Happy Mother's Day!

In The Arms Of The Angel

Today with a broken heart and tearful eyes I saw the horror that unfolded in Connecticut on the news. Twenty beautiful little angels were taken from us at the hands of a mad man. As a mom, I cannot even begin to describe the pain of something like this, there are no words.  I am praying for all of the parents and people of Newtown Connecticut.  May God bless and keep you, and may he bring you much needed comfort.

An Unconventional Love Story

When I said yes to my husband's marriage proposal, I did not have any grandiose ideas about having a big wedding or even a reception. There was only one thing I had to have, and that was a nice ring. A wedding ring to me is sacred and it represents the everlasting love between a husband and wife. Hopefully. But in addition to that, my wedding ring is what I will wear everyday "till death do us part"...... so I wanted one that I really really liked. Well because I am such a nit picker, I mean selective shopper, I ended up designing the rings myself and having them custom made.  Our jeweler did a wonderful job and I fell head over heels in love with my ring at first sight.

Then the worst thing happened two years later...I lost my ring!

I had been hiding this little dark secret from my husband for three months.  I just couldn't bear to tell him I had lost it, after all it had cost him a small fortune.  To make matters worse, I knew exactly where I had lost it and there was no hope of ever retrieving it.  You see, I had lost it in the ocean. Way out in the sea where Jaws and his crew hang out......probably.  It was only a matter of time before my husband figured out the real reason why I had not been wearing my ring and I was beside myself......and out of valid excuses.

Well, the very next day my mom and brother came for a visit and I got this sudden urge to go to the beach and collect shells.  I love beach combing so why not?  My brother on the other hand could care less and refused to go with me. For some strange reason though, my mother and I relentlessly begged him to go with us until he got sick of us and gave in.  (To this day I find this quite strange since it is out of character on both sides.)  When we got to the beach the tide was low, so low you could walk out about a quarter of a mile on the sand banks which my brother did by himself.  Mom and I stayed closer to shore picking up beach goodies, there was so much beautiful shells to choose from that day.

getty images

 All of a sudden, my brother who was out so far he looked relatively smaller, starting yelling.  My mother and I rushed to see what was wrong.  He seemed quite excited, he was waving frantically at us and jumping around. When we got within earshot of him, he was grinning ear to ear.  "I found something he said."  What is it?, I asked eager to see.  He slowly opened his hand and there nestled in his palm was my ring.  The one I had lost three months ago in the ocean.  My mom recognized it instantly and asked me "Wan, isn't that your ring?"  All I could do was gulp.

Turns out my ring somehow serendipitously reappeared out of the abyss after three months in strong sea currents and miles of shifting sand. My brother finding it equates to finding a needle in a hay stack. He said he saw a small beam of light emanating from the sand out of the corner of his eye.  Those were his exact words. Trust me, I am still in awe of this, I mean what?!!!  That beach is huge, plus the ring was buried under 15-25 feet of ocean for months.  What are the chances....and my brother had almost stayed at home too. All the planets had to be aligned just right for this to have happened, and they had. To this day, I just call it what it was. A miracle. My husband and I love each other so very much and our rings are a symbol of that love.  Maybe that is why it found it's way back to me.  Back to us. ...well that is what I believe anyway.

Since this incident, I wish I could tell you I never lost it again but I did lose it once after that nine years later.  And you know what, it found me again under very strange/unlikely circumstances. Call me crazy but in my sixteen years of marriage, because of the times I lost my ring, it is even more precious to me.  It is so true that you never realize the value of something until you lose it.....even if only temporarily.  I realize now that it is not the cost of the ring that matters so much to me but the cause of the ring.  It's all about love. And so lovelies, today on Valentine's day I wish you love.

Cherio!

For The Love Of Mom - A last Minute Gift Guide

I don't know why this is but somehow no matter how you plan to buy a gift in advance, time always seem to slip away and before you know it you're buying something, anything from Walgreens or the even the grocery store.....at the last minute.  Okay, so maybe its not that bad but you know what I mean,  perhaps you've had a similar experience.  Time is just not a team player sometimes.

If there is ever a time you want to marinate on what you are buying or presenting though, do it for for Mothers Day.  I mean, this is for mom, the woman who gave you life, not to mention all the selfless things she does for you out of love every day.  A little effort here is so well deserved....  But Just in case you are having last minute shoppers panic or a melt down, here are 10 gift ideas mom will love! 

A Spa Day

No mother will ever say no to this.  And why would they, after all, if anyone deserves to be pampered, moms do. Trust me you'll even earn a few brownie points with this one.

A Personalized Gift Bag

Since you are privy to what your mom likes best, you have vital information that can actually result in you selecting the perfect gift!  You know her favorite color, candy, fragrance, movie, book, spice, slippers....and all the stuff she admires on TV.  Now take that information and get as many of these items as you can afford and then put them all in a beautiful gift bag. Top this with decorative tissue paper and and you're done!  The best part about this is, your mom will love everything in the bag, guaranteed.

Jewelry
They say that diamonds are a girls best friend and there's some truth to that...but we love great looking jewelry. Period.  If you can afford precious stones like rubies, emeralds, diamonds etc. then go ahead and get mom some high octane bling!  If your heart is willing but your pocket is weak, there are semi-precious stones that are really beautiful, much lower in price and come in various birth stone colors.  Consider stones like garnet, peridot, topaz, opal etc. Find out what your mom's birth stone color is, but do it inconspicuously...we like surprises, and we especially like it when you take a little initiative and think about the gift. Tip: When in doubt try a classic like pearls or something simple in style like this gorgeous and elegant garnet and white topaz necklace. 

(You can find this necklace at www.ice.com for $75.00)

A Work Free Day ( With Advanced Pampering )

This is my favorite gift idea.  Serve mom breakfast in bed with a note or card saying that she is not allowed to do anything for the whole day except relax and enjoy herself. Present her with a beautiful, comfortable bath robe and comfy bedroom slippers. Give her a few of 

her favorite movies or magazines and let her unwind.  During the course of the day, prepare lunch and dinner for her.  She will appreciate your effort and it will really make her day very special!

A Sewing Machine
If your mom is crafty and likes to sew, a sewing machine is the perfect gift for her.  Even more so if she needs a new one or plans to buy one in the future.   Machines have come a long way over the last decade.  They are able to do just about any decorative stitch you can imagine.  And, this is just the kind of gadget that makes a crafty mom really excited!!!  You can find a Singer machine starting at $149.00  here.

Magazine subscription Or Favorite Books
Whether its a magazine subscription, cook books or novels, books make a really excellent gift.  You are basically giving the gift of knowledge to someone you love, now how awesome is that!

An Ipad
This is the the gift that keeps giving.  Your mom will be able to assemble recipes, keep tract of appointments and organize better in general, send and receive emails, listen to music, shop, and so much more with the Ipad.  If your mom is even a little technology savvy, she will love this, besides, you can always show her how to use it.  Once she gets the hang of it, this will be a favorite!

www.apple.com

Hair Combs

Hair combs are gorgeous gifts for women with "bob" length hair and longer.  These come in a wide array of styles and prices so its all about your own personal preference.  In this case since its for your mother, consider her favorite color, and think about her style.  Is it vintage, modern, ultra trendy?  Either way, every time mom wears this, she will  think of you!  So make it good.

www.bridalphantasy.com

www.bridalphantasy.com

 Coupons Just For Mom

If you are unable to buy a gift and want to do something meaningful or thoughtful, just make some coupons.  Each coupon entitles mom to various leisure activities and benefits around the home. .This is especially great for older children and husbands who can take over for mom for a few hours and provide the service required. Make a handmade card for mom and have all the children color and sign it. Present the card with the coupons inside.  (You can also down load these same coupons at http://static.oprah.com/pdf/mothersday_coupons.pdf)

Flowers & Chocolate

You can never lose with flowers and chocolate.  Lilies, roses and peonies are beautiful and elegant choices but there are so many other gorgeous and fragrant flowers to choose from.  The chocolate is the perfect compliment to the flowers, moms around the world approve!

Well thats a wrap my friends.  I hope this helps you to select a wonderful gift for your mom.  Let me know how it goes and all the best to you for a happy and blessed Mothers Day!

Quick And Easy Last Minute Centerpieces

When I was a little girl, I remember going into the back yard and cutting foliage to dress the table at Christmas time.  I was so happy that my mother trusted me to do such an important job since most of the time it was just before the guest arrived.  I would cut fresh pine which we had growing in abundance nearby and then I just went around the house collecting candles and little trinkets to help pull the look together.  The table always came together beautifully, (at least thats what mom said) and never once did we have to buy anything other than what was in the house already.  This is something that has stayed with me and I still make my own centerpieces every year.


This year, I found four centerpiece ideas that really impressed me.  I was so excited, I just had to share them with you. This apple Christmas centerpiece was featured on www.theprettyblog.com, it is sooooooooo budget friendly and easy to do.  And how fabulous looking is this! 

To make this, all you need is egg whites, granulated sugar and apples.
Coat each apple halfway in the egg white, sprinkle liberally with sugar and let dry.
Next, arrange the apples on a nice plate and attach a a banner if you prefer. (use tooth picks to keep the banner in place) Thats it, all done.

Here is two ultra easy but gorgeous centerpieces that was featured on Better Homes and Gardens.   We all have left over Christmas bulbs and decorations left somewhere in the house and that is all you need for this project.  Grab some Christmas bulbs and beads, put them in a container of your choice, add some beads and bam! You've got yourself a stylish arrangement.  I also like the second version, just add fresh leaves (artificial can work as well) and arrange the beads in between the bulbs wherever there are spaces.  And you're done!  Its so beautiful you will ask yourself "did I do that?"



Finally, this delectable centerpiece is an idea I have used with great success many times.  Just get a couple of glass vases and put candles in them. Next, you put cranberries, cherries, or nuts, around the candles.  Thats all there is to it, very elegant and very simple.


Well, there you have it, four great ideas for your table that you can do very quickly.  Let me know if you try any of them, I would love to hear how it all turned out.  Have a Merry Christmas!