#//HAPPY AFTER VALENTINES DAY WHEN HEART ITEMS ARE CHEAPER. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

wheredidhiseyebrowsgo · 4 years

Note

How about some steter with some good old soft intimacy?

How about, yes.

(Annoyingly) Happy Valentine’s Day by Potrix

(1/1 I 1,797 I Teen)

“Welcome to the Beacon Blossom!” the saleswoman behind the counter chirps happily, and Peter watches, a little dazed, as the blinking plastic hearts attached to her headband bounce back and forth. “What can I do for you on this fine day?”

Peter deposits the bouquet of red roses on the counter, and nearly drops his wallet when the woman coos—actually coos—and says, nodding her head, “A classic. Your wife will absolutely love them, I guarantee it.” She swipes Peter’s card when he hands it to her, then points it at a basket stuffed full with some of the most garishly pink teddy bears Peter’s ever had the misfortune of seeing. “Now, since today’s a special day, if you buy a bouquet and one of our Sweetheart Bears, the cheaper item is 50% off.”

It takes some effort, but Peter manages to bite back his initial, sarcastic retort about the bear clashing with his furniture. Or anything else not absolutely, horrifyingly hideous, for that matter. “Just the roses, please.”

The King and his Castle by luulapants

(1/1 I 4,113 I Explicit)

Epilogue to The Prince and the Pease, will not make sense without reading that first.

The aftermath of the siege of Triskelion.

The Secret in His Eyes by cywscross

(1/1 I 5,901 I Teen)

In the chaotic mess with the Alpha Pack, nobody realizes Stiles was bitten. Even if they did, Stiles doubts anything would have changed.

That’s alright. After Scott lets Deucalion go, Stiles simply lies in wait for the so-called Demon Wolf at the edge of town, and in the dark of night, a wolfsbane bullet puts the werewolf down, and as Deucalion draws his last breath, Stiles’ eyes flare a bright blood red.

Mama's by 100percentfluffster

(1/1 I 16,841 I Not Rated)

Mama’s bar had been around for nearly two decades. In those twenty years she’d seen a lot of weird shit. In a bar in the middle of nowhere that catered extensively to the supernatural community, it was expected for weird things to happen. She’d seen creatures of every kind pass through, some of them pleasant and others terrifying. She’d seen bar brawls that ended in death and destruction, she’d seen alpha power transfers and pack turf wars. She’d helped her fair amount of strangers and dealt with an overzealous hunter ten years back. She was far from an easily intimidated person.

But there was a shift in the air when the Hales walked into her bar on a Tuesday at the tail end of November.

Don't leave me alone by Anything00but

(1/1 I 20,113 I Explicit)

Five times Stiles begs someone to love him and he gets turned down. And one time he doesn't have to beg. It's given to him freely.

Proposing To Strangers by moonstalker24

(35/35 I 50,191 I General)

At the end of a strained relationship, crime novelist Stiles chooses to hide from the world inside a bar with far too many motorcycles outside it for comfort. Here he'll meet the man of his dreams, eat food and propose marriage, all within the first five minutes.

Peter doesn't know who this kid is, but he's cute and looks like he could use a break. So he feeds him. He's not expecting a marriage proposal, but with what comes after, he doesn't really mind.

Hook, Yarn, Sinker by pprfaith

(23/23 I 65,675 I Not Rated)

Stiles is happy with his store, his hobbies, his friends. Peter's just trying to figure out how to raise his nieces and nephew without fucking them up too badly.

Paths cross.

Unpack Your Heart by Julibean19

(20/20 I 101,539 I Explicit)

The coffee table was on fire.

Derek leapt backwards as Stiles scrambled back on his hands in a crab walk until he hit a support beam.

"Stiles, what did you do!?" Derek yelled, eyes fixed on the flames. When he tore his gaze away to check on Stiles, he saw that his eyes were glowing a deep red. An Alpha red? Derek didn't have time to dwell on the exact color too long as the table top cracked and fell to the floor, flames rising higher.

Sequel to The Only Living Boy in which The Alpha Pack and the Darach attack, Stiles becomes the Hale Emissary, Stiles and Peter take their relationship to the next level, and everything is a bit more magic than anyone realized.

#teen wolf #steter #stiles stilinski #peter hale #fluff #magic!stiles

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moeruhoshi · 6 years

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Valentine’s Day ❤️

Lucy was nervous for this Valentine’s Day, mostly because her boyfriend never understood the holiday. She only expected him to give her a box of chocolates their first year together, the idiot instead showing up with a ring worth twice the guild’s income.

“But don’t you like pretty things, Luce? I thought the pink suits you,” His puppy dog frown breaking the strength she tried to hold when denying the gift.

“It’s just...it’s so expensive, Natsu...I really don’t need something this amazing...I don’t want you spending so much on me.” She sighed, gazing at the thick, heart-shaped rock on her right hand, much too nervous to allow it on the left.

“It’s okay once in a while, right? I saved up so I could spoil you, please tell me you love it,” Her cheeks flushed brightly at his words; well, she had always wanted to be spoiled...

“Of course I do! But I mean it, I really don’t want you spending so much on one gift again.”

“Aye, sir!”

The next year was much sweeter, at least the idea of it had began sweetly. She arrived at his house, dressed up and made up for their dinner Natsu had said he was going to prepare her a meal Mira had taught him to make. But before she could even knock, the pink haired dragon slayer was busting down his own door and tackling her to the ground.

“It’s gonna blow!” He shouted, Lucy cringing as she heard the pot or oven go haywire followed by its explosion.

Natsu put out the fire and turned back to the dirt-covered girl with a sheepish grin, the celestial mage grabbing and tugging him back to her apartment. The ending was well enough, she made them a spaghetti dinner and they cuddled while watching her favorite movies, she couldn’t have asked for much more.

The year after that, Lucy was pleasantly surprised to recieve a small box as her gift, Natsu’s feet anxiously shuffling as she opened it. Inside were three little chocolates, in what shape must have attempted to mimic a heart.

“I-I know it’s not a lot! But they’re the only ones that came out good enough to eat,” Her heart soared at his embarrassed face, watching as he tried to hide away in his scarf. “Happy Valentines Day...”

“You’re so sweet, Natsu,” She held the box lovingly to her chest, biting her bottom lip as she stared coyly into his eyes.

“Woah, woah, if I knew chocolates were gonna give you that kind of face, I would’ve made them years ago!”

The fourth year was amazing, was it clear at this point Lucy did not hold very high standards for her Valentines gifts? But she always loved to see what crazy thing he had cooked up next.

Lucy was worried this year Natsu wouldn’t make it on time, since he had taken a job at the beginning of the week with Gray and either had yet to be seen walking through the guild doors. Both she and Juvia finally sent themselves home when the sun had gone down and neither had returned, a lonely valentines night set before them.

It was quite surprising to see so many candles lit and standing on every free corner of her furniture, roses by the ton filling her apartment and bordering a path leading to her room. Her charmed heart was quickly snatched as she blanched at the sight on her bed, Natsu holding a rose between his lips and a box of chocolate held in front of his bare self.

“Who in the world taught you how to do something like this?” She placed a hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow as Natsu grinned delightfully.

“Hibiki! We ran into him on our way back, he said girls really like this kind of thing,”

“Well, I do love the flowers.” She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “But please, put your clothes back on.”

But this fifth and present year, Lucy felt antsy. She wanted to get back to their home, to see whatever Natsu had prepared. She knew it wasn’t a coincidence when Cana suddenly dragged her out for a girls day in town. The brunette never liked going to the spa or shopping on a day she knew bars were charging cheap for single girls. She went ahead and bought a lingerie set that the clerk insisted matched her skin tone very well, ignoring the looks Cana gave her when they left.

“I’m not going to be surprised when you’re watermelon plump in nine months,” She snickered as the blonde whipped her a glare. It wasn’t soon after that the card mage was sending her back to her house in the woods, having moved in with Natsu some time last Christmas. That day was one to remember, when they had finally finished emptying her apartment only for Natsu to have such a hard time leaving the smell she had attached to the walls. But his compromise was the promise of Lucy’s bed she was happy to share with him in their own home.

“Natsu, I’m home!” She called as she walked in, heart thumping wildly for this anticipated gift. There weren’t any smells of cooking, which he had been not long ago banned from. No giant bushel of roses or peonies, not a giant stuffed bear or box of chocolate in sight.

“Go wait in the bedroom!” The slayer called from his hiding place, Lucy rolling her eyes as she walked into said room. He better not have gotten more advice from those shitty Blue Pegasus boys.

She calmly set aside her newly bought items before taking a seat at the edge of her bed, awaiting the presence of her dragon boyfriend. The door slowly creaked open and thankfully the pink haired boy was still dressed, in his causal pants and vest, scarf rightfully in its place. She grinned as he hid his hands behind his back, praying to the first master in hopes whatever he hid wouldn’t be something that could potentially harm her health.

“Close your eyes,” He whispered as he stood in front of her, Lucy following his orders and shut them tight. She could feel his hands come around and clasp something together, a weightless jewel falling upon her chest. Opening her eyes, she gasped at the sight of a perfectly shaped pink heart, diamond or quartz, she wasn’t sure. The chain around was gold, real gold, she’d know it in an instant compared to its cheaper copy.

“Oh, Natsu...” It matched the ring she only wore when they were off jobs, afraid to lose it in battle. “It’s too much...”

“Not this time! You told me not to spend too much again, so I made this myself. Metal-head helped a little but I did most of the work,” He puffed his chest proudly as she stared at him with wide eyes.

“Where in the world did you get materials?! This should have cost a fortune!”

“Never underestimate a dragon’s nose, Lucy! You can find that stuff easy with a little digging. And it’s easy to mold with a little heat and pressure. I got Yukino to borrow Libra while they were passing through town.”

“You’re amazing!” Her laugh was breathless as she quickly jumped up to give him a hug. Natsu chuckled as he held her back, burying his nose against the crook of her neck. “Thank you so much,”

“My pleasure, Luce. Can’t have my girl walkin’ around like she ain’t my princess, hm?” She rolled her eyes and graciously kissed his cheek, Natsu reciprocating until their lips came together.

“Wait one second, okay? I bought something really cute for tonight.” Lucy giggled as she pulled away, pink haired boy whining as he fell to the bed, waiting for her return from the bathroom.

#fairy tail #nalu #natsu dragneel #lucy heartfilia #natsu and lucy #natsu x lucy #fairy tail nalu #nalu fan fiction #nalu fanfic #nalu fanfiction #nalu valentines day #lucy and natsu #lucy x natsu

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osakaso5 · 6 years

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Yamato Nikaido 12 SONGS GIFT Rabbit Chat Part 3: Tell Us, All Stars! 1

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4 | Part 5

Mitsuki: Yamato-san, happy birthday!

Iori: Nikaido-san, happy birthday.

Nagi: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Tamaki: Yama-san, hbd!!!

Momo: (* ’ U ^)ノ+。*∞ Happy Birth Day ∞*。+\(^ U ’ *)

Tenn: Happy birthday, Yamato Nikaido.

Ryunosuke: Yamato-kun, happy birthday! You'll be older than Gaku until August!

Riku: Yamato-san, happy birthday!!

Gaku: Nikaido, happy birthday. Let's keep on trucking!

Banri: Happy birthday, Yamato-kun. We'll hold a party for you after the "12 SONGS GIFT" solo live, like we did with Iori-kun.

Sogo: Happy birthday, Yamato-san. I'm glad I get to celebrate your birthday as a thanks for all you've done to help me.

Rinto: Thank you for the invitation. Happy birthday.

Kaoru: Happy birthday. Thank you for getting along with TRIGGER, as usual.

Yuki: Congrats, Yamato-kun.

Yamato: This means a lot. Thank you.

Tsumugi: Thank you, everyone!

Riku: Yamato-san's birthday is on Valentine’s Day!

Iori: We all know that, Nanase-san.

Gaku: We know, Nanase.

Nagi: I envy you for being born on the holiday of love, Yamato. I wish you a day as happy as sweet, melty chocolate.

Yamato: Maybe it's because Valentine's Day's coming up, but people have been buying me chocolates lately. Though they're mainly joint birthday gifts that they've gotten out of obligation.

Momo: Some of them might've come from the heart!!

Yamato: You can't just buy that kind of chocolate.

Tamaki: Yama-san, you want handmade chocolate? For your birthday?

Yamato: I don't need any from you.

Yuki: Is that what you want for your birthday?

Yamato: I don't want any from you, either...

Tamaki: I never said I'd give you some.

Yuki: I never said I'd give you some ^^

Yamato: I know that!! I was just going along with your joke!!

Ryunosuke: So you want chocolate for your birthday. I haven't made any in a while, maybe I should take this chance to try it again!

Ryunosuke: Oh, it was just a joke! Sorry!

Yamato: No, Tsunashi-san... You didn't do anything wrong...

Tenn: Ryu, make some for us.

Gaku: Exactly. The cupcakes we had last night were great.

Tenn: So, what do you actually want for your birthday, Yamato Nikaido?

Mitsuki: There's a lot of us, so we won't mind if it's something expensive we can all get for you together!

Iori: Nikaido-san is an adult, so it may be better to get him one expensive item rather than many smaller and cheaper ones.

Sogo: I see. Like a car?

Yamato: Sou, you seem like you might actually get me one, so I'm gonna stop you right there.

Yuki: Would you like an apartment?

Momo: Wanna start up a new brand and open a store?

Yamato: Shut up, you celebrities. I've got enough stuff already.

Riku: Are we getting separate presents? I already bought one!

Tamaki: Ah, what did you buy? I'll tell you mine, too.

Yamato: Riku, Tama, I'm actually looking forward to your presents so could you keep them a secret until my actual birthday?

Gaku: Maybe Nikaido would rather get little presents from each of us?

Tenn: He did keep boasting about what all his fellow members got him.

Ryunosuke: He was like a dad on Father's Day, it was really nice!

Yamato: TRIGGER, you promised not to talk about that!

Banri: I know the feeling. When IDOLiSH7 got me birthday gifts, I lined them all up on my bed and really took them in.

Tamaki: I did that, too...

Sogo: So did I...

Yamato: There's a certain kind of joy to having your room full of birthday presents.

Mitsuki: Huh. In that case, we'll get you separate presents again this year!

Nagi: OK! You may look forward to it.

Tsumugi: Congratulations, Yamato-san. Since we'll be having a celebration with IDOLiSH7 on your actual birthday...

Choices/outcomes:

1. Is there anything you'd like to tell TRIGGER?

Yamato: I forgot to say this earlier, but I'm always open to getting sweets. Can you make some, Kujo and Yaotome?

2. Is there anything you'd like to tell Re:vale?

Yamato: I don't need an apartment, but they released a new cleaning robot with a floor wiping function, could I have one of those?

3. Is there anything you'd like to tell the managers?

Yamato: Thank you for all your work. Your drinking parties seem fun, so once our Tsumugi's of age, let's all go drinking together.

Yamato: I know I said a lot, but thank you for gathering together for my birthday.

Tsumugi: Now, let's move on to the question corner, as is our established tradition!

Yamato: That's the second established tradition today, huh?

Tsumugi: Yamato-san, do you have questions for the others?

Yamato: Hmm. All my questions are the type that I want to ask about in length and one-on-one.

Nagi: I know this. Yamato likes to prod.

Mitsuki: He can be like that sometimes. But we talked about being more adventurous! Forget about the formalities and ask something you normally wouldn't!

Yamato: Right... Fine. I'll give it a go!

Nagi: (≧▽≦)b OK

Tsumugi: This is getting kind of exciting! Well then, Anesagi-san is up first!

Kaoru: Fine.

Yamato: Alright. I'm going to forget the formalities and get curious here, but let me know if I'm being too personal.

Kaoru: What? I won't tell you my age.

Yamato: It's not about your age (lol) Would you rather go out on a date with me or our manager?

Kaoru: Takanashi-san.

Kaoru:

Gaku: Seriously!?

Kaoru: Yamato-kun is an idol, after all. I want to have fun with just us girls instead of having to worry about being watched on one of my rare off days.

Tsumugi: I'm so happy, Anesagi-san!

Kaoru: My, aren't you cute. Let's go shopping for cosmetics again sometime.

Yamato: I see. As you'd expect from TRIGGER's clever manager.

Tsumugi: Now, it's time for your question to Okazaki-san!

Yamato: Have you ever wanted to quit being Re:vale's manager?

Rinto: Hmm, may I answer this in a private chat?

Momo: Hey hey hey

Yuki: Hey hey hey, Okarin

Rinto: I'm kidding! Never. If anything, I'm trying to make sure they don't escape from me!

Rinto: There have been times when they've caused such troubles that I've needed stomach medicine to get through it, and wished I had a clone who could go apologize in my stead... But it's not that I want to quit!

Rinto:

Tsumugi: As expected of a veteran such as yourself! Do you have a question for Banri-san?

Yamato: It's about the thing we talked about at that drinking party

Banri: Hm? Should we talk about this in private?

Yamato: No (lol) You always let me choose the snacks, but are you really fine with just anything?

Banri: I am. We've got pretty matching tastes when it comes to food. You like Japanese food, don't you?

Yamato: Ah, so that's why. So brown sugar beans, tataki kyuri (1) with plum, and chicken skin with ponzu sauce are fine by you?

Banri: Definitely, lol I can trust your random choices better than anything else.

Yamato: Good to hear. That's a relief (lol)

Momo: Screenshotted ゜+。*・。゜(゜ノД`)゜。・*。+゜

Gaku: All this food talk is making me hungry

Ryunosuke: Should I make something?

Tamaki: Same here. I want ramen

Riku: Mitsuki's not at the dorm right now, so I can make some while chatting here!

Iori: Since when are you capable of that kind of dexterity?

Tsumugi: Moving on, next up is Yuki-san!

Yuki: I like bagna càuda

Yamato: I wasn't asking about your bar snacks. You used to stay over at our house and leave with my old man early in the morning, where were you going?

Yuki: I wonder? ^^

Riku: Sea shell gathering!

Tamaki: Bamboo gathering!

Nagi: Hunting for limited edition goods.

Yuki: Close, but no cigar

Yamato: Don't try to avoid the question. The guys who came over to our place said he was spending a ton of money on you, were you involved in something shady?

Momo: Yuki??? Can we talk about this in private????

Yuki: The real answer's golfing. He bought me a set of clubs and the clothes. I almost fell on my ass when I heard how much they’d cost.

Gaku: Golf wear's expensive, isn't it. I got mad at my old man when he tried to get me into buying some.

Yuki: I think you were the one he actually wanted to go with. You should do that at some point.

Yamato: I'll think about it.

Tsumugi: Many people in the entertainment business like golf! Now, it's time for Momo-san's question!

Momo: Ask anything! (￣- +￣)

Yamato: I've asked you for advice on this before, but what do you personally do to relieve stress?

Momo: On my off days, I exercise! Also, I eat yummy food!! Laughing and taking deep breaths before bed helps you relax naturally, so I recommend that, too!

Momo: But my number one way is seeing my partner's smile! It melts away all my fatigue!

Yuki: ^^

Momo: And it's gone~! \(*´∀ `*)ノ.+゜

Nagi: How wonderful. I will also smile, so that Yamato may have a similar reaction :-)

Riku: I'll do it, too! ^^

Riku:

Yamato: And it's gone~! \(O-O--)ノ.+゜

Mitsuki: Lololololol, that emoticon's not cute at all! lol

Momo: IDOLiSH7's so cute!

Iori: Sorry to interrupt, but Nanase-san's gotten noodles all over the gas burner. May we take a short break?

Yamato: I had a feeling that'd happen.

Tsumugi: Are you alright? Is anyone hurt?

Iori: The only thing we lost was Yotsuba-san's food, so it's fine.

Tamaki:

Yamato: Since its an emergency, I guess I've got no choice but to tell you. I've stashed a cup of noodles at the back of the shelf.

Tamaki: Yama-san, I love you!!!

Tsumugi: Alright! We'll resume this talk later! I'll see you all then!

Translator’s notes..?

1) tataki kyuri is a fairly simple kind of salad, usually made up of smashed cucumber pieces and dressing

#idolish7 #yamato nikaido #12 songs gift #translation #i7 #rabbit chat

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jaclynnicole-blog · 5 years

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NYC BIRTHDAY TRIP (MARCH 2019)

Ok, so it has been awhile since I have written on my personal blog. Time to update and all that has happened this year. I cannot believe half of the year is over! Where did the time go? Well, the year 2019 didn’t really start off too well and was dealing probably what has been one of the hardest moments of my life. Our family dog, Romeo, (who had just turned 14 November 8th 2018) was diagnosed with Cancer in December... He seemed a bit better as we had a given him some pain medication to help but as soon as it ran out he was not eating or drinking... It happened so quickly and by the end of February we had to make the THE decision to put him to sleep. We had gotten Romeo my Senior year of high school so our first dog, Sonny, had someone to be around. I was super close with Romeo remembering every step of when we got him (Close to Valentine’s Day 2005). I cried myself to sleep the very first night without Romeo and will never every forget to this day still have this hole left in my heart...

This Birthday Trip seemed like one that was meant to be more than ever. As I sit here writing this blog post, I am listening to one of my favorite Musical Soundtracks, “Anastasia: The Musical”. It has a very special meaning to me and it all started last Summer (Read one of my previous blog posts).

As soon as I saw “Anastasia” for the first time, I knew I had to go back but this time I decided to plan a trip during my actual Birthday week and see the show on my actual Birthday. Mind you I was thinking this as soon as I got off the plane Summer 2018. In November, I started planning out my Birthday trip and knew I wanted to see “Frozen: The Musical” as an actual Birthday Gift so that is what my whole family decided to chip in on. I originally planned to see the show by myself but ended up seeing the show with my younger cousin Charlotte. Only fitting since she took me to see the 1st “Frozen” movie. My Aunt found a really good deal on tickets and we had the best seats ever! More on that later. as March was getting closer I knew I wanted to spend more than one day in NYC, especially sine I was seeing “Frozen” the night before my actual Birthday. Before I had even purchased a ticket, “Anastasia” announced that the show would be closing on March 31st, just a few days after my Birthday (March 28th). I definitely had a moment of sadness but I knew this Birthday Trip would mean even more now. Calling to get tickets was definitely a bit crazy I was afraid of not securing a ticket before it closed. I purchased a ticket which was one of the last deals I would fine last minute over the phone. There are two shows usually on Wednesdays on Broadway, so I asked myself what other show did I want to see that would be super special? “Prom: The Musical” had started on Broadway in November but had a long Journey before getting there and one of my former dance friends (we were swing partners) was a part of this Musical! I said “Ok, this would be perfect!” I quickly purchased a ticket and was set to see three Broadway shows my Birthday week! I was super excited as I have never been away on my actual Birthday!

TUESDAY: MARCH 26TH 2019

Come Tuesday, March 26th I was all set and ready packed for my week away. I was staying with my Aunt and Uncle who I always have a wonderful time with.My flight was at 7:30AM and I would get into NY around 10AM. My whole flight to New York, I finished up the rest of my book and biography of Sara Bareilles “Waitress: The Musical”. My Aunt picked me up and we headed back to their house. We had a nice lunch at the house and caught up. Mid day my Aunt and I decided to head to the stores. Later that night, my Aunt took me to a Chinese place that was super good! Was so great to spend time with my Aunt and was excited for the rest of the week! We headed back to their house and my Aunt and I sat down to watch an episode of “This Is Us”! As soon as we finished I got settled and ready for bed.

WEDNESDAY: MARCH 27TH 2019

It was nice not to have to rush out to NYC, but I would be there everyday if I could. I left for the train station around 10:30AM. Took the train into the City to get there between Noon and 1pm. I was set to see “Prom: The Musical” at 2pm. As I was on the train, I was texting my dance friend, Teddy, and asked about him coming out after the show, he sadly had told me he had something scheduled and wouldn’t be out. I took one shot and asked about seeing him quickly before the show. He said he could make that work as he would arrive at the theatre a bit later than some of the other cast members. I got into the City just before 1pm at Penn Station on 33rd. I headed over to 48th Street where “Prom: The Musical” was at Longacre Theatre. I was super excited to get a message on the way there that Teddy was able to say a quick hi BEFORE the show as he was going into the theatre. He waited until I arrived for a quick hi and photo. I was super blessed to be able to see him. I was at the top of the theatre but was super intimate and was still a great seat to enjoy the show! Before the show, I of course had to head to the merchandise table to buy a few memorabilia from the show I bought a key chain (I collect Broadway Keychains!), Broadway Program Playbill, and of course the soundtrack to the musical! The show started around 2pm, and ended around 4pm. This show was super powerful and loved all the dancing and choreography. What really stood out was after the bow, at the end of the show, the cast went right back into dancing.. As soon as the show finished, I exited the theatre and headed over to the stagedoor. I waited for Becca (who danced with Teddy in the show), to come out and introduced myself. I kindly mentioned that Teddy offered to sign and get a few other cast members to sign if I left it with someone after the show. Becca kindly asked me to leave it with Security and she would get it to Teddy later that day. I was so grateful to Teddy and Becca for helping me out. As soon as I got a quick photo with Becca, I headed back towards 44th Street area to meet up with my cousin Charlotte and her dad Eric for a quick bite before the second show of the evening, “Frozen”! We met at a fun little Japanese place near 44th Street and we caught up while we enjoyed a nice dinner. My cousin Charlotte and I have been very close since she was super little. I remembered she had taken me to “Frozen” the movie, so back in November 2018 I started planning my trip with her mom and we booked our tickets pretty quickly. I was super excited to take my cousin to see her very 1st Broadway Show! After we finished eating, we walk towards The St. James Theatre, where “Frozen: The Musical” was. Last Summer, I was quickly able to say hi to all four of the girls/talented kids who were part of this musical some from the original cast. We said our goodbyes to Charlotte’s dad for a few hours and headed into the theatre. We headed to the merchandise table to purchase a few items. I picked up my Playbill/Program with some amazing photos of the original cast which came with a keychain if we bought it online (Which I did while purchasing the tickets). Well, my parents did as my “Frozen: The Musical” ticket was a Christmas Gift from my parents. I also splurged and purchased a jacket with the “Frozen: The Musical” logo on it. We headed to our seats and were amazed how incredible seats they were! This is a quick story from when I was planning my trip. My Aunt messaged me and told me about two seats that were considered partial view right behind the conductor but one of my cousins had looked it up on a website to see what the seat view looked like, and guess what? The seats were perfect! So we purchased them because they were a lot cheaper ($57.50) than what the seats around it were (around $175). Back to being present at the show. My cousin and I got to the theatre pretty early, so we sat right in the front row and took in everything around us. I wished the conductor luck before the show and the curtain went up. I was super excited. Throughout the show, I would look over at my cousin and saw a huge grin and smile on her face just in awe of the show. I loved every second of it and seeing everyone, the costumes and every detail up close made it even better! There were some amazing special affects throughout the show and the snow coming down at the end topped everything off! My cousin Charlotte and I left the theatre with huge smiles on our faces. We headed to the stagedoor and had a chance to meet a few of the cast members from the show. My cousin and I said our goodbyes, once her dad had shown up and I headed across the street for one more thing I just had to do before headed back to Penn Station. The Broadhurst Theatre, where “Anastasia” went on every night was just across the street from The St. James Theatre which I was very familiar with from last Summer. Both shows finished around the same time so I decided to go pay a visit to the stagedoor since I knew the cast members were still out there signing. I waited until most had spoken to Christy Altomare (the lead “Anya”). I went up and I had mentioned to Christy I had come last Summer to see Nicole right before she left, and ran into her backstage. She did remember and then I told I was so sorry to not see the show tonight...I mentioned the next day was my Birthday and she wished me a Happy early Birthday. I quickly then mentioned it would be super special because I had a ticket to see “Anastasia” one last time on my actual Birthday and I would be back tomorrow. Christy had the biggest smile on her face and we grabbed a quick photo before I said “see you tomorrow!” I just couldn’t wait until my Birthday. First time being away on my actual Birthday. As I headed to Penn Station, I reflected on what had happened all that day. On the way back to my Aunt and Uncle’s place, on the train, I was looking at my phone and realized it was passed Midnight and my Birthday had actually begun! With a huge grin on my face I quickly got settled back at my Aunt and Uncle’s home and fell asleep after 1am.

THURSDAY, MARCH 28TH 2019

Birthday began waking up and headed upstairs to eat a little breakfast with my Aunt and Uncle. Although I wasn’t seeing “Anastasia: The Musical” until later that night, I still wanted to get into NYC a bit earlier as I had to walk back to 48th Street to pick up my Playbill/Program from the theatre “Prom: The Musical” was. I took the train back into NYC around the same and arrived sometime after Noon. As soon as I walked out of Penn Station I walked over to Sprinkles Cupcakes to get my FREE Birthday Cupcake (My fav Salted Caramel Flavor). Then I headed to 48th Street. Teddy did more than just him signing the Playbill and had most of the cast members sign the whole front of the program! It is super special and reminded me of the memories I had made the previous day. As I walked back to 44th Street I was thinking about where I could eat for my Birthday Lunch/Dinner. I did try to meet a few friends but nothing ended up working out, so I walked over to Buca Di Beppo (on 45th Street). I got my favorite all time dish I hadn’t had in what felt like years, pasta with chicken and capers in a spicy sauce! I just felt like having something I couldn’t eat back at home and treated myself for my Birthday. After finishing up my Birthday lunch, I headed over to The Minskoff Theatre where “Lion King: The Musical” was, and met up with one of the young cast members who portrays “Young Nala” in the Musical, Suri Marrero. We had connected on Instagram, Suri had done an Instagram Takeover for my online Magazine. Suri was performing on my Birthday night as she shares the role and they each do four shows a week, but I just had to see “Anastasia” on my Birthday (You will see why later in this blog post). I did get a chance to say hi to Suri and take a few photos with her in front of the beautiful theatre. Was super fun to meet Suri in person. This was all around 5:45pm so as soon as I finished I headed back to 44th Street and The Broadhurst Theatre where “Anastasia: The Musical” was. The doors open well before the show starts so I ended up going in and just taking in this theatre for the last time. I was on the second level this time around (1st visit I was about 8 rows back in Orchestra). The view was just as great and I still had a chance to get a an amazing video of the company’s bows (There were only around four shows left after the one I attended). Right before the I got a Facetime call from my Niece and Nephew wanting to sing and wish me a Happy Birthday, the show was about to start, so instead my sister took a video and sent it to me. During intermission of the show, I quickly took a look at the video. My heart melted with my Niece and Nephew singing me Happy Birthday. I also was sitting pretty close to the upstairs merchandise table so during intermission I was able to quickly take a look at what else I wanted to purchase from the show before it closed. I decided since I was planning to the National Tour of “Anastasia” in May, I made a quick decision to get the jacket with the “Anastaisa” logo on it. It is very thin and perfect for Florida weather to bring to inside places and very lightweight. Now the weather, in NYC, was a bit colder than what I was used to, but I still insisted on wearing my jacket outside after the show finished.The show started around 7:30pm so it finished around 9:45pm. As soon as the show’s curtain was down, I headed outside to the stagedoor. After about 10-15minutes some of the cast members started making their way out of the theatre. I was able to grab quick photos with many of the cast members (unlike my first trip to “Anastasia” I really truly just took it all in the very first time). Said a quick hi to Delilah who I had just found out that day I would be seeing as “Little Anastasia” on The National Tour as well she was going to join as soon as the Broadway company had finished. I gave Deliah a special ring I purchased for her, the understudy of “Little Anastasia” Annika”, and of course Christy. I truly couldn’t wait to see Christy again and explain how much she made an impact on me the second I met her last Summer even if it was just for a quick moment. It was after 11pm when the crowd kind of got smaller and smaller (as Christy made her way to talk, sign and take photos I mean with EVERY single person waiting). That was practically two hours after the show finished Christy was still out there enjoying every moment with her fans. As Christy got closer I got a bit nervous because I sort of knew what was going to happen but was a bit unsure as she was on vocal rest the whole week to take care of her voice for the very last week of the show. Christy approached me and at first wasn’t really looking at my face because my Butterfly necklace and “Anastasia” jacket caught her eye. But she then quickly realized it was me, from the day before, and said “isn’t it your Birthday?” I had said “yes” I handed her a very special “princess” ring I had gotten for a few members of the cast in the show to remember their family at “Anastasia”. She looked at me and said “This is your Birthday and you are giving me a gift?” Christy made sure someone was actually videoing her speaking with me as she was about to do something she does for anyone who mentions it is their Birthday the day of the show. Christy first asked how old I was, and when I told her I was 31 she had was like “ No way! You look like you are 25! I want your genes!” I quickly laughed (as I get that a lot) but she didn’t and at this moment still doesn’t know the whole story. I didn’t have a chance to mention I wrote her a letter last Summer mentioning a lot. I didn’t want to keep her and left soon after she went onto the last few of the crowd. I headed back to Penn Station with this huge smile on my face and kind of starting to tear up as I watched the video a very kind fan was able to take for me of Christy singing me Happy Birthday as I headed back to my Aunt and Uncle’s home after Midnight (my usual time).

FRIDAY, MARCH 29TH 2019

I woke up and had breakfast with my Aunt and Uncle. We talked about what were planning to do that day as they wanted to celebrate my Birthday a day later since I was in NYC the whole day on my actual Birthday. We decided on seeing “Dumbo” which had just began in theatres that day. After getting ready for the day, we headed up to the movie theatre. We saw “Dumbo” and headed out to an outside mall to make a few quick stops. Then we headed to an Italian place for my Birthday dinner. Of course I loved every moment getting a chance to spend time with family and was a great end to my Birthday week in New York. We finished up dinner and headed back to my Aunt and Uncle’s place. I packed up for the week and settled in for the night. Although I ended up going upstairs and having a late night talk with one of my cousins and Aunt. We had fun talking and catching up.

SATURDAY, MARCH 30TH 2019

The next morning I had an early flight out headed back to Tampa, Florida. The plane ride home I was reflecting on my whole trip and definitely shed a few tears realizing this trip was probably one of the most memorable trips that I have ever taken. Each trip I have taken has had their moments and memories but this one was just extra special. I have no clue when my next trip will be but visiting NYC is always fun and making memories (even if it on my own) won’t stop me from doing what I love.

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gethealthy18-blog · 6 years

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Valentine’s Day Gifts Ideas (That Beat Chocolate and Flowers!)

New Post has been published on http://healingawerness.com/news/valentines-day-gifts-ideas-that-beat-chocolate-and-flowers/

Valentine’s Day Gifts Ideas (That Beat Chocolate and Flowers!)

I know I might sound unromantic, but something in me rebels against commercialized holidays (like Valentine’s Day). My husband feels the same way so we don’t do a lot to mark the day. Every year hubby and I still plan to stay in for our usual at-home date night, but sometimes I cave (just a little bit) and buy him a gift for fun.

You won’t find me buying a heart-shaped boxes of candy or flowers that will die in a couple of days, but I do have a few other ideas that have been a hit in the past or I’m thinking of trying this year…

Let’s Upgrade Valentine’s Day Giving This Year!

I love days that are reminders to tell my husband and kids how much I love and appreciate them. But this particular holiday has become a tribute to candy and store-bought goods that lose their value after a couple of days.

We all feel the need to spend a lot of money on expensive dates and gifts because a marketing team has decided that Valentine’s Day is a great time for flower and candy sales.

If you are going to spend $126 on Valentine’s Day (the average according to Business Insider… does anyone actually do that?!) I have some gift ideas that will bring lasting health and happiness, not just a temporary sugar rush!

Gifts That Say “I Love You”

My husband and I actually stopped giving expensive gifts when we got married, partially for financial reasons and partially to give ourselves a reason to be more creative and thoughtful with our gifts. As a result, I have a file with hand-written letters and mementos from creative dates we’ve had over the years that mean so much more than a box of chocolates ever could.

The best gifts of all, in my opinion, are quality time or shared experiences. This is what I’ll be giving my family this year and would encourage you to consider it as well! Here’s a list of all of my favorite experiences to give as gifts, but I have some Valentine’s-specific ideas too!

My Favorite Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

If you want to give an actual gift this year, these are some of my favorite ideas that your recipient will love, and you can feel great about giving!

Couples’ Gift Ideas

We often choose to purchase one higher quality gift we both can enjoy rather than giving separate gifts. This way, we can get a slightly pricier item and both enjoy it for months or years to come. Some of our favorites are:

Myobuddy – One of our favorite gifts ever! This is a combination percussive massage, infrared heat, and myofascial release in one device. So relaxing and part of our daily routine now. p.s. Myobuddy is offering a Valentine’s special for Wellness Mama readers: $200 off the Couple’s Massage Pack (or other packs of equal value) with code MAMA200 or $100 off the Myobuddy Massager Pro with code MAMA100!

Joovv – Another joint gift that has become part of our daily routine. Red light therapy has many benefits (though I use it mostly for the skin and hair boost). This post explains what red light therapy (also known as photobiomodulation) is and why it works.

Sauna – We call our sauna “the quiet box” and escaping for a few minutes of quiet time and infrared heat is a double win for us each day. Sauna therapy has some well-documented benefits and is also relaxing.

Wine – Wine is already a popular Valentine’s Day Gift, but many wines contain added sugars, artificial colors, or flavors, or some other strange things you wouldn’t expect to find in wine. We’re big wine fans but now we stick to Dry Farm Wines, which are lab-tested, lower alcohol, sugar-free, and don’t have any questionable additives.

Chemex – I love our glass Chemex coffeemaker. It makes coffeehouse quality pour-over coffee at home.

Alitura Face & Body – This line uses the best organic skincare ingredients for you can imagine, plus the unisex scent means we can both use it, which means less to store on the bathroom counter! (Use the code WELLNESS for 20% off.)

Q&A a Day for Couples Book – A book with a question a day for couples to read and answer together. (It is a follow up to the popular Q&A a Day for Kids book.) A great conversation started and fun 5-minute daily activity.

For Her:

Shiatsu Massage Pillow – Less than the price of one actual massage and SO relaxing!

Organic Cotton Robe – I got this organic cotton robe for Christmas and love it! So soft and the belt is attached so I don’t lose it.

Royally Flawless Facial Moisturizer – Give the gift of gorgeous skin! I love this facial oil with the highest quality ingredients and no junk!

RTIC Tumbler – I love this for hot and cold drinks and it is a reusable non-plastic drink cup.

10,000 Lux Happy Light – Feel blue this winter? I use this super-bright “happy light” to keep my cortisol levels healthy.

Dry Brush – Brushing isn’t just for hair and teeth. Brushing skin can help it stay smooth, supple, and may improve collagen.

French Press Coffee Maker – Nothing says love more than coffee! (Coffee = my love language!)

Pique Tea – If coffee’s not her thing or she likes to mix it up! This tea tastes delicious and helps gut health as well.

Grown-up Coloring Book and Markers – Grown-up coloring books are surging in popularity and studies show coloring may reduce stress levels.

For Him:

Fire Starter Kit – He can “light your fire” literally with this tool to start fires without matches or a lighter.

Smart Wool Socks – Warm socks that are great for summer or winter.

Surefire Flashlight – Really high quality pocket flashlight.

Wine Aerator – Wine = one of my husband’s love languages!

Saddleback Leather Wallet – This wallet has a 100 year warranty!! (yes, really!)

Beard Oil– Great option for the bearded man in your life!

Defender Pad – Protect his lap from EMFs when he uses the laptop.

Tactical Pen – More than just a pen, it works in all conditions and can break a car window if a person is trapped.

Whiskey Stones – Freeze these rocks to use in place of ice in drinks “on the rocks.”

Homemade Gift Ideas

Rather make a gift? Try these easy homemade gifts:

A Great Massage – Get this digital massage course and learn how to give your love a great massage at home! Cheaper than a massage package and great because you also get quality time together! Don’t worry, it is all PG rated! Make homemade massage butter to go with the gift!

Homemade Chocolate: If you are going to do the chocolate thing, why not make some gourmet chocolate that is actually good for you? This is my favorite homemade recipe made with cocoa butter and raw honey. You can also top with a bit of sea salt for a salted version, or add a drop of food-grade peppermint essential oil for a mint flavor. This recipe also works really well for making chocolate-covered strawberries (or other fruit) or as a magic shell topping for homemade ice cream.

A Creative and Fun Date: I share my 7 top favorite unusual date ideas in this post, but anything that gets you out of the house and breaks up the norm can be fun. I once made a scavenger hunt for my husband where he got one clue when he got in his car after work, and each clue led him to a new clue until he finally got to the date place (picnic outside and we played frisbee). In the long run, it will be the creative dates and the time spent together that they remember, not the expensive gifts or dates!

Homemade Lotion Bars: Lotion bars are a great gift idea for Valentine’s Day. They are completely natural and can be customized for men or women. Make in silicone molds in any shape to create a bouquet of lotion bar flowers (with a mold like this one) or stick with a simple bar for guys (like this one).

How do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? Do any of these ideas sound like something you’ll try? Share below!

Source: https://wellnessmama.com/13325/valentines-day-gifts/

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homedesignlog-blog · 6 years

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21 DIY Heart Wall Decors to Fill Your Home with Love the Entire Year

Nope. Hearts aren’t just for Valentine’s Day. but it could also be for any occasion or even for no occasion in any respect. for people who love hearts like me, it's normal to embellish the house with this shape and evidently, you will be happy to look that in your partitions, mantels or in your tables. There are such a lot of other ways to make a middle themed decor and you'll be shocked on how simple it's to lead them to. It Appears, this publish is encouraged by means of the new V-day however the DIY center wall decors that we can show you can be delivered for your house each time of the year-even if it is now not February. i'm sure that once you see the DIYs beneath, you're going to get your supplies and begin making them as a result of it's indeed fun to make person who might glance beautiful in your home. let us take a glance at the DIY center wall decors under that you'll be able to try making.

Vintage Romance Taste Using 3 horizontal and a pair of again vertical picket slats, you'll create a sign. Paint it with white and gold after which upload a glittery crimson heart. Lovely, proper?

Desk and fireside Were Given acorns round your house? Why now not make this easy wall decor with acorns and yarns. It appears in point of fact superior!

Green Wedding Ceremony Footwear Play with strings for a wall decor like this one by utilizing nails to shape a heart and adding the strings throughout it. It looks really nice, proper? you can even try words and other shapes for this one.

Crafts by means of Courtney This one is inspired via a PB Children wall decor creating a much cheaper model which you'll customise. Lovely!

Elli That Is simple to make using hearts from other paper colors and adding a large center on the center. i love the way in which it appears to be like now that it's already framed.

Craftaholics Anonymous In Case You are the type who loves the herbal elements, then this one is for you. And it appears to be like fun and simple to make!

Remodelando l. a. Casa While I first noticed this, I regarded really carefully and puzzled what the maker used to form the guts. i was amazed when I learned that those are espresso cup lids! Certainly, you'll be able to do anything when you are inventive.

Place of My Taste Collect a few sticks round the home and make a rustic themed wall decor like this one. Having A Look excellent, right?

Infarrantly Ingenious This Is very beautiful and this fits me as a result of i really like gold and pink! And it's very easy to make. i really like the section while it used to be painted and while the l-o-v-e was already peeled off to expose the crimson letters.

Crafts by Courtney For this one you can desire a Cameo to cut the stencil which you are going to placed on best of the frames earlier than making use of paint. It seems to be really nice proper? i truly assume we will make a cardboard model and cover it with patterned paper.

Homey Oh My You will be surprised to understand that the red center wall artwork is definitely very easy to make using smaller red hearts on it!

Food Amusing Family The Colors listen glance nice and it has brought texture because of the use of buttons in several sizes. I so like how this one grew to become out!

Marriage Ceremony Window When You are chevron lover, then this one is for you and it's very easy to make too. you'll use it as a wall decor or for a marriage by means of adding the initials of the bride and groom on the center.

DIY Enhance If You Happen To want one thing that matches for a shabby sublime space, then you'll do this one with a grungy looking center painted on white wooden pallet.

Paper Plate and Plane Light Up your home with love by way of making this clever DIY forming a heart the use of little bulbs. It seems in point of fact very horny despite its simplicity.

I Center Organizing In Case You have paint chips that you just now not use, why no longer make a heart artwork the use of it? It seems to be very nice with the entire colors in it!

Tater Tots and Jello Combine a middle and a rose in your wall artwork and it'll indisputably exude a V-day feel into your own home the whole year round. That Is indeed one thing worth making for the walls!

A Good Looking Mess For this one, you've to do your math to be certain that you will get a stability look for the center. you'll be able to also use other colors for this one if you wish to have a brighter heart.

Inexperienced Marriage Ceremony Sneakers Were Given a few corks that are simply sitting in the nook? Why no longer make this beautiful wall decor? All you need is paint and so much of creativity!

Client Crafts This one is a knock-off from a canvas print of Land of Nod. Yep, you'll be able to use other coloured paper for this one. Simply be inventive. It is very easy to make!

MJ Trimming This one turned out really nice because it used black and white ribbons to boot as some buttons. And i'm certain it received’t take long to finish this one. All of those center wall art decors look really nice and such a lot of them are really easy to make. This presentations us that we will be able to in truth make the rest the usage of whatever items we have at house. And it could be totally amusing to lead them to. you'll be able to get concepts from the DIY decors we have now featured above so you'll be able to make your own wall arts and it doesn’t wish to be heart-formed the entire time. you'll even try other shapes as well too. Read the full article

#decoration #DIYdecor #DIYheartdecor #heart #heartdecor

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dandelionessblog-blog · 7 years

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On the tip of the tongue of the year

*|| First sent out 31 Jan 2017 ||*

Dearest ministry team I spent the month of January in juxtaposition: homesick for my mom and my sister and the town of my childhood and excited-expectant and feeling the love of my mothers and sisters and brothers here in the town of my spiritual upbringing. I've been tumbling from task to task in my three jobs (that's still three less than last year, so technically still within my promise to cut down. Yay for not lying to oneself) trying to find my feet in a riverbed that has no footing, fighting Telkom, battling Grahamstown heat, dancing in hailstorms, not boiling my kettle for tea because of the price of electricity and, in the small moments of downtime, I've been blessed by my family here.

And in all that, I promise I haven't forgotten all of you. How can I, when almost every day shows me another confirmation that this is where I'm supposed to be, and this is what I'm supposed to be doing? They may all be coincidences, mind you. But if that much coincidence exists then I'm stuck in some weird mix of The Hunger Games and The Truman Show. So I'm going to call the "coincidences" what they are instead: God showering me with blessings and favour I never did even half a thing to deserve. I told you in the December newsletter that I was afraid, and that I'd put down my fears in a document called "Fears to Victories" in anticipation of God performing miraculous breakthroughs. I told you that I'd show you that list, and I'd show you the ways God came through for me, and that's precisely what I'm going to do at the bottom of this newsletter. Not to gloat, not to give you Five Steps To Becoming #Blessed, not even to show you how all things work out in the end. Because things didn't work themselves out - God worked them out for me. I need to write them down simply because He deserves the recognition. I need to write them down so my silly human brain will remember His faithfulness when the next storm cloud hits. And, just maybe, I need to write them down so some measure of peace flows over some area of your life. Please continue to send me prayer requests; no matter how "small" you'd like to qualify them. The new students are coming in two weeks, and Bible School starts in four weeks. Pray with me, please, and watch how God trumpets through in those areas just like He's come through on the items on this list. All of my love and blessings (and Valentines Day wishes) Dani

(Title credit: January 1939 by Dylan Thomas)

It's 7:43am on Tuesday November 22 2016. I'm writing this because I know two things in different levels of certainty. The first of these things is known very well by my head, heart, emotions and even some reactions of my physical body: right now I'm terrified of life. The second of these things is known only very quietly by my spirit: God will make everything okay. I'm writing this because something tiny and easily quieted in me knows that if I write down all the things that terrify me, very soon I'll have a list of things that will serve as evidence of the power, compassion and love of God. The verses in Matthew and Jeremiah are timeless and powerful, but sometimes I need evidence of them working in my life. So I'm putting my fears down in faith that in a month or two these exact things will change from fears into God's small victories in my life.

All of my household items - everything from my microwave and kettle to my plates and pots - are home in Hermanus. I need them here in Grahamstown. I have a bakkie load of things and absolutely no way at all to get them up here. Not a single way, except the moving company that wants to charge me over R6000. A few days after I arrived back in Grahamstown, I got a Facebook message from a relative of one of our Elder's wives. He said he had an empty bakkie and trailer headed up from Stellenbosch, and wouldn't I like to use their services to get my things here? I said my things were in Hermanus with no way of getting to Stellenbosch. He said no problem, he'd make the 40km detour into Hermanus on his way past. I explained that due to finances I only had a certain amount of savings left, and that they probably wouldn't be enough. He said it wasn't enough, so he'd just have to do it for free. I have everything up here, bar one bag of books and my microwave, unbroken and well taken care of, and I didn't have to pay a cent. The microwave isn't here because my mom agreed to buy my old one off of me so I could have a microwave in Grahamstown, at least. We found one, a great brand, on sale for R200 cheaper than any microwave I've seen in any catalogue or shop. It was the last one left.

Money, Jesus. Money. I'm using all my savings to make ends meet in December. I have R10 left. Lord. Lord. I didn't have to pay for internet because, ironically, Telkom's service was so bad they didn't get to connecting me in December. I got a sudden weekend-long job at a conference that was almost no work and an amazing amount of pay. Despite having two systems in place to ensure I budget properly, I somehow found extra money in my account. All my meetings with friends had them paying for me despite my biggest insistences. My rent got reduced because I only moved in on the 5th, and the amount I had to pay for deposit and December rent was to the cent the amount I had saved from the deposit paid back to me from my last flat two years ago. We have extra food money this month, despite kitting out the flat with things it needed. Expenses I expected to have to pay didn't come up this month. I was blessed so much by Christmas money; so much so that I not only made ends meet, but was able to give gifts to everybody I loved and longed to bless.

What Louise is asking me to do is hard. What if I mess up? What if I don't do it right and she gets disappointed or fires me or something? What if I can't do it well? I can't stand the idea of failure like that. So far, I haven't messed up. I've managed to work everything out bit by bit, and haven't had more than I can chew thrown at me on any given day. The one time I thought I was completely in over my head because she asked me to find a handyman to fix her bathroom, and right after she asked that I saw a flyer for a handyman on her car window.

I need to learn to drive well enough to transport children safely by January. It's the end of November, and I haven't driven since 2012 when I barely scraped through my driver's test. I have no idea when I'll get time to practise or what car I'll be able to use or even if I'll be good enough to transport children even if I do magically find time and a car with which to practise. I'm still the reason stereotypes about woman drivers exist. But I got more practise than I thought, and I even drove Louise and her dog from the vet on Friday and only stalled once. I'm still praying for a miracle in this area.

God, where am I going to find people to be on my MP team? I don't even know where to look now, let alone when I need to start making a team that will fully support me in 2018 when I'm no longer working for Louise. How am I supposed to find people willing to give me money because they see something of You in what I'm trying to do in Grahamstown? Hello to all you reading this. Let me assure you that I was halfway convinced every one of you was going to tell me you didn't want to be on my team supporting me in the different capacities you do. And, yet, here we are on this journey together. Some of you contacted me before I even went to you. Some of you blurted out "Oh, God and I already spoke about it and He told me I should partner with you" before I could even blunder through the first sentence of my "speech". My heart is full of love and gratitude for all of you. And I cannot even begin to describe how happy I am that this ministry I am on is your ministry and your truimph and your reward as well. Thank you for following God in this way.

#MP newsletter #January 2017 #Prayer: Answered

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goldjewelryil · 8 years

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PERSONALIZED JEWELRY: ENGRAVINGS

Personalized jewelry is not only more intimate but tends to increase in value with time. Unique, personal and inexhaustible, engravings add a touch of reality and intimacy to any item of jewelry. No matter what your jewelry item of choice, engraving it with words that are personal and speak to you will only increase its appeal and value.

To support this argument, here is a beautifully concise piece from Eiseman Jewels.

Add a Personal Touch with Engraved Jewelry

Giving the gift of fine jewelry is always a good way to let someone know how much you care. But if you’re looking to go above and beyond for that special someone, consider having a personalized message engraved on a pendant, watch or ring. A sweet note of love, appreciation or friendship is just the thing to take a piece of jewelry from lovely to extraordinary.

Read on to learn a few ways you can leave your mark on a special piece of jewelry.

Wedding Bands

Adding a special engraved message is the perfect way to add that touch of romance and personality to your wedding bands. You might choose to engrave your wedding date, the coordinates of your wedding venue or a certain sentiment that means a lot to you both — the options are only limited by your imagination. Some couples take things a step further and use jewels as spacers between the month, day and year of their engraved date.

If you’re no longer newlyweds but are instead celebrating an upcoming wedding anniversary, you can choose to have your wedding bands engraved in honor of the many happy years you’ve spent together. Engraving your wedding bands is a romantic gesture and a lasting expression of love between you and your spouse. Engraved rings are likely to become family heirlooms that will be passed down from generation to generation.

Watches

Engraved watches are timeless gifts for marking a special occasion for grooms, groomsmen, graduates and fathers alike. A beautiful watch is a fashionable yet practical gift that a man will use throughout his entire life, and adding an engraved sentiment will transform that timepiece into something that’s uniquely him. It will remind him of that certain milestone — whether it be a birthday, anniversary, promotion or holiday — and that special someone who was there to share it with him.

Pendants

Once you’ve found a special piece of jewelry for a special person, turn it into a one-of-a-kind gift with an engraved message. Personalized pendants make thoughtful, meaningful gifts that will be cherished for years to come. Give an engraved pendant necklace for Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, birthdays, anniversaries or even “just because.”

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Jennie Ma from The Knot shares some brilliant tips and ideas for jewelry engravings from how and when to get your rings engraved to ideas about what you could and should have a jeweler engrave on your favorite jewelry pieces including popular inscription ideas from France and China! Have a look

How to Do It

Make the request to get your ring engraved by your jeweler when you order the ring. If the jeweler can’t do it, he should be able to refer you to an engraver. Be sure to double-check the spelling of the requested inscription before you pass it on to the engraver, and check it again when you receive it.

When to Do It

Engraving can be done as quickly as while you wait, or it can take up to one month. Ask your jeweler how long yours will take and plan ahead.

Unique Ideas

If you can’t edit your sentiment down to a mere few words or want to use a stanza from a poem or song, consider engraving your message around the rim of the stone itself. The GIA (Gemological Institute of America) can laser-inscribe a microscopic message or even a graphic. The inscription is invisible to the naked eye and can only be seen with a magnifying glass, so it can be a romantic secret between the two of you. Inscribing a message on your diamond also serves as a foolproof “birthmark” should the stone ever be lost or stolen.

What It Costs

The cost is usually based on the number of characters in the inscription, the font used, and whether it will be engraved by hand or machine. Machine engraving tends to be cheaper, on average $25 for 15 characters, while hand-engraving is usually pricier, at $75 for 8 characters, but adds a special hand-forged feel. The price of the inscription on the actual diamond varies depending on the carat weight of the diamond, but prices start at $15 for graphics or 15 characters.

Words of Engravement

Popular and sentimental wedding ring engraving ideas:

I love you

Our love is eternal

To my soul mate

R. to D.L. July 10

Always

Forever

Eternity

C&D forever (use your first initials)

I thee wed

All my love

I marry you

You have my heart

My heart is in your hands

Never to part

To my wife/husband

Soul mates forever

I’m always with you

To have and to hold

Schmoopie (Your private nicknames for each other)

Here is my heart; guard it well!

No one but you

God for me provided thee

God unite both in love

In thy breast my heart doth rest (Old English)

Pour tous jours (For all days, 15th-century French)

Joie sans fin (Joy without end, French)

Mon coeur est a vous (You have my heart, French)

Je t’aime (I love you, French)

Mon amour (My love, French)

Il mio cuore e il tuo per sempre (My heart is yours forever, Italian)

Amore mio (My love, Italian)

Vivo per lei (I live for her, Italian)

Myn genyst (My heart, Old German)

Mizpah (May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent from one another, Hebrew, Genesis 31:49)

Ani L’dodi V’dodi Li (My beloved is mine and I am his, Hebrew, Song of Solomon 2:16)

Semper amemus (Let us always love, Latin)

Semper fidelis (Always faithful, Latin)

Pari passu (With equal step, Latin)

Amor vincit omnia (Love conquers all, Latin)

Deus nos iunxit (God joined us, Latin)

百年好合 (Happily ever after, Chinese)

花好月圆 (Blissful harmony, Chinese)

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Now all we need is somebody to love. If you’ve already found that special someone, head over to Wyatt Austin Jewelers and have your favorite jewelry item engraved with your favorite words to gift them. Moreover, our collection of engagement rings is something that might interest you. Luckily for you, ours is the finest quality, immense collection with the most approachable prices!

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#Wyatt Austin Jewelers

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wyattaustinjewelers · 8 years

Text

PERSONALIZED JEWELRY: ENGRAVINGS

To support this argument, here is a beautifully concise piece from Eiseman Jewels.

Add a Personal Touch with Engraved Jewelry

Read on to learn a few ways you can leave your mark on a special piece of jewelry.

Wedding Bands

Watches

Pendants

Read full post

How to Do It

When to Do It

Engraving can be done as quickly as while you wait, or it can take up to one month. Ask your jeweler how long yours will take and plan ahead.

Unique Ideas

What It Costs

Words of Engravement

Popular and sentimental wedding ring engraving ideas:

I love you

Our love is eternal

To my soul mate

R. to D.L. July 10

Always

Forever

Eternity

C&D forever (use your first initials)

I thee wed

All my love

I marry you

You have my heart

My heart is in your hands

Never to part

To my wife/husband

Soul mates forever

I’m always with you

To have and to hold

Schmoopie (Your private nicknames for each other)

Here is my heart; guard it well!

No one but you

God for me provided thee

God unite both in love

In thy breast my heart doth rest (Old English)

Pour tous jours (For all days, 15th-century French)

Joie sans fin (Joy without end, French)

Mon coeur est a vous (You have my heart, French)

Je t’aime (I love you, French)

Mon amour (My love, French)

Il mio cuore e il tuo per sempre (My heart is yours forever, Italian)

Amore mio (My love, Italian)

Vivo per lei (I live for her, Italian)

Myn genyst (My heart, Old German)

Mizpah (May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent from one another, Hebrew, Genesis 31:49)

Ani L’dodi V’dodi Li (My beloved is mine and I am his, Hebrew, Song of Solomon 2:16)

Semper amemus (Let us always love, Latin)

Semper fidelis (Always faithful, Latin)

Pari passu (With equal step, Latin)

Amor vincit omnia (Love conquers all, Latin)

Deus nos iunxit (God joined us, Latin)

百年好合 (Happily ever after, Chinese)

花好月圆 (Blissful harmony, Chinese)

Read full post

Save

#Wyatt Austin Jewelers | Illinois

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mrjohnhthompson · 8 years

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Ditch These Cheesy Valentine’s Day Traditions & Try These Instead

You don’t have to be single to be sick of Valentine’s Day these days. There’s only so much overpriced roses, heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and candlelit dinners one can stomach (or pay for). We’ve heard it all before. Valentine’s Day has been hijacked by capitalism, and the lovebirds are fated to be ripped off by unethical merchants who mark up their prices by 100%. But for some, not partaking in the merriment of Saint Valentine could lead them down the road of singledom. Cheesy profession of love is NOT at the heart of Valentine’s Day, but sincerity with a dash of creativity is. Profession of love and affection can be done in thousands of ways, not just through roses and chocolates. If you want to show your better half how much you love them on this special day, here are some unique ideas that are more meaningful and lasting.

Instead of roses and chocolate…

Roses and chocolates have been the no-brainer gifts for one’s valentine way too long. It is also the perfect saviour for those who are getting their gifts on the eleventh hour. On V-day, these are probably the first few things that inflate in prices faster than you can stuff those cute little heart-shaped chocolates into your mouth. A bouquet of 12 roses with a charming little balloon that says Happy Valentine’s Day go for RM135 on normal days, but the price balloons to RM212 on the few days before and after V-Day. That’s 57% increment! [caption id="attachment_28329" align="aligncenter" width="230"] There's a reason why this meme exists.[/caption] If that’s not the type of bleeding love that Leona Lewis sang about, I don’t know what is. Pair the roses with 12 pieces of Godiva chocolate (RM175) and a cheesy greeting card (RM9), you will be spending RM396 on things that last a maximum of three days. Shouldn’t your gifts symbolise the everlasting love you have for each other? Here’s an idea, instead of blowing close to RM400 on these cliché items… [block type="tips" title="Try these instead!"]Make that amount (RM400) work harder or mean more for your loved one. Here are a few ideas:

Book cleaning services for a month or two because nothing is more romantic than someone else washing the bathroom! With someone else doing the cleaning, you and your honey can spend more time with each other. Estimated cost = RM80 per session, with RM400 you can book up to five sessions!

You can even top-up each other’s Touch n’ Go card with that amount to last for a few months. [/block]

Instead of candlelight dinner…

I blame it on bad romantic movies for the notion that V-day is incomplete without playing footsies and staring at each other across the table, while being bathed in flickering candlelight. It’s all well and good if you are not paying through your nose for food that would cost half the price on normal days. According to an article published by iMoney Malaysia last year, a Valentine’s Day set menu cost about RM135++ to RM300 per pax. That’s easily RM600 for you and your honey to wine and dine on Valentine’s Day. [caption id="attachment_28335" align="aligncenter" width="300"] This sounds right, especially with the recent petrol price hike.[/caption] Here’s something equally romantic (if not more) that you can splurge on instead: [block type="tips" title="Try this instead!"]Pay his/her credit card balance and help your partner save some interest. If he/she just makes minimum payment on a RM800-card balance, it would take him/her 4 years and 10 months to pay off the amount, and incur RM270.69 in interest. He/she will love you for it when the credit card statement comes next month. [/block]

Instead of watching a rom-com movie…

Don’t care much about what happened between Harry and Sally? Or what’s written in that darn notebook that had everyone crying? If romantic comedy is not your cup of tea, why waste money and time sitting in the theatre, surreptitiously glancing at your watch? Watching a movie at the cinema is not cheap these days. Here’s how much you will likely spend on a movie date: [table id=677 /] Why spend so much on something that one of you don’t enjoy, and honestly, that you can both do on any other days? [block type="tips" title="Try this instead!"]Do something different instead to showcase your adoration and endearment for each other. A wise man once said, couples who laugh together stay together. Get into that habit by catching a stand-up comedy show together. Ticket price: RM15 to RM40 per person Venue: Crackhouse Comedy Club, 1st Floor 24A, Lorong Rahim Kajai 14, TTDI, 60000 KL. [/block] This may be a little more expensive than watching a movie, but laughter is priceless!

Instead of a designer handbag (or designer anything) or jewelry…

[caption id="attachment_28316" align="alignright" width="300"] Coach handbag: This costs RM2,700.[/caption] Once a year, your social media timeline will be littered with pictures of Valentine gifts from your friends’ better half. These gifts often come in little blue boxes from Tiffany, or peppered with the Louis Vuitton monograms. Don’t fall prey to peer pressure. Just because everyone else is buying luxurious, designer products doesn’t mean you have to. Especially if your better half is not really that into branded goods. Even if you dial back on the generosity, a Coach handbag can easily cost you RM2,700 (and this is one of the cheaper ones). Instead of spending thousands of ringgit on a single item that will likely go out of style in the next few months, why not make those thousands work harder to bring in more money? [block type="tips" title="Try this instead!"]Invest that RM2,700 so your sweetheart can get an even better gift a few years later. Based on the historical performance, here’s how much you could potentially get if you invest that amount on your loved one’s behalf five years ago: [/block] [table id=678 /] Be smart and don’t spend your money on depreciating assets. Instead, show your partner that your gift to him/her has the ability to blossom into something more! There you have it! Valentine’s Day is more than just roses and teddy bears. Show your other half that you spend the time and effort to think about something different to do for a change. Of course, you don’t have to show him/her this article *wink*!

Image from WBKR.

The post Ditch These Cheesy Valentine’s Day Traditions & Try These Instead appeared first on iMoney Malaysia.

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