this is the life: guest blogger

Showing posts with label guest blogger. Show all posts

guest blogger: rockstar diaries

"Why hello there! My name is Kingsley and my mamma blogs over at Rockstar Diaries. Sometimes I write on the blog as well, but this week, I am guest posting over here (yes, dogs can do these sorts of things) to share with you three very important things I have learned so far this year. Are you ready? Grab your paw pen...

1. Squirrels are flirtatious tricksters that are not deserving of our constant chase or devoted curiosity. We need to stop giving them so much attention. They are mean. And no matter how sweet you try to be, they just don't want to play with you.

2. When you hear the shower in the bathroom turn on and Dad reaches for your doggy towel, RUN! You still have a good chance to escape bath time!

and 3. No matter how many times you sit patiently in the kitchen beside the counter while Dad is cooking, he won't drop anything for you to eat. It's just not worth your time anymore to see if he's changed. Now, Mom on the other hand.... ALWAYS stay put at her feet while she's making a meal. Do this, and you'll be one very happy and well fed pup!

-Kingsley"

guest blogger: money smart fashion

I never, ever, thought I could legitimately dedicate a post to my cats without looking like a crazy cat lady but thanks to Amber's [brilliant] idea for National Pet Week. I totally can.

Let me introduce myself. I am Grace of Money Smart Fashion. These are my cats... Dolce, Gabbana, and Chloe. Yes, that Dolce & Gabbana and that Chloe. [ My life is fashion people, even my cats].

Dolce & Gabbana are brothers. SSF (Super-Saving Fiance) adopted them for me as a birthday present just a few weeks into us dating. I had really wanted a cat since I was moving into my own apartment but never thought I would actually get one, let alone two. It was adorable and terrifying all at once. I had never liked a boy (bleh, boys) as much and as soon as I liked SSF and now here I was just a few weeks into our relationship the mother of his cats!

Two years later, afer graduating college, moving to Maryland, and starting careers we added Chloe to our family. I am a sucker for those little kennels they have at Petsmart where they showcase all the kitties in need of forever homes. The day we got her was a result of some clever positioning on Petsmart's part. Chloe was just a little thing [still is] sitting all alone in one of those big cages. As soon as I saw her I promptly sent SSF to the closest ATM to withdraw the adoption fee. Done and Done.

Plenty of people seem to think cat's lack personality. I would beg to differ. These cats are brimming with it.

Gabbana is our own furry version of Eeyore. Gabanna tends to mope around the house, sleep all alone, and is kind of a mama's boy. On rare occasions he'll come out of his shell. I don't know about you but I totall see the resembelence between Gabbana and Andy Samberg.

Dolce, well Dolce is a character. He talks, a lot, and for all intents and purposes is pretty flakey but he would make a great segment on Sesame Street teaching lessons about "in" and "under".

Finally, there is Chloe. I would tell you about chloe but I think the pictures pretty much speak for themselves.

So there you have it, after far to many pictures, that is my furry little family and SSF. If you are thinking about getting a pet of your own please, please, please adopt. There are many other cats (and dogs, if you are into that sort of thing) looking for a home and a family that will smother them with love. If you are local to the Maryland-DC area check out Last Chance Animal Rescue. If you made it this far through the post, congratulations and Happy Pet Week!

Thanks Amber!

guest blogger: blessings in progress

Hey guys! This is Ashley from Blessings in Progress. I was so excited when my sister asked me to guest post for her. Although, I am slightly jealous that she is in sunny Florida enjoying the beach and I'm not sure why I wasn't invited..hmmmm. I'll have to talk to her about that. Anyway, let me introduce you to my furry children (I have two non-furry children too. ha!)

I have 2 chocolate labs (Cinnamon and Kaya) that I just love (most of the time), but I think I love them a little more after they get a bath. Mike gave them a bath on Sunday and now they are so pretty and clean! However, getting a bath makes them EXTREMELY hyper. I do not know what it is about a bath, but they can't seem to settle down afterwards.

I let them lay on our bed, which we NEVER let them do, but it was the only way for me to get some pictures.

For us, as dog owners, there is nothing better than having clean dogs!

What do you love about being a pet owner?

guest blogger: orchid grey

Hi there, Julie from Orchid Grey here! If you've ever stopped by my blog, you may already be familiar with Zephyr and Zebediah, but if not, they're the two striped characters you see here. My mom found the two brothers- then very tiny kittens- living in a rock wall near our house in Maine, back in 2007. When she spotted the two feral fur-balls, they were only a few weeks old, dragging a dead squirrel across the road, it was easy to tell they had character.

Growing up, I had a lot of experience with strays, it seemed like we were always taking one in. So our plan was to catch the two feral kittens, neuter them, socialize them (hopefully) and find them homes. Obviously, things didn't go as planned. I have a soft spot for tabby kittens and they only made it as far as the new apartment that my fiancee and I moved into that fall.

Since then, "the Z's" have become the best cats ever. They are curious, energetic, and love when we have new people over. They are there when I wake up in the morning (usually patting me in the face to wake up and feed them already), and they greet me at the door when I come home at night. But the thing I appreciate most about these two is how they treat each other, they can often be seen cleaning one another and snuggling together, which is a daily reminder to be a kinder, gentler person.

guest blogger: fitness, food & faith

Hello new blog friends! This is Sam from fitness food and faith filling in for Amber while she’s kicking some serious half marathon butt. I can’t wait to hear all about the race!

I’m flattered to be guest posting today and excited to share one of my favorite recipes with you. The combination of flavors sounds a little bit strange, but trust me, it’s seriously like a party for your taste buds. This recipe reminds me of all things tropical.

Garlic Shrimp with Coconut, Cilantro, and Tomatoes

1 lb shrimp, peeled & deveined

1 tsp olive oil

1 red bell pepper, sliced

4 green onions, sliced

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 14 oz can diced tomato

1 14 oz can coconut milk

1/2 lime, squeezed

Kosher salt

White basmati rice

Thinly slice the red peppers and add them to a skillet with the olive oil. Heat on low and saute until soft (about 5 minutes). Meanwhile, thinly slice the green onions and add the whites, cilantro, red pepper flakes, and garlic to the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Add the diced tomatoes, coconut milk, and salt. Cover and simmer on low for about 10 minutes to let the flavors blend together and to thicken the sauce. Add the shrimp and cook until they are cooked through and pink (roughly 5 minutes). Squeeze half of a lime into the mixture and stir well. Serve over rice and top with green onions.

Feel free to stop by my little blog anytime; I’d love to hear from you!

guest blogger: hearted girl

commonality, connection and creativity

These things go hand in hand when tapping into an illuminated reserve of brainchild conception that is called inspiration! A place where everybody knows your name...isn't that something that warms us up and gets our gooey insides flowing; not to mention a rather familiar tune as well.

My beats get faster when I've found someone or something I connect with, there's a certain awakening that occurs causing my every sense to heighten. Though it's not an everyday happenstance but why would we want it to be; those sparks sometimes flicker for a moment and other times you can keep revisiting them as a constant source to pool from.

Grudgingly, I began my day; one like every other. Not really even fully aware of how I made it into

the bathroom, brushed my teeth or showered. It was a blur. The hours that followed bled together almost unknowingly like an aestheticized wound. I didn't realize maybe I'd left a bobby pin protruding from my topknot or that my packed lunch hadn't been refrigerated. My unfocused bleary eyes still tired from a restless sleep the night before, I hear a muffled ping go off inside my bag. Pulling out my phone I check a new email, half-expecting it's a spam raid or possibly my darling man sending me a cyber-kiss to help cheer up the day. No...I see an email from someone I don't totally recognize. "who's this?" i think. Reading on to see it's from a fellow blogger, she read my stuff, she liked it AND she kinda/sorta likes me too...really?? well wow, I am instantly perked up in my chair, the flush rushes back into my cheeks, every beautiful color

has returned to the room. I am inspired!

There's nothing magical here, not a hat trick or a genie did appear. It was the feeling of recognition, not just the "i like you" or "you're great"....the simple, sole fact that someone took the time and effort to extend themselves in my direction.

Encountering an inspired event is also usually unforeseen and this is what I believe to be the universal conspiracy edging you closer to a mondo epic WAHoooGA trajectory! Some like to play it cool and not get too glitter disco dance party, some I imagine stifle their involuntary inhalations by packing on the stone cold swagger. I on the other hand go with my impulse: busting out the exclamation points and jamming with the moments transformative powers by plugging all the way in.

It's interesting to read about the various "rules of nature", there are quite a few and usually I question a lot of so-called "rules" and nature IS outdoors where the winds howl and spiders hang from trees but I'm choosing to use this word more as a symbol for our impulses right now. If you think about it nature really does have its own unobscured way of taking in the good with the bad and making its own pot-luck collective, so it works here too. The thing is when you offset natural instincts, things go wrong every time. This is how I view inspiration too; it's like our own little intuitive divining rod leading us to the right place at the right time. Set yourself apart from the fray and open up to the inspiration! Skeptical eyes are kinda "UGH", it's the bright ones that are wide enough to catch the brilliant light!

THANK YOU FOR READING, xo

colorful images via (clockwise) 1, 2, 3 & 4

black & white images via 1, 2

guest blogger: style within reach

Hello This Is The Life readers! Caitlin here from Style Within Reach. I'm happy to share some of my favorite spring shopping trends while Amber is running away down in Florida (I could use a little motivation from her myself!). After spotting silk blouses, wide leg pants & tribal necklaces all over the spring runways, I know my wardrobe will require these neutral basics this season.