Garden Party

Good Monday morning!

The Showcase Pic is of Austin and Melia in their prom finery. I especially liked this picture because it was taken between all the "posed" shots, and they were just being themselves. They are a sweet (and spectacularly good-looking) couple.

The Gallery Pics include the rest of the prom pics I shot with my little digital. My dinosaur 35mm camera took two rolls of film, and I cannot wait to get those back. Oh, the thrill of waiting a few days and running to Wal-Mart to pick up your highly anticipated prints. I'm going to miss those days in August when I get my new camera! Mikie, are you out there? Did you read this paragraph? (I HOPE I'm going to miss those days. We'll have to wait and see.)

RANDOMNESS #1 - I had a near death experience with a Fish Oil Supplement capsule (the size of a quarter) going down the wrong pipe this weekend. I'm okay now, but I want to take this opportunity to publicly say if I leave this world from choking on a "way too large" Fish Oil Supplement capsule, the cause of death better NOT show up in my obituary OR on my tombstone. Just saying.

RANDOMNESS #2 - After much research, I found the zip line I want to ride before I turn 90 years-old. It is located in Singapore in an amusement park, and it is called the MegaZip. It is the largest, tallest zip line in the world, and when you ride it you are flying over dense forests, roads and finally water. I saw it on The Amazing Race last night, and I've chosen this particular zip line for my goal. I'm not sure when I'll be going to Singapore, but now that it is on the itinerary, it's just a matter of planning and saving. (Oh, and having enough drugs to knock me out during the entire flight to and from Singapore. That's a must.)

RANDOMNESS #3 - I'm still reading Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow with my friend, Kim. Kim has specific reasons for reading the book, and I have another set of specific reasons for reading the book. Coming together, we're able to compare notes and see the different ways the book speaks to each of us and our needs. I wanted to share a paragraph which "spoke" to me this past week.

"Proverbs 23:7 says, 'As he thinketh in his heart, so is he.' The writer and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson put it this way: 'Beware of what you dwell on for that you shall surely become.' How convicting! We become what we think. Our thought life, not our circumstances, determines whether we are content. Our thought life, not our friends, husband, children, job, or anything else, determines our contentment!"

Wow! Being a self-declared "glass half-empty" kind of person, this does not bode well for me. But the book insists (over and over) that contentment can be learned. I still have a lot of reading to do... and even more application.

CONTEST! CONTEST! CONTEST! - Yes, it is only one month away! On May 12, the day of my 400th post on A Simple Life. I will be drawing six names out of THE BOWL for the third Mystery Bag Party. (I think I've been saying "fourth," but that's not right. The mind is not what it used to be, girls!)

The six winners of the Mystery Bag Party Contest will be sent an invitation with all the details of the party (date, time, etc.), and The Big Gold Van will pull out for yet another fun-filled afternoon of surprises and fun. During the next month, I hope to have some "testimonials" from previous Mystery Bag Party winners which will help those of you who might be a little hesitant about entering.

It is a fun AND easy, easy party to attend. (I even tell you what to wear. You don't have to think about a thing. You just sit back and enjoy the ride!)

If you want to enter, leave your name and the word "CONTEST" somewhere in your message via the Comment Section of the blog, e-mail or Facebook. If you see me out and about, you can even say the word "CONTEST," and I'll throw your name in the bowl. It's that easy!

Don't forget. You only have a month... and I'll be reminding you once or twice a week between now and the big day.

Weekend Review

Our weekend couldn't be described as restful, but it was a lot of fun. For Austin, Friday night was prom night... again. Well, actually it was Melia's prom night. Austin was just along for the ride... and a fun ride it was. He had a great time from beginning to end. (By the way, he highly recommends The Tavern located at The Summit if you're looking for a great restaurant experience.)

For the rest of the Faulkner Five, it was movie night. Roxie, Kendall and I went to see The Last Song (which I have decided to re-name The Last Sad Movie I'm EVER Going to Watch in a Crowded Theater). Sitting in a dark room filled with women of ALL ages sobbing is not a release for me. I find it very uncomfortable... and I'm not doing it again. I spend a great deal of my time trying NOT to have a good cry, especially in public! I don't think there is such a thing as a "good cry." Don't get me wrong. It was a good movie... just terribly, terribly sad.

I would much rather have gone with Mikie and Josh to see Clash of the Titans. "RELEASE THE KRAKEN!" If I saw the movie, at least I would know the story behind the phrase I keep saying off and on during the day. But I'm not going to let a little fact like I've never seen the movie stop me. I'm going to continue to say it because (1) it embarrasses the kids; and (2) I like to impress people with my Liam Neeson impersonation. It's awesome!

Saturday was the guys' work day around the house. And upon the request of Mikie, we had cheeseburger sliders Saturday night on the deck before we all went inside to watch The Blind Side one more time. One of the best parts of that movie is when Sandra Bullock's character starts taking Thanksgiving dinner out of bags for her family... and her husband tells the kids, "Tell your Mama 'thank you' for driving to the store to buy this food." I LOVE that, and I want to figure out how to do that! (I'm pretty sure I need to start a "money envelope" right now to be ready for next Thanksgiving.)

Sunday we made it to church, but the guys slipped out after the 8:00 a.m. service to go to the first EVER Indy Grand Prix held in Birmingham. They had a great time, and it looks like it could become an annual event. (I'll have those pictures in the Gallery Wednesday.)

Our Sunday night was filled with church, homework, The Amazing Race (me and Mikie) and packing. Typical... very typical.

I hope your weekend was fun. We had such beautiful weather. Lots of pollen, but definitely beautiful weather!

Garden Party Invitations

I found this party idea on www.party411.com. This website has theme party ideas for ALMOST every occasion. I like to find a theme and make it my own!

A Garden Party... Is there a better way to celebrate the warm weather? This is a perfect theme for an excuse for girlfriends (young or old"er") to get together. It can be simple and elegant, or down on the ground dirty. The choice is yours, but the fun is guaranteed!

Invitations - Buy seed packages of your favorite flowers and turn them into invitations. Print the party information on a fun label and adhere it to the package. Mail them in a coordinating envelope and it becomes a double treat for your guests... an invitation to a party and seeds to plant in the garden.

Table Decorations - A Garden Party is great because decorating can be simple and reasonable which is a fabulous combination! Assuming the weather cooperates, your Garden Party should be held outside. Beautiful garden party paper goods will set a beautiful table.

Flowers are a natural choice for centerpieces. Fresh cut flowers in a variety of vases or small potted plants like geraniums are always a good choice. Or set out a few potted silk flowers. For a more informal look, fill flower pots with gardening supplies like a trowel, seeds, watering can, and even some gummy worms. You can use them as party favors when the event is over.

Balloons can be a fun and economical way to decorate. Tie bunches of pastel colored balloons together and use a bag of sand covered in colorful paper as a weight. Place the balloons in a flowerpot and fill the pot with shredded tissue paper. Maybe a few more gummy worms could be crawling out of the pot, too.

Garden Party Food - A Garden Party is usually held in the afternoon so your menu can just be simple and delicious. Your guests will love small sandwiches, a variety of salads and desserts like brownies, lemon squares and cookies. Create a special Garden Party punch for the occasion. Ginger ale mixed with sherbet is always a favorite.

Like the flowers and plants, your guests will need water, too. Bottled spring water with personalized water bottle labels are just the thing for your party.

Garden Party Entertainment - Depending on your crowd, there are all sorts of entertainment possibilities. Party games are always fun. No one is ever too old to play a trivia game based on garden and flower facts. For prizes, you can use the following: flower pens, flower bulbs, or seeds.

The main purpose of this party is to teach your guests how to plant their own garden or plants. Have a spot picked out in your yard for them to plant a small flower garden. You can also let the kids plant small, individual tomato plants in medium-sized flower pots to take home to tend. Or, you can plan on planting a "kiddie-pool" pumpkin patch. (Check out this Wednesday's Seasonal Tradition for step-by-step information on making a "kiddie-pool" pumpkin patch. Just a little something to look forward to!)

A Garden Party promises to be a colorful celebration. Now I have TWO parties I want to throw this spring/summer... the Swap Meet Party AND the Garden Party. I have to get busy!

Have a wonderful Monday. I have a GREAT cake recipe for tomorrow... that your child can bake. (The "kid-prepared" dinner recipe is going to be featured next week.) It is perfect for this spring/summer weather we're beginning to have. I'll also add a few more pictures from the weekend.

REMINDER - Continue to send your questions regarding A Simple Life via Comment Section, e-mail or Facebook. I'll have a Q & A Monday, May 3.

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda