Fake it

Normally, I am not a fan of faking it...I want the real thing. However, when it comes to Christmas trees, I say fake it. While I totally get the appeal of a real tree (the scent alone brings back wonderful memories), I say go green and invest in an artificial tree.

You can use your tree year after year, and it will look just as lovely as a real tree. Plus, you will be saving time, money, and the resources necessary to grow the tree and get it to your house. If you do insist on buying a real tree, make sure you get one that has been grown locally and not shipped in from somewhere else.

This is a picture of my tree...it is artificial, and it is fabulous. Happy tree decorating!

Be thankful

Wow, the past few weeks have been beyond busy for me.  Lots of new, exciting changes are on the horizon for me, and I look forward to sharing them with all of you soon. 

For now, I just want to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving.  I hope your day tomorrow reminds you of how much there is to be thankful for.  Give your loved ones extra hugs and kisses and let them know how much you love them.  My parents are in Italy with my brother and sister-in-law for Thanksgiving, and I am thrilled for them.  While I miss them, I am so excited that they get to spend this holiday with Andrew and Katie.  I hope they have an amazing time, and I look forward to seeing their pictures when they return.

I am volunteering tomorrow morning and then going to my dear friend Leigh Anne's house for a Thanksgiving meal.  Even though I wish I could spend the holiday with my family, I am thrilled to have such a good friend to spend it with this year.  I have been absolutely blown away by how many of my friends invited me to join their family for Thanksgiving when they learned my parents would be out of the country.  I really do have the best friends in the entire world.

Enjoy your day tomorrow and don't forget to say a prayer for those who might not have any food to eat.  Check out this post from last year which reminds us about not wasting leftovers-http://cestlaviebyelle.blogspot.com/2009/11/leftover-dilemma.html.  Make sure not to cook too much food.  If you do, freeze leftovers or give them to your guests to take home.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with great company, laughter, and love.  Life is short, so always give it your all and give all you have to the world around you.

Dream BIG

This has been a very exciting week for me, and I look forward to sharing some big announcements with all of you soon.  As always, reach high, seek far, see deeply, and dream BIG.

Have a wonderful weekend!

It comes from within

"I was looking outside myself for strength and confidence,

but it comes from within; it is there all the time."

(Anna Freud)

New Baggu

As my loyal readers know, I am a huge fan of Baggu reusable bags.  Recently they came out with zippered bags that are simply fabulous.  Instead of using plastic bags, go green and use these bags instead.  There are many different colors and sizes, so get wild.  To order your Baggu bags, go to http://baggubag.com/#Shop.

Congratulations Jenn & Will!

Congratulations to Jenn and Will, my dear, sweet friends who are getting married today.  It has been awesome to watch you on your journey, and here we are on your wedding day.  I know that today will be an amazing symbol and celebration of not only your love, but also of God's perfect love for us.  I am honored to stand by you today as you make this lifelong commitment to each other.  I love you both and wish you all the best.

In honor of our veterans

Today is Veteran's Day, and I would like to issue a heartfelt thank you to all of the brave men and woman who have ever served and who currently serve in our country's military. We salute you and will cherish you and your sacrifice forever.

Coming from a family who has been very active in the military, today really means a lot to me.  The following people in my family have served in the military: both of my grandfathers, my grandmother, my cousin Tommy, both of my uncles, my father, and my brother currently serves as an officer in the Navy. I am incredibly proud and humbled by their service and dedication. 

I would also like to recognize the sacrifice that the families of service members make.  While we all ultimately wish for a safe return for our loved ones, it can be very hard on the family when they have to miss countless birthdays, holidays, and other special occasions while they serve our country.  It is somewhat bittersweet when someone willingly chooses to join the military.  We admire and respect their decision, but we know we will miss them and worry about them.  So, here is to the mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, other family members and friends who stay at home and wait...for news from their service member and in anticipation for them to return home safely.

Most importantly, we honor you, brave veterans of the past, present, and future.  It is because of your sacrifice that I can sit here and freely type whatever I want.  Your courage, bravery, and honor should never go unnoticed.  If you see a service member, please thank them for their service.

The Art of Racing in the Rain

I recently read an absolutely amazing book, The Art of Racing in the Rain.  The narrator is a dog Enzo who belongs to a professional race car driver Denny in Seattle (hence the title).  Even if you don't have a dog or love dogs, this book is a must read for anyone.  It is funny, poignant, and heartbreaking. 

One quote in particular stuck out to me, and I want to share it with you.

"Could Denny have possibly appreciated the subjective nature of loneliness, which is something that exists only in the mind, not in the world, and, like a virus, is unable to survive without a willing host?"
(Garth Stein)

Unfortunately, I think we have all suffered from loneliness at some point.  Like many emotions, it can come like a thief in the night, stealing away our joy and liveliness in a quick moment.  The scary and very sad thing about loneliness is that you can feel it even when surrounded by a room full of your loved ones. 

While I definitely don't have all of the answers, I do know that we are never, ever truly alone with God.  He is alive within us and always wants to be with us, no matter what we do.  We can spend years pushing Him away, and He will always welcome us back with open arms. 

One more bit of food for thought:

"If you're not feeling close to God, guess who moved?"

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

As the holidays approach, keep in mind how much waste we create during this time of year.  Go green by reusing gift bags, bows, ribbons, tissue paper, etc.  This stuff can add up to $5/gift, so why not use something you already have?  Happy giving.

Monkey see, monkey do

Happy Thursday monkeys!

Go VOTE today!

Today is the first Tuesday in November which means...it is Election Day! Do your part as an engaged, responsible citizen and go vote.  I don't care what all you have going on today...get out there and VOTE people.  There isn't much that irks me more than people who complain about our government and/or laws, but who do not vote.  That is ignorance at its finest. 

The last time Georgia had a gubernatorial election in 2006, 48% of registered voters cast their vote for governor.  Let's rock the polls this year!  Don't know who to vote for?  Go online and do your research; the candidates make it easy for us to understand their basic stance on major issues. 

Think your vote doesn't count?  IT DOES.  Recent presidential elections have proven that every vote counts, so go vote today.  It is not only your right, but it is also your responsibility.  People in other countries have died or been badly hurt when trying to cast their vote in what was not even a fair election.  We have the privilege to cast our vote in a safe place where our vote WILL be counted, so please go vote today. 

Soles4Souls

Don't know what to do with the shoes in your closet that you never wear but don't want to throw away?  Go green by donating them to Soles4Souls, a Nashville-based charity that collects and distributes shoes to those in need.

Their mission is simple yet profound.  Here is some information from their Web site about how you can donate your gently used, unwanted shoes:

"We offer a simple way to help reduce the strain on our environment: donate your "gently worn" footwear to people in need instead of throwing them away. Last year alone, Americans discarded more than 300 million pairs of shoes. When these shoes break down in our landfills, the toxic glue that holds the shoes together can leak into our water supply and atmosphere.


Soles4Souls can save your shoes from early death by cleaning them and shipping them to needy people around the world, who will treasure the gift for years to come. Since its inception following the Asian tsunami, Soles4Souls has distributed nearly 12 million pairs to people in 125 countries, and our efforts have been publicized in thousands of articles, including the Green Guide by National Geographic and Runner's World.

Most of our closets are filled with shoes we rarely wear. Instead of dropping the unwanted pairs in the trash, consider stopping by a local shoe retailer in exchange for a discount on a new pair of shoes. In addition to this program, Soles4Souls hosts thousands of collection events across North America, including marathons, schools, churches and more."

Clean out your closet and fill a basic need for someone else.  For more information on Soles4Souls, go to: http://www.soles4souls.org/.