New Jewelry Trend---Layers!

"Layers"...just the word sounds indulgent! The Trend Alert for 2010 is just that, indulgent. The old saying of "if I have one of those I have a thousand" is this season's mantra. You can't just wear one necklace, you have to have 10, or atleast one necklace that looks like 10. It's chunky and eclectic and wildly fun and playful. My favorite find from my recent trip to Market was a 72" pearl necklace, yes...I said 72 INCHES! It wraps around my neck 4 times and ties in a knot in the last layer. It can be short layers or not so many long layers. It can be anything I want it to be. I can wear it with jeans or a dress. I love it! It is definitely another season where you can't go wrong with pearls! Indulgent doesn't have to mean expensive either, layer what you already have. Mix and match metals, beads, ribbons etc. Have fun with it...this season's looks are meant to be played with!

Resolutions for 2010

Okay, so it's the new year, 2010...really? Everyone is talking resolutions, my running shoes come out of retirement tomorrow (reluctantly). What are my resolutions? A better question might be what are not my resolutions? Like everyone else I want to lose a few pounds, eat healthier, spend more time with family and friends, slow time down, be ORGANIZED...you know the list. My question is how to get these from being resolutions to becoming my reality! Our pastor had a good idea..."resolve to just breathe." Breathing is good, I can breathe...okay, reality! Baby steps, take one closet at a time, replace one snack with a healthy one, run a little farther each day, ask a friend to have lunch once a month, make reservations for Saturday's date night instead of waiting on my husband to do it...I can do this! We'll see where we get with the diet and the running (did I really sign up for a half-marathon in April???) but atleast for right now...I am breathing!

Jesus said, "I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abudnace (to the full, till it overflows)" John 10:10

Yes, have AND enjoy! Happy New Year!

Cute Paper Addictions!!!

In this new world of e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, cell phones, and text messages, the art of the handwritten note is being forgotten! For those of us with cute paper addictions, this is unforgiveable! We love to get notes, handwritten ones, on cute monogrammed stationery or note paper. We love to send handwritten notes, thank you's or a "Just because I'm thinking of you" note! It's a wonderful feeling to go to the mail box and find beneath the stack of bills an envelope addressed, by a friend, to you! With so many wonderful designs to choose from it's hard to believe it's a dying tradition. I encourage all of my Southern friends to not let this art die! Encourage a friend who is having a rough time or let someone know you're thinking of them today with a handwritten note (and it doesn't even have to be on cute monogrammed stationery... but it doesn't hurt!)

Happy Fall Y'all

Ahhh...the crisp, cool mornings as we wait for the school bus to arrive! It's Fall! I love it...I can already see the leaves turning brilliant shades or oranges and reds! There is just something refreshing about the first few days of Fall!

Saturdays are full of fantastic College football, tailgating and neighborhood football pools. Soon children will be deciding what to dress up for Halloween as, pumpkins will start appearing on front porches and neighbors will begin the ritual of "ghosting" one another with treats! It's a Season filled with wonderful Holidays and traditions. Happy Fall Y'all!

Back-to-School Blues?

Does anyone else have them? The first day of schol came way too fast for me, or maybe I should say the end of summer did. The house became way too quiet, the routine of sleeping late and playing Scrabble in our PJ's was gon, only to be replace with homeowrk, bedtimes and test schedules. Did I say the house became way too quiet? Am I crazy? Back-to-School time is a tansition time that I've always looked forward to, maybe not for the reasons you may be thinking. :)



Back-to-School has always been an opportunity to adopt new routines, impliment new disciplines, discover new recipes...this year...I was having too much fun with my kids! At ages eleven and tweleve (I can't believe it!) they are pople that I want to spend time with. We had a great summer with family. Bike rides and "mule" rides, it was always an adventure! Taylor learned to fly fish with my Dad, and wond the trophy for the summer's biggest fish, a 22lb catfish. (I owe a big thank you to my Daddy for waking out of a dead sleep to come take that monster off the hook...I'm such a girl!) McKay developed her own sense of style (thank God, it's a good one!) and became an accooplished fisher in her own right. I love a girl who can bait her own hook and perfectly accessorize her outfit in the same afternoon! I t was a summer that reminded me of the ones I had when I was growing up. My children begged to drive the "mule" just like I used to beg "Pop" to let me drive his pick-up truck out on the open acres of The Farm...learning to drive on The Farm, just like I did. Games of Liverpool, Scrabble and Apples to Apples...what better way to spend the summer?



School began and summer ended. The house became quiet, schedules became regimented and I got a big case of the Back-to-School Blues! Finally, after being back two weeks, I'm remembering how much I love being in the grocery store by myself, and catching up on my soaps isn't so bad either, I even have time for laundry, dinner, cleaning errands, and ...oh yeah, my other job, providing great gifts at http://www.shopconfetti.com/ .



It wasn't easy, I had plenty of reminders and subtle ones either! The first week I was sent a daily devotional from Purpose Driven Connection and it told me:



"Stay flexible! Before glass bottles were invented, wine was kept in canteens made of animal skins. As they aged, they'd become brittle and crack from new wine that was fermenting. Jesus once said, 'You can't put new wine in old wineskins' (Luke 5:37-39). Here was his point: When face with chage, we must adjust or we'll explode!"



Pray This: "Dear God, help me be more flexible this week."



This week, God got my attention by putting friends in my life who won't let me throw myself a Pity Party no matter how bad I want to Party!



I still mss my kids and am not thrilled with the afternoons being peppered with carpools, spelling lists, exponents (?), iParent, practice schedules, dinner on the fly, and having to ask sixteen times per child, "Is your homework done?" but I am finding peace in the quiet and the time to get things done before the afternoon begins. I am enjoying firends, who were just "Mom's" , like me, before the summer ended and I'm enjoying rediscovering the things I enjoy doing.



"When faced with change, we must adjust or we'll explode!" I think I'll role with the change, God knows I don't want to spend my free time cleaning up the mess if I explode! I have to run, my oldest is actually asking for me to come say "Good Night"...maybe he misses our summer, too!



Happy Back-to-School! Call me if want to do lunch! :0

Back to School Blues?

Does anyone else have them? The first day of school came way too fast for me, or maybe I should say the end of summer did. The house became way too quiet, the routine of sleeping late and playing Scrabble in our PJ's was gone, only to be replaced with homework, bedtimes and test schedules. Did I say the house became way too quiet? Am I crazy? Back-to-School time is a transition time that I've always looked forward to, maybe not for the reasons you may be thinking. :)

Back-to-School has always been an opportunity to adopt new routines, impliment new disciplines, discover new recipes...this year...I was having too much fun with my kids! At ages eleven and twelve ( I can't believe it!) they are people that I want to spend time with. We had a great summer with family. Bike rides and "mule" rides, it was always an adventure! Taylor learned to fly fish with my Dad, and won the trophy for the biggest fish of the summer, a 22 lb. catfish. (I owe a big thank you to my Dad for waking out of a dead sleep to come take that monster off the hook for me...I'm such a girl!) McKay developed her own sense of style (thank God it's a good one!) and became an accomplished fisher in her own right. I love a girl who can bait her own hook and mix and match fashion accessories in the same afternoon! It was a summer that reminded me of the ones I had when I was growing up. My children begged to drive the "mule" as I used beg "Pop" to let me drive his pick-up truck out on the open acres of The Farm, learning to drive on The Farm just like I did. Liverpool, Scrabble

Shop Confetti for a Cause...shopping for a greater good!

These days shopping should not only be about finding just what you're looking for - you're buying dollar should benefit a greater good. www.shopconfetti.com would like to help organizations that my be struggling to raise funds during these difficult economic times.

We have always supported fundraising efforts but we feel that more can be done. We have developed a new program, "Shop Confetti for a Cause". Your organization, church or school can apply to partner with www.shopconfetti.com and receive up to 20% of sales, generated by your organization, back. This time of year consumers are buying Graduation, Mother's Day and Wedding gifts, why shouldn't your association earn recognition and raise funds while they get what they are shopping for any way?

We are currently preparing to do our 2nd "Shop Confetti for a Cause" event with the Women's Ministry of Providence Presbyterian Church of Hilton Head Island to benefit the Thornwell Home for Children in Clinton, South Carolina. Thornwell has been providing hope and care for children, youth and families since 1875. The home nurtures more than 100 children, many who suffer from mild to moderate emotional difficulties stemming from a variety of family complications. The care of the Thornwell's residents is based on sound Christian principles and a warm, loving atmospher staffed by teachers dedicated to providing the finest in Christian development.

On April 22, 2009 the Women's Ministry of Providence Presbyterian Church is hosting a luncheon where everyone is invited for an afternoon of boutique shopping and lunch. Twenty percent of the sales will be donated to the Thornwell Home for Children. Last year, the Women's Ministry in combination with www.shopconfetti.com were able to give the Home over two thousand dollars to benefit their faith based programs. This year, our goal is to surpass that amount.

If you would like to attend the event, please contact Pat Green (843) 341-3574 for tickets. You can also go to www.thornwell.org and make a direct donation or find out more about their programs.

www.shopconfetti.com would like to help other organizations, schools, churches raise funds and awareness. Please contact Katie at katie@shopconfetti.com to learn more about our "Shop Confetti for a Cause" program. Making the world a better place to SHOP!