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Along the Path

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

A Beautiful Ending

This will be the last post for this year!!

I only began this blog at Thanksgiving and what fun and a blessing it has been. It has enabled me to connect with old friends and family members I had lost touch with (or didn't have enough touch with) and it has enabled me to meet new friends I would have never known.

I thank all of you for "checking in" from time to time. I love and appreciate the emails you send to me, the comments you leave and the fact that you enjoy all of the goings ons that we have going on in our lives. It is a great pleasure to share with you.

The best way I can imagine to finish out the year is with something that has truly changed my heart forever.

A few weeks back I asked you about creating Christmas instead of buying it. A gift from the heart. Not some gizmo or gadget that will soon disappear, but something that will last in the heart of your recipient forever. I asked if you would create an “open letter” to mothers. Share your experiences as a mother, thoughts of being a future mother, thoughts of your mother or a mother-figure in your life. To share your stories—no matter how raw or difficult. To share you concerns—no matter how foolish they may seem. To share your wisdom—no matter how you came by it. To share your mother story.

The letters came in. By email, by mail and hand delivered. I cannot thank you enough. The outpouring that was shown in the letters you submitted has touched my heart and the heart of soooo many others forever.

The enormity of this project, and all those who would contribute, was never imagined. I have received so many amazing letters. Letters that brought laughter, letters that brought tears of joy and sorrow, letters that inspired thought and letters that brought insight.

It has truly been an experience I will never forget..............and I thank all of you. Without you, this project would not have been possible.

When we are doing something that seems so small...............how can we ever imagine it will be so grand? It took each and every one of us. Piece by piece.......to make a difference. That is something to be reminded of in our every day life. It takes all of us...piece by piece....to make a difference.

Keep doing the small things...........you never know how grand they will be and how many lives they will touch. These letters in their quantity and quality or a true testament to that.

Following is the rest of the story. I hope you enjoying learning it and for those of you that contributed and have received your gift from me, I hope you find comfort, joy, insight and love in your reading of the letters. Whenever you pull them out think of the amazement of all of the people, many whom have never met, that came together for one moment that gave a piece of themselves, shared and united.

Happy New Year to Everyone! May 2009 hold many blessings, love and amazing surprises that we may not think of or necessarily want, but God knows we need!

With love,

Marnie


Written by Seth "the husband":

The Story

Christmas day of 2007 came and went. It was the typical American Christmas—gizmos, gadgets, whatnots, and an oversized helping of turkey. Two days and a transatlantic flight later I was standing in small Mozambican village regretfully pondering my extra helping of Christmas turkey and materialism. I decided that things would be different in 2008.

My wife and our extended families decided to give a Christmas present to that little village. We wanted to spread our wealth, meager as it may be. We decided to create presents for each other and donate the difference to our friends in the village.

And that is where you came in.

I purposed to create a Christmas present for my wife—the Mother Letter Project. Simply stated, I started collecting a series of “open letters” from mothers, to mothers. I asked for your stories— no matter how raw or difficult. I asked for your concerns—no matter how foolish they might seem. I asked for your wisdom—no matter how you came by it. I asked for your mother story.

I thought, perhaps, I could collect fifty letters; perhaps I could collect as many as one-hundred. I didn’t count on a little help from some very well read bloggers!

From there, the project took on a life of its own. You started submitting your letters. You posted about it on your blogs. You used Twitter to spread the word. Several people, including a dear woman named Marnie Johnson, collected letters from mothers in their social circles and forwarded them along (God bless your good work Marnie). You helped me compile over 500 letters for transmission to my wife!

And the best part? Because of your generosity, I have some difference to donate to that small Mozambican village.

The Charge

“What is left other than to read the letters,” you ask? Have you donated your Christmas difference? Have you found your charity?

Preliminarily, let me say that I love a good present. Is there anything innately wrong with material giving? No, I say. However, when the material obscures our recognition of the needs of others, we find our selves in a sort of out-of-whack mucky funk. I sincerely hope that you enjoy your presents this year—material or otherwise.


The Reveal (by Amber "the wife")


Dear Mothers (Past, Present, Future),

Seth put toilet paper in my stocking. We had run out of facial tissue, and he had foreseen my need to soak up some tears, so he put a half-used roll of toilet paper in my Christmas stocking. At the time, I didn’t see what there was to cry about (except this pitiful gift). I just knew that toilet paper had to be one step down from getting a sock of coal, and though I have thrown a few of my very own toddler tantrums, I figured some of my low-down mommyworks deserved fuzzy Minnetonkas and the two-toned watch I couldn’t buy in the same place I purchased my milk.

Do you hear that, Mommies?

The sound of ingratitude is deafening.

Most often, we don’t even know what we want – much less what we need. We are toddlers with a more refined taste. We want aprons from Anthropology. We want the perfectly functional family. We want planners with lists covered in checkmarks. We want clean houses that smell like exotic figs and hard kitchen-work. We want well-mannered children – who say “thank you.”

But oh how God flickers into the deep dark, how he ignites the fiery, thumping circuits, how he knows us fiber by fiber and holds us in a cup of time, how he sees so far, and his gifts are light-years in the coming. His thoughts toward me within such a scheme are nearly unbelievable, and His passing His love between us and running a long circuit of blood between us is hard to accept.

----------------------------

When I first met Seth, I loved him. After two weeks, compelled to scare him away sooner rather than later, I emptied all my old purses for him, all the things I struggled to give to God daily. I was a toddler, a wobbly milk-drinker, and he looked at me from one of those super Christian snow-like side-hugs, and he asked me if God hadn’t forgiven me and taken all that baggage from me, and I said yes, so he said, “I have nothing against you,” and he’s lived as if I never carried those old things. He treats me like I’m new.

-----------------------

When I sat in my sister’s lap to look at her computer for a few seconds (tricky!) and I began to realize the enormity of The Mother Letter Project. I nearly turned inside out. God’s kindness, Seth’s kindness, and your kindness, it is so hard to accept. I am not even a “Mother.” I’m just a regular ol’ “Mama.” But how can I not receive? After all, I do believe that grace is irresistible. I can read like a Mother, and as I do, I am accepting this beautiful fellowship with you, with my husband, and with my God.

Thank you, dear Mothers in heart and deed, for the word of your testimony. I have only been able to read your letters through my blurry mascara. You have changed my life. One of the sweetest parts has been remembering how swiftly and gently Kindness knocks us to our knees – the freedom in repentance.

King of Glory, You know full well how awful a pair of house-shoes would have been compared to this. You are concerned with the whole. You are self-sustaining, and I am sustained in You. Thank you that the “MLP Husband” is mine. Thank you that I get to be a “Mother” with these gorgeous women.

The Reveal (by Seth "the husband")

So, I thought I'd give you all my side of how it all went down.

On our way to Amber's Alabama home-place, I started to tell her that her present had not come together like I thought and that she probably wouldn't be receiving a gift on Christmas day. I told her that she could expect something later in December, or maybe January, or maybe... She hid her dissapointment well. She didn't know that I had devised a tricky play with her sister.

On Christmas morning, I biffed. I totally forgot about her stocking. As a last minute filler, I stuffed it with toffee (which was really no surprise since we had already eaten a half-tin) and a partial roll of toilet paper. When she opened it, she didn't see the need for the toilet paper. I mean, the toffee was really good but it was nothing to cry about. Again, she hid her deflation--barely.

About ten minutes later, her brother-in-law called and asked me to help him put together a Christmas present. If you know me, this is laughable--I am the least handy man in America. However, I agreed and Amber's sister asked Amber to come along. So, early on Christmas morning, we loaded up and made our way to the sister's house.

Amber's sister has recently acquired the internet, so upon arrival the sis said "hey Amber, come and look at these new facebook pictures." They cruised through facebook for a few minutes and then Erin said "what I really want you to see is this." It was Shannon's post. You know the post--the reveal post that told about the project and my real name and included Amber's name.

At first, she smiled just a little. Then, a tear formed. Then, as she kept reading, she started giggling. Then, full on gut-laughter. Then a tearful breakdown with much fanning of the hands and covering of the eyes. She said "hold on, I'm repenting"--I knew the toilet paper filler was bad, but I didn't think it was that bad.

She was absolutely beside herself.

And then, when the dust settled, we all made our way back to the homestead to eat our Christmas breakfast. And I think it was the best breakfast either of us had ever eaten.

Thank you again so much. Words can only go so far to express my gratitude. You are all heroes.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

New Year Resolution: Pick up the Towel

As the holiday rush just passed by.....with countless hours spent preparing dinners, doing dishes, cleaning up messes, running errands, and the kids are out of school so every day there are more messes than usual, more wet clothes than usual from being outside, more muck and gunck on the floors than usual, and you have cleaned, wiped, swept and washed for what feels like the millionth time in one day, do you begin to feel like a 24 hour a day servant? Do you always do it with a loving and giving heart? Does resentment begin to creep in and show its ugly face? Do you stop doing it altogether, waiting for someone else? Sometimes we need to be reminded. We are doing what Jesus did. We are serving others. If we are called to service by the Master. Pick up the Towel!

John 13:5. As we examine this passage of scripture we see a splendid instance of the humility and servant-leadership of Jesus Christ.

As you are probably aware, it was a custom for a servant to wash the feet of the master of the house, family members or any guests. This job was given to the least of the servants. In this particular instance, in the upper room they were in, there was no servant. There were Jesus, His disciples and dirty feet. There was no servant. No one volunteered. Jesus set the example. In this example, Jesus is not grilling a steak on his grill for the disciples. He is not refilling their glasses with tea. He is performing the lowliest of tasks for them. Read verse 4. Jesus got up from the meal and started to do this. There was no servant here to do this, so what did Jesus do? Jesus grabbed a towel!!! He did not wait, He set to the task immediately.

In verses 12-17, we see the impact that Jesus expects for this to have on us. We see Him defining things for us and helping us to gain a proper perspective for our lives. We know we are to serve others. We know that we are not greater than Him. We will be blessed in doing this.

Have you picked up your towel? When did Jesus tell us it was all right to put down the towel?

When we are in a situation that we see something that needs to be done and no one else is doing it, isn’t it time to pick up our towel?

When there are others in need, pick up the towel! When someone is hurting, pick up the towel! When someone needs your prayers, pick up the towel! When you see a senior adult who needs something done around their home, pick up the towel!


In Romans 12:1, we are told that we are to be a living sacrifice that is acceptable to God. That means we must pick up the towel!!! There is no complicated doctrinal formula here. There is no need for in-depth word studies and studying commentaries. Simply do what Jesus did. Pick up the towel.

Jesus said in verse 12 Jesus asked them, “Do you understand what I have done for you?” Can you see the significance of this? Here is the point that so many miss in this passage. What Jesus did for us was to give us a pattern for success in life. It has been said that if you set your sights to be a leader that your life will be full of disappointment, if you set your sights on being a servant your life will be a happy and fulfilled life that is pleasing to God. It is only as a servant that one can be taken to the upper limits of what God has in store for a believer. Some of the greatest leaders of the Bible are characterized by this quality of servant-leadership style. More important, this was what Jesus set for us as a model for our daily lives. It was so important that He did not leave it as an option for us. He graciously has commanded us all to join in as members of the towel ministry. In this example Jesus has freed us to grow in Him and to experience the joy and freedom that only comes from following him in picking up the towel. You need no musical talent, no PhD, no special credentials, no ordination, and no high and lofty position. You simply have to be willing to serve and to love.

As to the question of when can we lay the towel down?

This can be very brief. There is nowhere in scripture where it says that we are allowed to “throw in the towel”.

There are times when God plants something in your heart and mind that you must do. So I do the only thing that is open to me. I pick up the towel. Sometimes I find I am not picking it up with a loving and giving heart as I should, and that is when I pray.

With a New Year upon us and New Year Resolutions in full swing. Perhaps in addition to the traditions of "I will lose 15 pounds,", "I will not eat an entire box of chocolates at one sitting", "I will visit the gym more often (noticed I said "visit", I have never said "actually go there and work out!") "I will read those books I have piled up on the shelf". Maybe, perhaps, you could make a mindful effort to Pick up the Towel. Not begrudgingly, half-heartedly, or with resentment. But with a loving and giving heart. Just as Jesus has asked. Let us set an example for others. Challenge yourself to pick up your towel and engage yourself.

We all need to pick up our towel, there is work to do!


Monday, December 29, 2008

Merry Christmas!

In looking at my "Countdown to Christmas" calendar here on my blog. It says 361 days until Christmas. That means........you can either take this as a little tardy in wishing you Merry Christmas for this year...............or nice and early for wishing you Merry Christmas for next!!! (Is your glass half full or half empty?)

I hope everyone was blessed and had an amazing day in celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.

I was very blessed this Christmas to be surrounded by loved ones. I had all my children here, my mom and brother arrived safely thru horrible snow storms from Montana and Wyoming, and Dave's family joined us for Christmas dinner. It was a day full of joy and laughter.

My heart was warmed and touched in so many ways, but none more deeply than by the true gift of reflection of the importance of being a mother and having the love of our children and other children in our lives.

I have sat for hours reading..........with laughter and tears of joy and sorrow, letters from mothers throughout the world. Their life journeys and challenges, triumphs, heartbreak and happiness have filled my heart and mind with so much and I am forever changed.

I wish to thank everyone that sent a letter to be included in the compilation. Your story and how it touched my heart was my greatest gift.

Many of you have received your gift from me and many of you have yet to receive it. I will post later in greater detail regarding this wonderful experience so as not to spoil the surprise for those of you yet to receive it.

May all the blessings of Christmas be yours throughout the year!

God bless you all with health, happiness, strength, and love.

~M


Slideshow


Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Christmas Projects



I wasn't sure if I would get to it........but I did and it's done!!

My project for Christmas 2008 (like I only had one :) ).

I made "Gift Pails". Something to put my adorable gingerbread men in and I also filled with candles, gift soaps, other goodies and even a fuzzy Christmas blanket went in one. I gave them out to teachers, neighbors and family members. I loved how they turned out and they were "buckets" of fun, a little messy, but who doesn't like to get their hands gooey and messy sometimes!

I took a paint can and different papers, tissue, napkins, (really lots of different backgrounds, some I even painted), ribbons, buttons, decoupage and EMBELLISHMENTS (my new favorite word and some of you just love it when I use it!)

I may even make them for other occasions. I think I may make one (or 5 or 6) to hold my ribbons, another for my EMBELLISHMENTS, and others for other craft do-dads. How fun to have them sitting there on my craft shelf waiting for my return when I get more great ideas!
















Monday, December 22, 2008

House is Decorated for Christmas (Finally!)



With new roofs, new floors, and what seems like the "sky is falling" quite literally in our house, it has been an ongoing project to get the house dressed for Christmas. With much exhaustive relief I can say it is done!!!! I don't even mind the horse trailer out front filled with dirt and shingles or men on the roof.......... I look at them as God's helpers to assure my family keeps warm and dry and a very special Christmas gift from him to us.

This is how it began, with what seemed like hundreds of boxes from the attic

Same space....lots of hard work







































Birth of a Gingerbread Man


Kathy, Kris and I spent a wonderful day making gingerbread men and rum cakes! Kathy and Kris especially enjoyed making the rum cakes!!

They were the cutest little men. I have been giving them out to everyone....pizza delivery drivers, Schwan's man, Federal Express, UPS, mail carriers, neighbors, teachers, friends, relatives, the nice man who shoveled me out after I got stuck while delivering a bucket of them to someone else :).......I have even sent one on a journey to South Dakota to see my Aunt Audrey!

It is amazing the smiles a sharply dressed gingerbread man can bring!
Oh little Gingerbread Man
Oh the joy you bring
Is it the smile on your face or the red hots on your belly
Is it that you smell so very fresh and yummy
Could it be because your dressed in your Christmas finest
Or can it be......that people can see.....
Disguised as a gingerbread man is thought, love and kindness?

~Miss Marnie


Slideshow


Sunday, December 21, 2008

Say a Prayer for the Roofers!!

Yes.....they are still up there!

We are in the middle of a blizzard with unbelievable low temperatures and they are up there on that roof!



Thursday, December 18, 2008

Christmas A/V






What a little A/V programming can do!

It's Warming Up!

The temperature is now 10 degrees above zero.........a heat wave!

It has been sooooo cold. Today the sun is shining bright and it is actually quite a beautiful day. I am planning on finishing up whatever decorating I am doing outside today.

It has been real difficult working my Christmas decorations around the roofers. Yes, they are still here. They took a few days break because of the extreme cold. Saturday they came back and were tearing things apart and continuing on with their mess. Sunday morning I woke up early to get ready to go meet a bride and groom to look at flowers at the wholesaler for their wedding. As I was in the bedroom I looked out the window and noticed it was raining outside. Yes, pouring down rain. I walked out into the hallway and then noticed it was not only raining outside........it was also raining in the hall! The roofers had not covered up any of what they had been tearing apart on Saturday and now we had it raining on the 3rd floor and leaking down into the 2nd floor of the house. I got Dave out of bed and he began running around finding whatever buckets, pans, containers he could to stop the rain from hitting the hardwood floors. What a mess!!!

We finally got a hold of the roofers and over they came. The water got into the floor on the 3rd floor, which has (had) blown insulation in it. They had to begin tearing up the floor and pulling all of that insulation out of there. Now not only is the roof torn apart, horse trailer parked in our car port, ladders hanging off of the roof.........we now have the floor torn up, missing insulation and a ruined ceiling on the second floor.

Not only is it heating up outside..........our temperatures have risen quite a bit as well!!

We really have quite a mess on the 3rd floor!

On a lighter note:

It is nearly Christmas!

Theodore waiting for Santa


We are baking at my house tomorrow. Gingerbread Men and Rum Cakes. If you care to join us........be here by 9:30.....although we are telling Kathy 9:00 because then she will be here by 9:30!

I am really wanting to do a craft project for some friends, teachers, mailman, and yes....maybe even the roofers...........(they have had a hard week!!). I am in hopes of getting the supplies this morning, if I do, and get them done, I will post pictures and show you what they are. If not, you will have to wait until next year!

Although the cold can be quite miserable, it can also be quite beautiful. Kyle and I went down to the river and stood out in the elements (and believe me, that winding coming across that river was some serious elements at -45 degrees windchill). I took some photos and thought I would share some with you.









Friday, December 12, 2008

13 Days of Christmas Kindness Challenge

Inspired because it is now 13 days before Christmas and concentrating on the aspect of creating Christmas.......the true feeling of Christmas.....I was trying to think of 13 ways to show kindness to others. I wanted these to all be things that would not be bought or have any money involved. I plan on doing all of these things before Christmas and challenge you to do the same. If something doesn't work for you please substitute it with something else, and please share what that was so others can do it too!



These are things that many of us probably practice from time to time, and really should do all year long, but often get too busy and sidetracked. Christmastime is the perfect time to be reminded of them, and if your first thought is "I'm too busy to do these", you probably need to do them more than you realize!



I'm looking forward to hearing who completes all 13!









13 Acts of Kindness

  1. Smile warmly and say “good morning” to someone you don’t know
  2. Hold the door open for someone
  3. Leave your mailman a "thank you" note
  4. Compliment someone you don't know
  5. Compliment someone you do know
  6. Give up your place in line to someone
  7. Write an inspiring message, or even draw a smiley face on a sticky note and leave it somewhere for someone to find (bench, lamp post, cart, door, etc.).
  8. Shovel or sweep your neighbors walk
  9. Put away a cart for a mom who has her children with her
  10. Tell someone close to you something you really admire about them
  11. Do something for someone that you know needs to be done without them asking you to do it
  12. Do something kind for yourself. Without taking care of yourself how are you going to take care of others?
  13. Light a candle. Slow down and do it with great intention. While doing so, share your gratefulness or say a prayer for someone. Either do it with a “real” candle or an “online” candle at Gratefulness.org/candles, or do both.

FYI: Gregory has created a "group" at Gratefulness.org/candles. He called his group WEB. If you like, you can light your candle and put it in his group. He thought the candles were pretty cool. He said "This is just like at church, only you don't have to pay!".



Meaning of Christmas

Christmas to many of us means our regular pace has picked up incredible speed. In addition to the things we usually do everyday, we throw in additional tasks of shopping for just the right gift for family and friends, take extra care to wrap each well-chosen item festively and beautifully, begin the baking frenzy, decorate the tree, the inside and outside of the house, and .......we could keep going, couldn’t we?

Amidst all the joy and good will and all the warm fuzzies we get this time of year, does it ever get to be just a little too much for you? It does sometimes for me . . . my pace can get so frantic and busy that I need to stop and remember what it’s all about.

If you will, consider an unlikely source of Christmas wisdom, the Grinch:

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so?
It came without ribbons. It came without tags.
It came without packages, boxes or bags.
And he puzzled and puzzled ‘til his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before.
What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store.
What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?” –Dr. Seuss

Hmmmm, a little bit more? . . .

Perhaps part of this "little bit more" could mean creating Christmas instead of buying it. A gift from the heart. Not some gizmo or gadget that will soon disappear, but something that will last in the heart of your recipient forever.

One way I intend to create Christmas is with the help of you. I would love it if you would create an “open letter” to mothers. Share your experiences as a mother, thoughts of being a future mother, thoughts of your mother or a mother-figure in your life. Share your stories—no matter how raw or difficult. Share you concerns—no matter how foolish they may seem. Share your wisdom—no matter how you came by it. Share your mother story. The only request? Start the letter “Dear Mother” and sign it.

For all of you that participate and share a letter, I will have a very special gift for you for Christmas that you could also share with others.

You can send your letter to marniejjohnson@gmail.com. I do need to receive these by December 19th.

I look forward to creating Christmas with you!


Spring Lake Park

They have a great wrestling team is about all I can say.

We didn't win a match. The t.v. crew was there filming and the DVD's are available for purchase for $20.00. Spring Lake Park parents may be lining up to get them, but I can guarantee you nobody from Fridley is!

It was a tough night. Kyle took his match kind of hard. But we want to focus on what he did right and not what he did wrong.

It's amazing how we can always come up with all kinds of things we do wrong or should have done differently, and we often really struggle to come up with what we do or did right. They are both equally important. What we do wrong so we can recognize and attempt to make changes and what we do right so we can give ourselves the acknowledgment and praise we deserve.

Team shot after a very disappointing night


Short video of the beginning of Kyle's match. He had a great shoot. Unfortunately, it went out of bounds.




In the program there was a poem printed that I think all parents need to be reminded of and remember:

That's My boy Down There!

Please don't curse that boy down there;
He is my son, you see;
He's only just a boy you know,
He means the world to me.

I did not raise my son, dear fan,
For you to call him names;
He may not be a super-star
But these are high school games.

So please don't knock those boys down there,
They do the best they can;
They've never tried to lose a match
They're boys and you're a fan.

This game belongs to them, you see,
You're really just a guest;
They do not need a fan that gripes,
They need the very best.

If you have nothing nice to say,
Please leave the boys alone,
And, if you've forgotten your manners,
Then please just stay at home.

So please don't curse those boys down there,
Each one's a parent's son.
And win or lose or tie, you see,
To us, they're number one!!!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Winter Wedding

Saturday we did a "Winter Wedding". I love the weddings in the winter. They are so beautiful and romantic.



The colors were blues and silver. The decorations consisted of white lighted trees with ornaments, bells and snowflakes; white floating roses (that wouldn't open up so they had to be forced and ended up looking like beautiful gardenias), centerpieces with ornaments, bells and silver wire in a glass cube, white scattered candy snowflakes and bells on the tables and a cake that was jazzed up with snowflakes, beautiful silver blue beads and a rose topper. Candles were scattered throughout the room and tables and the room was completed with white organza ceiling draping with twinkle lights.



Kathy always does such an amazing job with the flowers. The bouquets were stunning as always!





Slideshow





There were a couple of really "cool" ideas for this wedding.



The flower girls carried "glowing snowballs".



These were made out of wire balls that were spray painted white and glittered. White tule was inserted inside. The outside was then decorated with ribbons and beads. The snowballs were made to "glow" by inserting white lights inside. One-time use lights were used here because they would last approximately 12 hours, which was perfect. You could use battery operated lights if you wanted to hang these in trees or use them for other decorations. We found that a few lights inserted in each gave off the perfect "glow".




My couples are always looking for fun, creative ideas for their card box. This is a great one!

Use 4 picture frames and glue the sides together to form a "box". Insert photos in each of the frames. For this wedding a wedding photo of the bride's parents, a wedding photo of the groom's parents, and two photos of the couple were used.



Make a top out of heavy cardboard or wood, add cushion with fabric secured to it and have a slit in the middle to insert the cards. The cards are secure and the card box is personal and unique. It really works out great!



The cake arrived fairly plain. White buttercream with little dots and a ribbon around each of its 3 layers.



Snowflakes and beads and a fresh floral cake topper of white roses, thistle and freesia were added and it came to life!




The important thing about decorating....don't be afraid to try things.



The special details make all the difference!





Gregory and I took some video at the set-up of the reception. I have a fairly new camera, which I just discovered also does video. At this point, Gregory thinks I should stick to photography. I don't know how to use this video feature very well..........and it does show!