Archives for July 2013

Summer Photo Fun: Caption This Little Guy!

July 22, 2013 by Cheryl Barker 6 Comments

Time to caption another photo during Summer Photo Fun here on the blog! Is this little guy adorable or what?!

I captured this shot early one morning out my office window that overlooks our backyard. Sure glad I had my camera on hand when I looked out that day.

So what do you have to say about the cute little guy above? How would you caption this photo?

“How many are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.” Psalm 104:24

*My photo

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, comes out the first of August. Sign up is free and to the right!

Filed Under: fun, nature, photo fun

Most Important Part of Wedding Day Attire

July 18, 2013 by Cheryl Barker Leave a Comment

Mother of the Bride, have you started shopping for your dress for the big day yet? You’ve probably discovered that particular task doesn’t move to the front burner of your mind until decisions are made about colors, style of bridesmaids dresses, style of the wedding itself, and many other more pressing issues as well. As in so many other facets of life, we moms usually see to our own needs only after everyone else is taken care of.

When the time does come to find the attire that will make you shine, be sure to remember an important piece of fashion advice from Ann Taylor, a 17th century British poet and children’s author. Believe it or not, her advice still rings true today. Here it is—simple and within the means of all:

“The most important thing to wear is a smile.”

Isn’t that good to know? Doesn’t that relieve some of the pressure to find the perfect dress? Mother of the Bride, just go out there on Wedding Day and flash your beautiful, joy-filled smile. You’ll make others feel at ease and happy, too.

*What are some of your favorite lipsticks to highlight that gorgeous smile of yours? My favorite is Loreal Colour Riche in Raspberries, but I think Raspberries has been discontinued. Boohoo!

*Photo by Chris Humphrey

Filed Under: advice, appearance, beauty, joy, laughter, Mother of the Bride

Summer Photo Fun: Vintage Sisterly Love and Laughter

July 18, 2013 by Cheryl Barker 6 Comments

Summer Photo Fun continues today with another look back at earlier times—only this time we’re going even further back. In fact, some might even call this 1950s shot of my older sister and me a vintage photo.

If that’s the case, I have a question that begs to be answered. Does that make Debbie and me vintage women now? :)

Hope you enjoy our cuteness—because gosh darn it, we are cute—and hope you enjoy the 1950s vibe today!

“I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.” Psalm 143:5

*What do you see in the photo that reminds you of days gone by?

*Photo by my dad or mom

Filed Under: family, fun, laughter, love, memories, photo fun

Building a Bridge to the Groom

July 15, 2013 by Cheryl Barker 2 Comments

I recently got to hang out with a brand new mother of the bride—what fun! It was double the fun because this new MOB happens also to be one of my very best friends. Jeneal and I don’t get to see each other very often so we had lots of catching up to do and also lots of wedding talk to accomplish in a few short hours.

Jeneal wanted my help in selecting a few items to send to her daughter to help kick off their long-distance wedding planning relationship. We met at Barnes & Noble along with our other good friend Teri, gathered up a variety of wedding planners, books, and magazines to peruse before deciding the best fit for Jeneal’s daughter Liz, and then deposited ourselves in the store’s Starbucks Cafe to ooh and ah and giggle to our hearts’ content. The other customers knew without a doubt that a mother of the bride and her friends were on the premises. What can I say? We were excited :)

Jeneal made her choices and then thought of one more thing she’d like to send—a little something for the groom. She hasn’t had a chance to get to know her daughter’s beloved yet since she and Liz live in different states. She thought why not make a gesture—you know, build a bridge to this new son-in-law-to-be. My friend is a wise and thoughtful woman, huh?

After we looked at a few books especially for the groom, she decided on the one pictured above, The Groom’s Instruction Manual: How to Survive and Possibly Even Enjoy the Most Bewildering Ceremony Known to Man. Since it takes a humorous approach and has illustrations, we thought it was the perfect choice for the male species in general and the best bet for one that Jeneal doesn’t really know yet.

I don’t know if the groom in question has read the book yet or not—or even if he will—but I can almost guarantee you that he was super pleased that his future mother-in-law thought of him and made an effort to include him in the celebratory package to her daughter. A small gesture can not only speak volumes, but it can build a bridge as well, can’t it?

*What can you do to build a bridge to the man who’s captured your daughter’s heart? If you already know him, how can you build on the relationship you already have?

*Phot0 from Barnes & Noble

Filed Under: books, encouragement, family, Gift, groom, kindness, Mother of the Bride, new thing, surprise

Summer Photo Fun: Sisterly Love and Laughter

July 15, 2013 by Cheryl Barker 2 Comments

I love Summer Photo Fun. It gives me the perfect excuse to show you some photos of my girls as they were growing up. Were they cute or what?! (And by the way, thanks for letting me do something a little different here on the blog during some of my crazy-busy summer weeks. Sometimes we just need to have fun, right?)

Just look at those angels in the photo above. Just behold that sisterly love. Okay, plenty of sisterly clashes happened, too—all the normal, to-be-expected stuff. But since I was busy mediating during those instead of taking pictures, you get to see the good moments :)

So for your viewing pleasure—some of the good moments throughout the years!