Fri-DIY: Lavender Filled Sleep Mask

Hi there! 

So I don't know if i'm in a minority here when I say that I just cannot sleep without a sleeping mask on. This started when I first started dating Bri and he would go to bed way later than I would and the light from the TV would keep me up. To help get some sleep, I bought myself a cheap sleep mask from Michaels. My love affair started from there. 

I've been playing around with this idea for awhile of a lavender filled mask, as lavender is known for its calming properties and scent. I finally decided to give it a try, and let me tell you not only was it easy to make, it still smells great and the scent definitely helps me sleep more soundly at night. 

Fri-DIY: Props for Your Craft Booth (Part One!)

Hi friends! So if you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you know that I am prepping for my first craft fair in November. Since I've never done one before, I obviously had no props or idea really of how I wanted the booth to look. After doing some research and some shopping I decided that these wooden pieces would really help me achieve the look I was going for. I also decided that I wanted to try staining and found this awesome product by Rust-oleum! 

Fri-DIY Fall Scarecrow Decoration

Hi guys! Hope you are having an awesome week so far! I don't know about you guys but there is just something about fall decor that I love. The warm colors and rich textures just have me feeling some type of way. Though I don't have a home to decorate yet, it doesn't stop me from trying projects out that I can do in the future! Plus, Bri's mom was super happy with this as a gift! 

DIY : Valentine's Day Treat Edition

Hey there blog world! So I know I said that I had big plans for February, part of which included a regularly scheduled content calendar. And believe me, I did everything "they"(aka blog experts) recommend, from physically writing a calendar out to scheduling the posts so they post automatically. But see this funny thing called life happened, and I just haven't had enough hours in the day to manage working a full time job (that has 4 hours of commute time, mind you), getting my Etsy shop up and running, planning a bridal shower and having a regular social life. It doesn't help that Bri has been off on weekends, so instead of sitting around working on the blog, we are hanging out together. And I know that every guide to starting a blog will say "you have to make the time," but I need to be honest with myself. I just don't have the time at this moment in my life to wear this many hats. I'm hopeful that this will be changing relatively soon (yay new opportunities in the pipeline), but until then I have allow myself to not feel like a failure for not being able to post consistently. I apologize in advance to any readers I may have accumulated, this is in no way me giving up on Holy Noley: The Blog. This is merely allowing myself to let go of the stress that I am putting on myself because I will make myself physically ill if I do not. 

Ok, whew! Glad I got that out of the way. Onto something more fun! 

I have to say Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays. I know it is cheesy, but I love celebrating a holiday where I can make a bunch of stuff for Bri. He loves chocolate covered strawberries; it is one of the few dessert-y things that he will eat. So every year for V-Day I make some variation of this. This year, I have gone with a chocolate strawberry bark. It is super easy and came together in less than 30 minutes, so it is perfect to whip up last minute! 

What I'm Learning About in 2015

Since the beginning of the month, I have probably read about 100 New Years resolution posts (OK, maybe 100 is a slight exaggeration). And while I did set some goals for myself, I thought I would be a little different and post some things that I am planning on learning more about this year.

Back In The Studio...

...Ok so it isn't a studio so much as a corner of my room that is devoted to my crafting obsession. And currently it is a partial disaster which makes it really difficult to actually get anything done. But one of the things I was able to do with my time off from work for the holidays was tidy up enough to get some work done. It was so great to have time to actually make things!

So I have big plans for 2015, guys. Honestly they are plans that I have had for awhile, but I always seem to find a reason to keep myself from achieving them. One of these plans is to open an Etsy shop to sell some of the things I make. For the last two years I have been saying that I wanted to do this but I finally think I am ready. It isn't so much that I am any less busy than before, but I am done being afraid to put myself out there and I am ready to take the risk. I know it is going to be hard work, especially finding time to make it all happen but I am determined! 

I will post a link to my store when I open it, but in the meantime follow me on Twitter! I'm not following many people yet...any suggestions? I would love to hear from you, @holynoley is my handle! 

Soup is my obsession...

I won't lie, I hate the cold weather. 

I cannot stand being cold. Anything colder than 70 degrees and I am freezing. A highlight of cooler weather though? Enjoying a nice bowl of steaming hot soup. This fall, I have started making my own soup concoctions. Usually, I just throw whatever veggies I picked up from the farmer's market into a pot with some veggie stock and season it to taste. This week though, I wanted to try my hand at an actual recipe. Bri and I had been talking about wanting to have tomato soup and grilled cheese so I was inspired to give it a try.  

Hi There!

Hello blog world! 

My name is Nicole, aka Noley, nice to meet you! I'm relatively new to the blog world, although apparently I've been blogging since high school (anyone remember livejournal or xanga?). I've been wanting to start a blog for awhile, and finally decided now was the time to take the plunge. 

I figure that while I am trying to figure out what I'm doing and what I'm going to post about long-term, I would tell you all a little bit about myself! 

I'm 23 years old, living in New York and I just recently graduated from college. I managed to get a sick internship in my field that ended up turning into a full time job. I'm still not sure what I want to do with the rest of my life, but I figure that I can't be the only one who feels like this so I am not worried (at least not right now...) 

I live with my boyfriend, aka Bri. We have been together for a little over 3 years and he is my other half. He has a job that doesn't allow us a ton of time together (though I am fiercely proud of his profession of choice), so every minute we do get to spend together is extremely important to me. Our favorite thing to do is go on "adventures" together and try new things. 

I have three little kitty babies that I unfortunately don't get to spend enough time with anymore. On the left is Ophelia, the wild child of the group. On the right are Kismet and Clementine, sisters that are complete opposites but also complete mush balls. I'm kind of obsessed with them, so you may end up seeing them a lot!

I'm suuuuper into crafting and DIY. Ask anyone that knows me and they will tell you that I am always trying something new or talking about something that I am working on. I love the feeling of creating something new from a bunch of materials. I used to work at Michael's (the craft store) and was constantly inspired to try new projects and products. I've tried my hand at so many things but I have to say my favorite things to do are scrapbooking, crochet or loom work and jewelry making. Seeing as how I am so inspired by DIY, I hope to include projects and inspirations here for you guys.

I'm also really into anything that has to do with leading a more natural and spiritual life. I made the decision a few years ago to move towards this lifestyle and enjoy learning new things and then sharing it with my friends and family. I love nutrition and yoga is my "exercise" of choice (though I know referring to it that way is a no-no because it is so much more!) I want to bring aspects of this part of my life to the blog also.

So that's a little bit about me! Now I want to hear from you. Tell me about yourself, or ask me something! What would you like to see on here?