Category — {Holiday}

Aaaaaand…  I’m back!  Did you miss me?  (:

{Photos: Stephanie Williams}

First things first: let me extend the heartiest of hearty thank yous to my lovely guest bloggers for taking the reigns in such unique and fabulous ways.  I’m forever grateful for your amazing contributions over the last few days!  Superb jobs done by all!  And thanks for showing your love and support, my dear readers!  I’m so glad you enjoyed their posts!

Now, I won’t lie; the time we got to spend away from all the hoopla this weekend was supa fly – supa dupa fly – and very much needed…  [Read more →]

Happy Monday, you crazy kids.  How were your weekends?  Do anything special?  Fiancé and I spent a nice, calm summer day with my Popsicle et al and, all in all, it was pretty relaxing.  (Plus, I made a cake!)  By the way, to all the brides who got married on Father’s Day: I couldn’t imagine a more wonderful gift to your dad than to let him walk you down the aisle on such a meaningful day.  Both my Dad and I are major proponents of the idea!  So congrats to any of you who got hitched on Sunday – well played!

(Like the shoes?  You might love the Badgley Mischka Randee featured in this post.  Btw, if you like ruffled things, here’s my fave quilt EVER.)

Alright, today I’ve got a couple of things I thought I’d share with you, the first of which I’m going to pepper in throughout all the chatter of the second one…

So, number one = totally stylish bridal look inspiration, as photographed by the endlessly creative genius that is Elizabeth Messina and;

Number two = details about how my Dad spent his Father’s Day.  Plus, I’ve got a comment on good parenting at end of this post.  Well, more like an excellent quote on the topic.  Not that you care, but I’m sharing anyway.  (;

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Ok, I am obsessed with this bride’s style, and think you might be, too.

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Back to Dad’s Day… some of you might remember that little bit of unsolicited advice I dispensed about Father’s Day at the very end of this post right here; well, I like to make a habit of taking my own medicine, which translates into the kind of Father’s Day we gave the ol’ patriarch.  So, how did he spend his day?  Exactly the way he wanted to (most activities done with his loving wife by his side):

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Gorgeous.  You MUST check out more on Elizabeth Messina’s blog, Kiss the Groom.  You MUST.

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Because yesterday was Father’s Day, and because proper parenting is so important and so little advice is given to those who don’t actively seek it out, I thought today would be the perfect day to include a passage my fiancé brought to my attention.  It’s by the great Kahlil Gibran, author of “The Prophet.”  I don’t have kids, so I’m no authority by any stretch, but I’ve got to believe this is one of the smartest bits of thought on the subject of parenting, imo:

-♡-

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts.

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you,

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends with you His might that His arrows might go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;

For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

~ Kahlil Gibran

Hope you enjoyed both bits of this post!  I’m curious, what do you think of today’s bride’s style?  Are you into the ruffle-mania, the statement headgear, the whole shebang?  Share your thoughts, either way!

xoxo!  -Alison

{Credits: Sweet southern nuptials via Elizabeth Messina’s Kiss the Groom}

JEEZ, it was a nice day here, yesterday!  Went for the most amazing walk.  Want to know why it was amazing?  Because of the unusually wonderful weather.  You see, it was so unique, this weather, that the walk was delightful simply because of the fact that I was cherishing this recently rare weather.

I need to leave New York.

(Moving on…)

My Mom was a bit of a crafter on the side when we were tots.  It’s how we spent our free time together.  And it also meant I had the best parties.  (My friends still talk about the t-shirts my mom helped us make on one of my birthdays.  I love those kinds of memories.)  Anyway, my Mom LOVED Easter; tiptoeing into our rooms at night to deliver to the foot of our beds the most beautiful pastel-colored baskets, filled to the brim with fuzzy bunnies, painted eggs and delicious treats (Cadbury Mini Eggs are my macaroni and cheese) was such a delight for her, just like it is for most mommies out there.  I’m sure she loved it for the same reason I love giving people gifts.  It’s fun to make people feel awesome.  And I felt awesome, little six, and seven, and eight-year-old me, when I awoke to a basket of happiness on Easter morning.  Ooohh the delight I felt.  No words.

Now that I’m a blogger, I thank my lucky stars that she accumulated some really pretty stuff as a result of our fairly regular and extremely fun visits to Lillian Vernon.  It’s weird; she is SO not that person – people who know my mother would never put down “into arts & crafts” if asked to list her 100 favorite things.  But we all have our little hobbies, don’t we.  Yes we do.  And my Mom’s was making things with me.  And for that I am forever grateful.

Here’s one of our projects, and some other tchotchkes, from AGES ago.  AGES. She should work for the Museum of Natural History, the way she preserves things.  I kid you not; these are at least 15 years old.

Tools:

• hollowed out egg shells
• colored construction paper
• a hole puncher
• glue
• a delicate hand and a lot of patience

I won’t insult you with directions.  It’s pretty straightforward.

Bunny was getting too close to the camera.

Man down!

This kept happening, so I just went with it.  It’s pretty cute, so why not.  In fact, I think I prefer his tush to his face.

Hope you liked this.  Have a great Easter weekend, everybody!!!

Talk to the keister, because we’re off to Easter.  BWAAAHAHAHAH.  (I know, I’m sorry, I HAD to do it.)

Final Thoughts:

I can’t wait for some stuffed cabbage this weekend.  I know that sounds gross.  But you really can’t knock it ’til you try it.  Some of you know what I’m talkin’ ’bout.  Oooooh yeeeaaaahh.

Oh, and by the way, who HATES Jill from Real Housewives?  That woman is detestable to the fullest.  I mean, Bethenny’s no angel, but Jill’s got a little something called narcissistic personality disorder, and it isn’t pretty.

Ok, happy weekend!

xoxo, Alison

I am in awe of each and every one of the Easter-themed photos and projects featured on the lovely To Be Charmed this week.  Just breathe ‘em in, my dear friends…

Credits: To Be Charmed ~

• { japanese washi tape + easter, part I }
• { DIY – Mini Easter Baskets by Suzonne Stirling }
• { DIY – Peeps Bunny Bunting }
• { japanese washi tape + entertaining, part III }

The cookie cutter awesomeness you see before you is available at Williams-Sonoma…

And it’s on sale…

Retail Price: $19.95
Sale Price: $13.99!!!

Want it?  Get it.

OF COURSE, now you need some decorations for those freshly-baked babies.  (There are a lot of things I like in this world, but an undressed holiday treat isn’t one of them.)  Here, put some clothes on those cookies:

Cookie Decorating Pens, Sugars & Pastes!

They’ll be wearing painted-on clothes.  Tee hee.

Here’s another terrific find that’ll feed that relentless, driving need to bake and decorate things:

A buttercup cakelet pan!

Got a little one who wants to help?  Throw an apron on him/her and get that kiddo to work…

Personalized Kid’s Gingham Easter Smock

I want to get this for my niece so badly. Unfortunately it’s too late, given how far from me she lives.  And I’ve just never been one to stockpile gifts in advance.  I like to wait until it’s become a burden and then almost miss the occasion entirely… or miss the occasion entirely.  I’m great, aren’t I?

Yeah, so anyway, that’s how you do Easter.

By the way, if you enjoyed this post, you’ll probably love:

• DESSERT LOVE ~ COOKIES | personalized cookie-cutter creations! | This. Is. Awesome.
• DIY WEDDING IDEAS | inspiration… from scratch | Escort Table Numbers Good Enough to Eat!

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There’s more Easter goodness coming your way.  Stay tuned!
You’re gonna love it.