'tis the season for giving

Good morning, friends! I find I am most inspired to write a little something in the morning.. but I can't always do that! ;) I have already looked at some magazines or read some books or better yet, prayed, and my mind is  more alert and creative. Yes, this is creative for me. HAHA!

So I know in DC everyone is revving up for showers. Bridal showers and baby showers are in full swing. Here, not so much, but I do have one baby shower to look forward to!

After my post about wanting a gift closet, I couldn't resist getting a few things during my next visit to Marshall's.

And what is so wonderful besides the happy array of colors and variety is that it tallied to less than $20! Can you believe it? I even carved out a little space in a closet for them to be on display rather than shoved in a drawer somewhere.

On another note, my Mom loved her gift.

You can't see everything, but it was all around the theme of helping her as she helps others. There are those fabulous encouraging note cards, some pretty baking papers and boxes, and a few gifts just for her.

Gifts are such a wonderful way to show you care and have taken a moment to step outside of your world and entered into another person's own realm of concerns and happiness.

Have a wonderful day!

new settings

Hi everyone! Good morning! I hope everyone's day is off to a great start. This morning, I was thinking what "wisdom" we buy into. It seems like everyone has their own brand, something that seems to work for them in their sphere according to what they want to accomplish.

Do I want the admiration of strangers? I had better work out ferociously and pay attention to every meticulous detail.

Do I want others to see my success? Then I'd better buy the most expensive car and house I can.

Do I want others to see how smart I am? Then I'd better work at the best think tank in town.

And so it goes...

But that is only half-wisdom. I'd rather win the love and respect of those that I love and respect. It is a fascinating journey to uncover what values you hold dear and try to live your life according to them.


I think Tolstoy and Austen are the best at exposing the two worlds within the same social sphere, one authentic, and one that is so very superficial, and I can't thank them enough for doing so!

On another note, my husband fixed the settings so that anyone can comment if you like. You no longer have to have a blog account. So lets get the conversation started! I'd love your feedback.

downtime

Happy Easter to everyone!

Today I am happy to say that I reused and recycled some beads of mine! A few necklaces and bracelets had broken even up to a couple of years ago and so over break, I had the idea of reusing them for a new purpose rather than trying to fix the old ones to make them look like new. So here are two I came up with:

The one on the right is for me because I like more odd and big pieces of jewelry, and the one on the left is for a friend of mine who is more petite and me. She also has a lot of skin allergies. It made me think creatively about how to make them close, thus the bead and loop. Not bad for an amateur! ;)

So, she is soon to get a belated birthday present. What a great way to relax today. This box is also recycled from cards I sent in my mom's bday package. The box would not have fit in the bag properly, I know my friend will like the little saying.

Have a wonderful day!

good friday

It is Holy Week, one of my favorite times of the year! That may seem so odd and contradictory because it is filled with self-emptying, betrayal, torture, and death. But it is ultimately about true love.

So many times we are busy looking at ourselves, thinking about ourselves. And that is what makes this week so different. It teaches us to pray.

How does one pray? Turn the inner monologue into a conversation directed toward God. Yes, He listens the instant we address Him, and the thoughts (eventually) become more clear, more supernatural, rather than spiraling on a bitter path of self-absorption.

And ask. Ask for what you need. The key? We have to really want it and trust Him. Prayer Pulls off the exterior layers of life and allows us to enter a beautiful, hidden realm of flowers in the same world we inhabited before. the difference is that now we are starting to see with the eyes of the one who made it. "Lord, that I may see."..( Luke 18:41). "And your prayer has only just begun.

spring break!

(image: merchantcircle.com)

Don't we all wish laundry provided this blissful experience? ;) Spring Break is here and I look forward to it and I also in some respects fear it. By 7 AM, my kids had set up a mattress on some shelves and were gleefully sliding down it complete with tile floor below. Luckily these two can turn any chore into a fun experience, including folding laundry. They soon turned their creative powers into pretending they were delivering laundry to each room. My Spring Break motto? "Find something to do, or I will find something for you to do!" I will add that it made my morning much happier working with my children. Imagine that; the feeling that your work is shared, that is, the experience of what being in a family is all about :), and the added enjoyment of the individuality of my kids. They bring so much to my life in the form of mini surprises at the wonder of their growing into their own.

Before I need to dash, guess what I received from a friend for my birthday?

PAPER!!

Have a wonderful day!

magic of giving

If finding gifts was a hobby, I'd consider it one of mine. There is something so pleasurable in thinking about someone and finding something that expresses appreciation or finding something that tells the person you know just what they like and what makes them tick. And making it look so pretty that the wrapping alone can bring a smile. As you can see, it doesn't take much! These are little boxes of chocolates for my kids' teachers for Easter.

(image snapped at the grocery store from Southern Living. The following as well)

The above picture is like a dream of mine. At one point I had a gift drawer, but this is much more curated. I can't say I agree with the choices, but the idea? Fabulous. How many times are we running to someone's new house and wishing we had something beautiful to give them? I'll give some thoughts as to what would be in my gift closet. This is of course entirely different than a birthday gift or something more planned and thought-out. I think part of the nuturing this closet provides is directed toward yourself because beautiful things are at your fingertips, and you know the joy they will bring to someone one day.

Another delicious nook?

Writing notes is such a special occasion, and the right, inspiring papers and accoutrements make the experience an experience rather than a fly-by occurance. As a sweet aside, one of the questions my BF Michelle asked at my wedding shower was what my favorite hobby was. The answer? Paper! My soon-to-be hubby was the only one who got it right. He's also the one who at Barnes and Noble one day long ago removed a stack of future anonymous "books as gifts" from my hands. Think of something from "Mad About You." It was very funny! :)

My mom's b-day is coming up and I am coming up with a special something to send to her. She reads this ( Hi Mom!), or I would tell you... but maybe post-birthday I'll share.

Have a wonderful day!