Check out what I won!

I just found out I won this HeartSOUL skirt suit from Classy Career Girl. I'm really excited! I've never owned a matching suit before-- only separate skirts and blazers and pants. I'm really looking forward to having such a must-have staple in my closet-- something that's simple to throw on and look professional in.

Also, if you haven't already checked out Classy Career Girl's blog, you should! They have so many tips for those looking to progress in their careers (or start fresh!).

1st anniversary & writer's insight

I can't believe Kyle and I have been married almost a year already (We were married July 18, 2010)! The time has flown by-- but I've truly treasured every moment with this man of mine. ♥

I've had some inquiries from followers in regards to my "story"-- who I am, what I'm all about-- and I've realized I've never really shared much personal history of mine on this blog. But that's about to change!

So (to start things out), as our one-year anniversary is quickly approaching (less than a month away!), I've planned some personal posts to share with you in regards to my husband and I-- including stories of how we met, our engagement, and our big day!

I hope you are as excited about this as I am! I used to think it was somewhat vain to simply write about my life-- why would my readers care? What makes me so special that people would read about my ordinary life? (Do you, as bloggers, ever feel this way?)

But the more I think about it, I realize writing about personal things and what's close to my heart is... meaningful. Substantial. Important to me. And enough. 

Being a writer doesn't mean only pleasing an audience. It doesn't mean covering only monumental topics. It doesn't mean finding all the answers.

I write because I enjoy it. I enjoy sharing my thoughts and ideas. I enjoy expressing myself through words. I enjoy following my heart and being true to myself. I enjoy the growth that comes with writing-- the discovery, the introspection, the observation.

And in order to enjoy writing, I must write what is personal. What I know. What I care about. Even if it is ordinary, mundane, and no one reads it. (Although I do hope you will read it!) 

So stay tuned! And to leave you with a quote:

"Writing is an exploration. 

You start from nothing and learn as you go."

E. L. Doctorow

Meaningful Monday-- Celebrate!

Life is a gift. It's worth celebrating. 

So sparkle and shine and treat each day like a party! 

Here's to another good week! :-)

A WWII wedding dress story

Here's a romantic story for you:

In 1944, B-29 Pilot Maj. Claude Hesinger and his crew were returning from a bombing raid over Yowata, Japan when their engine caught fire. The men were forced to bail, and drifted safely to land with the use of parachutes. Hesinger then used his parachute as a blanket and pillow through the night, waiting to be rescued. In the morning they were taken in by some friendly Chinese.

Hesinger held on to the parachute, and later in 1947 when he proposed to his girlfriend, Ruth, he offered the parachute as material to make a wedding dress from.

Here are the results (based on a Gone with the Wind dress Ruth had seen in a store window):

Can you imagine making your wedding dress out of something that had saved your husband's life? How incredible is that?

And the fact that Hesinger made the effort to hold on to the parachute. It's almost like he was saying the parachute saved his life, but this woman made his life meaningful and worth living. Like he'd been saved all over again with the love they shared. (Or maybe he simply knew the difficulty of finding material during the war... but that's not nearly as romantic, is it?) 

This dress can be viewed at the Smithsonian, and you can read the whole article here.

Yarn + Wire DIY

I found this idea on Pinterest (if you have an account, you can follow me here! Or if you need an invite, give me your email address.) and thought it was rather cute!

The example:

My version:

It was so simple (although a little time-consuming) and a great way to keep your hands busy while lounging on the couch :-) I originally wanted mine to be bright red, but I didn't have any on hand, so I opted for this robin's egg blue instead. It sits perched on top of a mirror frame in our front room, and I'm loving (no pun intended) the way it looks.

Mine is about four inches tall at its highest point, so definitely on the small side. I'm thinking of trying out a longer word (maybe "inspire" or "believe") in a larger scale next.

Wedding date collage

I've had a picture frame for quite awhile now that I just couldn't figure out how to use. It holds three 2 1/2 in. x 3 in. pictures-- which, if you ask me, is too small for regular photos: how are you supposed to see faces or scenery when they are so small? I prefer much larger pictures, where you can really see every facial expression, every action, every detail of the background. 

But the frame ended up being perfect for a date collage. I found interesting pictures of our wedding numbers online (I tried going around town to actually find the numbers I needed, but that proved to be too time-consuming!), printed them off, and voila! The numbers are large and simple, so even in such a small space, they stand out. 

Very easy and meaningful. (I also love that the frame says "Live, Laugh, Love" right under our wedding date). Have any of you ever made a date collage before? I'd love to see!

Creativity through pancakes

I came across this today:

Amazing, right? It most certainly puts my typical round pancakes to shame. Guess I better start getting creative in the mornings! (And if only I could do this in my classroom; my preschoolers would love it!)