Photo: Our dog Rosie, January 2011. Look at all that snow!!

I used to write poetry. Paint. Be creative just for the sake of being creative. I need to bring that back into my life. Sometimes I want to grab my notebook, my sketchbook and run to a cabin in the middle of nowhere.  ‘Let the soft animal of my body, love what it loves.’

Here’s to all of you who feel an ache to reconnect with something. Someone. I hope these gorgeous words speak to you.

Wild Geese

By Mary Oliver

I shot this photo of Dasher last year just after Santa’s sleigh landed on our rooftop. Looking forward to seeing him again in a few hours!

Merry Christmas everyone!

I wrote this essay a few years ago. It appeared in the Globe and Mail. It has nothing to do with weddings, but everything to do with Christmas.

There was a yearning inside me that was so strong, I could taste it. It was a yearning for simplicity, authenticity, and a complete lack of sophistication – and it tasted like mincemeat pies.

by Christina Friedrichsen

There was a time when I snubbed crocheted dish cloths and Christmas ornaments made out of pipe cleaners and googly eyes. There was a time when concrete-floored church halls smelling like mincemeat and mothballs made me turn up my nose. Not any more.

I have grown to love church bazaars with the fervour of a pastor at the pulpit. Why?

Recently, I had to purchase a baby’s first Christmas gift. I felt a fair bit of pressure to find something good. I figured one of the big box stores specializing in toys and baby things would be my best bet. By the time I weaved my way through the crowd of pleading children and ornery parents to the baby department, my nerves were crackling like a fire in the hearth.

The towers of toys, the screaming kaleidoscope of primary colors, the frenzied staff who were always at least five aisles away, the massive signs prodding me to buy, buy, buy, all made me feel like I had just eaten 4,000 gummy bears laced with caffeine.

And it made me feel nostalgic for the Christmases I knew as a kid. The ones before big box stores, branding and Bratz Dolls. The ones before sleek marketing campaigns and Don’t Pay for Three Years. By the time I flew through those automatic doors into what seemed like the freshest air I had breathed in years, there was a yearning inside me that was so strong, I could taste it. It was a yearning for simplicity, authenticity, and a complete lack of sophistication – and it tasted like mincemeat pies.

The next morning, I loaded my three year-old into in the van and headed to the nearest church bazaar. Not only did I need a dose of homemade goodness, my little girl needed a taste of Christmas sans commercialism.

The familiar scent of Bibles, pews and perfumed elderly women welcomed us as we opened the heavy wooden doors to the church. A white sheet of paper with an arrow pointing down led us to the basement, where silver-haired ladies served warm slices of apple pie and coffee in Styrofoam cups. In the corner, elderly men manned tables selling used books and rummage sale items. But the craft tables were what we were there for.

My little one made a beeline for the tables with crocheted Santa brooches and snowmen made from pom poms. To her, this place was just as good as any mall or big box store. Better, because the sweet ladies couldn’t stop telling her how cute she was. And they couldn’t stop giving her things, like suckers, and tiny toys and ornaments to put on our tree. I think she got at least 100 smiles in half an hour, and a heaping bag of what she called “treasures”- all for free.

I bought myself an afghan that morning in bold colours that do not match my living room. I’m absolutely certain Nate Berkus would not approve. And I’m also certain that the kind lady who spent her days knitting it wasn’t calculating her hourly rate when she stitched away because she only charged me $25.

“I enjoyed doing it,” she said, as she handed it over. It is now a permanent fixture on my couch and the coziest blanket I’ve ever owned. The only problem is that my cat has claimed it for herself and she growls at me when I get near it.

Since that inaugural craft bazaar of the season, it’s become our Saturday morning ritual to visit as many bazaars as we can. It’s my goal to do as much Christmas shopping as I can there. Anything to keep me away from malls and jammed parking lots and salespeople who wear microphone headsets.

Just recently, my mother started joining us and our Saturday ritual has become more than a shopping experience: It has become a time for bonding between mother and daughter and grandmother. It has become a time of making memories; ones that I hope will glow in my little girl’s heart for years to come.

As I sit here, with my new blanket around my shoulders and my crocheted granny slippers on my feet, I raise my glass of eggnog to the afghan and tea cozy makers of the world. I raise my glass to the mincemeat pie makers and the Christmas ornament makers who give away their handmade goodies to little girls who smile at them.

I raise my glass to all that is authentic and unhip.

 After all, what better backdrop to say “I do” than a big, blue sparkling lake?

 Outdoor weddings on the water are becoming increasingly popular, and more and more outdoor wedding venues are popping up to meet the demands.

 Many public parks now offer outdoor weddings, as well as bed and breakfasts and restaurants. Backyard waterfront weddings are also a great option if a couple lives on the water or has a friend or relative with lakefront property.

 Cleveland Ohio’s Wendy Park, is one waterfront facility that’s gaining popularity with couples who want a waterfront wedding.

 Debbie Greenwaldt, special events manager for the 22-acre county owned park, says most weddings at the park are less formal than traditional indoor weddings. She says couples have the option of getting married on the beach, or on the lawn.

 ”We charge a site fee based on the number of people,” she says, adding that the fee ranges from $250 -$500.

 Couples can rent a tent, or choose to have their wedding in the open air.

 ”We advise that they rent a tent, but it’s up to them,” she says.

 She points out that on a nice day even couples who rent a tent, can give their guests the option of enjoying the open air.

 ”We put picnic tables between the lake and tent so people can sit outside and be closer to the lake,” she says.

 According to Greenwaldt, most weddings at the park occur on Saturday evenings. She says that even when the weather is hot, there’s usually a lake breeze.

 ”It’s such a great location,” she says.

  Not for worry warts

 Despite their popularity, and the great variety of Lake Erie wedding locations, outdoor waterfront weddings are not for everyone.

 An outdoor wedding generally takes more planning than an indoor wedding, and it can be just as expensive – sometimes costing even more.

 And because brides and grooms are at the mercy of the elements, they’re also a bigger risk. Mother Nature can be glorious, but she is often unpredictable – and unkind. She won’t hesitate to offer up a deluge during the most delightful of days.

 For that reason, outdoor weddings are not for worry warts. Wedding planning can be stressful enough, without having to worry about the weather.

 ”Some people are all depressed if it rains. If you are going to be disappointed, plan it inside,” says Cheryl Gilbert, owner of Windsor, Ontario’s Tent Palace, a company that offers event tent rentals.

 Sometimes a great view of the lake is all you need.

By Mary Oliver

This morning the green fists of the peonies are getting ready
to break my heart
as the sun rises,
as the sun strokes them with his old, buttery fingers

and they open —
pools of lace,
white and pink —
and all day the black ants climb over them,

boring their deep and mysterious holes
into the curls,
craving the sweet sap,
taking it away

to their dark, underground cities —
and all day
under the shifty wind,
as in a dance to the great wedding,

the flowers bend their bright bodies,
and tip their fragrance to the air,
and rise,
their red stems holding

all that dampness and recklessness
gladly and lightly,
and there it is again —
beauty the brave, the exemplary,

blazing open.
Do you love this world?
Do you cherish your humble and silky life?
Do you adore the green grass, with its terror beneath?

Do you also hurry, half-dressed and barefoot, into the garden,
and softly,
and exclaiming of their dearness,
fill your arms with the white and pink flowers,

with their honeyed heaviness, their lush trembling,
their eagerness
to be wild and perfect for a moment, before they are
nothing, forever?

Photo: Michelle Kelley

My favourite way to celebrate the earth is to have face time with Mother Nature -  on the beach, looking for sea glass with my husband and two little girls. I shot this a couple of weeks ago on the shores of Lake Erie.

My Three Hearts.

I hope that you find a way today to celebrate this wonderful planet!

It’s time to make some room on my book shelf for some new wedding titles. And that means for the next month or so I’ll be offering up some brandy new (or almost brandy new) wedding books to my readers.

This week, I’ve got a copy of Khris Cochran’s The DIY Bride: 40 Fun Projects for Your Ultimate One-of-a-Kind Weddingthat I’m giving away, along with a copy of my book Intimate Weddings: Planning a Small Wedding that Fits Your Budget and Style. The winner will receive both books!

Khris Cochran’s The DIY Bride: 40 Fun Projects for Your Ultimate One-of-a-Kind Wedding is chock full of step by step DIY projects for your wedding including everything from handmade announcements and invitations to personalized favors. Khris includes valuable cost-comparison sidebars that clearly detail the huge savings involved. She also shows brides how to involve their friends and families in the project-making process, making this a fun journey for all.

Intimate Weddings: Planning a Small Wedding that Fits Your Budget and Style is a must-have book for anyone planning a small wedding. You can read all about the book over here.

To get yourself in the running, just fan me on Facebook, and let me know that you ‘fanned’ me by leaving a comment at the end of the is blog post. I will be randomly choosing a winner from the comments below. The winner will recieve both books in the mail. Contest is open to U.S and Canadian residents only. You have until December 13 11:59 Eastern Time to enter.

Here’s a really great tutorial from Emmy over at The Natural Beauty Workshop on how to make your own recipe books. And make sure you check out her site for oodles of recipes on homemade bath and beauty products. (The Red Apple Scrub looks so yummy!)

Handmade Recipe Books

Supplies
12″ x 12″ Card Stock
Newsprint Type Paper
1/4″ to 1/2″ Wide Ribbon

You Will Also Need
A Standard Sized Hole Punch
A Ruler
Scissors or a Paper Cutter

Directions
Begin with a 12″ x 12″ piece of card stock.  You can find an assortment of styles in the scrapbook section of most craft stores.  Using double sided card stock is optional, but a nice touch.  Trim any excess tags or salvages from your card stock, and carefully fold it in half.

Cut along the folded line, splitting the card stock in to two equal sized pieces.  Fold the two pieces in half again and then set them aside.

Next, take two piles of five pages of newsprint and stack them neatly.  If necessary, secure the stacks together with paperclips.  Carefully cut and measure the stacks of newsprint to create 5.5″ x 11″ rectangles.  After the stacks are cut, fold them in half.

Place the stacks of newsprint inside the folded card stock, keeping them as centered as possible.  Again, use some paperclips to keep the paper in place if you need to.  Using your hold punch, carefully punch two holes in the fold of each pile.  Make sure that you punch one hole straight through the entire stack of newsprint and card stock.  The holes will need to line up in order to be bound correctly.

Measure and cut two 18″ lengths of ribbon.  Thread the ribbon through the holes inside the books, and tie a knot and bow along the outside of the books folded edge.

Now fill your books with your favorite recipes!

A demo on how to make a branch and bird’s nest centerpiece for your wedding from the Canadian Steven and Chris show. I’m not crazy about the bird’s nest favors with the french soaps (who is actually going to use these teeny soaps?) wrapped in cellophane. I think there are much better favor ideas out there, but I think the tutorial on the DIY centerpiece is worth watching. You could really make this DIY wedding idea your own by decorating the branches any way you like. You could paint the branches silver and add sparkly snowflakes for a winter wedding, or paint the branches gold and add faux leaves in autumn hues for a fall wedding. The ideas are limitless.

If you are having trouble viewing the video try the youtube.com link here.