Shop Small Inspiration Q&A's with Leanne and Co.

Hello Leanne. Welcome to Peaches and Willow. I am so glad you could join me today. I'm kind of obsessed with your brand. You are like to Joanna Gaines of the entrepreneurial world. You have your shop, courses and fun resources on your site. Our readers can also find you for hire in several areas, including web design and branding. You do it all and you do it all so seemingly flawlessly so I can't wait to find out more about you and how you balance it all.

Blogger Inspiration Q&A

Inspiration is something we all need help with sometimes as bloggers. I know I do and one of the ways I find inspiration is through reading other's posts and hearing the process behind creating content and how they over come those creative blocks, that's why I am answering some questions about being a blogger and how I find my inspiration. There are also a few questions thrown in there for fun, too so grab a cup of tea or coffee and get cozy while I talk about my creative process, all things social media and my favorite songs.

2018 Vision Board

New Year + fresh starts. That's one of my favorite things about January. There are 365 days to set new goals and bring them to life and as much as I love writing my goals in my new planner, I love vision boards even more. I'm a believer in the more we visualize, write and repeat our goals the more likely we are to follow through with them so after I wrote my 2018 Goals and January Goals posts I knew I wanted to create a vision board to bring this year's goals to life.

Perfection is Boring

Imperfection; that's a scary word. Am I right or am I right? It's scary because it means allowing ourselves to be vulnerable. It's letting friends and loved ones see you without your cutest outfit on with your hair and make up done just right. It's opening the doors of our homes to our friends and family and welcoming them in amidst the mess and chaos instead of a perfectly clean and decorated; Southern Living esq. home.

It's not an easy thing to show our vulnerability and embrace our imperfections but the thing is, it's something we're all struggling with. It's completely normal and when we learn to embrace it rather than try to change it our entire world will be changed. It will be a better place once we all learn to accept that Tuesday night pizza nights, sitting around with our friends and family in sweats are way better than perfectly organized and well prepared dinner parties.

The Happy Planner Vol. 3

Happy Monday, y'all. I hope you are bundled up nice and cozy with your favorite mug of something warm this morning. It's only in the 40's here in Georgia this morning so you can bet that i'm snuggled up with my favorite fuzzy blanket, leggings and warm socks on. I'm really wanting to binge watch something on Netflix today or just read but before I do I want to show you my planner layout and highlight the Etsy shops I used for this week's spreads. I'll add in this week's goals, too, just to keep myself accountable.

Life Lately

Hey Friends! It's been a while since i've done a life lately post, it's also been a while since i've done a coffee chat post so I thought i'd roll both into one today so get cozy in your favorite leggings, throw your hair up in a messy bun and grab your favorite mug filled with coffee and let's chat.

The Happy Planner Vol. 2

Happy Monday morning loves. It's a rainy, cool day here and I am in need of all the cups of coffee and patience the world has to offer today. It was a restless night and a rainy morning so all I want to do is curl up on the couch with a cozy blanket and all my favorite shows but first, I wanted to share with you my planning post for this week.

The Happy Planner Vol. 1

Hi Friends. Happy Monday. It's a cool, rainy day here for us and school's out for Columbus Day so i'm enjoying every minute of this lovely morning. I've got my door open, diffuser going with some easy breathy oil and Golden Girls on tv. If every Monday morning started like this then I would be a happy girl all the time but since most Monday mornings are filled with chaos and coffee while we stumble around in a zombie like state I've been on a mission to make the best of my Sundays and make Mondays a little easier on myself.

A few months ago I wrote this post on How To Have An Inspired and Productive Week. My first tip is Grab A Cup Of Coffee And Your Planner because there's nothing more important to me than planning my week out and I love to do that with pretty stickers and sparkly washi tape because it makes my to dos more enjoyable to look at and makes me feel more inspired to actually do them. Today i'm going to show you how I plan my week out in my Happy Planner.

How To Beat the Afternoon Slump

One of my biggest struggles in life is that afternoon slump. We all know the story. Sometime around lunch time we hit a wall and all we want to do is curl up in a ball with a cozy blanket and take a quick nap but we keep powering through until it's quittin' time.

I say I want to be a boss but I enjoy naps more; truth is that it's rare for me to go through a day without feeling like I need a nap. That doesn't mean I give in everyday but since i'm a stay at home mom, wife/blogger there are days when I do take a power nap but it's not my preferred way of beating that slump. Here are some of my favorite ways to get past that afternoon slump.

September Mood Board + A Miracle Morning Challenge

September is officially here and it feels like it brought the fall weather with it. I'm so excited for this time of year with all the family time and celebrating that happens. This month, in particular, is especially my favorite because of the start of fall and my husband & I will celebrate our second wedding anniversary. In my excitement for all things fall I decided to create monthly mood boards so cozy up and share with me what you love most about this month.

All About Them Goals....

For some reason I just started singing that like Meghan Trainor's All About That Bass and you can blame it on the coffee. It's the beginning of another month; one of my favorite months, to be exact because this is the month we celebrate my nephew's first birthday, my in law's anniversary and mine and my husband's second wedding anniversary. There's a lot of happiness, love, family time and celebrating to do this month, which is reason enough to be happy but then you add in the fact that fall is pretty much here and pumpkins everywhere and my heart explodes. Please give me all the flannel, cozy blankets, leaves changing and cooler days. Autumn has my heart, i'm sure of it.

Coffee Chat + Goals

Happy Monday, Dolls. Monday has such a bad rep, don't you think? After all, it's the day that forces us to get off our cozy spots on the couch and trade sweats and pajamas for real clothes. It's the day that makes us trade endless Netflix binges for work and turn our alarms back on. It's always been my least favorite day of the week, too but I'm on a mission to make Mondays loved so throw your hair in a messy bun, grab your favorite mug of coffee and get ready for a coffee date.

In Case You Didn't Know...

Hi Loves! Happy Day. Today's post is a fun way to get to know me a little better so I hope y'all enjoy.

Loving Lately-Summer to Fall Style

Hi Loves! Happy day sweet friends. I hope you are all enjoying a happy, cozy day today celebrating this Fri-YAY! It's the the end of our first week of school and i'm proud to say we've survived! This is my son's first year of high school but he's handling it like a champ, not that this mama is surprised but let's just say this-mornings are neither of our thing but we're holding tight, working together and making it work.

Oh Hey, Friday!

Hey Y'all. So it's been a little bit since I've done an Oh Hey, Friday post. If you're new here let me catch you up on what's been going on. We've been on summer break for two of the shortest months ever and we bought a new house. That's pretty much it. Usually this time of year you'll find me hanging on to every last bit of summer but this year, i'm over it. I'm burning fall candles, wearing new plaid shirts, begging fall to show up. Sure, it's still almost 90 degrees everyday but who says I can't turn the air up in my house and pretend it's fall? While we dream of fall, let's get cozy and talk about Good Week/Bad Week, Instagram Goodness, Coffee & Blogs Posts and my favorite internet finds from the week.

Oh Hey, Friday!


Good Week/Bad Week
Good Week-I tried Lipsense for the first time and holy everything! I'm addicted now. I need all the colors, please.


Bad Week-School starts back on Monday. While i'm ready for fall, I am not ready for early mornings getting my teenager motivated to get moving. Please, no.




Favorite Insta Post

A post shared by {Leslie Soto} (@peaches_willow) on Aug 3, 2017 at 2:14pm PDT

Blog Posts & Coffee

Why Dogs Are The Best Friend You'll Ever Have
Inspiration Q&As with Lisa {Showered with Design}
Welcome Home Wednesday Linky Party #102



Blogger Loves & Inspiration

5 KeyItems You Need to Create A Perfectly Styled Shelf Lisa's Design Life
Desk Accessories That Make Working At Home Easier A Blissful Haven
Beat The Afternoon Slump The Southern Thing
Inspiring Girl Boss Series:July Roundup Sophisticated Gal
5 Things To Try This MonthFemale Entrepreneur Association


Favorite Friday Finds





Happy Friday Loves!

Inspiration Q&As with Lisa [Showered With Design}

Hi Dolls! Welcome to a fun inspiration Q&A session with Lisa. Lisa is the most adorable, sweetest, bubbly person ever. She's owner of the shop Showered With Design. She's a mama to be and even appeared in the audience on Ellen recently. She's makes the most adorable coffee mugs and make up brush holders. She also makes aisle runners that make me want to get married all over again. If these aren't reason enough to run over to her shop and treat yourself to something pretty then keep reading.
(Even if you do run over to her shop and get yourself something pretty, please keep reading to learn more about Lisa).
So kick off your shoes, pour yourself a cup of something good and get ready to meet Lisa.

Hey Girl. Welcome back to Peaches & Willow. You've appeared here before in this Christmas Shop Small feature but i'm so happy to have you back. Life has been busy since we last talked so let's jump into questions.

What's your biggest inspiration for creating new content?
The biggest inspiration for me would be reading other peoples blogs. I start to get my creative juices flowing after reading a few. It's like it sparks up new ideas for me!

What are your top 3 songs at the moment?
My top three songs right now would be:
1.In Case You Didn't Know by Brett Young
2. Artists Of Then, Now & Forever - Forever Country
3.Walker Hayes - You Broke Up with Me

How do you get through creative blocks?
This has been a toughie for me lately, mostly because my husband and I are expecting our baby girl the beginning of October, so I've been putting my creativity on the back burner lately. But I usually will take a day or two of rest and relaxation when I need to get back my creative mojo.

What's your favorite thing to do in your free time, when you aren't working?
I love going bowling, to disneyland, the beach and I love taking my two dachshunds out on walks or the dog beach too.

What's your #1 tip for anyone wanting to start a small business?
Don't get discouraged and don't compare yourself to other shops. Create your own style and niche.

If you could meet one inspiring lady boss, who would it be and why?
Lauren Conrad. I just love her! She seems so sweet, caring, and motivated.

What does a day in your life like?
Wake up, Shower, Get ready for work, feed the dogs, take them on a walk.
Head to work for 8 ish hours, head home and start working on orders/designs/etc.
I'm REALLY exciting haha.

What's one thing you are looking forward to in the next few months?
Well, for one, our baby girl. And being able to have some free time to create some new designs.

Do you have a self care routine or a favorite pampering product that helps you relax and un-wind?
I am obsessed with Lucrece skincare products, so I use the Vitamin C facial cleanser, every two days I use the pineapple facial scrub then I finish with the daily moisturizer. (I use both in the morning and at night)
My shower is my wind down time, something about the hot water is so soothing.

Are there any new products launching on your website soon?
There will be after the new year!

Where can we find you on social media?
I am on instagram: @showeredwithdesign and personal @lisa_nicole22
facebook @showeredwithdesign
twitter: @mrsfloro22

And your shop site?
You can find that here AND here

Thank you so much, Lisa, for taking a little time out of your busy schedule and sharing some inspiration with us. I loved getting to know you a little more and I can't wait to see your sweet little girl soon. You know i'll be glued to Facebook and Instagram once she's here. I'll also be on the look out for more products at the beginning of the year.

Lisa has so many fun things coming y'all so let's show her some love.
Leave her a comment telling her one thing you love in her shop and share with us what you order!

Happy Shopping y'all.

P.S.-Your husband texted and said it's okay to spend all the money.
After all, you're supporting small shops. (wink)

Blue Sky Tag:Blogging Challenge

Y'all, last week when my sweet friend Alix from A Pint Sized Life nominated me for the Blue Sky Challenge I was so excited. I admit I'd never heard of the Blue Sky Challenge before but I knew it was something I loved once I read her post.

This challenge is really fun. The person who was nominated has to answer 11 questions (given by the person who nominated them) then they have to nominate 11 other bloggers and ask them 11 questions.

Thank you Alix for nominating me.

So let's get this party started

Why blogging?
I started blogging as a way to document mine and my son's lives several years ago. I also wanted our family out of state to be able to keep up with what was going on in our lives. I had no intentions of making it public much less of having sponsors and collaborating with big brands and other bloggers. Now blogging is my creative outlet. It's a place for me to voice the things that mean the most to me. I like to think this space is a peak inside my heart and soul. I love the friendships it's brought me and the chance to keep learning new things that I never would learn otherwise. My hope is that someone reads the words I type and finds inspiration and happiness. I want to inspire people to choose happiness and chase their dreams.

What’s the last thing you ate?
Peanut butter granola cups with a cup of coffee.

What’s your go-to outfit?
Lately it's been a loose fitting tank top and my favorite denim shorts because it's so hot here in Georgia.

Who’s you’re favorite band/singer?
Hands down, without a doubt it's Pink.

Hot or cold coffee/tea?
I believe in hot coffee and cold tea.

What’s your guilty pleasure?
Southern Charm on Bravo. It's like watching a hot southern train wreck but I can't stop.
I also love old movies like Breakfast at Tiffany's, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, The Seven Year Itch, etc.
Christmas time is my favorite time for all the vintage movies. I never get tired of White Christmas.

Snapchat or Insta-stories?
I'm all about InstaStories these days. I just love having everything on one app.
I'm usually watching InstaStories while I do my hair and make up. I'm kinda obsessed.

What’s your zodiac sign?
Aquarius. A water sign, which is no surprise if you know me at all!
See, I really am a mermaid!

Name your biggest accomplishment (so far)
Raising my son. There was a time in life when I started losing (and cutting out) friends in my life because of him. I was a single mom for 10 years of his life so I really feel a strong bond with him because of that. He's my why for everything I do.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
Kauai, Hawaii. No joke, y'all. This place is heaven on Earth. When my husband & I went there on our honeymoon I might not of come home if it's wasn't for our son.

What’s your favorite quote?
I am a collector of quotes. Sometimes I feel like I could narrate my life in them so there are so many that I love but the two that are probably among my favorites are:

"Fairytales do not tell children that dragons exist. Children already know dragons exist. Fairytales tell children that dragons can be slayed."
AND
"This morning, with her, having coffee." Johnny Cash when asked for his description of paradise.


I hope y'all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed filling it out. I absolutely love these kinds of posts. They're a refreshing way to learn a little more about the blogger behind the blog.

I nominate:

1.Sweet Tea and Hydrangeas
2.Polished and Bubbly
3.Hall Around Texas
4.Eat Drink & Be Mary
5.Always, Al
6.Dream Big & Buy The Shoes
7.Showered with Design
8.HappilyEverAfterEtc
9.Mon Fig
10.Baby Ridley Bump
11.Vintage Simply Love


Here are my questions:

1.Where do you find inspiration for creating new content?
2.What are your top 3 songs at the moment?
3.What is your favorite beauty/make up product?
4.What is the last thing you splurged on?
5.What's your favorite thing to do in your free time, when you aren't working?
6.What's your favorite way to pamper or treat yourself?
7.If you could meet one inspiring person who would it be and why?
8.What is the first thing you do in the morning?
9.How do you get through creative blocks?
10.What are 3 posts that readers should read to get to know you better?
11.What is your "go to" coffee order?


Here are the rules:

1. Thank the person who nominated you.
2. Answer your 11 questions.
3. Nominate 11 other bloggers.
4. Think of 11 questions for them to answer.


I hope y'all have as much fun with this as I did! I can't wait to see your answers.

How To Create An Inspiration Vision Board

Hello Lovelies. It's been a while since I've shared my obsession with vision boards. So I thought I would share a guest post I did on a friend's blog a while back. Some of the information is the same in both posts but the first post is more about how to create a vision board for setting goals and chasing dreams. This vision board is aimed more towards creating an inspiration vision board, Lately I need all the inspiration I can get so I thought this was a perfect time to re-visit this post and remind myself of my dreams, goals and what sets my soul on fire.

You can check out my post on How To Create A Vision Board here.

To me, vision boards are such a game changer because i'm a visual person so seeing my dreams, my goals, my plans come to life in pictures gives me such a sense of excitement. They're also therapeutic for me because I can get things out of my head and on to a canvas that I can look at time and time again. So I thought i'd bring my passions of inspiring others and vision boards together for a fun guide to creating your own inspiration vision board.

*All the pics I've used in this collage are my own.*


How To Create An Inspiration Vision Board



1. Get Inspired

I'm sure this seems pretty obvious but truth is sometimes inspiration can be hard to come by so sit down and write out a list of things that inspire you. Scroll through Pinterest, take a walk outside, go to your favorite store and find things that inspire you then write them down in a pretty journal.



2. Visual Representation

This is where things get really fun because now you get to take your list of all the things that inspire you and put them into pictures. You can snap some of your own or save ones you like from Pinterest, Google, etc.

Have fun with this part because this is where you'll keep coming to when you need inspiration so make the pictures pretty and a true reflection of what you want them to represent. There's no wrong way to do this, just have fun with it and follow your heart.



3. Learning How To Use Your Board

For some people just making the board is enough but the purpose of the board is for it to inspire you so just remember to pull it out and look at it every once in a while. I like to set a reminder in my phone at the beginning of every month to look at my board. Of course, it's always a good idea to look at it when you're un-inspired.



4. Make It Part Of Your Everyday

As a blogger, it's easy to let a post slip away into the archives of my blog so this part is especially important to me. I like to keep my vision boards easily accessible by taking a picture of it and using it as the background on my phone. You could also print the pictures out and put them in a cute basket on your coffee table or cut them out and use them in your day planner. You could even tape them to the bathroom mirror or hang them on the side of the refrigerator. Anything to keep them visible so you stay inspired.


Well friends, I hope you enjoyed this post and I truly hope you take the time to make your own Inspiration Vision Board. I promise, this will be such a fun project and you'll love the happiness it brings to put together such a fun board that you'll find yourself dreaming of other things to make vision boards on.

I would love to see your vision boards so share them with me on:
Instagram
Pinterest
Twitter

Oh Hey, Friday!

I'm literally doing a happy dance as I drink my coffee and type this. It's Friday! We finally made it. It's been a crazy hectic week for us but it's been or good reason. I have this thing where I don't believe in sharing something this big until it's official so I'm not announcing it just yet but stay tuned to see what big thing we're up to but I can share some Oh Hey, Friday goodness. Go grab mug of coffee and get cozy while I share some Good Week/Bad Week, Instagram Goodness, Coffee & Blogs Posts and my favorite internet finds from the week.


Oh Hey, Friday!


Good Week/Bad Week

Good Week-Aside from the exciting news that I can't share yet, it was a great week because Monday-Wednesday was Ashley Beaudin's Imperfect Boss Movement. She hosts these amazing movements that get women to embrace our imperfections and realize our own awesomeness. For three days Instagram is flooded with real, raw, honest confessions by women. It is an experience that makes us vulnerable but it connects us and brings us together. It really is a beautiful thing.

Oh, and my blog got a mini make over. Totally un-planned but life happened and I love it!


Bad Week-Struggling to get this post up then half of it just erased!


Favorite Insta Post

A post shared by {Leslie Soto} (@georgiapeachy31) on May 1, 2017 at 2:21pm PDT

Blog Posts & Coffee

Coffee Talk + May Goals
Spring Time Essentials
Welcome Home Wednesday Linky Party #90
Shop Small With Younique



Blogger Loves & Inspiration

NYX Matte Lip Cremes Review by Fashion Fairytale
DIY Washed Ghee by Pretty Simple Ideas
An Open Letter to Bloggers by Its Simply Lindsay
Mothers Day Guide + Playlist by Vintage Simply Love
Simple Tips To Being A Great Host by Coffee With Summer




Favorite Friday Finds





And just some food for thought...

Jimmy Kimmel's thoughts on our healthcare system

How to Create a Vision Board

It's the beginning of the new year, time for fresh starts and fresh goals. This year I am more determined than ever to break out of my comfort zone and work hard towards the life I want. I bought myself a new planner and got myself organized for the month of January with all the pretty stickers and pens my heart desired because there's something about seeing my goals come to life in color that really inspires me. I wrote my 2017 Goals post and January Goals post for the blog then I wrote those goals in the side column of my planner. You'd think at this point they'd be drilled into my head, right? Well, yeah but we all know the more you write, repeat and visualize your goals the more likely you are to achieve them plus one key factor was missing; actually seeing my goals in pictures.