There is Nothing Random About Kindness. A Giveaway.

Saturday, April 17th, it's my birthday.  Yep, just a week from now, I will be a year older.

There will be lots of giving, but not to me. 

To others.

Will you give me a gift & do a random {or not so random} act of kindness?

It's so easy.  You can tell someone how they have changed your life or how much you love them. You can rake your neighbor's lawn or help them clean out their garden. You can have coffee with a friend or buy lunch for a stranger. You can leave change in a vending machine for someone else to find or pay the toll of the car behind you. You can tell someone how pretty they look or make a donation to your favorite organization. Help a family that has been in the news lately or send a letter of thanks to your favorite teacher. You can drop off flowers to a nursing home or take balloons to a hospital.

You can just start with a smile.

And I would love it if you would share it with me via email, or text, or blog, or a comment, or homing pigeon, or phone call, or facebook message, or fax, or smoke signal, or a telegram.  I would even settle for morse code as long as someone can translate the dots and dashes for me.

I am doing thirty-four of them, one for each year I have been here.  I couldn't be more excited.

And then we are going to celebrate with a party because let's face it, I have the most drunk cake loving best peeps in the world.

Robyn, the brains behind Mix Mingle Glow, brought the inspiration.  For that, I am extremely thankful.

Where do you come in? 

Aside from the hope that you will do a random act of kindness for someone else, one of you will be the recipient of the first act of kindness I get to deliver Saturday morning when this all begins. 

Let me tell you, thanks to some fabulous women, this first gift I get to give is going to be so much fun.  Becki at Whippy Cake has whipped up a little something.  Meg at Green Leaf Boutique has come up with a bauble or two to share with you.  And a jar of Vanilla Bean Sea Salt of your very own so you can make some Sea Salt Chocolate Covered Oreos and see what all of the fuss is about.  Many, many more fun things are just awaiting the recipient of this box.  I am so excited to send this out I can hardly stand it.  I can't tell you any more because birthday gifts should be a surprise, right?  More than $100 worth of the most fun things are wrapped up and ready for your house.
  
It shall henceforth be refered to as the Big Ass Box of Fun Stuff.

So, how do you make sure it's your name I announce Saturday morning?

Leave a comment.  That's all.  You can introduce yourself, or tell me a joke, or tell me what random act of kindness you're going to do this week.  You can recite a poem, or tell me your favorite item from Whippy Cake or Green Leaf Boutique, or tell me how you heard about my blog.  Anything will do and anyone may enter, even if this is your first visit here.  You have until 11:59 pm on Friday, April 16.

I will even throw in two bonus entries.   If you blog this, or put it on your Facebook page, or tweet it, or simply email it to your friends you can get one additional entry.  For another, subscribe to {So Wonderful, So Marvelous} via RSS or email.... look over there in my sidebar and just click.  Be sure to leave a second {or third} separate comment telling me what you did & a link.

So there you have it.  Stop back on Saturday morning to see who the Big Ass Box of Fun Stuff will be going home with and stories of what acts of kindness people are spreading.

I hope you'll join me in doing something wonderful for someone else this week. 

It's amazing what a little kindness can do.

{Full disclosure, I did not receive any product or payment in exchange for these goodies, they were given for me to pass along to someone special when they heard about this project.  Because they are awesome.}

My Birthday Wish List 2010 Edition.

Dear Dave Mom Anyone,

Here it is.  My birthday wish list.  {The important one is #7.}

1.  Yelle Pop Up  --Don't ask.  I just like it.

2.  Macro Lense

3.  Cricut Expression, just think! of! the lovelies! I could create with this sucker!

4.  This one is always on the list... Paris.  Ha.  A girl can dream, no? 
     PS. Flights are a mere $787 from Detroit.  I'm just saying...
     I could have my bag packed & passport ready in about an hour.

5.  This genius light box made for me because I don't have patience for exact measurements.

6.  Citrus Verbena L'Occitane Shower Gel

7.  And mostly, like I said here, I am spending my birthday doing random acts of kindness {thanks to Robyn} and I would LOVE for YOU to participate.  If you have ideas of local people that might need a little pick me up, please contact me, my email is in the sidebar.  If you have genius ideas of what you'd like to see me do as an act of kindness, again the email in the sidebar, or a comment here.  And anyone that would like to participate either in time or services or stuff to give away, contact me.  I'd love to have you.  Saturday, April 17th is the day. 

This is going to be so incredible you're not even going to believe it.  All that stuff up there on my wish list is just stuff.  I'm more excited about ME doing the giving.  My list is growing of all the ideas I'd like to cram in on that day so a little pre-planning and work on my part is a must. 

And then, we party.  A lot.

I hope you'll follow along this journey with me.  There might even be something for you guys as a thank you for being freaking awesome.

Birthday Wishes

THIS is what I want for my birthday in April.  Well, this and a Cricut Expression machine, but mostly this.  I am going to make it happen.  The ideas are already swirling.  AND my birthday is a Saturday this year.  Fate, no?

I might ask for your help.

Who is in?

So Much Awesomeness I Don't Know WHAT To Do With Myself.

Can I just tell you all the fabulousness that is Miss Elizabeth?  If you're visiting {So Wonderful, So Marvelous} for the first time from her blog you already know how fab she is!  {Welcome!  Welcome!  Kick up your feet and take a look around my little corner of the 'net... there is more info about me right over there in the sidebar.} Oh yes, yes, it says she's an Evil Overlord, but she may want to look into re-branding her blog into Best Secret Santa Evah. I opened a box filled to the brim with all kinds of fun stuff. I especially loved all of the thoughtful little notes she included explaining why she chose to send that particular item to me. You can tell how much time and thought she really put into even wrapping each little thing! There were beautiful cards, yummy smelling goodies for me to use in the bath, a gently used {LOVE that you passed on a book to me... I always do this with my friends too!} book and a cute bookmark, ribbon candies {we totally tore into those IMMEDIATELY} from New England, a quirky {pure awesomeness!} Christmas cd that she made for me, and on and on it went. Those things weren't even the best part. The best part was all of the gift tags she made me from her last year's Christmas cards. Included with the cards was a story of how when she was little, her family used to do this yearly & what that meant to her and I am so touched that she shared that tradition with MY family.

So Elizabeth, I am happy to have 'met' you, you made the Secret Santa Soiree such a wonderful, positive experience for me.  I hope that though we may not run in the same blog circle we can make an effort to stay in touch.  I think that the best part of participating in the swap is being exposed to many many new, wonderful people that I wouldn't have otherwise found.  I would also like to thank Georgie & Amy for their mad organizational skillz.  You girls rock {especially you Miss Georgie & next year I want your name in the swap!} and I am so thrilled to have been a part of it this year.

For a peek at the gift I sent to Rona, peek here!

Please stay tuned this weekend for my new series on inexpensive, thoughtful, last minute gifts for everyone on your Christmas list!  They will be starting tomorrow and will last through Monday.

It may or may not be Christmas.

I know you're going to be shocked by this, but I am that annoying person who has matching bows, coordinating papers, tags, the whole Martha Stewarty shebang... usually under the tree for weeks before the actual day.  I am a freak and have been since high school when my sister and I would plan together.  I have enough ornaments in different colors to even coordinate the tree to whatever my choice of papers might be.  Mantle filled with garland and three stockings hung with care.  Holiday centerpiece on the table and Christmas cards mailed just after Thanksgiving and usually a party or two or three thrown in the mix.  Oh yeah, I am THAT girl.  Or was. 

Not this year.  This year I am being purposeful in my Christmas and on a MUCH smaller scale.  We're not doing gifts for our siblings and the gifts we are doing are much more personal and lovely in nature.  The tree is up with whatver ornaments and garland I pulled out of the box.  I am using every single Christmas paper that I already own {you should SEE the wrapping paper stash} even if that means there will be golds and plaids and bright modern papers all mixed into one jumble.  It might mean I'll have the shakes, but I am going to embrace the imperfections uniqueness.  Dave is calling it the "Best Of Christmas Past" and he cheered when I told him the plan.  There is not a doubt in my mind why I married that man.

Speaking of Dave, he and I are scaling back on gifts for each other too, mostly because we spent more on U2 tickets than I usually do on plane tickets to practially be sitting on Bono's lap in June.  That sounds way more fun to me than a sweater or a cd or a pedicure... though you know my toes will be done to see Bono.  When you're struggling to come up with a list of things you would love to own, chances are you probably don't need a whole lot.  I have seriously never been more content in the things that we have, the life that we live, I feel like we don't want for much and I'm really kind of over filling my house with stuff that I'm not super in love with.  Plus, I was maybe sort of a bitch to him last year on Christmas eve because he didn't put much thought into gifts and I was feeling overloaded and our Finnegan tried to actually take money OUT of the collection basket at the children's mass and there were 900 people and WAY too much hurrying and rushing. 

I just don't want time with my family to be about that this year.

This Christmas is about Finnegan, about family, and about friends.  You know... my three other favorite F words.  I am participating in a fantastic cookie exchange with my girlfriends, I am only sending Christmas cards {late} to my family, and we're slowing it all down.  Dave and I are really lucky that we have three grandmothers to dote on, plus my unbelievable great aunt in her 90s, amazing families, a child who is too young to be absorbed with {plus we try our damnedest to keep him unaware of} the commercialism.  There will be years for ZhuZhu pets, but this isn't one of them. 

For now, I've been oogling all kinds of loveliness all over the blogosphere and delighting in reading about, but not keeping up with, the Joneses.  What does your Christmas look like this year?


And pssssst.... after Christmas, I'll be back in full {crazy} force with a fabulous non-traditional baby shower {because cocktail parties aren't for babies} for two of my favoritest girls in the whole wide world.  This one *may* have involved me flying back special supplies from California and I can not wait to share it with you.

Four Hundred & A Giveaway.

So this is what 400 posts looks like, eh?  I know it should have been sooner, but let's face it there were months this year that I had just lost my bloggy mojo.  I blame Facebook.  So in honor of this momentous occassion, I have gathered for you, a few of my favorite {So Wonderful, So Marvelous} posts over the last two years.  I wish this were going to be an insightful, lovely post for you to enjoy, but why start now?

In honor of the upcoming Christmas season, compliments of the lovely Miss Amy... How To Make A Tampon Angel

The hilarious package that arrived in my mail one day from the fun one.

This beauty about my mother that explains the warped-ness that is where I come from.

A love note for my husband.

Dave's outdoor movie party was so much fun, I want to do this one over again.

Man did this make me feel good!

Just thinking about vanilla lime iced tea makes me want some.

Finnegan's Dr Seuss party... already thinking about how to top it next year.

And just in time for Thanksgiving, Thankful thoughts from last year.


So, in the spirit of giving, I'm offering a teeny little giveaway to celebrate. 

These cute little frames {there are tons more colors and styles} will be on sale at a Holiday Bazaar in our area along with my irreverent {& highly amusing} note & greeting cards.  So, one of you will win one of the frames.  Another will win a pack of these saucy little note cards {to delight and annoy your friends!} and maybe a pack of the sassy note cards {a little less overt} to go with it.  And because I hate to half ass anything, there may be a few other little surprises in there too.

 

Here is the nitty gritty... to win you need to leave a comment telling me what you would like to see more of on {So Wonderful, So Marvelous}, a question you've always wanted to ask, OR what your favorite post has been... there are 400 to choose from!  For an extra entry {or two or three}, you can blog and/or tweet this and leave me another comment with the link OR you can become a follower and leave me a comment saying that.  I will choose the winners on Tuesday, December 1. 

Ta Daaaaaa!  400 posts! *You can totally imagine me doing the Mary Catherine Gallagher SUPERSTAR pose here.*

Heartless, Selfish College Students? I Think Not.

Hello!

For those of you who do not know me, I am Elise. You may think of me as Michelle's sweet, innocent, adoring baby sister...who tends to be a little messy, and make less than perfect decisions. If you only knew the abuse I have endured at the hand of my older sisters, (being paid pennies to drink pickle juice or being rolled up like a burrito in blankets until I could not breathe, a "fun game" as my sisters would refer to it) you would understand why I am the way I am...mind you this was before I towered over the both of them.

Bear with me, I'm going to try my very best but I have never blogged before.

This fall, I began my freshman year at the University of Kentucky. The campus is beautiful and I hear the basketball team is pretty good, though I am the rare student on campus that adores the William T. Young library more than I adore Coach Cal. As I was anxiously searching my brain for a topic to blog about I started to think about the rep that college students get as being selfish, impatient, rude, and self serving. Though this is very true in some cases, I for one can atest that I have not begun to thank my parents enough for working their tails off and sending me to to this amazing school, 5 hours away from home..now that I read that over I'm thinking maybe they've gotten more out of it than I first realized. But really, I'll have you know that we are not all party animals who care about nothing more than cheap beer and our social calendars. I introduce to you, DanceBlue.

On my life list currently is the ever so vague "put others first". Now let me explain how I plan to do that this year. First of all, the week I came to UK we watched some sort of promotional video for danceblue that made me tear up. Tearing up for me is not exactly a rare occurance, this is a trait I share with my sister Michelle, but the emotion this video portrayed made me tear up a little more than the everyday Romantic Comedy. I was moved. I knew that day that I wanted to participate in one of the two largest events on campus, DanceBlue. What is it? a 24 hour, no sit, no sleep dance marathon that raises money for the pediatric oncology clinic on UK's campus. Each dancer raises three hundred dollars to participate. Yes, we pay three hundred dollars to dance for 24 hours..straight. Why would I do this you may ask? Because I can, and I'll do it with a smile on my face for 24 hours for those who can't.

My first attempt at fundraising was the UK vs. Florida football game. One of my older sorority sisters handed me a can and instructed me to politely badger people to fill it. Now if you knew me this would be humorous because I am not the type to be extremely outgoing, especially when it comes to outright asking people for money. I took a deep breath, smiled awkwardly and hoped to God that drunk people would stumble by and their money would just happen to jump into my can. I grew a little more comfortable and actually started speaking instead of standing there looking like a mute with a can.

This past year, with the help of 500 dancers and countless donors, DanceBlue raised $600,888.82. Not including the fundraising that has already occured this year, DanceBlue has raised over $1,300,000 since its inception in 2005. SO, the point that has taken me 4 paragraphs to prove is this: It is not the basketball team that is ranked 5th in the nation nor is it the gorgeous library that makes me proud to be one of those "selfish and lazy college students" at the University of Kentucky. It is that number, along with the devotion, compassion, hard work and selflessness that has made it possible. So wish me luck March 5-6, as I will be dancing my behind off, raising money for Delta Zeta's adopted family, which inclues a sweet little 6 year old fighter named Leah. I will not sit or sleep and it will most definately be the most rewarding experience I have yet to experience.

Peace and love,
Elise

Follow DanceBlue on twitter!

http://twitter.com/ukDanceBlue