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Christmas Tree 2014.

December 2, 2014 by Abby Thome

Christmas Tree 2014.

You know, I wondered what it would be like to have Christmas in our new house.

 Yes, of course I thought it would be full of cheer – but at the same time I was a little worried about this new space not feeling quite like home yet.   Since we moved in we have really been neck high in repairs.  One after another – we swamped any spare moment we had conquering our to do list.  We really did not set our bar too high of the look we wanted to achieve because our repairs were a must – not a maybe.

 This fixer upper required a lot more nitty gritty repairs than our first.  Our first house the projects were a lot more affordable – and this house being 2x as big and in 2x worse condition our budget had to go towards things that are barely seen, there for forgotten.  Not to be mistaken for forgotten in our bank account, I think we’ll forever remember that impact.

Christmas at our old house was SO cozy.  Not just because the size of our house being smaller, but after being there year after year we truly settled in and it felt like home.  Here, we are still in settling mode.  A lot of things feel unfinished – and it is still overwhelming to look at projects that need to get done asap.  We feel a bit rushed at times and we always have to put ourselves into check with the reality of letting things take a lot more time this time around.

We are finally getting to a point where we are able to take a deep breath.  The biggest of projects have been completed, and now we’ve been able to actually dip into a few fun ones (kitchen – bathroom – bedroom – living room – dining room).  Perfect timing, because with Christmas just weeks away we are doing our best to shake off the naughty list of things to do and bring on the holiday cheer.

You see. We LOVE the holidays.  We are that corny couple that plays christmas music, bakes up cookies yada yada yada.  It doesn’t take much to push us into the holiday spirit.  We jump right on the band wagon and you wont hear us complaining about the Christmas music on the radio during Thanksgiving.

This year, like years past (2013  2011) we lost 2012 in the transfer of sites.  We went to pick out our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving.  This year in hopes to pull that feeling of home straight into our house.  And, I will admit, it worked like a charm!

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We went to a new tree farm this year on our side of town and it worked out perfectly!

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Owen was a bit crabby at first – not enjoying the cold.  He dropped his meltdown the second he spotted a “baby tree”.  Those of you who know Owen well, finding baby trees is one of the highlights of his day.  He seriously gushes over them.

Like his large and in charge gloves? Parents of the year award go to us forgetting the boys gloves.   That’s what pockets are for right? 😉

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Moments with this sweet boy are just killin’ me these days.  Hard to believe he will be 6 after the new year (gulp.)

Insert tears now.

We found a pre cut tree that we adored ( had to botch our plans to cut down a tree b/c of crabby kids ) and within 20 minutes we were strapping it to the roof!

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We put the tree up + decorated which is a story all in itself.  However – having the Christmas decor up, music playing and the boys over the moon over where they are going to find their Elf each morning is a great reminder that everything is falling into place here.  Slowly, but surely –

This house, is feeling more like home.

Filed Under: Our Life Tagged With: qw

Kitchen Reveal with Giani Countertop Kit Giveaway!!

December 1, 2014 by Abby Thome

Kitchen Reveal with Giani Countertop Kit Giveaway!!

{ This is a sponsored post with Giani Countertops.  We received our kit to transform our countertops.  A huge thank you to Giani for this collaboration! } 

Finally we get to share with you all what we have been up to the past few weeks and we could not be more excited to show you our new kitchen!

Remember what we had to work with?

When Giani Countertops wanted to collaborate with us providing a kit to help us resurface our countertops we could not resist! Giani provided us the tools we needed to achieve and completely change our infamous orange counters.

This is a painting process to resemble to look of granite – layers upon layers of a painting application, finishing with a sealer that provides your countertops with a gorgeous gloss.  We chose to go for the marble look, not the granite look ( both achieved with different applications of the product ) and we could not be happier with the results! The best part? The entire process was so easy and completely fool-proof.  I watched the videos a few times on their website + did everything all on my own!

You should follow Giani on their social media outlets too to see all of the transformations!

Facebook

Instagram

Pinterest

I did the entire kitchen by myself while Dan was at work over the course of two weeks and the countertops were the easiest and fastest part of all.  We chose the white diamond kit to try something new, seeing as our old kitchen had black concrete countertops (again DIY).   Everyone who comes over cannot believe these were resurfaced, everyone assumes we bought brand new countertops.  I cannot rave enough about Giani Countertops… we are truly smitten with this product!

The cabinets were painted, hardware spray painted a glossy black and the walls even received a new coat of paint.

(I’ll update you all on the color choices we made later this week!)

Ready to see the before and after?!

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Can you even handle it?! We chose to do a darker base for the bottom cabinets and white for the top to open up the space a bit more.  It was SO dark and spooky before and the White Diamond Giani Countertops just pulled this entire vision together in the simplest most beautiful way ever!

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It is amazing what you can do on a small (and I mean small) budget.  Giani Countertop kits are only $79.95 – so to think you could completely transform your countertops for under $80 is just bananas! We got a quote for new laminate countertops to be installed and it was $1,000 – FOR LAMINATE AGAIN.  This product really saved us and gave us exactly the look we were going for!

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Of course my favorite pictures followed us from our old house and found their way to our kitchen.  Farm life dreamin’

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The sealer was the final step (2 coats) and gave the countertops the perfect shine to them.

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We added our favorite DIY SHELVING again in our kitchen too.  Decked out with my favorite cook books (seriously, My Drunk Kitchen is off the chain – I love Hannah Hart) and a few Holiday inspired items.  I am loving having the salt and sugar in arms reach!

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The entire space feels so much more open – the flow from room to room now is smooth as butter and this kitchen no longer stops you in your tracks for the wrong reasons! Minus the dishwasher – ha.  Cannot wait to replace that.

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Would you love to fix ugly countertops in your home? Kitchen or bathroom? Well well well, it is your lucky day!

The Thome Home thanks to Giani Countertops is giving away 1 free Giani Counter Kit of your choice to one of our lucky readers!!

Simply leave a comment below, telling me what countertop kit you would choose and where you would use it! For an extra entry “Like” Giani Countertops on Facebook! Good luck you guys!

(shipping to U.S. residents only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Our Projects

Little Passports + 50% Off !

November 29, 2014 by Abby Thome

Little Passports + 50% Off !

( Disclaimer:: This is a post containing affiliate links.  The Thome Home earns commission from the items purchased through these links. We stand behind the products we chose to share with you all. We  received our first box from Little Passports to review. Thank you Little Passports for partnering with us + thank you to our readers for your support! )

Remember when I introduced you all to the grand idea of implementing Little Passports into your little ones lives?

Well – ours finally came and the kids were pretty excited to see what their first try at this would be like!

This adorable little suit case came in the mail – filled with a few items for their first month.

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A postcard from the infamous Sam and Sofia, their first passport, a map, a “pass” for online games + a newsletter.  Immediately we decided to hang the map up on our play room wall –

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Since then, we have taken many plane rides around the world! They pack up the suitcase with their essentials.  You know, a race car, snack bar and the tiniest toys they can grab.  We sit down on our rug, “start the plane” and off we go to learn about the world!

 I will admit I’m getting a bit of a geography lesson as we go! Brody loves traveling to Russia – and Owen is all about Australia.  I do my best to switch up my accents as we go!

This is the starting month, from this point on the boys will get a specific country each month to learn about.   I love that each month will be different, so the anticipation for the next box will always be there!

We all know that kids play with their toys and get sick of them quickly.  Something about this map and their imagination combined has given them hours of playtime –  and mommy hours of her much needed me time!

If you are looking to jump on the wagon and let your kids join in on the fun  – Starting today (11/28) through Sunday (11/30) The Thome Home Readers can get 50% off of your first month subscription!! (Links below in BLUE)

I KNOW RIGHT?!

They just released a new explorers kit for preschoolers too!

Get 50% off New Monthly Plan Subscriptions at Little Passports with Code BLACK50

Little Passports

Now couldn’t be a better time to snag one for the Holiday season and have the best surprise at the door during these cold months for your little ones! Even better, direct their Aunts + Uncles + Grandparents to our site and let them in on the gift giving right in time for Christmas!

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This promotion is valid online only at www.littlepassports.com. Offer valid on new subscriptions only and cannot be combined with any other offers and/or applied retroactively to previously placed orders. Offer valid only on Monthly Plans and applies only to the first month on a Monthly Plan. Offer not valid on 3-Month, 6-Month, and 12-Month Plan. Offer excludes shipping and taxes.

Filed Under: Our Life

Mushroom + Spinach Pasta.

November 25, 2014 by Abby Thome

Mushroom + Spinach Pasta.

Well well well, what do you know!  I managed to make a dinner in my 3/4 complete kitchen and I must admit, it feels amazing to not have to pick up the phone to have dinner on the table tonight.   Yesterday I mentioned a simple mushroom sauce I was making for dinner – and simple was completely understated.  This recipe is so quick and fool proof, you must add it to your rotation this winter!

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  This is truly an amazing weeknight dinner when you’re in a pinch! I can hardly call this a recipe – it’s a no brainer!

Mushroom + Spinach Pasta.
Cuisine: Dinner
Author: Abby Thome
Ingredients
  • 1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce ( we use trader joes tomato basil)
  • 1lb bow tie pasta
  • 1 bag baby spinach
  • 1 package of sliced white mushrooms
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt + pepper
  • garlic powder
Instructions
  1. Boil a pot of water for the pasta
  2. In the meantime, heat a skillet with a few tablespoons of olive oil on medium/high heat
  3. Add the mushrooms to the skillet with a pinch of pepper + garlic powder
  4. Let saute till tender (4-5 minutes)
  5. Once water is boiling, add pasta cook till aldente
  6. Add the entire bag of spinach to the mushrooms, with a drizzle of olive oil, pinch of salt and pepper and dash of garlic powder
  7. Stir together, until the spinach has wilted
  8. Drain pasta, put pasta back into pot
  9. Add the entire jar of marinara + pour in the mushroom and spinach mixture
  10. Stir and Enjoy!
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The boys gobbled it up.  Owen loves mushrooms so he was a happy camper! Brody not so much.  But, removing the mushrooms and topping the pasta with parmesan cheese and he was all in!  IMG_2249

Filed Under: Our Bites

Currently.

November 24, 2014 by Abby Thome

Currently.

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Here is a pic from over the weekend — We yet again managed to pack our Saturday with attempting to finish projects + thankfully Dan’s sister called us over for drinks later that evening to relax.  It was MUCH needed!

What do you post when all of your projects are still 3/4 done and you do not have a kitchen to cook in?

Tell you what I am currently doing …

I just spent 6 hours today shopping for Thanksgiving with my kids.

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What the heck was I thinking? They were actually good – tossing treats into the cart here and there to help the shopping trip move along.  But, that 6 hours of shopping could have been 3 if I was all alone.  I even had a mom stop me and say “so glad I don’t have my kids with me today, I feel for you”.  I laughed out loud – and totally agreed.

At Home Depot { snagging 12 more boxes of Christmas lights} A lady tickle Owen.  Straight up walked to our cart, asked if he was ticklish and just went to town.  The exact moments that fall so close to when a stranger rubs your belly while pregnant.  I did not know whether to smile or check her onto her butt.  Seriously folks — if you know me, great.  But if you don’t, tickling someone elses kids is…. well, not okay.

I bought a 20 pound turkey from Trader Joes that I am way to excited about – the excitement is sure to ruin my concentration on cooking my first turkey ever, but I will do my best to keep my act together the big day.   Purchasing the turkey led to an entire toddler conversation about which animals provide what meat.  Brody + Owen were fascinated to hear about it all.  Of course ending our conversation with telling me that on Thanksgiving they get the turkey legs and I have to eat the turkey’s butt.

Go figure.

We made 3 potty breaks.  One in which Owen had no problem announcing that he was not done yet.  “I’m pooping mom!!” He yelled into a packed ladies restroom.  I’m sure the other women loved knowing that I was headed into the stall to wipe my childs bum.

The wind today will knock you onto your feet if you’re not careful.   Days like these that I am extra grateful we cut down the trees closest to our house.   Now we can spend windy days a bit more at ease – not guessing which one will bite the dust first.

 It’s finally 3:00.  I unloaded the car – put everything in its place as much as I could mid construction and made myself a hot cup of tea.  This momma needs a bit more pep in her step to finish this kitchen tonight.

And that’s it folks! Making simple mushroom sauce for pasta tonight – helping Dan tackle the Christmas lights outside later.  This is sure to be the last warm day coming to town for at least 3 more months.

Have you tackled your turkey day list?  Start thinking about your Christmas list yet?

I’ve got another post coming at you this week packed full of what the elves are making at the North Pole this year 🙂 Feeling extra grateful we could make it happen!

Filed Under: Our Life

what it REALLY looks like.

November 21, 2014 by Abby Thome

what it REALLY looks like.

Bloggers far too often get caught up posting pictures of their life and home that appear all too perfect.  It seems like it is just a big ol’ flag in our faces saying “I’ve got this! and you don’t!”

Scrolling through blogs, instagram (Etc) it is always hard not to compare.

Her outfit – Oh, I wish I had the money to be able to buy even 1/2 of that right now.

Her kids – Lord, are they on tranquilizers? How are they SO calm?!

Her husband – So dashing, must be a real charmer with those frequent flowers.

Her house – is that real? 

Well – here at The Thome Home I hope you all have realized that keeping it real is one of our proudest points we try to bring across to all of you.

My oufit – You like? Gap clearance from 4 years ago.  My shoes – the soles are glued on.  My jewelry? Oh yeah – what jewelry?

My kids? I just handed them a box of glazed doughnuts + a cup of OJ this morning before school.  At target this morning I caved in and bought Owen bath tub toys because I had zero mommy patience left after a ten minute trip turned into 45 minutes.  

My husband? While he is dashing, we spent 15 minutes yesterday yelling at each other over spilled paint.  He shook a can, I  didn’t realize it – went to shake it, you get the picture.  Pointing fingers, grunting faces and not the picture perfect marriage at times.  

My house? Please don’t come over this weekend – We are weeks into trying to finish our kitchen + a few random things we found along the way.  Zero kitchen to cook in … things everywhere.  Our house, well… see for yourself.  

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Our kitchen table is packed with junk.  Our fireplace front was ripped off last weekend, wanting to expose more brick, then unfortunately forgotten about.

IMG_2205Our family room is a death trap.

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The play area is just that.  I’ve given up on cleaning up throughout the day —

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The dining room.  OH Boy.  Would you like a piece of toast with a cup of tea? It’s on the floor — help yourself.

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And these crazy rascals of mine have managed so far this morning to stain our new living room rug – eat the majority of snacks in our pantry, and need a bath by 1:00.  All of which has led me to lead them to the couches, turn on Home Alone for the 8th time these week and try to get back to work, so someday I can tell you all that I have it together.

Today, I don’t.  Tomorrow will be the same … and you know what?

THAT’S OKAY!

Filed Under: Our Life

It’s Already Wednesday?!

November 19, 2014 by Abby Thome

It’s Already Wednesday?!

Hello! 

It’s already Wednesday? … Huh. Still SO much to do! 

Dropping in to say a BIG thank you for all of the awesome comments about our Pinterest inspired shelving! We love them as much as you guys do! In fact, we spent our evening last night working on the ones in the kitchen + today I will be consumed with resurfacing our countertops.  It will take about 2 days total — and a few days following where the kitchen will be off-limits, but this will be the key to unlocking the beauty our kitchen is hiding! 

It is SO cold outside here today, which has pushed me closer to our Christmas decor with each dropping degree.  The day after Thanksgiving we will go chop our Christmas tree down and on that very day I can go crazy with Holiday decor.  This Christmas will be extra special, seeing as we are hosting Christmas Eve – and spending Christmas day with a lot of my family.  Cannot wait! 

What a fun-filled weekend we just had, celebrating at a wedding for Dan’s cousin! Whew – you talk about two parents getting out of the house alone for the first time in over months (and I mean nearly a year  kind of months) – We let loose, let it rip on the dance floor and had such a great time! 

Enjoy these blurry Iphone pictures 🙂 

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I literally have bruises the size of mangos on my knee caps from dancing a bit too much – apparently on the floor.  Thanks to the introduction of rumchata shots that evening (cough – colleen) delicious and deadly to mothers who only drink wine and an occasional brew! 

Our fun weekend was just what we needed to recharge ourselves enough to get back to our kitchen this week – in the meantime until the reveal, look at this cutie in the drop off line at school —

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Can you handle those big blue eyes?!  

And of course our week wouldn’t start off on the right foot without a trip to Target 

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Well! I’m off to tackle these countertops, wish me luck! 

Filed Under: Our Life

1/2 Bath Quickie.

November 17, 2014 by Abby Thome

1/2 Bath Quickie.

A quickie in our 1/2 bath turned out to be the highlight of our day.

We went in feeling upset and frumpy and left feeling vibrant and satisfied.

Get your mind of the gutter people!

You must think we are crazy for taking on so many room makeovers lately – but this one was a mini makeover.  Which means less time, less money and less room for error.  My favorite kind.

Our 1/2 bath is right off of our side entryway.  So, you walk in, laundry room to the right and bathroom directly across.

We despised this space.

 We learned to get over the orange toned tile floor when we purchased the home, but the matching orange countertops that lurked in the kitchen and bathroom are eating us alive.  I’m not kidding when I say that I have the same facial expressions of walking into a porter potty as I do when I walk into this space.  It never felt clean (regardless of how much I scrubbed).

We have family and friends over all of the time – and this bathroom gets all of the traffic.  It is a room that we apologize for prior to people walking into … it looks that bad.

With the holidays right around the corner, giving this bathroom the look it deserved shot to the top of the list! We re-painted the family room a few weeks ago ( I know, I swore up and down I loved the white)  It did not take long until we painted it the Revere Pewter color we used in the rest of our spaces.  We loved it so much that I slapped the very same paint onto our 1/2 bath, and the desire to kiss it some more was stronger than ever!

The picture below is prior to the new paint color –

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I could not take a better picture if I tried.  THAT is how dark + dirty the bathroom felt.  Even with new lighting and a new mirror, it was still screaming “HELP ME!” Wondering what that cup of what looks like red wine is? No, I do not drink in the bathroom, while that does sounds tempting.  We had a bout of fruit flies SO randomly last week + a cup of dish soap and red wine vinegar, with saran wrap on top tightly, and a few holes poked on top attract those bad boys like none other.  They disappeared within a few hours.

(This has been brought to you by Abby’s Tip Of the Day)

Totally kidding.

Okay, so more importantly.  My inspiration for this room started with these shelves I stumbled across on Pinterest …

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(SOURCE)

These Restoration Hardware inspired shelving hit the right spot with us.  Of course we love the rustic wood shelves, but the pipes that are made to hold them up are what won us over.  Off to home depot we went, and followed the measurements we needed for above our toilet.

Brought our supplies back home, and got to work!

We had to spray paint the pipes, flanges and caps black – which was a total cinch to do.  Two coats 45 minutes apart and they were complete.

Staining the wood took a bit more thought.  We knew we wanted more of an ashy muted stain – with enough warmth and contrast.  We ended up using a driftwood gray stain for the first coat –

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Don’t let this frighten you.  I know it’s blue – but this will be the hue lingering underneath.

We chose a walnut stain for the final layer of stain, my jaw dropped with each wipe down.

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 I am completely head over heals for this combination and will fully take advantage of repeating this throughout our house!

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Are they beautiful or what!?

IMG_1688Once the stain had dried, as well as the spray paint on the pipes – we were ready to get the shelves onto the walls!

The process was truly a cinch.  Screw pipes to wall, with anchors of course for extra safety, place board on top to check if it is level – and there you have it –

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I had a bouquet of gorgeous blue hydrangea to bring some life to the shelves, but my lazy butt never got around to pictures in time.  We still have to paint the screws black – which we plan on doing with nail polish to make it quick and simple!

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Art work was purchased from Home Goods – The mini blue vases were from my mother

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The basket is from Home Goods as well, towels are from Target and the vase was from a bouquet my brother sent me in the mail.  Such a good guy!

We took a simple 5$ thrift store mirror and painted it black for the time being – and it seems to be working out just fine!

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We still have to paint the vanity, and do countertop resurfacing this week – Hopefully after that we will have an entirely new look to this bathroom!

We are doing this exact shelving in our kitchen this week.  It’s safe to say we are beyond obsessed with how easy and functional they are.  Rustic, with a touch of an industrial edge!

Lesson learned from this easy project, use Pinterest for inspiration.  Not every project will turn out exactly as shown in the picture – and that’s okay.  The whole point of the internet + magazines is to take in the inspiration and give it your own twist! Don’t be shy! Give it a try!

Filed Under: Our Projects

Blog Lovin’

November 13, 2014 by Abby Thome

Blog Lovin’

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It’s hard to think that this picture above was taken just weeks ago …

Stuck inside with this wild polar vortex that came to us these past few days? Thankfully, we did not get hit hard with the snow, but the freezing temperatures are keeping us inside and longing for a warm cup of tea.

I added a new page to my blog that you guys can totally immerse yourself in this weekend if you have zero plans other than being in pajamas and sitting on the couch!

Blogging is one of my favorite things to do, without a doubt.  I also love to read blogs.

Incase you wanted to see a few that I follow on a regular basis I now have a page you check out and scroll through them as well!

[ It is located on the top right hand corner of our page – BLOG ROLL ]

You’ll be hooked as much as I.

I will always be updating this page, adding new favorites as I come across them –

And if you have your favorites as well, please leave a comment and share them with me!

Always looking for new inspiration!

Thanks!

MY BLOG ROLL 

Filed Under: Our Life

Ho Ho Holiday Special!

November 12, 2014 by Abby Thome

Ho Ho Holiday Special!

Hey guys!

It’s Wednesday! Do you know what that means?

Yeah – me niether.

The good news is, have I got a deal for YOU.  Or your mom, or uncle, or friend.  Help The Thome Home out by spreading the word about our advertisement options!

You can read more about it here.

We’ve slashed our prices in half! Yes, in HALF!

So, if you have an etsy shop – small or big business, or blog – you can buy your own personal AD space that will live on our blog for an entire month!

What will this do for you?

Well, well, wouldn’t you know how fast thing little slice of blog world is growing so quickly.

Over 3,000 + views EACH month and growing! 

That’s a heck of a lot of eyes that could be clicking on your ads to check out what YOU have to offer!

We share our posts via Facebook, Instagram + Pinterest.

Advertise with us and you will get more eyes on your site!

Now – not all are approved.  Of course we want a good fit for our blog 🙂

We would LOVE to grow our business + help grow yours as well.

So – whether you would like for us to try one of your products to review (clothing or what not).  Or giveaway one of  your items in a giveaway on our blog –  send me an email

thethomehome[at]gmail[dot]com

Get creative! You can giveaway a photography session – a product – or credit to your shop! Either way you roll through review or ad space, you’re sure to win!

If you would like to buy ad space – you can do it all through this page.

This great advertising deal will last until the New Year so snatch it up while you can!

Plus – growing this blog will take a village! So I appreciate any and all of the help I can get! 🙂

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See that girl looking at the clouds? Well – I’m just dreaming of making this blog bigger and better!

Filed Under: Our Life

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