We Have to Catch Up!

You guys it has been too long! I promise I haven’t forgotten Channelling Dolly! Like with everyone life sometimes gets in the way, but i hope this finds you all well! 

Let me catch you all up! First off, our family grew since we last chatted! No i didn’t have a little one. Those of you who know me know I am way too scared to have a human, but we adopted! A perfect little fuzzy daughter Everly Cole Garcia. She was less than three pounds when we adopted her in April! She adores her sister Poppy and while Poppy took some time to adjust to not being an only child now loves her sister as well. I don’t think we could have found a better baby to round out our family. I know my soulpuppy Barkley definitely made sure both of these girls found their way to us. 

In other news my photography business Bee Memorable Photography is coming along quite nicely! I still have my longtime day job but am enjoying combining my photography passion with Gabe’s DJ business. If you are in the Houston, Texas area  reach out if you need to bring the party to your party! 😉 

I also have started another Etsy shop because who needs sleep! That is what Benefit makes Shape Tape for to conceal all of my dark circles! However if you need photo prints to adorn your walls i have you (and your empty walls covered)!  These are a few selections i have available in my shop

Bee Memorable Photography Bee Memorable Photography Bee Memorable Photography

The last bit of excitement we can muster during these crazy times is over the fact that next week we will pick up our Airstream Bambi! I am sure there will be many  photos to come of it! This will be a dream come true as  I have been absolutely obsessed with Airstreams as long as I can remember. That is right! Dolly and Airstreams two things that i have never tired of! If any of you have favorite campgrounds. especially in Texas or the southwest let me know in the comments! 

What things have been making you all happy this year? I feel like we have to find every way to smile that we can right now. Leave your tips in the comments! 

Bye for now, but I promise not to stay gone so long this time! 

Heather          

 

 

These are a Few of My Favorite Things the Christmas Edition

Happy Holidays everyone! Are you all as ready for 2020 to end as I am? Even though I can’t hear your responses I am sure there will be a lot of YESES!  I have decided to try to enjoy December despite this awful year. I shall ride out the rest of it on a wave of fairy lights and glitter! Turning the house into a winter wonderland has helped! Let me show you a few of my favorite things the Christmas edition!

This is my Disney tree that I’ve collected ornaments for for over twenty years.  Disneyland and Disney World are two of my favorite places on the planet! These ornaments represent countless trips to the parks over the years and bring back so many fun memories.

Nutcrackers are another fav of mine! The more shiny, the more sequins the more obnoxious the better!

Fairy lights, nutcrackers, and a wreath that I DIYed adorn the mantle. I also love the little ceramic angels with the letters NOEL. They belonged to a dear family friend who passed away years ago and it always is in a special place in my Christmas decor now.

Fun fact…my middle name is Joy so I always collect them at Christmastime like the sign above.

Our foyer is so many of my favorite things! Dinosaurs, pompoms, disco balls and bottlebrush trees may not make sense to everyone but to me they make a perfect combination!

This little retro television craft I created after seeing similar projects from the Crafty Lumberjacks (if you haven’t seem them they are AWESOME) as well as Anthropologie.  I loved it so much that I had to take Poppy’s Christmas photos with it and find a spot to integrate it into the rest of the decorations! Plus I can transform it and use it for a photography prop for my side business Bee Memorable Photography!

This was seriously the easiest DIY and I absolutely adore the way it turned out. I just took a cardboard box and cut the hole out of the front.  The panel on the right side is foam paper from the Dollar Tree and the buttons are water bottle lids I painted black and hot glued on. The antennas are skewer sticks with foam balls that I painted with Mod Podge and silver glitter.

For Halloween I had purchased a black tree this year and had it decorated in the foyer with a candy corn theme. For Christmas however it has been turned into a Nightmare Before Christmas tree! I found the cutest Jack Skellington at Walmart in the Christmas section and a Zero plastic piggy bank that looks perfect beneath the tree!

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and let’s hope that 2021 is the exact opposite of 2020. Here is to good health, amazing career opportunities and fun times with friends and family! Until next time you all stay safe!

Do You Need A Getaway?

Getaway House

Do you need a getaway?  Let’s face it! It is 2020. We all need one ! Unfortunately as much as I love to travel across the country I just don’t feel safe doing so right now. Thankfully I discovered Getaway House! 

Getaway House

Getaway has locations, they call them Outposts, across the country not far from large cities such as LA, Atlanta and Dallas to name a few.  I decided to book a spot at the location closest to Houston, Brazos Valley. The booking process is so simple on their site.  Their reservations are set up in a calendar style that allows you to easily compare rates to find the best deal.

Getaway House

Getaway makes social distancing easy! Like super easy! Seriously I want to invest in anything that the Getaway founders create because they were so ahead of their time creating a space where you have to see absolutely nobody! On the day of your reservation you will receive a text telling you which cabin you will be in and the code to get in. Once you arrive on site you will just look for your cabin, ours was Carma, and type the code you received into the keypad on the door. Voila your vacation has begun! 

Getaway House

Let me fill you in on all of the things I loved about Getaway! The main thing that I loved is that they allow dogs. There was a small fee, associated but to be able to have my Poppy with us is so important. 

It is great place to step away and just be one with nature.  Each cabin is surrounded by trees. While you can see the end of the cabins peeking out from the main dirt road the way the cabins are situated provide a lot of privacy amongst the trees. 

How cute is this Getaway? 

The cabins are just so darn cute! They are a cross between a cabin and a tiny home and I am all about the aesthetic.  Though I love the idea of being one with nature the idea of sleeping in a tent in the summer in Texas is not my idea of fun. Hello heatstroke! Thankfully with  Getaway I could get my feel for the outdoors and then go back in to the cool cabin! 

Getaway House

Getaway has created a perfect outdoor space with a picnic table and grill. If you go I suggest packing your favorite foods to grill to get the whole experience.  We made burgers, BOCA for me, and then dessert. Those s’mores were so very good. Look at that marshmallow flame action we had going! They do provide some items for purchase inside your cabin, but for a larger selection I suggest shopping before you get there. 

Getaway House

Disconnect and Enjoy

Should you wish to completely disconnect there is a box in the cabin to place your phone. In place of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and news apps popping up on your phone every five seconds you can take this time to listen to the radio or read an actual book. I haven’t slowed down to do that in way too long as mostly I just listen to audiobooks at this point. 

Getaway House

Getaway House

Getaway House Getaway House Getaway House

Poppy cracks me up in the photo below. She looks like she should have a Sarah McLachlan song playing in the background. In reality we had her in the air conditioning so she wouldn’t get too hot outside. Poor Poppy living the hard life. 😉 Getaway House Getaway House

I couldn’t possibly pass up the chance to have a quick photoshoot! After all that gorgeous window is what the Getaway cabin is known for! 

Want to plan your own trip? 

You don’t have to stay home right now afraid to take a vacation. You just have to be more mindful of your choices. If you all would like more info on Getaway to plan your own trip check them out here! While this post is in no way sponsored by Getaway I do have a code that you can use to save $25. Just click on this link:   getawaycabin.com/v/hgarcia0302

For more travel: 

If you are like me and love to celebrate the month of October with spooky stories check out some of my favorite haunted trips here!

 

New Year, New Smile

Smile Brilliant

Whew! Is it just me or has this year flown by? Who is ready for the holidays? I for one am ready for a little break from work and time with family and friends! 

With everyone getting ready for the holidays there is always so much added pressure to look your best! Family photos around the tree that will live on Facebook for the rest of eternity. Selfies with coworkers at the Christmas party. All of these things may leave you less than confident if you are not happy with your smile. But not to worry! Channelling Dolly has teamed up with Smile Brilliant so that you can go into the New Year feeling your best! 

Earlier this year I did a collaboration with Smile Brilliant and was so impressed with the results that I kept using their product. In fact, I have been asked so many times what product I use for bleaching that it was a no brainer to continue my use of their bleaching process. If you are not familiar with Smile Brilliant they are a direct-to-consumer oral care company that strives to provide products that are truly transparent and professional-grade, right in the comfort of your own home! Two things I love is that I do not have to make a trip to the dentist and they are cruelty-free! To see the entire process check out my last post here

Fortunately for one lucky reader Smile Brilliant is offering one of their systems to one of you! To enter just go to: https://www.smilebrilliant.com/gi/5305

Enter now until December 30th for your chance to win my personal favorite whitening system!

Also all Channelling Dolly readers can save 15% off at Smile Brilliant by using code: channellingdolly15

Good luck everyone!! 

Smile Brilliant *This post was sponsored by Smile Brilliant, but all opinions are my own.   

Paperless Post

I pride myself on being organized and always showing up for my friends and family on their special days. However, I almost always seem to lose invitations before an event. Eventually, they turn up right before I panic that I may be wrong about a date, time or place! If you or your friends tend to have the same issue as I do online invitations with Paperless Post may be just the solution!

With Paperless Post your invites are always visible from your guest’s emails and/or social media accounts. While we may easily lose a piece of paper, few are ever far from their cell phones and access to their email and social media. 

So not only will Paperless Post be easier for your guests to find your event, but their products make it easier on anyone organizing an event as well. Flyers, cards and invites can be custom created easily on the site. There are also predesigned cards from brands such as Anthropologie, Jonathan Adler, Kate Spade, Paper Source, Sesame Street and more. All options can be customized with the event information and a guest list. 

How I Used Paperless Post

Channelling Dolly readers may know that I love the 4th of July and party planning! Since I had the opportunity to team up with Paperless Post I figured why not think ahead and create my party invites now! Afterall it is only 2 1/2 months away!

Check out what I created using one of the designs from Paperless Post:

Paperless Post

 

And the invites are even more beautiful when actually sent as this is a screenshot. The letters light up like neon signs! 

While I chose to use Paperless Post for my upcoming 4th of July party, there are also options for weddings, birthdays, corporate events, graduation and more. Not planning an event? Paperless Post also has you covered for your greeting card needs! Birthday cards, thank you notes, sympathy and so much more is available on their site. 

My First Impression

Paperless Post’s site is very user-friendly.  The brands that they have partnered up with are ones that I have long been a fan of so that spoke volumes to me. The choice of custom designs was great for those wishing to use their own photographs or artwork. The fact that they are paperless is a plus for the environmental aspect as well.  I will definitely be frequenting Paperless Post now that I have been introduced to them! 

To create your own Paperless Post check out their site here

 

*This post was sponsored by Paperless Post but all opinions were that of my own!

Paperless Post

Teeth Whitening Review

Teeth Whitening Review

“Smile! Say Cheese!” 

Those words sound so harmless when you are confident with your smile. However, if you are not they can have a dreadful ring to them. Truth-I did not always love my smile. After having braces for three and a half years as an adult, let me tell you THAT was no fun, my smile and I now have a good relationship. 

Even though I do love to smile now my bad habits do come back to haunt me from time to time. I, my dear readers, have an addiction to Cherry Coke. Though said addiction is getting much better there are still times that I feel it dulls my smile. To keep a whiter smile there is a constant search for teeth whitening products going on here. You name it I have tried it. From laser whitening to whitening trays from the dentist and whitestrips, all have found their way into my beauty regimen. Continue reading Teeth Whitening Review

Create Your Own Unique Look

Create Your Own Unique Look

It is so easy to shop online or go to your favorite store to pick up an article of clothing.  Unfortunately so often you end up with the exact same items as everyone else. While there is nothing wrong with that it is also fun to create your own unique look. With a quick little DIY (and the help of Etsy) I will show you how I took this jean jacket I found for a bargain at Old Navy and made it into one of my current favorite pieces!  Continue reading Create Your Own Unique Look

It’s About Time to Relax with Jord Watches

It's About Time to Relax with Jord Watches

I don’t know about you, but I am so grateful the holidays are over! Not to be bah humbug, however it is so nice to get back to normal. This weekend was very low key! I figured it was about time to relax! 

It's About Time to Relax with Jord Watches

Living near the gulf coast in Texas makes relaxing on the beach very doable as my home is just a short trip away. Within minutes I can be parked and sitting on the sand looking for dolphins! 

It's About Time to Relax with Jord Watches

While I love a super dressy outfit as much as the next girl this weekend I opted for overalls as it was still a bit chilly next to the water. To jazz up my ensemble this gorgeous watch from Jord gave me the perfect pop!  Continue reading It’s About Time to Relax with Jord Watches