Giveaway: $50 Shabby Apple Gift card

Hello lovelies! I am beyond excited to start out this week by announcing today's giveaway courtesy of
Shabby Apple. Shabby Apple is an adorable online boutique full of beautiful vintage-inspired clothing. I am currently in love with their newest lines "Twin Palms" and "Stardust Inn", which include timeless dresses and swimsuits perfect for this summer season.



In addition to the gift card giveaway Shabby Apple is offering a 10% discount to all of my readers so that everyone ends up a winner - yay! Simply use coupon code: shyscout10off at checkout.

>> About the giveaway
Shabby Apple is offering a $50 gift card to one of ShyScout's lucky readers. Use the gift card to purchase any of the boutique's beautiful items! * Please note: This contest is open to U.S. residents only! The 10% off discount code, however, works for all ShyScout readers across the globe.

>> Mandatory Entry
'Like' Shabby Apple on Facebook. Also be sure to check out the Shabby Apple website and let me know which item is your favorite! Once you do both of these things please leave me a comment below with your email address so that I can contact you if you win :]

>> Bonus Entries (please leave a separate comment below for each additional entry)
1. Follow ShyScout on Google Friend Connect ( < on the left side bar).
2. Follow ShyScout on BlogLovin'.
3. 'Like' ShyScout on Facebook.

This giveaway will close Friday, June 1st at midnight. The lucky winner will then be chosen at random and contacted shortly there after. Best of luck to all of you!

Life Lately

Hi guys! I hope you all are having a beautiful weekend. Mine has been pretty relaxing. I have been having way too much fun with instagram lately so I thought I would share what I have been up to.



1 - 2. I have been getting my gardening on! Monday night I set up my garden plot with beets, peas, green beans, green and yellow squash, two types of basil, and some flowers. The roses surrounding my house are also in bloom at the moment - the orange roses are my personal faves.

3 - 4. Friday my dad and I drove on over to Arlington Heights to try out the vegetarian food at Chowpatti. All I have to say is YUM!!! I chose to get a veggie burger and fries. I really liked this veggie burger because it was all vegetable and no soy or tempeh.

5 - 6. My little lovies! I found the toad in my garden this morning hanging out in the shade. The cutie on the chair is my one and only sweetpea. Isn't she just the cutest little thing?

I also went to a fundraiser yesterday to help raise money for a family friends relay for life fund. Today I am working on unpacking, cleaning, and fixing up my bike so I can start my new workout routine - can't wait to get that started. The weather has been beautiful and life is good. I am also happy to announce that this week I will be hosting a fantabulous giveaway - I honestly wish I could win it myself, so please be on the lookout!

Have a wonderful day everyone :]

Thrifted Thursday - Doll collection

As you all know I have a weakness when it comes to collecting dolls. The stranger they are the better in my book. I definitely don't need them, but when they come with a thrift store price tag I can't say no. Is there anything you can't turn down when thrifting? Anywho, over the past month or so I have added three more
gems to my collection...



This cute doll was a carnival prize from the 50's. I instantly fell in love with his big eyes, bow tie, and goofy plaid hat. I found him while thrifting on this excursion but turned him down due to his price tag. I went back about a month later and his price was reduced - on top of that I had a coupon worth $20 at the store so he ended up being free :] That is what I call a deal.

The other weekend when I purchased my cute plaid coat I also found two dolls calling my name.



I had seen these dolls before in various outfits on thrifting excursions but they usually were slightly out of my price range (I don't like to spend more than $10 on an item typically while thrifting). I had to have these two when I saw their $3 price tags. I have a problem, haha, I know. Do any of you have dolls like these in your collection?

I really need to work on giving stuff away rather than taking more stuff in. This weekend I hope to sift through all of my things so that I can throw a garage sale the following weekend. Wish me luck! I hope you all are having a beautiful Thursday! Any exciting plans for the weekend?

Wardrobe Wednesday - Horsin' around

My dresses from Dorothy Perkins arrived already! I must say - I am in love with all of the dresses I bought. I can't wait to wear them out and about this summer. The only thing I wish was that they were all a smidge bit longer. I am a bit conservative when it comes to showing off my legs. It will be less of an issue once autumn arrives and I can wear thick tights...but until then slips will have to be used to add some length. How do you guys work with shorter dresses to make them feel more comfortable on you?



I love the peter pan collar, horse print, and buttons. I wish the camera would have picked up on the details better. Oh well, it happens when you use a tripod? All of my neighbors decided to hang out in their backyards yesterday so I had to keep ducking in and out the back to take photos.



Outfit Details: Dress and belt - Dorothy Perkins | Bag - China | Heels - Doll House | Bracelet - gift from Egypt (probably should have taken more shots of it - they are multi colored stone scarabs).

Eeep - I am in desperate need of a hair cut and color, and maybe a tan. ANYWHO...I set up my garden shortly after these photos were taken - not in this outfit of course! I am pretty excited for things to start sprouting. I am growing green and yellow squash, beets, green beans, peas, basil, various flowers, aaand I am still deciding what else to put in the patch. My mom is growing tomatoes, onions, garlic, and peppers. I am so excited for all the fresh veggies! Have you set up a garden? Ughhh. I also need to start the never ending process of unpacking now. Wahoo... Hopefully I can get together enough stuff to throw a garage sale shortly.

Have a beautiful day!

Toy Army Tuesday - Blythe

As many of you know I am a Blythe fanatic and collector. However, I have never shared their back story or my trip to the Junie Moon store on here... so I thought it was about time.

Blythe dolls were sold for only a year in 1972 by their manufacturer Kenner. Their large eyes and big heads made them unpopular and scary to children. Kenner quickly pulled them off the shelves. It wasn't until Gina Garan rediscovered and photographed them that they became popular. A friend of Gina's described one of the scary eyed dolls selling on Ebay - Gina fell in love and started collecting them - at one point she had over 200 original Blythes. She later introduced Blythe's to her agent in Japan. The toy company Takara soon began remanufacturing new versions of Blythe dolls and their popularity has grown ever since. Today an original 1972 Blythe doll can easily sell for over $1000. For more of their back story please check out This is Blythe.



Junie Moon (photographed while on my trip in Japan - above ^) is the official Blythe store of Japan. While many stores may carry them, Junie Moon sells only Blythe products. They sell the dolls, their clothing and accessories, stationery, apparel, and more. Needless to say I was in heaven. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to photograph inside. The only thing I could justify spending money on was some stickers - everything else was priced way too high. For example - a pair of Blythe sunglasses (for your doll) cost $23 dollars - yikes! It sure was fun though giddly oogling over all their products.

I wish I could have taken them all home with me. I did manage to buy a Blythe on my trip to Japan at a Manadrake shop in Nakano which I wrote about in my last Toy Army Tuesday post. I thought it was about time to show her and her sister off...



Introducing: Ume (meaning Japanses plum). I finally settled on her name today, so I thought it was fitting to show her and Penelope off. I wanted a name that referenced where she came from. Yep. I am a crazy Blythe lady. I need hit up some thrift stores this weekend and find them some new clothes to wear.

Do you have a Blythe collection of your own? I would love to check it out! Have a beautiful day everyone :]

Mini weekend update

Hey guys! I am skipping Most Wanted Mondays today due to a wicked head cold I picked up on Saturday. Since Saturday I have been slowly fighting off the cold and unfortunately do not have much energy or desire to do too much. This weekend was still fun. Many of my friends and boyfriend graduated - congrats guys! Also many of us moved out of our places for good. It is strange leaving a place I had lived for four and a half years, however, I am excited for a new adventures.

Friday I packed up the rest of my apartment and helped my boyfriend move out of his. Later that night a bunch of our friends enjoyed a bonfire. Saturday morning I moved out and later that afternoon was Brian's graduation. Afterward we had dinner with his family and I said goodbye to the town for good. Yesterday was Mother's Day and I took my mom out for lunch and to see Dark Shadows with our man Johnny - he was looking good even as a vampire.

Image source: Warner Bro's.
I really liked the movie. I mean - c'mon - Johnny is fantastic, dreamy, and it was set in the 70's so the film had awesome tunes. A win - win for me. Later this afternoon I am going to help my mom set up her garden. I hope some fresh air and sunshine will kick this cold's bum. Anywho, hope you all are having a wonderful Monday!