Behind the Seams

Today, I went to the Mansfield Chamber of Commerce Women's Division Luncheon and met some fantastic ladies. I was a guest of the Mansfield Family Health Center, but Dr. Amin and Liza (from the health center) knew that I wanted to make my way there for Classy Concepts. The lunch was held at the Walnut Creek Country Club, but the best part of the meeting was they were dispersing the $21,000.00 they raised last year during the 2008 Style Show and the 2008 Tour of homes. All of the money they raise goes to other non-profit organizations in Mansfield or to scholarships for Mansfield Seniors.

Wedding VOWS: 'Tis the wedding season and we are not kidding. The conversation of weddings, wedding planning, invitation lists, where and how much is unending during this "season" AND always interesting. One way to make your wedding personalized to you is the wedding vows. After all, it is all about the commitment and the vows you are making to each other. Make sure you and your betrothed are on the same page with personalizing your vows. If you go that route, here are a few tips to help you get started. Incorporating Tradition: Ask your officiant for a look at the vows that would ordinarily be used at your particular church, synagogue or other ceremonial venue. You can use them as a jumping-off point for your own words of love and commitment. A civil ceremony will give you and your fiance the freedom to write your own vows. Be sure to ask the officiant, if you will need to include any particular words or terms to make your "I dos" valid in the eyes of you...

The White Wedding Dress (A friend of mine found this on CNN.com and I wanted to share! It made me laugh and there were lots of other fun things to mention on the same topic that I will continue to share at a later time. Thanks, Suz!) Technically, today's wedding gowns aren't white. They are "Candlelight," "Warm Ivory," "Ecru" or "Frost." But there was a time when a bride's wedding attire was simply the best thing in her closet (talk about "off the rack"), and could be any color, even black. To convince her groom that she came from a wealthy family, brides would also pile on layers of fur, silk and velvet, as apparently grooms didn't care if his wife-to-be reeked of sweaty B.O. as long as she was loaded. It was dear ol' Queen Victoria (whose reign lasted from 1837-1901) who made white fashionable. She wore a pale gown trimmed in orange blossoms for her 1840 wedding to her first cousin, Prince Albert. Hordes of...

"I must write it all out, at any cost. Writing is thinking. It is more than living, for it is being conscious of living." Anne Morrow Lindbergh Anne Morrow Lindbergh has a great book: Gifts From the Sea which can be purchased at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679406832/1n9867a-20 I really enjoyed this quote because I love to write. It can be both practical and therapeutic!

Mahatma Gandhi said, " You must be the change you wish to see in the world.". In my quest to live a little greener, I am embracing a few changes that I know I can keep rather than trying too many and then giving up. We can make a difference by implementing small changes that are more eco-friendly. Recycle. Ditch the plastic bags at the grocery store and buy reusable bags for each visit. Buy organic food if possible. Carpool. Turn lights off when not in use. You know all these. Maybe just adopt one new "green" way of life. Imagine what a difference we could all make!

This was sent to me from Jenel this week. I like to think it's what I would look like if I were for sale at Gardenridge. (Strawberrry not included.) Thanks, Jenel! :)

South by Southwest is not just a music festival, it actually has three parts to it-Music and Media, Interactive, and Film. The Music part has been around since 1987 and has grown from 700 people attending in the first year to over 10,000 expected this year. Austin has always been known as having an amazing music scene that is isolated from the rest of the country, so the festival was started as a perfect way to draw attention to the otherwise unknown talent. In keeping up with the times, Interactive and Film were added and the festival was extended in 1997. Go and enjoy!

According to the Old School comedic lines of Will Ferrell, a "nice little Sunday" consists of a possible trip to Home Depot... maybe a little Bed Bath and Beyond? I don't know if we'll have time?! Sunday is the day before Monday. Monday is the start of a typically busy work week which means the weekend is over so get all the rest or checklist of things done before you fall susceptible to kicking the fax machine and be accused of having a case of the "Mondays". Sundays are usually reserved for exciting things as: laundry, getting ready for Monday, being lazy after church, going to the grocery store... you get the picture. This Sunday some friends and I enjoyed our own little Sunday Fun Day which jump started at Scholtz's Beer Garten (one of my absolutely favorite places to meet great friends!) and then ventured off to the Frank Erwin Center to watch the OSU/UT men's basketball game. Without a stop, we made our way over to Ginny's Little Longho...

Amy, Christa, Savannah and I planned a Sunday afternoon to have brunch at Chez Zee followed by a matinée of the new hit movie 27 Dresses . We topped off a great day of laughs by coming to the store as Amy tried on wedding dresses for an upcoming event. I recommend that all girlfriends share this time together with the chick flick we can all relate to.

Meet my friend Elizabeth Elias! I would like to introduce her for a couple of reasons: 1. She is a dear friend of mine and one of the first ladies I connected with in a lasting friendship upon moving to Austin several years ago. 2. She represents the Driskill Hotel in a big way. Not originally from Austin, I have depended on Elizabeth as the "go to girl" to find out what is hot for Austin. She has been in this area most of her life and considers Austin her home always. She is the wife of Nadim Elias as they were wed over a year ago. You can find Elizabeth Walker Elias utilizing her dynamic talents and creativity at Austin's historical Driskill Hotel. She is the Director of Catering & Conference Services and leads an amazing team within her department to orchestrate special events at this world class hotel. Elizabeth and "Nad" had their wedding reception at the Driskill (of course) and was certainly the event of all events. The Driskill really...

Grandparents are just special people! My grandma has been in ICU since September 23rd, 2007 and it has been a long road to recovery. There was a time when all of us were not sure if she would live through this, but thankfully with prayer of loved ones.... she is now in recovery. They mean so much to me. They are the picture of what love means. They were both born in the 20's and are so young at heart still today. I admire thier strength through all of this and seeing a relationship I could not imagine growing stronger between the two of them warms my heart. Everyone is anxiously awaiting her return home with 2 dogs, daughter Stephanie, Grandpa and a new elevator Grandpa is having put in! :) This picture below was taken in the French Quarter of New Orleans when we took a trip to Louisiana several years ago to see her brother Bill. We had a great time visiting and especially the road trip just for the girls! All my love,