Beg Borrow & Deal

I LOVE hosting parties, showers and events. And really really love it if I can make them really pretty. I don’t know if it’s the creativity, or how people love it, making someone feel special or having pretty pictures in the end (I actually think it’s a combination of all of those things!) but I don’t usually spend nearly as much time or money on these things as people usually think. I’ll be sharing more as time goes on, I may actually go back in time and post some of the kiddos past birthday parties, because I’m pretty proud with how they turned out.

So onto this shower. I wasn’t technically hosting, I was just having it at my house and asked if I could make it pretty. I am always fairly frugal and have no problem using my beg borrow and deal skills when it comes to putting something pretty together. I had pinned a few ideas that were all blush and gold and rose, but then I was late getting to the flowers shop and they didn’t have a lot of these colors of blooms left so I changed gears. More gold and greenery was going to be the theme. I didn’t have as much as I wanted in this style, and wanted to do something other than the bud vases I tend to rock, so I borrowed (and then ended up buying) terrariums from the flower shop, picked up a candle holder that I would use as a vase.

Place settings can make a table, which can make an event just stand out. You can rent China, or chances are you have a friend, aunt or mother who wouldn’t mind lending you theirs. Get some silver while you’re at it! (I used The Wedding Vogue’s gold flatware the China and Crystal from my mother. I wanted a full table so I used water glasses, champagne flutes, and Martini glasses. I bought a piece of linen looking cotton from Walmart as a table runner (it was the exact right length!) but when I was picking up from Karla (the wedding vogue) she had these new rose gold runners that I just had to use! We also had to add a few people kind of last minute ish and they wouldn’t all fit at our main table, so I borrowed a champagne table cloth to cover a card table we have.

I had a shoot with Lupin Design Studio Saturday morning and kind of set the table for that and realized it wouldn’t be as full as I would like, and also that I forgot Strawberry Jam to make my pancake cake. SO Addy and I made a trip into Bayers Lake and made a quick stop to Michael’s for a can of gold spray paint and then to Value Village to look for some candle holders for tapered candles (not so common these days) and Papa came to the rescue with his amazing strawberry jam! When we got home Daddy went out and Addy, Finn and I played in the backyard. I spray painted some of our findings, some other random things that I found in the house (a bucket, box and some old tea light holders) and then decided I needed some matching artwork to hang on the wall at the head of the table. Alex thought that I was taking on too much but it needed to be done.

I found some paints I had purchased for the Blossom Bliss shoot I did with Elegant Productions a few years ago, grabbed a few ferns I had attempted to spray paint (#fail) and some old paint brushes and let the kids work with me on painting an old watercolour style print that I used to hang at my wedding show booth. It was actually turning out pretty well, but I do have to say that I did lose my cool pretty seriously when Finn sprayed everything with the hose! It was not so good! But we salvaged it all pretty well. I got the muchkins settled with a show and my friend Allie came over to help me with the set up! She said she’s not so creative but she certainly did an amazing job! Ironing linens, setting place settings, washing berries and blowing up balloons for the mimosa and beverage bar. (Thank you Allie!!)

We got pretty much set up Saturday night and then Sunday morning I put on the finishing touches (like the hand lettered and water colored personalized place cards that I finished Saturday night) and assembled my Pancake Cake. Becky’s mom and sister came to put their touches on the day as well while I showered and then tidied up the mess I had made setting up. I took a few photos and then our beautiful bride arrived! I’m not usually a huge fan of shower games but these weren’t too bad and the prizes they put together were really cute!

I’ve learned it’s ok to not have full control of everything so we pot-lucked the brunch and I made a very tasty crock pot casserole along with the pancake cake and punch but there were muffins and waffles, hash brown casserole, bacon, fruit and cheese. We sat down and ate together and enjoyed great conversation about child birth around the table. Lol.

A few ladies stayed and helped clean up and I was ready for a nap!
I loved how everything turned out!

In the end I bought:
Flowers from The Flower Shop **swoon**
A few odds and ends from Value Village
The gold wire candle holder/vase
Gold spray paint and some balloons
The terrarium.

Come on mommy. CHANGE OUR LIFE! – She said with a grin from the back seat.

Addy has always been in tune with me. Knowing when I’m sad, or when I need a hug, knowing when I need a laugh. Its not her job to make me happy, by any stretch, but she always does. She is my joy. But when she said this, my heart leapt and stopped and did all kinds of things. It came out of nowhere.

I had already had an epiphany this morning, then an hour later, these were the words coming out of my four year olds mouth.

Come on mommy. Change our life.

Not a command. Not a tantrum. It was said it with excitement, expectation.

I am changing our life.

After a month in Hawaii, I have brought home some “aloha” with me. Apparently Aloha is not just an expression of hello, or I love you. There is a lot of deep meaning to it, but its root words translated using Hawaiin grammatical rules means : Joyfully sharing life.

Its what we did in Hawaii. Its what I want to do here.

Joyfully sharing life with the people that I love.

The night we got home my mind was reeling, asking the questions of what I should be doing with my photography business. What I should be doing with my family, Encourage Inspire, creating, health, home… thoughts kept coming to me but they would be met with the thought “well that’s never going to be a million dollar idea” so I would move on. But thoughts kept coming. Ideas. But alas, how would I make hecka cash with any of them? I was restless, even though I was exhausted I could barely sleep. I felt that something was changing. Something on the horizon. This was what I thought would happen while I was away, so I would have time to think and sort it all out. Nope. It happened the moment I was home. I finally fell asleep and when I woke up I knew I needed to pray first. Then I knew I needed to open my bible. I was believing that what I read, was what my heart needed to hear. I prayed that it would be the direction that I needed to calm my thoughts.

I opened to Matthew 6:25-34 (New Living Translation (NLT))

25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Once I took this to heart, the ideas kept coming back. A logo, a theme, a person to connect with, another idea, a peace.

I don’t need to make millions. We already live a super blessed life. We just got back from a month in Hawaii for goodness sake!

What I need is to seek first God, do what I feel I need to be doing with the businesses I have been blessed with and to joyfully share life with my family.

Here’s to this new chapter. Better than ever. Moving Forward.

Aloha.