Archives for January 2016

Wedding Day First Dance Photo—Show Off Her Rings!

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How about a twist on the more common Wedding Day first dance photos, Mother of the Bride? How about one that shows off the bride’s rings? That’s right, why not highlight the fact that she’s a married woman now. Let the glory of it be recorded for all time!

As the bride slips her arms around her groom’s neck, the photographer can capture the perfect shot—and not only of the rings, but of their love and of the elegance and beauty of their fairy tale day. Her freshly manicured nails and the sparkle of her rings shows up perfectly against his black tux, creating such a rich shot. But more than that, the love shines through without a word in this simple and tender pose.

MOB, why not share this post with the photographer so he or she can be looking for the perfect opportunity to capture a similar shot with your daughter and her beloved? What a sweet surprise it will be for them when they see the photos from their special day!

*You might also like to read Engagement Photo Idea: Show Off the Ring and A Keepsake Photo of the Wedding Invitation.

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

*Don’t miss out on the One-More-Chance Starbucks Giveaway on my home page. Deadline to enter is Feb. 10th!

*Flickr Photo by Corey Ann, Creative Commons License

One-More-Chance Starbucks Giveaway

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In honor of Valentine’s Day coming up in a couple of weeks and since this holiday is all about love, I’m going to give you another shot at winning a giveaway prize you all seem to love—a Starbucks gift card!

That’s right, the Starbucks giveaways I do here on my blog seem to get the biggest response of all. So since I love you all and want to give you what you love and since cold weather still has us wanting to curl up with a hot drink, I give you the One-More-Chance Starbucks Giveaway! One lucky commenter will win a $15 Starbucks gift card. Now whether you’ll splurge on hot drinks or pastries or one of each will be entirely up to you :)

To enter, just leave a comment on this blog post by 6 p.m (CST) Wednesday February 10th, and I’ll announce the winner in my midweek morsel post the next day. Any comment will do, but to make it more fun, why not tell me one of your favorite treats for Valentine’s Day. Whether it’s flowers, candy, a delicious hot drink, a night on the town, or something sparkly from the jewelry store, let’s have fun sharing some of our favorites. Me? It’s hard to choose, but I always love a night at the movies or some Harry & David Dark Chocolate Truffles.

And while we’re thinking about treats, let’s be sure to treat ourselves daily to the joys and comforts of God’s Word. That will be a sweet treat for our souls that will hit the spot indeed!

“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Psalm 119:103

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

*Flickr photo by ND Strupler, Creative Commons License

Wedding Cake Topper Idea: The Tiffany Blue Box

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Mother of the Bride, is your daughter making decisions about the wedding cake yet? So much to think about. Along with flavor, type of frosting, and style, decisions will need to be made about the specific design.

One of those design decisions will be what kind of cake topper she would like or what would best complement the design she chooses. Would fresh flowers look best? Would some sort of fun topper work with her cake and match her and her guy’s personality? Or would a classic and elegant topper like a silver monogram or entwined hearts be the perfect choice?

Be sure to add today’s idea—a Tiffany gift box—to the list of possibilities. The world-famous Tiffany jeweler is known for their Tiffany Blue Box so wouldn’t this age-old coveted gift box be a beautiful yet fun topper for a wedding cake?

The example above shows the box propped open with a strand of pearls displayed, but if your daughter has a different idea on how to feature a Tiffany Blue Box as the topper, just have her talk to her baker/designer. Chances are the baker will be able to do whatever she requests.

So MOB, show this idea to your daughter—and maybe even the Father of the Bride. Drop a hint or two and you might just end up with a Tiffany Blue Box yourself!

*You might also like to read Groom’s Cake Toppers for the Hunter.

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

*Flickr photo by Graceful Cake Creations, Creative Commons License

God Blesses Above and Beyond

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Anyone growing weary while traveling a hard road? Anyone growing discouraged while waiting for God to answer your cries for mercy? Don’t give up. Let me encourage you. God may be getting ready to bless you above and beyond your present hopes. The photos with my post today are our family’s testimony to that very fact.

Before I say more about our family’s story, though, let’s recall a story from the Bible—one that shows how God has been in the above and beyond business for a very long time. We all remember the story of God parting the Red Sea for Moses and the Israelites as they made their escape from Egypt, but do you remember that they then traveled for three days in the desert without finding any water?

I’d say traveling in the desert without water is a hard road in anyone’s book. The parched and desperate travelers must have been begging for mercy from the God who was leading them out of Egypt. When they came to Marah, they found water, but it was bitter. Moses cried out to the Lord, though, and he showed him a piece of wood to throw in the water to make it sweet. The Lord heard Moses’ cry for help and met their desperate need.

God was not finished blessing and refreshing the Israelites, though. He led them on to even more. When they reached Elim, they not only found water in abundance—twelve springs to be exact—but they found shade as well in the form of seventy (yes, seventy!) palm trees. God blessed them above and beyond.

God has blessed our family above and beyond, too. Our daughter Kristin and son-in-law Shawn traveled a painful desert road for years as they desperately cried out to God for a baby. As their parents, we traveled a hard road as well as we hurt for them and prayed along with them. And then, when none of us knew how much longer they could endure, God answered our cries for mercy. He blessed Kristin and Shawn with precious newborn twin boys—our sweet grandsons Isaiah and James. Yes, when God answered, he said, “Here’s two!” Above and beyond indeed!

Friends, we have a Father who specializes in above and beyond, who loves to give good gifts. If you are barely hanging on today as you wait for him to answer your cries for mercy, take heart. He loves you. He has the perfect plan in place, the perfect answer for you and your unique situation. Trust in him. Trust in his above and beyond heart. Even though the answer may be different than what you imagined, it will be what’s best. He will not fail you.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

*When has God answered your prayers above and beyond what you dreamed or imagined?

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

*Photos by Anna Martin Photography; also find Anna on Facebook.

Isaiah and James

Table Décor for Rustic Weddings

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Mother of the Bride, if a rustic wedding is in your daughter’s future, have either of you given any thought yet to style-appropriate table décor? Your decision might be influenced by whether or not the reception will be indoors or outdoors or whether the theme is more specific to ranching, farming, a throwback to the Old West, or just country living in general.

The mason-jar-with-flowers idea shown above is simple yet adorable and could fit in well with a variety of rustic weddings. Simply start with a mason jar, add a swatch of burlap and ribbon around the middle, tie off a twine bow at the top, and fill the jar with some simple and inexpensive baby’s breath and another flower in one of the wedding colors. The result? Super cute, easy to make, and budget friendly as well. Can’t beat that, huh?

So MOB, if rustic is the order of your upcoming big day, share this great idea with your little bride-to-be daughter and see if she’d like to use it for her table centerpieces or as table (or stump!) décor or as accent pieces in other places. These cute mason jars will be sure to add a touch of beauty however they’re used!

*You might also like to read Table or Mantelpiece Décor Idea for a Rustic Wedding, Watering Can Wedding Centerpiece, Table Décor Finishing Touch: Fresh Rose Petals, and Wedding Table Décor: Add Pizzazz with Confetti.

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

*Flickr photo by Sweet Carolina Photography, Creative Commons License