2008 is right around the corner. Will you be watching television and staying up til all hours of the night or forcing yourself to stay up, at least until the sparkly ball drops on the east coast?

I love new beginnings and I congratulate all of you newly engaged couples. If you are still contemplating your wedding date, The Knot has compiled dates to avoid in 2008 and 2009.  I’m sure it will be helpful to you!

Let me know how many of you got engaged over the holidays………. Oh, and I would love to hear about your proposals too….

Yeah!

Blessings for a wonderfully, prosperous New Year!!

Heidi

Do you love to people watch? Are you curious about other people’s fashion statements? Do you simply want to know what people are wearing? Then check out The Sartorialist.

People inspire me and I love looking at great photography of real people. This site is so cool. The Sartorialist takes photos of real people (mostly) on the streets of New York City.

A fab Sartorialist photo, full of color from December 19^th entitled:

What I like about this photo is all the color~ not necessarily how she has put it together…

I encourage you to visit this site and be inspired by color combinations, cuts, lengths, outrageous looks, etc.   Think outside the box!

What does a sense of fashion mean to you?

In all sincerity, MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone! May your hearts and homes be filled with

peace, love and joy!

This morning I found a photo of myself when I was two. It was at Christmas time. Tacked on the wall behind me, were tons of Christmas cards sent by family and friends. I just love this wonderful time of year. People continue to hand-write their season’s greetings and send them through the USPS~ not email or otherwise. It’s intimate and special and a wonderful tradition that thankfully, does not go out of style.

(here are some of my Christmas cards…)

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I love receiving all the photos from family and friends and seeing their families change and grow.  I even love the Christmas letters (some more than others). Some have gotten more creative over the years, writing letters from the dog’s perspective~ or the toddler’s, etc.  I love the twinkling lights inside my house, driving around the neighborhood looking at other twinkling lights. I am humbled by the volunteers who stand in the Minnesota cold, next to the red kettle, for someone else. I love the gathering, the scents, the laughter and the giving that this holiday kindles…

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Love,

Heidi

When my very good friend Cheryl asked me to be her MOH, I was so honored and immediately said YES!

It would later hit me that I would also be expected to make a toast (speech) at the reception. At this thought my stomach dropped, my hands went to ice and panic quickly set in. I do not like being the center of attention! To be honest, it has nothing to do with humility and everything to do with a fear of humiliation. Invariably, embarrassing things happen to me whenever I am in the center~ whether it’s something stuck to my chin, the bottom of my shoe or something much, much worse.

After my panic subsided and I told myself that “it’s not about me” “it’s not about me” a million times, I started on my homework. I jumped on the internet to discover a way to educate myself, so even if there was something stuck to my chin, maybe the guests would pay more attention to my thoughtful words.

Thankfully, I found plenty of resources out there and I settled on How to write a great wedding speech by Leslie Anne from www.Wedaholic.com. This post talks about the main purpose of a speech and of being organized with a beginning, middle and an end while combining thoughtful sentiments and humorous anecdotes.

While I can’t tell you there wasn’t anything stuck to my chin during my toast, I can tell you, I felt fairly comfortable giving it~ after reviewing the tips and practicing, practicing and practicing!

Pass along these tips to your wedding party. Let us know how the toasting went!

Cheers!