All About the Bees...

I am a huge fan of blogging (as if it wasn't obvious).

When I started my blog, I was only reading the blogs of people I knew. Slowly, I'd start to click on a blog that one of my friends followed...which led to clicking on a blog that person followed...which led to me finding so many of my current favorite blogs.

I follow over 160 blogs. While that may seem like a lot, quite a few of those haven't had a new post in months...or the blogger doesn't blog on a regular basis. So, it's probably more accurate to say that I read about 75 different blogs in a week...most of which have multiple posts in a week.

While I love all of the blogs I follow, sometimes I have a hard time keeping up on reading each one. I try my best, but some of them end up getting skimmed when I'd much rather take the time to soak in each word. I'm sure some of you have done this very same thing.

As I was thinking through this week on my priorities and how I can make this situation better, I came up with somewhat of a solution: I'm going to start a weekly blog series about my top 5 blog posts for the week.

If you are anything like me, you probably come across a couple of amazing posts each week that you really allow to sink in...but you quickly forget about them as you go through the rest of your week. I want to take the time to allow those words to sink in, to really let them marinate, as a good friend at church so often says. I don't want a post to simply change my life for the five minutes that it took me to read it; I want it to change my life for a much longer period of time.

So, I introduce to you Finding Refuge's You're the Bee's Knees Weekly Top 5. Each week, I will not only highlight the blog post and explain why I love it, but also include a reason or two as to why I love the blogger.

I'd also love for you to link up with me each week and include your top 5. I am hoping that this will not only be a great way for me to showcase some amazing posts from the bloggers I already love...but also for me to discover some new loves!

I have some big plans for this link up. Some weeks, I may have a theme for what sort of posts to showcase (like maybe my top 5 beauty posts one week, fashion the next, and inspirational the following...that sort of thing). Other weeks will just be random. I'm just really excited to be able to take this opportunity to reflect more on posts that touch my life in one way or another, and to bless the bloggers that posted them!

I will be publishing my first Bee's Knees post on Friday. I hope you will come back to link up with me!



<a href="http://www.breeannbowers.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src=" http://i1107.photobucket.com/albums/h383/breeannbowers/beesknees2-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br>

Accessorizing

It's time for Gussy's Inspiration Workshop!

This week's prompt was your favorite accessory.

I have a couple that I love.


{just.lovely.things}



I absolutely love these headbands! They are super comfortable and add so much to any outfit...and any style of hair (especially those messy hair days).


Lisa Leonard Designs


I love my new necklace! I have worn it every single day since it came in the mail. I love it and what it means to me.


Scarves

It's that time of year when I would be wearing a lot of scarves...if only it was cold enough. Hopefully that will change in the near future! I have collected quite a few scarves over the years and love what they add to an outfit.

What do you love to accessorize with?

***************

Just a few more days to sign up for my Secret Sister Blog Party!! You have until Friday, October 21st! Learn more here. Sign up here.

Fall Inspiration

It's time for Gussy's Inspiration Workshop!

The prompt this week was fall.

This has me really excited because I am hosting a girls night at my house this weekend, to ring in fall and all it's gloriousness (is that even a word?).

I am going to be making the following treats:

April's Candy Corn Bark

Doesn't that sound amazing?

Cookies and Cups Pumpkin Spice Krispie Treats

I can't wait to taste these!

We are also visiting our local corn maze in a few weeks with some friends. It's going to be a blast!

How are you ringing in the fall?





<a href="http://breeannbowers.blogspot.com/2011/10/its-here-secret-sister-blog-party.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1107.photobucket.com/albums/h383/breeannbowers/christmas32.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /></a><br>
(Have you signed up yet? You have until October 15th!!)

Inspiration Workshop - DIY

This week's Inspiration Workshop prompt was DIY.

Since my life has been a bit crazy lately, I haven't had time to do any projects (though I'm hoping to change that in the near future. I need some fall in my house!).

Here are some of my favorite DIYs:

Fall Leaf Window Dressing

This is a great one to do with kids. Super simple and super cute.

Eggnog Fudge

We used to make this at the Hallmark I once worked at. It is amazing stuff, if you haven't tried it before.

Wall Art Blocks

How amazing is this? You could change them for the seasons or just to bring different colors into the room!



What DIY have you done...or want to do?

(All of these ideas came from Pinterest...one of the greatest ways to spend a few hours)

Pretty Things

It's time for Gussy's Inspiration Workshop!

This week's prompt was your favorite shop.

While I don't really shop at any one place for clothing (and never really have)...the first shops that popped into my head were the following:

(Me sporting the first {just.lovely.things} headband I bought)

(One of my other ones. As soon as I saw what the button said, I knew it had to be mine)

{Just.lovely.things}

I love Heather's headbands. I currently own four and am waiting on a fifth to arrive in the mail. They are so much fun to wear, add so much to any outfit, and are the most comfortable headbands I've ever worn in my entire life. If you are looking for cute accessories (she also makes really pretty jewelry), you should check out her shop!

(Source)

(Source)

The Disneyland Emporium

Yep...it's true. It is one of my favorite shops ever. Why? Because it has so much character. The merchandise is, of course, all Disney themed, but the store windows...and the old fashioned feel the store has...it just makes me really happy. Even if I don't buy anything in there, I love to look around this store every time I visit Disneyland.

(Source)

There is one clothing store that I do love to look in...and occasionally buy things from...and that is Forever 21. Our local store has recently expanded...and I have been dying to go in there and look around. A couple of my favorite clothing pieces have come from there.


Where do you like to shop? I'm always interested in new online shops to browse...or cute (somewhat affordable) clothing shops!





(Haven't heard of my Secret Sister Blog Party? Click on the button below for more details)

Book Worm

So, I have always had a love for books.

I spent many hours in used book stores with my dad. He would take me there on father/daughter dates and we would just get lost in the books.

I love the smell of them...the feel of the different pages...it's just so comforting to me.

So, when I found out Gussy's Inspiration Workshop this week was about inspiring books, I was really excited.

I have read many, many books...but there are some I have been so moved by.

(pinned by Danielle via Google)

One of my favorite recent books is Nicholas Sparks's The Last Song (the book is 10 times better than the movie). It's a beautiful story of redemption...and the power of faith. The book focuses a lot on the faith aspect...where the movie barely addresses it. It's a must read.

(pinned by Danielle via Google)

The Chronicles of Narnia

I have seriously read these books so many times. I first read them in my elementary years (maybe 4th grade?). I loved the imagination of the stories as a kid...as an adult, I love the comparison to Jesus and His love for us. The movies are good...but the books are definitely better (seeing a pattern here?).

(pinned by Breeann via Google)

Harry Potter

Yep. I am one of those people...and I'm quite proud of it. While there is controversy revolving around these books and their content...I find so many values of God throughout them. If you haven't read the last book (or seen the last two movies) and picked up on the comparisons there, you're really missing out. The stories are so good...and I enjoy the books (better than the movies) and the movies so much.

Click on over to Gussy's blog to find out what other people find inspirational...or to link up your post with the books you find inspiring.

Favorite Color

It's time for another Inspiration Workshop with Gussy!

This week's prompt was your favorite color.


Purple has always been my favorite color. I love it so much...

From lilac and lavendar, all the way to the very deep and rich purples...it's just beautiful.

I thought I'd share a couple of wedding pics so you could see how I incorporated this very amazing color into my wedding.

(Purple and yellow were my wedding colors. I loved the contrast from the deep purple to the bright yellow - and while that is not my natural color, as I dyed over brown to get it back to blonde, it is pretty close to it)

(My beautiful friends wore these David's Bridal dresses in the shade of Victorian Lilac. I loved it)


I've also always wanted to dye all of my hair dark brown and put purple streaks in it. I think that would be divine...

What is your favorite color?

Inspiration Workship: Front Porch

It's time for Gussy's Inspiration Workshop!

This week's prompt was the Front Porch.

I do like our front porch...I think it's darling...but we live near a vegetable processing plant...and it always smells nasty outside during the summer. So, it's not really a place we tend to hang out.

So, if we lived somewhere else, I would like a porch like this...

(Pinned by Morgan via oldfield1732)

I love all the greenery and home-y it looks.


Or, maybe a porch like this...

(Pinned by Natalie via sheseespretty)

Isn't this just gorgeous? I love how clean it looks...with that sweet pop of baby blue.


Or, maybe this porch...

(Pinned by Teri via marthastewart)

This one looks so cozy. It makes me want to curl up with a book and lightweight blanket...and waste the day away.

What kind of front porch would you love to have (it can be yours, of course)?

(All pictures came from Pinterest)

On My Heart...Baptism

I spent the majority of my day yesterday doing a lot of this:


I went to the beach with some people from church to worship and cheer on some dear friends getting baptized. I was super excited...because two of our college group peeps got baptized! It was a beautiful day and a wonderful time of worshiping our God for who He is and what He's done/doing for us.

A lot of tears were shed as people gave us their testimonies. It reminded me of just how much God truly loves us...to pull us up out of our miry pits.

What a blessing to live in a country where we can go to the beach and worship our God out in the open!

Here are some other pics from the day:

(College group pic! At least, those of us who were there)

(Linking up with Gussy and Casey)

My Inspiration

I'm linking up again with Gussy and her Inspiration Workshop.

This week, the prompt was YOUR inspiration.

I am very excited to share where I get some of my inspiration from.



If I need blog writing inspiration, I visit the following blogs:

Family Osburn (our real life dear friends)

From the Heart of Casey (a beautiful blogger friend)

Top of the Page (amazing woman with tons of wisdom)

Take Heart (the very sweet woman that came up with the wonderful Beauty Book Project)

Of course, I follow lots of other blogs...but these people just have wonderful things to say...and inspire me to write from my heart.



If I need creative inspiration, I go to the following people/places:

My beautiful friend, E.H. She is the one that got me started on making jewelry...and she has the most amazing fashion sense. Plus, her heart is HUGE and her love for other people is so evident in all she does...even the things that might be very hard for her to do.

The Pleated Poppy - I have loved her house tour that she's been doing recently. It gives me wonderful ideas for when we have a home of our own (someday...if it's what God wants for us, of course).

Pinterest - Umm...need I say more? If you haven't checked it out, do it. Then you'll understand where I'm coming from. And, if you need an invite...just email me and I will send you one!

Just.Lovely.Things - the maker of my beloved headbands (I now own four of them. I need to post pics of all of them so you can see how wonderful they are). She is so creative in her photography and with the things she sells in her shop. I love reading her blog.

And again, I find creative inspiration in lots of places...but these are just a few.

Where do you get YOUR inspiration?

Sunshine

I'm linking up with Gussy and her Inspiration Workshop again this week.

This week's prompt was Sunshine.

Unfortunately, I'm not feeling very sunshine-y today...and it's been much cooler here than it's been in a couple of weeks...so I'm pulling out some old photos to show some of my favorite sunshine.

These are from our honeymoon in Hawaii!



We really want to go back someday...and I hope someday we'll be able to!

Inspiration Workshop - Pampering

I am linking up with Gussy and her Inspiration Workshop again this week.

This week's prompt was Pamper Yourself.

I did two things this week to "pamper" myself.

I actually put on makeup for the first time in quite awhile.



It felt good.


I also painted my toenails. The color was majorly chipping, so I was in desperate need of a pedicure. But, I just haven't made the time to go get one, so I decided to paint them myself.

(The brand name for this nail polish is Sinful. It's probably one of the longest lasting nail polishes I've ever used. I got it at Target)

(I always get the worst tan lines from my favorite flip flops. If you want to try some super comfortable flip flops, I would suggest you try on a pair of Tevas. Just know you will end up with these lovely tan lines)

They look much happier now, don't you think?

Sometimes a girl just needs a little happy pampering in her life.