Guest Post: Just My Crazy Kitchen

Hi guys! As you know, I have been totally swamped with design work, and school and stuff, so today I'm handing over the keys to Cristina from Just My Crazy Kitchen to talk about one of my favorite things: Christmas presents! I'll be back with some great content soon!
Give a warm welcome to Cristina!
Hi, I'm Cristina! You can find me baking and blogging over at Just My Crazy Kitchen. I am so excited to share my Christmas list today. I love seeing all the fun things that Jessica posts. I wish I had her talent for graphic design. Have you seen her Etsy shop? So cute! For Christmas this year, I want design talent like Jessica's. But just in case that doesn't happen, I've got a few other things on my list.



#1 on my list is a Canon EOS Rebel! Right now I am camera-less, so I rely on my cell phone to take pictures. My phone takes great pictures, but it still doesn't compare to a real camera. And this one is so pretty {and makes me look like I actually know what I'm doing.}

Last year, my mom got me seasons 1-5 of How I Met Your Mother. I love HIMYM, and I really enjoyed
watching it from the beginning. But now I've gone through all of them, so I need to update my collection
for some newer episodes. =)

I am an education major starting my student teaching in January. I can't wait! To get me organized
and ready, I am looking at this Erin Condren Teacher Planner. It's so cute, and personalization is included in the price!

I'm also slightly addicted to my Kindle, and Erin Condren just came out with Kindle folios! Such a cute way to cover my Kindle. Also, I hate the case I am currently using. It was meant to be a temporary fix until I found one I really wanted, and it has become more permanent than I would like.

And just to keep myself warm throughout the winter, I have been looking at boots. I love boots. I own
about a thousand pairs of shoes, but I only have two pairs of boots. According to my math, that means
I need more boots =) And this pair from Kohl's is so cute!

I could write about a million more baking products and kitchen accessories, but I will spare you
this time. If you enjoyed this post, you can find me on Facebook, Twitter,
Pinterest, or sign up for my email updates!

Thank you so much to Jessica for allowing me to share my Christmas list with all of you! And thank you
for reading all about my Christmas wishlist. What's on your list this Christmas?

Thanks Cristina! I will have to make my Christmas list so that you people know what to buy me ;)

All About Jessica

This post is a questionnaire for my Secret Santa. But if you feel like answering the questions, make sure to let me know! I would love to read it!

What is your favorite color? 

Dark purple. For sure. I am still thinking of how to incorporate it into my blog design.

What is your favorite book?

I think The Lovely Bones. But it changes every day. I have a lot of favorite books.

What is your favorite holiday movie?

Goodness. Too many. I am going to have to say How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the cartoon one.

Describe your perfect day.

Sleeping in with my love and kitties, watching movies, eating chocolate and not feeling guilty about it, reading a good book, having a clean house and clean laundry.

What is your plan for the Zombie Apocalypse?

Become a zombie.

What is your favorite gift received during the holidays?

Anything sentimental.

What are you obsessed with this year?

Blogging! And design. I am in love.

What are your favorite blogs to read?

Wayy too many. But probably After Nine to Five, Katelyn Brooke, Ciera Design, and KV's Confessions. Those are my must reads. :) But I love all the blogs I read.

What is your favorite post this year?

Probably the one where I posted pictures of my tree. I just love Christmastime.

What do you love most about blogging?

The community. The friends I have made.

Who is a person (dead or alive) you’d most love to have following your blog?

Any blogger I admire. I once got a comment from Ashley and it made my day!! :)

Interview with Stephanie of Shades of Color Art

I feel very blessed today to be able to interview one of my favorite bloggers and artists. And it just so happens she is a sponsor on my blog! If you haven't heard of Stephanie before, please check out her blog, Shades of Color Art, or her shop, where she sells paintings as well as custom notebooks. You won't be disappointed!

Blog | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Etsy 

What first got you into art?

When I was little, I took painting and drawing classes just for fun. It wasn’t until college, that I took more professional classes and started painting for me. I always liked color and painting so I’ve been always doing it.

What is your favorite art style? (Impressionism, realism, etc.)

Being an artist is difficult to select one favorite art style. I’ve always been a fan of Abstract Expressionism and Color Field Movements. Also, I like Impressionism and Fauvism styles. These movements are inspired by color, and everything that has color combinations caught my attention.

What inspires you?

I’m inspired by everything around me. I’m constantly taking pictures of everything that I like and uploading it to instagram. You can see me there a lot! Usually everything that has color, nature, interiors, beautiful things, and everything that is uncommon inspires me.

How did you come up with the idea to create notebooks?

The reality is, I’ve always been a fan of notebooks. I used to collect them when I was little. One day, I decided to create one from scratch for myself. My mom saw it and told me that she wanted one too. I was in shock! Then she told me that I should sell them. When I took my notebook to school, friends would ask me if I could make some for them. I couldn’t believe that people around me would be interested in personalized notebooks. This is how it all started and I’m in love with it! Thanks to the support of my family and friends, and for my passion of writing and have pretty things, I opened Shades of Color Art.

Do you have a favorite painting or project that you did?

I have many favorite paintings, but what I really love the most is creating personalized notebooks. I love to see the creativity of every individual and how it turns out. They usually have great color combinations, and being able to create something special for my clients, makes me really happy.

Do you have any advice for beginning artists/designers?

Never give up! When you are starting your business or freelancing, at first is not easy. With passion, determination, perseverance, and patience you can accomplish everything. :)

Isn't she awesome?! And the best part is, for the month of December, if you use code XMAS30 in her Etsy shop,  you get 30% off! 
Just in time for Christmas!