I’ll be back to my regularly scheduled wedding blogging programming this week, but wanted to share another inspirational vitamin with you.

My husband and I were out eating recently, and I was telling him how very blessed and grateful I was to have some of the new people in my life. They came at just the right time, and for the right reasons.  Many have touched me professionally, but some have helped transcend my level of awareness both professionally and personally.  Precious has been such a dear friend to me– a confidant, sister, sounding board, and giggle partner.  Mattie shares my fetish or everything fabulous and is the sister that I need to tell me when I’m wrong, but back me up in a fight when I’m right.  Liene, as I was telling my husband, is a Godsend, because I truly believe that she was my business’ guardian angel (and my twin sister).  Everything I needed to hear came from her mouth, and I listened, and it worked.   Scarlett, has been my personal guardian angel without even knowing it. Because of her, my spiritual relationship with Christ and others has gone to a depth for the better and I owe everyone listed so much for their contributions….whether they know they have touched my life or not.

As our conversation went on, a lot of my present hit me and it was quite a breathtaking moment. Everything I do is for my children.  I want to be the type of woman I want my daughter to be, the type of woman I want my sons to marry, and to achieve things and work hard in life to show my children that anything is possible.  And it is, but the woman today is a piece of the people listed above, and others as well.  I reminisced with my husband how when I started my business, back when it was Once Upon Your Wedding,  how hard it was to stay motivated in this industry.  Just when you think you’ve carved out your niche, you find someone else with the same idea or has stolen your idea. Or, when first getting started you run in to major roadblocks and unsupportive (and I’ll say it) downright catty and ignorant people.  Some were less than gracious to me when I got started, and if I didn’t see my vision for myself and was committed to seeing my business off to a soaring start, I would’ve quit.  But that ain’t the Terrica you’ve grown to know and love.

I realize every day how very important it is to help someone with their dream.  I have a few people who read the blog that email to ask me about getting started, and I can’t wait to return the favor to them as many have favored and honored me with their experiences.  Some people are doused in gasoline, some people are soaked in water.  So when you light that spark under them, sometimes they blaze and others just fizzle out.  That’s ok, what matters is that you took your time…you shared yourself, your knowledge and your love.  And just know that when  that one person’s fire is blazing, a piece of your own fire blazes with it, and others will want get a piece of that fire too.  None of us have cornered the market on anything in life– someone will always build a bigger and better mousetrap.  But when you take the time to help the next guy, a piece of you lives on– a piece of you enjoys that success with them.  And in turn, they will remember that and teach someone else.  Before you know it, there will be less and less people who are getting started (in this industry and in any industry, for that matter), that will say “When I got started, people were real jerks to me”. Instead, they will say, “I will be glad to help you, because when I got started, someone else helped me”.

I dare you to ignite someone’s flame this week.  Share your passion, share your fire, share yourself.

Each one, teach one.

When my daughter was about two, we went to a mule roundup. This was a completely new experience for me, being a city girl. Mini me loves horses, and a friend of ours had a mule whose stomach was six feet off the ground. The thing was huge. As we watched her, she got right on it, and rode it alone…absolutely no fear.

This morning, I was in bed with the baby, and watched him scale and crawl the mattress, attempting to get to something from my night table. I hooked one of his little ankles, which frustrated him, as he tried to get to his goal. As a mother, I just couldn’t let him fall. I let him crawl closer to the edge, with my hand still around his ankle, and he went along with a determined confidence. I let him go over the edge a little, to see when I pulled him back if his fear of falling over the edge would prevent him from going back to the end of the bed. No such luck, he did went again, faster– with no fear, tried his best and reached to get what he wanted…and did.

This had me thinking…how many times have I attempted something that seemed completely nuts or undoable by others, but completely attainable to me? It made me realize how close I have come to “the edge of the mattress”, reaching for something on life’s night table, and God has been kind enough to hold my ankles. Despite self-doubt, the fear of falling and failing, tirekickers and dreamstealers, I have still gone to the edge and tried my best. Sometimes…with no fear.I believe God puts obstacles in our way to materialize to us how bad we want what it is that we are reaching for. Sometimes, those obstacles are warning signs, and other times, they are a blatant, flat out NO. We all have to have the wisdom to know the difference. But no matter what the situation or outcome is, there is a lesson to be learned and a joy to be had. Do we fail to try or try (only) to fail?

The quote by Marianne Williamson, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure”, rings true. Is it enough to just think it or dream it? Can it be as equally fulfilling to try and miss, as it is to try and attain, than to do neither and think of what could have been?

I know that a lot of my attempts were only possible because I felt God’s presence (either subtly or powerfully) as I began. Philippians 4:13 says “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”. The whole books of Proverbs and Philippians are powerful as they tell us to fear nothing, to rejoice, think positive thoughts, and acknowledge God’s goodness and presence. I realize not all of my readers share my faith– and that’s fine. 🙂 But we are all threaded in one common spool of hopes and dreams. I dare you to try. I inspire you to be fearless. DO IT. Whatever it is that is on your mind today that you have been apprehensive about it…DO IT. The spotlight has always been on, it’s just waiting for you to step into it. So show up and SHOW OFF!

What would you do, if you knew you could not fail?

I’m baaaaaaaccckkk!

After the fabulous wedding of Kellie and Colin, I was told by Captain America that I needed to get my passport and bikini and get ready to leave. Together with my awesome best gal pal, Precious, Captain America planned a brief runaway trip for us that was sorely needed (zip it, Saun). While working with the FabSquad, I got a text message that said, “Trip paid for. 24 through 29”. While eating dinner, I was telling Abby and Streater that I had absolutely NO idea where my passport was. I remembered using it to vote in the GA primary since I still hold an out of state license….then I remembered putting it somewhere that I felt like it wasn’t such a good idea to put it, but more accessible than the safe.

As the night went on, I got another text message from Captain America who said that he was there early to pick me up. He was such a sweetheart! He helped my superstar florist Heidi and her staff load their trucks, met my soul mentor, Scarlett, and helped the FabSquad load up some of the random things into the truck. I asked, casually if he had seen my passport and he said no. And then mentioned that we were leaving the NEXT day, not the Monday after. My heart fell into my swollen feet, because I thought I would have a chance to look for it all day Sunday.

So after I crawled in the house at 1 a.m. on Saturday night, feet feeling like they were thisclose to exploding, I tore my house to shreds looking for my passport. I went into our closet sat on the floor and PRAYED a very long and detailed prayer. Got up and looked in my husband’s valet, at random, and there it was. God is so good.

After counting and packing linens (truly, a family effort), I packed my suitcase, kissed my kids goodbye and got set off for a very very very very overdue vacation. Instead of leaving for the airport, I was treated to a day of shopping, mani and pedi, and dinner. It wasn’t until the manicure that it hit me…”We’re not leaving today…” He was sweet enough to give me a day off before traveling.

Finally, I found out at the airport that we were going to Jamaica….once we got to Jamaica, I found out were going to Couples Negril. This was our third trip to Jamaica, a country I absolutely adore and love. I love the people of Jamaica because they pull no punches and are some of the most sincere and lovable people you could come across. We didn’t get in until late Monday night, and had to leave at 4 o’clock Saturday morning from Jamaica, with an 8 hour layover in Miami, but every single microsecond was cherished and enjoyed. I fell in love all over again with my husband, and am so grateful that God put him in my life if for no other reason than to just speak his name or look into his eyes.

Here we are at the Aura Night Club about 40 min after we got there. Doesn’t take much to get the party started!

Some random person dancing at the club, who was quite inebriated at the time (hence the focus) took this.

Views from our balcony

The most important view– the swimup bar

I spent a lot of my mornings waking up early (by habit) and sitting on the balcony looking at the gorgeous views, listening to music, or doing logic puzzles (I’m a geek!). It was my first time to this side of the island and it was beautiful. I also snuck some shots of Captain America while he was sleeping…

Wanted to get a shot of his ring and hand

Enjoying dinner at the Palms…the had the best amuse bouche!


Green Tea Creme Brulee– I am in love with all things green tea and all things creme brulee; however, this monstrosity should be illegal. 😯 Just yuck. Beautiful presentation though– it was set in a hollowed coconut shell.

Being silly with the camera:

Back to the Aura for dancing…

Or not so much…more like lounging.

Look! It’s my logo!

My hot hot pink shoes!

Of course I got to see several beach weddings!

We had some great times until it was time to leave! Here we are in the Admiral Club at Miami’s airport during our layover….

I cannot WAIT to go again!!!

SO MUCH thanks to my awesome staff who held the fort down while I was away!

So…back to work!

BACK!!!!!

RESIST…TEMPTATION….

My twin sister, Liene will thoroughly enjoy this post.  Google is her baby daddy.  Google rocks, and it can totally help you plan your wedding. 

Google Search Engine— Google rocks when it comes to finding all the information you need.  Remember to use different search terms and algorithms to find the key information you need in an efficient manner. For example, use quotation marks to hone in your search engine results.  Terms like "Maggie Sottero" wedding dress will find results that include those terms together, not just separately.  Here is a great site that gives you other ways to search Google. 

Google Images— This is a great resource to find those pictures that you are looking for to provide inspiration for your decor.

Ok, so you’ve used the search engine to find information and pictures…whatever will you put it in?

Google Notebook— Google Notebook is an AWESOME online resource that can keep all of your wedding planning ideas, vendors, and contacts all in one place.  With some browsers, you can just select text or images and right click "Note This" and it will save it to the notebook of your choice.  Great way of organizing all of the little snippets you find online that a few months from now won’t  seem like a good idea.

Google Reader— Google Reader is absolutely genius. Instead of going to all of your favorite blogs (SHAMELESS PLUG :: this one included) individually, you can have one centralized place to read all of your favorite blogs. Just program your browser to go to the Google Reader page when you find an RSS feed that you love.  You can categorize the blogs that you plug into reader to keep them organized in a way you seem fit (wedding planner’s blogs, photography blogs, fashion blogs, etc.).  If you use Firefox, be sure to download the Google Reader Notifier which will allow you to see when new feeds are updated.  Additionally, Google Reader makes recommendations on other blogs which are similar to the ones in your list.  If you need some help, check out some of my favorite blogs.

Google Chat— Talk with your friends on Google’s Instant Messenger. You can exchange files, make PC to PC phone calls, get notified about your Gmail and text.  You can gab on about your wedding for hours.

 Gmail— who doesn’t know and love gmail?  I get that, but here is where I can enhance your life, luxeling.  First of all, get a wedding email address.  You know you were dying to anyway…so just go on and do it. Ok, now that’s done, when you sign up for offers, you can categorize where those emails will go.  For example– let’s say you are looking for a wedding photographer, and want to keep all those communications in one place. With every site of a photographer that you visit and must enter in your address, you can enter it in as fabulousbride+photograhers@gmail.com.  (Note, the email address was hypothetically, fabulousbride@gmail.com.  Don’t click that…it might be someone’s real address.)  Next, log in and go to Settings.  From there, we’ll set up a filter. In the To box, put in your newly-created fabulousbride+photographers@gmail.com address, and the set the filter to put in a folder titled "photographers." This is perfect as well if you want to log communications with your wedding planner or even designate a folder for emails that should be immediately deleted (like those irritating emails you get when you sign up for something free).

Google Calendar— Great for plugging in those vendor payments and appointments!   You can now sync your Google Calendar with your Outlook calendar.  You can get weather forecasts on your calendar, as well as get text notification reminders.

Blogger–  When your relatives threaten to put a hit out on you if they have to hear about your wedding one more time, you can start a wedding blog with Blogger and divulge all of your wedding feelings there.

Picasa— Picasa is Google’s answer to Flickr.  In addition you can create web albums of your engagement photos, ideas you like, basically whatever blows your skirt up.

Google Docs— You can save HTML, Word, Excel, and Powerpoint documents (as well as a few other files from other programs) to an online hub that you can access from anywhere.  What’s best you can collaborate on documents with other people.  Just to give an example, you and your honey can work on your ceremony together while you two should be working :)  You can even email your documents to  an encrypted email address. 

Google Pages— You can create a wedding website for your wedding with Google Pages. No need to know HTML or anything like that, a few keystrokes here, a click there and you’ve got a page.  You now have to sign up on the waitlist to get a space, so do it now or you can also check out Google Sites for a great online hub for you and your bridesmaids.

So see, Google can help you manage your wedding planning!

Mattie sent me this, and I thought it was hilarious.  Happy Wednesday!

this

for a wedding?

Source:  Pier 1’s Ornament Tree

Just to take a break from the wedding talk…it doesn’t matter if you are into the election or not, Democrat, Republican, Independent…This is just hilarious.