guest post - ruby red lipstick && clashing hues

Hey y'all! Ruthanne here! as you already know, I'm on the road for a week, having a little birthday road trip! Annnnnyway. I'd like y'all to meet my sweet, sweet friend Britney! I asked her to guest post while I was away and I am soooooo excited to share it with you! She's such a doll, and absolutely hilarious, not to mention she's hilarious. So, I'll shush now, and let her take it away! :)

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Hello Lovelies!!!

I'm Britney and the ever so sweet Ruthanne asked me to do a little guest post!! I am so honoured and absolutely smitten to be here to talk to you all! To start it off I have a short video where I tell you about the three makeup items I use. Seriously, its just three. I might start wearing eye shadow or something but right now all I use is these three things; eyeliner, mascara and lipstick.

I sure do hope you liked my video!! If you couldn't tell by my accent I live in the far away land of New Zealand. I've been overseas once in my life (last year) and I am a vegetarian!! I'd visit the zoo any day and have four dogs, one cat and as you saw in the video some ducks have taken to the front lawn! I write for my blog Lemonwood and Honey and its really all I do in my spare time. I am currently studying at uni which sometimes can be a drag when you have so many assignments to complete!! BUT life is good! Its much better than good actually. Its extraordinary.

 On to the fashion side of things?

I believe that fashion is more than just following trends. To me fashion has become a way to show my personality, to show my mood, to experiment and really, to just have fun. Its not about the latest designer fad or must have. Its about you! And that is the most important thing. If you love wearing jelly shoes (do you remember those?) then so be it! If you want to wear a tutu to school (which I have, it was petticoat actually) then do it!! Living by rules, thats not living at all! I used to be rather judgmental on what other people wore. But I thought, who am I to judge? That girl, that guy, she/he feels awesome the way they are dressed. And that is all that is important.

Everyday I am getting to know myself more and more. Because of that I find that it reflects in what I wear. I have a craving to go on a crazy shopping spree (money permitting) and buy everything that reflects who I am but at the same time pieces that last. I want to buy clothes that suit my body rather than a stick thin model. Because my body is just as beautiful as theirs and so is yours!! I want to buy socks and sew little pom poms on them because, although I might not look like I walked off the run way, I think its really cute! I want to be me and use fashion as an outlet to show that!!

As for my outfit, I have been wearing this jacket like crazy this past few weeks. It comes from Dorothy Perkins, which I fell in love with when I went to London last year. The dress is from Romwe and I just adore the tapestry like pattern. I love mixing patterns together and having fun. I suppose the one thing I would add to this outfit is a necklace.

Final words?

Thanks so much Ruthanne for inviting me here! It was a blast and really broadened my blogging ideas. I haven't done an outfit post in so long and never like this! 

I wish that I could meet every single one of you and help you to see that something about you that makes you extraordinary. Its there! I know it. When it comes to fashion, dress to suit your body shape, dress the way you like and have fun! Life can be scary but it is the scariness that makes it beautiful! Remember how amazing you are and you will be fine. More than fine. You'll be extraordinary. 

guest post - janae of the letter 4

Good morning everyone! Today, one of my most lovely friends is here to share some knowledge with y'all! Her name is Janae, and she is 1/4 of The Letter 4! Janae and I have been getting to know each other better lately (praise the Lord for facebook!) and she's become a dear friend of mine! Plus, we're both gingers, so there's a fantastic connection there! hehe....and without further ado....miss Janae! :)   --------------   Hello readers of Ruthanne's blog. I'm Janae and I'm a sister over at The Letter 4 and I also just started a blog for my photography and videography over at Blood Orange Productions. Ruthanne is one of the sweetest people ever, and I'm so happy that she asked me to share on her blog!

I've recently been attending LDS Business College and really want to share what I've been learning! It could definitely apply to any of your businesses, blogs, or even just everyday life.

First off, if anyone has been noticing the negativity about school starting, you're not alone. School is so amazing and we should not take it for granted! I have been so excited to start learning in a classroom again. You can never be over educated, you know. No matter what year of school you're in, be happy you get an education.
Alright, down to business. Have any of you heard of the "Golden Circle"? It's an amazing tool that will help you create a more personal relationship with your customers, clients, readers, etc. It is designed and explained by Simon Sinek. But! Most people use this tool incorrectly and this is the reason a lot of businesses fail. Here, I'll show you.
 The average person thinks from the outside in. "What" we do, "how" we do it, and "why" we do it. That's not interesting, everyone uses that and it won't create an emotionally connected relationship.

Now, when you think from the inside out, things change. You proclaim why you do what you do, truthfully. You believe what you say. If you believe what you say, others will. Then after you have stated your "why", you move on to how you accomplish your why and what you have to offer.

Simon Sinek always says, "People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it." This is so true. If you honestly express why you do what you do, you will have more loyal customers, employees, friends, readers, etc.

This is a SUPER brief overview of some of the things Simon Sinek lectures about, so if you'd like to listen to him and his genius ways, go here to listen to his amazing lecture. You won't regret it.

guest post: chelsea leigh of happy bow lucky

hello, beautiful readers!!

i'm chelsea! :)

and i blog over @ happy bow lucky!

(i'm the one on the right!) ;)

first of all, i just want to thank Ruthanne for asking me to guest post for her!

she is one of the sweetest people i have met in the blog world...

and i love her so!

we are very blessed to have such a beautiful soul to gain wisdom & insight from!

thanks again, lady!

have fun on your trip.

praying for safe travels for you!

XOXOXOXO.

now...to the guest post.

i talk about myself on my blog ALL THE TIME.

so, today, i am going to tell you all about my relationship.

...with my handsome MAN.

his name is Justin.

yes, he really is that gorgeous.

he is my fiance.

he plays the guitar & sings. (SWOOOOON)

and i love him DEARLY.

we started "dating" when i was 13...

and he was *pause* 17!

(i know. i know)

we never could hang out alone, though.

we were always with friends or family.

and we never went on a first official date until i was 17. :)

(daddy's rules)

and it was all so worth it.

(just babies!^^^)

justin & i did not have the perfect relationship right from the get go.

we have never claimed to.

we argued all the time.

we fought.

he was no mr. perfect.

and i was no princess.

we became sexually active. (still remained virgins, by God's grace!)

but we lost a LOT of our childhood & innocence.

we broke up 2 different times...

which totaled 5 months away from each other.

it was the hardest thing we've ever done,

but it was so needed.

we were immature.

we were young.

and all we wanted was each other.

i hate admitting this...

and it hurts me to do so.

i feel very guilty.

but i want to be bare & open before you.

when i was dating Justin, he came before the Lord.

he came before spending time in prayer.

he came before worship.

he came before listening to Christ's voice.

he came before reading the Word.

he came before it all.

he was my world.

and Jesus was in 2nd place. :(

(i know. i'm such an awful person!)

but during those times apart, we sought Jesus so radically.

(even though i had another guy in my life - again, i know)

we dove into the Word.

we spent every morning & night frantically searching the Scriptures.

because we couldn't get enough.

that is when Jesus became more to me.

He meant so much more to me than Justin did.

and i never thought that was possible.

Jesus became my Best Friend.

my Love.

and my #1 favorite in all the world.

justin & i got back together in the fall of 2010.

we dated & things were miraculously different.

he pursued me.

i respected him.

we didn't fight.

it was as close to perfect as you could get.

he FINALLY proposed December 20, 2011.

and now we are getting married June 23, 2012!

it has been such a long journey, but one that i wouldn't change for the world!

justin & i still don't have it all together.

we argue every now & then (although it's NOTHING like it used to be!)

but we know what love means.

we know we are in this for the long haul.

it's not about feelings.

it's about choice.

it's about choosing to love each other every day of our lives.

and to work hard to keep our relationship healthy.

justin & i have been through more things than you can imagine these past (almost) 6 years.

i got shingles....if that tells you anything. :/

but through it all, i find myself so amazed at the Lord's hand in our relationship.

He only wanted to be 1st in both of our lives.

that is all.

and even though we had to take some MAJORLY tough roads to get there,

we are both happy & excited for the next stage in our lives....

MARRIAGE.

praise the Lord. hallelujah.

so... i just want to encourage you guys...

if you are on a tough road right now.

or if you are facing something difficult that there seems to be no way out of...

turn to Jesus.

He alone is the answer.

not your MAN.

not your best friend.

not chocolate.

not anything, but Him alone.

run to Him.

and when you arrive...

seek His face like never before.

your answer will come.

and i promise you it will be so worth it.

thanks again for letting me guest post, love!

i enjoyed it so much!!

and if you guys want to stop by my blog - that would be AWESOME!

be sure to let me know you are visiting from Ruthanne's blog!

thanks for reading! :)

isn't she adorable? if you do not love this girl with all your heart by now, you need to see a doctor. She has become such a dear friend to me in the month or so I've known her - and I can tell you this - she has such an amazing heart. I just love her soooo much! :) head on over to her blog and show her some love! :)

xoxoxoxo!

-Ruthanne

guest post: hannah of 17 inch heart

Hi Ruthanne lovers! I'm Hannah from 17 Inch Heart. Don't you just love when you make new friends? I think it's probably just about the best feeling out there! I admire Ruthanne's beautiful little blog- and not to mention she is sweet as pie...or in this case, cupcakes! Not going to lie, I kind of have a little addiction!

But with Valentines day right around the corner I thought I'd share a yummy recipe that's easy and perfect for such a happy day!

Strawberry Lovecakes

Ingredients: 4.5 cups cake flour, 3 cups sugar, 5 1/4 teaspoons baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1 cup pureed frozen strawberries, 8 egg whites, 2/3 cup milk, 1 or 2 drops of food coloring
The process: Preheat the oven to 350 and line pan with cupcake liners. With an electric mixer, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Add the butter and strawberry puree and then mix to the blended ingredients. Raise the speed to medium and beat until it resembles ice cream! In another bowl, whisk together egg whites and red food coloring. Add this mixture to the other ingredients. Bake in oven for 15-18 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool after baking! Then eat up!

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Hope you love 'em :)

for more giant sized fun, follow me over to my little corner of the blogosphere @17inheart.com :)

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isn't she adorable? I just love her :) And her love of cupcakes! Eep! Head on over to her blog, friends - you will love it!! :)

hugs!

-Ruthanne

guest post: mckenzie jean of basil

Helllllllo loves! Guess where I am today? Seattle! Trying to figure out which danged starbucks to go into and which one to leave alone. Problematic, I know. Anyway! I have a few fun ladies guest posting for me while I'm gone, and guess who get's to start y'all off? Miss Mckenzie of Basil :) She is the epitome of awesome - so please read on :) Hugs to you all!

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Would you believe me if I told you I considered (and actually typed it out) starting this post with:

What's up all my homiesssss!

Don't worry, I hit backspace quicker than you can say "homies." 

I'm Mckenzie Jean, from over at Basil.

Over at my little blog, I write about a few things. I (attempt) to blog about fashion, with simple pictures of what I wear day to day, but mainly I post stories. 

I love sharing stories, and I have quite a bit to share. 

I love sharing silly, awkward, strange, or ironic stories that happen in my day to day life. 

Unfortunately I have a billion awkward things happen to me, I never seem to be on short supply. 

I can tell you're on the edge of your seat with anticipation to hear one....so, I'll share one of my favorites. 

This is a story I have shared once on my own blog, several months ago, so chances that you've heard it are slim to none. 

But here I am, story recycling. 

Let me start it out with saying this, before I met my husband (we're high school sweethearts) I didn't date much. I just wasn't interested. I like to think I had a good head on my shoulders, and didn't see the point in dating that young. I mean really, what are the chances you'll end up marrying the person you're with in middle school, or even high school (I know, I know....me thinking this clearly meant it had to happen to me)? I just didn't want the drama of an insecure young relationship, I just wanted to have fun with my friends, and hold off on that part of my life. 

But, I did date some. 

And I'm definitely going by the definition of "date" according to my high school dictionary. 

You know, you meet someone, text them and giggle a bit, maybe meet up at the mall or skate park (thats definitely how I rolled.)

And then fast forward two weeks, and this here girl is bored out of her mind and moves one. 

Well...I had a certain experience during one of those "flings."
The kind of thing that will make high school you think that your life is forever over. 

The one that makes you immediately think of other schools you can transfer to because you're just that embarrassed. 

Me at my jr. prom. hovering over the cheese table.
 

So, Let me start from the beginning.
i met this boy.

At the skate park. 

(you thought I was kidding about that, DIDN'T YOU!)

Anyways, in typical high school fashion, I'm with a girlfriend, scopin' out the fresh meat

(I did NOT just say that.)

and we're on our way out, and all the suddne.....It happens. 

"Hey. Hey!"

We whip around with our hearts racing a million miles an hour..this was our moment to shine. 

All the emo poses we practiced for myspace photos were finally paying off...boys. 

one of them motions towards me and says:

"my friend thinks you're cute. Do you think he's cute?"

We were being stared at by a group of 8+ boys, and to be honest, I didn't even look to who he was pointing at.
High school me didn't care, I just blurted out 

"yes!"

They respond ever so suavely....."cool."

My friend and I ask them if they want to meet up at the mall later that night. 

They say yes.

Score.

So me and said boy (I finally found out which one he was via my AIM account....we swap myspace links. How did high schooler's date before myspace?! So vital.) start texting, chatting on AIM and on the phone for a couple of weeks. Being extra cautious to keep our coolness in tact. Playin' it smooth the whole way.

But then that moment came along. 

The moment mentioned earlier.

I grew up in Chicago, many-a-days were spent in Millenium park.

Its hard to reopen the wounds, but I'll do it.

I sacrifice so much for you guys.

That's how much I care about you all. 

Schools out for the day, I walk to my car, throw my purse, phone, and books in and then hop in to drive home.

As soon as I turn my car on, the next song on my mix CD comes on....I'll be, by Edwin McCain. 

If you're not familiar with it, stop right here.

Search it on youtube, and listen to it. 

Then resume reading. It will make this so much better for you.

And while its better for you, it will be a million times worse for me.

Now, this song moved me. It made me tear up each time. and I knew every single word.

I'm one of those car singers, the kind that belts it out with no shame. 

So I'm jamming out to good ol' Ed and having the time of my life driving home.

I lived close to my high school, the ride being only long enough for 1 song...its okay. Edwin was all I needed. 

I pull into the driveway right as the song ends. 

turn off my car.

pick up my books, purse.....and phone.

Which had pocket dialed someone.

SOMEONE.

THAT someone!

My phone picked and dialed the WORST possible person for that moment in time. 

And, the call was still going on. 

All 6+ minutes of it. 

I just serenaded this boy at the top of my lungs to Edwin McCain.  And he stayed on the phone, and listened to the whole thing. 

WHOLE. THING.

it was not pretty, either.

We never spoke again. 

I think it was for the best. 

Talk about awkward when we saw each other in the hallways.

At the drive-in

Feel free to stop by my blog and share your story.
I have a tab at the top made just for that.
Don't worry, you don't have to humiliate yourself with one from your awkward past 

(we all have it) 

I love sharing engagement, wedding, heartfelt stories as well. 

Feel free to e-mail me one at Mckenzie.Lund (at) gmail.com and I'll use yours as a guest post one day with a link back to your blog.

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Thanks Mckenzie! :) And I am so sorry for those of you who couldn't access the post earlier! I messed up with something on my phone last night....silly me! ANYWAY! Go on over to miss Mckenzie's adorable blog and say hello! :)

Have a fabulous day, friends!

Recipe Guest Post - Michelle of Oh, Mishka! (& giveaway winner!)

Hi all! So, I have one last treat for you before we ring in the new year :) Have you ever stopped by Michelle's blog? Have you fallen in love with it like every normal person? Have you totally become addicted? Yeah. Ha. Funny. ME TOO. I asked Michelle if she would like to do a guest post for y'all with a yummy new years eve recipe! And she was so sweet to stop and get one to me for you, even in the midst of JUST GETTING ENGAGED! :) I'm very excited for her, is it obvious?? Here you are, my lovelies! 

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 Hi Ruthanne with an E readers! I'm Michelle and I write the blog Oh, Mishka. Ruthanne asked me to share one of my favorite holiday recipes with you. Since I adore having friends over for a cozy night in for New Year's Eve, I thought I'd share a recipe that is incredibly easy, but looks really impressive at a dinner party. :) These pesto stuffed shells were a huge hit when I made them, and I'm already planning to make them again soon. Even though they look messy (and incredibly unphotogenic!), they're beyond delicious.

  Pesto Stuffed Pasta Shells \

recipe adapted from here 

 1/2 package jumbo shell pasta 

15 oz container of ricotta (I used part skim) 

1 cup shredded mozzarella 

1/2 cup basil pesto 

1 egg 

1 jar pasta sauce 

 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

 2. In a large pot, cook the pasta. The box will tell you to bring the water to a boil before adding the pasta, and this is important. Otherwise your shells might stick to each other and tear. 

 3. While the pasta is cooking, mix together the ricotta, mozzarella, pesto, and egg in a large bowl. Set aside (or refrigerate) until ready to use.

 4. In a baking dish, spread one cup of the pasta sauce evenly across the bottom. (I used an 8x8 baking dish, but had too many shells left over, so I also filled one of my vintage Pyrex dishes.)

5. When the pasta is cooked, drain it and rinse gently with cold water. Then pick up one pasta shell and fill it with a spoonful of the ricotta mixture. The filling should fill the shell enough that the top is spread open about a half inch (about a spoonful). Place the filled shell on top of the pasta sauce in your baking dish. Continue to do this until all of your shells are filled. 

6. Spread the rest of the pasta sauce evenly across the top of your filled shells. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, then enjoy!

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doesn't it look and sound divine? I'm totally making this soon! Eep! Happy last day of 2011, all!

Xoxo,

 Ruthanne

Also! We have a winner of the My Memories software! Melissa, of Contemporary Dancing! congrats :) Email me when you get the chance and we'll get everything worked out! :)

Happy new years eve!

recipe guest post: the letter 4

Hey there everyone! I have another special guest for you this week! :) Jade from The Letter 4 is here to bless you with an amazing (and I do mean ah-maz-ing) cookie recipe that all four of the girls loved while growing up! I have a confession for you....I kind of just really adore these girls. So. Stinking. Much. I mean really. I do. So, without further ado, take it away miss Jade! :)

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Hey there! I am so excited to be here today at Ruthanne with an E!

My name is Jade and I blog over at

THE LETTER 4

We're just 4 sisters who love crafting, cooking, design, photography, and anything and everything that inspires us!

I loved when we were growing up, how my mom would make batches and batches of these addicting cookies and then would lay them nicely in a square tupperware like this...

.. and I would go in to the kitchen and sneak one, and hide out while I ate it, (probably along with everyone else, come on siblings...fess up!)  I would go sneak another, and another, and another...and then I would hear my mom go into the kitchen later and say, "Oh my gosh, where did all the cookies go already?!"  

Well, I don't have to sneak them anymore, but I'm sure when my kids get a little taller, they will.  :)

Love you mom!  I wish we could make, and eat these together.  

PS, I'm partial to the applesauce for this recipe, but if you want to make an awesome pumpkin cookie, use this same recipe but just substitute the applesauce with pumpkin puree.  

Mom's Applesauce Cookies:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

4 cups all purpose flour (OR: 2 cups whole wheat, 2 cups all purpose) 

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

3 eggs

2 cups applesauce or pumpkin puree

2 cups nuts (optional)

2 cups chocolate chips (NOT optional)  haha.

2 cups raisins  (OR do it my way, and omit the raisins and add more choc chips!) 

1)  Combine all dry ingredients.

2)  Cream butter, then beat in sugar.  Add eggs one at a time and beat well.

3)  Add applesauce to butter mixture, stir a bit, then add flour mixture to butter mixture.  Stir together with a spatula by hand.

4)  Add nuts, raisins, and chocolate chips.  Stir in evenly.

5)  Place dough in fridge overnight.

Spoon out rounded tablespoons onto a cookie sheet.

Bake in oven for 10-12 minutes. 

My mom and I like them best when you let them cool completely, when the chocolate chips have had a chance to harden up a little bit.  My hubby likes them hot and the chocolate chips melted.  Whatever way you decide....ENJOY!  

Don't forget to come over to our blog and say hi!

Thanks for having us at your cute blog Ruthanne!

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Thank you so much Jade! Seriously guys, head on over to their blog...if you don't follow it, do that too, because honestly, they're just so fantastic and inspiring! Like I said earlier.......I have an extreme obsession with them and their blog and yeah :)

Much love, and happy wednesday!

-Ruthanne

p.s. did you enter my giveaway yet? You should! :)

recipe guest post: katie from lovely lady

Hello there friends! It's Monday, and Christmas is in less than a week!!!! can you believe it? I can't!

Today I have my dear friend, Katie from Lovely Lady sharing a wonderfully delicious recipe for Hot Cocoa with you! A while ago Katie commented on my honestly post here about hot coco, saying she had a delicious recipe for the best hot cocoa ever, and I asked her to share it with you! What better way to celebrate Christmas than with Hot Cocoa? I know of nothing!

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Hi everyone!

I was extremely delighted when Ruthanne asked me to do a guest post on this lovely blog of her's and so I of course said yes. While talking with Ruthanne after her "Honestly" post about hot cocoa, she requested that I share this recipe that I mentioned. Now first of all, my family has always been "Swiss Miss" people. We used to never make homemade hot cocoa but after Mom found this recipe we may never go back. Because this is just too darn yummy.

The recipe is from a cookbook that my Mom has called "Grandma's Recipes: Recipes from the 1920's, 30's and 40's. Sounds awesome, right?

So here it is for all you folks to try out!

Cocoa

Ingredients:

1/4 c. cocoa

1/3 c. sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 c. water

5 1/2 c. milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Recipe: Mix cocoa, sugar and salt in a heavy saucepan. Add water and stir until smooth. Cook 3 minutes. Add milk. Heat thoroughly. Add vanilla and beat with egg beater. Serve hot. Top each serving with marshmallow or a teaspoon of whipped cream.

It should look like this. If it doesn't, well, I think you messed it up.

Sidenote: I would like to add a few little things about what I do when I make it. I don't actually measure the salt. I just sprinkle in a tiny bit and that's it. I also sometimes add a little more vanilla. It's delish. The picture shows 1% milk but I normally use 2% milk. It makes it richer. And I stir everything with a whisk even though it doesn't say that I need to. Also I wouldn't be afraid to add some red & green sprinkles or crushed pieces of candy cane along with your whipped cream. It would be a festive(and yummy) touch for Christmas.

Enjoy!

And there you have it! A new delicious recipe for you to try out and it's perfect for these winter temps.

Thanks so much for having me, Ruthanne!

xoxo

Katie

Thank you so much, Katie! Be sure to head on over to her blog and show her some love today! 

-Ruthanne