For Always -- It's a Promise

It's the season for weddings and here's a card design that just might make a happy couple smile even bigger. (Especially if you attach a gift card to the back of the tri-fold shutter card!)

This features the new For Always paper packet from Close To My Heart. In it you'll find a variety of black & white romantic prints as well as a few bright cardstock sheets. For this card, I used a different cardstock in a truer blue to coordinate with the couple's wedding colors.

Do you like the contemporary look of the polka dot ribbon, along with all the prints on the papers and the paper butterflies? I think they will!

You might choose to use a sheer ribbon bow. See below.

Or you could leave a bow completely off. However you like it!  See next photo.

The stamped "Love" and the double hearts are from the sets "Roxie WOTG" and "Heartthrob." I stamped using Versamark and then heat-embossed them using white embossing powder. I realized I need a new brush to remove all those extra powder particles. Oops.

Those cute butterflies on top of cardstock-punched butterflies are CTMH's "Flutter Paper Shapes." Tiny blue butterflies flutter along the black and white paper border saying, "Everyone says you only fall in love once, but that's not true, because every time I see you, I fall in love all over again."  These were punched from a M-S punch.

Butterflies have tiny Licorice Opaques on their bodies.

This is one of my favorite card designs! The next one coming up will have a Mother's Day sentiment and it's also a tri-shutter design.

I'm glad you stopped by -- please leave a short comment. Tell me which bow is your favorite on this card!
 

Memories of Chasing Cattle and More

Forty years ago--oh, my, yes, 40! -- DH and his parents and brothers were rounding up their cattle that had escaped from their fenced field that afternoon.

It wasn't the usual Friday evening on the farm. They had all intended to be at our wedding rehearsal.    260 miles away.    A 5-hour drive in "the good old days." (But nobody had clued the cattle in to those plans.)

It was quite an evening at the church. DH's sister (wife of our officiating pastor) got the phone call that they would all be "a bit late." Thankfully, they all still made it that evening, cleaned up and smelling good!

Another phone call came in that our musicians (cousin Gary and his friends) had had a minor car accident and wouldn't make it at all to rehearsal. Thankfully they weren't hurt!

The following day was the HOTTEST day of the year. An early morning rain made the afternoon and evening steamy. I got the scissors out to start some major alterations on my wedding gown -- thinking "this needs to be cooler!" That didn't happen. Mom grabbed and hid the scissors and locked the room to the sewing machine.

Our musicians and family and friends came from near and far and celebrated with us. Somehow everyone grinned and bore the horrible heat, drank a lot of punch, and used many fans. (In the good old days ... you know where I'm going with this ... we didn't have AC!) The cake started to lean a bit, but we all ate it as fast as possible.

The glitches of the day began after the ceremony and reception.

The groomsmen and a few other creative friends had decorated and hid our car along a creek bed to prevent any bad potato-in-the-exhaust pipe tricks or disconnected wires under the hood. With the 99.9% humidity that evening, they couldn't get the car back up the grassy hill--it was a true slip 'n' slide--not a great idea, guys!

So we agreed to take DH's parents' car for our first night away. Little did we think to fetch our luggage from OUR car's trunk. So we got to our destination 25 miles away where we enjoyed the room with AC -- but had to beg for toothbrushes and toothpaste at the front desk. We were so, so young (it's a wonder we could get a license!) and so, so naive!

The next morning we donned our going away outfits and called them "coming back" outfits, and drove back to retrieve our car so we could begin our honeymoon travels.

What memories!

This year we're enjoying a rehearsal evening at home with these treats from our  DD and SIL.

Tomorrow we'll be renewing our vows on the church lawn in the heat of the summer evening. To the music of cicadas.

Anniversary Photo Collage

Before I head to bed for a great night's sleep on our own sleep number mattress (ahh!), I want to share this photo collage that my DH and I created and gave to Dad and Mom for their 63rd wedding anniversary. I took the photos when we visited in April, and though the photo of the gift project doesn't show the rich colors well because of some reflections in the glass, the greens and ivories in the photos look so nice with the wood tone of the collage frames. The photos are 4 x 6's and 5 x 7's.

I just knew that my parents' comments would be, "Oh, we don't want OUR photos on our wall..." and I also knew that I'd have to promise to switch out the photos with those of grandchildren and great-grandchildren during our next visit ... well, maybe I will, maybe I won't ...

Aren't they the cutest couple? Click the image to enlarge and to see their smiles and shining love even better.

God bless you real good, Mom and Dad!

Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad!

Jesus, lead Thou on till our rest is won; And although the way be cheerless, we will follow calm and fearless. Guide us by Thy hand to our fatherland.

If the way be drear, if the foe be near, Let not faithless fears o'ertake us; let not faith and hope forsake us; For through many a woe to our home we go.

When we seek relief from a long-felt grief, When temptations come alluring, make us patient and enduring. Show us that bright shore where we weep no more.

Jesus, lead Thou on till our rest is won. Heav'nly leader, still direct us, still support, console, protect us, Till we safely stand in our fatherland. (Text & tune: Public domain)

This was the congregational hymn sung at my parents' wedding ceremony 63 years ago today. Mom and Dad were married on Easter Sunday afternoon in a church ceremony with their family and friends present.

Dad had served as a radio communications specialist in the European Theater during World War II and returned home to begin a new job, propose to Mom and marry her, buy a small home, and begin their family life together. Mom was an RN and wrote faithfully to Dad during his war years, and then visited him in the hospital when he was shipped back to the states. She continued to work as an RN and also on the farm to help Dad.

What a devoted, Christian, caring couple Mom and Dad are! They have been wonderful examples to us kids and to everyone who knows them.

God has blessed them with 3 children, 9 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren.

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad! I thank the Lord for you.

And I pray God's blessings be yours each day as you remember "the best is yet to be."

25th Anniversary for Close To My Heart & February's Stamp of the Month

Purchase $25 worth of stamps sets and you get the adorable "Good Times" MyAcrylix stamp set free!

Visit my web site http://janeehaas.myctmh.com/ to see the images that include a cupcake, balloons, gifts, and cheery sentiments.

Close To My Heart is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and YOU get the gift! This offer is good Feb 3rd - 28th.

February's Stamp of the Month is:
D1340 February: Easter Eggs
(Set of 20) $22.95 US/ $28.50 CAN

This SOTM is a beautiful collection of designer eggs, complete with a special Easter verse. "Eggsactly" what you need for a happy holiday!

Available February 1–28, 2009.

The stamp set uses the 2" × 2" MyAcrylix block (Y1003), not included.

With a minimum qualifying purchase, get your Stamp of the Month at a great discount or FREE! Click here to find out how!