (Seriously, packing an entire suitcase of face powder for next year...)

There was a ton of discussion before this year's event about the ethics of private parties. I went to private events. I'm OK with that decision. BlogHer had 130 official sponsors. Some official sponsors also sponsored private events. Even BlogHer itself had private events if you consider the special breakfasts and lunches with limited space. I tried to show respect to BlogHer and the #BlogHer12 hashtag but not using it when I was talking about private events. If BlogHer was having difficulty procuring official sponsors because of the private events I might change my mind. With the size of the expo that didn't seem to be the case. (If it was a challenge I'd love for BlogHer to let us know.) For now it feels like official and unofficial sponsors can peacefully coexist as long as everyone plays nice. Private events and official sponsors got two different BlogHer experiences. You could pay a little for a party and reach 300 bloggers. You could pay a lot for a sponsorship and reach 5000. It's their call.

Back To School With Lands' End

And just like that it's the middle of August. Where did the summer go? I've been working on multiple social media campaigns with back to school themes. I was shocked to find out that many schools are already back in session! (We still have a few weeks before school lets in for most districts around here.)

While I was in New York City for BlogHer last week I had the honor of attending a back to school event hosted by Lands' End and MomTrends. One fun activity that evening was designing a back to school look featuring their new arrivals. I paired a navy skirt and shoes with a fun pink belt and a great checked backpack that pulled it all together. I would totally wear those t-strap ballet shoes myself if they came in my size! Check out all of the bloggers' looks in their Facebook album.

It's Time To Grill

The middle of August just sort of sneaked up on me. Depending on where you live that means kids are already back in school or heading that way soon. Even though it's warm now that won't be the case in a few months. Time to hang out on the deck will be winding down before you know it. That's why I was excited for this week's photography challenge: Grilling up a party!

 Step one: fire up the tiki torches!

My Saturday Hops at BlogHer 12

A week ago I started my last full day at BlogHer. First on the agenda was the fabulous Disney Junior breakfast. I loved everything about this. (Well, except the blogger who took the plush Mickey from out of Jen's bag and replaced it with a Minnie. Who does this sort of thing? There were still empty seats with Mickeys. You didn't have to take one from a seat where someone was obviously already sitting!) Mickey snatching aside this was an amazing event. We were treated to a sneak peek of Disney Junior's new series Sophia The First along with a new clip from the Halloween episode of Doc McStuffins.

I spent some time after breakfast back in the expo hall looking for things I might have missed on my first visit there. My friend Hali asked if I had visited Retail Me Not's booth yet. She just gave their prize wheel a spin and won. I definitely wanted to check them out - I love Retail Me Not! I found their booth and talked to their reps. They said I could get a spin on the wheel if I downloaded the app or sent out a tweet. One tweet later and I won, too! (I guess Hali is my lucky charm.) Now here's where things get extra awesome: while I was looking for Hali I get a text message from Samsung. (I had visited their booth yesterday.) Today I won their hourly drawing for a new phone! I love Samsung. Seriously, I have two Samsung televisions and a Samsung washer and dryer. I was in the market for a new phone and planned to get one after I returned from BlogHer. Guess I don't need to make that trip to Verizon after all! (Well, actually, I did go to Verizon when I got home - to activate my new Samsung Galaxy S III!) The photos from my new phone are so much better than my old phone. Next year's updates are gonna rock!

My Friday Hops at BlogHer 12

It's Friday. The official start of BlogHer. I was actually able to get about six hours of sleep last night. Let's do this!

I started the morning bright and early by attending the McDonald's breakfast. I wasn't sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised. I sat with the fantastically funny Mitch and Linda, along with my friend Amanda. We sampled McDonald's new breakfast options and listened to the president of McDonald's, Jan Fields, along with other key representatives. They talked about the McDonald's Listening Tour and answered tons of questions from the audience. There was a great discussion about crew members referring to the toys as girl toys and boy toys in Happy Meals. (It's something that drives me batty...toys have no gender!) I'm also officially obsessed with their new blueberry and pomegranate smoothie.

After breakfast it was time to figure out where to pick up my official BlogHer bag. The expo was split into two floors with a few areas scattered here and there. I didn't like this, if only because I'm sure I missed something. The bags were tucked in with some sponsors in a back corner of one hallway. I'm glad I found it because that's also where Martha Stewart's Staples display was located! Swoon! I got insider information that after Martha's lunch keynote she'd be heading back to that very spot for a meet and great. I made plans to stalk her then and there. Then I realized my schedule wasn't going to allow that. Darn it. I hate it when a stalking plan doesn't come together!

My Thursday Hops at BlogHer 12

When I started thinking about BlogHer 12 and how I wanted to represent my time there on my blog I realized it was going to be too much for one post. That's why I decided it would be easiest to organize my thoughts into daily recaps. So let's start at the very beginning. A very good place to start...

I already mentioned my regret about arriving on Thursday instead of Wednesday. Next year I'll know better. Luckily my trip to the airport, my flight and my trip from LGA to the hotel were all pretty uneventful. I confess to seeing at least two other bloggers at the airport while waiting for my flight and being too scared to introduce myself. (I convinced myself that it was just pre-arrival nerves and that once I was in the conference all would be well.) 

Checking in at the Hilton was a minor adventure . It seems the reservation was only in my roommate's name. Luckily I had asked to secure the reservation with my credit card for the bonus miles. Since I was paying for the room they decided to let me in. (And about an hour before official check in time so bonus points for that.) After a few minutes to settle in I headed downstairs for my first official BlogHer experience.

Picking up my badge and drink tickets only took a few minutes. Then I found the Carpet One "Relax, It's ...Lee's Spill & Chill" event for my 3pm appointment. I have to say all conferences should start with a pedicure! I was able to watch a demo of the carpet's stain resistant properties, get my nails done, pose in a pair of highly painful and too big but oh so fabulous Versace stilettos, and meet Julie Edelman, The Accidental Housewife. I also met a few bloggers I knew from some sort of interaction online. I'm so much more comfortable around people I know or in a small group so making connections early was key for me.

Grilling, Mother Nature and Getting Food On The Plate

This week has been a tiny bit crazy. Well, actually I should say the last two weeks have been a tiny bit crazy since it's Wednesday and I'm just posting last week's photography assignment now. I spent half of last week in New York City at BlogHer. (TONS of posts coming up about that!) In addition to that we got rain. Lots and lots of rain. It's even raining right now. Mother Nature has obviously gotten tired of all of my grilling.

This week was all about photographing food on the plate. Lighting was a primary focus this week. (Although I think lighting has always been in our minds as we've progressed through the class.) We also talked about styling and props. I invested in simple white places and bowls just for food photography. Although colors and patterns can be used I knew the white would be a good neutral surface for my food.

TCBY Frozen Yogurt Sandwiches Three Ways

I had a blast today celebrating Ice Cream Sandwich Day! Now you might be thinking Ice Cream Sandwich Day was on August 2nd. But today was Ice Cream Sandwich Day for me since I activated my new Samsung Galaxy S III running Ice Cream Sandwich. (Also known as Android 4.0.) This just may be my geekiest celebration since Pi Day. (With pies, of course.)

Obviously such an epic day needed an epic celebration. That's where TCBY Frozen Yogurt Sandwiches come in. You could always eat an ice cream sandwich as an ice cream sandwich. (Not a thing in the world wrong with that!) But of course I like to be different. Here are three ways you can jazz up your TCBY Frozen Yogurt Sandwiches in just a few minutes!

Ice Cream Sandwich dippers are easy as can be. Just slice your sandwiches in half, then in three strips. Dip in caramel sauce. That's it! (This works best if you have the sandwiches deep frozen, they melt quickly!)

Five Things I Learned About BlogHer Before I Even Arrived

1. You Should Arrive On Wednesday.
I asked around and heard that I would be fine arriving on Thursday. (And honestly, I am fine. It will be plenty of time there.) But arriving on Thursday means I've had to turn down several really cool opportunities that are going on before I arrive. Who knew you needed to show up two days before the conference started?
2. It's Impossible To Feel Ready.
I'm an experienced traveler. I always get excited before a trip buy my level of anxiety and excitement for BlogHer is ridiculous. (In a good way!) I'm nervous. I'm not sure why. But I guess I'll figure that out when I get there. I also have lists that have lists at this point as I try to pack and get ready. I've already owned the fact that I'll forget something. As long as I remember my chargers I have a feeling everything will be OK.