Merry Christmas {from the Birds}

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas! We will be enjoying my traditional Christmas Eve spread I put out and a candlelight Christmas Eve Service tonight at our church. I'm taking a little time off to enjoy family, friends and relax!

Don't forget to take a moment to remember why we celebrate Christmas.  

Luke 2:11-14

For there is born to you this day in the city of David

a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

And this will be the sign to you:

You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths,

lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel

a multitude of the heavenly host

praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Celebrating Two Years

I admit I’m a little behind on my blogging but better late than never, right? I truly love this time of year but sure do wish it would sloooow down. It seems like yesterday I was in NYC and Christmas was still weeks away. I miss NYC already! I’m technically “half yankee” so I have the city crave in my blood stream. Thankfully, I married a handsome southern gentleman, a good ole’ Georgia boy, who despite his southern roots has a big love for the city as well. We celebrated our 2nd anniversary touring New York City with friends. The weather was (very) cold, the company was great and the days full of activities were a blast.

 To avoid boring you, I will only post a "few" pictures.

We took over 300 (at least!).

 One of the many beautiful trees in the Waldorf Astoria

Billy & Mrs. Clause at Macy's - Santa's line was too long

Posing for Billy :)

 Broadway

 M&M store

 Rockefeller Center - the tree was gorgeous!

 St. Paul's Cathedral

 Times Square

View of the Empire State Building from Macy's

I’m so-so blessed and happy to be married to my best friend.

These two years have been the best two years of my life,

I love being Billy’s wife. Each day is sweeter!

And I cannot forget a big thank you to my Aunt Donna & Uncle Jimmy for taking Mr. Bird and I to and from the airport and allowing us to stay at Casa' Boeri for our incoming and outgoing nights. We always enjoy our time with you and appreciate your over the top hospitality! xo

It's been a whirlwind!

It's been a whirlwind of a week! Shortly after we enjoyed Thanksgiving and had a 17 hour day of black Friday shopping things went south. My Dad ended up in the hospital AND my brother is in Italy with mono and is in need of surgery but they cannot operate until he gets well.  I'm thankful it is nothing too serious but it sure has been a wild weekend.  The saying, "when it rains, it pours" comes to mind.

In a matter of hours, Billy & I begin our vacation and I have not even packed one thing. This is maddening to the organization/planner in me!  So, with everything going on I have no time to do all the posts I had planned.  I want to leave you with our photo session from a couple weeks ago.  My friend, Kaci, took these for us and we had the best time hanging out together in the park.  Go to her blog to see the rest of our session or visit Kathryn Brown Photography for more information on her photography.

Hope you all are having a great week!

Give Thanks

I'm Thankful...

Thankful for having a relationship with my heavenly father, Jesus.

Thankful for Billy because he’s the kindest, funniest, most loving, gentle spirit I know and I’m thankful he chose to spend his life with me.

Thankful for my Pop because he is a wonderful Dad, hardest worker and so funny – always a joy to be around.

Thankful for my Mom because she’s the heartbeat of our family. She works countless hours to make each holiday and event special and is so generous. The most generous person I know. Thankful she is so wise and a good listener when I need advice.

Thankful for my brother, Jordan. I’m thankful that God made him so unique in spirit. I’m glad he is my brother and I didn’t have to share him growing up {Selfish but true!}Thankful for his brotherly love and pep talks when needed.

Thankful for my sister, Oana. I’m so thankful God gave her to our family and picked her to love my brother. She’s such a free spirit, fun loving and caring soul. I’m thankful we have Carlo and thankful he was such a light in her day when Jordan was away at war.

Thankful for my in-laws, Mom and Dad Bird. I’m thankful for their love and support. Thankful they raised such a wonderful son. Thankful they instilled the importance of loving God in their children. I see Christ in Billy today because of their teachings years ago.

Thankful for all my brother & sister-in-laws. There are a lot of us Birds and I’m thankful to God for giving me such a big family to love.

Thankful for my extended family. I’m a better woman today for knowing my grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. I love each and everyone for the unique qualities they posses.

Thankful for my Oliver boy – what a fun addition to our home. Oliver is a great warm-up for future little Birds. Thankful he is a fast learner and always has a happy face when I walk in the door from work.

Thankful for my health, praise God for giving me a clean bill of health. I don’t take my movement, eye-sight, hearing, sense of smell or anything at all for granted.

Thankful for my house. I’m thankful for a warm place to sleep, a place with Billy that we can call home.

Thankful for Jordan coming home from war safely (twice). I do not take that blessing for granted and praise God for it. I’m thankful for his service in the Army and very proud of his purple heart. His sacrifice at war was big however, small in the scheme of things; he was able to walk home to his wife.

Thankful for friends who keep me laughing. Laughter truly is the medicine of the soul.

And I have sooo much more to be thankful for, too many to name.  I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving and don’t forget to Praise the Lord for the blessings bestowed upon you and yours!

Psalm 106:1

Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD,

for he is good; his love endures forever.

Good Music {with a side of chicken & waffles}

Have you ever been to a concert and wanted more, just didn’t want it to end?  Billy & I saw Gary Allan last week in Atlanta and couldn’t get enough.  We are big Gary Allan fans and were impressed with his stage presence.  He did not need the flashy lights, rotating stage and a truck hanging from the ceiling – his music was that good. He is just so talented! I hope he comes to Jacksonville so we can see him again soon.

We really enjoyed our date in the city and were sure to take the opportunity to try Gladys Knights Chicken & Waffles restaurant.  We saw it on the Food network a few months ago and thought it was worth a try. Yep, good ole’ southern fried chicken served with a waffle called “the midnight train”.  I won’t say it was my favorite meal (& certainly not the healthiest) but if you’re ever downtown ATL, try it.  It’s an experience.

Christmas Cheer {pep talk}

I've been working on a lot of fun Christmas items for clients the past few weeks. If you haven't thought about your Christmas cards yet, nows the time! Thanksgiving is only two weeks away and then cards hit the mailboxes. Eekkk, where is time going? Here's a few samples:

Don't forget about the Christmas tags and Stamps - they'll come in handy during the holiday season. 

Also, a BIG Thank you to the fabulous Lyndsay of Pink Coffee Photo for featuring me on her blog today. Be sure to visit her site and check out all the goodies.

Email me to place a order or for more details on a product.

trendyinkdesigns@yahoo.com

Baby Garb & Western Wear

What a busy weekend. I really enjoy keeping busy when there is a big event or trip to look forward too. Billy and I have a lot of exciting things around the bend so I welcome this busy month. This past weekend was a lot of fun. Saturday morning I joined a lot of great girls at Lyndsay’s baby shower. It was so fun to see her (one the most adorable pregnant girls ever) and see all the goodies for baby A. I can’t wait to meet him and know he’ll be one cool baby if he’s even half as cool as his parents. :)

Another family friend invited us to their country club fall western wear party. When I first received the invitation I was really excited to attend but became overwhelmingly nervous about the attire. I definitely don’t have a closet full of plaid shirts and cowgirl garb. Luckily, last fall season I had a splurge spend on a pair of cute Justin cowgirl boots – vintage wash of course. So, I ran into Old Navy and purchased a white top and sported my jean jacket and accessorized appropriately. It was so much fun watching (yes, watching as I am definitely the least coordinated line dancer, ever) everyone two-step. My mom impressed me with her moves while Pops and I enjoyed watching and singing along to country’s greatest hits. Unfortunately for me, my most handsome husband had to work that night but it was great quality time with the parents and friends. We laughed, partook in good southern BBQ and had a blast! I hope this becomes an annual event because I’ll be looking for another invitation come next Fall (hint, hint Beasley’s).  :-) 

 Pops & I

 Aren't they so cute?

Billy & I on our way to Sunday lunch.

 

Hope you all are having a great week!

Lesson Learned {Halloween Recap}

Billy, Oliver and I had the best time with our trick-or-treaters this past weekend. The kids were just too cute in their costumes. My favorite was a baby dressed in his Mickey Mouse costume. What a doll! We actually ran out of candy and had to hide just past 8:00! Last year we ran out of candy too - I've finally learned my lesson. MUST BUY MORE CANDY. :)  I thought 3 large bags of candy was plenty, guess not.

We ended up not "torturing" Oliver as much as I had hoped. Oliver sported his Army tee given to him from his Aunt Oana. He "said" he wanted to be Uncle Jordan for Halloween, ha! He had lots of fun hanging out barking at all the trick-or-treaters. He wanted to come out and play soo badly. Can you imagine the looks mommies would have given me if my baby was jumping on theirs!? Not good. 

I'm in Christmas preparation full swing.  Already have gifts purchased and keeping my eye out for my hot items to go on sale - maybe black Friday will have a few goodies for us this year? I enjoy the hunt. Anyway, don't forget about the Christmas tags. I filled lots of orders last night and have ordered many stamps. Let me know if you need one of these items for your holiday preparation!

Torture the pup or not...that is the real question

There is a bit of debate on our pups Halloween costume. To dress Oliver up, or not is the question. We cannot agree. I've never dressed up a dog or any animal before so I’m definitely a rookie. We have been to Target, Wal-mart, Petco; you name it looking at costumes. At some point I thought this would be a fun idea (obviously, not for Oliver) to have him dressed up greeting the kiddos when we hand out candy. Wouldn't he be adorable as a pumpkin or bumble bee!? Here are a few I really like. Billy says, there is no way our boy is going to wear a Bee costume...

Meanwhile, the Halloween candy in a big ol' basket by the door is dwindling. I have NO idea who is eating all the kiddos’ candy!? (Uhmm, Mr. Bird)

In other news, the weeks continue to fly by! I cannot believe that next week is November. I realized today that I don't have time to slow down until next year! I appreciate keeping busy though as I enjoy counting down to something fun during the busy times.

In a matter of weeks Billy and I will again be in NYC but this time with friends. I cannot wait! NYC is beautiful at Christmas time and I'm really looking forward to experiencing it with Billy. I have so many wonderful memories with family in the city on holidays and am looking forward to sharing this with my wonderful hubby and making new memories.

Hope you all have a fun Halloween weekend!

It's that time!

It's that time of year again. Liven up your gift-giving, party favor or hostess gift for the holidays with these designed gift tags. I like to tie them to my holiday baked goods and hostess gifts for my Christmas parties. They look great under the tree!

 

Set of 12, 18 or 24 Christmas tags are printed on cardstock. Tags measure approx. 3.5"x 2.5" with design on front, blank backs for a note. See something you like but want to add your own text? No problem! 

Set of 12 = $8

Set of 18 = $12

Set of 24 = $15

Tags come with a small punched hole ready for string and tied together with a beautiful ribbon. They are ready for gift giving if you so choose! Additional $2 for shipping.  Email me at trendyinkdesigns@yahoo.com if you'd like a set - or comment below.

PS – Don’t forget about the address stamps for your Christmas cards! They come in handy this time of year!! :)

Invitations set the stage...

Invitations set the stage for an upcoming event. Once you receive an invitation in the mail you are given a subconscious idea of what to expect. Right? Or is it just me? :)

I love helping to set the tone for an event through design. A few weeks ago, I designed these invites for a friend.  Aren't they adorable!?

For those interested, I design custom invitations for a $30 design fee and you can print them yourself on your desktop printer. OR, you can also place a full print order (includes printing fee) and I will deliver or ship the invites directly to you.

Contact me for details if you'd like a quote for your upcoming event or holiday party!

ALSO, Keep on the look out for my Christmas tag collection available soon!

I love this man!

Yesterday morning Billy and I headed to Atlanta. Billy decided the Braves playoff game was a must see...in person.  So, since his birthday is TODAY (Happy Birthday my love) we couldn't pass up the opportunity to head north.  What the birthday boy wants, he gets!

Once we dropped Oliver off at my parents (thank you, mom!!) we headed north. I then realized it was 10.10.10 and thought it would be fun to document the moment at 10:10 AM...as we were driving. :)

We had a great time with friends and unfortunately the Braves lost. However, Billy said it was worth the drive and we were glad to have so much time together. :)

Gearing up

Hello, my name is Brooke and I have a jacket obsession. I'm of the mindset that you can never have too many jackets. Attending college in Virginia aided to this theory. Now, living in FL I regretfully do not get to wear them as often as I would hope. However, In preparation for the cooler weather AND my upcoming NYC trip I thought it would be appropriate to purchase a new jacket.

So, I went online for the hunt.  I spotted this jacket...the bold buttons and ribbed knit collar and cuffs had me at first glance! Since my jacket wardrobe needed a new updated member...I ordered it. The jacket arrived Friday afternoon. Hello, Double Breasted Wool Bomber! I think it's a great addition and can't wait to wear it with my new black boots. 

Happy Monday everyone!!!

Ahhhh, I'm at home again!

That is what I felt like screaming from the roof tops this week. Billy and I decided it was way pass due to car shop. We I wanted/needed to get rid of the Honda I was driving.

Let me rewind…

Before I dated my sweet and amazing husband, I dated a bozo. I’m allowed to be frank on here, right?! Looking back I’m not quite sure where my head was but I was definitely dating a guy that was wrong for me in every way. In that relationship he had convinced me that I should get rid of my beautiful white BMW because he wanted to get married and was thinking ahead about finances. To make a really long and sour story short, I traded in my pretty little BMW for a nice sensible Honda Accord. A week later, that “soon to be proposal” and future with him were gone – he broke up with me. I was stuck driving a Honda. (Insert lesson learned here: Ladies, I don’t care how great that guy is, don’t do anything stupid like I did until after you get married).

I was mad – really mad. Here I was with this “family sedan” and there was no future of a family. However, the Honda was a very good car and gave me four years of safe travels. The best part, I didn’t end up with that guy…just the car. It could’ve been worse! :)

Fast forward to today, four years later (to the week) and I still was a little bitter towards the Honda. It was not the cars fault but the memory every now and then that would remind me of why I was driving that car. I would never have chosen a Honda Accord on my own and that memory taunted me in various moments throughout the past four years. Here I was married to the perfect man God blessed me with and I had this lingering connection to the past I couldn’t seem to cut.

Until…

The day finally came this week and I am back in a BMW. It’s always been my favorite car and anyone who knows me realizes that since I’ve owned 3. I’m journaling my story so I can wipe my hands clean and finally leave that memory in the past. I know this story may sound silly but if you’ve been in a similar situation, you get it. So, here’s to old reminders going away AND to a wonderful husband who gets me…puts up with me…loves me with his whole heart…and takes me to pick out that car I’ve missed. I may love my new BMW but I really love Mr. Bird sooo much more.

 
Disclaimer:
****Please note that I think Honda Accords are wonderful cars and if you drive one this is not to offend you. It just wasn't for me.
Thanks and have a nice day. :) ****

Your Personal Soldier is now available!

Two years of hard work have paid off, my Mom is a published author! Yesterday Your Personal Soldier: Emails from the front was pre-relased, we were so excited!! This is an intriguing diary of a family (my family), community & the soldier affected by war. A raw, emotional and brilliant journal of our journey with Staff Sgt. Kriner during his first tour in Afghanistan. What really happens during a soldier's deployment.

If you are a military family, like to read, know of a soldier or want the inside scoop on what really happens when a soldier leaves for war pick up a copy. A must read! Keep up with our journey here.

Remembering My Grandpa

A loving soul, Christ-follower, hard worker, gentle spirit and wisdom way beyond his 89 years … this was my Grandpa Kriner. A week ago today at this moment I had the sweetest experience in witnessing my Grandpa, surrounded by family, leave us to meet Jesus. The experience was sad, surreal, and happy he was free of pain yet full of tears. What a pleasure and blessing it was to call him my Grandpa. The past week has been hard yet promising because I know I will get to see my Grandpa again in Heaven. Oh, what hope we have in Christ! As he took his last breath with family surrounding him, loving on him, I couldn’t help but think that in that moment God was welcoming him home and Grandpa was hearing, “Well done, my good & faithful servant.” I’m thankful and so blessed to have the memories, pictures and stories to share with my future children of this sweet man. I’m forever grateful and his memory is forever in my heart.

Grandpa & Grandma Kriner

Pop's and Grandpa at G'pa's 86th Birthday

Grandpa & Grandma with Billy & I on our wedding day

What a Gift

I always wanted a sister. I remember growing up playing Micro Machines and building log cabins from Lincoln Logs with my brother. I climbed trees, participated in mud wars, go-cart racing, zip lines and building booby traps to keep away the annoying neighborhood kid from our fort. Looking back, I really have a ton of fond memories, great memories, but none of them were from playing Barbie’s. I didn’t neglect Barbie; I just didn’t get a lot of time with her due to wanting to have a play mate. Jordan was NOT going to play Barbie’s. Fast forward to the teenage years and all the sudden I became thankful I didn’t have a sister. The sharing of clothes and hogging time in the bathroom were battles I never had to endure. Now that Jordan and I are grown adults and I’ve officially hit the 3-0 mark I found it well pass due to finally get that sister I always wanted. Thankfully, Jordan met a beautiful lady and married her last November. Our relationship since has grown and it has been fun getting to know Oana. Last month, Oana finally came HOME. Billy and I met her at the airport when she landed and we all hit it off instantly. I really enjoyed spending time with my sister a week before Jordan came home from Afghanistan. Oana has fit perfectly into our family and I truly believe God gave her to us, not only to Jordan but to the family. Here are just a few pictures from her visit. Oana is back in Italy with my cute nephew Carlo while Jordan flew back to Afghanistan. Billy and I miss them both already!