gratitude

Thanksgiving for me has always been about family, gratitude and thanking God for everything that I have and for everything that I am. 

My thoughts are with those involved in the recent violence in Israel.  My thoughts are with those that have been affected by Hurricane Sandy.  Most of all, my prayers are with those that are HUNGRY.  I am so very fortunate to be able to cook for my family on Thanksgiving and I can't imagine not being able to.  I hope and pray that one Thanksgiving, everyone will have something to eat.

I think about the wise words of Emerson:

Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson 

I strive to dwell in gratitude, to remember to be thankful every day.  With that, I wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving! 

oh so beautiful paper holiday card roundup

I was so very honored to find out this morning that one of my holiday cards was included in Oh So Beautiful Paper's holiday roundup.

Feast your eyes on this:

OSBP Holiday Card Roundup

I'm proud to be included alongside so many other super talented designers that I admire.

Thank you, Nole!

black friday comes early this year!

I normally don't take part in the madness that is Black Friday, but my shop certainly will be jumping on the bandwagon.  There's just something about getting up at 5:00 a.m. to get pushed around by a bunch of crazed strangers...  Remember the face punching and pepper spray incidents last year?  BAH!  Support your local small businesses and your favorite Etsy shops, that's what I say!

Starting today, my shop has a special Black Friday sale section.  Click through to have a look:

Black Friday Sale!

Best of all, 10% of all sales will be donated to the Hurricane Sandy victims.  The sale will be extended into December so please help me contribute to those in need.

It's the season of giving and of being thankful.  Although I did not know anyone personally that was seriously affected by the storm, my heart goes out to everyone in the region.

I'm not set on any certain charity quite yet but I'm considering the Red Cross and Save the Children.  What's your favorite charity?

i miss you, mamaw

With my sister at her nursing graduation in 2006

On the far right.  Loving that pinafore and the hair!

One of my favorite photos of her

Looking fabulous in the '50's

Rockin' that tube top and sunglasses.  Proud of her flower, I'm sure.

Four years ago on November 14th, I lost my Mamaw - my grandmother, my best friend and the greatest teacher I've ever had during my 33 years on this earth.

She taught me how to can, sew, knit, crochet and raise a garden.  She taught me how to quilt.  She taught me how to be a lady and she taught me all about respect.  She taught me how to walk with a heavy book on my head, for perfect posture, of course.  She taught me the importance of dressing well and that my shoes should always match my purse.  She taught me about God's love and she stepped in to take care of me when others couldn't.  She taught me to "stick with it" no matter what and to never, ever give up.

I know she's in a much better place now.  She suffered from a rare form of kidney cancer that spread to her bones.  She was in so much pain at the end and being a Christian woman, she was ready to go.  She spoke about dying like she was going on vacation or a big cruise.  The last time I saw her, she was planning her funeral with my sister.  She was smiling and laughing and had her pink suit picked out for the burial.  It was surreal...  She was talking about her funeral, the songs she wanted sung and the outfit she wanted to wear.  I was so broken knowing that I was loosing her, but comforted knowing that she was at peace with moving on.

It was the first snow in the mountains back home when they laid her to rest.  I remember it like it was yesterday and I still miss her every day.  Mamaw, it pains me to know that you never held my son in the physical world, but I'm sure you held him before he was born.  I know you're smiling down at us and I hope I've made you proud with what I've done with my life.   

a simple fall mantel

The banner was handmade by me.  I used an old Martha Stewart tutorial that I can no longer locate.  I should definitely post a tutorial on how to make them.  So much fun, so simple and not complicated at all! 

Happy Fall!

christmas crack

Looking at all the new ornaments that are coming out at the department stores around get me in the holiday spirit.  Last week, the family and I were out shopping and I made a comment about looking at all the Christmas crack around, referring to the ornaments.  A clerk overhead and got a good giggle.

Christmas and the holiday season is absolutely my favorite time of year.  All the shopping and creating involved really gives me a great amount of joy.  I have so many good memories of Christmas growing up and I strive to create the same for my kids.

I typically don't buy new ornaments (I collect antique ones), but shopping for them does feed my "addiction" for all things holiday-related, hence the Christmas crack joke that I have with my husband.  I actually have a large collection of antique ornaments that I add a few pieces to each year.  I'll certainly have to share some photos of my favorites, including the very first ornament that my grandmother purchased when my grandfather returned from WWII.

Now that I'm a mom, I have a annual tradition of buying ornament frames for each child.  I date each one and choose a favorite picture for the year to include inside.  We now have enough to disperse across the tree and remember all the good times we've had as a family.  I love it and it adds so much to our tree!  It's my favorite annual tradition so far, aside from all the family recipes I create each year for all our holiday gatherings.

This year, I chose a glitter ornament frame from Pottery Barn and I was so pleased to receive them this week!  Take a look:

Image via Pottery Barn Kids

These ornaments can be purchased here.  They are made of high-quality chipboard (I believe) covered in glitter and layered in a snowflake design.  The velvet ribbon included was also a beautiful addition.

What holiday traditions do you look forward to each year?  Do you love the holiday season?

featured on kara's party ideas

I'm so very honored to have been featured on Kara's Party Ideas.  If you're not familiar with the site, it's a wonderful resource for party inspiration, supplies and ideas.  Check it out:

Kara's Party Ideas Feature

I really have to thank everyone that helped me make his day a special one.  Laura Izumakawa Photography, Little Seouls Party, The Cake House, Knitting Dreams...  It couldn't have been more perfect!

custom business card stamps

One of my favorite things to create are my business card stamps in my shop here:

Business Card Stamp Listing

Kellie Winnell over at Give a Girl a Blog recently created one with me and I love the way it turned out!  She gave me a little mention on here blog here and is offering a discount to my shop to her readers:


http://www.kelliewinnell.com.au/?p=10415

She's a beautiful Aussie lady with THE cutest, most inspirational blog.  Love her hair!  Be sure to stop by and say hello...