Spreading Joy

I had a little surprise in the mail today ...

Surprises are so much fun! In fact, that is what Patricia said the other day on her blog ... "If you order today, I will add a surprise to your order that will make you smile."

notecards by PVE

It was a win-win for me ... I love her illustrations and the notecards are lovely ... even without an added surprise (a white ink pen!) they would make me smile!  

Patricia loves to spread joy. So does my friend Barb.  She brings smiles and sprinkles joy around to everyone she knows (and probably even those she doesn't know!). Her blog is an extension of her joy:

All Around You

Sprinkle joy. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Another friend of mine is a true spreader of love. She is like a shining light wherever she goes. She talks to everyone and treats everyone like they are her best friend and even when she is really busy she takes time to give to others. Once, I referred her to the store that supplies my tile. I have gone there for years but honestly, I only know a couple of the employee's names. One day she told me she was taking them all lunch. "Really?" I asked, "Why?"
"Oh", she said, "they are all so nice and they work so hard." And she knew all of their names. We should all be that!

"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love ... the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

- Galatians 5 

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Go Bears!

I am getting ready to take my youngest daughter on a little road trip to celebrate her graduation (last December) from Cal. I bought the bear planter at the cutest little shop in Seal Beach called, The Little Shop because it reminded me of her (and the Cal bear ... Go Bears!!!). I am going to try to post our trip for the next couple weeks from my iPad - that is my intention anyway ... I will keep you "posted"!

Whatever you are doing, I hope you are having a wonderful day ... Happy Friday everyone!

The finishing touch

The project that I posted about here needed to be accessorized and a party is just the thing to make things happen quickly.  I got a call last week ... "I am having a First Communion Party on Saturday (yes, another one!!!) ... do you think we could finish everything by then?"  I have to admit, it was a tall order considering my already committed work schedule, but even so, I wanted to try. 

If you remember, we had the 'bones' of the living room from our one-day bargain shopping spree where we found some pretty incredible bargains at HomeGoods and Living Spaces ... so this was my new starting point:

Before

I met with my client and we made a list of things that we needed to do. I had two days to get it done and I thought I would shop one day and install the second. But after the first day of shopping I met with my client and brought over a few of the things I had picked up and found out that the direction I had gone was a disconnect for what she had wanted. I had gone more rustic, she wanted more glam.  It was a bit of a set back because of the lack of time but not an unusual process in trying to understand what a client wants. Sometimes it takes them seeing what they don't want, to help them discover what they do. She was able to clearly articulate what exactly what she wanted ("girly, glamourous, silver and creams, pieces that look acquired through traveling," were some of the words she used) and I went back for round two. 

So now on a real time crunch with one day to go, I set out again with a list of all the places I wanted to hit and one of the first places on my list was Ikea to get some inexpensive ($119) barstools that my client had found previously and liked:

Ikea

On the way, I popped into a Crown Books clearance store to get some "travel" coffee table books and on a whim walked in to a Marshalls right next door and found similar barstools for $49! I was on a roll...

Do you see the wrapping paper in my car? I cannot walk into those bargain stores without finding something for me too!

The barstools were perfect and started me off on a day of successful shopping. I went back to HomeGoods and picked up a couple of side tables and a cart full of accessories and then added a few things from West Elm and Z Gallerie. 

I had a handyman hand the curtain rods (silver) and I tacked up one to make sure it was right.

After

 I was happy with the way it turned out, and kept my fingers crossed that she would too. When she got home she called and said, "You nailed it." I was all smiles. 

More First Communion photos

 Here are a few more photos of the First Communion party ...

All photos were taken by Prizler Photography.  Hope you enjoyed! 

Mother's Day and no regrets

"A mother is not a person to lean on, but a person to make leaning unnecessary."

-Dorothy Canfield Fisher

Sarah & Bendrix

Non. Je ne regrette rien.

It means "I have no regrets" and it is the new poster I just bought. It was inspired by the Edith Piaf song and is a simple statement that means life is to be lived without regrets and in full. I may not frame it for a while (no time) but it will someday hang in my home to be a reminder.

Sarah & Bendrix

This year I decided to work differently. I wanted to make time to live. I thought about my children and my new grand-daughter and how I was missing out on so many things because I was always working. And I thought about my mom. She is 83 years young, but I did not want to look back someday and say that I had missed some amazing moments with her because I was just too busy. So I started to "X" out some days each month on my calendar and take some personal days off. 

When a good friend of mine was battling terminal cancer in her (and my) 40's, her brother told her to live with no regrets. It was great advice. Make peace where you need to, don't look back someday wishing you had done something differently, or missed an opportunity. No regrets. Live now. 

 Roger's Gardens

So last week, with a full schedule and a party to style the next day (and all the preparations that go along with that), I decided to take my mom along with me on my errands. I knew she would enjoy going along the the rental store (they have so many pretty things) and I knew she would love walking around Roger's Gardens. I just had to pick up a couple of things and could have been in and out in 20 minutes but instead we spent a couple of hours walking around slowly, looking at all the plants and flowers and patio furniture. We took time to have a lovely lunch and do a little shopping at her favorite gourmet grocery store.  I was overcome with gratitude; so incredibly happy that I had my mom to spend the day with. 

Roger's Gardens

I am out of town right now, writing this from my daughter's house. I am here with both of my girls and my sweet granddaughter (and hoping that my mom will decide to make the trek up here as well). Again, I am filled with gratitude. 

Our Mother's Day Menu - found here   

Happy Mother's Day to all of us. To those of us who have birthed a child and to those who have not. To our friends who have filled in where our mothers could not and to our daughters who helped us be better women. To our sisters who hold our hands love us unconditionally, and to those of us who are left only with the memories of the moms we wish we still had with us. To those who "mother us" whether they gave birth to us or not; for being our soft place to fall and the place where we get our strength. This is for all of you ... my friends, my sisters, my daughters and my mom ... I hope you all have a wonderful day and know how loved and important you are. xxoo

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"God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers."-Jewish proverb

A First Holy Communion Party

My sister and I styled a First Holy Communion Party last weekend. The weather, which is always a concern when preparing for an outdoor event, was perfect. It was a beautiful Spring day sandwiched between a 90 degree HOT day and a COLD, rainy day (hard to believe we are in Southern California!) and everything from the wonderful family, the food (a taco bar), the music (they brought in Mariachi's that sounded like The The Tenors!) and great sangria made it a celebration to remember. Here are a few of the details ...

Prizler Photography

Prizler Photography

Prizler Photography

Our job was to decorate a few vignettes and to generally supervise the set-up of the party while the family and guests attended the mass. I always enjoy personalizing each event we do with little touches that are meaningful to the client. The client's daughter's baptismal dress was perfect to feature.

Prizler Photography

Prizler Photography

Prizler Photography

Prizler Photography

The client had a friend make the party favors and the centerpiece flowers ... we added the rest.

Prizler Photography

Prizler Photography

Prizler Photography

More of the party later .... hope your week is going great! xo

A beautiful prayer

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