This post is sponsored by Scentsy.

I’ve never been a big candle girl.  I remember hearing one of the Fab 5 on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (I think it was Thom Filicia) saying that if a candle didn’t smell good unlit, it definitely wasn’t going to smell good lit.  Little ‘ole me took that to heart, and I’ve always had a hard time finding candles that smelled nice unlit.  My favorite candles live at Anthropologie, and I only get to visit them because I’m much too cheap to pay the cash to spring them from the joint.

So, until a few years ago, I lived in a home scented only by laundry and cleaning products.  It didn’t bother me too much because I wasn’t worried about burning my house down with smelly candles.  But when I discovered that there was a nice smelling product your could burn without a flame, IT. WAS. ON.

Scentsy came into my life in a big way.  I bought a few warmers to spread around my house and had them going all the time.  I stalked Scentsy consultants at craft fairs like a drug addict needing to find his dealer for the next fix.  I loved that the wax melted quickly but never got hot enough to burn my kids if it got spilled – yes, my husband actually dipped his finger in it to test it out.

Last month, Scentsy asked me if I would be interested in creating my own custom scent using their ScenTrend fragrance of 2012, Pink Pepper.  Um, of course I was!  So, they sent me an assortment of scents to mix together with the Pink Pepper so that I could find my own custom fragrance.

I spent about a month mixing and matching scents.  It was crazy.  I had three different versions burning in different rooms (I had two warmers already and they let me pick out a new one, too).  Some were way too strong for me and others were too woodsy, but I ended up choosing a combination that I loved – Pixie + Pink Pepper.

I used three sections of Pixie and two sections of Pink Pepper in a Full Size Warmer (if you don’t know how Scentsy works, this completely explains it).  The fragrance created was the perfect mix of sweet and spicy.  Even friends that came over remarked how good my house smelled when this new creation was the one I had going in my kitchen.  Move over Anthropologie.  I’ve got your awesome scents right here.

Let’s talk about warmers for a second, too.  Back in the day, most of the warmers were kind meh.  Honestly.  I’m sure they fit into the decor of most American homes, but I know you and I think about our decor a little differently than most people do.  However, I’ve noticed that Scentsy has really upped the ante lately in putting out on-trend warmer designs.  Their new Silhouette collection is pretty.  But, you know that I certainly couldn’t pass up my new friend, Whoot.  His eyes even glow when he’s lit!

Now that I have figured out my favorite Scensy ScenTrend combination, I have to come up with a name for it.  I’ve got it narrowed down to Pick a Peck of Peppered Pixie and Makely My House Smell Nice.  Ha!

How about you help me pick one by voting for your favorite of the two.  One voter will receive the scent combination I came up with and a Scentsy warmer!  To vote, click “Do It” and then answer the question in the Rafflecopter box below.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
*This giveaway is in no way affiliated, administered or endorsed by Facebook. Winner will be notified by email on 11/22/12 and will need to respond within 48 hours to claim their prize or another winner will be chosen. Winner must be 18 years of age or older and a US citizen in order to win. Winners are responsible for paying any necessary taxes on winnings. Alternate entry: email Lindsay@MakelyHome.com with entry information. Prize will be mailed by the sponsor and this blog owner is not held responsible if the prize is not fulfilled. A list of winners may be requested after the giveaway has ended. Questions and additional information can be requested by emailing: Lindsay@MakelyHome.com. Scentsy provided me with product for review, but the opinions expressed are my own.

This post is sponsored by Thomas Nelson Publishing.

Inspiration is a finicky thing.  I don’t know about you, but seeing other people’s gorgeous rooms on blogs or in magazines can really do great things for my creativity.  Those same rooms can also trigger a sinking feeling when I look around at the rooms in my own home that I haven’t decorated.  I spend a lot of time feeling very behind.

I know that I can’t possibly be alone in feeling that way.  In order to pull myself out of that valley, I do my best to push it out of my mind or use it as internal encouragement to work harder on my home.  But, it also helps to believe that I’m not alone.

My friend Marian Parsons – you may know her as Miss Mustard Seed– has written a book on this very feeling.  Her newly released book, Inspired You, details her start in decorating and gives you ideas and tips on how to move your own home forward.

I have read Miss Mustard Seed’s blog for many years now, but I never fully understood her internal gumption.  In her book, she describes a moment when she’s sitting in her messy, in need of repair home with piles of laundry and two little boys when her mother calls.  The simple question from her mom of, “How’s your day going?” sent her over the edge into a bawling mess (haven’t we all been there?).  It was at that point that her mom told that Marian really needed to do something for herself, and she immediately pulled herself together and started making plans for a furniture painting business.

Her book spends some timing chronicling that period of her life and detailing the process she went through to turn her early mid-century home into the beauty that it is today.  She tells us how to decorate around brightly colored plastic baby toys (just deal with them, since they won’t be in your home forever) and says that having a clean, tidy home will work miracles for the look of your rooms (I know Nate Berkus embrasses this sentiment as well).

Yep, as soon as I read the last page of her book, I turned to my kitchen and cleaned out a few cabinets and cleared off the countertops.  She’s right.  It feels amazing in there right now.

But it wouldn’t be Miss Mustard Seed without some amazing tips, tricks and tutorials.  She details furniture waxing and paint stripping.    She gives you a primer on yard sale and antique store shopping.  She talks about what things you should include in each room to make them welcoming and warm for family and guests.  And of course, she provides some awesome tutorials.

Inspired You would be the perfect holiday gift for those women in your life who could use a little encouragement.  It’s available now as a hardcover book or as a Kindle edition.  Or, you could just win one from me.

I have two copies of Inspired You up for grabs today!  Enter to win by filling out the entry form below.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
*This giveaway is in no way affiliated, administered or endorsed by Facebook. Winner will be notified by email on 11/15/12 and will need to respond within 48 hours to claim their prize or another winner will be chosen. Winner must be 18 years of age or older and a US citizen in order to win. Winners are responsible for paying any necessary taxes on winnings. Alternate entry: email Lindsay@MakelyHome.com with entry information. Prize will be mailed by the sponsor and this blog owner is not held responsible if the prize is not fulfilled. A list of winners may be requested after the giveaway has ended. Questions and additional information can be requested by emailing: Lindsay@MakelyHome.com.