BIG news!!!

Source: night-onthe-run.tumblr.com via Kelly on Pinterest

Hello, everyone! I hope you are all doing well.

Writing this post is a bit bittersweet. Dan, the wonderful person he is, has always supported my interest in and efforts toward blogging. He recently (and so generously) has set me up with my own domain for Beagle & Bear and installed Wordpress on it, resulting in a new and improved Beagle & Bear. From now on, I will be posting from the new site. While I am so excited for the opportunities and possibilities that the new site and its platform provides, I am a little sad to be leaving Beagle & Bear's Blogger site, where I began my blogging journey, learned a lot, had fun, and got to connect with all of you! I sincerely hope you enjoy the work I do here at Beagle & Bear, and that you will follow me to the new site and love what is there even more. Thank you all for your continued support and love - I'm grateful for each and every one of you! Can't wait to talk to you all soon : )

a letter to those who are hurting

Source: etsy.com via Kelly on Pinterest

A lot has happened these past couple weeks that have reminded about how blessed my life is and how much I love everyone in it. The Chardon High School shooting was in the northeast Ohio area, and while I didn't know anyone involved, it moved me deeply as an educator. Three students from BGSU, my alma mater, passed away in a car crash at the beginning of spring break - making it six students this year that the university has lost. I hear of other losses, of health problems, of pain, among people I am close to or people that I have once met. It all breaks my heart. But at the same time, it makes me stand up straighter. It makes me take a pause and a deep breath. Then it makes me keep going. It makes me go forward trying to be stronger than before, motivated to make the most of the abilities, opportunities, and love in my life. It makes me want to do all I can to make others' lives easier.

The frequency of tragedy does not ease its pain. It does not make it more understandable to me. I will never understand how one second someone can be here and the next second, they're gone. I will never understand why great people, who treat others with warmth and work hard, go through such trials. When I first lost someone very dear to me very suddenly, during college, I felt broken. I remember, shortly after learning the news, I went to the church just off campus that I attended, which was unlocked and open 24 hours. I sat in the dark. I cried. I lit a candle. I prayed and cried. I went home. I cried myself to sleep. I woke up the next day and looked at the window. People were walking to class. I somehow got dressed and ready. I went to the union to get much-needed coffee. People were studying. People were laughing. I didn't understand how the world could keep moving forward when it felt like it should be standing still.

I know people who are loved are lost everyday. I know people receive terrible health news or diagnosis everyday. I know people are hurt and taken advantage of and neglected everyday. I have known all this for quite some time. For some reason, I have been feeling the truth of it more and more lately. It sits heavily in my heart. I just wanted to say, if you are going through pain, if you feel broken, if you don't understand why the world isn't standing still, you're not alone. I won't say it's okay. It's not okay. But I promise: you're not alone.

weekly gems

Source: beagleandbear.tumblr.com via Kelly on Pinterest

• Recipes I want to try: peanut butter ice cream sandwiches, chocolate stout cupcakes with Bailey's Irish cream cheese frosting, toasted sesame ginger salmon, broccoli asparagus pizza, and mini cheddar popovers
• Seven of the laughably worst celebrity tweets.
• Inspired by this interesting post by Jess about intentions vs. goals.
• This past week saw International Women's Day, and Marie Clarie shared these images of female refugees.
• Gorgeous paintings by Eva Gonzalès.
• Mint is clearly a star color this spring, as seen here and here (I'm on board too - just bought myself Revlon's "Minted" polish)!
• Ashley's six relationship ideas are great guidance for young couples.
• I was very inspired by Laura's post about loving yourself, flaws and all.
• This French manicure is so fun!
• This awesome post by Joanna about being too busy is a must-read.
• How to build a cheese board - can't wait to try making one!
• Loved this interview with Angie of Bakerella.
• I adore both the acting and the style of Rachel McAdams.
• 12 images and quotes to inspire your fitness goals.

weekly gems

Source: crushculdesac.tumblr.com via Kelly on Pinterest

• Recipes I want to try: chocolate caramel brownies or brownie squares, bacon cheddar scones, browned butter blueberry muffins, and bacon arugula pizza
• I love the idea of a pancake bar for any party!
• In honor of her birthday this past week, here are some rare and unpublished photos of Elizabeth Taylor.
• The photo diary of Uggie, the canine star of The Artist (and Water for Elephants!), is so cute!
• Do you watch Parks and Recreation? Its newest star is another canine actor - a three legged pit bull named Lucy. Also, check out this playlist inspired by the characters of Leslie and Ben.
• Great tips on how to style an entryway.
• Pumped up for Mackenzie's Design Darling Boutique!!
• I'm also loving these these Hello Giggles posts: 1 & 2
• The peplum is in right now, and I'm surprised to say I'm liking it.
• The best articles about this year's Oscars: best quotes of the evening & an interview with Christopher Plummer

weekly gems

Source: littleg.tumblr.com via Kelly on Pinterest

• Recipes I want to try: mac and cheese cups, beignets, peanut butter and jelly bars, dirty brown rice with shrimp, mini chicken meatball soup, orange spiced cashews
• I LOVE the Oscars and I can't wait for this Sunday evening! In anticipation of the amazing fashion always featured, I enjoyed looking through this slideshow of Oscar's best looks.
• This post by Emily made me feel so relieved. I'm glad to hear other brides who feel overwhelmed at a big wedding ultimately are thankful they are doing/did it!
• Check out this post if you need a smile!
• Adored Jess's inspiring and relatable post on "smurgging." This MML post on "the abs situation" is also a must-read.
• If I was offered the chance to live either here or here, I'd take it!
• How much it would actually cost to build the Death Star.
• Interesting: how the recession is affecting young adults, how marriage is becoming an economic privilege, wedding statistics, and the most loved states.
• Favorite Hello Giggles posts as of late: one, two, three
• Four ways to volunteer and help animals
• It's true, I actually am addicted to ice cream.
• Great tips for planning a vacation.
• Favorite weddings of the week: one, two, three

bookmark it: the everygirl

About

The Everygirl was created by Alaina Kaczmarski and Danielle Moss, two lovely ladies from Chicago who met through the blogging world, forged a friendship, and discovered they had common goals and ideas. Soon The Everygirl was born for "creative, career-driven" women. Its mission is simple and admirable: inject fresh perspective, never skimp on the details and advice, remain budget-friendly, and to "always remember what it was like when we were first starting out." More background information about The Everygirl's purpose can be found here, while more information about Alaina and Danielle can be found here.

Content - Main Components

The main components of The Everygirl are its features on career, fashion, finance, living, travel, and health. The Everygirl also has a blog, which is updated five days a week and contains posts on such categories as Blogwatch, giveaways, job postings, The Everygirl updates, and Use Fancy Words.

Content - Other Elements

One of the major aspects of The Everygirl that clearly and immediately sets it apart from similar sites is its Handbook concept. Basically, in addition to reading features as they appear on The Everygirl site, readers can also download, e-mail, save, and print features from the Handbook section of the site. There, each feature is compiled into a magazine-like format for readers to keep and use just like they would a print magazine. On a more minor note, the site also contains links to The Everygirl on Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, and Tumblr, as well as a live Twitter feed and a Facebook "Like" box. Of course, The Everygirl also features contact information.

Styling and Ease of Use

The design of The Everygirl is all-around fantastic. Its logo, colors, and graphics are simple, bold, and beautiful. The home page is pleasing to the eye, and allows readers to begin browsing and using the site without any trouble. Visitors who would rather use the navigation bar to get to specific pages won't be disappointed, either. Each webpage is well-organized and aesthetically pleasing, as well. Often, the webpages are actually a grid of images of the content related to the topic of the webpage. Hovering over an image will cause an headline and excerpt/description to appear. The features grid can actually be sorted even further by clicking on a specific category in the features drop-down menu on the navigation bar. Once a reader has selected a feature, it can be enjoyed by scrolling through a large photography slideshow at the top of the page and reading the article below. Some articles are even interactive - if the article features products available for purchase online, readers can click on the image and be taken to the site that sells it.

Personal Thoughts

I know The Everygirl only launched this week, but I am already totally in love with it. I was looking forward the debut of another lifestyle-blog-esque site from bloggers I enjoy, and The Everygirl exceeded my expectations. I appreciate the overall purpose and goals of the site, adore the About and Co-Founders pages, love the overall design of the articles and the site itself, and greatly enjoy the content. I can't wait to visit regularly and gain plenty of ideas, inspiration, and guidance from such a pretty and upbeat resource.

**Information for this post gained from browsing the site and reviewing this blog post. All photos are screenshots of The Everygirl and not the author's original work.

design dreams: red, black, and turquoise

I saw these plates at Target a few weeks ago and thought, "How nice! Cute and affordable plates decked out in chevron!" Dan got me for our three year anniversary last week, and I realized the other reason I adore them: the colors. Ever since that realization, I can't stop thinking about using red, black, and turquoise together someday in my future apartment or home. I would love to use paint colors like these...

...to put my own style on rooms like these.

Source: houseofturquoise.com via Kelly on Pinterest

This room by Roberts Erickson Design is gorgeous! It's a bit more luxe than I can see actually being in my house, but boy does it provide some inspiration.

Source: angryjuliemonday.com via Kelly on Pinterest

What would be more my style, and just as eye-pleasing, is the above bedroom makeover by Angry Julie Monday: bright, bold, and modern, yet also comfy and relaxing.

What do you think about this color combo? Which bedroom would you prefer to have?

weekly gems

Source: oopsydaisy.com via Kelly on Pinterest

• Loving this new online shop run by Kendi of Kendi Everyday!
• Some inspiring responses to criticism by celebrities with curves.
• Favorite Hello Giggles posts of the week: one, two, three.
• I would like this sip/snack, please!
• The 10 best couples in sci-fi and fantasy TV and movies. Similarly, the top 50 romantic movies, as according to Redbook - do you agree?
• Enjoying the Matchbook Magazine blog's two new series On Her Shelf and Alphabet.
• How to drink tea and coffee like a European.
• Beyond excited for the special issue of Domino!
• Happy marriage secrets.
• Please let me live in this apartment - complete with the Ziggy the goldendoodle, as I'm sure Madison would love another friend!
• Adoring all the Valentine's Day inspired posts around the blogosphere. Some favorites: one, two, three

weekly gems

Source: hireanillustrator.com via Kelly on Pinterest

• These iPhone cases are pretty cool (I especially love the 3rd and 6th ones!).
• Excited to try these recipes: skinny green monster smoothie, mini lemon meringue pies, crunchy oven-fried cheese ravoli, baked buffalo chicken taquitos
• If Carrie Underwood's musical talent wasn't reason enough to like her, you can add pet rescuer to the list!
• I can't wait to try making my own beautiful bouquet.
• Loving camel as a color for everything and anything lately...although this nude and neon mix is giving camel a run for its money!
• Super pumped for Mackenzie's new online shop!!
• This how to on styling bookshelves by Glitter Guide has me inspired.
• Why you should get a dog and do a crossword puzzle.
• This townhouse is awesome! I would totally live there.
• Need some winter nail inspiration? Look no further!
• Twelve simple tips for strengthening your relationship (Dan and I definitely have 5 and 11 down, but will have to figure out 8 someday!)
• My favorite recent Hello Giggles posts: one, two, three, four
• This video made my day! (A CUP OF JO always has great posts, but this week was top notch!)
• Would you (or did you) ignore any of these wedding traditions? We're not which ones will be incorporating yet ourselves!
• Speaking of weddings, my favorites of the week: one, two, three. Also, an awesome bridal shower!

*If for some reason you are having trouble leaving a comment, please e-mail me at beagleandbear@yahoo.com or leave me a comment on Beagle and Bear's Facebook page. Thanks for your help with this issue!

weekly gems (and a wish for the world)

Source: capecodcollegiate.tumblr.com via Kelly on Pinterest

• Still not sure what goals you want to make for the 2012 New Year's, All Year Challenge? Check out these suggestions...or these ones, or these ones!
• Love this color palette of the week.
• Justin Timberlake may be engaged, but JC Chasez saved a baby! Big week for former NSYNCers, huh?
• I'm definitely looking forward to the publication of this series!
• Super inspiring success stories from one of my favorite magazines.
• Favorite Hello Giggles posts of the week: one, two, three.
• Favorite weddings of the week: one, two, three.
• This post on Makeunder My Life is so uplifting and comforting - it puts into words exactly how I hope to carry out this year and my goals for it.
• I greatly enjoyed reading through Daily Crush's Highlights and Hopes series - check it out!
• Adore Laura's letter to her 15 year old self.
• Recipes I can't wait to try: herb crusted sweet potato bites, rum raisin cheesecake, Elvis panini, Crockpot chicken Santa Fe, and buffalo chicken pizza rolls.
• And lately I've had the urge to bake a cake...maybe I'll decorate it similarly to this one.
• This year's WGA nominations have provided me with more movies to add to my "to watch" list.
  
• I'm always so inspired by The Shine Project. If I could change one thing in the world, I would make education of all levels available to anyone who wants it, and 100% free, no loans or anything to pay back, as long the program (whatever it may be) is completed in its entirety. Don't ask me how all that free education could be possible, I just know it would make the world a much better place for everyone. What would you change?

new year's all year challenge (new and improved 2012 edition)

Hello, everyone! I hope you had a great holiday season - I sure did! I spent plenty of time with family and friends, decorated my heart out, watched plenty of Christmas movies and specials, and constantly sang and danced to my favorite holiday music.

Source: imgfave.com via Kelly on Pinterest

If you are a longtime reader of this blog, you may remember last year I began a challenge called New Year's, All Year. You may also remember, after a crazy first half of the year, I ended up scaling back my challenge.

I'm the type of person who is always making goals. This year I also want to the be person who is always achieving them. I'm not making a ton of super specific goals in a year-long format and then pulling them back throughout the year due to unexpected challenges. Instead, I'm approaching this year step by step.

First, I recognized the major areas of my life: health, finances, relationships, career, wedding planning, and self-enrichment. Second, I made "endpoint" goals for each of these areas - basically, how I would like to end the year in regards to each area. From there, at the beginning of every month, I will make one or two goals in each area that, when reached, will bring me closer to my endpoint goals. Since I am making these monthly goals throughout the year, I will be able to take into account any new obstacles and then set realistic, measurable objectives (while I will always write out my objectives in a detailed manner, I may not always share all the specifics on this blog, for privacy reasons). The one aspect of last year's New Year's, All Year Challenge that I would like to keep is sharing my journey with YOU!

Source: marcypenner.tumblr.com via Kelly on Pinterest

My 2012 endpoint goals are:

• Health: live an overall healthier lifestyle
• Finances: be more organized, balanced, and responsible
• Relationships: maintain mutually supportive relationships that are in balance with one another
• Wedding: have location and date set and all major vendors booked
• Career: aggressively pursue full-time teaching position; develop my coaching skills and knowledge while also developing the school's swimming program further
• Self-enrichment: allow "me" time without overindulging; actively participate in passions, hobbies, interests, etc. further
  

My January goals are:

• Health: track food daily; workout three times a week
• Finances: save specific percentage of all paychecks
• Relationships: e-mail out-of-town friends; prepare for Dan and I's three year anniversary
• Wedding: research vendors in the two locations where Dan and I are interested in holding our wedding
• Career: prepare for the end of swim season and substitute frequently
• Self-enrichment: blog much more often
  

I feel like in 2011, among all the fun, love, and laughter, and despite the stress, self-doubt, and hardships, I learned a great deal about living life in a balanced and positive way. I am very excited to put those lessons to use this year, and to share my experiences with you. If any of you would like to join me in the new and improved New Year's, All Year Challenge, leave a comment and let me know! 2012 is definitely going to be a wonderful year : )

Source: capecodcollegiate.tumblr.com via Kelly on Pinterest

use it: spotify

Source: spotify.com via Kelly on Pinterest

Have you heard of Spotify? Dan's dad introduced me to it. It's an awesome new Internet-based music application that is basically Pandora meets iTunes. You can listen to radio stations, subscribe to playlists created by other users, browse new music and top hits, or search Spotify's catalogue for a specific artist/band, song, or album. While not all artists or bands put all or even some of their music on Spotify, TONS do and most of them allow their albums to be played in their entirety. Once you've found the music you were looking for, you can listen to it, "star" it, and/or add it to a playlist you're creating. The Spotify application includes a library component, where you can store music you've imported (from other places like iTunes), bought, starred, and/or added to a playlist.

Source: spotify.com via Kelly on Pinterest

Something that is particularly neat about Spotify is how you can use it to share music with other people. Each song or playlist featured on Spotify is given a link, which can be sent to friends via a variety of mediums. Also, if you link Spotify to your Facebook account, the application will show you all your Facebook friends who also have Spotify and what they are listening to. You can also send them tracks or playlists by dragging and dropping them on the friend's name. The music will then appear in your friend's Spotify inbox (another component of the application) for your friend to discover the next time he/she is using Spotify.

Source: Uploaded by user via Kelly on Pinterest

While I haven't used the radio option on Spotify that much, I love searching for artists and listening to whole albums. Once I'm listening to an album, I can search related artists, play the artist radio to find similar music to listen to, or read the artist biography. I also really enjoy creating playlists and subscribing to playlists advertised on the brief commercials or that friends are listening to. Right now I'm loving my subscriptions to '80s Smash Hits!, Country Music Awards, Top of the Charts, and The Ultimate Holiday Playlist (as shown in the image above).

I highly recommend trying Spotify. I absolutely love it! (Note: I have the basic, free Spotify application which I use on my Mac. For information on Spotify Premium, click here. For information on Spotify Mobile, click here).

Do you use Spotify? What do you think?

weekly gems

Source: capecodcollegiate.tumblr.com via Kelly on Pinterest

• Tips for better sleep.
• This slideshow of what men love about women is both hilarious and heartwarming.
• Recipes I want to try: cinnamon roles, cranberry pear salsa, mashed fall potatoes with bacon and thyme, and hot vanilla cider.
• Like Harry Potter? Then you'll LOVE this tumblr.
• Get your George Clooney fix here.
• Adore this video of a police officer helping ducks cross the road!
• While browsing Pinterest this week, I came across the wonderful tumblr Cape Cod Collegiate. I'm inspired by pretty much everything posted on it!
• Favorite Hello Giggles posts of the week: one, two, three.
• This Health with Intention post on MML intrigued me - what a simple but effective idea!
• In case you missed it, here is a synopsis and quick video clip of Regis Philbin's farewell show. (I'm going to miss him!)
• If you're an Instagram addict like me, be sure to check out Glitter Guide's follow recommendations.
• Favorite weddings of the week: one, two, three. Also, check out the photos of my friend Kelly's gorgeous wedding from a few weeks ago! Just beautiful : )

things i've been meaning to blog about, bookmark it edition: food 52

After I started a job in Columbus, life got very hectic and I took an unplanned break from this blog. Since leaving that job and moving again, I've returned and recommitted regularly blogging at Beagle & Bear. Part of that returns includes a blog series called "Things I've Been Meaning to Blog About," which is made up of posts I intended to publish in summer or early fall but haven't yet. This post is part of that series.

Over the past couple years, I have become really interested in cooking and baking, as well as entertaining in the home. I love gaining more knowledge about the art of cooking and baking, whether it be by finding new recipes, learning about winepairings, or reading about sustainability. That being said, I was so excited this summer when I came across the amazing website and community Food 52. Food 52 is definitely not a new website, but it is new to me!

Food 52 was founded by Amanda and Merill (experienced food writers and the brains behind The Essential New York Times Cookbook). They wanted to bring a major part of what they love about cooking, sharing and socializing, online. Food 52 began as the vehicle for a specific project: creating the first crowd-sourced cookbook in 52 weeks. Basically, Food 52 posts themes (such as Best Beef Stew or Best Winter Cocktail) for which community members can then submit recipes. From the recipe submissions, the Food 52 staff compiles a list of recipes that the community can check out and then vote upon. The winner of that theme's challenge is included in that year's Food 52 cookbook. (A more detailed and probably less confusing explanation of the contest system can be found here). So far, Food 52 has produced two cookbooks and a holiday iPad app.

In addition to the awesome recipe contest, cookbook-building aspect of Food 52 (which has its own section on the site), the website also includes the following sections:

• Recipes: An extended recipe section that features all Food 52's recipe articles and the options to search by category name or through a search bar
• Articles: Detailed articles on recipes by Food 52 staff, community members, or well-known cooks, holiday/seasonal ideas, entertaining tips, wine, cookbook reviews, etc.
• Hotline: A message board/forum section in which the Food 52 staff and community members ask and answer food and cooking questions
• Cooks: A section of the website for community members, full of articles such as Cook Spotlight, Winner's Q& A, Latest Community Picks, etc.
• News: The top food news stories from around the web, separated into categories
• Shop: a Food 52-curated online shop with spotlight items and special offers

You can also sign up for Food 52's electronic newsletter to be delivered to your inbox.

I can spend literally hours on this site. It's pleasing to look at, easy to navigate, and full of information and inspiration. I highly recommend it!

All photos, Food 52

design dreams: throw pillows on beds

Lately I have been daydreaming a lot about the home I will have someday soon with Daniel. I want our bedroom to be a safe haven: cozy, comfy, and relaxed, yet romantic, cute, and stylish. I love the idea of lettered throw pillows because they add an "extra something" to the room's style while also being functional. Check out the ones pictured below:

Source: tumblr.com via Kelly on Pinterest

Adorable "Mr. & Mrs." pillows are perfect for newlyweds.

Source: imperfectlypolished.com via Kelly on Pinterest

They can always be switched out first initials of the husband and wife once the honeymoon phase is over ; )

Source: etsy.com via Kelly on Pinterest

Or, if one wanted to emphasize atmosphere and attitude over coupledom, Scrabble letter-style pillows to spell out a well-chosen word.

Do you like the idea of lettered throw pillows? What sort of ones would you use in your home?

P.S. Check out The Aestate for a great giveaway of an instaclassic home design book, The Perfectly Imperfect Home. And while you're over there, explore the site - it's awesome!

get fit get strong & bookmark it: fitblrs

While I haven't been as consistent with my efforts as I want to be, or able to fulfill all of my goals, I am working hard to become more fit and healthy. Lately, on the days when I just don't feel like working out, or I am thinking about giving in to some extra cookies, I have been looking to the Internet for motivation.

I usually go to Pinterest or Twitter where I follow fitness experts, magazines, and other people like myself who are working to get into shape. Recently, though, I discovered "fitblrs," or tumblrs dedicated to fitness inspiration. The following four were my favorites of the ones I found:

Source: better-faster-strongerr.tumblr.com via Kelly on Pinterest

1. http://better-faster-strongerr.tumblr.com/

Source: believe-toachieve.tumblr.com via Kelly on Pinterest

2. http://believe-toachieve.tumblr.com/

Source: earnfit.tumblr.com via Kelly on Pinterest

3. http://earnfit.tumblr.com/

Source: reasonstobefit.tumblr.com via Kelly on Pinterest

4. http://reasonstobefit.tumblr.com/

Do you use the Internet or your smartphone to motivate your fitness goals and routine? How so?