Of Weddings, Fundraisers & Flower Girls!

Whew. It's been quite the crazy last few weeks...which would explain my being MIA!!! So I'm back, and ready to show you a few of the projects I've been working on! [I know you're dying to see them. ha]

Our youth fundraiser, the Sweet Sundae Shoppe, features ice cream desserts, along with homemade soups. We decided to go with a pink and white color theme, with black accents for a touch of elegance. I needed some sort of decoration for the tables, so my bestie & I took a trip to a little hole-in-the-wall joint in a nearby town, and found these antique glass medicine bottles, in all shapes and sizes! So fun. I sprayed them white for two reasons: to give them a fresh look & to cover up the hideous brown stains that just would NOT come out of them. The only downside: it took sooo much spray paint for 40 bottles...and I am no expert in this field! They weren't perfect, but cute!! [that counts for something, right?!]

The little ones are gracing my windowsill, and I feel happy inside every time I look at them!

The big ones are on a table in the dining room. I love carnations; they live a lonnng time!

The other part of my project: writing up a menu! 

The other major event was my brother-in-law's wedding last Saturday! It was beautiful and so much fun to be with family we hadn't seen in a while. I was in charge of making a banner, place cards & food cards. It kept me busy, but I enjoyed the challenge! Black and purple with accents of steel gray were the colors, so that's what I used.

the banner message is: "We've decided on forever!" [sorry it's nearly unreadable on this pic!]

name cards for the bridal table

cards for the cupcakes...mmm, they were delish!!

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I also wrote out their vows and framed them. Did I mention that I love typography??!!

Oh, and these extremely good-looking people [aka: Best Man & Flower Girl]....

they're MINE!!! 

It seemed fitting to end with a picture of this little baby...she melts my heart! Can you see why?? Blessings on your Wednesday!!!

Random Acts of Kindness Week

I was reading through a copy of one of my favorite mags, Better Homes & Gardens, when I noticed that this week is listed as "Random Acts of Kindness" week! In spite of the fact that it probably has something to do with Valentine's Day, I thought it was a great reminder to reach out & show love...intentionally!

Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing:


1) Bake some cookies & drop them off at a neighbor's house. [on my list!]

2) Offer a smile and "hello" to the cashier in the grocery store. With a baby, I get stopped a lot, especially by older people who want to talk about how cute she is and what age, etc. If I'm in a hurry, it can be annoying. But I've decided these can be opportunities to show them love!

3) Send a card, text or facebook message to encourage a friend. It's the little things that sometimes mean the most!

4) When there is a need, offer to help. Time can be the greatest gift you can give. [This is an area I really need to grow in!]




5) Just listen. Ahh...it's so easy to "fix" the problems our friends have, but sometimes the best thing we can do is be a listening ear. 

6) Give anonymously to someone who is struggling financially. If you feel a nudge from the Holy Spirit to give, do it!! It may not make sense, but I can assure you that you will be blessed. 

7) Make a meal for a busy mother or a first-time mom. So many people generously brought us food when Hadassah was a newborn, and it was such a blessing! Now it's my turn to put it into practice...




Those are just a few ideas I had...the possibilities are endless! Many blessings to you as you look for ways to show kindness this week. 

Valentine's Decor ~ Part II

Can you believe that Valentine's Day is next week??? Ahh, I've had so much fun decorating our home, not to mention planning the decor for our church's annual Sweet Sundae Shoppe!! [make sure to stop back for a peak at the projects I'm working on for that!] Here's the arrangement I made on a table in the dining room...the place I use for seasonal decor.

My cheese cloche is so multi-functional! I love finding new ways to use it each season. This time, I used my corks and love the finished result!

The letter "S" and some of my favorite Reader's Digest books filled up a space on the right side of the table. I found some wide gold ribbon, scrunched it up and secured it with a pearl-headed pin.

The topiary [of sorts] with red roses is made out of a round foam ball that is covered with crepe-paper roses that I made, inspired by this blog. http://thesweetsurvival.blogspot.com/2011/01/tissue-paper-rosette-topiary.html  It took quite a while to make the roses...so patience is key for this project! Instead of making a topiary, I simply set mine on a vintage-style flower pot. Love it!! 

What are your favorite Valentine's projects?

Sunsets, Beaches & A Sand-dollar Banner

Our family spent a week at Sanibel Island in Florida to celebrate our 5 year anniversary! We'd never been to this island before and totally fell in love with it!! Not only was it a beautiful, tropical location, but also family-friendly. There were lots of children at the resort we stayed at, so I felt right at home! The weather was perfect for laying out on the beach...or hitting around a golf ball [my husband's idea of relaxing!]

I was so pleased that we were able to take some pictures at the beach, especially since I had a new camera to play around with! These were taken right at sunset, so they turned out a bit darker than I'd hoped, but I still love them!

Hadassah turned 5 months old the same day we celebrated 5 years!!! I'd call it a fun coincidence (= She did so well for us, other than having a few fussy spells as a result of teething. It was our first vacation with a baby, which totally changes the dynamics. But I'm so glad we took her along! That precious smile makes any day more beautiful!!

My best friend, Edith, and her husband went along with us. She was a huge help with the baby and an awesome beach buddy! We even got our hair braided with corn rows (= [Goodness, I forgot how much it hurt!]

There are only a few things worth waking up at 6:30 for...and this sunrise certainly qualifies!! It was breathtaking. Eddie even found a crab and starfish while we walked the beach. 

 

There's just something about the white sand, palm trees blowing in the breeze and the sound of the ocean that calms and refreshes me. Maybe that's why I was inspired to do a "beach-y" craft that I'd like to share with you!

Since I knew we'd want some 5 year anniversary pics, I thought it would be fun to make a prop for them! I found this little craft shop beside the pool, designed for kids [and adults who are kids at heart!] I found some sand dollars there...perfect for beach pictures!!
I got to work with some basic supplies pictured below.

The slots at the top of the sand dollars were perfect for threading the ribbon through!

Next I wrote "5 years" on the shells...and the banner was complete!

Now for some pictures!

5 years together, filled with so many memories!

I won't even pretend it's always been easy. But it's been worth it!! This man is the love of my life and I look forward to many more years together.