My Week In Pictures

Clockwise: 

Getting a haircut with my daughter in my lap. 

Sophia is going through a phase where she won't eat breakfast. I was hoping grits would do the trick, but no such luck.

My husband reminding me not to use the disposal. 

Putting together an Ikea bookshelf. I hate their instructions.

 

Including Personal Pictures In Your Wedding

How has your week been? Are you looking forward to the weekend? Have any accomplishments you'd like to share? As for me, I have been enjoying the dish rack we got at Ikea (ahhh, it's the small things in life). I also managed to get a haircut while my 18 month old sat in my lap. That was the fastest anyone ever cut my hair and we all managed to survive - no nicks, cuts, or bruises! Yay! I took a picture, which I've been trying to do a lot of lately. My little girl will love to have pictures of her and her mommy when she gets older, no matter what I look like, so I'm trying really hard to kick the "I-look-like-crap-in-this-picture" frame of mind.

Speaking of pictures, I love seeing photos of loved ones and family members included in wedding decor. You can do this to honor those you love and cherish, whether living or passed away, and it's also a wonderful way to include your parents or grandparents - say if you wish to highlight their fifty plus years of marriage or something. Will you be doing something like this on your wedding day?

People also love to see photos of the bride and groom as children!
photo from Landlocked Bride

 - photo uploaded by user on Pinterest

photo from Portland Bride and Groom

photo from Style Unveiled

Top Photo: From The Sweetest Occasion

And with that folks, I am just about out of here for day, 

but I have a few important things to share first:

WilliamsBrides  - An interactive wedding event held in Williamsburg, Brooklyn - February 26th

 Committed - An avant-garde wedding event in Chicago, IL - February 26

Idojour.com - a fun, new wedding boutique

Did you see yesterday's post? We're still looking for ways to help Wayne!

 

A Day For A Mitzvah

 A "mitzvah" is a term used in Judaism to represent a good deed acted out of human kindness.

Last week I was at a local fast food restaurant, eating lunch with my 18 month old daughter, when I couldn't help but overhear the conversation of the two men sitting next to me. Now, I'm not one to eavesdrop... (Actually, that's not true. I am a total eavesdropper. I find other people's lives much more interesting than mine.) And my interest was caught when I heard this man, who we will call Wayne, tell a story about his friend, named Leah, who had cancer. Cancer that had started off in the lungs in early 2011 and was beat into submission with rounds of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. However, in October of 2011, the cancer had returned and through gentle questioning, Wayne found out it spread to her brain, spine, and pelvis.

Then Wayne divulges to his friend something along the lines of, "We met for coffee and she blurted out to me, 'I'm not ready to leave my daughter, not till she finishes her degree.'" I then hear that her daughter, who while studying for her masters degree, has also been with her mom for nearly every treatment, every hospital visit, all while studying for exams and taking classes.

I hear him say that Bruce Springsteen is kicking off his tour in Atlanta and apparently they are all huge fans. Huuuuge! Leah grew up near Asbury Park, NJ, which is where Bruce got his start and she has been a fan ever since. At the realization that Leah might not have another chance to see a Springsteen concert, Wayne wants to take her and her daughter on the most amazing evening they've ever experienced. His wish is to surprise Leah and her daughter with not only a ride to the venue in a stretch limo, but tickets for all three of them to enjoy the show from the first row (or at least around the first 10 rows). Somewhere in all this, the big dream is to get backstage passes and to meet the band, and by some amazing act of God, maybe even Bruce himself! How incredible would that be!

So remember I am overhearing all of this. I am finished with my lunch and I came very close to just leaving, but as someone who recently heard this, I just couldn't walk away. I introduced myself and told this man, whose name is in fact Wayne, that I would try to help him and his friend. I wasn't sure how, and am still not sure how, but I thought, "I know you, dear readers. Maybe you know how to help?" As a result, I am putting this out there on the off chance that maybe you know someone, or maybe you know someone that knows someone.

Here is what Wayne needs to make, what I have dubbed, "Project Leah" happen:

One, donated Limousine service for the evening of March 18th

Two, three front row tickets (or at least close to the front row) to the Bruce Springsteen show in Atlanta in March

Three, backstage passes. I'm not even really sure where backstage passes come from, but they must exist, right? 

Four, and the icing on the cake, would be to meet the band and Bruce.


These are all tall orders, but Wayne seems like a good person. His full name is Wayne Dubner and he is a podiatrist who retired six years ago due to Parkinson's Disease. I only talked to him in person for a total of five minutes, but after our conversation, he sent me a four page letter about Leah and his wish for her, which he originally sent to Oprah, and thanked me profusely for my offer to help. If you have any ideas on what to do or how to help, feel free to leave a comment here or you can contact Wayne here. If anything, it would be greatly appreciated if you could send in a good prayer for Leah's health!

I'll be keeping in touch with Wayne and I'll let you know if anything happens!

 

Creative Ways to Use Yarn In Your Wedding or Shower

Yarn Letters

My husband is currently cleaning (GASP!) and my daughter is using my head as a jungle gym, but at least she is entertaining herself, so I'm using this precious time to browse Pinterest and post some goodies I found. I've never thought of using yarn to wrap letters, make a colorful chandelier, or even to spruce up empty beer bottles, but as you can see, the results are pretty freaking awesome. Plus, there are some pretty great eco-friendly yarn options too.

Yarn poms, yarn wrapped vases (top) and yarn wrapped beer bottles (bottom). 

 

This is stunning in its simplicity. Imagine this yarn wreath greeting guests as they enter your wedding venue. 

What a unique way to add some color a wedding shower!
Love these Yarn Chandeliers!

My Not-So-Profesional Advice on Decorating Differences

 photo from Ikea.com

Did you have a good weekend? We spent Sunday visiting Ikea, toddler in tow. I love how they have products which will turn 270 square feet into a zen oasis, worthy of a full page spread in Architectural Digest. And yes, they have snazzy lights and post modern floor lamps which make you re-think your entire living room decor. However, none of this is as amazing as it's ability to splinter even the most long standing relationships, making couples question if their love really is as solid as the ever reliable and sturdy Billy Bookshelf.

My husband and I are lucky - our tastes in furniture and home decor generally run along the same lines (although there are some lines I'm not allowed to cross, such as no pink bathrooms, no chandeliers in the bedroom, and no flower boxes on the windows, and in return I get pretty free reign). But for those couples with vastly different ideas of what makes a beautiful home, I imagine it must be much harder. What do you do when he insists on keeping his favorite couch from college while you yearn to purchase a sleek sectional sofa? Or maybe he has plans to turn the dining room into a fully stocked bar with a poker and Foosball table? Furnishing your new digs together can go from exciting to super dull when you find out you can't even agree on what type of rug to buy.

I've been married almost five years, which doesn't make me an expert, but if you find yourself in a decorating differences pickle, here's what I think are your best options:

1. If you have the money, hire a decorator and make him or her find a way to marry your two styles.

2. Ladies, pick your battles. I know it might suck, but it won't kill you to let him keep the couch. Unless of course that stain from 2002 really is carrying some mystery disease, in which case, stage a robbery in which all the thieves take is the couch. Feign ignorance and practice your I-can't-believe-they-stole-that face.

3. Make a deal, but never bargain with sex. Sex is like water to a guy, so you can't take that away from them or they will probably die. Instead, say, "Honey, if you get rid of the couch, you can get that Foosball table you've been dreaming about." Then stage robbery of Foosball table.

4. I'm sorry, I'm laughing too hard about my own advice in number 3. Give me a second.

5. Okay, although this is the most unexciting option, it's most likely your best. Discuss what styles you both prefer before you go shopping. Talk about how much you're willing to spend and decide what you're willing to compromise on and what you're not. This might mean you end up spending an entire year looking for a coffee table, but I promise that will be better than you giving in just to make him happy.

Thank you dear readers. My pity party is over! :)

Hello dear readers, thank you so much for letting me vent my frustrations the other day. Before going to bed that night, I was really sad and mopey, so I meditated and something beautiful kind of happened. For a split second, this intense feeling came over me that can only be described in these words, "Being grateful is a way of life, not something you can express in words." And then this phrase appeared in my mind, "Don't be afraid to act upon the invitation." This is kind of like a fortune cookie. I don't know what the hell it means exactly, but I'm going to keep it forever! The universe works in mysterious ways my friends. This reminds me I need to thank you all for being so understanding and kind. Your ears and sympathetic comments are very encouraging and I am so lucky to know - whether in real life or online - all of you.

 

Should you invite children to your wedding?

So the question of the day today is...*drum roll please*...  
Should you invite children to your wedding?

 Photo from The Thirty Something Bride

If you asked me this question five years ago, I totally would of said NO! In fact, I didn't invite children to my wedding by doing it the only etiquette friendly way I knew how - by leaving their names off the invitation. People brought their children anyway and ultimately, it ended up being a ton of fun. Those kids... They rocked it on the dance floor. They were cute and funny and joyful. They had parents that took them out of the room when they misbehaved. I felt like an idiot.

I know not every wedding is conducive to having children attend. What do you think? Will you be inviting them to your wedding?

DIY: Eco-Friendly Out of Town Bags

This is a repost from August 2010. :)

I love receiving mail from readers! Especially when they recommend or share an eco-friendly idea or project. When I get "fan" mail, I secretly say to myself, "You love me! You really love me!" Okay, maybe it's not so secretly. Maybe I belt it out in a sing songy voice while doing a river dance. My husband thinks I'm crazy.

I received an email from fellow blogger and Earth Friendly Weddings reader, Kristy of I'm Gonna Marry You Someday, about an awesome DIY project she took on for her own wedding. Rather than purchase bags for the out of town guests, Kristy took a big leap and created her own out of newspapers. The result!? Incredibly cute, wonderfully graphic bags that are truly eco-friendly. And hello!? Completely free! Each bag uses only two pieces of tape, which is promising for those of you who end up with paint in your hair and tape all over your clothes when you try to DIY. Check out the tutorial here!

Come Join My Pity Party

Dear lovely readers,

I am having a tough time tonight. A really tough time. I would like to write that I spent a lot of time contemplating whether or not I should be sharing my pity party with you, but I'm kind of channeling Betty White (the queen of bluntness IMO) at the moment, so grab the DJ and start putting toothpicks through those olives! Let's get this party started!

It's been a long day. My daughter, who is 18 months old, is entering the terrible two's and her attitude change is wearing me out. My husband works a lot and I choose to be a stay-at-home-mom, so I play domestic diva most days - cleaning house, child rearing, making dinner, playdates, etc... - and I work on this blog in the evenings. I don't get a lot of sleep as a result. Of course, no one is forcing me to blog. I do it because I like it and because I need a little something to call my own. I have been working hard to build a brand and make this blog an interesting place to visit and I was recently very excited when a company contacted me about doing a sponsored post. However, after a little back and forth, I realized they did not want me to explicitly state that it would be a sponsored post and that I would be receiving compensation. That's okay, I understand where they are coming from, but I didn't feel comfortable not putting a compensation disclaimer because I feel it's misleading. Since I refused to comply, they refused the sponsored post. *Sigh. Standing alone on the dance floor. Stuffing face with tooth picked olives.*

So I am left once again at what feels like a starting point and for some reason, a complete sense of failure. After some thought, I realize my problem is twofold - one, I need more clearly defined goals,  and two, I am attaching my sense of self worth to extrinsic achievements (i.e. the success of this blog, my daughter's behavior, my relationships with friends, etc...), when really I need to focus on intrinsic accomplishments. I do believe that by doing this, the extrinsic success will follow, it's just such a hard mindset to leave behind. After all, rarely do we consider "wealth" and "success" to mean anything but "high monetary value."

So off I go. My dad used to tell me to "get over it." (Thanks for the sensitive advice, Dad.) So that's what I am going to attempt to do tonight. Tomorrow is a new day and I promise this PMS laden post will be replaced with a brand, new cheeriness. Optimism is a beautiful thing and as part of my new focus on intrinsic achievements, I plan to implement fully.


*Starting to dance a little. Can see disco ball lights dancing around my head.*