Forget Me Not Design is Going Green!

Happy Earth Day!

I've never been one to quickly jump on a band wagon. I'm not someone who is easily persuaded to do anything. I often argue when trying to be coerced or even invited to do something that I'm not familiar with but I always try to have an open mind, because I do know that I don't know everything!

Earth Day has been around for quite sometime. I can remember going to a festival now and again with friends. Friends who always seemed far more "earth" aware than me. People who had compost buckets under their sinks and never used a ziplock baggie to save their life. Or, if they did, washed them out to be reused. Eeeewwww was what I used to think about those things.

Now, at any time in my kitchen you can find baggies turned inside out on the drying rack and if I had a garden you can bet I would have a compost bucket. Oh how we grow and change with awareness.

In honor and celebration of today, EARTH DAY, I thought I would share a project that I've been working on for quite some time. This is the self promotion piece that I've mentioned here and there on the net. I had the pleasure of working with both Matt and Garrett of GB Photographers and Jasmine Star of Jasmine-Star.com. Their images are stunning and fit beautifully with the idea of putting together a mini album focused on love as a promotional piece for Forget Me Not Design. Leila of Be Inspired PR, my new publicist, was an essential part of this project and I thank all of them for their support and participation with the book.

Why do I mention all of this today? On Earth Day? Because I'm so happy to be part of the green movement with this album. I partnered with Couture Book which launched a new "green" line of albums last year. I've been so anxious to use these books and am thrilled to finally do so. The books printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper and the production process is powered by green-e certified windpower. How cool is that?! And the best part is that trees are planted with a portion of the proceeds from the sale of each book. LOVE IT!!!

So, turn off a light, open a window instead of turning on the AC, walk or ride a bike instead of drive. If we all do something, change is inevitable.


To see the full slideshow of the book layout click HERE.
Otherwise, enjoy these highlights!

Reflections

This past weekend was full of emotion. So much to think about in terms of what I was celebrating. For what seems like the first time in my life, I'm understanding and celebrating something that I believe.

Good Friday was an ordinary day for me. I spent it with the boys and my mom and had my normal ups and downs. But, I could feel something missing or hallow inside of me. It's the feeling I have sometimes when I'm restless. Knowing that I could be, should be, want to be somewhere else. Matt came home and I took my break. Headed upstairs and crawled into bed. As I lay there thinking about my day, I realized it was Good Friday. I looked up our church on my phone and found that the service they were having was starting right then.

I hopped up, went downstairs and asked if it would be o.k. for me to check out and attend the service. It was funny, Matt's comment was wondering why I seemed giddy after seeming so glum just a short while before. The only explanation I had was that I needed to be there. To be in a room of people acknowledging what the day was. That Christ had been nailed to a cross to take away our sins.

The church parking lot was overflowing when I arrived but there was a seat for me in the back and when I walked in, I was handed an old style nail. Sitting there holding that nail was pretty powerful. To think about what pain and agony He was put through. In the middle of the service, they had us stand and told us we could participate in any of the stations around the room. There was a place to light a candle for someone, a place to be prayed for, you could receive communion and in the center of the church was a large wooden cross with a crown of thorns at the top where you could take your nail and hammer it in as a symbol of the crucifixion.

I only had my phone with me to take a picture but I think you'll get the idea.

Then Easter Sunday came and in church that morning a question was asked of me that has stuck and I'm still trying to answer. "If Christ died for me, what am I doing for Him?"

That question runs deep in my mind, my body, my spirit. It takes me to thoughts of my family, my children. How I'm raising them. How I speak to them. How I teach them who and how to be by example.

Easter Sunday marked the beginning of a new day. A day of hope and resurrection. For me it was a time to reflect on who I am being in the world and who I want to be with each new day. I want to be full of hope and I want to believe that God can make wonderful things out of anything. That as Art, the Lead Pastor, put it on Sunday He believes in us so much that he gives us the freedom to fail, still loving us all the while, waiting for our return to Him. That he can turn any failure into a success, that we can turn any failure into a success by faith and hope and the willingness to let go of the things that pull us down.

I'm committed to moving forward and having a life full of joy and hope.

Save The Date On New and Blue!

After submitting the Save the Date magnet I designed with our cousin Olivia (email:oliviasivy@comcast.net) for Paul and Liz to Savethedatemagnet.com, I received an email asking if they could post the magnet on their blog.

Here's what they wrote:
Thank you for your recent purchase from our family of websites. We hope you enjoy your Save the Date magnets!

I write the blog for our website, www.NewandBlue.com. We see hundreds of orders per week pass through our design studio and every once in a while we see a design or photo that really catches our eye. Periodically we like to feature uniquely designed items on the blog, that we find to be fabulous - such as yours - to show-off to other customers. We would like your permission to use your design! This is not something we ask of every customer, so congratulations!

Today's the day that the blog posted! We're sending out a huge thanks New and Blue and we're so glad you loved our design!
Check it out:

Paul + Liz

My Baby is 5

Mason, you amaze me.

Each and every day.

You are growing before our eyes and I am amazed. You turned 5 three days ago and you seem different. The change I see in you is noticeable. You seem more confident and eager to be the best Mason you can be. My birthday wish to you is that you hold on to that. Hold on to the willingness you have today to learn to do things, to have perseverance, to be kind to people.

I thought that for your fifth birthday I would tell you 5 reasons why I love you. 5 reasons that my heart swells when I think of you.

I love how close you let me get to you. Holding you, rocking you, giving you kisses on your cheeks.I know that it won't always be like this and I am grateful for this time. Deeply. You melted into my lap tonight. You came over and as you nuzzled your way into my arms you said, "I fell in love. With my mama." Then you asked me if someone else married me, could you come and steal me away. Could you marry me. My heart burst open a little wider right at that moment. Then I told you we would need to ask daddy how he felt about that. :-)

I love how you can sit and put a 407 piece Star Wars Lego ship together, virtually by yourself. You only asked for help a couple of times. Did I tell you already that you amaze me? You do.

I love how when I was putting you to bed tonight, you told me that your favorite part of the movie Monsters vs. Aliens was when Baaawwwwwwb walked by the man at the party and said, "I've fallen in love with someone else. It's Jellllooooooo." Then you held your hand out to shake the plate of green jello just like he did in the movie. And then, you cracked up. And I cracked up. And you said it again and again until we were both laughing too hard before bed time.

I love that when I told you I didn't want you to grow up, that I wanted you to stay exactly like you are right now always, you told me to pray to God that night telling him that you would give up your birthday for me. That I could ask for you to stay just how you are. You loved me that much. And I told you that I loved you too much to keep you just like this. That I wanted you to grow up and experience all that life has to offer. I want to see that. That's what I wish for.

I love how much you love. Your brother called to you yesterday when he woke up. You and I were getting ready for the day and you heard him call out, "Mason". You stopped, even your breath and you looked at me wide eyed and said, "HE'S CALLING ME!! MILES IS CALLING FOR ME!!". You were so excited and couldn't wait to get in there and crawl into bed with him the way that either daddy or I do. You love him so much. It's wonderful to see. You just love. It's pretty inspiring to be honest.

So, my dearest Mason, Happy 5th Birthday. You are One - Whole - Hand.

Thanks matty for such a great photo