Wedding Day Photo: Bouquets in a Bunch

June 1, 2021 By Leave a Comment

Mother of the Bride, I have a wedding day photo idea for you today that’s a real winner. This shot will be super simple for your photographer to set up but provides a colorful and gorgeous reminder of the day. Easy plus amazing. You can’t beat that!

I call this dynamite photo idea bouquets in a bunch. Simply have the bride hold her star-of-the-day bridal bouquet waist-high and then ask the bridesmaids to hold their bouquets all around hers. The effect is stunning as the bridesmaids’ bouquets encircle the bridal bouquet, showing off in glorious fashion not only the colors of the wedding, but the bride’s choice in flowers as well.

Why not suggest this perfect wedding day photo to your daughter, MOB? Then jot it down on the list of photos you’d like the photographer to take on her big day. You’ll be glad you did!

*You might also like to read Cute Idea for the Bride: Shoes to Match the Bouquet.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, will come out in early August. Sign-up is FREE and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.) *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*Flickr photo by theinvinciblemom, Creative Commons License

Leave a Comment Filed Under: beauty, bride, bridesmaids, color, flowers, memories, Mother of the Bride, photo fun, preparation, wedding Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

God Living in Us Makes Us Lovely

April 20, 2021 By 4 Comments

“How lovely is your dwelling place, LORD Almighty!” Psalm 84:1 NIV

One morning when a full, out-of-town day stretched before me, I wanted a taste of God’s Word to begin my day. I decided to open my Bible to a random Psalm and read wherever my eyes landed. And I am so glad I did.

I opened to Psalm 84 and as I read the first verse, the taste I desired exploded into a feast. They were familiar words, but in that instant, I saw them in a new light, with a deeper understanding. My drive-through, random reading suddenly felt like a full course meal.

This psalm, this verse, was written in Old Testament times, of course, and the words “dwelling place” referred to the temple of God. But in the New Testament, where does Paul tell us God’s dwelling place—his temple—is now? In us! In the hearts of believers. “Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16 NCV)

So if you’re a believer like me, what does this truth mean for us in the context of the above Psalm 84:1 verse? Because God’s Spirit lives in us, friends, we are lovely. And not just an off-hand use of the word lovely, but lovely emphasized—how lovely. In other words, you and I are very lovely. Extremely lovely. Amazing, huh?!

I’ve got to be honest. I don’t usually think of myself as lovely—in the physical or the spiritual sense. Too often I concentrate on the imperfections in both realms. I dwell on the warts of my shortcomings.

But I need to see myself as God sees me. Redeemed and dearly loved as one of his children. As very lovely because he lives in me. Anyone else need that reminder today?

“And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, which is from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 NET

*How has God’s loveliness been shining through you lately?

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, comes out in early May. One lucky subscriber (new or current) will receive a $15 gift card to Amazon and a signed copy of my book to use personally, give as a gift, or donate to a library. Sign-up is free and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.) *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, check out my Books/My Work page.

*Flickr photo by Shandi-lee, Creative Commons License

4 Comments Filed Under: appearance, beauty, body, encouragement, food, love, new thing, Word of God Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Sounds of Spring: Sounds of Life

April 6, 2021 By 2 Comments

Early in the mornings, when I stick my head out the door or step outside for a few seconds to take in the beauty of the day, the sounds that greet me often capture my attention first. And right now, it’s the sounds of spring that fill the neighborhood. Yes, the sounds of life are once again in full voice.

These lively spring mornings stand in stark contrast to the silence that met my ears this winter during my early morning checks of the day. The sounds of nature seemed to freeze right along with the icicles hanging from the eaves of our home. Even God’s creatures knew when to hole up and snuggle in rather than venture out into the bitter cold.

But now the world has come to life again. Spring has turned up the volume, and I for one am loving the concert it gives each day.

The sound of birds may be my favorite. With their various melodies and calls, they soothe my soul or sometimes surprise me with sounds of a brawl. At other times, I’ll hear squirrels chattering or the steady background noise of a spring shower, and occasionally thunder will announce a coming storm. On other days, the sound of the wind tries to drown out things of lesser notice. And, of course, we humans add to the symphony with our excited proclamations of spring’s arrival and our too-early-in-the-season lawn mowing escapades.

Yes, winter is past. Spring is here. Life has begun anew. What a perfect accompaniment it was to our celebration of the Easter season. May our voices of praise to our Creator and Redeemer add to the sounds of spring, add to the sounds of life!

“Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad . . .  let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them . . . ” Psalm 96:11-12 NIV

*What’s your favorite sound of spring?

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, comes out in early May. One lucky subscriber (new or current) will receive a $15 gift card to Amazon and a signed copy of my book to use personally, give as a gift, or donate to a library. Sign-up is free and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.) *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, check out my Books/My Work page.

*Flickr photo by timsackton, Creative Commons License

2 Comments Filed Under: beauty, celebrate, creation/creative/creator, joy, life, listen, music, nature, praise, sounds, spring, variety, worship Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Hairstyles For the Mother of the Bride or Groom

March 2, 2021 By Leave a Comment

Mother of the Bride (or Mother of the Groom,) is it time to start thinking about your hair for the big day? I know you’ve got tons of other things to do too, but take a few minutes soon and consider how you might like your hair styled. You’ll be glad to check that off your list as well!

Let me direct you today to some sure-to-please hairstyles for the MOB (or MOG) featured on Martha Stewart’s website. It has an area devoted to all things wedding so you might want to check it out for other topics you’re interested in too, but for today, why not head over and take a look at 26 examples of hairstyles for mothers of the bride.

Enjoy browsing these beautiful mother-of-the-bride hairstyles, MOB! I hope one will work for you!

*You might also like to read Mother of the Bride Face Prep: Face Yoga Exercises, Mother of the Bride: 9 Easy Ways to Pamper Yourself, Most Important Part of the MOB’s Wedding Day Attire, and Mother of the Bride: Spruce Up Your Smile, 

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, check out my Books/My Work page.

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, will come out in early May. Sign-up is free and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.)

*Flickr photo by Kisså, Creative Commons License

Leave a Comment Filed Under: beauty, body, bride, family, Mother of the Bride, new thing, preparation, variety Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Bridesmaids’ Manicure: Polka Dots and More

January 19, 2021 By Leave a Comment

Mother of the Bride, here’s a fun idea for your daughter’s bridesmaids—polka dot nails! It might not be something the bride herself wants to do if she wants to go classic and not have her nails draw attention away from her dress or her bouquet, but this could be super fun and cute for the rest of the girls to do if it’s done tastefully.

Other design elements to the manicure could be added as well—just the tips in polka dots, a glitter line of some sort, different designs on different fingers, etc. I’ll include a few photos below to give you some ideas.

Another thought—polka dot manicures for all the girls could be a special gift from you, the MOB, to all the bridesmaids as the bride gets her nails done too. You could do this in lieu of a bridesmaids luncheon if you’d like. What a fun outing for the bride and her best girls as they get ready to celebrate the big day. Go for it, MOB—they will love you for it!

*You might also like to read A Prayer for the Bridesmaids Luncheon, A Fun Gift from the Bride to Her Maids, Fun Gift Idea: Tote Bags for the Bridal Party, and Ten Thousands Villages Gifts for the Bridesmaids.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, comes out in early February. One lucky subscriber (new or current) will receive a $15 gift card to Starbucks and a signed copy of my book to use personally, give as a gift, or donate to a library. Sign-up is free and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.) p.s. If you sign up after Jan. 29th, you will be included in all future Life Notes giveaways but not in this current giveaway.

*Photo credits in order of appearance:

1. Flickr photo by i love nail polish. . .  2. Fickr photo by kittynailpolish  3. Flickr photo by Eye Candy Joanne Duckmanton  4. Fickr photo by kittynailpolish  5. Flickr photo by .Krol.  All with Creative Commons License.

Leave a Comment Filed Under: accessories, appearance, beauty, bride, bridesmaids, celebrate, color, decorate, fun, Gift, Mother of the Bride, preparation, variety Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
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