| September 3, 2006 - Seeing Things From a Different Angle - Bachelor and Bachelorette Parties
I heard about a bridesmaid that threw a bachelorette party a few months ago that was more than a little disturbing. She talked about the events of the night that included flirting, raunchy games with random men the group of women had picked up for the evening, and late night dirty dancing with these men at a club somewhere. The bridesmaid went on to say that she hoped that they were starting a trend. Men probably started this trend, heading to the gutter for their bachelor parties as well to engage in similar versions of the same activities.
I hear men saying, "It's okay to look," when they talk about attractive women and I hear both men and women saying, "It's just a little harmless flirting." It is neither. Betrayal begins in the heart with thoughts simpler than those. Affairs and cheating are simply the outward symbols of a heart that mentally betrayed the person that trusted it long ago.
Don't let popular culture or the lowest common denominator among television shows, movies, or friends determine how you're going to treat the person that has invested their whole life in you, trusting you with their very happiness and future. Don't forget that your happiness is wrapped up in loyalty to that person, too. And even if your relationship isn't a bed of roses, there were promises made when you were engaged or at an altar. Use those promises as something to hold onto in times when you don't know what else to do, until you can see more clearly.
As a Christian, I know that biblically, we are all capable of making mistakes in thought or deed (there is no difference between the two to God). The forgiveness for those mistakes that is a trademark of Christianity is what allows us to turn it around and change for the future. That's exactly why we have to guard against those thoughts at the outset. But no matter what your faith and beliefs, we all have a conscience that knows deep down that being unfaithful hurts both parties.
You wouldn't allow a poisonous snake that hurts people in your house because it has a reason that justifies this behavior. So, would you allow behavior in yourself that hurts others for any reason? If someone told you that you had a little bit of cancer, would you be at ease or would you be afraid that it could spread at any time? Allowing flirting, fantasizing, or similar relationship-destroying thoughts and behaviors is the same as allowing a little bit of cancer in your relationship that could spread and destroy that relationship at any time.
We're all human. Thoughts and temptations of all sorts may come, but refuse them entrance to your mind and heart immediately. I don't blame the bridesmaid I talked about at the top of this page. She doesn't realize yet the possible outcomes of that behavior. She and we live in a world that practically encourages this, particularly in television, advertising, and movies. I just hope and pray for her and others like her, that they don't jeopardize their relationships or cheat themselves out of real love in the meantime.
My purpose in writing this is not to make anyone feel bad, quite the opposite. My purpose is to help others see what could make for real love and happiness in a relationship. In some circles, this article would be considered as it is titled, "seeing things from a different angle." If it seems like a different angle to you, look at your spouse, fiancé, boyfriend, or girlfriend and consider…would he or she be hurt if she knew about your flirting and thinking about others romantically? If you love him or her, tell it, show it, think like it, and act like it, whether you're with him or her or not. The love that you get and give in return will have you wondering how you could have thought any other way.
So, when it comes to your bachelor and bachelorette party, make it clear to your groomsmen or bridesmaids that you'd love a fun, relaxing night with them, but not one that you or your spouse to be would be ashamed of.
September 11, 2006 - New Do it Yourself and Personalized Products Coming Soon
Taking a break from the "seeing things from a different angle" bit today to talk about new products that are on the way.
As soon as September is over, regular shipping will be available for our cookie wedding favors, edible invitations, chocolate dipped bride and groom strawberries, and picture biscotti. More sweet treats will show up at the same time - picture cookies, iced photo cookies, and treats that can carry a monogram or logo in different flavors, sizes, and packaging.
In just a few days - September 15 to be exact - we'll be carrying new designs for embossers and stamps. Some of the existing ones will change just slightly to include larger fonts. We'll add some new standard designs as well and then…25 new holiday designs! These are great and can be used for things other than weddings or in holiday theme related weddings and events, too. Best of all, nine new ink designs are on the way:
- Espresso
- Turquoise
- Grapefruit (Pink)
- Poppy (orange)
- Lime
- Evergreen
- Cabernet (wine red)
- Plum (purple)
- Royal Blue
After that, we're adding a whole bunch of new napkins, favor boxes, favor bags, personalized coasters, and similar items. The key to these will be variety. Our purpose is to introduce lots of options for customizing colors, personalization, and materials. For most items, you'll be able to use as much or as little personalization as you wish. Then you can add labels, ribbon, stamped impressions, and so on from there.
Finally, personalized labels have been a big seller for us for some time so we'll be adding some more unique designs based loosely on our digital monogram product logo designs.
Keep watching the new items page for details as new things will be added every week for some time to come. As always, we're open to suggestions. So let us know if there's anything else you're looking for. As it is, many of our products have been introduced, changed, or had options added because of requests from our customers. Have a great rest of the week and we'll be back soon.
September 20, 2006 - Seeing Things From a Different Angle - Imagine You're Planning an Event for Someone Else so that You Won't Miss the Details
Most brides do their best to save money by planning their own weddings instead of using an event planner. This is fine and can work pretty well. But, if you do this, try to think like an event planner would think when planning something for a client. There's a very good reason for this.
Because you have very defined ideas of what you'd like your wedding to be like, it's easy to miss things that you wouldn't miss otherwise. Allow me to explain. If you were an event planner, your main goal would be to make sure that your client's wishes were carried out and - here's the important part - well received by the guests. After all, if the guests don't have a good time, then the client would be unhappy, embarrassed, and so on.
When planning your own wedding, it's easy to get so caught up in the things that you want to decorate with, serve, and so on that it's easy to forget to think about how the guests will see it. For example, you may have been to a wedding where the bride and groom had some very unique food served because of some personal connection, with few options for guests that hadn't acquired their taste for fried rocks, seaweed salad, and coffee pudding. Or, you may have been to a wedding that had great decorations that weren't appreciated because the light level in the reception room was just too low.
To continue this line of thinking, make sure that beverage or buffet tables are far enough away from guest tables to prevent lines of hungry relatives from interfering with guests that are eating. Keep entry/exit areas and bathroom doors well clear of tables or areas where guests would congregate and block the natural flow of movement.
These may seem like little things. However, if they're done incorrectly, these little things are very noticeable, creating problems that could easily be avoided. If you were planning a party for your boss or entertaining important clients, you would definitely be thinking about those details. And on your big day, you deserve every bit as much consideration. It's just another way of seeing things from a different angle that will help you make a big difference with the small details.
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