Photos © 2011 Curly Girl Design, Inc./Leigh Standley. all rights reserved.
Hello! Here it is Wednesday and I have been off line nearly a week. How glorious! (well, sort of, except I missed you…) I would like to say I was taking a much-needed break, but it would be more accurate to say that holiday retail season has begun!! I have been working the shop for the big shopping weekend and then playing 'elf' and decking Marm out for Christmas until the wee hours. It looks sensational if I do say so myself (great job elves!) and I will show you a bit later this week.
I did get the day off on Thanksgiving, which was lovely. Coach and I live far away from our families, and this year with his coaching schedule and my work schedule, travel to one of those far away places was simply not an option, so we had a very nice, pretty romantic Thanksgiving Day date! We ate a delicious meal at one of our favorite restaurants then walked around Harvard Square, did a crossword puzzle together (sort of ) and capped it off by seeing The Muppets Movie. It was a perfect affair. We have both been so busy, it was nice to just have the day to reconnect. And, P.S. The Muppets Movie is the happiest movie on earth. I left with the biggest smile on my face! Thank you Jason Segel.
I did not, however miss out on the full Turkey Day meal or leftovers for that matter (phew!). I hosted some dear friends for a 'Friends Thanksgiving” potluck on Sunday. It is among my favorite things in life to host dinner parties, or host people in general. I just love having a house that is full of people. I love setting tables, and lighting candles, and fluffing pillows and having guests. I would have made excellent “staff”. I don't love doing dishes, but that is a small price to pay for a warm house.
As I was setting the table (above) I got to thinking about being 'home'. How much I missed my family, and how sad I was not to see them on this holiday, but how glad I was to have chosen some family for myself here in Boston. How we, as humans, do that. We tend to nest into places, to surround ourselves with people and things that make us feel safe, and comfortable. What a nice trait that is.
Then I got to thinking about an email that I received back in August. It was from a Sara O. Sara is in the U.S. Navy and wrote me from Afghanistan. This is what she wrote:
… I'm in the Navy and I'm deployed to Afghanistan. When I got here the first two cards I got
in the mail were Curly Girl cards! Both from friends that were also deployed in Kuwait and on the USS Reagan. I just wanted to let you
know that I love your cards and blog. I hung up both cards and your calendar, I attached a picture of them.
Thanks for brightening my day!
I was so tickled to think of Sara getting these pink and turquoise big square envelopes in her mail on a big grey ship! I was so thrilled that she had friends that thought of her when they saw the cards and sent them. I was so excited to have been part of brightening that day. That far away. For that woman, serving her country.
When I was setting the table, I hoped that Sara was sitting around the table with her real family, and if not, with people who felt like family.
All of this thinking, and eating, and thinking got me set on a bright and shiny little project.
If I know a woman in on active duty in the military who would love Curly Girl Cards, then I'll bet you guys do!! Let's send them some love and color shall we?? Here's the deal:
Send us the full military address for the woman or women you know, currently serving active-duty (we will certainly send to active-duty men too, if you think they would love to get a Curly Girl Card….pink envelopes are equal-opportunity day-brighteners!) along with an email love-note to them. We will print out your email and enclose it in a Curly Girl Card and send it off to them for you! On us!
Send emails to: info@curlygirldesign.com (mark the subject line: SEND LOVE) by Monday December 5th 10am EST
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Thanks for playing along with this and thanks to Sara O. for her service and inspiration!
xoxo