Have you heard of Sword.com?

Okay, so you know how everyone (all of us included) is obsessed with deal-a-day sites like Groupon, Living Social, and Buy With Me? Well, I have another one for you, but this one has a fun twist! Sword.com offers local and national deals that are over 50% off like the other sites. But UNLIKE the other sites, Sword has an affiliate program that enables you to cash in on your friends' purchases. 

Because they're a new company and don't have a lot of brand recognition yet, Sword has decided to use you (us!) as a conduit for advertising. So, when you share the site with other people, they become part of your "crew" and as they add friends and family, those new additions are also in your crew. And whenever anybody in your crew makes a purchase, it benefits you! 

Just like Groupon and the other sites, signing up is totally free and you're never under any obligation to make a purchase. You also don't have to share the site with anyone, you can keep it your own little secret if you want. :)

{one of the cheapest canvas prints deal I've seen!}

If you'd like to sign up, simply click here, and at the top of the page, you'll see a button that says REGISTER. After answering the basics (name, email, zip code), you will get your very own referral link and you can start creating your crew!

Sword just opened this week, so there are only a few deals so far, but each day they add more and so far, they look great! Like this custom chocolate one below - yum!

I Believe It's Cake! - Wedding Rehearsal Dinner Cake - And A Giveaway!

At Kyle and Lindsay's rehearsal dinner, we were treated to a beautiful (and delicious!) cake from I Believe It's Cake! Here are some pictures:

Kyle and Lindsay LOVE their Yorkie named Yoshi and wanted him to feature in their cake. IBI Cake! created an amazing little Yoshi on top of an airplane on top of a delicious red velvet cake. The banner says "Yoshi is fly like a G6." This cake was the hit of the party!

This lovely lady is Laurie, the brains behind IBI Cake, posing with her creation and Kyle and Lindsay.

Check out Laurie's facebook and blog for her amazing cakes, she is seriously so talented! It's also fun to see all the celebrities she's worked with: Mel B., Matt Barnes, and many more!

PLUS, she's having a giveaway on her blog right now! Like any baker worth her sugar, she knows a cake stand is the finishing touch that can make your presentation. And you can win this adorable cake stand to start your collection!

Just go here to enter!

New Etsy Treasury: Day of The Colorful Dead

As you may remember from last year, I LOVE Day of the Dead items! So, of course, I had to make a treasury to showcase all my current favorites.

{see it here!}

Love Today!

What a great sentiment - Love Today. Seriously, don't worry about tomorrow or yesterday or next week. At least, not for a few minutes. Just love today.

This is my new wake-up song. I randomly heard it a sushi restaurant last week, immediately downloaded it, and now it's my alarm song. Listen to it for a second and it will be yours, too! Hope you're all having happy days!

Table Name Cards for a Hawaii-Themed Wedding

My friends Kyle and Lindsay got married last Saturday on August 13, 2011. It was amazing and I cried... a lot. It was my first time planning a wedding and I am so proud of how it turned out. I'm going to share some pieces of it with you, especially those I'm proudest of. 

My friend Amy, who's an incredibly talented artist, drew all of the table name cards for the wedding. Each table was named after a location in Hawaii that was important to the couple. Amy took that idea and turned into a magical collection of art. 

{all 26 cards}

{LOVE shave ice!}

{yum!}

{everyone loved this one!}

{this was my table!}

These were such an amazing addition to the tables and we got tons of comments on them. Plus, using friends to supplement the big day is such a nice personal touch. 

Love... Wedding Boots!

{via ruffled}

*This will be me...one day.*

I'm Learning To Fly

my lovely blog friends, i am going on a trip this weekend. i don't actually know where. i have no reservations, no plans. i do have paper maps, a packed suitcase and a full tank of gas.

until monday night when i return, i will be unreachable - no phone, internet, computers, facebook, blogging, nothing! just me, my car and my music. which is scary and a little exciting all at once. 

i'm such a planner that going into this without an itinerary is also freaking me out. i have some ideas - maybe i'll go south towards oceanside, maybe i'll go west to arizona or utah, maybe i'll go north towards sequoia. 

i am so optimistic that this weekend spent with myself will be just what i need to feel centered, happy and whole. my hope is that i will find myself out there and that i will like that person. 

mr. tom petty really could be the soundtrack to so many moments in my life (and i'm sure in yours). but this song has been in my head for the past few days, especially the refrain below, and i know it will be the song playing as i pull out of my driveway and into the sunrise.

have a beautiful, happy weekend - i know i will! :)

"Well, some say life will beat you down

Break your heart, steal your crown

So I've started out for God knows where

I guess I'll know when I get there"