Merry Christmas!

I hope you had a day filled with love and family and everything lovely! We've had so much fun here in waaaarm Arizona! :) While here, I was able to meet in person the first member of the Shabby Blogs team and it was honestly a dream come true. The amazing Jessica of Sierra Studios Photography was kind enough to meet with me and even photograph my little family. She is just as delightful as her images (which is saying a lot!) and it is a true honor to welcome her to the Shabby Blogs family! I'm so looking forward to learning more about her and from her! Images are such a vital part of blogging and Jessica is going to be teaching us how to make the most of ours. I'm so excited I can hardly stand it! If you want to see why, just take a peek at some of the images she captured of my own greatest gifts:

These photographs literally made me cry when I saw them for the first time...and they will probably make me cry a thousand times more as I look at them throughout the years to come. I feel so blessed to get to know so many talented and lovely people through Shabby Blogs. I'm so lucky and honored to share these special people with you! Please take a moment to get to know the first member of Team Shabby by visiting Jessica at her website and blog. Welcome Jessica...and Merry Christmas to each of you!

Blog Photo Collage Freebie

My little family and I spent the morning flying from snowy Michigan to sunny Arizona to spend some time with my in-laws. Family and sunshine. What more is there? Actually, to answer my own question, there are lovely blog freebies...and here is our latest! Just download, customize, and post. Enjoy!

Blog Photo Collage:

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Awesome Printable Calendar Freebie

One of our Shabby Blogs sponsors is Fall Down Tree. If you aren't familiar with the artwork created by the super talented Adam Record, shame on you. Just kidding. Honestly though, you really need to check it out. I'm a sucker for art geared towards the young and the young at heart so Adam's work is definitely going to be finding its way into my home. For today's freebie, Fall Down Tree has generously offered an insanely adorable calendar to you...for freeeeee. Print it out and display it proudly, friends! But hurry, because this exclusive download will only be available through Monday. Enjoy it everyone!

Printable Calendar Freebie:
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We're Cursed (& A Freebie)

Today was supposed to be the launch of the brand new (and seriously awesome) ShabbyBlogs.com. Actually, it was supposed to be last Thursday, but I pushed it back to this Thursday. The day has come and gone, both of them, but our shabby piece of online heaven remains the same. Sigh. Is it possible to be cursed? Seriously. Is it? Because if it is...we are. Everything that could possibly go wrong today did...and some other things that I didn't even think were possible. It's just one of those things. Still, I'm beginning to feel like the girl who cried website. You know what though? There are so many things in this world that are truly worth being concerned about. People are hungry and homeless and ill. Our site not launching when it was scheduled to is really not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things. Right? While I apologize whole-heartedly, I absolutely promise there is a whole team of people working insane hours to bring you the radness you crave. Rather than even try to give you a new launch time, I'm just going to ask you to cross your fingers and send happy thoughts our way. And, on the bright side- more time for freebies! :) Enjoy our latest!

Shabby Blogs Freebie

The new Shabby Blogs should go live tomorrow afternoon and here I am, late at night, finishing up last-minute things and preparing to give away a special little piece of me. When I launched Shabby Blogs the first time, I had no idea if it would matter to anyone but me. I was a stay-at-home mom who loved my life, but wanted to do something with my talents and free time. I said a little prayer and took a huge leap. I'm so grateful I did! This has been such an amazing journey for me! To thank you for all of your support and kindness, this freebie is the original Shabby Blogs logo...for you. Though it isn't for commercial use, I hope you will enjoy it and that it will make you smile when you see it on your own beautiful blog. With all of my heart, thank you!

*You may click on the image for a larger version! :)

Treat Bag Tag Freebie

Here it is! Freebie #2! This vintage-inspired treat tag is ready for you to customize and staple to a bag of your favorite goodies. I made this lovely topper using kits from the fabulous Gina Cabrera of Digital Design Essentials. It is sized to fit over a sandwich bag, but feel free to make it smaller if you've got a different treat bag in mind. These are so great for classmates, co-workers, friends, and family! Whatever you do to make this digital treat your own, have a blast!

Treat Bag Tag:

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Shabby Collage Freebie & Launch News

Are you excited for Christmas? I'm soooo excited! Christmas is coming early for me this year. Having the new Shabby Blogs website up and running is my big fat enormous present! Did you catch that I said it would be launching last week, but it's still the same old Shabby Blogs? I was hoping nobody would notice. :) I've pushed it back to this Thursday. BUT, on the bright side, that gives me more time to dish out freebies! I'm going to be posting one a day until the launch of our new site. Wooohoooooo! Up first is this little photo collage I made using a few of my favorite vintage goodies. Don't you just love deer? (It is hunting season here in Michigan right now, so perhaps this is a bad time to ask.) I just think they are such lovely, cheerful animals. And the vintage elf is rather adorable too, is he not? So jolly! Anyway, just plop your own photo in and you'll be ready to dazzle the blogging community at large with your sheer awesomeness. :) Enjoy!

Shabby Christmas Collage:
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PS. Don't forget to update the code for your background, buttons, and blinkies if you haven't already!