A Mother’s Day Love Story

Last week, in honor of Mother’s Day, we asked our Fabulous readers to share some photos and reflections on how motherhood has changed their lives, we were so touched with their responses and are so excited to tell each mom’s story…

Motherhood Moments:

1. “Motherhood brings out the love, patience, and faith I didn’t know that existed in me!  The sheer sense of responsibility used to scare me about having kids.  But now I realize they are definitely gifts from God!  There are still hard days when you wrestle with rules and sleep deprivation, but every little hug and kiss makes it all worthwhile… I am simply amazed by God’s wonderful creation and am so thankful for the living miracles I see in my little ones everyday!”  – Margaret (Taipei, Taiwan)

2. “What in my life hasn’t changed now that I’ve become a mom?! It’s great, but nothing is the same. Having a baby has definitely taught me to appreciate the small things in life… like a hot shower, sitting down to enjoy a good meal, and a full night’s sleep.”  – Sara (Royal Oak, Michigan)

3. “It’s the little moments that I love the most about being a mom. Yes, watching Winnie learn to crawl and stand on her own are huge milestones and are amazing, but for me it’s the little moments that have melted my heart. Dancing with her in the living room, twirling her around and watching her face light up… She smiles so big when her daddy joins in and it’s these moments that bring me the most joy. I’m so grateful to have this beautiful little girl and to be reminded every day to take in the little moments, find beauty in the simple things and to know what truly matters in life.”  – Jennifer (Fairfax, Virginia)

4. “In the eyes of my child everyday is a celebration and I am wonderful. She is still at an age that she is my biggest fan, and I cherish every day of that as I know it won’t last forever. She makes me want to be a better daughter to my mother. Amelia looks to me to solve her big problems ‘Mommy, I had an accident…’. I love taking care of her as well as taking the time to teach her. She hasn’t figured out yet that I am only human doing the best I can. The faith she shows me gives me the courage to try harder and the patience to try, try again. She has given my life joy and unconditional love in a way I couldn’t understand before her. Because of her I know that fairies are real, life is magical and chocolate IS a vegetable! Well, maybe not exactly… but, that’s my girl! ; ) “  – Kimberly (Rochester, Michigan)

Mother’s Day is an amazing day to honor moms, but the truth is that for most mothers, every day is “Mother’s Day”, and every day is a special day.

The Love of Mother’s Day

Each year, on the second Sunday of May, we dedicate the day to mothers everywhere. There is no greater life celebration than motherhood and with Mother’s Day just around the corner we wanted to honor mothers and their influence in each of our lives. Stay tuned for our SF team’s mommy love stories coming next week…

If you have a mommy love story you would like to share, we would love to hear it! Please send any stories or photos to ideas@somethingfab.com

A Lover’s Day Love Story

Bienvenidos, young lovers! Today, Barcelonians – and even some of us across the Atlantic – celebrate La Diada de Sant Jordi, known as “The Day of Lovers.” Often thought of as a Latin Valentine’s Day, this occasion is typically celebrated with the exchange gifts – roses for women, books for men. Roses are a longtime tradition and have been associated with this holiday since medieval times, book-giving however reflects a modern day marketing twist; in 1923, a clever bookseller thought to promote this holiday as a way to honor the simultaneous deaths of two great literary figures: Britain’s William Shakespeare and Spain’s Miguel de Cervantes, both deceased on April 23, 1616. Being the publishing capital of the Spanish-speaking world, Barcelona swiftly adopted this double punch of literacy and love.

Cheers to all the lovers!

An Earth Day Love Story

With Earth Day coming up on April 22, what better time to reflect on our planet and how we can contribute to making a difference. We thought we’d share a couple of our loves for this wedding season that also happen to be Earth friendly.

Here comes the bride… aaand there goes her dress. British researchers have developed a wedding gown that can be dissolved in water to transform it into five new wearable pieces. The trick: Polyvinyl alcohol, an odorless nontoxic polymer that breaks down in water without harming the environment.

These flats are handmade from cotton fabrics and hemp with 0% chemical adhesives used. Flexible soles are durably formed from more than 25 layers of sustainable fabrics and hemp thread. These flats are so romantic and dreamy, not to mention vegan and really comfy.

We are in love with Bario-Neal, a small studio out of Philladelphia that specializes in re-claimed metals, ethically sourced stones and fluid designs that incorporate the best of contemporary and vintage style.

Who says eco-friendly can’t be fahsion-forward?

A Passover Love Story

Max Yadin is a rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary, the intellectual center for Conservative Judaism in America. As a rabbi-in-training, Max loves making tradition accessible to Jews, and enjoys helping people of all (and no) faiths make spiritual connections. Max is excited to celebrate Passover with Something Fabulous by sharing a Passover love story…

This past Friday and Saturday night, Jewish people around the world gathered with friends and family to celebrate the first two nights of Passover. On each of the nights we hold Seders, festive meals, where we tell the story of the Jews’ emancipation from Egyptian slavery. Through this ritual retelling, Jewish people celebrate their own freedom, but also call attention to our fellow human beings who are still not free.

Every detail of the Passover Seder is meant to encourage questions and discussion around the holiday table. Traditionally, a Seder Plate is placed in the middle of the table; on it are different types of food that represent various aspects of the Jews’ enslavement in Egypt. A special cup, called Elijah’s Cup, is also placed on the table. An ancient Jewish tradition teaches that the biblical prophet Elijah will be the one to announce the arrival of universal peace and freedom on Earth. Whether or not we believe that this will actually happen, Elijah’s Cup is symbolic for the ideal of universal justice and peace that each of us long for.

One of my favorite Passover traditions is reclining. The “modern” Passover Seder was created in the time of the Roman Empire, when it was common for wealthy people to hold extravagant private banquets. Unlike today, people did not sit in chairs and eat at tables. Rather, those who could afford it ate reclining on dinner couches. In that time, reclining to eat was a symbol of luxury and privilege. By reclining at the Seder, Jews affirm that their ancestors were slaves, but that they are now free people. Reclining is also symbolic of the equality that we would like to realize in our world today. At the Seder we all recline despite differences in age, gender, religion, and socio-economic status. We all recline because despite all of these differences we each deserve to be free and live with dignity. Every Passover Jewish people gather with family and friends to tell a story about freedom, a story that I’ve fallen in love with.

An April Tradition Love Story

Weddings are naturally filled with traditions, from the white dress to the tossing of the bouquet and garter. This month we reflect on one of our favorite traditions from Dawn, a beautiful April bride. Dawn’s tradition started several generations ago and involves the eldest woman in the family transitioning the bride into her new role as a wife by removing her veil before the newlywed’s first dance. Upon Dawn and Will’s entrance to their wedding reception, Dawn’s veil was removed and her grandmother, escorted by Will, replaced the bridal veil with a flower. From blushing bride to blossoming wife, the flower symbolizes life as a married woman.

[Event Designed by Something Fabulous, Photography by SOTA]

If you incorporated a family tradition into your wedding day – or if you are looking for one – we’d love to hear from you!

A SOUL-ful Love Story

Kimberly, our gypsy and the co-founder of SF had the pleasure of attending the opening of The Shrine Church of Ss. Peter, Paul and Philomena in New Brighton, England. The importance of tradition and family history inspired her to share this story with our readers…

On Saturday, March 24th I had the pleasure of attending the opening of The Shrine Church in New Brighton, England. It was the first Latin High Mass I had ever attended and it was a special milestone for my husband’s family.  This is the church where my mother and father-in-law celebrated their marriage 47 years ago, where they baptized their three children and watched them grow into the wonderful people of whom they are today.  It is also the place where my husband and I were married.   A landmark  which sailors coming in from the Irish Sea could recognize as a sign that home was not far away. The story of this church began in the 1930′s and the people of the area, the Wirral area especially, know of it as the “Dome of Home”.  In 2008, the church was closed and after years of  diligent effort by a group called SOUL – Save Our Unique Landmark – founded by my father-in-law and a team of friends and colleagues the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest has taken over and the building has a new life.

[photo credit: left, right]

The church was beautifully adorned with ivy and floral arrangements created by a team of ladies which included “Mum” – Angela Allen.   Bishop Mark Davies offered a blessing in which he referred to Ss. Peter and Paul’s as a beacon to passing generations.  It was a statement which I embraced as I thought about my daughter, nieces and nephew and my hopes for them. When asking my father-in-law, John Allen what it is that is most important about this celebration, his reply was simple – “Our mission was not about a building. It is about our spiritual community, our spiritual home”.

Regardless of your religion or culture, what we find most inspiring about this story is the message that people can make a difference in their communities. And, that in embracing and/or protecting their traditions they can enrich them while keeping them alive for future generations.

We’d love to hear your stories of inspiration and tradition!

A Carbotti Love Story

Our new friends at Perfect Surroundings, Inc. inspire this week’s love story. We came across this family owned company at the CORT Lounge 22 event at the Four Seasons last week and immediately fell in love. We were truly inspired by their philosophy and work process because it coincides perfectly with the values that Something Fabulous hold true. For nearly thirty years, Perfect Surroundings, Inc. has integrated two-dimensional visual, interior, and graphic design to produce spectacular events internationally, bringing the company to the forefront of elite special event design firms (being design partners with CORT is just the tip of the iceberg). However, the Carbotti family at Perfect surroundings, Inc. understands that it’s more than just creating a pretty event; it’s about creating a life-long memory. Something Fabulous has always believed that life’s celebrations are what make any event special and it was so encouraging to meet a like-minded company. We love making our clients visions come true and giving them a day they will always cherish.

Quick tip: When finding a vendor for your event, it’s important to keep in mind that although a vendor may be in your price range and have the ability to produce what you are looking for, it’s important to meet and talk with whomever you may hire to make sure that your personality and values coincide. It’s not just about the end result but the entire event-planning experience.

We call this Puppy Love…

Weddings are definitely occasions to celebrate with loved ones, but what is a couple to do when their two best friends are canine? You might say put them in puppy tuxes, but in the case of  Kelley & Stephen the formality and logistics of their day wouldn’t allow such an arrangement.   Instead, these pooches had places of honor as the inspiration for number cards at guest tables. To involve guests in the fun, sugar cookies were designed as favor/place cards in the shape of a bone. And, simple accent ribbons  from Offray Ribbon tied the look together.

Do you have a puppy love story to share?  We’d love to hear about it!

An Ooh La Frou Frou Love Story

Our love story today is dedicated to an amazing illustrator, Sandy M. Not only is Sandy a longtime friend but an inspiration to the Something Fabulous team. We love her creativity, flirtiness and her love of all things chic. Each of her illustrations has a story to share, be sure to check out her collection and let us know which Ooh La Frou Frou girl you are.