Downloading and Using Your Fonts in PicMonkey

As a big user of PicMonkey (a free online photo-editing site), I always wished they had a larger selection of fonts to choose from.  In the past, they have expanded their options, but now you can access all the fonts you have saved to your own computer!  I was so excited to see this new development!  But, I recently had to wipe my computer to fix an issue it was having, which meant I lost all the fonts I had downloaded over the years.  Boo!  Over the weekend, I went back and redownloaded and installed (most) of them again.  I wondered if you knew how easy that is to do, so I created a simple tutorial to download/install fonts (on a Mac) and then use those fonts in PicMonkey.  

Here, you can see some of my favorite FREE FONTS.  You can also check out my TYPOGRAPHY  board on Pinterest for more favorite fonts. 

TO DOWNLOAD FREE FONTS ON A MAC

To start, close all of your other applications.  After you've downloaded your fonts, when you repen them, you should be able to use your new font.  Find your font (I usually just type the font name, in this case "Jenna Sue" and free font into Google to find it) and click the "download" button. 

 Open your "Downloads" and click your font.

You can also access your downloads in "Finder".

After you click the font name, the box below will appear.  Click "Install Font"

After clicking "Install Font" you'll see the fonts displayed in your Font Book and be able to use the slider to see how they look at different sizes. 

DRAG & DROP OPTION: If you have downloaded multiple fonts, you can select (highlight them all) in Finder and Drag them all into Font Book at one time.  If your font has multiple files (italic, bold, etc.) be sure to grab all of them when you drag and drop. 

file:///Applications/Pages.app/file:///Applications/Pages.app/

Then reopen your applications, and you should be able to use your new fonts!

TO USE YOUR FONTS IN PICMONKEY 

If you are familiar with PicMonkey, the simple instruction is, when you are in the TEXT tab, just click "Yours" instead of "Ours" to use your own fonts.  Scroll through until you find it and "Add Text" like usual.

If you aren't as familiar with using text in PicMonkey, below is an easy-to-follow pictorial.

Upload your picture like normal, then click the text icon "Tt" and then the "Yours" button to access the fonts on your computer. 

Scroll down until you find the text you want to use. 

Click "Add Text" and begin typing.  You can manipulate the color and size of your text too. 

Save your finished project to your computer! 

Below is our 2012 Christmas card I made in PicMonkey.  

I created a graphic in PicMonkey too with a step-by-step tutorial.  I like making the circle images- it's really easy to do. 

I currently use Aperture (the Mac version of Photoshop) to store and edit my photos also and just heard that Apple won't be updating that program any longer.   Boo!  How do you store your photos on your computer?  Do you use any editing software for internet site?  

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On Honey We're Healthy:  Bikini Contest Prep - 1 Week Out 

Weekend Steals & Deals

Hello friends! Do you have something good planned for this weekend?  We'll have a family-filled weekend between visiting my parents and hosting our in-laws for about a week.  And I'm in the last week of bikini competition prep.  After it's done, I'm really looking forward to a date night where I get to eat what's been off the menu for months!  I'm dreaming of Mexican food, pizza, and ice cream! This cute Andrew Marc Striped Shift dress would be adorable for a night out (or possibly at the office).  I put together some sale accessories to go with it too. I've had my eye on the Steve Madden Stecy Sandal for awhile (they've gotten great reviews- but be careful, they're really high!).  They come in nude and red too.  

:: SHOP THE LOOK :: 

               

:: WEEKEND SALES :: 

ANTHROPOLOGIE:  Summer Tag Sale.  50% off over 800 styles.



ASOS:  Up to 50% Sale.  FREE shipping on all orders over $25.



BANANA REPUBLIC:  30% off Summer Sale styles, online and in-stores. Use Code BRSALE30  FREE shipping on orders over $50.  FREE returns.  Ends 7/1.



FRENCH COLLECTION:  Women's Clothing on sale. 



GAP:  4th of July Sale.  Up to 40% off select styles.  Ends online 6/29.  FREE shipping on orders over $50.  FREE returns.



HUMBLE CHIC:  Additional 20% off Sale items.  Use Code SPRING  FREE shipping on orders over $75.  They have some super cute clothing and accessories!



J BRAND JEANS: Pre-Fall Collection Launches.




J CREW:  30% off select styles & up to 50% off sale styles.  Use Code HISUMMER  $5 flat rate shipping and FREE shipping on orders over $150.  



Yosi Samra:  40% off select styles, ends 7/20.

Affiliate links used.

Home Decor Progress After 4 Years

Sharing my home office on Monday made me stop to reflect on how far we've come with the decor in our home in other rooms as well in the past 4 years.  We moved into our home in July 2010 and through my blog archives, I found a post I wrote on July 15, 2010 that showed all the rooms in our house as we were just about to move in.  I specifically remember how excited I was to be moving our family from a dark, small townhouse to a bright, spacious home.  Our son was just 4 months old and it was a dreamy time.



We started pretty much from scratch with everything in this house as far as furniture and decor goes and I have learned so much over the years about my style and what I like.  I guess it's taken me time to figure this out.  I credit home blogs, HGTV, decor magazines, interior design books, and designers like Nate Berkus for inspiring me along the way.  Home bloggers are my favorite though.  It takes a lot of courage to open up your home for people to see (and judge) online.  I appreciate that they do it though, because I love visiting and getting to peek inside!



We'll be celebrating our 4 year anniversary in our home next month and I love it even more now than ever. When I come home, I feel welcomed by this familiar place.  I hope your home does that for you too.  Here is a peek inside our home and a reflection of the decor changes that have taken place in the last 4 years. 

living room

In our living room, the sectional was the first major purchase for the house.  I remember stressing over the purchase and the dimensions, but, thankfully, the couch fit the room perfectly!  I wrote a review about the Pottery Barn Pearce Chaise Sectional (and I like it very much), but you can see how the back cushions have lost their shape.  The worst one isn't viewable in the bottom photo.



Since 2010, we have updated the coffee table to the Renate Coffee Table Ottoman, side tables and lamps (a few times) as well as the pillows.  The large urns have been replaced by toy boxes (Wal-Mart) so that our son can play with his toys downstairs and we can all be together in one room. The day the curtains went up (on my son's first birthday) made the biggest difference in pulling the room together.  That means we had no drapes until we were in this house 8 months. 

Festive Home Decor pillows

Painting the back of the media center and styling it made the room look more layered and complete too.  At first it was painted a light blue, but then I changed it to Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze.  I get a lot of questions about this unit- it was built by the builders before we moved in.  We have toys, games, art supplies, video games and DVDs in the cabinets below the television and bookshelves.

stairway

The stairway is a great focal point in our home, but I struggled for a long time with how to decorate the curve of the staircase.  I painted the half-bath door Black Fox and then added the wide horizontal stripes, which continue on the adjacent wall leading to our front entry.  

Since this photo was taken, I moved the Ikea Docksta table back up to my office and I'm looking for a new table for this area.  

mudroom

Having a mudroom adjoin my garage and kitchen has been a very wise choice.  This space has always been practical, but not always very pretty.  I made a bench seat with plywood, foam, and fabric and painted stripes on the back wall.  Then, I added more hooks and created labels so we would know there was a specific place for everything.  Our shoes go in the baskets below and keys hang just outside the door.  No more lost keys!  This space is functioning very well these days (and will be featured in an organizing book later this year!).  

Our Current Mudroom

breakfast room

The breakfast room is one of my favorite decorated spaces in our home.  I think the patterned rug (Joss & Main) and drapes go so well together and I often switch up the chairs and benches around the Pottery Barn Benchwright table.  Again, hanging drapes made a world of difference and I love that Z Gallerie Portico mirror.  You can sometimes find a similar one at HomeGoods. 

Adding the Dalton Mirrored Console Table to the wall under the window is a great spot for corralling mail, keys, change and other things that come in the door with us to help keep the kitchen counters clear.  

Breakfast Room Post

kitchen

The biggest change to the kitchen would be the wall of our cabinets that I painted Urbane Bronze and then styled with white ceramic dishes.  I keep meaning to make roman shades for the windows (I even chose and bought fabric) I just haven't gotten to it yet. 

dining room

Formal dining rooms are often being turned into home offices or playrooms these days, but since we already have those spaces, we do use our dining room when we have people over and always on holidays.  Every so often, I'll eat there (especially breakfast) because I love the bright view and want to enjoy all the rooms in our house.  It's nice to use the good china and not keep it stuffed away in the cabinet. :)  I don't have a very good shot of the entire room, but we did end up switching out the chandelier also.  The drapes were made with fabric from High Fashion Home.  Our console table is the World Market Everett Foyer Table.

master bedroom  

Our master bedroom is truly a retreat and I love getting in a good nap on a weekend afternoon or staying in bed too late with a few magazines and a cup of coffee! We have also added a leaning mirror and two x-benches to the end of the bed (that I still need to photograph).  I'm very happy with the Aisling Fabric King Platform Bed and the Pottery Barn Park Mirrored 2-Drawer side tables.  The art is from etsy shop T30 Gallery.  

sitting room 

In the sitting room, we finally moved the leather chair and ottoman to the living room and the kid version to the playroom.  I found the pair of Biltmore Wind Lindy chairs at  Overstock.  (If they are out of stock, provide your email and you'll get a notice when they are restocked.  That's what I did.) I still need footstools or a coffee table or something maybe for us to put our feet on.  That starburst mirror was a score at Home Depot.  If you happen to follow me on Instagram, you've seen 4 framed family photos sitting on the floor in my bedroom for awhile now- I'm planning to put them here in the sitting room and move the existing photos to somewhere else. 

master bath

In the master bath, the only change is the window shutters were installed and some minimal decor. We also changed the towel hooks for a towel bar to help our towels dry better and prevent them from getting musty.  

closet

Looking back at this closet I designed finally come to fruition makes me giddy.  Turns out I have more space than I need, but I'm not complaining! I definitely wanted space for organizing everything, so I'm happy with the design.  Since 2010, I have painted the island, shoe shelves and built-in dressy a high gloss pink.  It's much easier to keep clean now. 

son's room

As I mentioned above, our son was just a baby when we moved in and it's here that we finally got to set up his crib and a give him a room of his own.  Like any new mom, I have the fondest memories of rocking my baby to sleep, signing to him, and watching him begin crawling in this room.  His room was assembled with love and we still have that crib (although he chewed a pretty good bit out of the top rail).  Maybe we'll get to put it back together again soon;) The crib and changing table are from Babies-R-Us. 

Our son is now at home in his "big boy" room and he digs it!  We climb in his bed at night for prayers and bedtime stories and "pillow talk" (my favorite).  I made his drapes with shower curtains from West Elm (I just had to add the length) and love that we use my husband's old wagon for book storage.  It's sentimental to have something from his childhood in our son's room now.  The bed is the Pottery Barn Kids Fillmore with rails from Amazon. 

office

Y'all may have seen my 'new' office earlier this week, but for comparison here ya go again.  As you can see, it went from yellow and grey to black and white with pops of bright color.  I wish I'd brought that plant in years ago! 

Looking back on these old posts shows not only the evolution of our decor, but my improvements in photography and styling!  I'm sure my style will continue to evolve as and I get older and experience more and my photography will (hopefully) get better too.  

As a blogger, I sometimes feel pressure (probably put on myself) to produce fresh new blog content daily (and I love to do that) but I'm like any other person/mom who sometimes just wants to slow down and enjoy her family.   There's not always a big project (or any project for that matter) going on.  We're just hanging out or spending time with our extended family.  Today was fun to just celebrate the progress and journey over the last 4 years.  I'm so thankful for my sweet readers who have followed along on the way!  

I added product links (some affiliate) where I could still find the products in case you are interested.  If you have any questions about anything, leave me a comment so I can answer you back.  :)

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The WINNER of the $50 gift card to KIRKLAND'S is Natalie Simpson!  Congratulations!  Kirkland's will contact you via email to get your mailing address.  Thank you to everyone who entered! 

Wardrobe Wednesday // Comfy Colorful Flat Sandals

Although I am generally a high heels or at least wedges kinda girl, practicality has been weighing out more and more these days.  You can often find me running around in flip flops or athletic shoes, but I have my eye on a few of these colorful flat sandals.  I have the DV by Dolce Vita 'Alvyn' Sandal in blue and I've been wearing them everywhere.  They look great with jean shorts and my white skinny jeans.  Havainanas 'Slim' flip flops are my everyday running around sandal, but I love how colorful the options below are and they tend to dress up an outfit a little more than regular flip flops. 

MICHAEL Michael Kors Sandal 

DV by Dolce Vita 'Alvyn' Sandal

Steve Madden 'Kroatia' Leather Sandal

DV by Dolce Vita 'Abley' Thong Sandal

Yellow Tory Burch sandal pictured sold out.  See similar Tory Burch'Miranda' Flip Flop (even cuter!)

BCBGeneration 'Cadette' Thong Sandal

Jessica Simpson 'Gionara' Thong Sandal

DV by Dolce Vita 'Abley' Thong Sandal

DV by Dolce Vita 'Vasni' Sandal

Blue Toms- sold out:(

Ipanema 'Maya' Flip Flop

:: SHOP SANDALS :: 

Affiliate links used.

Black and White and Bright Home Office Tour

I've s-l-o-w-l-y been redecorating my home office into a space that most reflects my current design style.  I am very thankful and fortunate to have a room to call my own where I can blog, answer emails, make schedules, craft, write letters, and wrap gifts.  I have enjoyed having this room to retreat to, but something felt "off" with the decor and it was never quite right, but it's much better now.  :) I wanted to transform the office into a more sophisticated space and I think the black and white accomplishes that.  I still have punchy pops of color, just in smaller doses.  

When we first moved into our home in 2010, I had a pale yellow, grey and white color scheme going on in my office, but I quickly grew tired of it.  Painting the walls white (Diving White by Sherwin Williams) the same color as the trim and ceiling made the room feel fresh and clean.  Then, I turned my Z Gallerie Jett desk to face the windows and really enjoy this view as I work.  The room is on the second floor of our home, so I see beautiful trees and sky when I look outside. 

Bringing in this large, live plant and putting it in an Ikea woven basket made a huge difference in the look and feel of the room too.  (You should've seen me bringing it home in my car- through the sunroof!) Having something living and green feels very natural and was just what the space needed.  The Ikea Rens sheepskin rug thrown over my desk chair also brings in more texture.  

I tend to shop everywhere and this small desk lamp is from Wal-Mart (but I couldn't find it on their website anymore- if you see it, please send me the link so I can share it).  If I'm up in my office late, I prefer a dim light as opposed to the bright ceiling lights.  I changed out the chandelier for a simple flush mount ceiling light.

The horizontal striped black and white drapes were an almost-fail DIY project, but ended up being a nice focal point in the room.  I just about gave up painting them because the white paint wasn't adhering to the black polyester fabric, but after 4 coats, it finally worked! 

This Homegoods garden stool is currently styled with a Homegoods polka dot journal, Target frame, and candle, but I often have stacks of magazines on it for inspiration or relaxation. 

It took a long time to get the look of the Ikea Expedit bookshelves to a place of not too much going on, but still collected and interesting.  I have mostly all books in there now and removed some of the art that was previously above the bookshelf.  

Those six decorative magazine holders are wrapped with Rifle Paper gift wrap and then I added bookplate labels.  

Adding a table for extra workspace (Ikea Docksta table) has been great.  I craft and lay out project materials here and my son colors or draws.  The table is sturdy, but I cover it with a tablecloth when my son is working so the top doesn't get damaged.  The rattan chair in the back is the Ikea Storsele.  It's mainly for looks because I've realized it isn't very comfortable for long.  The "I Love You Blogs and Coffee" print is a cherished item that I purchased when I first started blogging over 4 years ago from Jen of Made By Girl. 

I debated over the style and color of the table chairs for awhile too, using temporary plastic folding chairs at first and ruling out these chairs as too much white.  Finally, I opted for a pair of stackable ballroom chairs and they go perfectly with the black and white color palette.  The website says they are out of stock now, but you can leave your email to be notified if they become available again.  I did that with the chairs in our sitting room. 

I'm a big fan of layering rugs over carpet and I found this leopard print rug at Jersey Road, but don't see it on their website any longer. 

This mood board set the tone for my office and new blog design with black, white, pink and coral.  I DIYed this by wrapping a cork board with polka dot fabric and added nailhead trim.  

Although I moved my aqua wrapping carts to the closet because they were too candy-colored, I kept the top dividers out because I love having stationery and cardstock out for impromptu note writing and letter sending.  I have found that I'm more apt to send a note when I keep my cards out.  I have a nice supply of greeting cards that I switch out from time to time.  My other supplies are kept in my tall chest of drawers or desk drawers. 

And I love to keep one of my favorite framed photos of my son (he's 2 months here) on my desk.  Sweet boy!

I hope you've enjoyed this office tour!  I looked back and realized it was October 2012 when I painted the walls from pale yellow to white.  Talk about taking a long time to pull this room together!  But, sometimes that how decor evolves.  It was really just recently when I brought the plant in that I thought, "Yeah, that's it!" 

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On Honey We're Healthy: Bikini Contest Prep // 2 Weeks Out!