One is a stellar, white orchid donning seven perfect blossoms down it’s stem. The other is a yellow and red beauty that looks as perfect as the day it was delivered to me. See it in the picture below?

Both of them were gifts during Christmas. My secret is this; I’m afraid of them. Yes, I can hardly look at them. I have to steal glances of their perfection because if I even look at them, they will die.

I have a friend in San Francisco (who will remain nameless, but you know who you are) who has given me fabulous orchids and I’d tend to them, but not often, knowing that they like to be left on their own.  I did invest in the special food for them. I kept track of when they might need the food or a tiny bit of water. They always died. She’d come to visit and I’d have lots of pots of green leaves, no flowers. I visit her and see her lush, amazing orchids with friendly blossoms dripping down their stems.

Why can’t I make an orchid bloom again? And with this being true, why are these two still living? I think because I do nothing to them. I have never fed them. I have never watered them. I have never even touched them. I only look at them when I am walking past them and even then, I walk quickly.

This weekend I’m going to San Francisco to see this friend. She’s taking me to The San Francisco Orchid Society’s Pacific Orchid Exposition. I’m very excited. I’m going to stare at all the orchids. I’m going to take pictures and dare them to die on the spot. I’m going to try to learn something about these fragile, mysterious flowers that are so gentle and beautiful.

Do you see how the yellow and red orchid, in the photograph, has a Christmas ribbon woven though it as part of the arrangement design? If I play my cards right, it will still be alive this summer, Christmas ribbon and all because I’m afraid to touch it!

The orchid I can really look at is the one on our papers. The potted orchid is shown above on our invitation and is great for a spring occasion you are planning in the near future.

One of my favorite traditions for her birthday used to be to go Wildflour Bakery and pick out a fancy cake that she would share with friends to celebrate her special day. Talk about customer service, we’d get the royal treatment from Sue, the owner and baker at Wildflour. She’d sit down with us like Lilly was planning her wedding, year after year.

We’d pour over bridal magazines and fancy cake catalogs and Lilly would look at every last cake until the best jumped out at her. It was usually something to do with Barbie, fairies, or a special princess.

I always liked the small gatherings of girls and boys that would help us celebrate the magical day.

Shown below is a Sleeping Beauty cake from one of Lilly’s birthdays.

Tomorrow we’re making sleepover cupcakes, in addition to a cake in the shape of a heart.

It will be a special day. Every day is special, but having my little girl turn into a teenager, magically overnight, will be…emotional and dramatic. I can be as emotional and dramatic as any teenager.

The bakery design is one of our newest designs.  One of our customers wanted a design on her stationery to include with her own baked goods. Do you want a particular design? Let us know. (After I recover from tomorrow).

The history of the baby buggy goes way back 300 years. Even back then, every mother enjoyed a stroll in the sunshine with her baby, but it wasn’t always as easy as it is today.

It is said that William Kent, a garden engineer, invented the first baby buggy for the third Duke of Devonshire. It even had springs so the baby could ride in comfort while pulled by a goat!

The buggy used to be large and cumbersome. It wasn’t until a daughter complained to her father about lugging her stroller from America to England that a collapsible one was invented.

Our baby buggy is one of the original designs of Letters from Lilly and used for expected little boys and girls alike. It’s wonderful for the baby showers when you don’t know what to expect! Available on all our stationery products.

P.S. Yes, this photograph is Lilly, at 5 months.

With the wind whipping and the snow falling (I know, I can’t see it, but it’s all we hear about from you that do), it’s the perfect time to pour a cup of tea and take a breather.

It’s tea time; anytime.

There is actually ‘Afternoon Tea’ and ‘High Tea,’ both giving us the opportunity to enjoy a cup of hot tea with milk and honey.

Afternoon Tea is from 3:00 to 5:00 and High Tea is from 5:00 until 6:00 in the evening. Since High Tea has been replaced by our dinner hour, the Afternoon Tea allows just enough time to get in a bit of relaxation before the dinner hour is looming.

So light a fire, pour a cup of tea, and try some of these Earl Gray Tea Madeleines. Oh, and use your fine china. If you don’t enjoy it, who will?

The teacup design is available on all of our stationery products and is the perfect design to use when you want to have a tea party. Have fun, be a little formal,  invite some friends over for a cup of tea. You’ll be glad you did.

I would walk around my house and look at the ceilings, thinking that for sure, water must be dripping in. Luckily, we didn’t have any water damage inside or out. My flowers and trees are lush and green and things are smiling a little bit more now that the sun is shining.

When I walked on the beach yesterday, there was a pelican sitting on the beach looking at me. He was obviously sick or hurt and when I asked the lifeguard he told me that you’ll see a lot on the beach right now because, get this… they are tired. This guy was tired from the rains. I really think that he might have been sick (and I know the wildlife protection agency had been called for him) but I’d rather think of him as tired.

Anyway, we are all ringing ourselves out and returning to normal paradise living.

Our monkey is staying sheltered from the rain under his little red umbrella. One of my personal favorite designs, enjoy the monkey with the umbrella or see the many new monkeys we now offer!

Do you make New Year’s resolutions? Goals? Long shots? Do you know why we are always reaching farther, faster, higher?

Are you?

I am completely guilty of this, but I’m getting better. I say guilty because I used to stretch so hard that the process seemed almost painful.  However, I’m getting better because it’s been a goal of mine NOT to reach so darn hard for more. It has been my goal to be happy with the today of life and not always thinking about how I could do it better tomorrow. Don’t get me wrong, I have goals, but I don’t write a list of ten anymore. I only have three. Each year, I write down three.

One goal is for me physically, another goal is for my brain, and a third goal is for my business. That’s it. Just three.

Now you want to know what they are don’t you?

OK, I’ll share, but I hope once you read them, you’ll post a comment on what your goals are too. We’re all in this together, right?

The first goal, is for me physically. I’m a pretty athletic person. I exercise each day and stay in good basic shape. My balance isn’t great, taking time to stretch before or after a workout is… non-existent. Both are areas I could use improvement. So, I’m taking yoga. I tried it and I’m surprised to say, I like it. The most difficult thing for me about yoga is moving so slowly. I’m taking hot yoga. It’s in a room that’s 95+ degrees so if you feel like running when you get there, you soon forget about moving quickly. I don’t like heat so this forces me to slow down and I’m finding that I really enjoy it. I’m on week 2 so we’ll see how it goes.

The second goal is for my brain. This goal  has been consistent for more than a decade. To read at least one book a month that is a novel. I read a book that is recommended because it’s a good story, not because it will teach me something. I might read other books along the way to learn, but it is my goal to read a book I will enjoy for the pure entertainment of reading a novel. This sounds easy, but for  me, it’s not. I usually end up reading something about being a better parent or how to provide better service in business, but reading for enjoyment is something I need to make an effort to do. So that’s goal number two.

The third and final goal, is work. It is my goal to continue to build on the strong foundation that has been established over the years. I am going to continue to strive to meet the needs of you, our customers, in a variety of ways.

So don’t get bogged down with New Year’s resolutions. Just write down three goals that you really want to accomplish and just chip away at them for 12 months, you have time, enjoy the process, try something new. Remember, this isn’t a dress rehearsal.

Shown above is our skating design on a fold over note and a sticker used as a return address sticker. You can also order them just with the design.

Thank you for another year full of creativity, growth, and sheer delight for sharing your personal celebrations with us.

We appreciate every occasion that you allow us to help you announce to your family and friends.

May you all continue to celebrate the positive accomplishments in life and focus on the good, the real, and the happy times shared with loved ones.

Take this time to bake cookies, make ornaments, and give the gift of time to your children. Here is a fun activity any age will enjoy;

Recipe for Reindeer Food:

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup rice

1/8 cup raisins

1 T silver and gold glitter

3 mini carrots, sliced

Put all ingredients together in a ziplock bag, take outside at dusk on the 24th of December. Sprinkle on the ground, on the side of your house where there is a chimney in sight. The glitter will attract Santa’s reindeer and will give them something to snack on while Santa fills the stockings… with care.

Do I have enough outfits to get me through or will my husband tire of the same black outfits that are classic, comfortable, and get me through cocktail parties, dinner parties, and any holiday occasion that keeps me wondering… what am I supposed to wear?

Oh, is your holiday calendar not full?

If you aren’t having your own Christmas party, I’m not sure you can complain. When was the last time you entertained? Come on! Get in the spirit!

It’s easy to sit down and write a list of friends you’d like to see. Depending on the number, plan an Open House or an intimate dinner party. Entertaining in your home is “in” right now as we all pull in the reins (brings thoughts of Santa’s reindeer). I have 7 couples coming over next week. I’m throwing a roast in the oven, pouring some fine wine, and hoping to reconnect with friends I don’t see often enough. Plus, I love any excuse to set a formal dinner table, especially during the holidays.

I can hear you now, “But it’s too late to do something.”

Phooey, plan a New Year’s midnight brunch, a Valentine’s Sweetheart party, or a dinner for 6 or 8 with no holiday in mind.

Make the list, order the invitations, start planning. That’s the fun part. If you need ideas on what to wear, there are a lot of great dresses right around the corner! And do dress up. It is the holidays after all.

And use the china? Absolutely, what are you saving it for?

The invitation I receive in the mail is how I decide to dress. Keep this in mind when ordering your own invitations. The invitation sets the tone.

A script typestyle will tell your guests it’s a more formal occasion. A printed, light hearted font will express playful, casual times. Whatever the typestyle, get going, have some fun and get together with friends you want to see.

When you open your home to others, they will remember to share special times with you as well. That’s what holidays are all about anyway. Sharing time with friends.

The announcement is shown above with a Merry Christmas tree trimming party. We recommend the holiday door design for any occasion this time of year. It absolutely is available with matching stickers for return address… and any of our other great stationery items.

Gingerbread houses are a fun tradition to make with grown ups and kids alike to display in your home for Christmas.

There are a lot of options as far as making your own gingerbread house. You can make the dough, roll out the gingerbread, cut the walls and roof, bake them… OR  you can get the one ready and made for decorating.

Lilly and I like the decorating part the best, so I’ve opted for ready made. You can get a ready made house at many craft stores.

Once you have your house, go to the nearest candy store and stock up on your supply of colored hard candy, Necco wafers, candy canes, jelly beans and other colorful candies for decorating.

Make a big bowl of white frosting, divide it into smaller bowl and using food coloring, make red, green, pink, blue, purple and all the colors your heart desires for your gingerbread house. Don’t forget to keep a lot of it white for snow on the roof!

Now get to work! This is where the fun begins!

I don’t think anyone is too old to enjoy the creativity in decorating with candy.

Here’s a gingerbread village on display at The Cleveland Botanical Gardens. They have a beautiful display going on right now through the holidays.  If you go, don’t forget to see the outdoor skating rink!

Once you’ve had enough of the cold, go back inside and see the unbelievable exhibits thanks to Mrs. Smith.  The Eleanor Armstrong Smith Glasshouse is Cleveland Botanical Garden’s exciting conservatory featuring authentic recreations of two of the world’s most exotic ecosystems: the sun-baked, spiny desert of Madagascar and the misty rainforest of Costa Rica.

Truly one of Lilly’s cherished places on earth.

Share the warmth of your home with our gingerbread stationery. It doesn’t have to be a holiday card, just a note to spread good cheer this holiday season.

We are now in full swing of the holidays, like it or not. Even though the Thanksgiving turkey leftovers linger on, it’s time to think red & green, holly & ivy, silver & gold.

With this comes a bit of anxiety, I know. Thanksgiving is like the warm up for all of us. It’s the practice run of having family and friends into our homes while dealing with the stress of planning the perfect meal and smiling all the while. So now you can ask yourself, how hospitable were you through it all?

I’ve been watching people all day long during the scurry of Thanksgiving prep time. There was the lady at the grocery store, on her cell phone, at the checkout. When the teenager gave her the receipt and said “Happy Thanksgiving” she answered with a grunt and moved on.  Ouch. Might that be me some days when I have so much going on that I can’t see straight? I think so. And we wonder why the younger generation grunts. They learn it somewhere.

So I’m unplugging for the next 30 days (maybe more if all works out). I’m taking my walks on the ocean without an iPod. I’m driving without my phone turned on. I’m turning my phone off at 6 pm before I sit down to dinner with my family.

I’m plugging in to what is happening around me. I’m going to look at the teenager handing me the receipt and be the first to say “Happy Holidays to you,” I’m going to look out the car window and actually see things I’m passing by, and I’m going to be listening to what my family and friends say, full sentence, without the interuption of a phone ring, text buzz or email bing.

In this particular line of work, I find people who are so hospitable and kind and those who… who must be under some unknown stress that keeps them from seeing the bigger picture. Let’s all try to be hospitable during this time that can be stressful. I think if we all smile a little bit more, reach out to one another a little more often, and just come out of the bubble a bit, we could all set a better example for those around us.

I chose the pineapple for this blog posting because it’s a sign of hospitality. You can often see wreaths made from pineapples in the southeast exhibiting a symbol of welcoming friendship. This wreath is available by order, click on the photo to go to their site. They have all kinds of pineapple items, even a nightlight!

So be hospitable. Be a good example to others. Send a note to a friend today, just because.