So many holidays, so little time!

There is no denying it…the holiday season is fully upon us. If you think about it for too long, it will start to stress you out – and it’s only the beginning of September. There is SO much to celebrate that it’s hard to know where to begin:

• Back to School – “We survived the first week/month of school!”
• Football season - high school, college, professional…your choice
• First day of Fall - September 22nd (for those of us who live in the northern hemisphere)
• Pre-Halloween – great way to get more wear out of your costume
• Halloween – enough said
• The entire month of November - November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, American Diabetes Month, Lung Cancer Awareness Month and National Homeless Youth Awareness Month.
• Thanksgiving – November 26th
• Pearl Harbor Day – December 7th
• Hanukkah - December 12
• National Re-Gifting Day - December 18th – Now this is a day to celebrate!
• Christmas – of course!
• New Years Eve
• New Years Day – depending on how “big” you partied on New Year’s Eve!

So, where on earth do you begin? First, let me recommend you make a plan.

1. Start with how often you want to have a party – once a week, once a month, once. 
2. Then, decide which occasion(s) make you the happiest and will be the most fun to celebrate. 
3. Lastly, start your preparations early – so you have maximum fun with minimum stress!

And to help you even further, we are going to give you ideas for all of the occasions listed above – complete with links to fabulous sites that provide unbelievably brilliant ideas!

First up…Back to school. Stay tuned, ideas will be coming VERY soon!

Right around the corner…

Summer is fading,

School is about to start

and that can only mean one thing…

the Holidays are just around the corner – yes really!

But don’t worry. We are here to help you start early so that when they do arrive you can relax and enjoy every minute of them.

Starting in September I’ll be posting Fabulous Ideas to help you get a jump start on your party planning season.

Also, a special deal for all you early-birds…All Holiday Card orders placed in September will receive a 25% discount on the entire order. 

And don’t forget – your cards can be customized to match your own FABULOUS style!

What’s Up, Buttercup?

Sunshine + 80 degree happiness + new patio furniture = the perfect occasion for a barbeque with friends!

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is nothing better than those spontaneous summer get-togethers with your closest friends that last long into the night. You start off with chips and dip (or whatever snacks you have in your pantry), some wine and the sweet sounds of the the kids playing with their friends in the backyard. Then you fire up the grill and enjoy some more wine. Before you know it, you are lighting the citronella candles, opening some more wine and laughing more than you have all week. 

It doesn’t have to cost a lot when everyone brings something to share and it certainly doesn’t have to be a fancy affair that requires a lot of preparation and stress on your part. All you need is a table and chairs outside, good friends, good wine and a couple of candles.

What are you waiting for? Call your friends up now and invite them over this weekend to enjoy the longest day of the year!

Hooray for Summer!

It’s been a long, cold winter…a lovely but rainy spring…and now summer is just around the corner: 

Hip, Hip Hooray!!!

If you are like me, the longer, sunny days are the absolute best part of summer. So, here is one more reason to connect with friends and family – the longest day of the year, Summer Solstice, is just around the corner. June 21st to be exact. And we actually get a 2 for 1 this year…it’s also Father’s day. What better reasons to have a party. 

Here is all you need:

• A yummy but simple menu – Girls, take charge of the grill. Throw on some burgers and dogs while the dads relax with an ice cold beer. This will actually be really fun with your best girlfriends around to help.
• Your favorite wine – the best part of any party – next to your favorite girlfriends
• Water balloons, croquet, Frisbees, snacks for the kids – they will have a blast playing together and since you are in your own backyard, no “shushing” needed.
• A great “summer-time” play list on your iPod – this will be almost as much fun to listen to as it will be to put together. Come on, who doesn’t just absolutely LOVE to put themed play lists together?
• A few citronella candles – especially if you live in the South.

Thats it…you are all set for the best summer solstice party ever. And I bet, you will have so much fun you will start referring to it as  your ANNUAL summer solstice party.

And to give you a few additional ideas for party options, check out these fabulous blogs:

The Party Dress :

Here are some great ideas from The Party Dress if you want to give your Summer Solstice party a little ”fiesta theme” or have more fun when the sun goes down with an outdoor Movie night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or, how about a Candyland theme – you know I love this one as I have offered it up before. This is from Hostess with the Mostess and I just love the fun colors, sweet treats and all around “summery-ness” of this party idea.

So raise your glass, give a cheer, Hip, Hip Hooray – Summer is Here!

 

Earth Day or Earth Year…

Carbon footprint. Re-use. Recycle. Go Green. These are all words that have become part of our everyday vocabulary. They even have their own “official” day which we just celebrated. Now, I am the first one to admit that mentally I fully embrace the eco movement, however I struggle in my everyday life to live it. 

On Wednesday, I went to Jason’s Deli in Charlotte for lunch and all the lights were out (even though it was completely packed with hungary patrons). I asked what was going on and was told that all across the country, all of Jason’s Delis were turning their lights out for one hour over lunch (their busiest time) in support of Earth Day. How GREAT is that?!?!

So of course, it made me think – what do I do to support the Earth? What CAN I do to support the Earth?

And to show that I really am committed to doing my part, Kellie Signature Designs is going to go green – at least we are expanding to have a “Green” line – complete with 100% recycled paper.

Now, I need your help – I need more ideas. I have a few, but I would like to hear yours. I want to help my family do more, but knowing us, we need to start small. So, leave a comment with your tips and ideas and I will share them with everyone I know. That’s a start – right?

“Reason to celebrate” #4 – Tax Day will be over tomorrow!

 

Some of you are sweating these final hours and others are already relaxing and enjoying the fact that the dreaded taxes are done for another year. Either way – everyone should be a happy that tomorrow is the 16th and you won’t have to think about the dreaded “T” word for another 364 days!

To celebrate (and you know we love to celebrate everything and anything), We thought we would announce our new line of products – HIP, trendy and “Matchy-Matchy” Notepads. These are perfect for jotting down just about anything – including reminders to go to the Post Office and mail your taxes – TODAY!

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Spring!

It is my favorite time of the year. The flowers are blooming (I don’t have allergies so I can actually enjoy this), the sky is the perfect shade of blue (some days) and we are starting to feel the warmth of the sun more often than not! The best part of spring, however, is that the days last longer! I love that it stays light outside until 8:00 pm! I love that we have dinner closer to 7:30 instead of 5:30 because none of us want to go inside. I love that when it’s 9:00 it only feels like 7:00 and I have gotten so much more done. 

It’s these beginning weeks of the time change that I realize what I can accomplish with just a few more hours (even if they are just perceived hours). I read a wonderful blog the other day from Hostess with the Mostess about getting back to doing the “little things” for family and friends. I don’t know if it’s the excitement of spring or just the happiness I remember feeling when I see a friend smile over something I have done, but I am now committed to using these precious “extra” hours in my day to DO simple and meaningful things for those that I love…like sending out more “I am so glad you are my friend” notes!

I hope you will be just as inspired. And please share your ideas as well – I would love to hear how you find ways to make people smile. We can all use more inspiration in our lives. 

Inspire me!

Take Steps for Crohn’s & Colitis

So, I know this is not my “normal” blog entry, but it is by far the most important one that I have written to date. 

Take Steps for Crohn’s & Colitis is CCFA’s national evening walk and celebration and the nation’s largest event dedicated to finding cures for digestive diseases. We will enjoy a casual 2-3 mile stroll and raise money for crucial research that wouldn’t even have been possible a few short years ago, bringing us closer to a future free from Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Throughout the year, Take Steps enables patient families to join together with their local community to build visibility and awareness about Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis while raising critical funds for research. Over 1.4 million American adults and children are affected by these digestive diseases. While many suffer in silence, Take Steps brings together this community in a fun and energetic atmosphere, encouraging them to make noise and be heard.

A few facts about digestive diseases:
One in every 200 people suffer daily with digestive diseases. With the support of communities nationwide, CCFA has raised much needed funds that, through research, have brought us closer to a cure. For those living with these chronic diseases, life is a roller coaster of active and remitting disease. However, the opportunity to make life more manageable for patients who live day to day with intense pain, the threat of long term hospital stays and multiple surgeries has never been greater. 

If you would like to join the Walk or just support the cause, simply click the link below for more information. Trust me, every little bit helps and we must find a CURE!

Click here to donate or register your own team

Tea Parties + Little Girls = Adorable!

 

Happy Birthday to all the little girls born 4 years ago this week! I hope you all had a wonderful birthday! I know one little girl who is about to have a wonderful party – a Tea Party! What could be more fun for a little girl (or a big one for that matter) than a party with all your best girls, all the best cake (remember the rainbow cake), all the best dresses and all the best activities (think Painting mini tea-sets after an hour of serious princess dress-up time – or for those a little older, think “P.S. I Love You” after an hour of serious Pinot Grigio time).

No matter how old you are, if this week was your birthday, I hope it was a great one, and you should give your self permission to prolong the celebration – for as long as you want to. After all, you are a girl, it’s your party and you can cry if you want to!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FAITH!

Irish Luck

So today my family and I were blessed with a little bit of Irish luck (a few weeks early and despite the fact that we are not Irish!). My husband and I both still have our jobs. This, we know, is both lucky and a blessing as many people have recently received very different news. 

As I was thinking about our friends who are about to embark on a very different journey, it made me realize how very much I love my friends and how very much I want to do whatever I can to help them during this time of change. I was thinking about why I love my friends so much and I remembered my favorite Irish saying:

“‘Tis glad I am and glad I’ll be that you like knowin’ the likes of me!”

I realized that one reason I love my friends is because they love me – quirks, flaws, silliness and all. 

My hope and prayer is that I will be able to remain ever grateful for the gifts, luck and blessings in my life and at the same time be able to love, support and help my friends during the hard times. Because I know they would do the same for me.

So as this years St. Patrick’s Day approaches, here is my little bit of advice to all my friends who find themselves on the edge of a brand new life:

• Remember that the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow may be something different now than it was before, but it is still there and still worth searching for.