Sacrifice

I came across this poem about sacrifice that I thought was so beautifulI had to share. We have or will make sacrifices at some point in our lives, this poem just put things into perspective for me.


. . . SACRIFICE . . .


The sacrifice of love we give,
Takes less and yet gives more;
An everlasting hand of love,
The heart an open door.

The willingness to give of self,
To lay down your own life;
To touch another person's heart,
In loving sacrifice.

A chance that God has given you,
To reach another soul;
Forever changed by kindness,
A life your love made whole.

For life is but a circle,
Each life part of the chain;
Each link is joined by sacrifice,
That causes man to change.

To turn and reach a hand of love,
To touch another's life;
Will cause the circle to be whole,
In loving sacrifice.

Allison Chambers Coxsey

Have a Fashion Show

Maahvoulous Dahling

A sleep over with 3 lil ladies, 2 flashing photo lights and 1 red carpet equals a fun night. The girls had so much fun, they changed looks and walked the runway at least six times. This "Fashion Show" theme is so versatile, it can be used for pre-teen, teens, and even bacherlorette parties. You can change the theme name to Diva Party, Hollywood Party etc. to suite your event. Have fun! Get Inspired!

Diaper Baby

Any one who follows my blog or Twitter, knows that lately I seem to have a fascination with diaper cake's . I think it's because everyone around me is having babies, and I just love the creativity of doing baby showers. So instead of another diaper cake, I thought I'd share a picture of a diaper baby that I did a while ago.
It was very easy to make., inexpensive, and a big hit at the shower. The key to holding eveything together was the sleeper that the baby was in. Basically you just fill the sleeper with the diapers. Rolling 2 for the arms and 2 for the legs and filling the middle with flat diapers. The head was made with the diapers rolled on top of each other until it reached the approximate circumference of a baby's head and then a large rubberband was wrapped around it so the diapers stayed in place. A baby hat was then placed on it as added support. I also used a pacifier placed in between the diapers as if it was in the baby's mouth. I then wrapped the baby in a recieving blanket, placed it in a basket and put a framed letter beside the basket thanking the partygoers for the baby gifts. They really got a big kick out of it.
I searched online and found some diaper babies for $40.00 plus $10 shipping. You can make one for half of the price and it's a great gift or centerpiece.

What's a vignette?

Vi-gnette-noun, verb

1. a decorative design or small illustration used on the title page of a book or at the beginning or end of a chapter.
2. an engraving, drawing, photograph, or the like that is shaded off gradually at the edges so as to leave no definite line at the border.
3. a decorative design representing branches, leaves, grapes, or the like, as in a manuscript.
4. any small, pleasing picture or view

If you're like me and are a huge fan of HGTV, no doubt you've come across the word vignette. I hear the term countless times and just thought that I would follow up on it just to make sure I knew exactly what the designers were talking about. Well, I didn't hit the nail on the head exactly, but I was in the vicinity of what they were speaking about. Anyhoo I thought that I would showcase a few decorating vignettes that I like and you can do around the house. Super simple but makes a great impact on your living space. Start with a small space or corner of your home and style away.


This is a half bath. Notice how the flowers in the picture match the ones in the vase?


This is a guest bathroom. Instead of hanging towels on a rack, utilize an unused vase.


But, if you must use the towel rack use it with style.


I absolutely love this for the kitchen. Cookbooks and fruit nestled in a basket on the counter. I usually don't like unnecessary items on a counter because it tends to clutter it. For some reason, I don't get that with this vignette. I think it's the basket that keeps the items neat.



Can vignettes be done with pillows? I think so.



FYI, in some of the pics, you can see us in the background. I never claimed to be a professional photographer. Lol...have fun!!

Boas Make it Better

There something about putting on a boa that turns us into picture taking runway divas. At least me anyway. I don't know, but maybe it's the feathers. They just make any party festive and gives the green light to let loose and have a great time. Any party I've given seems to be more livelier when boas are added. So go ahead for your next birthday bash be it child or adult, bust out the boas and watch the fun begin.

Nail Salon and Spa

When this nail salon moved into the Owings Mills neighborhood at the old 4 way stop a few years ago, I'll be honest and tell you that my intentions were to never patronize them. I mean after all, they had just assumed the same location as the old nail salon. High priced and poor service. How could they be any better. After months and months of transient nail shopping, I was finally convinced by my sister to try them out. "They are so friendly" she said, and the place is "Gorgeous"! So try I did and I was pleasantly surprised. The owner Annie and her husband seemed genuinely nice and very accomodating. I was in love. I got my own personal box which I thought was a smart move on their end. I mean promoting loyalty an all. How could I go to another nail salon now. I mean I have a BOX. I couldn't betray Annie. So I kept going and love it more and more each time. The salon is cozy and has a spa feel to it. The prices are very reasonable and they treat you great. The services include your regular mani and pedi but also deluxe pedi's, eye waxing, eye lashes and a few other services.

So if you're ever in the Owings Mills area, their located at the old 4 way stop of Red Run Blvd. and Dolefield Rd. Stop in and ask for Annie, she'll take care of you.

Baby Diaper Cake

Ask people about a diaper cake and 4 out of 5 of them will ask you what it is. Believe me I've tried it. I was actually suprised more people don't give them or use them as centerpieces since they're so practical. So this is my attempt at educating and inspiring more people to make and give diaper cakes.
The above picture is one of my first attempt at a diaper cake. Not bad huh? If you have an hour and about $20.00, you can give one of the most awe inspiring gifts and expectant mother can recieve. Ive included a link with step by step instructionsto get you started. So be creative and get baking!

School Break

Well it certainly has been a while since I have blogged. I have been so overwhelmed this semester with medical surgical class that I had to shut down and focus solely on school. I do so admire the multi-taskers and Type A personalities that seem to be able to juggle everything at once, successfully. We get a 2 week break and I was able to drive to N.J. to visit my mother for Mother's Day. I was so excited to see my parents and the rest of the family.
I'll stay here until Tuesday or Wednesday depending on what my new school schedule will be. They will post that on Monday or Tuesday the latest.

In the meantime on my 2 week vacay, I was thinking about some crafting ideas. I have some major projects to tackle but those will definitely have to wait. I'm thinking of trying to tile some pendants like the ones I saw on Etsy, or making tutu's. Saw those on Etsy too.

We'll see. In the meantime, I'll just bask in my parents company

It's been a while

It's beena while since I blogged, and quite frankly, I really miss Pink Saturdays and everyone surrounding it. The truth of the matter is that I will be totally out of commision until May 10th. The day after final exams. I am really having a tough time in Med Surg this semester and have to buckle down to get a decent grade. I will be checking in periodically on Facebook and check out some P.S. posts. (You know I can't stop cold turkey) SO until May 10th, Au revior.

Twitter

O.k., I would be only fooling myself if I didn't admit that the Twitter craze has completely sparked my curiosity. I mean Twitter this, Twitter that, everywhere I go (online and television that is). So I went online to check out all the hoopla myself. Seems simple enough. Sign up with user name and password, log in and find friends, then tweet( post what you are doing). Oops, just inadvertently sent everyone in my e-mail list an invitation to join Twitter...embarrassing. Jeez Louise, how'd that happen? Oh yeah , the part where it says find friends, I wasn't warned that an automatic email request was going out. Or was I? I dunno, what I do know is that at least 50 people on the list are going "who the heck is that"? Especially since I haven't cleaned my e-mail list from 10 years ago. Uh yeah, can we all say procrastinator.

Anyhoo, I've tried it for about 2 days and already I am over it. I just don't have enough time to remember to keep telling everyone what I'm doing. I wouldn't mind following others though. It's like living vicariously through people. Kinda cool I think.

Accidental P.S. Post

I notified Beverly that I would not be partcipating in P.S. this week, but I think she posted prior to receiving my response. I have overwhelming school demands that prevents me from posting, but that doesn't keep me from dropping by and getting my weekly pink fix. So imagine my surprise as I am perusing through the page and notice my name on the list for P.S. I was initially panicked, then went into resolution mode to get something posted. When I see sites signed up on the list and they don't have posts, well I get just a tad bit disapointed. So as not to disappoint anyone, I went into the archive to get a post.

I chose, my response to Beverly's March 7th Anniversary/ Giveaway, Here goes:

Happy Pink Saturday and Happy Anniversary!!

I absolutely love, love, love the hatbox, adorned with roses no less.
For your anniversary today, I thought I would include some pink tidbits I came across on Wilkipedia:

In Western culture, the practice of assigning pink to an individual gender began in the 1920s. From then until the 1940s, pink was considered appropriate for boys because being related to red it was the more masculine and decided color, while blue was considered appropriate for girls because it was the more delicate and dainty color, or related to the Virgin Mary. Since the 1940s, the societal norm apparently inverted so that pink became appropriate for girls and blue appropriate for boys, a practice that has continued into the 21st century.
Though the color pink has sometimes been associated with gender stereotypes, some feminists have sought to reclaim it. For example, the Swedish radical feminist party Feminist Initiative uses pink as its color.
Pink is the color of the Breast Cancer Awareness ribbon. Pink was chosen partially because it is so strongly associated with femininity.
It has been suggested that females prefer pink because of a preference for reddish things like ripe fruits and healthy faces.This suggestion, however, has been criticized as unsubstantiated.

Could WE have ever loved blue as much as we do pink???

NEVER!...LOL

Pinks in my purse

Happy Pink Saturday Everyone!! When Friday night rolled around and I had no pink ideas, I took out a pen from my purse to write down some ideas that I may get from a brainstorming session I was about to embark on. When I had an aha moment! Hey? My pen is pink!What else is pink in there? Why not make my contribution from pinks in my purse. So here they are:

1. My blue ( with pink cover) cell phone that is always on.


2. Mint container decked out with pink rhinestones.



3. My journal, a gift from my sister. She knows how much I love pink.



4. The pink pen that started it all.



5. My orbit gum, that I only tried because the packaging was pink. Now I like it and carry it all the time.



And there you have it. All my pink purse items. Crises averted.




Until next week,

I'm off to get my pink fix at Beverly's http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Happy Pink Saturday

I've been so overwhelmed this week and will be for the next couple of weeks, so I couldn't participate in Beverly's Pink Saturday at "How Sweet the Sound". I will however, be stopping by some of the newbies and a few of the oldies to get my Pink Fix for the week and to also see who won Beverly's 365 giveaway. It could be me!

Baby Shower Origin

There is no way to determine exactly where or when the “baby shower” originated. There are several theories on baby shower history, but none can be proven. No matter where and when baby showers were first introduced, today they are a very special event celebrating a new life.

Some historians have found evidence of baby showers, or something similar, quite some time ago. These discoveries lead experts to believe that celebrating birth started in ancient cultures, like those in the Egyptian and Roman times. No definitive proof is available, but historians have deciphered data which could mean baby showers took place.

When you look at baby showers from long ago, you see that most of the gifts given to the family were handmade. Articles of clothing, blankets, and even food items were provided as gifts for the new family. Showers in the past occurred after the birth of the child, so many times part of the “baby shower” was the viewing of the new child.

The “baby shower” as we celebrate it today began after World War II. Family and friends gather together, in a party atmosphere, to celebrate the birth of a new baby. At the start, only woman were invited to attend such a gathering, but today these celebrations can include the father, grandfathers, and any male family members.

In recent years, the baby shower has started to occur before the actual birth of the child. With the new technology that is available to expectant parents, the gender of the child is not so much a mystery. Therefore, a baby shower can be thrown early in preparation for the baby’s arrival without the worry of buying the wrong thing.

No matter what the baby shower history is, the baby shower of today is a supportive and generous event toward new or expectant parents. With all the current trends toward “unisex” items, it is hard to buy the wrong thing!

Article source: Gail Leino

Happy Pink Saturday

My contribution on this Pink Saturday is my pink teacup. It's my favorite everyday cup. It looks plain on the outside but what makes it special is what's on the inside (after the tea is gone). It has an embossed heart on the inside of the cup that matches the saucer and I just love it. The mini tea cup belongs to my neice when she visits so that we can sip tea together.

Put a ring on it!

I am not normally fond of napkin ring holders, only because I haven’t really found any that stood out or would make a dramatic statement in a table setting. That is until I was recently surfing the net and came across these lovely faux diamond napkin ring holders accidentally at Harriet Carter. I was actually looking for faux diamond cupcake toppers. Boy did I get lucky. I love lucky moments. I will admit that I was a little apprehensive to purchase them, lets face it, things always look better on line, or in the book, or on T.V. Just never quite the same in person. These really surprised me, they are awesome!! I purchsed them in gold and silvertone, both to mathc the chargers that I have. They are made out of a sturdy plastic that really doesn’t look like plastic at all they look like silver or gold even close up. You have to hold them to be able to tell. I have found some similar on a wedding site ( I had to comparison shop before commiting) for double the amount and they didn’t look half as good. Take a look for yourself.





I also got them in gold tone to match my gold chargers.

The First Significant Snow

We have had minimal snow all season long and then today, the whole East Coast gets hit. We have 4 inches so far. It's not much, but it's the most we've had in Owings Mills in the last couple of years. When does spring start again?

Found It!

I Found it!. Finally I have found the Blog for Pink Saturday. It's called "How Sweet the Sound" and I added it to my " Blogs that keep me busy list". Now I have plenty of time to sign up for next Saturday, and I hope you will too.

Pink Saturday

Today at 7:00 am while I was perusing Blog sites, I came across this blog that featured "Pink Saturday". Perfect for me, since I absolutely Luuuuuuuuuuuuuuv all things pink. The problem is that I was to late to sign up(deadline was Friday at 5pm). The second problem was that my computer suddenly abandoned me right in the middle of me getting excited and getting all of the information. I couldn't even remember what site I was on. I found a site that participated in Pink Saturday, but not the original. What's a girl to do? Well, I've decided to post as if I was signed up for Pink Saturday anyway :) <~~~~~~~Rookie blogger in denial..hehe.

So here are my three lovely pink items

1. My pink silk rose that sits on my desk in my home office. It's almost so real and gives me complete joy to look at. I got it from a store called Home Goods, they have great stuff.



2. My pink portable video camcorder I got from HSN. It doesn't have a flash so it's not good for evening events, but it's pink!




3. I love this princess gift bag I found at a discount dollar store shaped like a pink castle. $1.00





That's it for this Saturday. In the meantime, I am on a mission to find the original PS blogger and get signed up on time for next Saturday. Until then,

It's Official

O.k., It's official. I'm a blogger!! I'm so excited that I could hardly stand it. I have been wanting to blog for probably about a year now. So today while I had some free time...not really free time, but time. I decided why not, and here I am. Now where to start? I'll start with the two things that got me into event planning and tea parties in the first place. 1. My niece D'Andrea and
2. Fond memories of the tea room that my mother used to take us to in Hahnes Department Store in downtown Newark, New Jersey in the late 70's.

I remember the tall ceilings, pretty teacups and saucers, fine linen tablecloths, etc. everything was so fancy and I felt like a princess. So I could totally relate to my niece when I asked her at the age of 5 what she wanted to be when she grew up and her reply was, "A Princess". Even though I politely informed her that her status as a Princess would not fetch her a salary, she was unmoved.

I set out to give her the experience I received as a little girl and put on a lavish tea party for her and her two friends. Complete with teacups, boas, treats and even a personal bell, to ring me for service when I stepped out of the room. She loved it! Afterwards, the girls got their makeup done and donned pretty costume jewelry for their fashion runway show. They have had many more tea parties after that and love them every time. They even help with set up now.

Prior to tea parties, I was always over the top when people would ask me to host baby showers and birthday parties. They loved that every theme was totally different and I came up with the most inventive baby shower games. Soon word of mouth made me the most sought after party host in my area and the rest is Throneroom Events.