The Art of Thank You

So now that Santa was good to you you need to say thanks to everyone on the list!

A thank you note is always welcome and should be sent. Your friend or family member spent time picking out your gift - show the same with a thoughtful handwritten note.

Here are some pointers if you get stuck.
1- everyone should have nice personal note cards, not necessarily ones that say Thank You on the front.
2- open with enthusiasm
3- think about starting with how lucky you are for being their friends or family
4- mention the effort they made to attend the event or party
5- highlight something you remember about them from that day (special red santa hat or black sequined shoes)
6- specify how or where you will use their gift
and don't repeat 'thank you' over and over again

This is the same advice for sending thank yous after the wedding or shower. Since you have lot to write make a template and stick with it.

If you are looking for a unique card check out Shutterfly.com for their picture cards.
Pick a style, upload a pic of you and the gift giver and send them a note through Shutterfly or any other picture website.

Now get to it....

Merry Christmas!

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season - whatever you were doing!
I enjoyed spending time with my entire family in NC.
The little kids just made it very special. My cousins knew the words to all the holiday songs and wanted to sing them all night long - here is a pic of the girls playing their instruments!

Holiday Fun Facts Part 2

6-The first candy cane dates back to 1670 in Germany. A choir director distributed the sugar sticks to young singers during a Christmas services to keep them quite.

7- More then 1.7 billion candy canes are made every year.

8- Charles Dickens write 'A Christmas Carol' between Oct and November of 1843. The story was a hit, selling 6,000 copies by Christmas Day.

9- Mele Kalikimaka (Hawaiian for Merry Christmas) is actually phonetic. When Westerners brought the tradition to Hawaii the locals were having trouble pronouncing Merry Christmas so turned it into words more easy to roll off their tongue.

10- Santa arrives to Hawaii in a bright red outrigger canoe, it carries him across the sea right onto the beach. Sleighs aren't much use so the reindeer can take a little rest while deliveries are made on the islands!

Holiday Fun Facts Part 1

1-Because of the different time zones Santa actually has 31 hours to deliver gifts. The reindeer have to fly very fast to get to 823 homes per second.

2- USPS delivers 20 billion cards and packages between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.

3- Rudolph first came on the scene in 1939 when Montgomery Ward Dept stores distributed 2.4 million copies of the booklet "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' by the stores copywriter Robert May.

4- Executives from Montgomery Ward vetoed the original name Rollo so Robert went to his daughter - she suggested Rudolph!

5- Merry Christmas in Italian is Buon Natale!



thank you to Real Simple for this info.

Tagged - I am it Again

So I have been tagged again by quite a few wonderful wedding planners -
first was Linnyette confessionsoftheweddingdiva.blogspot.com/
Deidra alwaysapositiveimage.blogspot.com
Isis posheventsllc.blogspot.com/

Rules for playing "tag":
1. Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog
2. Share 7 random and/or weird things about yourself
3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs
4. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Seven More Things About Me:
1-I was born in Roanoke, VA and consider myself a southern gal.
2-I can't wait to become a mother.
3-I have a very small foot so I can't really wear womens' shoes. Kids shoes are cheaper though!
4-I love Bombay Gin and Tonics.
5-When I was 6 I told my mom I didn't like to hold my arms out in Ballet class so she switched me to gymnastics.
6-I love candlelight - must have candles lit around the house - makes a warm glow.
7- For 8 other facts click here: elegantengagements.blogspot.com/2007/10/i-have-been-tagged.html


now tagging....
www.amberevents.blogspot.com/
ocsfinestweddings.blogspot.com/
www.feteperfection.com/blog/
www.emilieduncan.com/pblog/
delightyoursenses.blogspot.com/
perfectbound.blogspot.com/

My Favorite Thing

So Oprah has her favorite things and now thanks to my KD sorority sister I do to! ~SIGG Water bottles~

Have you heard about how you shouldn't reuse your plastic water bottles because of bacteria and toxins? I have been doing this for years - just filling up the bottle with my filtered refrigerator water. Well now I use SIGG Water bottles (20 or 33 oz).

www.mysigg.com


They are made of aluminum, hardy, doesn't hold the flavor, cleans up nicely, fun to carry and easy to use!

What a great stocking stuffer!

Last minute gift ideas

For your concert going buddy- I got this idea from Uncommon Goods - they are sold out but you can make your own version. Ticket Stub Frame - Buy a frame and put pictures of you and your friend at the event with a space for him/her to add the tix stub.

For your movie loving buddy-
Popcorn Goodies - Run out to the nearest Target and get the Whirly Pop popcorn kit for $27 and then stop by Blockbuster for a gift card for movie rentals.

One more thing to add to your aunts present - how about a chocolate brown faux fur throw - also from Target $19.99
Looking for something a little extra to add to anyones gift - check out Blue Tulip.
Online orders must be received by Wed but there are various stores around the area. Red velvet picture frames or even a chip and dip bowl.

And if you really don't know what to get for your godparents - glass snowflake ornaments. www.gumps.com

Happy Shopping!

Cookie Exchange

Last night I hosted the first annual neighborhood cookie exchange with my book club ladies!

It was so great - everyone had to bake 7 doz cookies, packaged in 14 bags of 6 AND if that wasn't enough they had to make the packaging display beautiful! for prizes of course!

When we talked about this 1/2 the ladies were all for it and the other 1/2 weren't so sure they could do the baking, shop for presents, work and be a mom. One lady in particular said there was no way and that I was crazy - although the last the respond she made yummy butterscotch rice krispie treats and I really think she enjoyed herself.

Another neighbor said that this was one of the first times she ever baked! I checked my email this am and she has already responded YES to the Second Annual cookie exchange - how great is that.

Well thanks ladies - it was a lovely evening. I enjoyed hosting and can't wait to break into some of these cookies - now which one to try first?

I do and the Internet!

The Internet and the Modern day Bride!

A few months ago I was interviewed by Northern Virginia Magazine - the article just came out and I was quoted numerous times! DIY I-Do's, December 2007

Here is a snippet!

"The best thing about the internet is that they get to see all of the ideas and concepts online," she said. But brides actually can get really overwhelmed with all of the options that they need a planner ot help them hold it all together."

"The dress tool is very beneficial for brides, especially because brides are so internet-savvy these days. They can go online and try different things out instead of having to go to a store and pick Dress A off of the shelf for their bridesmaids."

"Photographers putting the wedding photos online is very popular these days; it's an easy way for friends and family members to see the pictures and order them, which they never really had the opportunity to do in the past."

Tomasulo said that although printing invitations up for showerse and bridal parties is popular, she has noticed that most brides still don't mind paying extra for their wedding invitations. "They want to touch and feel the paper; they don't want a cheap invitation to go out for their special day."

Wedding planners, too are creating websites that detail their services, as well as their own blogs. Tomasulo started a wedding blog on her company's website to keep clients up to date on trends in the planning business. "Blogs are huge right now; its a personal way to connect with their brides. They want to read something more personal rather than articles that are up on websites for the general public."

Show and Tell

Show me your decorated Christmas trees!!

I have had so much fun decorating my house, especially my two very different trees and now I want to showcase your talents too!

Do you do theme, traditional, filled with children's ornaments, what?
How many Christmas trees are in your house?
What inspired you?
Email me at mas@elegantengagements.com your pics and story and I will post them over the next few days(please put tree in the subject line).

No contest just show and tell!
Here is a pic of my family room tree - basically gold and red with ornaments I have collected over the years and an angle on top that reminds me of my grandmother.

Trees, Trees, Trees

As you know I am in a new house this holiday season and I am having so much fun decorating! I am putting garland all the way up my staircase and over the landing and I have decided to decorate 2 trees. For my living room I am doing teal and brown to match the rooms decor (walls are chocolate) with handmade ornaments and eucalyptus and for the family room I am doing red and gold with traditional every day ornaments.

My mom is the bow making queen so she came up yesterday and helped make bows for my garland and bows for my glitter ornaments. I got 2 great ideas out of Better Homes and Gardens Holiday magazine, using glass and styrofoam balls, paint and glitter!
Enjoy the pictures.



I am using fuzzy chocolate brown fabric draped around the base as my tree skirt.

My husband doesn't get my addiction to decorating but he didn't seem to mind me wanting to do two trees. This tree sure looks gorgeous!

Peppermint Martini

For a yummy drink at your next Holiday Open House - Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 ounces high quality vodka
• 1 ounces of white crème de menthe
• splash of peppermint schnapps
• Mini candy canes

Instructions

1. Pour ingredients into a shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously.
2. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish each with a candy cane or crush candy canes and rim glass.

Joy of Giving

I was thinking that there are so many similarities to wedding ideas/favors and Christmas presents!
Last year when I was at The Special Event Conference in LA I met the people at Dale and Thomas Popcorn. I would love to do a popcorn station at an event (a twist on candy and sundae stations). But popcorn is also a great Christmas gift to send to someone that you won't see for the holidays.

Samplers from $28-72 and a tin of popcorn for about $45.
Flavors are so yummy! how about Peanut Butter and White Chocolate Drizzle corn or Cinnamon Creme Drizzle corn.

For the holidays they are wrapping every tin in a canvas duck bag - holiday themed of course.
Its also one of Oprah's favorite things!

If you are interested in doing this for your wedding or next big part let me know!