Bloggin' Ladies: Sandy a la Mode

Bloggin' Ladies this week is all about Sandy from Sandy a la Mode. She is so sweet, and the most helpful person to talk to! Please enjoy her blog + interview. BUT don't forget about the giveaway! I am closing entries on Friday at midnight, so get them in while you can!! Click here to find out more. 

on with the interview...! 

Name+Age+Site/Blog
Hi! My name is Sandy, I'm 27 and I blog over at Sandy a la Mode

Tell us something interesting about you!
I'm a Consultant and my job take's me all over the world! The most interesting place I've been with my job is Egypt!

Why did you begin blogging?
I began blogging as a way to document my journey in sewing, photography, baking, home renovations, and crafting!

How long have you been blogging?
My first blog post was written on January 12, 2010, so almost a year! My very first post on Easy Peasy Peanut Butter Cookies was inspired by the amazing Bakerella!

Who is your inspiration for writing/doing what you do?
Myself.  It's nice to have a fun little hobby on the side as a way to decompress from a stressful day at work!  But I also enjoy sharing what I've been up to with family and friends too!

Where do you get your ideas?As cliche as it sounds, I'm inspired by pretty much anything and everything!  I love taking pictures of time spent with family or weddings I attend and then blogging about it!  I love to bake for potlucks and work parties and I'll take pictures of the process so I can blog about it!  If I make something that I'd like to share with others, I make sure to take pictures of the process and blog about it!  If I see a cute bunny outside my house, I take a picture and a blog about it!  OK, I hope you get the idea.  ;)

What is something interesting about you?
I have one near sighted eye and one far sighted eye so I don't need to wear glasses!

Do you have any advice that you want to share with fellow lady bloggers?
Always be true to yourself in your blog posts.  Spend time on writing quality blog posts and do it because you love it and not because you want followers, comments, better statistics.  If you take something from another website/blog, make sure to give them credit for it.  

What is one thing you are looking forward to most in your future (blog or otherwise)?
I am looking forward to meeting some of my new blog friends in person at the Creative Estates conference in April!  

Cold Hands, Warm Hearts

Happy Thursday, guys! I am really excited because I got my Cold Hands, Warm Hearts package yesterday from the lovely Tara!

About a month ago, Ilene from much love, illy and Sandy from Sandy a la mode organized a swap called "Cold Hands, Warm Hearts." As the participants, we were matched with another reader of their blogs, and were to send each other packages with only one requirement - they must include gloves! 

So, I spent a night thrifting and collecting for Tara. I sent her some really lovely things I found, and you can read all about it here! You should also take a minute to check out her blog, This Military Mama. She is an awesome blogger and mama. :)

I spent the whole week thinking about what she could have possibly thought up for me, and last night I finally got to open the package :) This is what I found...

First of all, the packages were so beautifully wrapped! It was like presents inside of presents :)

1. The Tales of Beadle the Bard, a Harry Potter book of wizard fairy tails! 

2. Delicious looking Island Mango & Peach Tea... YUM!

3. BEAUTIFUL handmade, mustard-yellow, fingerless gloves. The lace detail is SO pretty.

4. A much love, illy headband! I am so excited to wear this at Christmas time! 

I love, love, LOVE this headband. It's SO cute.

I could not have been happier with the things that Tara chose for me. I could tell that she really took the time to get to know me through my blog and via twitter. It was so fun to connect with someone in another part of the country and to make a new friend. I strongly urge you all to take part if Sandy and Ilene do this again next year!