Hi you guys!!
While I'm working on a different post that will go up tomorrow…
I thought I'd share with you this "Giving Thanks" book by Compendium.
I'll be using it for my own Thanksgiving Dinner with family next week and thought you might want to hurry and order one for yourself as well.

The thought of sitting around the table this year…
knowing there is forever an empty seat with the recent loss of my cousin…
well…I just figured this book would be a great thing to use to continue the healing process for all of us. I'm a believer that when we acknowledge our gratitude for the smallest of details…especially during the difficult, trying times...we continue to find things to be grateful for.

Hope you are inspired to start this new tradition with your family this year as well.

See more details and photos of the book on the Compendium website.
Although it's currently sold out on the Live-Inspired website...
you can still purchase Giving Thanks on Amazon.

Love you guys!!
xoxo

KEEPiNG iT REAL
Hand me a box of tissues please.
Between the cold I'm fighting, thinking about Holly and the emotion this video conjures up about family and family holiday traditions...I'm just not able to hold back the tears or the sniffling today! #emotional

SHARE | Heart Strings Tug O' War

With the first day back-to-school just days away I'm in the middle of a fierce game of Tug O' War…
With my heartstrings. *sigh*

The back-and-forth feelings of excitement about my girls growing up…
and…well...the mommy heartache about my girls growing up.
Not to mention the fact that Summer will be officially over. *frown*
Noooo!!! It's seriously my favorite!!

So…with my current emotional state...I was trying to decide on what fun free printable to offer you for the Blog Hop this month. (the theme being "Back-to-School"). I was persuaded, (by my heart strings of course), to create something simple and cute to show my girls how much I love them. Sappy, right? That's okay. I'm down with sappy.

Anyway, cute lunch box notes definitely crossed my mind but the age differences between my girls doesn't really warrant one design - it'd have to be two….maybe even three different design styles to fit their ages. And honestly…I just don't have the time for three different designs. Just keeping it real.

So…yes...instead of cute teacher printables or something related directly to the school day, I decided to go with something that would focus, instead, on bringing me back to center in the middle of all of the hustle and bustle a new school year brings; Something that would encourage myself AND my girls, to pause, (even for just a minute), to be reminded of how much I love each of them…and why. 

So here's what I came up with...

LiFE | The Anchor Cake

This has been on my mind a lot lately...

This is a quote I came up with this morning and then shared on my Instagram feed.

(the apps I used to design this are #abeautifulmess, #phonto and #picfx).

Focused on my most important, enduring & beautiful work...
 I've been trying to do some things differently this week!
Using the list of things I've been doing...
 I was inspired to create what I call...

I love it!
I hope you do too!

I know I could use a reminder to slice myself a piece of Anchor Cake - often!!

I think when we have our priorities straight, 

we really can have our cake and eat it too!

I'd love to hear from you about some of the powerful things you do/have tried

to stay connected with the ones you love!

I hope we will all find ways this weekend to connect!

xoxo, Jessica

KEEPiNG it REAL

One of the main things I've been doing this week
is taking a few minutes in the morning to do some sort of inspirational reading.

I always feel more focused and ready to tackle the day ahead (with a great attitude) when I do that.

I don't know why I continue to fall out of that habit so easily?

FAMiLY | Love Notes...

Today's post is about the "little things"...

My day started off with an early morning drive to the airport.
I dropped J off to fly to Illinois to stay with his parents for the next 5 days.
His dad was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer...
surgery is scheduled for tomorrow. *frown*

Obviously, as much as it'll be nice for J to visit with his parents...
we both wish it was for different reasons.

I definitely wanted to do something special...
in light of the circumstances...
So I got to thinking...

During a normal work week...
I pack J's lunch and send him off with a healthy smoothie or protein shake.
Something else I do is include a simple little note with his lunches - written on a napkin most of the time.
(similar to what I used to do for my older girls when they were in elementary school). *wink*

I usually just jot down something I love about him...
Something I'm grateful for...
Something to lift his spirits during the day...
just something to remind him I'm thinking of him.

He's made several comments lately about how the notes I leave are the best part of his lunch. What?
He even said he sometimes has to restrain himself from peeking at the note...
before he's even driven out of the neighborhood. (Shut the front door!)

I didn't realize how much the notes meant to him.
"That's it!"
I decided to create some SURPRISE daily love notes for his trip...
and hide them in his suitcase. (I'm SO sneaky)

So...
using some things I already had on hand...
mini kraft envelopes, scrapbook paper, pen and a wax seal...
I made some handmade "love notes" to send him on his way...
bundled them together and hid them in his luggage.

One note to be opened each morning he's away...
Each note containing something I'll/we'll miss about him written on the front...
and something sweet written on the back...

I even had Ella participate in creating surprise cards for both grandparents...

and of course for J.

"Have a nice day for your trip"...SO cute.

I ADORE quoting her verbatim and including it in the cards she makes.

It really is the little things that make the world go 'round.

KEEPiNG iT REAL

It was no easy task creating these "surprise" cards.

The cards were easy as pie.

It was the "keeping them a surprise" that proved to be a challenge.

I was making them while cooking dinner...

hiding them each time J walked into the kitchen...

having Clara and Ema help me with the wax seals...

along with the covert photo shoot to document the process.

My thoughts during the wax sealing process:

1. How did/do brides use this classic method for sealing 100+ invitations?

2. I can't wait to try out the seals I have that are specifically made to be used with a glue gun! Brilliant!!

3. I'm glad I only have 4 envelopes to seal. *wink*

4. I would not do this on a daily basis...the napkin notes I normally do work just fine. *grin*

The best part?

During a layover this morning in Tennessee...

J called me.

Having found the notes in the front pocket of his carry-on...

He announced his displeasure when he realized the notes were labeled Thursday thru Sunday.

With no note for today, Wednesday...
He admitted wanting to tear them all open right then and there. *laughing*

I guess I should've included a note for today too. 

I'll know better next time. *wink*

coming up | color inspiration

Since I took the day off yesterday to spend with my girls...
I'm working overtime to catch up on all my orders...

In the meantime, I thought I'd share with you some beautiful COLOR inspiration

I photographed this quilt as inspiration for a customized baptismal program I just designed...
The details are amazing!! One of the most beautiful quilts I've ever seen!!

I'll share the whole scoop on it later...

but it turned out A. dorable!!!

Have a great Tuesday!!

KEEPiNG iT REAL

We had the most wonderful Family Night last night...

A "pizza picnic" followed by a game of football...

finished up with roasting marshmallows and making s'mores.

I, of course, am sticking to my vegan "promise ME" goal...

which means I couldn't partake of the s'mores.

But...

it was still fun roasting them and just having good...quality...family time!!

family night | Family Wishes Jar • 2012

Good Monday Morning everyone!! (and Happy Dr. Martin Luther King Day)

I'm feelin' fired up from a productive weekend...
and I'm looking forward to a great week ahead.

It's the 3rd week of January...can you believe it?
almost the end of the first month of a brand-new year!?
Some of us may still be creating resolutions...
and setting goals.

With that said...
I wanted to share with you something we did for Family Night a couple of weeks ago.
Since I'm always looking for ways to strengthen our family...
by actively keeping our connections alive and well...
I came up with the idea of creating a "Family Wishes" Jar!

(My inspiration came from this post/photo from Green Wedding Shoes).


We sat down as a family...
I gave everyone 4 slips of paper...
and we each came up with activities we'd like to do together at some point over the course of 2012.
The activities were not meant to cost money, necessarily...
but to promote engaging family activities - in some form or fashion.

Some of the ideas were as simple as:
• getting outside and playing together...(game of volleyball, football)

• heading to a location for some fun...(park, beach)

• staying inside for a game of cards/dice.

With our ideas gathered, I stuck them in an ordinary, random jar I had and set them to the side.


It wasn't until this past week...
I took some time to transform a jar I already had into what is now our official
"FAMiLY WiSHES JAR".
It's something we can keep on display...
Selecting items one-by-one until we've accomplished them all.
(All I need to do is change out the tag every year).

I started out with this look...

But I really wanted it to match my creamy white home decor so I changed out the blue ribbon for creamy tulle...

Here's how I created the jar...
(all of these items I already had on hand - no need to purchase anything new)

SUPPLiES:
• jar from Target
• Armour Etching Cream
• Paintbrush
• Scotch Tape
• Vinyl Stickers from Office Depot
• Pink Felt Sticker from Martha Stewart



STEP ONE
Apply stickers to jar using scotch tape as a guide for keeping them aligned
AND...to create a frame around the letters.


STEP TWO
Apply Etching Cream and wait 90 seconds


STEP THREE
Rinse under running water to remove etching cream


STEP FOUR
Wipe off excess water and peel stickers off. Done!

You've seen me use this process before.

It's a fast...

simple way...

 to personalize any glass or mirrored item.

Want more specifics on this technique?

See this post...

Don't let the jar distract you...

If it inspires you...GREAT!

My real goal today was to inspire you to create your own FAMiLY WiSHES.

They could be in the form of a list instead of a jar.

It's not about the container...

It's about sitting down together and coming up with ideas...

and then following through on those ideas.

THAT'S what's important!

Presentation is just the icing on the cake! *wink*

KEEPiNG iT REAL

So excited to have checked off some things on my "promise ME" list this weekend.

(I'll share details with you this week).

Feelin' good and motivated...

How are YOU doing?

holiday | Elf on the Shelf

When my cousin mentioned Elf on the Shelf at Thanksgiving...
I KNEW it was a tradition I wanted to start with my family this year...

You get a book explaining the story...
and a cute little "scout elf" that reports back to Santa each night while you sleep.

You even have to name your Elf...

We chose "Stuart" as the name for our little Elf.
He's got quite a sense of humor...
 showing up in different, sometimes precarious places, each morning.



Today, we found him singing Silent Night while sitting
right in the middle of our Willow Tree Nativity Scene.

He's been a fun addition to our Holiday Traditions...

Here are a few videos taken straight from the Elf on the Shelf website...
I think you'll find them quite entertaining...









Hope you all are enjoying these last few days of holiday preparations...

KEEPiNG iT REAL

No lights on the house or bushes...yet.

Holiday cards ordered just last night...

Wrapping to be started...

Shopping to be finished...

Tree is up and decorated but still missing the tree skirt...

Ate a good majority of the cookies I was going to give away as gifts for the neighbors...

Still feeling jolly though...

how about you? *wink*

building family ties | Dear Daughter

It's official...

The "Dear Daughter" journey 

has officially begun in my home!!

(Go here to see where I got the inspiration from and what this is all about exactly)

 I strategically purchased spiral-bound journals to fit perfectly in the mailboxes I created for the girls.
(I love it that I'm able to combine the two projects together).

I'm very excited to begin this journey with my girls.

I expect our relationships to blossom in ways I never even imagined!!

What are you doing to strengthen relationships in your home...

with your children...

with your family?

I'd love for you to share some traditions or projects you've embarked on with your own family.

Inspire me!!!

KEEPiNG iT REAL

Off to whip up some cupcakes for a fabulous ceremony I'm attending today!

My 17 year old cousin - senior in high school...

is having an official "signing" ceremony for being recruited by The Citadel.

He's got some MAD Baseball Skills...among other amazing athletic talent...

PLUS...

he's super smart...

handsome...

and humble.

He is SUCH a gem!!

LOVE him and I'm so very proud of him!!

Congrats Nate!!!