Brides Magazine Local Edition - Chicago

Christmas is upon us and I can feel the excitement building each day when Mason and Miles come down the stairs to see our tree. Matt and I have been adding presents each night as they're wrapped. Not the ones from us but the gifts from Nana and Papa, the cousin draw names and for Matt and myself. There aren't that many gifts but I can tell you that Mason knows each and every one. This is the first year that he's taken to shaking the presents. He's already convinced that there's at least one LEGO set and a Bionicle under the tree with his name on it. He knows the books but he's stumped by the two pack dvd. Ha!

This year Christmas has felt a bit magical. I think it has to do with the boys getting older but not too old. Santa is as real as he can be, in fact we mailed their letters to the North Pole today. Mason and Miles put them in the mailbox themselves. They're getting to be such big boys!

There's something else this year that I haven't been able to put my finger on until now. I think what I'm feeling is an underlying glimmer of hope. Hope for a better future, a better tomorrow. Hope that things will actually turn around with our economy and that people will find value in conversation and spending time with friends and family over spending money on unneeded things.

I also have hope that all of the time and energy I've been putting into this business will produce great things, and, in light of that hope, I have some fantastic news that I'm eager to share. Forget Me Not Design has been included in a list of 11 album companies featured in an article in Bride's Magazines 16 local editions. Chicago was the first to hit stands and I'm giddy with excitement. The rest will filter out across the country at different times of the year. This is a crazy wonderful Christmas present for sure!

What's really crazy is that out of the 11 companies listed, 6 don't work with the general public and 2 are DIY companies. That leaves 3 companies that are listed who work with the general public to create albums. THREE! and FMN Design is one of them. I think I'm doing a happy dance pretty much everywhere I go these days. What a way to end 2009 and begin 2010. I can't thank Be Inspired PR enough for all of their hard work and faith in my business. Those girls ROCK!

I'll end this post with the intro paragraph of the magazine spread. (FMN is one of the "specialty custom artisans" mentioned.) Woohooooo!!!!

Brides Magazine Local Edition - Chicago

Christmas is upon us and I can feel the excitement building each day when Mason and Miles come down the stairs to see our tree. Matt and I have been adding presents each night as they're wrapped. Not the ones from us but the gifts from Nana and Papa, the cousin draw names and for Matt and myself. There aren't that many gifts but I can tell you that Mason knows each and every one. This is the first year that he's taken to shaking the presents. He's already convinced that there's at least one LEGO set and a Bionicle under the tree with his name on it. He knows the books but he's stumped by the two pack dvd. Ha!

This year Christmas has felt a bit magical. I think it has to do with the boys getting older but not too old. Santa is as real as he can be, in fact we mailed their letters to the North Pole today. Mason and Miles put them in the mailbox themselves. They're getting to be such big boys!

There's something else this year that I haven't been able to put my finger on until now. I think what I'm feeling is an underlying glimmer of hope. Hope for a better future, a better tomorrow. Hope that things will actually turn around with our economy and that people will find value in conversation and spending time with friends and family over spending money on unneeded things.

I also have hope that all of the time and energy I've been putting into this business will produce great things, and, in light of that hope, I have some fantastic news that I'm eager to share. Forget Me Not Design has been included in a list of 11 album companies featured in an article in Bride's Magazines 16 local editions. Chicago was the first to hit stands and I'm giddy with excitement. The rest will filter out across the country at different times of the year. This is a crazy wonderful Christmas present for sure!

What's really crazy is that out of the 11 companies listed, 6 don't work with the general public and 2 are DIY companies. That leaves 3 companies that are listed who work with the general public to create albums. THREE! and FMN Design is one of them. I think I'm doing a happy dance pretty much everywhere I go these days. What a way to end 2009 and begin 2010. I can't thank Be Inspired PR enough for all of their hard work and faith in my business. Those girls ROCK!

I'll end this post with the intro paragraph of the magazine spread. (FMN is one of the "specialty custom artisans" mentioned.) Woohooooo!!!!

A Little Update on the Reoch's

It's the middle of the day on Monday. Christmas has somehow once again snuck up on me. I told a friend recently that the end of January would be here before we knew it and I think I was right! Once Thanksgiving hits, it's kind of all over. There's Christmas or other holidays to celebrate depending on your belief, then New Years and before you know it we're getting into 2010.

It's interesting to think that another decade of time has gone by. My being born in 1970 makes those dates even more meaningful. Another decade of time and decade of life and crazy enough, 10 years of knowing my husband. When I was younger I had the experience of months and years taking a long time to pass. I remember being told by my parents and other people how quickly time goes when you're older and I guess, now, I'm older. No way to deny it. The years are flying by. I can remember being younger and dating someone. 3 months felt like an eternity at times, let alone a year or two. Now, I feel like these past 10 years with Matt are a drop in the bucket. Funny how that works.

It helps that there is much to do. A business to run, presents to make and buy, people to see, trees to trim. Oh, and fish tanks to take care of. ;-) Miles is laying at my feet sucking his thumb. Mason is in the great room with Martyna making Christmas projects. I'm going to blink and they'll both be different, older. I'm excited to see who they become as much as I'm sad that they won't be my little one's anymore. But, no need to go down that road yet.

So, for a brief update on what's been going on around here: Miles head is much better. The glue patch that's supposed to fall off like a scab is still stuck on his head from where they glued it back together. I'm hoping this means the scar won't be so bad. (He cracked his head open a couple of weeks ago. Split it open right where his third eye would be. Gross.) Mason has two loose teeth. The bottom front teeth. He's planning on saving ALL of his teeth as they fall out so that instead of dolling them out to the Tooth Fairy one at a time for a measley silver dollar each, he can give her the whole mouth full at once and get something REALLY BIG. We're still checking in to see if the Tooth Fairy is strong enough to carry all of those teeth at once. She is pretty tiny you know! Matt is good, still playing soccer and making music. Still as cute as ever and the best husband a girl could ask for.

And me?! I'm great. Taking time to breath and say my daily affirmations. Kissing my boys whenever I can and appreciating each moment for what it is...amazing. I'm also slowing down. I can feel that winter mindset creeping in. Getting ready to stay in doors on rainy days and sit by the fire whenever possible. I also have a feeling that change is coming. Change for the better. Change in a good way. I think this happens most years. It's the cycle. The end of something and the beginning of something else. I welcome it this year and can feel a tingle of excitement to see what this new decade will bring.

Oh, and before I forget again, Mason is now a yellow belt in Tae Kwon Do. I haven't posted for a bit and he actually got the belt a few weeks ago. Since a post is better with pictures...here is Mr. Yellow Belt.