Headband & Turban Giveaway with J. Lovan!

Hey, friends! I am so excited to be hosting a very special giveaway this week! My friend, Julia, is the lead designer of the lifestyle company, J. Lovan Designs. Her Midwest-based business offers a range of clothing, accessories, & home items made locally from sustainable materials.

The new Fall line & website will launch sometime in September, but some teaser pics will be sprinkled across the web under the hashtag #ProjectLov until then.

I am wearing:

Headband - J. Lovan Red Velvet Headband
Necklace - ViBella Santa Fe Necklace"
Top - J. Crew (thrifted)
Bracelet - Purchased in an Italian market

This girl is ALL ABOUT anything that sparkles so, naturally, she ADORED wearing this headband. If you are interested in purchasing a child-sized headband, J. Lovan will do customized orders upon request.

Ruby is wearing:

Headband - J. Lovan Gold Glitter Headband

Dress - Crewcuts (hand-me-down)

Shoes - Kenneth Cole Reaction (hand-me-down)

Like what you see? Well, YOU could be the lucky winner of this pink polka-dot turban AND red velvet headband! Simply 'Like' LoVan Designs on Facebook & let me know if you did in the comment section here. One winner will be drawn at random. Giveaway closes at Midnight, September 30th. Winner will be announced on September 1st.

Julia is also offering a special discount in her online shop for soZealous readers! Enter coupon code "soZealous25" for an additional 25% off your order. Now go buy some pretty things & enter to win! xx

Sterling's 1st Birthday!

It's hard to believe that our little man is 1 year old already. Actually, when you factor in all the sleepless nights, it feels like he should be 2. Regardless, it has gone by so. incredibly. fast.

I really wanted to do something special for Sterling's birthday, being conscious of the fact that he is the second child and his birthday doesn't fall within the week of a national holiday (like his sister's). I can't orchestrate a sky full of fireworks, but I'll do my darnedest.

We've been working hard this summer to transform our backyard into a spot for entertaining. So after constructing a makeshift fire pit from some concrete blocks, we figured a s'more party would be perfectly appropriate for the occasion.

I also couldn't resist going with a mustache theme for our baby man. Thank you, Hobby Lobby!

Ooey, gooey goodness...we are so looking forward to many more backyard celebrations like this one in the future!

And a Happy, HAPPY Birthday to our darling boy!!

Dearest Sterling - You really put us through the ringer this year, but you could not be any sweeter. Your smiles & snuggles make it all worthwhile. I pray that the LORD will bless your life, that you will have a pure heart, and you will grow to love & serve Jesus. This Mama loves you so ridiculously much...xx

#YOLOzarks

Wish it. Dream it. Tweet it. That's what our friend, Chris, did back in January when he longingly pined for a summertime escape (on a lake with a dock he could jump off of) back in chilly January. Another friend, Taylor, saw his social media message and responded with the offer of her family's lake house for a long weekend. Which is how we all ended up in the Ozarks for one BONKERS getaway (I'm looking at you, Es!).

SOOOOOOOO much relaxation stationing. ALL DAY. EVERY DAY. 

Some things on YouTube can never been unseen...

Our late-night attempt at skillet s'mores sans skillet. The brownie pan made for a decent replacement. 

Our burly boy, Sterling, turned ONE on our Ozarks friend va-cay!! We threw him a proper birthday party at home after our trip, but we couldn't NOT do anything on his actual birthday:)

RubyRed, as we lovingly refer to this duo (Mason RED + RUBY Jayne), go way back. They were born 4 days apart in the same hospital & they fight like an old married couple. We joke around that these two will have the best wedding slideshow EVER should they decide to get to hitched someday. But no pressure, kids;)

Between the raucous games, midnight swimming, karaoke, & a twerk-off, so many fun memories were made. I've pretty much concluded that I need more friend vacations in my life. Well, more vacations in general. But doing it this way was a BLAST. xx

All The Summer Things

July has been a bit of a quiet month on the blog, but for good reason...we've been OUTSIDE!! Doing all the summer things, of course! Here are a few highlights from the last month...

LOTS of fun times at the splash pad...it has been such a treat being able to meet up with all of our teacher friends & their kiddos here while school has been out.

I always manage to forget something whenever we go, so if it's not diapers or toys, it's another important tidbit, like, the weather forecast. See ominous clouds rolling into the background. This photo was snapped mere moments before a major downpour.

Yankee Doodle Pop-poppin' with Ruby! This one has become a favorite 4th of July tradition. 

Wayde's work sponsored an Adventureland day for all employees & their families last month. I couldn't believe that it had been over 10 years since my last visit to the park! And we had a blast. My girl was so brave on all the thrill rides. Tickly tummies, FTW!

So, this happened. Sterling shut the Infant Ocean down when he shimmied out of his restraint on the boat. He almost made it out the back of the boat before Daddy & an Adventureland attendant got to him. This boy can't be contained! Seriously, everu time I put him in some kind of harness is a battle...

We checked out Family Day at Prairie Meadows for their annual Zebra/ Camel/ Ostrich races, but left before getting to see any of those. It was my fault for not bringing any sunscreen, but it was taking FOREVER between the sprints. Maybe we'll try again next year...

Wayde has become sort of obsessed with gardening this year, so him & Sterling have spent a fair amount of time frequenting area greenhouses. I will say that our yard is looking pretty dang sharp though!

In addition to all the landscape details, Daddy installed a swing for the kids' birthdays. We even got a baby bucket swing to switch out so Sterling can enjoy it, too. I'll admit, I even love swinging on it as much as the kids!

So, that's a little bit of what we've been up to. August is looking to be just as busy with a couple new business ventures, the State Fair, some foreign exchange students we'll be entertaining, a family wedding, and hopefully, a few minutes to blog about it! xx