never ever. ever. never. ever.

i never can walk out of a Walgreens without buying a box of sour patch watermelons.
i never fall in love with a song without listening to it a million times on repeat.
i never hold back on the Parmesan cheese when i go to Olive Garden - or anytime cheese is a part of the ingredients.
i never start a day off without a cup of coffee and personal Bible study and journaling time.
i never go to bed without saying "good night" and "i love you" to Ryan over the phone or to my family in the house (and we're talking total Walton family style). 
i never could imagine life without our dog, Peyton E. Manning.
i never let my nails go without nailpolish (i try to paint them every three days).
i never get tired of the movies like How to Lose a Guy in 10 days or While You Were Sleeping (i die laugh every single time i watch them).
i never eat less than 3 meals a day - when i do, it's bad business.
i never can watch an emotional movie, drama, or commercial without crying (i'm a BIG cry baby! get your kleenex box ready if i'm ever around!).
i never sleep without 3 pillows (two under my head, one behind my back).
i never thought i could rock bright-colored lipstick but the past few months, i've found myself obsessed with bright red, orange and pink lips.
i never forget inside jokes or memories - i can still laugh or cry happy tears over there even after so many years.


then again, i probably should never say never.

much love.

{happy friday, friend.}

p.s. don't forget to enter these two sweet giveaways happening this week HERE and HERE.

things on repeat.

 white tee, hot pink belt: forever21 / jeans: GAP / nerd glasses: Urban Outfitters / necklace: c/o NS Pottery / darcie ribbon bracelet: c/o Twillypop / nails: loreal club prive / tildes wedges: c/o Blowfish Shoes

1. messy top knots

2. my NS Pottery handmade key to my heart necklace

3. Draw Something (i dare say, it's worse than angry birds!)

4. easter candy (mini robin eggs + sweettarts. mmm.)

5. The Hunger Games soundtrack (esp. abraham's daughter, just a game and come away to the water.)

6. arm parties that include my twillypop ribbon bracelet

7. Rue's whistle as a ringtone (i get giddy every single time i get a text.)

8. text messages that literally make me LOL (and everyone around me thinks i'm crazy)

9. Cape Cod potato chips

10. mint nailpolish (been wearing the same color for 3 weeks straights. never happens.)

much love.

{happy thursday, friend.}

p.s. are you Elise (#127) of Our Dearest Family 'cause you just won the humongous March group giveaway! shoot me an email at muchloveilly at gmail dot com to claim your prize. be sure to include your mailing address so we can get your awesome goodies to you ASAP! congrats to Elise and thank you, suh-weet sponsors!

sponsor love + giveaway with Radiant Cosmetics.

today's post hits close to a tender spot in my heart. some of you may or may not know that there was a very special season in my life where i had the opportunity to travel and serve on mission trips to the Philippines. and it's during that season, i was privileged to work and serve alongside the most incredible women i will and have ever met in my life. i could go and on  and on about their stories - many of them that still make my heart ache. they are stories and faces that i will never ever forget. these were women who were the victims of human-trafficking, yet now moving forward and pursing lives of transformation,  being set free from a horrible, unbelievable imprisonment.


the reason why i even post these pictures here is that i want you to grasp the following fact: these women and these girls and these stories are REAL. i think that was the most difficult part to grasp when i first met them and walked the city streets late at night, visiting some of them during their shifts at night clubs, waiting to service customers. the streets, the women, the girls the filthy men, the pimps, and the late night city sounds completely engulfed my senses. a part of me couldn't believe my eyes, thinking is this a movie? wasn't this a scene i saw in a movie just last month? i was totally slapped in the face by what i witnessed. it's a reality for people - men, women and children -  all over the globe. 


so let that sink in as i introduce some very special friends to you today.

{meet Radiant Cosmetics.}

"Radiant Cosmetics is a social enterprise makeup company whose vision is to end human trafficking. We are partnered with an anti-trafficking organization in Houston, Texas who receives 20% of our profits and we seek to be an awareness tool in an industry of women, who are the most trafficked people worldwide. We believe giving back should be fun and wearing makeup should be too. We offer a wide variety of quality cosmetics in vibrant colors and long lasting formulas."

{giveaway:}

i personally am not just a big fan of Radiant Cosmetic's vision (did you catch that 20% of their profits goes towards fighting human-trafficking?! boo-yah!), but i too am in love with their make-up line, especially their gorgeous collection of moisturizing lipstick colors. daphne and reef are my two favorite shades - but daphne def makes more of a daily appearance! it's the perfect pop of pink for spring! and today the incredible folks behind Radiant Cosmetics is offering one of you suh-weet readers a chance for a Winner's Choice of lipstick, lipgloss, and eye-shadow!

{how to enter:}

visit Radiant Cosmetics and comment on what your make-up choices would be if you win! (mandatory entry)

{really, really wanna win?}

additional entries - keep in separate comments to count as individual entries!

- Like Radiant Cosmetic's Facebook page (1 entry)

- be a public GFC follow of this bog (1 entry)

- Like the Much Love, illy Facebook page (1 entry)

- follow @Radiantcosmetic and @muchloveilly via Twitter (1 entry)

- blog, tweet, or facebook about this giveaway and include its link (1 entry)

feel free to copy/paste the following tweet:

i want to help spread the vision of @radiantcosmetic so i entered the @muchloveilly giveaway happening here!! http://tinyurl.com/c24alpx

{don't wanna wait?}

use coupon code MUCHLOVE for 10% off of your entire Radiant Cosmetics order!

Giveaway is open to US Much Love, illy Readers only thru Monday, April 3rd. Winner will be announced on Tuesday, April 4th.

much love.

{happy wednesday, friend.}

black and blue.

 dress: base exchange / lace top: belk / clutching together clutch, for neon's sake necklace: c/o Le Mode Accessories / red heart ring: forever21 / nailpolish: loreal club prive / watch: fossil / cobalt blue tights: c/o We Love Colors / Timo wedges: c/o Blowfish Shoes

so am i totally aging myself when i say that that phrase doesn't make me think of bruises? instead i think of a certain boyband way back when that released this particular album, two years before i graduated high school. seriously? where does time go?

and i just proved my current lack of creativity by double-ing on this blog post title, using it back in october 2011. not that you need to search for that now.

much love.

{happy tuesday, friend.}

p.s. are you Rachelle Sharp (#73) 'cause you just won the adorable Twillypop giveaway! shoot me an email at muchloveilly at gmail dot com to claim your prize! congrats to Rachelle and thank YOU, Sarah for a fantastic giveaway! 

sponsor love + giveaway with Yellow + Savy Design.

meet Yellow + Savy Design.

What you will find at this ever so darling design site: Pre-made Wordpress* & Blogger templates that are clean, modern, simple, airy with pops of color here and there! *Self-hosted only, not Wordpress.com (link to visual that explains the difference).

{giveaway:}

it is officially springtime, which for me personally means, the need to update. to make this fresh. to be made new. and i'm thinking the same goes for some blog re-design! 

anyone else feeling that bug?! 

well, today is your lucky day as Yellow + Savy Design offer one of you seriously awesome readers a chance to win a blogger template or self-hosted Wordpress theme of your choice!

{how to enter:}

visit the Yellow + Savy Design shop and comment on which template you'd select if you are choose to win! (mandatory entry)

{really, really wanna win?}

additional entries - keep in separate comments to count as individual entries

- Like the Yellow + Savy Facebook page (1 entry)

- be a public GFC follower of this blog (1 entry) 

- Like the Luxe Chandelier Facebook page (1 entry)

- follow @luxechandelier and @muchloveilly via Twitter (1 entry)

- blog, tweet or facebook about this giveaway and include link in your comment (1 entry)

feel free to copy/paste the following tweet:

crossing my fingers to win the @luxechandelier blog template/theme giveaway happening over @muchloveilly's! http://tinyurl.com/7rf9m7j

{don't wanna wait?}

use coupon code LOVEILLY30 for 30% off of your entire order (valid thru midnight, March 31st, 2012)!

Giveaway is open to ALL Much Love, illy readers thru April 2nd. 

Winner will be announced on April 3rd.

(may the odds be ever in your favor. hehe.)

much love.

{happy monday, friend.}

because i can't fit my thoughts in 140 characters, you'll find them here. in letter form. (WARNING: contains spoilers)

dear hunger games, the movie. 
you met my expectations. the acting and cast, superb. the setting, perfect. you made me cry. you made me hold my breath. you made me cover my mouth to keep from screaming. you made my heart flutter. you made me cheer and celebrate. the quick camera actions, facial expressions and sound effects were rather creative in providing the intensity of the arena without being gory (which my sensitive eyes and stomach appreciated). there were several details that i feel like you could have portrayed far better if time provided (particularly flashbacks of Peeta and Katniss' previous interaction with the burned bread; Katniss' father and his death; and Madge and the mockingjay pin; Peeta's missing leg after the games; and the fact that the mutations in the finale were the tributes themselves, etc.). but i will give you grace in that the movie was already 2 1/2 hours long and no movie can fully capture every single detail that a book provides. but again, overall, you blow me out of the water! i went to see you twice this weekend (losing sleep by going to the midnight showing was SO worth it!) and look forward to many more dates with you. and please give gary ross, my regards. he rocks my face off.


dear hunger games, the book.
no movie based on a book will ever fully satisfy me. you provide details and emotions in words that the camera cannot capture. nothing can replace the imagination. and you will be among the few books in my library that i read more than once. 


dear katniss everdeen.
you are my hero. i want to be "outdoors-ey" because of you. and learn archery. stat.


dear peeta.
i did not think i could love you anymore, but i do. burn bread for me anytime.


dear gale.
you have a pretty face. and i admit, you are a hunk. but yeaaaah, it sucks to be you.


dear prim.
i expect to see you in more movies. dang, girl. you can act. your scream gives me goosebumps.


dear jennifer lawrence.
your acting blows mah mind.


dear caesar flickerman.
you made me giggle every time, especially when you laughed and scrunched your nose. and i have to ask, are you related to Katy Perry? something about your blue hair.


dear cinna.
love that gold eye-liner. you can be my stylist anytime.


dear seneca.
i don't even like beards but yours? uh-mazing. wish you were in the next book/movie.


dear effie. 
i love your style. your shoes and your make-up were my fave. i'm thinking halloween costume 2012. 


dear cato.
you and glimmer should get a room.


dear hunger games soundtrack.
you will be on repeat for the next several days. weeks. months.


dear catching fire, the movie.
it needs to be november 2013 now.

shall we discuss?! what were your thoughts on the movie? do you have your own letters to write? feel free to include them in the comments! i'd seriously would love to hear!

much love.

{happy hunger games weekend, friend.}

on friday i was a walking zombie because of this.

 photos via my sister's camera 

...and it was worth every single second of it.

(and yup, i was one of the few people my age at the midnight premier.  good thing that i have a teenage sister and her friends like me enough to let me come with.  then again, i was their chauffeur, so i guess it was a total win/win for all. OH, and as long as i have been waiting for this movie, i'm thinking i'm gonna need to write out a complete separate post on my thoughts on the movies. so that we can then discuss. i feel the dire need to discuss! anyone else?!) 

much love.

{happy hunger games weekend, friend.}

no shame.

top: belk / boyfriend jeans: GAP / Tildes wedges: c/o Blowfish Shoes

ring: pandora, gift from Ryan's mom / just simple red beads necklace: c/o Along for the Ride

while you are reading this, i'll either be on my way to the midnight showing of The Hunger Games. or i might possibly be sleeping the day away. or maybe i'll be running so high on adrenaline that sleep will not even be able to take over me. (my heart is honestly racing a little bit faster with the thought of finally seeing one of my all-time favorite books will actually be on the big screen.) i have been looking forward to this movie long before a movie was in the works. i remember when my little sister and i talked about how scary-awesome it would be if a movie came out. and here we are today. it's happening, folks.

excuse me as i grab a box of Kleenex, a giant coke, and a bucket of popcorn lathered in butter.

much love.

{happy friday, friend.}

p.s. don't miss out the happenin' giveaways happening here and there!

mind-blowing MARCH group giveaway!!

alrighty, friends. i'm gonna say it right here and right now.

start rubbing your hands together then blow on that invisible pair of dice.

you know for good luck?!

i'm not a gambler type at all, but i do watch movies and i hear that's how you do this.

either way, i say do this. because you're gonna wanna get some luck on your side for this here giveaway. 

meet molly of matchstick molly.

and find her via blog / facebook / twitter

giving away one month of Medium Ad Space ($60 value!) over at her blog during the month of April (her b-day month!)!!

meet erika of rouge and whimsy.

and find her via blog / shop / facebook / twitter

giving away a lovely mint julep colorblock bag 

($40 value - saw these beauties in person while in AZ with erika a couple weekends ago and they are seriously uh-mazing!)!!

meet kristine of kristine + the foley family 

+ J and M's Eye Candy Shoppe.

and find her via blog / bloglovin' / facebook / shoppe / twitter / google+ / pinterest

giving away $20 Shoppe credit and Large Ad Space over at her blog ($10 value)!

***

see? what did i tell you?

you're gonna need some luck on your side for this WINNER TAKES ALL giveaway!

so...start blowing on your invisible dice.

{how to enter:}

be a public GFC follower of this blog!

(that's it! mandatory entry!)

{really, really wanna win?}

additional entries - keep in separate comments  to count as individual entries!

- follow, like, or heart any of the listed links and lemme know for which sponsor

- tweet, blog, or facebook about this mind-blowing giveaway and lemme know that you did (please include link!)

feel free to copy/paste the following tweet:

i want to win the mind-blowing March WINNER TAKES ALL group giveaway happening over at @muchloveilly's blog! http://tinyurl.com/7vurjxo

Giveaway is open to ALL Much Love, illy readers thru March 27th.

Winner will be announced on March 28th.

much love.

{happy thursday, friend.}

a wee bit of a shout-out.

calling all blogs, handmade business, and online businesses!

do you think that you and i would rock out a great partnership?

do you want some extra exposure for your blog or biz?

welp, i got some spots opening up for the month of april! 

spots are limited so shoot me an email ASAP at muchloveilly at gmail dot com 

if you wanna chat and i'll send you my sponsorship info/rates!

much love.

{happy wednesday, friend.}

you call it desperation. i call it dedication and the biggest craving ever.

white tee, green sheer skirt: forever 21 / natalia flats: c/o Blowfish Shoes

i don't think i've celebrated St. Patty's day in a long time. not that i'm Irish. it's just that green is my all time favorite color in the world and you'd think i would be all over the green-obsessed holiday. this year, i celebrated it with Ryan and we both rocked out in green - me in my favorite green skirt and Ryan, his hunter green tee. 

he also planned out an afternoon for us to hang out at Mall of Georgia to do some window shopping. (we like to pretend that we already have a home together and pretend to shop for all the things we want to fill it with. William and Sonoma and Pottery Barn are two favorites.) for dinner, we made a Chipotle run (duh) and then went on a mad hunt for Mickey D's shamrock shakes. sadly, every MD we went to were sold out. seriously?! it's St. Patrick's Day! you guys need to double-up on your shamrock shake mixtures! so to make up for it, Ryan took me to Starbucks for a green tea frappe. it was good but def did not meet the minty-goodness craving. 

we wrapped up the evening with a casual walk at a nearby park. mostly people-watched and then set my camera on timer. after what felt like a million tires, we finally got my timer to work and get a somewhat decent photo. if you look close enough with this photo, i'm in mid-laughter. or maybe it's just my awkward crooked smile making it's appearance.

much love.

{happy tuesday, friend.}

p.s. don't forget to enter the sweet giveaway happening this week! 

sponsor love + giveaway with Twillypop.

meet sara of twillypop.

"I'm a stay at home, homeschooling mom of three precious chickens, just discovering my inner jewelry designer/photographer/social media maven/blogger :) My love of fashion, pearls and COLOR has lead to my shop of handmade ribbon jewelry and accessories, meant for girls of ALL ages, called Twillypop."

{giveaway:}

sara has got to be one of the sweetest ladies in blog world. her love for God and for people is more than evident on her blog and her tweets. and of course, you can certainly sense her love for color and her mad creative skills. 

and today sara is offering one YOU lucky Much Love, illy readers $30 Twillypop shop credit! SCORE! i particularly love this piece and oh, yes this one, too.

{how to enter:}

visit Twillypop shop and comment below on what you would spend the shop credit on if you win!

{really, really wanna win?}

additional entries - keep in separate comments to count as individual entries!

- be a public GFC follower of this blog (1 entry)

- be a public GFC follow of the Twillypop blog (1 entry)

- like the Twillypop Facebook page (1 entry)

- follow @twillypop and @muchloveilly via Twitter (1 entry)

- blog, facebook or tweet about this giveaway and include link in your comment (1 entry)

feel free to copy/paste the following tweet:

crossing my fingers to win the @twillypop shop credit giveaway over @muchloveilly!! enter for your chance here: http://tinyurl.com/6n8l39c

{don't wanna wait?}

use coupon code MUCHLOVE for 20% off of your entire Twillypop order (valid thru March)!

Giveaway is open to ALL Much Love, illy readers thru Monday, March 26th.

Winner will be announced on Tuesday, March 27th.

much love.

{happy monday, friend.}

right as rain.

the days in GA with this boy have been filled with:

1. lots of checkers french fries and spicy chicken sandwiches

2. a picnic in the park 

3. walks around the neighborhood after dinner

4. i-Carly re-runs 

5. instax pictures

6. cracking up over inside jokes

7. Jo-Anne's shopping trips (heaven!) 

8. grocery shopping so he can whip up some delish dinners (he is dang good!)

9. movies (Mission Impossible 3 - suh-weet action! Winter's Bone -fell asleep. Crazy Stupid Love - it was pretty crazy stupid.)

10. just being together

much love.

{happy weekend, friend.}

p.s. btw, Happy St. Patrick's Day! ryan and i will be rocking out in some irish green attire.

and then he's taking me out for (drum roll, please!) mickey-dee's shamrock shakes! 

(duh. are you really that surprised? if you are, then you really don't know me too well. so...nice to meet you!)

jillian is the bomb dot com.

so recently my favorite expression has been "the bomb dot com."
i think i tweet or write it out more than say it, but i think after last weekend, i've caught myself saying it more outloud. 


that's beside the point.
the point is that today's guest poster is just that.
the bomb dot com. and oh so much more.
enough from me. do enjoy! 


***
"What makes the desert beautiful, is that somewhere it hides a well." - The Little Prince

Hey! First, let me give a HUGE shout out to Ilene for having me guest post on her blog! Her style rocks & I'm so happy to be a part of her world. I’m a 20-something designer & fashionista from New Jersey with a heart for exploring & philanthropy. I created my blog, Boyish Chic, based on my fashion sense of feminine with a boyish edge (I always need to rock a combination of the two or I'll feel out of it). My blog's an outlet for my styling passion & other inspirations.


I geek out on boyish chic looks & icons (Alexa Chung, Olivida Wilde, Rachel Bilson...), design, typography, style, dance, all things Parisian, the beach & surf culture, cat eyeliner, travel, animal rescue & lots, lots more. I believe that the little things make all the difference. I love to learn & I’m always moving, doing, creating, photographing, discovering...

One of my favorite places in the world: La Jolla Coves, California

On my trip to Paris in 2010. Looooooved it!

My faith moves all that I do and has made me who I am. That's why I started a little company with a big heart called my Remedy to create a positive community based on living a life in love. I design eco-friendly printed apparel, hand-crafted jewelry, handmade knits & custom graphic design. I'm a graphic designer by trade so if you're looking for some new design (ads, buttons, logos, headers, business cards...), I'm your girl! Just email me at myRemedydesign@gmail.com. 

Thanks so much for letting me introduce myself.I’d love to learn more about you so please drop me a line to say hi! 
Live in love,

xx.  Jillian Pfund
style blog // shop // twitter // facebook // pinterest 

"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." Oscar Wilde

P.S. I post a lot of really goofy, silly gifs. 

Hope you'll dig 'em - or at least get a kick out of them. Haha!

***

see what did i tell ya?
her GIFs alone rock my face off.
and seriously love her jewelry - especially this lovely. i wear it all the time!
i tell ya, Jillian here has some mad skills!
so be sure to show her some love and let her know Much Love, illy sent ya.
happy weekend, folks!

much love.
{happy friday, friend.}

it's all in the details, which includes a sewing machine turned cupcake shop table.

last night, ryan had mentioned that the weather was going to be absolutely perfect - so he had some place in mind that he wanted to take me. around lunch time, we drove to a historic part of town with the cutest little shops and restaurants. and while we were there we discovered Sweets on the Square, the most adorable cupcake shop (award-winning, i might add - and they even auditioned for Cake Wars. these people are legit.)! i indulged in a red velvet cupcake (of course) - it was divine, of course (anything with cream cheese frosting is). 

and isn't this little table that we sat at the coolest? it's made out of a sewing machine - or at least the bottom of it is. i loved playing with the pedal while i ate my cupcake. (excuse the vein-y feet. i heard a filipino superstition that people with vein-y feet like to walk a lot of places. can't disagree with that. i walked everywhere i lived in downtown Chicago.)

we also checked out this place called The Yarn Garden, a small knit shop with yarn and string of every color of the rainbow. my eyes were pretty much jumping out of their sockets with the variety of yarn colors. i need to learn how to crochet or knit so that i can buy all of this yummy eye candy yarn!

and i loved all the murals everywhere in this part of town. 

the little gecko on the wall made me giggle.

i love my adventures with Ryan.

can't wait till we can have them everyday.

(p.s. i love this picture of him. i think he is a hunk and a half if not more. yummy.)

much love.

{happy thursday, friend.}