Wedding Gifts: Make it Count.

One of my favorite things is giving gifts.  I will admit: it can be scary sometimes, though.  Christmas time is kind of frustrating.  As much as everyone loves giving gifts, what's the point if you don't even know what to get them?  Why buy a gift just because you feel obligated?  I figured out the solution: only give personal or sentimental gifts.  Or a mixture between something they need and something personal.  I posted over the summer about my BFF's wedding and how we made them their tiered-towel-cake in their wedding colors:

The best parts about this gift?

1. We purchased the towels from their registry, so they got what they needed/wanted.
2. I made it myself and gave it a personal touch.
3. It matched their wedding colors and looked so darn cute on the gift table.

So, at the last two weddings that I have been to (both in the last month) I wanted to replicate that feeling (but still trying something different.  For my friend Meghan's wedding, I decided to make them some picture frames to remember their wedding.  Meghan and I had been talking about how she wanted more personal stuff in her house, so I did it for her :-)

I purchased three white frames:

An 8x10, a 4x6, and a 5x7 shadow box.  In the 8x10 I printed a big monogram "R" (for their new family name) on white cardstock and stuck it in there. 

not a very good pic

For the 4x6, I found this cute card at WalMart and LOVED the little love birds, so I bought that, cut it to size, and placed it in the frame.

I put them in a pretty bag (which I forgot to take a picture of) and gave them a really nice card with some cash.  Once again, they get the personal side and something that they need/want (money!).  I also told them that there was one more frame to come.  While at the wedding, I took this picture of Meghan holding the train of her dress by the little ribbon "strap".  It is about as artistic as my photo-taking-skills get.

I also stole the place card with their new "Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Rice" name on it from their actual table at the wedding.  I kept the stamp from the invitation I received from NY because it had her wedding themed stamp on it from her hometown postal office.  I also dried some leaves and flowers from my bridesmaid bouquet, put them in the shadow box frame, added the other stuff, and gave it as the final part to their gift a week or so later.

also not a very good pic

I did the same thing for my brother and sister-in-law's wedding on Saturday.  They were registered for a bunch of kitchen stuff and I knew they needed it.  Some of my favorite things in my kitchen are the little gadgets that I picked out and received for our wedding.  Especially because they all match and are in the same drawer.  Yeah, I'm type-A like that.  So I bought all that kind of stuff off their registry.

I also needed to give a personal touch.  So I bought them this beautiful and inspirational book:

He is the author of The 5 Love Languages.  And this book is basically a collection of a bunch of very inspirational faith-driven love stories that test time and test everyday life.  I thought it would be a beautiful and motivational way to start a marriage.

Another cool thing in this wedding was that my brother married a woman who already had a daughter from a previous relationship.  In the ceremony, they wrote and spoke beautiful vows to my new three-year-old niece, Baelee, and presented her with a necklace in which my brother promised to love her as his own and keep her safe forever.  It officially made me cry.  Here is a pic last Easter of my family with my dad:

My dad is holding sweet Baelee.

And her is a picture of Baelee on the wedding day showing off the flower girl dress (that I bought for her).  I just needed to throw that in there because I am proud of it :-)

So, I thought it was really important for me to give a gift to them that could be appreciated by their whole family.  I saw a few things online about creating a Thanksgiving jar.  So, I bought a little jar and put some cute gold stickers on top to say "give thanks".

I tied a ribbon around the jar and decorated some cards using white cardstock, markers, ribbon, some rhinestone stickers I already had, and a hole punch.

I wrote on their card that every day from now until Thanksgiving, they could each write something that they are thankful for, fold it, put it in the jar, and then on their first holiday as a family, they could pull them all out and read them together.  And if they kept the jar, they could make it a tradition each year (which I also plan to do someday when I have a family 'cause its just so cute). 

I also included a pack of colorful dry erase markers because 3 year old Baelee can't really write her thanks on cards this year, but she can decorate the jar with markers.  And the best part, she can wipe it off and redecorate it each year.

I bought matching gift wrap, bag, balloon, and tissue paper from the dollar store and bought hot pink ribbons and bows, too.  (Her colors were black, silver, and hot pink).

Once again, it looked absolutely adorable on the gift table.

There you have it.  Give sentimental gifts.  Take a few extra minutes and make it personal.  Think about your gifts ahead of time.  They will be remembered forever.

Book Reading and Beach Bumming

The beach is great!  I am super tan, I have been eating well (junk food and seafood) and I have been sleeping approximately 10 hours per night.  It's awesome.  I have also been doing a lot of reading. 

Water for Elephants, by Susan Gruen is one of the top 3 books I have ever read.  The main reason why, you ask?  Because I could tell from page one that it would be one of the best books I have ever read.  I have never been so "hooked" in my life.  Wow, what an amazing talent an author has to do that to the reader!  It's also written in the first person from the perspective of the main character, a man.  And how she did that I will never know.  I believe they also made it into a movie, right?  I will have to look that up.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter, by Kim Edwards is what I finished today.  It also happens to be in the top 3!  How luck am I that I got to read two out of the three best books of my life in the same week?  WHOA.  There are about 1 million reasons why The Memory Keeper's Daughter is in the top 3.  The main ones are:

• This book is about truth and dishonesty in human life.  No matter whose side you take or who you relate to the most, you can sympathize with everyone because it is so real and raw.
• Kim Edwards describes scenery like no one else I have ever read.  I absolutely felt like I belonged in the book, at the scene.  Like the book's world was in a little capsule and I poked a hole and slid in.  I could see everything.  For example, I was sitting on the beach and I was reading about a particular scene when the female main characters was knocking off a wasp's nest outside and the wasps were swarming around her.  I seriously felt like there were wasps swarming around me.  I even shooed one away!  But when I looked up, the wasp was real!  It really was there and just happened to stop by my beach chair as I was reading that part of the book. What a coincidence!  I would have felt the same either way, though.  That's how well she described the scenery.
• It made me cry.  Any book that can make me cry immediately gets in the top 3.  (Just so you know, it also happens to be the only book that has ever made me cry).

Have any of you ever read either of these books?  What did you think?

I will end with a beach picture, of course.  This is me, my father-in-law, and a friend, Nicole.  We are sitting on the crow's nest of the house with drinks watching the sunset.  Oh... and acting like goofballs.

Book Club and Book Store

I am sitting in Barnes and Noble at the coffee shop.  Josh and I ditched our house for the day so our air conditioner didn't have to kill itself trying to keep the house cool.  The heat index today is 117.  Seriously!

So, I am doing some grad school work here.  And I am currently taking a break.  It is about 65 degrees in here, which is cold.  But I really don't want to complain considering I could be outside having a heat stroke right now. I have been doing a very large amount of work on our group project for school and I am excited to share it soon!

In other news, I was invited by some ladies at my school to be in their book club.  I am really, really, really excited!  I love stuff like that and I have never been a part of a book club before!  The closest I have ever come is being in a bible study group and it was awesome.  I really enjoy having a goal and then having meaningful and thoughtful discussions with other adults... especially when it doesn't have to do with work or education... I get enough of that at school.  They are currently reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett.  I have been wanting to read this book for a while and now I have a good reason to do it:

Have you read it?  What did you think?

Another development has recently taken place.  We had a meeting at school this week to discuss our upcoming school year.  A lot of changes have been going on at my school and in my county lately.  First of all, our school didn't make AYP this year.  If you don't know what that is, Google it.  I would tell you, but it makes me too frustrated to talk about it.  By the way, we lost it because of two students and six total questions on a test.  Second of all, we are no longer a Title I school.  This is very bad.  For many reasons.  The main ones being that because of this, we will lose a number of services, a ton of finances and financial resources, and a lot of personnel.  Google Title I if you don't know about it.  Because of this, my principal is forcing me to spend 45 minutes per day in 4th or 5th grade classrooms working with small groups to teach reading and math.  This is something that Title I teachers or assistants would typically do, but since we no longer have them...  it's up to the music and P.E. teachers.  Seriously.  

I understand that our kids now need these services, so I am a little torn about the whole situation.  I feel bad complaining about it, but if we ever want to meet AYP, I might need to help in this area.  But, it's definitely not my job, I'm definitely not qualified for it, and it's taking away time from my schedule to teach our 650 kids some awesome music.  Also, and most importantly, I DON'T WANT TO DO IT!  It's sad that I have to do this just so we can "pass a test".  Having their music teacher teach them music would be way more beneficial for them, but that's the way of the education world lately.  It's very sad.

On a happy note, G is coming in the morning and I am super excited to see her and do some cool Ocean City stuff.  Have a great (and cool) weekend!

A Wolf At The Table

Have you ever read a book and just felt totally refreshed?  That's what happens when I read an Augusten Burroughs book.  Have you heard of Running With Scissors?  It's written by him.

A Wolf At The Table is another of his books:

Almost all of his stories are memoirs or stories of his really wacked childhood and even adult life.  He grew up in an almost unimaginable way and it really makes for a great story.  Most of the situations are pretty depressing and usually hard to believe, but boy does he have a way of making them hilarious.

But more importantly, the reason why he is the best writer I have ever read:


When I read his books, my senses are in an uproar.  I can smell exactly what he is smelling.  I can taste it, feel it, see it, etc.  He has a way of explaining these feelings that no one else on earth would think of.  I get a child-like refreshing feeling and I completely trust in him, so much that I wish it was me in his place.

 A Wolf at the Table is a memoir of Burroughs' childhood and his relationship with his father.  As a small boy, all he ever wanted was to feel loved by his dad.  This book is about the trials and tribulations of a little boy who would do anything to get a hug from the man who he looked up to.

 I will list a few of my favorite quotes without giving away too much (because secretly, this is an advertisement: GO BUY HIS BOOKS!):

We checked into a Holiday Inn just off Interstate 91 in Northampton.  The first thing I did was stand on the bed and touch the rough, sparkly ceiling.  I could just reach it.  As I drew my finger across the coarse, prickly surface I enjoyed a sense of relief and fulfillment--it felt exactly as I know it would (p.78).

When I spoke to my father my voice came out low and soft, almost a whisper.  "I don't really believe in a God that gives you new ice skates and stuff."  I kept to myself that when I ate vanilla frosting straight from the can, I could feel God standing right beside me like a real best friend, watching and smiling and wishing he had a mouth (p. 162).

Visit Augusten Burrough's Website to learn more about his books and his life!

Comfort

After conversation with Annie, I go to thinking about all of my comfort foods.  And other comfort things.

• My mom's dippy eggs with 12-grain toast and REAL butter.
• Chinese take-out
• Taco Bell
• Dateline NBC
• Dark Chocolate!!!
• Spaghetti with marinara
• Wine
• Staying at home on the couch!
• Roseanne
• The Office
• A good Book
• The smell of wood
• Marshmallow Fluff

 Updates later...