PICNIC TIME!!

With the advent of Spring, we find ourselves venturing outside for picnics and festivals, reveling in the sunshine before it becomes screeching beams of heat drowning us in sweat. We flock to local parks and lakes juggling music, food, and fun accessories that make the experience that more enjoyable.
Are you currently planning and prepping for a picnic(whether in a public place or your own backyard)?

Here are my suggestions to kick your picnic up a notch...


Make a fantastic tote and/or blanket to have a stylish custom picnic experience...


Picnic Tutorials

 Add  a little bit of old fashioned fun with a few vintage games...



Croquet



Badminton

Lawn Darts

And finally, here are a few songs that would be a great addition to a picnic playlist...

Howler "Back of Your Neck"

Neon Trees " Everybody Talks"

Electric Guest "This Head I Hold"

Of Monsters and Men "Little Talks"




And I leave you with this...

Lonely Forest "Turn Off the Song and Go Outside"

Words from a Former Bride

Women in everyday life face an immense amount of pressure from society to conform to a certain standard; including how to look, how to dress, and how to act. Although the ideals have changed throughout history, there has always been a certain focus on how women are "supposed" to look. Corsets, bustles, girdles, panniers, and crinolines once changed how women's body shapes appeared and allowed them to reach for that elusive "ideal". Now women attempt to change their shape through dieting, exercise, and Spanx. Now, there is nothing wrong with wanting to look and feel your best and to be strong and healthy, but when a quest to fit a societal ideal becomes extreme and possibly dangerous, we are dealing with bigger issues.


Never is societal pressure more intense for a woman than when her nuptials are in the not-too-distant future. As a semi-recent bride myself, I know how intense these pressures can often be. If you don't plan on adhering to a drastic weight loss plan (whether you need to or not), people often look shocked. Reality shows abound with women desperate to be made over before their weddings. From intense weight loss to competitions for plastic surgery, the message is constantly: if you don't fit the ideal, you aren't a real bride.


One of latest extremes that brides are taking on to change thier shape involve dieting with feeding tubes. This forces them to withstand extremely low calorie ingestion (around 800 calories usually). Instead of enjoying their engagement period they are fatigued, dedicated to carrying a feeding tube around like victim of a severe illness, and focused on that one goal: losing those last few pounds.


Your future spouse fell in love with who YOU are. If they truly love and care about you; the number on that scale doesn't matter. If it does, then there are some bigger issues that are at stake. I have, honestly, never seen an ugly bride. It's not because of their weight loss, exercise regime, face of makeup, lovely accessories, or pretty dresses. The ladies who get married in a casual outfit with no makeup are just as stunning brides as those with professional makeup artists and elaborately beaded dresses worth thousands. What is it that makes them so beautiful? It is the happiness and joy radiating out of them as they join their chosen partner on the pathway to the next phase of their relationship. And that, my friend, is true bridal beauty.