guestpost // cheer up >>>>

 

Hey, it's Joanna from ModaMama here.  I always find the intro paragraph and spiel of guests posts to be really awkward and difficult.   It's like a bad dating video, "I'm Joanna and I like dresses, fashion, photography, long walks on the beach...blah, blah, blah."  So let's skip that shall we?  If you want to know a bit about me, hop on over to the site and we'll chat!

So what am I here to say?  I'm here to say, "Cheer up! You're going to die!"  Let me explain.

We all stress a lot about a lot of things:  Fashion, blogging, sponsorship, posting, our car, this wrinkle, that wart, etc. etc.   And the fact is that a lot of the things we stress about don't matter at all.  In 80 years or so we'll be dead and 80 years after that chances are no one will remember our names.

Don't believe me?  How many know what your great great great grandmother on your Father's side name was?  What about her hopes, dreams, passion, etc etc?  See it doesn't matter 'cause our time here is really small and finite.

So on the flip side, smile because it doesn't matter!  There's no need to stress about your sponsorship, your blog layout, your not cool enough car, 'cause it really doesn't matter.  The person with the Jag and the person with the twenty year old Volvo are both in the same boat.  Yup, they'll both be dead.

So really all that matters is today, and what you decide is worth your time.

Now since I'm a fashion blogger I'm going to bring that back on point now.  It means that though I love fashion, it doesn't matter.  My daughter, my love, my passion matters, and so it gives me endless freedom to play with my look.  It means I can wear leopard, spots, florals - whatever I choose!  And the worst thing that will happen is that it'll look bad.  For one day.  Out of the lifespan of the entire universe.

thanks for a fantastic post joanna!!!

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guestpost // spring colour >>>>

today's guestpost comes from kitty at kitty and buck. kitty lives in australia where spring is in full bloom :)

Hello! My name is Kitty and I normally blog over at Kitty & Buck. I'm so happy to be here at This Enchanted Pixie today, thanks Polly for sharing your space with me. Since I know a lot of you are living in the northern hemisphere, I thought I would share what is going on in my part of the world, Spring colour! I live in Sydney Australia, so I'm enjoying warmer days and lots of beautiful flowers coming into bloom. I took these photographs whilst wandering through the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, which is a calming, reflective place at all times, and a wonderful refuge from the bustle of the city. Right now, we are having some special spring displays, I hope you enjoy this little change in scenery.

I hope you enjoyed this small part of my world today. I'd love to meet you, so please pop over and say hi at Kitty & Buck when you have a chance. Thanks for having me Polly :)

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guestpost // life >>>>>

today the beautiful fritha from tigerlilly quinn is sharing some peeks into her life

When Polly was kind enough to let me guest post over at her beautiful blog I wondered what to write. My blog is generally just snap shots of my life decorated with whatever is going on in my mind at the time. I struggled to think of a topic and then it came to me, just do that, snap shots of my life! Above you will find a peek of the mundane mixed with littlest moments, both as beautiful as each other. Life! xoxo

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guestpost // wedding anniversary traditions >>>>

today's guestpost comes from alyssa at impractical composition!

Brand and I are coming up on our 4 year anniversary! I can't believe how fast the time goes by, it feels like yesterday we were taking pre-wedding pictures, and getting butterflies about our wedding day! Here are some traditions that Brand and I have on our anniversary:

1. Look at your wedding pictures - There is no better way to remember your special day than by flipping through your wedding album. There will be so many things that you will remember about the day, it will bring up so many conversations about what happened, how you felt, and what you remember.

2. Come up with a traditional weekend get away - Every time our anniversary comes around Brand and I go up to Prescott for the weekend and enjoy the cold weather and turning of the leaves.  We like to do one new thing each time, last year Brand and I picked a spot where we would want to build a house!  It was high up on the mountain and oh so gorgeous! We also like to go back to the places we've been and see if they have changed.  Oh, and we take lots of pictures to document our time!

3. Eat an anniversary only meal/dessert - When Brand and I head up to Prescott we always stop at the Amish restaurant in Black Canyon where we eat a yummy breakfast. And I always get Chocolate Chocolate chip pancakes at iHop! There is nothing better than having a specific meal or place to remind you of the fun traditions you have on your anniversary.

4. Talk about your future goals - Isn't it fun to look back on the past year you spent together and think about what you want to do in the next year? Ask each other questions about future goals, where you see your family the next time your anniversary rolls around, any personal goals that you want to achieve.

5. Buy something small/Find something in nature to take home - Let's face it, weekend getaways can be expensive so it can be easy to not want to spend money on trinkets. Every year Brand and I take a leaf home with us. (the leaf has already fallen from the tree of course!  It's kind of random and may seem silly to you, but we put it up on our book shelf so we can remember, throughout the year, the fun time we had on our anniversary.. It's a simple reminder of the memories and love that we have for each other.

Do you have any anniversary traditions?

Are there any new ones that you want to start?

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guestpost// instant film camera shopping with anna delores photography

Greetings, pixie friends!  Many thanks to the lovely Polly for welcoming me to her blog today.  My name is Emily and I blog at the Anna Delores blog, as well as run an Etsy shop + portraiture photography studio called Anna Delores Photography.

I'm hanging out with Polly today to share shopping tips for instant film cameras!  Instant film has gotten way better than the "shake it" Polaroid prints of the days of yore; there are lots of new and exciting options to choose from!

I was compelled to start this shopping comparison by a friend's desire for a instant photo booth at her upcoming wedding.  Here, I review your options and their applicability for both instant gratification at wedding photo booths and beyond.

First up: the Fujifilm Instax series.

The newest member of the Instax family is the Mini 50S in a sleek black finish (they call it "piano black").  Simply put, the 50S has the best shooting capabilities of the Instax instant film cameras because of its capacity for controlled exposure (so you can adjust for light vs. dark settings).  Reviews remark that the flash is pretty good for an instant camera and the images themselves are among the best produced by instant film.  Drawbacks, however, include the size of the print -- with borders, prints are about the size of a credit card (which means the actual image is even smaller than that) and the 50S requires CR2 lithium batteries, which aren't quite as widely available as AA batteries.  20 frames will cost you $22.00 (a little over $1 per print).

The Instax Mini 7S and Mini 25 also give you credit card-sized images and preceded the 50S in release date.  The 7S gives you four manual options for exposure setting, while the 25 selects settings for you based on detected conditions (in other words, you don't have to choose or do anything yourself with the 25).  The 25 also boasts a "smarter" auto flash and an optional close-up lens, but also pains its owner with having to hunt for CR2 lithium batteries.

{ Fujifilm Instax Mini 25 and Mini 7S }

These all seem like decent options for the casual instant film user.  Expect to pay between $50-60 for the 7S, up to $100-125 for the 50S (depending on where you buy).

Moving on to the widely-accepted master of instant film cameras, Polaroid...

Personally, I'm totally sold on the Polaroid Z340 Instant Camera, but the biggest drawback on this one is the price.  The $250 price tag is easily justified, however: this instant camera prints better quality (14 megapixels) and size (4x3") on smudge-proof, water-proof, tear-proof paper AND stores images on a digital memory card so you can also edit and print later on.  There's also a digital screen so you can peek at your images (and crop or make adjustments) before you print.  You can print instantly, save for later, or both.  You can also apply effects like fisheye or Lomo modes and can opt for a classic Polaroid border (or no border at all).

{ Polaroid Z340 Instant Camera }

Even with all these exciting features, though, I know every bride in the universe is on a wedding budget, so I'm not about to recommend the priciest option without also suggesting alternatives.  The PoGo™ Instant Digital Camera - ZCAM is a nice compromise between the Fujifilm Instax 50S and the Z340: it has the digital display and editing options of the Z340 at a slightly lower price point (and from what I can tell, you can't save images to a memory card for later edits).

The final option I investigated are the classics: refurbished instant cameras made available by The Impossible Project, which saved the last Polaroid factory from extinction in 2008 (and thus continues to create classic-compatible instant films).  From Impossible, you can score goodies like a refurbished original summer sun Polaroid 660 kit or a Red Stripe 600 OneStep kit.  Prices vary based on the camera itself and availability, as well as whether or not the camera comes with film or not (though most of them come with at least a single starter pack of film).  Impossible also offers hard-to-find professional-grade Polaroids, but for our purposes I won't get into those details in this post.  You can explore for yourself if you're so inclined.  :)

Classic Polaroids can, of course, also be found on eBay and at flea markets all over the place, but the working condition of these will be a much bigger gamble than buying from Impossible, which tests the heck out of each camera before they ship it to your door.  I also found an interesting selection on Etsy, but the same concept applies here: working condition (as well as return policies) will vary considerably.

The verdict: Personally, I'd opt for the Z340 just because it offers so many attractive modern features and thus has wider applicability than a wedding photo booth.  If you're JUST looking for a one-day wonder, though, and for my friend's wedding purposes, I'll probably recommend the Mini 25 as a good "middle ground" option.

Would you ever buy an instant camera, or is Instagram on your smartphone good enough for you?  What would you use a Polaroid or Fujifilm instant camera for if you had one?

Thanks again to Polly for sharing her space with me today!  Hope you'll stop by to say hello at my permanent home base, too.  :)

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guestpost// survive creative rejection

Hi! My name is Ashlie Blake and I am a mixed media artist living in upstate NY. I find inspiration from family, garden, and woodland creatures from the area I live. Working out of my home studio I have the balance of being creative and also raising my children. Art is my life, I wouldn't know what to do without these two hands creating and painting and in my spare time crocheting. My work can be seen in the international art magazine Somerset Studio on the Expression pages of issues Jan/Feb, March/April, and July/August. You can find me and my artwork at my blog Paintingbliss, twitter, facebook, Instagram. Feel free to visit my store and make a piece of my art your very own!

Ashlie has been kind enough to offer up this beautiful mixed media art as a prize to one of you lucky readers!! Enter below :)



Frolicking Floral Feline"
Artwork measures 8 1/2 by 7. Mixed Media on Bristol board using vintage wallpaper, vintage french book pages, acrylic, micron pen, while gel pen, and watercolor.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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guestpost // 10 ideas to make life more amazing

It's almost exactly halfway through the year and it feels like a great time for a little bit of inspiration.   Whether time is moving too slowly for you as you look forward to things, or this year is flying by to fast; there is always a moment to stop and remind ourselves how to enjoy our time.  

Personally, I'm a worrier and a victim of both feelings above.  This particular month is moving slowly for me because I have a road trip to the west coast next month, but the year in general is flying by as I speed along towards things that I know are coming down the line in my future. Scary things like my best friend moving out of the country, growing up and buying my first house, as well as the big 3-0 looming in my future a few years away... So this is as much necessary for me to remind myself as I imagine a lot of you need! 

So without further ado, I give you: 

10 Ideas to Make Life More Amazing

(and hopefully cause you to love a longer and stress-free life!)



#1: Fall in love all over again with everything.

With every friend, stranger, blade of grass, face, or memory.

Fall in love for the first time with that special someone,

or fall in love all over again with your lifelong partner.

♥

#2: Take Vacations

We work ourselves much too hard which isn't healthy.

Taking time away from the house chores, the job, the kids, etc. is a necessity!

♥

#3: Document Your World

Take pictures, blog it, write it down in a notepad...

Years later you'll be able to share it with other people.

Or look back on it when you're having a rough day.

♥

#4: Take Up New Hobbies

It's always fun to learn something new that you can create.

Start running, crocheting, jewelry making, camping, etc. You are a rock-star!

♥

#5. Take Naps

Just like when you were a kid, a nap can adjust any attitude.

Take some time to rest, your body and mind need it!

♥

#6: Surround Yourself with Only Good People

Why allow negative people to suck the life out of you?

Cut them out.  Keep only the good people and you'll feel so much better.

♥

#7: Treat Yourself

It's okay to go buy yourself some new shoes or eat that cake once in a while.

You deserve a little treat now and again-reward yourself!

(And remember, treats are okay in moderation-don't over do it!)

#8: Be Kind to Your Body

Exercise, drink water, meditate, feed yourself good things, etc.

It's the only body you're going to get, so treat it well so it will last you.

♥

#9. Pick Your Battles

Yes you should stand up for yourself

But know when it's worth it and when it will just tear you down.

Sometimes it's easier to just let go of the little stuff.

It will leave you happier.

♥

#10: Leave the Past in the Past

No regrets or carrying it with you, that's the past.

You can't go back and change it.

You can only learn from it and move on.

Stop carrying the bad stuff around with you.

You only hurt yourself over and over again.

Take only the good and go forward.  Just keep going forward.

***

So there we have it.  We already know all of this, but it's good to be reminded once in a while or we forget.  I hope you have a great summer, year, and life! Please don't hesitate to come visit me, I love new bloggy friends! 

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