Add Sparkle to the Bridal Garter

February 21, 2023 by Leave a Comment

Mother of the Bride, would you like to add some sparkle to your darling daughter’s bridal garter? The traditional ribbons and lace are always feminine and pretty, but why not add another special touch? Why not add some jewels!

As you shop for or create a bridal garter for your sweet bride-to-be, be on the lookout for a small brooch or earring that will make the garter really shine. If you’re making the garter yourself or having it custom-made, you can get as creative as you’d like in your design. I love the look of the dangly earring used in the photo above. Fun and elegant at the same time, right?

So go ahead, MOB—sparkle up the garter. I bet your daughter will be glad you did!

*You might also like to read Turning the Ordinary into Keepsakes, Bridal Bouquet Idea: Add Some Sparkle with Gemstones, and Wedding Idea That Sparkles: A Brooch Bouquet!

*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, 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 Bellafaye Garden, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: accessories, appearance, beauty, bride, color, creation/creative/creator, decorate, light, Mother of the Bride, preparation, tradition, variety, wedding Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Theme Word 2023: Patience

January 3, 2023 by Leave a Comment

The new year is here (2023!) so once again it’s time for me to choose a new theme word to help guide me through the year. Do you do something like this? Some people prefer selecting an anchor verse or word.

Focusing on an over-arching word—a quality, an attitude, or an action—can give me direction all year long and also helps me focus on more fully implementing that new word in my life. It’s a practice I highly recommend. I can honestly say it has benefited me time and again.

This year God directed me to the word patience. Yes, I know most people would be afraid to choose this word for fear of what circumstances God might bring into their lives to give them opportunities to practice patience. But the truth is, God has already placed me in a situation that will require great patience for the forseeable future—and patience is not something that usually comes naturally for me.

Thank goodness patience is a fruit of the Spirit. That means as a child of God, the Holy Spirit who is within me will help me grow in patience as I ask him, yield to him, and depend on him to empower me.

I know it won’t be easy, though, because as long as I’m on this side of heaven, I also have my old sin nature waiting to rise up and war against the refining work the Lord is doing in my life. This makes me doubly thankful for God’s promise to all of us to one day complete the good work he begins in us (Philippians 1:6).

Is there a good work God wants to do in your life this year—a word that he’s led you to claim as your theme word for the year? If so, I’d love to hear about it so I can encourage you along the way. As for me, I’ll be over here patiently growing in patience—I hope!

“being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,” Colossians 1:11 NIV

*What is your theme word or anchor verse for 2023?

*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! 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 Girish Dalvi on Unsplash

Filed Under: behavior, challenge, change, focus, fruit, goal, growth, life, new thing, patience, teach, tradition, word Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Old West, Flyer-Inspired Wedding Stationery

November 1, 2022 by Leave a Comment

Well, Ma of the Bride, is your little bride-to-be cookin’ up some rootin’, tootin’ fun for the day she’s gettin’ hitched? If so, why not add to the Old West rustic fun with some invitations that match the style of the wedding?

Typography style stationery that looks like flyers from the Old West will be the perfect addition to an Old West/cowboy/rustic themed wedding. Regional or era-appropriate wording like “Y’all come” or “gettin’ hitched” can add to the overall fun, too, on everything from save-the-dates to invitations to the RSVP cards. The happy couple can get as down-home as they’d like or reign it in a bit, whatever suits their particular personalities and styles.

The typography style flyer-invitation might be something that the bride or groom or another family member or friend could design fairly easily, too. Saving money is always a plus, isn’t it, MOB, not to mention the personal touch that will always be remembered.

So Ma, if your sweet gal is cozyin’ up to the idea of an Old West, cowboy, or rustic-themed wedding, show her this idea and see if it tickles her down-home fancy. Ya’ll have fun now!

*If you’d like to see some other western invitation ideas, check out the Western Wedding Invitation page on Zazzle. You might also like to read Rustic Wedding Idea: Boot Bouquets.

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, comes out today. 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.

*Flickr photo by Sarah Parrott, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: bride, celebrate, creation/creative/creator, fun, groom, help, laughter, memories, money, Mother of the Bride, new thing, old, preparation, rustic, stationery, tradition, variety, wedding Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Bride and Groom Wedding Reception Game

May 3, 2022 by Leave a Comment

Mother of the Bride, if your happy couple is looking for some extra fun to incorporate into their wedding reception, here’s a suggestion—The Shoe Game! This wedding reception game for the bride and groom is so much fun and so simple to do for those who want to add to the traditional line-up of first dances, cake-cutting, and tossing of the bouquet and garter.

Just have the bride and groom sit back to back, kick off their shoes and give one of their shoes to the other while keeping one for themselves, and prepare to answer “Who is” type-questions posed by one of the wedding party or even the DJ. The newlyweds answer by raising the appropriate shoe. (The photo above features our nephew Cody and his bride Kaitlynn.)

Laughter and banter abound as the bride and groom unveil their answers to questions like who is the most fun at a party, who is the most attached to their phone, and who is most likely to toss their clothes on the floor. The possibilities for questions are endless, and everyone loves the fun of getting the insider scoop and seeing whether or not the newlyweds agree. The extra bonus is a great photo like the one above!

So MOB, find out if your newlyweds to be would be up for The Shoe Game and then put a bug in the maid of honor’s ear. It will be fun for all!

*You might also like to read Fun Pre-Ceremony Idea for the Bride and Groom,  Bridal Shower Idea: A Cooking Class! and Three Tips for Working with Your Wedding DJ.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, 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 today. 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.

*Photo by Stephtphotography.

Filed Under: bride, celebrate, fun, game, groom, laughter, memories, Mother of the Bride, photo fun, tradition, wedding Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

2022 Theme Words: Guard and Gift

January 4, 2022 by Leave a Comment

Yes, you read that title right—I’ve selected two theme words for 2022! Two theme words is a first for me. It’s always good to branch out and try new things so I guess I’m starting the year off right, huh?

Do you start the New Year by selecting a theme word for the year? Some people refer to it as an anchor word and others even choose an anchor verse from the Bible. I jumped on the theme word bandwagon back in 2012 (over ten years ago now!), and I’m so glad I did.

I love how a theme word keeps me focused on a particular quality or action throughout the year. I won’t think of my chosen theme word every day, but I will think of it periodically. It will help keep me on track or give me guidance.

The words I’ve chosen for 2022 are guard and gift. I usually start thinking and praying about what my word for the upcoming year should be sometime in November or December.

This year, before even praying about it, I immediately thought of the word gift because I’d recently read my friend Edie Frink Winters’  book Giftitude. I loved the perspective she shared of seeing problems and challenges large and small as gifts—something we can learn from by asking “Where is the gift in this for me?” I knew I wanted to start applying this to my life, and selecting gift as my new theme word for the year seemed like the perfect way to do that.

When I began to pray and seek God’s guidance about my theme word, though, right away he pointed me to the word guard several times. I didn’t really want to settle on that because I’d already used it as my theme word several years ago, but when God kept bringing it to my attention, I knew I needed to listen and obey. After all, I’d been thinking about how I need to guard my tongue right now because of a personal ongoing situation that can cause a lot of frustration and upset feelings. It’s all too easy to say the wrong thing. So once again, guard will indeed be my theme word for the year.

I still had the strong desire to focus on gift though too, and as I prayed about it, God was so good to confirm to me that it is indeed okay to have two theme words with gift being one of them as well. So here I am with two theme words this year! Hopefully, I will see growth in both areas, and I probably won’t know the full impact of these particular theme words until the year is out. The Lord knows about it all right now, though, and I’m thankful he’s preparing me for whatever may come as the year unfolds.

If you haven’t done so yet, why not choose a theme word for 2022? I can guarantee it will help give you direction and help you grow throughout the year. Who would want to miss out on a deal like that? May God guide you and bless you in your choice!

“Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.” Psalm 141:3 NIV

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17 NIV

*Do you have a theme word or anchor verse for 2022? I’d love to hear about it!

*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.) 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 Isabela Kronemberger on Unsplash

Filed Under: challenge, focus, Gift, goal, growth, life, new thing, protection, tradition, trend, word Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
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