It was a Thursday, just like any Thursday.  Sky was blue, no rain in Atlanta, life was just ducky.

• Chug coffee – check email
• Head upstairs
• Dress – black being the choice of the day (happens a lot)
• Back downstairs
• Load up laptop and assorted, unruly papers
• Treats for dogs – out the door to work
• Usual Atlanta commute
• Park car, open door
• Wait! Whose brown shoe is that?  Did I put on brown shoes?
• Other foot out door
• o-no

9 hours at work, usual office circulation routes, several meetings with various people.

No one ever said a word.

Humbling.

Celebrating what little is left of my sanity today.

Please remember to Celebrate Something Everyday!

Whoa!  Last year I wrote a post marking the momentous occasion of my best-bud-from-egg-stage’s anniversary (yes, she married a hunter).  I had no idea how popular a topic that was, but man-o-blog-post has that article pulled the hits over the last year!

Which brings me to a lovely lady I’ve had the pleasure of meeting as a result of just that post – Mrs. JoAnne Schnepp – Intrepid Entrepreneur and the owner of White Lace and Promises and A Touch of Camo, LLC.  Yes, that’s right – the lady that makes camouflage wedding dresses, and she has a mighty compelling story.

JoAnne started helping her wedding photographer husband with his business in 1981.  As kind of a natural progression, this led her into the gown industry in 1998.  JoAnne takes a passionate personal interest in her clients, particularly brides getting ready for their weddings. She’s enjoyed working individually with brides to create custom or replica wedding gowns in the past.   JoAnne says, “I loved helping the bride develop and create her idea of the perfect gown on paper, then working with my excellent network of talented dressmakers and seamstresses to make her dream come true! “  Her custom gown business is on hold at the moment, because right now she’s looking for talented new seamstresses to work with her, so if any of you are interested, leave a comment and I’ll be happy to pass your information along.  So drop us a line!

“But camouflage wedding dresses”, you might ask. “How the heck did that get started?”

Don’t laugh. I can understand your skepticism if you weren’t born into the same Southern “Hunting is Life” consortium that I was.  But look a little deeper and you’ll find that Southern hunters are part of a rich tradition, involving weekends at luxurious private retreats with hunt buffet dinners to rival anything you’ll find in a five-star restaurant.  Ever read Garden and Gun?  If not, here’s the link.  Get yourself educated (and get a subscription while you’re at it.  I want that magazine to be around for a loooong time).

Enough about me – back to JoAnne and her fascinating story.

In August of 2007, a bride from Texas contacted JoAnne through  her website, asking if she could add some satin camo to her already-purchased wedding  gown. The groom-to-be really wanted Mossy Oak camo incorporated into the wedding theme (which may seem odd for a groom to be so opinionated, but serious hunters are just surprising like that).  JoAnne, always up for another custom wedding dress challenge, said yes.

As JoAnne recalls, “She shipped me the dress from Texas, and I worked with her to define just what kind of camo touches she wanted. I must admit I had to search quite a while to find Mossy Oak bridal satin, which at that time was not an easy thing to do.  But find it I did!  I packed the Mossy Oak satin up with the dress and shipped it to my Bulgarian dressmaker, who’d agreed to do the job.  Yes, the wedding dress and the Mossy Oak camouflage satin all made a side trip to Bulgaria!  In about a month we accepted delivery on a gown what was absolutely beautiful!   We were just amazed!”

“The gown was so surprisingly lovely that we took some pictures and gave the gown a name – Heather – after the bride.  My husband and I put some of the pictures out on the Internet, just to see if there was any interest in camouflage-accented wedding gowns. It was a complete hit!  The pictures had been on the web site for only about two weeks when I got a second order.  And by November of that year, I had orders for two more, but NO DRESS MAKER!  I’d lost contact with my Bulgarian connection, and my one US seamstress then was busy with other work and could not help.  I was in a panic!”

JoAnne frantically started looking for a US factory or anyone to help fill the mounting orders. No luck, but then one day the phone rang.  The woman on the line had seen JoAnne’s website and wanted to sell her on an advertising deal.  The caller also recognized that JoAnne was onto something truly unique, and she asked for an interview, too.  “HA!” says JoAnne.  “I had to tell her we’d only made three gowns, and that I had a lot of orders now, but no one to sew for me.”

JoAnne truly believes that God is good when someone is on the right track.  And sure enough, the caller knew just the person in Louisiana who could handle the job.  She put JoAnne in touch with Judy, owner of not only three bridal salons, but also a factory!  They talked on the phone, carved out a deal straight away, and they’ve been Partners in Camouflage ever since.

As JoAnne tells it, “For the first 6 months, we asked brides to submit pictures of styles they liked, and then we made “custom” wedding gowns in camo – designing patterns on the computer.  Judy also had quite the inventory of existing patterns, so she would also check those to see which ones would best convert to styles made with Mossy Oak.  We’d present the drawings to the bride, she would make her decision, and the gown would then come to life down in our little Louisiana factory.”

In their first year working together, the duo sold 200 gowns.   During the 2008-2009 wedding season, they’ve sold over 600 camouflage  gowns to date!  Now they carry over 80 styles, plus lots of different options for customization, “…so a gal can create a gown very unique to her, and know that no one else will ever be seen wearing the same style!”

You know I just had to ask, “JoAnne, what’s the most unique request you’ve ever had?”, thinking there had to be some doozies.  Here’s what she said:

“Would you believe that this happened just this very week?  I had a gentleman call up wanting to rent an all-camo gown to wear in a play!  Seems a group of guys lost a dare of some kind and, as a result, they were forced to create a play where they are all women characters!  He went to a lot of trouble to explain that they were all married men and this was not a scam.  Of course I was happy to help him, but I did ask for pictures from the play night.  He REFUSED!  I think I understand, as he said he didn’t want pictures of him wearing a woman’s dress showing up all over the Internet.  Little does he know that it might happen anyhow, if anyone takes a picture during the play?”

JoAnne doesn’t stop at just the camouflage wedding gown, either.  “Yes – I also enjoy helping brides plan out some of the details for their camo-themed weddings.  I’m not a professional wedding planner by any means, but I do get to see lots of details because brides share their wedding pictures with me. “

“A camo-themed wedding can be a totally informal, outdoor occasion or it can be very formal, elegant and traditional.  Or mix it up – have the formal wedding in the church, remove the detachable train and veil, and run off to an outdoor reception on a ranch or farm!”

“Work the mossy oak pattern in your decorations with table runners, place mats and chair wraps.  Did you know there is mossy oak tulle available, too?  It looks lovely draped around the tables or weave some in around the centerpiece or down the center of a long table.”

“You can create candle centerpieces by buying inexpensive fat candles, then hot glue shotgun shells (empty ones!) Around the bottom, then toss some randomly around the table.  Buy silk fall leaves or better yet – save up some real ones and scatter those under the shells.  Put the same fall leaves in your flowers, and use cat tail, sunflowers, pheasant feathers, turkey feathers and wrap with mossy oak ribbon.”

“In our camo line, we’ve identified 15 colors that go well with the mossy oak pattern.  We mail out fabric swatches of all these at no charge to our brides, so they can coordinate flowers, table cloths, bridesmaids colors, etc.  We also carry a whole line of honeymoon lingerie, swimwear for guys and gals and other lounge wear in mossy oak.  Oh yes – and we have hot pink camo in that line too!”

Entrepreneur JoAnne has crafted a fascinating business out of a niche market pretty quickly, but she hasn’t lost her personal touch – the hallmark of her success.  I’ll end with a true “JoAnne quote” to better illustrate the dynamic, caring nature of this businesswoman:

“If anyone out there is considering a camo themed wedding, don’t hesitate to contact me.  I don’t need to make a sale to be helpful to anyone who’s interested!  I love working with brides to help create the day of their dreams – it’s my passion.  My contact info can be found at www.laceandpromises.com and there you can also see some of the designs.  By the first of next year, the new camo website will be live in all its glory at atouchofcamo.com. “

Celebrating camouflage wedding dresses and the sharp women who craft them today.

Please remember to Celebrate Something Everyday!

Just a few of the possibilities…

A traditional wedding gown with halter top and full mossy oak train

White snowfall satin camo over tulle.  Also available in the darker camo colors with ivory tulle underlay.

Detachable mossy oak train and beautiful lace-up back make this dress a true stand-out!

Unless you’re Thanksgiving Superman, somewhere in between “Welcome!” and “Food’s Ready!” there’s going to be a little downtime.  Maybe you’ll serve a tasty pumpkin cocktail, or a warm apple cider – that’s always nice.  But why not take the “gotta throw it on the table fast” pressure off and have a few simple savouries ready when you’re guests hit the door?  They can nibble and sip, while you graciously slice, sauce, warm and prepare the main event.  Here are my two favorite, easy to prepare, Old Family Recipe pre-Thanksgiving-dinner tidbits for you to consider:

CREAM CHEESE AND CRAB SPREAD

Make this one up to two days in advance, keep refrigerated, but add the crab and chili sauce the day of

• 12 oz. cream cheese (softened – which you can do in the microwave in a few secs if you’re not patient, like me)
  2 tbsp. mayonnaise (I like Miracle Whip in this)
  1 tbsp. grated white onion
  2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  1 tsp. lemon juice (fresh, please – cut lemon in two, put in bowl cut side down, microwave for 30 secs – juice comes out quick but careful, it may be hot)
  1/2 bottle chili sauce
  Crab flaked (can use fresh, frozen or canned – up to you and what’s available)

In a nifty bowl, add cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, grated onion and lemon juice. Mix well. Spread in a shallow bowl serving-type dish. Chill one hour or until solid.

Spread on top of above mixture: chili sauce first, then flaked crab. Sprinkle with parsley flakes for color. Serve with Ritz crackers or Water Crackers.  Yum!

STUFFED CELERY

Oh this is so easy – crunchy, creamy, and good!  Make stuffing up to three days before, wash-peel-cut celery and store in plastique in fridge, then stuff celery day before, cover in plastique and refrigerate.

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened (microwave for me)
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 25 green olives with pimento, chopped
• 1 bunch celery, wash, remove strings and cut into bite-size pieces

In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese and sour cream. Stir in the walnuts and chopped olives. At this point you can just refrigerate spread to flavor up.  Night before, spread filling onto the celery pieces, seal with plastique wrap and refrigerate.  Voila!

And don’t forget to dress your table with Thanksgiving favors for your guests.  My particular favorites? (yes, click the pic for where to buy)

Insert an old family picture into these delightful fall glass coasters for a practical and memorable Thanksgiving favor.

Not using place cards?  Then use the same picture concept I mentioned above, or simply present as a gift at each place setting.  Easy!  They’re presentation-ready in the cutest little box!

Celebrating all you sharp hosts and hostesses out there today who are already planning their Thanksgiving feasts!

Please remember to Celebrate Something Everyday!

• Doing some internet reading the other day
• Found some interesting stuff
• Brides are now doing a lot of wedding planning on the internet
• There is lots of cool stuff out there to do it with
• Brides like like lists
  • Short lists
  • Easy to understand lists
  • Web 2.0 kinda stuff

• This is a list of places to go to plan your wedding on the internet
  • Not particularly short
    • I’ve never been good with short
  • Pretty easy to understand
  • I’ll probably flunk Web 2.0
    • I’m not real good with math, either

If you are not engaged yet but just wanna test the water …

Dream like crazy!  Think about venues, modge-podge a wedding of your dreams! Or even if you are engaged, try the no-holds-barred approach and then pare back from there to suit your wedding budget.

• Budget – Think Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds – the sky’s the limit
  • You can worry about reality later

• Venues of Your Dreams
  • aka Venues to Dream About
    • Castle Weddings
      • http://www.celticcastles.com/weddings.asp
    • Weddings in Europe
      • http://www.italian-weddings.com/
      • http://www.greecetravel.com/weddings/
      • http://paris.angloinfo.com/countries/france/marriage.asp (ooo-la-la!)

    

    • Weddings in the Caribbean
      • http://www.stjohnlinks.com/weddings.html (you knew this was going to be my first one, right?)
      • http://www.nevis1.com/nevis-weddings.html
      • http://www.stmaarten-beachweddings.com/process.html

      

• Let’s make some colors! (you’re going to need theme colors, ya know…)
  • Polyvore.com
    • Sign up for an account
    • Play with all the gadgets
    • Make a collage with the things you like
    • Gets those wedding-creative juices flowing!
  • Dessy.com
    • Sign up for an account
    • Pick your Pantone Colors
      • Pantones are HUGE if you really are planning a wedding.  They are standardized, measurable colors that every wedding professional you talk to can hook into and coordinate with.  Get your Pantone(s) today!

    

  • Great places to get ideas from and cut and paste into your own wedding inspiration boards
    • http://www.kateaspen.com
      • wedding favors, color ideas, industry trends, an idea blog
    • http://hostesswiththemostess.com/
      • crazy-cute cosmopolitan trends, party ideas, colors, products
    • http://brides.com
      • you probably already know this one, but I didn’t want to leave it out
    • http://www.myweddingfavors.com
      • bridesmaids gifts, centerpiece ideas, a good blog and some really cute stuff
    • http://www.stylemepretty.com
      • Queen of the inspiration boards
    • http://www.australiaentertains.com
      • I know it’s Australia, but this blog has some creative new ideas, and it’s pretty fun to read!
    • http://romonakeveza.com
      • Great, new, trendy-but- practical wedding dresses
    • http://flickr.com
      • Keyword searches for you favorite colors, ideas, themes, anything wedding! (be careful if you’re sharing on a blog – some of those pics are copyrighted)

    

  Some more internet wedding planning tips:

• Start a Twitter account to update your bridesmaids
  • “Hey – will you be my bridesmaid?”
  • “Hey – I’m at the bridal salon.  Check your phones for pics”
  • “Hey – I’m thinking about these shoes – what do u think?”
  • You get it

• Take advantage of one of the fifty billion wedding planning sites
  • Best?  http://www.theknot.com
  • Want to be different?  Check out some of these:
    • http://www.weddingbee.com
    • http://www.getmarried.com
    • http://www.onewed.com
    • http://www.theweddingchannel.com
  • Hint:  play with all of them until you find one that meets your needs
• Find your Wedding Self or Win Some Stuff
  • Unveil your Bridal Style  here http://www.kateaspen.com/bridequiz/default.aspx
  • Win wedding favors:  http://www.kateaspen.com/win
  • Lots of links to win stuff here:  http://www.weddingcontests.com/

Celebrating the Internet, and all the wedding planning tools it offers – for FREE!

Please remember to Celebrate Something Everyday!

I love a good pumpkin as much as the next person.  Carved, stuffed with flowers, decoupaged, don’t get me wrong – they’re mighty versatile!  But have you considered gourds lately?  They’re a personal favorite of mine because, well, you can just get downright funky with gourds!

The History of Gourds

No, there will not be a test, but  you do need to look gourd-smart for your guests!

• Gourds have been cultivated all over the globe for thousands of years, including caveman years
• Gourds are actually a member of the pumpkin/squash family
• Gourds have been used since pre-historic times for storing supplies, hauling water,  eating utensils, musical instruments – you name it!
• Gourds are a bit like kudzu.  They are quite prolific and will climb everything within their area:  fences, buildings, hillsides, cars that have been parked in one place too long, Grandma if she doesn’t move fast enough …
• Gourds are huge in the Southeast as birdhouses, attracting the purple martin to take up residence where, in turn, the purple martin gathers mosquitoes for dinner
• There really are juried Gourd Shows around the country this time of year
• There is an American Gourd Society, headquartered in Kokomo, Indiana
• There is a Gourd Museum near Helen, Georgia (I’ve been there)
• There are decorated gourds on display at The United States Botanic Gardens in Washington, D.C. (which make them Federally-Funded Gourds)

Digital Gourd chart © Dan Dunkin 2003
 This chart is used courtesy The Gourd Reserve

Capturing the fancy of artists, now that they’re not needed as much for bowls, spoons, flutes and the like – gourds come in all sizes and shapes to make the perfect do-it-yourself table decorations for Thanksgiving!

Here’s a good site with step-by-step instruction on how to make your own gourd turkey.  This guy goes all the way to a detail-painted turkey, but I can envision stopping here, then nestling this little “deconstructed” turkey into a nest of dried magnolia leaves, then inserting some red berries around for color. You could also use a little furniture polish or spray him with a clear glaze to perk him up even more!

Another idea?  Find some “balloon” gourds like these.  Turn them over on their side or give them some turkey feet and let them stand up, then start gluing!  Silk fall leaves, feathers, real dried fall leaves – you can make a turkey tail out of about anything.  Even candy!  Add a beak and a pair of eyes and a turkey wattle,  maybe a cute little raffia bow and voila!

Let’s keep the gourd theme going.  Hollow out some gourd cousins (squash for the uninitiated) and pop in a tea light!

Get some craft wire and make gourd place card holders! 

And for heaven’s sakes – don’t forget the favors! 

Celebrating do-it-yourself Thanksgiving Decorations made with gourds today!

Please remember to Celebrate Something Everyday!

Update 10.16.2009 Thank goodness!  Someone who is a fabulous photographer kindly put pictures online that tell the story of last Saturday SO-SO much better than I could.  Please go here to feel the day up close and beautifully … http://www.michelepoole.com/lilysrun/.  And continue to pray.  Thank you.

One little girl, one cancer, one idea, one community, one commitment, one day – today.  October 11, 2009.  Vickery Village, rural Forsyth County Georgia.

It simply took your breath away.

When Kevin started organizing one month ago, he’d never done anything like this before.  He was hoping for at least 200 runners but he wasn’t sure how he was going to find them.

They ran out of race numbers today.  They started out with more than 350.  I’d say about half ran without a number.  There were so many running for Lily, running on Anderson Power, that we don’t know how many ran.

It was supposed to rain today.  It was supposed to be gray and drizzly and chilly.  The Big Guy who handles the weather knew what was going on, and he fixed it – not only for Lily, but for all those sincerely beautiful hearts he knew were coming.

Parents ran with their children, grandparents ran, we don’t know where they all came from, but we were all better for being among them.

Lily’s a little weak right now.  She just finished her second round of chemo a couple of days ago.  She wasn’t at the start of the race.  She has to be careful of germs.  But she was at the mid-point.  And she clapped for every single runner who passed by, and she said thank you.  Here’s what Lily saw …

The football team she cheers for.

Old friends.

New friends.

The Lily Guys.  Mr. L, Mr. I, Mr. L and, well, Mr. Y was a bit behind so Lily dashed out into the road and stood in as Mr. Y for the pic.

And she thanked every runner.  Every single one.

Back down at the Village …

Lily’s Grandfather completely shaved his wonderful his head in solidarity with his beautiful granddaughter, and ended up looking mighty fine!

And there was a bake sale, people crafted Lily necklaces, there was a pumpkin patch, a lady made bows, there was a raffle, a silent auction, Falcons cheerleaders, Tech cheerleaders, bounce houses, face painting, a balloon clown, barbecue plates, hot dogs, pizza from Sidneys, specials from Cincos, t-shirts, gelato, a band, and so-so many generous and caring people.  Some knew Lily, some didn’t, but now they all know Anderson Power.

Tomorrow Lily starts stem cell treatment.  Whatever was raised today will be quickly spent on the special powers of the hospitals, the doctors, the nurses, the medicine.  Lily will carry the hearts and the encouragement from the awesomeness of today to help her through.   But please,  continue to pray.

One little girl, one insipid disease, one idea, one month’s work, one new community of support, one awesome day too unbelieveable to adequately describe for you.

Celebrating Lily’s Courage today. Please remember to Celebrate Everyday.

Vickery Village is a community in south Forsyth County, Georgia.  We’ve lost our visionary developer, we’ve lost good neighbors, we’ve lost delightful merchants all to the hardships of the current economy.  But we haven’t lost the one thing that makes this a very special place – each other.

There is absolutely no way to thank everyone for what happened today.   I’ll try, but I’ll miss somebody and I’m so sorry.

Ted’s Montana Grill, YSS Athletics, KBX Gym, Fleet Feet Sports, Gems in Art, Vital Signs & Graphics, Recess!, Sweet & Sassy, RoadID, Sidneys, Cincos, Publix Freehome, T-Olive Properties, Leah Guenther for her incredible graphics that set the tone for the day (and also set a trend!) and so-so many others.

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I’m going to put you out of your misery right now.  Hold a Baby on Board baby shower, and you’ll be swamped with great ideas and compliments.

There now – feeling better?  Here’s your list for baby shower success:

• Here are your invitations.  Order them here.

• Here are your decorations.

You can find them anywhere but use them as your theme color.  Here are some ideas!

Yellow daisy mums for flowers.

Yellow plates and napkins (think Dollar Tree here)

Put a B.O.B sign on your front door, one in the yard, three or so around your food table.  They’re bright little spots of fun color!

• Here is your Baby on “Board” game (get it?)

Baby Pictionary – This game is based upon the original Pictionary board game. Before the shower, place words relating to baby activites and items on small cards. (eg: Changing a diaper, giving birth, feeding time) At the shower, create teams and give each one a dry erase marker and point them to the white board you’ve set up in the room. Let one member of the team see a card, then tell then to draw the word or phrase for their partners to guess. Use a timer or just play until someone guesses. When the time is up, the teams total up the number of words they have guessed correctly and the one who has the most wins a prize. (compliments of babybox.com – they have lots more games if you want to check it out!).

• And here are your Baby on Board baby shower favors.  Waaaaaaaaaaay too cute and sure to be the talk of the party!
  

Now aren’t you smart? Get to shopping!

Celebrating all those new Babies on Board today (and the people that celebrate them).

Please remember to Celebrate Something Everyday!

First off, let me acknowledge that I am NOT an authority on anything.  Well, maybe my children.  They are the best two girls a mother could ever wish for, and they are also beautiful and smart and lovely company.  Consider yourself informed.

I guess I do come up with a good idea from time to time – because I  get asked a LOT.  I don’t mind, and on this particular occasion, it was so much fun I thought you might like to hear about it.

My neighbor, Janice, has a daughter who’s a Chi O at The University of Alabama (Ramma Jamma yella hamma – oops!  You caught me!), who’s  maid-of-honor in a wedding soon, and in charge of the wedding welcome bags for the after rehearsal dinner.  Her Big Sister in the sorority is the bride, and the official Chi Omega mascot is an Owl. The bride is also having a “green” wedding (which is neat and super-trendy these days).

Since Janice knows I’ve done a few welcome bags for friends, she asked my humble opinion.

First I did a little research about Owls and Chi Omega.  In case you’re interested:

• In ancient Egypt (and apparently Hindu and and Celtic cultures), Owls were something of a guardian of the underworld.  Creepy.
• Native Americans were a little more practical with their owl symbolism, revering (is that a word?) them as a symbol of wisdom, foresight, and the keeper of sacred knowledge.  Here’s my question – how can this critter be associated with the “bird-brain” (after all, they don’t poop, they barf) and “keeper of sacred knowledge”?  Hmm…
• Chi Omega uses the Owl as a symbol of wisdom and a commitment to learning and growing.  That one I can live with.

Research behind us, on to the grand ideas!

Whole Foods has the cutest (and cheapest) reusable grocery bags.  We picked this one, and you can get ‘em for about a dollar each.  WONDERFUL START, no?

They come in two sizes.  Get the small one.  Less to fill.

Now we need some stuff.  First – an Owl Thank You note – and please, for heaven’s sake – hand write it.  That’s part of the gift – that you took the time to write a note.  Actually, you can just provide the words and get the bridesmaids to help with the writing.  Nobody’ll know the difference.

What do you say?  How about  ” <insert his name here> and I are so thankful that you are joining us to celebrate our special day.  Please know that just by being here, you’re making it a very precious memory for us.  Love (or whatever) <insert his name here> and <your name, of course>”

Now add something sweet.  If you’re in the notion, make these really cool owl cookies.  And if you can’t find an owl cookie cutter around your town, click this pic and order one – it’s pretty darned cheap!

OK, bag, card, cookies and now you have to make a decision. Wet or dry?
A liquid of some sort is always welcome in a wedding welcome bag. If you’re giving it as a welcome surprise at the hotel check-in, then bottled water will work just fine. But if it’s at an after-rehearsal party, then you need to up the ante a bit. If your crowd is socially-drink-inclined, a small, personalized bottle of wine is very nice.

And since the labels are personalized anyway – have them add an owl to the label! (click the pic to order)

Now, for the crowning glory, the icing on the cake, the jewel in the…oh, you get it.  Add one of these.  Yes, “Owl Always Love You” soap. Tre precious! And click the pic to order, since it’s Breast Cancer Awareness month.   This store sells Kate Aspen favors, and I’m sure you’ll have no complaints that 100% of the profits from your purchase goes straight to The Young Survival Coalition – who provide wonderful services internationally to young women who have or are recovering from breast cancer.  Give back!  How green! 

Celebrating Chi Omega weddings and Owls today!

Please remember to Celebrate Something Everyday!

Well, actually, not.  That wouldn’t be possible because Max is a dog and Mittens is a cat (although there’s probably some weird cloning operation going on somewhere as I blog).

But anyway, head on over to a new website for your Pets – MaxandMittens.com!  Lots of cute, clever, unusual and nicely priced pet goodies to pamper your pooch, care for your cat, and otherwise spoil your four-footed babies to death!

And just because you know me - use this coupon code to get 10% off your first purchase!  Never too early to shop for Kitty Christmas, and never too early for a little discount either, right?  Here’s the code to enter at checkout…

FRIENDS

Celebrating  Max and his sidekick Mittens today (really cute blog on the site, too – click the graphic below to see it).

Please remember to Celebrate Something Everyday!

I must admit- first time I heard the word “Bunko” I conjured up all kinds of nasty, smoke-filled room thoughts of a back-alley kinda game played over bad beer by dubious personages.

I’m SO over that now and can proudly call myself a five-year Bunko addict.  What a great opportunity to get friends together for some mindless, gleeful fun!  And it’s my first-weekend-of-every-month November turn to host the party – filled with everybody’s card tables and food and conviviality!

This morning I’m planning ahead – and I’ll let you in on a secret.  Everybody walks away from my Bunko-hosted parties with a little gift, a favor if you will, because I want all my guests to take away a happy memory of our time together. Yes, my Cohorts in Bunko Addiction mean that much to me.

Since the point of the whole she-bang is to not spend a ton of money – I usually turn to Kate Aspen to find my favors.  There’s so much variety and the price is so right and the good ideas – well, my main complaint with Kate Aspen favors is that there are too many choices!  And here’s what it’s done to me today – Kate’s put me in a party-planning quandry.  Just follow me on this one…

bunko pizza nite by everydaycelebrations on Polyvore.com

Do I make it a pizza night theme?  A little merlot, maybe a chianti, some pizza (I make a good home made pizza – btw)?  Then I divide the rounds into quarters, and at the end of each quarter give one of these favors, like the “Slice of Love” to the highest score?  Then maybe a Grand Loser price of “Seasoned with Love” to the lowest score at the end?  That way more than one person goes home with a little bunko favor.  What do you think?

ice cream bunko party by everydaycelebrations on Polyvore.com

One entry per person. Oh shoot, scratch that- as many as you want.  Entry must include favor ideas from KateAspen.com, combined with a party theme.  Entries will be reviewed by an independent judging panel consisting of me, and a winner will be selected on October 21st, 2009, sometime in the afternoon, EST.  Award notification will occur on this blog sometime thereafter, probably after dinner, and I will then send you a prize!  How’s that? I don’t know what the prize is yet, but I promise it will be something cute!

Celebrating good friends, Bunko parties, and your good ideas for party themes today!

Please remember to Celebrate Something Everyday!
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