A Purple Owl Birthday Party

A couple of weeks ago, I promised an entry devoted to Micah's very first birthday party, and it's about time that I got around to posting it, don't you think?? One of Micah's favorite toys is a tiny stuffed owl that came with her bouncy seat, so when it came time to design a birthday party collection for my little girl, I chose to use a sweet little owl as the image for Micah's party.

The little owl on her invitation became the icon of her party, and I used it over and over again in the decorations, from the yard signs, to the banner, to the cupcake toppers, to Micah's smash cake topper.

I love the owl - especially her little flower hairbow. It was no coincidence that Micah's hairbow matched her owl's :) A dear friend made Micah's purple owl dress, and I think it turned out really cute. Not too matchy, matchy. But very sweet.

Of course, we had to remove the cute dress when it came time for Micah to dig into her cake. I didn't want icing all over that little dress! So we took it off, sang "happy birthday" and waited for Micah to dig in. Then we waited some more. Finally, I gave her a taste and broke off some pieces for her, and she enjoyed those, but she wasn't really interested in smashing the cake.

I decorated our newly finished deck (thanks, Dennis!) with the tissue paper pom-pom balls I told you about earlier. The pomanders couldn't have been any more colorful or lively, and I think they set a pretty fun tone for the whole event.

Overall, Micah's party was a sweet and cute event. I loved celebrating our little girl's big day with so many wonderful friends and family, and great fun was had by all. Especially by Micah. She's still having fun with all those pom-poms I made. They make good toys, you know!

All of the owl party items above are available in the Senojal Designs etsy shop. Be sure to stop on by and check them out if you're planning an owl party for your little one!

Until next time, grace and peace.

Just a Little (handwritten) Note

It should come as no surprise that I believe in the power of a word fitly written. Especially when it's handwritten in a card that has been delivered the old-fashioned way. We live in a world that's constantly connected and plugged in. We leave comments on facebook walls, carry on conversations in text messages and send tweets to one another all day long, which is all nice and convenient, but I really miss the days of handwritten letters and cards.

The best relationships of my life have been maintained by handwritten cards and letters, posted with a stamp and delivered to my mailbox. I have stacks of personal notes stashed in a box in my desk drawer, and I pull them out from time to time to relive a memory or receive some encouragement. Those cards and letters mean the world to me.

One of the greatest women I've ever known is a master of written correspondence. I don't know how many cards, letters, and thank you notes she writes in the course of a week, but it has to be in the double digits. I have a stack of postcards in her signature script, all delivered to my campus post office box when I was a student at Mississippi State. Any college student knows the value of a real piece of mail. There's nothing more depressing than trudging all the way across campus to peer in the window of your post office box, only to find nothing but a CD from AOL. Mrs. June taught me that a handwritten card can change a person. The fact that she noticed when I was struggling and took the time to sit down and write me to let me know that she was praying for me changed my life.

I've tried to emulate her, but I really don't sit down to write a note as often as I should. I've been working to change that lately. I do, after all, own a custom stationery business. Recently, a college friend posted a snapshot of a card I had written her on facebook. The card was several years old, but she said she kept it because it still cheers her up when she's down. My jaw dropped when I saw the photo. I couldn't believe that a simple note that I had completely forgotten about had made such an impact, and it inspired me to pick up my pen and start using some of the stationery that I make. Over the past week, I've dropped two cards in the mail, and I'm planning on writing more over the course of the next few days. I hope to make it a lifelong habit.

So, keep your eyes open and don't forget to check your mail. You may just find a note from me in that rusty old box!

What about you? When was the last time you got a handwritten note in the mail? How did it make you feel? Who are you writing to this week?

Until next time, grace and peace.

Small Business Stuff :: Mileage, Bookkeeping, & Links

It's been a crazy week. Senojal Designs has been fairly busy, which is good, but it also means that Micah and I went to the post office three times this week, and I went again this morning while Dennis kept the little lady. The post office is a 6-mile roundtrip outing from our house. Did you know that if you're self-employed, you can write off little business trips to the post office and bank? Six miles doesn't sound like much, but going 3 to 4 times a week adds up to 18 to 24 miles, which (using the mileage rate for 2010 taxes) adds up to $9 to $12 a week I can write off on next year's taxes. To continue the math, $9 a week for 52 weeks adds up to $468 a year. That's a tax deduction I'll take, thank you very much. If you're self-employed and keeping your own books, you should look into an online service like outright.com. It has lots of good features for keeping up with expenses and income, and it even has a mileage calculator to help you keep up with all of those little trips. It has been a great help to me.

Another site that I've found helpful and interesting is smaller box. Every week, smaller box posts a list of the most valuable small business articles of the week. I've found helpful input and good ideas from all of these links.

And finally, if you're a fellow etsy seller, you really should subscribe to the Storque and keep up with all the latest etsy happenings there. The Storque frequently posts tips and tutorials to help our little businesses succeed. You should check it out.

That's all I've got for now. It's time to hop in the shower while Micah naps. If I'm fast, I'll be able to get completely ready before she stirs. We'll see how it goes.

Until next time, grace and peace.