Christmas giveaway

We had the most wonderful Thanksgiving! Remember the thankful cards we gave away for Thanksgiving? Well, I printed them out and had my family fill them out. Everyone didn't seem too excited about it - especially my older brothers, but when we sat down to go around and tell what we had written, the most magical thing happened! The mood turned incredibly tender and we shared some wonderfully thankful moments together. 

If you didn't print out the thankful cards this year, make sure to do it next year! You wont regret it.

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it seems Christmas is just around the corner. This giveaway is perfect for Christmas card tags! Add them to neighbor gifts, work gifts, friend gifts...

Click here for the PDF download.

Also, remember this Christmas card giveaway from last year? Also, if you haven't done your Christmas cards, you're in luck! Check out my custom Christmas card design deal here.

Good luck getting ready for Christmas :)

Christmas cards!

For those of you wanting Christmas cards designed, this post is for you! $50 gets you a custom design, front and back. You will then own the design and can get them ordered wherever you like, or you can order them from my printer for my cost. 100 double-sided 5.5x8.5 cards with envelopes is around $30 + shipping.

This size is larger than regular cards and is just stunning! The best part is, it still only takes one stamp to mail them. You will be amazed at the difference the larger size makes. 

I can have your proof the next business day. You will love how easy the process is, and we will keep going until the design is just perfect. Just email me and we'll get started! whimsyplace@gmail.com. 

Turkey killing and a freebie

I may or may not have accidentally killed a turkey and two cats when I was a little girl. I grew up on a farm in Orem, Utah. It was just a really small family farm and all we really did was raise a few animals and an abundance of dogs, but as you can imagine it was a very eventful childhood and there was always some kind of crisis going on, one of which I will tell you about now :)

We'll save the killing-of-the-cats story for another time. But as for the turkey, let's just say I thought he really really needed a bath. Looking back, it's really quite amazing that the bath itself didn't kill the turkey. I mean, I was quite talented to be able to give a turkey a bath period, but then to not drown it is another thing entirely. It was after the bath that was the problem. I don't really remember what time of year it was, but it was cold and my around-7-year-old-brain couldn't think through the fact that Mr. Turkey should be dried off really well before he was sent back to his barnyard home (where were my parents?! really :). It suffice to say that his death was probably a slow and unpleasant one. May Mr. Turkey rest in peace.

In honor of Mr. Turkey, I have a Thanksgiving giveaway! Remember this post from last year? Here are some new "thankful" tags for this year. What a wonderful way to record what your family is thankful for from year to year.

You can download the PDF here.

Check out this freebie from last year as well!

Or all of these Thanksgiving posts.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Family Picture Wardrobe Ideas

We are getting our family pictures taken next week. Most of you have probably already gotten yours taken for the year, but I thought I'd share a few wardrobe ideas for those of you who haven't!

Sometimes, choosing a wardrobe for the family seems overwhelming. There are a million options and it can be hard to coordinate without looking too matchy-matchy. Here are a few of tips to help your family look like a million bucks!

• Start with one favorite piece of clothing and work from there (look for something that's unique)
• Choose one, two or three basic colors, then vary with shades and patterns
• Choose clothing that looks tailored and thoughtful (pleats, buttons, ruffles, etc.)
• Dont put anyone in the same shirt or outfit- different outfits add visual interest to the photo
• Layer, layer, layer! This is the #1 secret to having magazine-worthy family photos 
• Accessorize with hats, leg warmers, scarves and belts

Notice her beautiful orange jacket with pleats

For a larger family, doing one color really simplifies the photo and makes it feel classy

 I love the dressed-up-with-jeans look

Notice all the layers in these two photos! The vests are so adorable on the boys.

Her boots are great, along with the brown tights

Love the addition of the brown velvet blazer and dress for texture.

When trying to choose colors, think of the color wheel. Any colors across 

from each other will generally look good together. 

If all else fails, find a family photo that you love and copy it to the T!

Now for where to get your clothing... Most of us don't (or choose not to) shop at the pricey name-brand stores. If you would like a tailored look without the expense, try shopping at H&M, Forever 21, or my new favorite online store, Nextdirect.com. They are a UK-based company (I think) and are the perfect balance between great style and affordable prices. I am in no way being compensated for promoting their store- I just love the clothing :)

Good luck! Here's to beautiful family photos.

All photos by Rebekah Westover Photography

Freebie Friday: Being happy in the journey

My husband and I have been spending a large portion of our free time putting together house plans and looking for building lots. It's been oh-so-much work already and we haven't purchased a thing! Despite that, though, it has been such a pleasure to daydream about our someday home. The designer side of me is so very excited for tall ceilings and layout and finishes of my choosing; the mother and wife in me is sentimental about the memories that will be made within the walls of this home and the inches my children will grow, and the practical side of me feels incredibly guilty for the whole thing.

This process has caused me to give a great deal of thought to the conveniences we enjoy as a culture. What a blessing to have all that we could need and want. How is it fair to enjoy so much excess when there are millions of people in the world that get by with a fraction of what we have? Suddenly, building a home with all the best finishes seems like indulgence to the max! But more than that, I've realized in a very sure way that having a nicer home is not going to make me happier than I already am. Sure, it will be nice to pull into a garage instead of parking outside- but I have a car! It will be amazing to welcome guests into a perfectly put-together living room and have the mess beyond the entry be invisible - but we have a warm home and an abundance of toys for my children to make messes with! 

It is so easy to think of the next step in life and believe, "When this happens I will be happy." But I have come to know in a very real way that finding joy and happiness in the journey is the mark of a grateful, humble person. And that living with this perspective, we can each find that we are more abundantly blessed than we had ever realized. 

Of course it's ok to enjoy the luxuries in life, we just need to be sure our hearts

are in the right place and that we aren't waiting for the next big thing to bring

us happiness. 

We will still be planning our dream home, but in the meantime I will look for

ways to make our current home more beautiful - not just in finishes and decor,

but in the time and love shared with my family here.

To download the "joy in the journey" PDF, click here.

*****

I found a wonderful article on this very subject as it pertains to your home. 

You can read it here.  She gives some wonderful tips on loving your home now, 

even if it's not perfectly the way you want it to be.

You can also find a wonderfully inspiring speech on the topic here.

Happy Friday!