Wish.

{my birthday is march 30th. fyi.}

{...& card available here. fyi.}

  

Stamped with love.

~~~ 

{my valentine~ who never complains when asked to jump right in... to cabbage-chopping and homework-helping- immediately upon entrance- after a LONG day at 'the office'- for his wife who has once again put herself in a position to make her way through a heavy-hearted party city- in search of red napkins... the night before.}

hope yours is filled with LOVE~ & candy.

Next year.

the 'holiday list', revisited.

as i check in on instagram, and the other social media 'sources of inspiration' time-suckers sites, i continue to add to my 'next-year' list.  the 'next year' list that is 1/2 full of items/pictures/projects from last year that were supposed to be implemented this year.

well, the tree is up, shining bright.  the other decorations are well on their way.  new outdoor lights {'old-fashioned' ones... a 'to-do-this-year' task that was actually done} have been purchased... leon has arrived, and is monitoring as close as ever.  *homemade card supplies were ordered weeks ago...

...but still untouched.  advent calendars just put out yesterday... on the 6th of december. not the creative-thoughtful-diy kind either.  the cheap-easy-low-grade-chocolate-filled-paper-box kind.

looks like those pine cones may have to wait one more year before their trims are painted white as snow.  and those christmas card supplies might just be perfect for next year's holiday cards.   

ryan's in his last wave of classes, life is chaotic, our lists are never even closed to being checked off..... and 'in the big scheme of things' it's alright.  and it IS temporary (a necessary- daily- reminder).   
                      
but speaking of next year...

i saw a gorgeous olive wreath the other day that i'd love to try my hand at creating my own version...

image via

and also, a magnolia leaf one...

image via

                                           

both trees in which we have.  both very simple and seemingly doable.
 
next year.  for sure.
             

One day at a time.

we needed a weekend with absolutely no plans... no big adventures... no home improvement projects or complicated meals.  just lego mind-storming {jacob}, a difficult research paper {ryan}, downton abbey season 2 {all... yes, we're *all addicted. even lil' hailey}, hunger games {yours truly... gotta finish the book tomorrow!!! ...hosting book club this thursday... & still scrambling to FINISH... no idea what i'm serving........}, and of course- valentines for hailey.

i knew heading into to february that it would be non-stop from beginning to end... from the superbowl party, all the way to jacob's birthday (with a million things in between).  we're halfway through... and movin' right along.  doing the best we can to to keep our sanity intact, while longing for the {calmer} month of march.  taking it one day at a time. 

  

 {happy love-week :)} 

 

{finger-painted homemade sticker & candy buttons~ simple, yet made with lots of love... & kisses}

xx

 

Wishing you...

Friendship {Listography 2011}.

  

Each Wednesday, Emily, @ Notorious MLE, Danielle, @ Elleinad Spir, and myself are working our way through the lists of Listography 2011.

  

   

 Image via

I thought this week's list would be easy.  Until I sat down to write it.

...List the qualities you look for in a friend.

There's just so many directions that I can take this topic. ~ I have a good friend that is battling breast cancer... A friend that was there for me during morning sickness hell.  Although it was nothing in comparison to what she is experiencing, I appreciate her support during those months more than she will ever know. ~ I have a best friend- that I've been married to for almost 14 years.  One who is non-judgmental, non-competitive, accepting, open-minded, supportive... and willing to help at all times- even if it's something that I slacked on due to writing a blog post, to shopping, spending time with friends... He jumps in and helps without a word of criticism. ~ And I have so many other friends- new and old, IRL and URL, family & non- all who have similar yet distinct qualities that I admire, that I appreciate, that simply make my world bigger, brighter, bolder, and better (yes, I just quoted myself from a past post on "friendship").

And then I remembered a discussion that I recently had with Hailey.  Rather, an ongoing discussion regarding friendship.  Jacob had issues with certain friends.  For a while, he had a hard time even finding friends due to his quiet, reserved nature.  But the topic of friendship was not at the forefront of our day-to-day conversations.  Not like it is with Hailey.  I've been unpleasantly surprised by the amount of drama that occurs- on and off of the playground.  Tears, judgment, control, jealousy, lies, accusations, gossip...  all  of the nasty components of a marriage-gone-south- or even an episode of The Real Housewives.  Her friends are such a central part of her existence- even at this young age, which means that these dilemmas have an impact on her very core.
 
Ridiculous and dramatic as some of the "issues" have been, they've brought to light many discussions of how to choose a friend, and how to be a friend.  After coming home in tears one day, I noticed that she got defensive any time I tried to entertain the option of her choosing to play with new friends.  Although I don't always go there (usually stick with the "how to work it out" approach), I felt that with this particular friend, the time was right.  That would be the end of the world it seemed.  I realize she's young, but I want her to develop the ability to discern who she associates with... not to be exclusive, but at least mindful.  Here's the result of our conversation...

  
Pretty much what my list would look like.  

And you??  Link up your post on friendship below, or share in the comments.  Aside from the fact that I'm extremely interested in this topic, it'll serve as more valuable "lesson material" for my little socialite.

{Next week, on the Listography train, we get to discuss t.v. moms.  Fun.}

           

A happy heart & a full basket.

                                                          

  
Feeling especially blessed today after a roller coaster of a week.  Whether you celebrate the holiday or not, I hope your weekend is filled lots of treats. 
  

Let's get it on.

                    

We spent a great deal of our weekend preparing for my grandma's upcoming 85th birthday celebration.

85's a pretttttty big deal, and I thought it'd be fun to get a little creative.  So, we're havin' a retro party at our house this Saturday.  A fun and classy way to celebrate a classy lady.  Plus, an excuse to get those pearls on, chat it up with loved ones, sip an old-fashioned cocktail, and indulge in bacon-wrapped hors d’oeuvres and classic American cuisine.  Being the old school foodie that she is, this is right up Grandma's alley (& mine too).  

Here's a little peak into the party planning...

{The invitations (from Paper Source) set the tone for the color scheme... pink & green.}

 {a trip to the thrift store for dishes & attire for the boys... lots of party goods for only $26.00... love it}

 

 {the "dress rehearsal"}

 {Hailey & I simply shopped our closets (yes, that dress was in my closet... long story).}

And tomorrow, we'll talk food.  The menu's not set, so if you have any recommendations, let me know! 

Happy Monday... Hope it's a good one :).

 

Fresh cut valentines.

Tomorrow is the big day.

                                 

The classroom Valentine party.

The day to celebrate LOVE CANDY.

{can't wait to see what we get... oh, I mean- what Hailey gets}

      

p.s.

Heart & lollipop instructions can be found here!                    

From our family to yours...

  

Happy Birthday Ryan.

                                     

 Card from Jack Cards, right here .

  

  

They say that behind every successful man lies a woman. 

For me, the reverse is true.

You may be the "behind-the-scenes" guy in many ways...

...but you're *in the spotlight* of my heart. 

Every. Single. Day. 

    

{and I can't wait for a weekend of celebrating YOU}

 

A note of inspiration.

 

I'm headed to hang out with the gals for a book club gathering tonight, and I've got thank you cards and hostess gifts on the mind.  Too often, I grab a bottle of wine on my way out the door- no card, no cute ribbon- just wine.  Which, don't get me wrong.  Wine is always a much appreciated gift in our home.  But on the rare occasions that I'm not scrambling to finish the book up until the minute I have to leave, it is nice to put a little more creativity and thought into the gift... or at the very least include a card with the wine!  I mean, these ladies really do go all out for the occasion.

 

Which leads me to these lovely polaroid notecards, from a seriously fun place to gift shop, Fred Flare.  It's nice sending a note with a little added inspiration.  The cards are creative, original, and simply, dreamy.  Each image sparks up a childhood memory, a favorite place or experience, or a reflection of nature, and the changing seasons.  {Note:  These may have hit the blog world already, but since I'm a fairly new blogger, I'll play the new 'card' here and share anyways.}

 

The creator, Jen Altman, is brilliant, in my book.  This pretty much says it all...

...she is a photographer, writer and editor.  and she loves italy, chocolate gelato, the south, pretty much anything that has been deep fried, french pop, old school heavy metal and thinks science is almost as fascinating as art.

  

Yes, my kind of lady.  And, I just discovered that she has a blog!  A happy day.

 

  {Here are some of my favorites...}

 The cards can also be purchased here and here.

  

On another 'note' (I'm on a roll with the puns today!), make sure you visit my friend Stephanie, for not one, but 2 recipes.  And one of them can serve as an appetizer, dinner, or dessert!  Check out the rest of her blog, while your at it... if you're up for witty, down-to-earth, real life stories, and lots of tips and inspiration too :).

 

P.S.

I made Abby's soup last night and it did not disappoint.  It was hearty, healthy, and delicious.  I adapted it a bit, according to my pantry (as she suggested), and topped it off with kalamata sourdough bread/Gruyere croutons.  Her blog is another one of my new daily reads!  Just read this and you'll see why.  She had me at "a big old farmhouse."

       

The card solution.

            
Here, I promised you a post regarding the one & only, Jack Cards.  The time has come.

There are certain times of the year, this being one of them, that the 'celebratory occasions' begin to stack up- birthdays, anniversaries, you-name-it.  Yet, this time of the year also happens to be extremely busy, as summer is {sadly} coming to a close and the school year is almost upon us.  A time when it is very easy to get behind- or forget altogether.  I love shopping for cards.  I don't mind spending a little extra time and money for a quality, meaningful card.  There are times that I'd prefer to shop [off of the computer] for a card, or to create our own.  

But @ other times... Jack Cards is the perfect solution.  In a nutshell, here's how it works:

1. Sign up for free.
2. Enter in important dates, such as birthdays or anniversaries, throughout the coming year or even just the time period that you may be 'card challenged'; enter in the corresponding contact information. 
3. When you have the time, shop around for the perfect card for each occasion; order in advance.
4. Before each occasion, you will receive a stamped and addressed card (unless you don't need it stamped/addressed) in the mail- with enough time for you to personalize and send or deliver it.

No more stress.  No more excuses.  No more guilt.

Here are my recent selections of the many nifty cards offered.

 Most are birthday cards, since that's what I needed @ the moment.

{First card- Inside note: "i'm a little behind."} 

 *All cards available @ Jack Cards (birthday & anniversary section).

 

I {heart} fred flare.

Have you heard of Fred Flare??  It is the ideal store for purchasing gifts that are unique, fun, and stylish.  Perfect place to go for the hard-to-buy-for-teenager or the friend-who-has-everything...or if you're just plain sick and tired of shopping at the same ol' boring places.  Sometimes it's fun to veer away from practicality when shopping for a gift.  Brings out the inner kid (who likes silly stickers, red balloons, and candy sprinkles)- in both the giver and the receiver!

Not to mention that they have great sales.  And lots of them.  IN FACT:  Now until July 1st, you can use the discount code "summer" to receive $10.00 off of any $25.00 purchase! 

Here are some of the fun things I've purchased @ this fabulous store.

All images via fredflare.com.  

From left to right, top to bottom: 

silly face stickers; pop art color camera; camera photo album; measure your love cups; love & toast mini perfume (sugar grapefruit); juno cheeseburger phone; t-shirt graffiti marker kit; the small object labels & stickers; wacky bandages (cupcake); bookworm bookmarks; sprinkle heart ring; polaroid notes; cool jewels ice cube tray; love on toast stamp; mini tape gun; wacky bandages (tattoo); fondue for two porcelain mug; the nancy drew cookbook

My favorite crafting tool.

  

  
I do not consider myself an avid crafter, but I do love to create handmade gifts, labels, tags, and cards.  A couple of years ago, I was on a mission to find an adhesive strong enough to apply strips of ribbon to several Christmas Cards.  I wanted the cards to look like a Christmas present (with the card being the "wrapping paper," decorated by my kids).  I needed the ribbon to lay flat, so that I could attach a little gift tag right in the cross section.  Nothing worked- glue or tape.  The glue seeped through...didn't hold the ribbon flat, or in place...was a sticky mess.  The tape...too wide or thick...didn't even stick to the ribbon.  While discussing this with an employee at Michaels, she recommended the Xyron Creative Station.  
 

And that is when I discovered the the crafting tool that I could not live without.  

 
It worked perfectly for the ribbon and I used it for all of the gift tags for the center of each card.  No need to mess with tape or glue!  I have used it for many, many projects and it has been really helpful for homework assignments too.  Here is a little example of lunch-box notes that I turned into stickers, using the handy, dandy sticker maker.

Speaking of graduations...

here are some of my favorite cards to celebrate the occasion, which is right around the corner.
All cards can be found at the very cool site, Jack Cards, which deserves an entire post of its own (coming soon), but if you can't bare to wait, click here.
 

Inside Message:  "You Rock"