Trying to Put things to good use!

So, what do you do with all of last year's Christmas cards? 

Yah, I didn't know what to do either.  So I put them away for a year so I could figure it out. 

That's when I came up with this:

I trimmed up all of the cards we had from 2010, punched a whole in the top, and tied them to a string of ribbon.  Boom!  Instant garland! 

It was inexpensive (I already had scissors and a spool of ribbon) and sentimental.  I made sure to write who sent us the card and 2010 on the back of each cut out, so that next year I'll have a new one with new people and a new year to hang and I can tell the two apart. 

3rd Annual Cookie Exchange!!!

I attended my first "Cookie Exchange" in 2010, and I'm lucky enough that my dear friend, Shannon, has decided to continue her tradition for the third year in a row!  So Saturday evening, I packed up five dozen of my favorite home made chocolate chip cookies and a wrapped ornament and set off for Shannon's home. 

Upon arrival, we played a few party games and ate some delicious soup!  It was such a wonderful mixture of friends, both new and old, that time absolutely flew by!  There was also a selection of various snacks and beverages, including a delightful "Poinsetta Punch" which was a coctail made with vodka, cranberry juice, and a sparkling wine.  It was so good! 

Following dinner, we had an ornament exchange structured like a "White Elephant" exchange.  The rules allowed each ornament to be opened, and stolen up to three times and allowing it to rest with the fourth person.  This provided for quite a few laughs as we all recalled which ornament was so highly covetted last year: a glass pickle!  Well there was a glass pickle again this year, as well as wine glass ornaments, high heel ornaments, a reindeer, a sparkling snowflake, and even a whale! 

After everyone settled in with their new ornaments, we all began the cookie portion of our evening.  Everyone's cookies had been arranged around the main table, and each person was given an adorable platter (that our lovely hostess picked up for us) to fill with their own choice of delicious baked goods! 

There were so many choices, but the lovely part was that you didn't have to choose!  You filled your platter and tasted whichever cookies or bars you liked, and when you were satisfied you simply wrapped your platter up with plastic wrap and you were able to take it home with you to take with friends and family! 

So next year, I highly suggest you gather your lady friends together for a cookie exchange.  Tell them recipe cards are highly suggested, buy a bunch of cookie platters, and party away! 

Traditional Toilets!

So most of you as you move out of your parents' house grabbed a few sentimental items, right?  You took a photo, a pillow, a blanket, or something that as you were headed out the door just screamed "HEY!  THIS IS HOME!" 

For me, it was holiday items.  I love the holidays.  The smell, the feeling, the weather.  I could go on and on.  But probably one of the most important things I took from my parents house is also one of the most odd.  Well, Big Mike thinks it is definitely odd.  It's the santa toilet seat cover that someone made for my parents. 

It's odd. 

I'll prove it. 

I know, I know.  It's sort of creepy.  But come on, Santa hides his face when the lid is up!  He's not looking!  Ha ha!  I love this thing! 

So happy holidays, and remember, SANTA'S WATCHING!

I Can't Get Enough of This!

Two months ago, I had the incredible honor of serving as a bridesmaid for a most dear friend of mine.  Before the wedding we discussed every detail: shoes, hair, dress, food, wine, and most importantly, music. 

You see, each and every friend of mine has a special bond with me.  We share love of certain foods, a drink, a book, a moment in time, well you get the point.   This friend and I happen to share music.  I remember a time in my life after a break up when I hopped in her car for a night out and she said, "I've got this album, and it might be sort of weird, but this is what I think is going on between you and him." 

As she played it, she was right, and to be completely honest, that album and her friendship brought me through that break up.  (For the record, the album was Miranda Lambert's Kerosene album, and the song in particular was "What About Georgia?")

So when we talked about her wedding, and the music, and the people, it came down to two songs: the first dance and the father-daughter dance.  Now, in my head I've already got my father-daughter dance music picked, so I'm not going to steal this one.  However, I have to share hers with you all.  I love the words.  I love the tempo.  I love her.  I love her father.  I just love this song and the special meaning it now has to me.  I love that I cried just hearing it from my table during the dances. 

So enjoy, share it, share this love and blessing with those that you love.  I know I will! 

Photo Bomb!

I've been asked lately why I haven't been blogging, and I suppose the real answer is that I've just taken a cyber break.  I've been favoring the real relationships I have with people in my life instead of the online versions.  Too often I have found that people will say things online that they generally are too scared to say to your face, and it has been tiring to my mind. 

But I'm back!  With a photo bomb!  I'm sure the rest of these will go up on the Fairy Godmother Site in a few days, but for now, this will have to do. 

Here he is, the most amazing Godson I could have asked for.  He's riding the ponies at a local Christmas tree farm and before you know it, the pony handler PHOTO BOMBED HIM!  Too funny!  If it wasn't funny, I'd actually be mad because I really like this photo of him! 

Brotherly Outtakes

About 2 weeks ago, I got the chance to photograph the two sons of some of my longest running friends.  Yah, longest running, not oldest.  If they're old friends, that makes me old, and I'm not old.  So there. 

Here's a little background on these amazing folks:  M and I met at birth.  Pretty much.  She was born 17 days before me at the same hospital, our parents were both members of the same church, we were dedicated by Pastor Gordon, we went to the same nursery, elementary school, junior high school, and high school.  You could say we've known eachother for a while.  In fact, when were in the fourth grade, our parents decided to put us both into an accellerated summer school and we both skipped (or fast forwarded through) the same grade. 

Her husband, A, came along when we were all in the first grade.  Yah, first grade.  No, they weren't sweethearts back then.  He had cooties, duh! 

So fast forward a few years, my first act as a bridesmaid was at their wedding. 

Then I visited them at their home near Coronado in San Diego. 

After a few years, they started adding to their family.  I had the pleasure of photographing their two boys 2 weeks ago.  While I'm waiting until they have the photos in their hands to share the good ones with you, I have to show you a series of outtakes from the shoot. 

Meet E, 4 years old, and N, 2 years old. 

E decided to tell me a story while N wandered around aimlessly doing everything in his power to avoid me.  It was so funny! 

E to me: "So are we gonna have chicken hamburgers for lunch?" 

Me to E: "What's a chicken hamburger?" 

Then his mom told me that it's Chick-Fil-A.  Genius. 

Then N says: "Whoa!"  (Almost falling over)

E to me: "I don't like In 'N Out."

Me to E: "I don't like it either." 

E to me: "Oh wait, I like it now." 

Then E did a little dance.  It cracked me up! 

I hope you laughed like I did!  

Where were you when __________?

Every single American newspaper relays the same thing today: Osama Bin Laden has been killed at the hands of United State's Special Forces. 

That is the statement that American's have been waiting for.  Just 4 months before we will mourn the 10 year anniversary of the attacks on our country, we have murdered the man that lead Al Qaueda to our door. 

As I watched the Today show on NBC this morning, they sent Matt Lauer to ground zero.  Hundreds of New York citizens were stopping at the edge of the fence on their way to work or play.  Now this was poignant in itself, until you realize that ground zero is simply a huge construction site.  We are rebuilding.  We are growing.  We are healing.  However, the hundreds of people cheering, praying, blowing kisses, and shedding tears prove to me that we will never forget. 

And then I cried. 

I cried because this man was an icon of my lifetime.  I cried because my military friends and family have been fighting the war on terror.  I cried because I was relieved. 

That relief was short lived when I realized that killing this man did not kill the entire sect of people that hate America.  I cried when I realized that some one else will probably take his place.  I cried when I remembered that my cousin will be headed to Afghanistan this fall. 

So as we enter into a time of celebration, I ask you all to please keep praying for our millitary and their families.  The war against terror isn't over just because we killed this man, in fact I'm afraid it's only getting started. 

Love you shrimp. 

"But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries."
Exodus 23:23