The Invitation Shack

Happy Saturday everyone!  Just a note with something great to share. My childhood friends Sareska and Ariadna have a super cute online stationary shop that you must check out. It is called The Invitation Shack and they carry all sorts of wonderful things. Pay them a visit, I guarantee you will see something you love. Scroll down to my favorites and you will find a link to their shop. ENJOY!

The Price of Being Nice

Happy Friday to all!  Hope the work week hasn't treated you too badly. May the weekend ahead find you with family and friends.  Today I am asking what does it cost someone to simply be nice? I read a blog daily called Operation Nice (if you scroll down you'll see it on the right side of my blog) which is totally dedicated to promoting niceness.  It gives me a fresh, daily perspective on what it means to be a nice person and the benefits one receives for being such.  How wonderful to read about niceness in a world full of so much hate and spite.  In my daily comings and goings I make a conscious effort to smile (even when I don't feel like it) and say maybe one or two nice words to someone.  By giving a compliment we can make someone's day while making our own at the same time.  The best part of nice is the price....it is FREE!!  Imagine making someone's day for FREE!!! Now I challenge you all...be nice, it won't cost you a thing.

When do you say goodbye for good?

People come in and out of our lives for many reasons.  Sometimes by personal choice and other times by no choice at all.  With the popularity of online social networking on the rise at an alarming pace, more and more people are getting back in touch with each other.  I for one find the Facebook phenomenon fascinating. I have reconnected with so many old friends and even with some who I thought I would never call "friend" again. With this on my mind, I now pose some questions. When do you say goodbye for good? What do you gain by opening up your life for the world to see?  Is it ok to let someone into your life that you once shut out?  Come on people..I need answers.

The Unlikely Lavender Queen

The Unlikely Lavender Queen is a book by a very talented author named Jeannie Ralston.  It is a memoir about her experience moving to the Texas Hill Country just outside of Austin from the metropolis that is New York City.  After moving to Blanco Texas, Jeannie and her husband set about into converting their property into the first of many lavender farms that now dot the area. I don't know if it is my love of lavender or how I can totally relate to Jeannie's experience about moving from a big city to the Texas Hill Country (I am a transplant from Miami), but I think that this book is spectacular.  I wish everyone would read it!  You will laugh, cry and maybe even see a little of yourself in Jeannie's experience. Jeannie rocks!  She is donating proceeds from all purchases of her book made through Amazon.com to a different charity each month.  

Great Little Shopper Bag

This Reisenthel Shopper bag is my absolute favorite.  It is lightweight and folds up tiny so you can carry it in virtually any purse. What a cute way to go green!  

Mother's Day

To all the moms out there I wish the most special of days.  Be grateful for the wonderful gift of your children.  Enjoy today to the fullest!   Be happy!  

The Deal Maker (or breaker)

Have you ever wondered how your actions affect other people?  Could your attitude towards someone be the maker or breaker of that person's day?  I'll be honest, I never gave this much thought until recently.  I woke up one morning feeling terrible, everything bothered me...I mean everything!  Even my coffee had a bitter taste.  I carried this "bitter" attitude with me everywhere that day and guess what...everyone I came into contact with seemed "bitter" too. This just added fuel to my fire and made me feel even worse.  Later that day after quenching my mental and physical exhaustion with one (ok maybe 2) glasses of wine...I had an epiphany. Were all those people really being nasty?  Could everyone feel as lousy as I did that day? Impossible!  It was me!  I was making it happen!  What I encountered that day was a reflection of what I felt.  Attitude adjustment was needed on my part. I decided I wanted to see what I project to others and what I want to see is a smile.  Did I make a complete turnaround you ask?  The answer is no but I do turn around and check my attitude before I walk out the door and I definitely look in the mirror and make sure I'm wearing a smile.