I Do

I am so grateful.  

September 24, 2011, I'm marrying a very great man. We are saying our vows in a place close to my heart. 

I will try to keep the blog topics away from all things wedding, but it will probably be a hot topic here for awhile. 

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans for hope and a future." Jer. 29:11 

Now Is the Time to Help.

We are reeling in Alabama. 

On April 27, 2011 more than 118 tornadoes ripped through our state and the region, leaving a path of destruction that renders me speechless.

  There have been a lot of wonderful things I am looking forward to posting about, but today just doesn't seem the time. These events have turned the premise of my little blog on it's head. Everything I want this blog to be about--the "lovely" and "delightful" seem so.... menial. At the moment.

We will get back to things that are lovely; right now, however, is the time to help.

. 

http://widgets.causes.com/causes/608753-alabama-tornado-relief

Or for more options, click here:

http://magiccitypost.com/2011/04/27/tornadoes-kill-dozens-across-alabama-now-is-the-time-to-help/

"Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper." 1 Kings 19:11-12

Present Ideas for Dad--or, the Man Who Has Everything

My dad is wonderful... but extremely difficult to shop for come birthday or holiday time. He's the, "Just give me a picture, I don't need anything" man and honestly... he's right. If he wants something, more than likely he's already purchased it for himself.

But that doesn't stop me from trying to surprise him. I'm getting a little unconventional after 30 years of doing this. Last year I gave him the Who's Your Daddy? Doggie DNA Kit for our family mutt. That was a fun one.

So if you are like me and are endlessly searching for a creative gift for a man in your life, here's one I just completed that was a blast to create.

I stumbled on Giverslog's entry called "Rootbeer Tour for Dad." I thought it was a great concept; unfortunately for me, however, my dad is not a fan of root beer.
But he's a fan of BEER beer!

So I took these blank printable labels and customized them to my Dad's personality:

 













Then hit a local market that carries specialty beer (and stood in the aisle for about 30 minutes, completely overwhelmed at the selection. I know nothing about beer... so I ended up going for bottles that had labels I thought were "pretty.")


Used some twine, and attached the labels to each bottle and put a little sparkly "grass" in a ice bucket and voila: A little fun for Dad besides the go-to presents of socks and golf tees!

Prettying Up the Standard Envelope

Jane Austen's writing desk

Handwriting things-- anything-- just makes things so much more personal. I'll be the first to admit that I find pounding out words on the keyboard a lot easier than putting pen to paper, but there's just something instantly endearing about seeing words transcribed in script. The writer gives the reader an idea of their unique style in a way that just seems more intimate than Times New Roman.

Meant to Be Calligraphy

So, I try to hand-write things as often as possible. The ladies of my life have taught me to always send handwritten thank you notes. And even though it's tedious, I still longhand my journal as well. Because going back and reading my own (albeit very illegible) script a week or a decade later is a little more thrilling that way.

I loved the ideas I found on lettergirl's blog. I mailed three cards this week and took a certain satisfaction knowing that amongst bills and catalogs, my recipients would find happy envelopes like this:

Flowers for the girls...

Stars for the boys

Metallic silver, gold, and white pens are great for colored envelopes

All this takes is a Bic pen and a steady hand!

Visit her Etsy store here: lettergirl on Etsy

Valentine's Day Goes Digital

 

Gone are the days when "e-card" meant animated bunny rabbits and midi music files that sounded like a kazoo.  

In this digital age, e-cards have gotten very stylish, and can be a great little way to let someone know you're thinking of them. I just ran across this post from Oh Joy! and had to share.

Kate Spade has a fabulous array of Valentine e-cards just waiting to spread love all across the Internet. It's called  

"BMINE- A Gallery of E-Valentines"  

and for real.... they are super cute.

Go ahead, get you some brownie points with your Honey: 
Find your perfect e-valentine here!

Move Over, Martha, We're Making Bread Dip & Labels

I'm always looking for a thoughtful yet budget-friendly gift for friends who host dinners or maybe just need a little "happy" added to their day.

Here's a great little suggestion: Make a bread dipping oil (YUM), put it in a Mason jar, and add these oh-so-cute labels. Most of the work has already been done!

Download and print the labels by clicking here.

(Don't forget the cute labels for the top of the jar!)

Here's your recipe:

 

This great little recipe comes from Chatelaine, and seen on the always lovely Giverslog.

Stupid Dog Tricks

This may be the most irrelevant post I've ever made, however I'm going to squeeze it into the theme of my blog by pointing out that the Manuel Canovas "Bengal" print mentioned in this post does make an appearance.


I am an avid dog lover, and am the proud owner of rescue shelties. One in particular has the most precious demeanor, and about a year after adopting him he became a certified animal therapy dog. He and I make regular visits to hospitals, nursing homes, and inner city schools where he is unfailingly the most well-behaved there.

But not at home.

I'll let the pictures do the talking. This evening I arrived home from the gym to see this:

Eerily similar to the scene back two weeks ago:

 

 

Really? My "good" dog, the Canine Good Citizen (truly... he has a patch from the AKC to prove it) has decided that it is great fun to roll the house. 

Somehow he manages to never break the roll, never eats or shreds it, and always stops just outside bathroom.

And with that, I'll close out this very random post.