Today I'm guest posting over at the lovely Bubby and Bean listing my three road trip truths. Go check it out! And most definitely follow Melissa, because she's a gem!

I also did a little post over on Julie's pretty blog, Life of a Cupcake. She's doing a sweet series called Happy Girl Week, so be sure to stop by and join in on the uplifting party.

Last but not least, be sure to enter to win those fantastico cat-eye sunglasses from Tumbleweeds!! I know you don't want to miss out on that. They're incredible. I've been wearing my pair nooooon-stop.

Now on to the weekend! I have a huuuuge project starting up next week on February 1st that I'm so so excited about. I'm excited to share it with you, too!

What are your weekend plans?

Hi I'm Suki and my blog The Owl Club is a little space to reflect upon and record the creative, crafty side of my life and to share and talk about it with others. I love collage, sewing, making & wearing pinback badges, using recycled/vintage/salvaged materials, cooking and anything to do with owls!

BLOG // TWITTER // SHOP

Hi everyone, my name is Jaime and I write lifestyle blog with a crafty and geeky twist: Sparkles and Sticks. I love writing about books I am reading, blankets I am crocheting, DIY home projects I am painting/hammering/building, and any other little adventures I decide to embark on. Come stop by and say hi- I love making new blog friends! xoxoxo Jaime

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Hello! I'm Lauren over at Ren Was Here. I love reading and blogging. I also love writing lists (even if I don't cross anything off for that day). These lists help me stay on track (until my brain starts to wander, like it is now). Back on track: I blog about my life, what my likes and dislikes are, my challenges and my successes. Come by and visit!

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Hi, I'm Cosmia and I blog at Inflammatory Knit! I'm a librarian living in Ireland and my blog is a mix of personal style and crafting, with a sprinkle of Joanna Newsom love thrown in!

BLOG // TWITTER // CHICTOPIA

You GUYS! It's almost February? What the?! Good night nurse! Did your grandma ever use that saying? Or was my grandma Marvel the only one? Also, how awesome is the name Marvel? I'm bringing it back.

Anyway, it's time again to call for February sponsors! I am so so SO excited for February. It's a month that's near and dear to my heart for reasons I'll explain later. For now, let it be known that I'm dreaming up a huge month of self-love for February, and I'd LOVE to have you along for the self-love journey. Think inspiring posts, exercises in learning to love yourself and embrace who you are, etc. It's a subject I could go on for hours about, and I'm so excited for the entire month.

For more details on pricing and options, check out the sponsor page. All large ads are sold out for February, but there are most definitely medium and small still available! If you're down to join in on the February party, hit me up! I'd love to have you!

It's bound to be an inspiring month, so I hope to have you along for the ride. Happy Wednesday! I fly out to LA tomorrow, and I couldn't be more excited!

Hey there! My name is Jenna and I am the mad scientist behind my blog SewSavoirFaire and my shop GeorgiaPeachVintage. You'll find odd outfits, cats, and the ever changing "day in the life" antics on my blog and at my shop you'll find a wide array of kitschy, cute, and fabulous vintage finds! Come by and say hello because I truly love meeting new bloggy friends and new blogs to read!

BLOG // SHOP // TWITTER // FACEBOOK

Pussycat Vintage is my blog that revolves around my shop, fashion and the happenings in my little world. My shop carries high quality vintage for men and women. I hope that you will stop by my little space, say hello and fall in love with a piece of vintage or two!

BLOG // TWITTER // FACEBOOK // THE MUSIC MOMS

Hey, ya'll! My name is Mo and I'm a New Orleanian, mostly-vegan, animal lover, chai tea addict, bicycle commuter, women's college graduate who currently works in the film industry. Come over to Fleur De Moi and share in my experience of adulthood puberty with me.

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I'm into colorful stuff. Maybe to a fault, but you can be the judge of that. I blog about fashion and I dance all the time- when I'm not busy being a full time mama, wife and graphic design student. Check out my links because we should be friends!

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The Darling Ewe follows the life of Megan, a sidelined knitter currently nursing a broken paw.

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Hi there! I'm Kristin. I’m a 24 year-old non-profit professional by day, blogger by mid-evening, Netflix-watcher and sleep-attempter by night. My boyfriend, Micah, and I spend our days working, reading, learning together, cracking each other up, and planning our next hiking trip. As Luck Would Have It is where I blog about our life together and some of my favorite things: design, personal style, nerdy academic pursuits, and everyday adventures. I love to make new friends in blogland so that we can share and learn from each other...if you're into that sort of thing, you should come say hello!

BLOG // TUMBLR // TWITTER // PINTEREST

Hi! I'm Tiffany, a 30-something wife and mom from Chicago. I run a little shop called ThatGirl Crochet where you can find hand-crocheted scarves, cowls, earwarmers, coffee cozies and more.

SHOP // BLOG

My blog follows my daily crazy life, and also my personal style which is vintage meets modern. My shop is based around all that is vintage, and I love providing etsy with items that are extremely pre loved & have a bit of character.

BLOG // SHOP // TWITTER

My name is Heidi. I'm a 28-year-old newlywed living in Fargo, North Dakota, and working as a journalist. I like photography, crafternoons, kitty cats, holidays, good food and the occasional run.

BLOG // PINTEREST // TWITTER // INSTAGRAM: @hreisenauer

I'm a shy girl living it up on the Internet. I leave the house to thrift and buy sugar. Sometimes I wish that I could live in the land of font, but I'm worried that I'd have Comic Sans as a neighbour.

BLOG // TWITTER // FACEBOOK

Hi my name is Lauren & I blog over at Tastes Like Love about my daily adventures with my husband & friends, and where I share my illustrations of cute girl characters and animals. Come over & say hello!

BLOG

A blog about a woman on a mission to bring a smile into other people's lives. Sharing my daily dose of motherhood, full time employee, and a cancer patient kicking but and taking names. Join me in the mayhem!

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Hi there, I'm Kate from Kate's Irrelevant. I craft, draw, write and blog daily. I love tattoos, collecting pretty books, appreciating the little things and making too many lists. Stop by my blog and say hello sometime - I love a new friend!

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Hi, I'm Mandi. I blog at www.LifeInBeta.com. 2012 is a big year for me: I'm turning 30 (*blush*), getting married, becoming a step-mama, and starting my own business. Please stop by my blog and share my adventure with me!

BLOG // TWITTER // PINTEREST

A Box of Paint is my personal blog where I share my thrifty finds, online art picks, design inspiration, and other bits of my life.

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Oh hai! My name is Marlous and I'm the owner of missmarielouise.com. I'm a crafty and vintage loving girl and I love to make things with crochet and felt. This year I will start my etsy shop Laloulouise and I'm so excited about it! I love getting to know other crafty girls from around the world, so if you stop by at my blog, please leave a message so I can say hi back to you.

BLOG // FACEBOOK // BLOGLOVIN // TWITTER // PINTEREST

Hi there, my name's Cate, and I blog at Sangui(knit)ie. I believe that happiness is in the making of things, that dreams were meant to be big, and that life is best lived colorfully. Pop on over and say hello!

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Sharing ideas and tips is why I started this blog. Here you'll find a variety of post from d.i.y projects and recipes to thrift finds, outfit post and more. I have fun with this blog and just love writing it in general so feel free to stop by and say hi!

BLOG // SHOP // TWITTER

Be sure to stop by each of these lovely blogs and say hello. And while you're at it, you should probably just take a little sneaky peek at all of the blogs over there on the sidebar. I love all of them muchly and appreciate them tremendously! Happy Monday!

These waterproof rain boots are not your typical rain boots. I dig the moccasin boot look with a rainy day twist.

And how glorious are these stripey rain boots? I think I need these.

And is it weird that I kind of really like these strange teal rain boots? I dig the wedge style. It's not every day you see a wedge on a rain boot, right?

Am I the only one already pining for April showers and May flowers? Or did you catch early spring fever, too?

Looking for something to break up the doldrums of January? Bummed out by all your old
sweaters and skirts but too broke to afford something new? A clothing swap can jazz up
your January, your wardrobe, and your social life in one shot. And with the right blend of
people, place, and plan, you can hold not just any old clothing swap, but the greatest and
most glorious swap around.

The People
Swaps are a lot more fun with more people, so have friends invite their friends, and
encourage those friends to bring their awesome roommates. This will serve several
purposes. First, the clothing pool is widened, and the more sizes, styles and amounts to
pick through, the better and more fun for all involved. More people also means more new
faces and new conversations, upping your chances of meeting a new friend– and who
wouldn’t want that?

The Place
Try to pick a location with areas that work well for trying on clothes. You can designate
rooms as changing areas, hang a sheet or curtain, or simply mark off one communal
area and one private area for shy changers. Having ample space to spread out the clothes
makes it easier for every one to sift through and walk around, a plus but not necessarily
a make or break situation. Also, picking a locale where everyone in the vicinity is taking
part in the swap is a lot easier than working around your non-participating male roomie
who only wants to reach the Playstation.

The Plan
The best clothing swaps balance between stringently organized and a total free-for-
all. Mark out specific areas for t-shirts, pants, dresses, shoes, miscellaneous, sweaters,
long sleeve shirts, and have everyone sort their clothing accordingly. Having another
designated area for keepers and off-limits items (so no one walks off with someone’s
favorite jeans) is also a great idea. Keep this area very distinct from the free-for-all.

As soon as everything is divvied up, let everyone dig in, rummage, and try on to their
hearts’ content. As you weed through the bounty, try picking out clothes for each other.
Say you find a cute shirt, but it’s not your style and/or size. However, it would look great
on your friend’s roommate-–hand it over and let her try it on. When my friends and I
hold swaps, we spend as much time finding clothes for each other as we do for ourselves.
Often, other people will pick out items you wouldn’t normally consider, but end up
looking stellar on you and jazz up your wardrobe considerably. And it does wonders for
your ego to have someone exclaim over you, insisting that it brings out your eyes, or
makes your legs look like that girl in the Urban Outfitters catalog.

If you need some laughs, hold a wacky outfit contest. See who can put together the
craziest outfit, try on and compare all night long. You can also attempt to dress the
resident furry friends for added laughs (and perhaps some indignant tail swishing).

In addition to clothes, you can also have your guests bring a small snack or drink to
share if they want. This cuts down on the amount of food (if any) you provide, but more
importantly, nothing gets people talking and having fun like communally provided food.

For added points, when all is said and done, and the night has been swapped away, gather
up all the castoffs and elect someone to drop them off at the local Goodwill or women’s
shelter. With that finishing touch, your night has now spruced up your January, your
wardrobe, your social life, and your karma. Who could ask for more?

So, I guess I'm diving in with everyone else since I figure I use Instagram every day anyway. Follow along with me! I'm @amorby. Happy January 1st! Here's to hoping we all stick to our new projects.

Well wouldn't you know it? Christmas has completely come and gone, and here we are facing a brand new year. I must confess that I don't exactly look forward to the new year like most people do. Change and I don't really have the best relationship. And to be completely honest, January and I are bitter enemies with a time-tested grudge yet to be assuaged by any instance of good January luck.

The past 5 Januarys have all left me on my knees--hospital stays, dropping out of college for health problems, unemployment--you name it. At this point, January has become one enormous, looming, self-fulfilling prophecy, and try as I might, every January seems to be the same.

This year, as much as I'd love to make resolutions like everyone else and look toward 2012 with a positive heart full of motivation, I think I'm going to make a resolution to give up on the disappointment of resolutions, let down any iota of expectations for the new year, and completely devote myself to living in the moment. That is my one wish for 2012--to let go of the past and put no harsh, self-defeating expectations on my future.

Before you quit reading and say "Amy! You are crazy! Goals are good for you!" let me just give you one simple plea.

When you make your goals this year, please by ALL means, just be kind to yourself. Make kind resolutions that don't make you feel guilty for what you're NOT doing--make resolutions that inspire you to add something to improve the person you already are.

Please don't hate your body. Please don't start the year off with guilt-ridden feelings and anger toward your greatest asset. Remember that it's impossible to achieve everything. Remind yourself that what you have already accomplished is phenomenal, and rather than feel guilty for what you're not doing, look for something that will enhance what you ARE doing.

Life is too short to create unattainable goals that will only bring guilt and self-defeating thoughts. Of course we should all move onward and upward and become the best person possible, but I am a firm believer that a positive self-image and self respect are the greatest motivational and inspiring tools out there.

And now that I've laid down the heavy Amy's life lessons talk, I'll just say I hope you had a fantastic holiday  break with your loved ones and that 2012 brings you everything amazing with some magic thrown in for good measure.

Now go forth and set your kind resolutions! Or join me in setting none and simply committing to a year of positive vibes and living in the moment. Whatever you do, just love yourself, ya hear?

Well, all of you Christmas champions, I'm off for a glorious Christmas break. I thought I'd leave you with the Christmas card we sent out this year and a gigantic Merry Christmas from all of us.

I hope you all have a glorious holiday filled with family, all the food you can possibly imagine, and lots of good lovin. Thank you for being a reader and for making this month spectacular. <3

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Loren of The Inclined Plane! Congrats, Loren! Email me at amymorby@gmail.com and I'll hook you up!

And a huge thank you to Shabby Apple for sponsoring such a sweet giveaway. Be sure to check out their pretty dresses and use code aisforampersand10off for 10% off your purchase!