A Chessboard Groom’s Cake!

September 3, 2024 by Leave a Comment

Mother of the Bride, even though the main wedding cake is pretty much the star of the reception, the groom’s cake can shine too. Just tell your future son-in-law to get creative and come up with his dream groom’s cake idea, and you’ll find a baker who can pull it off when it comes time to find the cake designer/baker for the wedding.

One idea that might fit his personality is a chessboard. Doesn’t the chessboard cake above look sharp? Even the chess pieces can be part of the allure. The pieces here are made of white and dark chocolate. Now that’s the kind of chess game I’d like to play!

If your daughter’s honey is not a chess player, maybe he likes to play cards or checkers or some other board game. Maybe video games are his thing. If so, a good designer can come up with a cake inspired by just about any kind of game.

MOB, share this idea with the groom-to-be and see if it strikes a gaming-chord with him or perhaps inspires another idea. Encourage him to make his groom’s cake choice fun. And if he wants chocolate to play a part, you won’t complain, will you?!

*You might also like to read Groom’s Cake Idea: Law Books (or any other books!), Groom’s Cake Idea for the Wrestling Fan, Groom’s Cake Toppers for the Hunter, Groom’s Cake Idea: His Favorite Set of Wheels, and Groom’s Cake Idea: Alma Mater Pride.

*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 November. Sign-up is FREE. *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*Flickr photo by jessica.hanrahan, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: bride, cake, chocolate, creation/creative/creator, decorate, dessert, food, fun, game, groom, memories, Mother of the Bride, preparation, variety, wedding Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Eskimo Kiss Engagement Photo

August 20, 2024 by Leave a Comment

Mother of the Bride, are you collecting engagement photo ideas for the soon-to-be Mr. and Mrs. in your life? If not, start your list today. There are some awesome ideas out there. I have a few here on my site (will list a few below) and I also have an Engagement Photos Pinterest board you might want to check out.

Today I have a super cute idea for you—an Eskimo kiss shot! Such a nose-to-nose shot could either look very romantic with the eyes closed (as pictured above) or playful and fun with eyes open and the couple laughing or scrunching noses. The photographer could take both kinds of shots. They’ll probably both be keepers, right?

So save this idea, MOB. Your daughter and her intended will have a ball playing Eskimos—and you’ll all end up with another great engagement photo!

*You might also like to read Engagement Photo Idea: Show Off the Ring, Engagement Photos: Consider a Night Shoot, Engagement Photo Idea: Playground Fun, Engagement Photo Idea: Frame That Moment!, and Engagement Photo Idea: Bike Fun!

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

*The current issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, came out earlier this month. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is FREE. *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*Flickr photo by Tela Chhe, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: bride, celebrate, fun, groom, joy, keepsake, laughter, love, memories, Mother of the Bride, photo fun, preparation, treasure, wedding Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Fun Nail Polish Gift from the Bride to Her Maids

June 4, 2024 by Leave a Comment

Mother of the Bride, at some point in the days or weeks preceding the wedding, here’s a fun gift idea for the bride to give her bridesmaids—nail polish! And not just any nail polish, but nail polish in the color of their dresses or bouquets. Fun and pretty, too, huh?

Not only will your daughter’s maids appreciate this special treat, but it will help their overall wedding day look come together as well. Variety can look fun and festive on the big day, but uniformity has a special beauty too.

And just think of the great photos that might result if their nails are all done in the same color. The photographer could actually take a few shots with their hands in mind. Pretty shots with their bouquets, pops of the same color as they help the bride get into her gown, and even a shot specifically showing off their hands. And if they use the polish on their toes as well, you’ve got more cute photo possibilities ahead!

You or the bride might even want to take the gift of nail polish a step further and surprise the bridesmaids with a professional manicure and have them take their polish to the salon (would probably be a good idea to have purchased the polish there.) This extra treat is entirely optional, of course, but it could be a fun outing for all the girls—bride included—a couple of days before the wedding.

Worth suggesting to the bride, MOB? I think so! And why not get your nails done at the same time? Go ahead—have some fun and treat yourself!

*You might also like to read Bridesmaids’ Manicure: Polka Dots and More.

*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. *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*Flickr photo by Upupa4me, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: accessories, beauty, bride, bridesmaids, celebrate, color, decorate, Friend, fun, Gift, joy, memories, Mother of the Bride, photo fun, preparation, surprise, wedding Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Wedding Day Photo: Black and White Bubble Shot

April 16, 2024 by Leave a Comment

Mother of the Bride, I’ve got a great wedding day photo idea for you today. I hope you and the happy couple are keeping a list of must-have shots to share with your photographer. If so, you might want to add this to your list pronto.

If your daughter and her groom have decided to use bubbles during their send-off from the church or reception site, why not ask the photographer to use a black and white photo finish.

As you can see in the photo above, this shot done in black and white really causes the bubbles to stand out. I love how it almost makes them look like snow falling. I also love how the couple is kissing in the shot above. The perfect touch, right? If you ask your sweet couple to do the same, I’m sure they’ll be happy to oblige!

Show this photo to your daughter and her beloved, MOB, and see what they think. If they haven’t decided on what to use during the send-off, they may decide to go with bubbles just to get a shot like this!

*You might also like to read Engagement Photo Idea: Show Off the Ring, Bridal Portraits: Include Some Artsy Shots, and Engagement Photo Idea: Playground Fun.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, 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 May. One lucky subscriber (new or current) will receive a $15 gift card to Barnes & Noble and a signed copy of my book to use personally, give as a gift, or donate to a library. *Sign-up is FREE! *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*Flickr photo by Corey Ann, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: bride, celebrate, fun, groom, joy, keepsake, memories, Mother of the Bride, photo fun, preparation, tradition, wedding Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Take Time to Get Energized

February 20, 2024 by Leave a Comment

You know the feeling. The lift in your spirit, the yes in your heart, the light in your eyes. You’re doing something you love to do. And you get a little rush of joy. You’re energized.

Sometimes this burst of happiness happens in the midst of our regular work—and how fortunate we are if our work does this for us. Not everyone is so lucky.

For writers like me, many times we have to just plod along, laying down one sentence after another while stopping frequently to agonize over the right word choice. We’re not sure the piece is working and then bam—the right word, the right phrase, the right rhythm flashes through our minds and everything comes together. We feel exhilarated. Our hearts say yes!

More often, though, I would guess that such rushes of joy come as we engage in interests or passions that are not work-related. For me, I’ve found that taking photos—especially capturing something unusual or beautiful in nature—also makes my heart say yes and sparks a happy burst of fresh energy.

When this kind of satisfying joy and excitement pays us a visit, let’s soak it up and enjoy it to the fullest. Let’s pay attention to it and pinpoint the things that make our spirits take wing.

Once we’ve identified the things that energize us, wouldn’t it make sense to engage in those activities regularly? Those infusions of happiness will benefit not only our sense of well-being but our relationships and work as well.

After all, the lift in our spirits, the yes in our hearts, the light in our eyes are all worth the time we take to get that little rush of joy. So let’s do it. Let’s get energized!

“My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.” Psalm 28:7 NIV

*What energizes you?

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, came out earlier this month. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is free! 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.

*Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

Filed Under: balance, creation/creative/creator, encouragement, fun, joy, life, light, love, passion, photo fun, refresh, variety, work, writing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,
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