Summer Spotlight

summer spotlight

Oh my gosh! Today I’m being featured on the Summer Spotlight hosted by Kenarry: Ideas for the Home, View from the Fridge, Oh, My! Creative and One Krieger Chick. The Summer Spotlight series has been showcasing great ideas from a different creative blogger each Friday throughout the summer months. Thanks to my sweet friend Susan from Oh, My! Creative for choosing me as today’s feature! What an honor!

diyshowoff.com

I encourage you to swing by their sites to check out the ideas they’re featuring from my blog (I cant stop smiling today!) as well as the entire Summer Spotlight series. Time to make some new friends! You can also follow the hosts online to see the great ideas they share year-round because there’s no such thing as too much creative eye candy, is there? Of course not!   

I chose a favorite project from each of these talented ladies to highlight and return the favor today:

Oh My! Creative

Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Google+ / Instagram

A DIY Waterfall & Pond

Diy-waterfall-and-pond at OhMy-Creative

One Krieger Chick

Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Google+ / Instagram

Poolhouse Decor: Watercolor Outdoor Wall Art

Splash-Poolside-Painted-decor-with-a-water-color-effect - One Krieger Chick

 

View from the Fridge

Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Google+ / Instagram

Bathroom Updates

bathroom updates - View from the Fridge 

Kenarry

Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Google+

Creating a Backyard Playground

backyard-playground - Kenarry 

Awesome! Thanks so much for including me in this fun series, ladies! Enjoy every last bit of summer! xo 

 

Haven Conference 2014 Photos

The Haven Conference has been an annual event for me for the past three years and each time, I have the best time meeting up with blog friends I’ve known for years and others I’ve known but finally get to meet face-to-face. I don’t really have a recap to write about: fun times, amazing talent and creativity, lots of laughter and hugs, good food, awesome sponsors and generous swag and beautiful friends.

haven conference

Here are some fun photos … I always realize after the fact that I wish I had approached more friends, I wish I had taken more photos. 

Got silly in the FrogTape photo booth with my friend Gina from The Shabby Creek Cottage, Susan from OhMy! Creative and Serena from Thrift Diving…

Roeshel at diyshowoff.com

Always good to hug my group of long time blog friends… Roeshel @diyshowoff.com 

Pretty Handy Girl, Beneath My Heart, All Things Thrifty, Home Stories A to Z, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Sawdust Girl, Just a Girl, Thrifty Decor Chick, Not Just a Housewife, Vintage Revivals and DIY Show Off. 

Roeshel @diyshowoff.com

Big fan of Jen’s creativity and DIY at The House of Wood! It was so lovely to finally meet!

and so sweet to meet Shayna from The Woodgrain Cottage and Krista from The Happy Housie…

Roeshel @diyshowoff

Roeshel @diyshowoff.com

Angelique from Where the Piggy Toes Go, Abby from Just a Girl and her Blog and me

Roeshel @diyshowoff.com

Carrie from Making Lemonade, me & Beth from Unskinny Boppy

No idea what I’m saying above but loved hanging out with a few my Anna Maria Island getaway girls. There’s still time to enter to win a dream vacation getaway here!

Roeshel @diyshowoff

Carrie from Making Lemonade, Diane from In My Own Style, me and Karah from The Space Between

For the first time, I even sweetened up my business cards…

DIYShowOff business cards

And got all star struck meeting a few celebrities too (not pictures is Tom Bury from Restaurant Impossible who loves FrogTape just as much as I do!). 

Me with Mike Holmes…

Roeshel @DIYShowOff and Mike Holmes

and rubbing elbows with Chip Wade…

Roeshel @DIYShowOff and Chip Wade

I met so many more that aren’t shown above, missed photo ops…bummer! I also think I’ve lost a few photos and will update as I find them because I did have the chance to get to know more fabulous blog friends not mentioned above.  And there were still so many friends that I didn’t have the chance to meet. I may have spied a few I was too shy to approach. Thanks to the Haven Team for pulling off such an awesome event and to the amazing sponsors for the generous swag! 

I’m not sure that there will be another blog conference in my future but I always look forward to connecting with you online! xo

Anna Maria Island Getaway

Anna Maria Island, Florida – a fun and relaxing getaway! Enter to win a dream vacation!

Win a Dream Vacation at diyshowoff.com

I recently met up with a small group of blog friends for a relaxing retreat on Anna Maria Island.

Sirenia Cove Beach Cottage at Anna Maria Island, Florida

The best part of any vacation for me (aside from fun times with friends) is the lodging. And this Anna Maria Island home rental named Sirenia Cove did not disappoint. 

Sirenia Cove, Anna Maria Island Home Rental

Let’s take a tour! Beautiful decor, four bedrooms (sleeps 12), three bathrooms…

beach cottage bedroom beach cottage bedroom beach cottage bedroom beach cottage bedroom

Fully equipped kitchen and comfortable living spaces…

beach house kitchenbeach cottage living roombeach cottage stylebeach cottage dining room

Plenty of quiet spaces…

beach cottage screened porchbeach cottage reading roombeach cottage shelvingbeach cottage crows nest

but lots of room for entertaining too AND right on the water (great location for boaters). 

Sirenia Cove beach cottageSirenia Cove dockon the dock at Sirenia Cove

Beach cottage style. Happy, bright and colorful.

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Because I deal with anxiety and panic attacks, I was the fuddy-duddy who stayed behind house watching during some of the adventures; content to relax in this beautiful home and most days you could find me lounging and reading by the pool. No complaints from me. My kind of get-away. Few plans, low key, stress-free! Beautiful, comfortable surroundings. 

Sirenia Cove pool

It felt like a big birthday celebration with all of the gifts! We each brought some cute things to swap and Anna Maria Island businesses welcomed us with a surprise swag bag full of goodies! 

presents!

Plenty to do for my sight-seeing adventure seeking friends as well!

Anna Maria Island BeachThe Anna Maria City PierAnna Maria Island pierAnna Maria Island palm treesAnna Maria Island friend

Beautiful sandy beach, pier, shopping and restaurants within walking distance, kayaking and other fun excursions close by.

Anna Maria Island blogger retreat

Golf cart and bicycle rental for touring the island. Thanks, Fun and More Rentals!

Fun and More Rentals

Thanks SO much to Anna Maria Island Home Rental for the beautiful and tranquil accommodations.

Sirenia Cove Beach Cottage at Anna Maria Island, Florida 

Thanks to Ford for providing local transportation. 

Ford Fusion

Looking for more pictures and details or to make a few new friends? Visit:
Kelly from Eclectically Vintage
Diane from In My Own Style
Beth from Unskinny Boppy
Karah from The Space Between
Carrie from Making Lemonade
Denise from The Painted Home 

These girls are so sweet and so much fun! 

shadepop

So what do you think? Want to go?

AMI dream vacation

How would YOU like to get away to Anna Maria Island? Enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win! 

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. WINNER IS Jennifer Davis Schultz who won by liking AMIBL on Facebook. Congratulations, Jennifer!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway starts at 7 am CST on Monday, June 16th.  
Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm CST on August 1st, 2014
This Giveaway is open only to legal residents of the U.S. & Canada who are 25 years of age or older, at time of entry.
Winners announced on our blog posts (edited after giveaway ends) and Facebook.
Prize Package includes:
• 4 Night stay at Sirenia Cove on Anna Maria Island
• 1 ~ $60.00 Gift Certificate to Eat Here Restaurant Group
• 1 ~ Free Golf Cart Rental for 4 Days from Fun and More Rentals
• Free Beach Bike Rental for 4 Days from Fun and More Rentals
• 2 ~ Paddleboard or Kayak Rentals for 4 Days from Fun and More Rentals
• Free use of Beach Chairs for 4 Days from Sirenia Cove
• 1 – Portrait by the Sea value of $100.00 from Photography by Billi
* Photos to be purchased based on selection from proofs
• 2 Free Shadepops
See Rafflecopter widget above for official rules and disclaimer.