March 2016 – Melody Creek

Hello Monday’s ~ Not Good Enough

March 28, 2016/2 Comments/in Encouragement, Personal /by Shelly Whyland

Not Good Enough

When you compare yourself with those around you, do you feel like you’re not good enough, that you somehow don’t measure up, and there’s no way you ever could? Well guess what?! STOP IT! You are unique. You can’t compare yourself to others, because you’re not them. They are not you.

ENCOURAGEMENT

You are who you are meant to be. You were created and made to be just the way you are. You might say, “But I can’t do this, and I don’t like this about myself, I hate my hair or my body or whatever it is that you hate about yourself.” Again, the inner most being of who you are and what makes you, YOU, is more than enough.

I don’t mean to disregard how you feel, because your feelings are very important. But I’m going to remind you that YOU are more than enough. There will never be a more amazing you. Don’t let the negative and nasty drag you down, rise up, stand straight, and look at yourself in the mirror and say, “I AM MORE THAN ENOUGH.”

POSITIVE QUOTE

“Everyone has inside them a piece of good news. The good news is you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is.” ~ Anne Frank

10 AMAZING TRUTHS ABOUT YOU (YES, YOU!)

If you’ll take a risk, you can chase your dreams.
Change your attitude ~ what can stop you now?
Never regret what makes you stronger.
Know your worth ~ it’s priceless!
It doesn’t matter how many say it can’t be done if you BELIEVE it CAN.
The best way to get rid of negativity; laugh at it!
Your ideas are worth something ~ so share them with others.
Your kindness will spark change around you.
You can’t please everyone so don’t try.
The only really true failure in life is not to do your best.

LOVE

We all know the catch phrase, “I love you to the moon and back.” Well, being the literal person that I am I did a little research. Did you know that it’s 238, 855 miles to the moon from Earth? It would take you 3 days to get to the moon. So, in theory when using that phrase, you would have to say it every six days, right?! (I know I’m weird, I’m OK with it. These are the things I think about sometimes)

The words that we use have power and meaning. Saying, “I love you”, and putting that into action takes effort on our part. It’s easy to love the loveable. Not so much when someone is yelling, screaming or calling us names. In my opinion, it’s the not so lovable ones that need our love the most. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of yelling back and defending ourselves. I wonder what would happen if we chose to love regardless of how we are “treated”.

I am a strong-willed woman. I am very competitive and I hate to lose. And I like to always have the LAST WORD. I struggle with loving difficult people and I’m not proud of it, but I do. We all have these people in our lives. Whether we work with them or live with them; whether they are good friends or family. Maybe they are people we’ve known for a long time or maybe we just met them.

So, how do we deal with this? For me, sometimes, love is silent. When I want to speak (really, shout back and be just as nasty back) I choose to say nothing. Sometimes, the people who are around us that are “un-loveable” could be going through something awful and just can’t control themselves. They could be having a really bad day that just turns into a week, a month or longer.

Be patient, even if you’re not feeling love for them. We are surrounded by the people that we are supposed to be around for a reason. Share the love that you have with all of them. The love you give will change the atmosphere whatever you do!

Hi, it’s Shelly! Did you find this week’s “Hello Monday’s” interesting? Please leave a comment about your favorite part. Feel free to contact us with ideas and comments! See you next Monday.

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Hello Monday’s

March 21, 2016/5 Comments/in Personal /by Shelly Whyland

Good Morning!

I’ve decided to kick-start a weekly blog post telling YOU how AWESOME you are! Each Monday I will do a “Hello Mondays” post. These posts will be filled with encouragement, a positive quote for the week, 10 amazing truths about you that maybe you’ve forgotten, and lastly LOVE.

This will definitely be a different post then the wedding posts that go up other days in the week. Mondays will be for everyone. Anyone who needs to be reminded that you MATTER, you have VALUE and you are LOVED!

ENCOURAGEMENT

During the 1st week of October 2014 I had heard about a lot of people who were struggling and bummed out. My friends were really having a hard time. People on Facebook seemed down and I decided I couldn’t just sit around and do nothing, so I decided to do a 30-Day Love and Encouragement Challenge.

I remember being told that for every one negative thing that is said to us it takes 10 positive things to erase it. I posted 10 sentences over 30 days to remove 30 negative things from all my FB friends’ lives.

I want to take the time to encourage you on Mondays so you can rock your week! Hopefully, if you know this blog is here you’ll come read it, be encouraged, get some love and pass it on to others around you. Let’s say you or someone you know is having a bad day, (come on, we all have them, yes, even me, Beam, my nickname from a dear friend at work!) you will know this is here and you can come get uplifted.

POSITIVE QUOTE

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become GREAT.”

~ Mark Twain

10 AMAZING TRUTHS ABOUT YOU (YES, YOU!)

You are capable of doing anything!
There is no obstacle that you can’t overcome.
Take a moment to really look at the beauty around you (including yourself) it’s there if you look for it.
You are more than you think you are!
Your value cannot be measured by what you do, it’s measured by those who can’t live without you.
Be yourself – – – you’re spectacular!
No one has the power to rob you of your JOY unless you give it to them.
You are unique – there is no one else like YOU.
Make time for yourself: read a book, take a bath, dance, sing, do whatever makes you happy for YOU. I triple dog dare ya.
No one is perfect – – it’s OK to make mistakes. That’s what erasers and white out are for!

I don’t know about you, but sometimes we get so busy in our lives that we forget in all the craziness who we are. Take a minute to really look at how incredible YOU are. I know, they are 10 sentences that a person wrote on a page. That doesn’t make them not the TRUTH.

LOVE

One of the simple definitions of love by Merriam-Webster dictionary says this:

love: a feeling of strong or constant affection for a person

Love can encompass all the relationships in our lives. Family, friends, co-workers, you know who the people are in your life that you love. Some of us have such close friends that we consider them family.

Love requires action and words. Take a few minutes throughout this week and put your love into action. Send someone you love a quick note, text, email or give them a call. Spend a little time and effort in your busy schedule to tell them how much you love them. In my experience when you give love away, you get so much more than you gave.

Love is an incredible gift. Sometimes we forget that and we take it for granted. When you’re thankful for the love in your life take a few precious minutes to let the people around you know. It doesn’t have to be a HUGE grand gesture, make it simple. A post it note on the mirror for your wife, a text to your kids or husband, a call to your parents or friend. You never know, you just might make someone’s day!

Hi Everyone, it’s me Shelly, I hope you feel the love and encouragement and will look forward to coming back for this blog each week. My goal for you today and the rest of the week is to know that you are valuable to those around you. Each day we have the opportunity to bring about change in our surroundings. Maybe it starts with just a smile from YOU. Have an awesome week —– see you next Monday!

Did you find this post worthwhile? Feel free to leave a comment. Like it or Share it with your friends. Contact us and send a favorite quote so I can use it in a Hello Mondays post. Take Care!

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When Talking About Your Wedding Budget Sends You Running for Cover

March 11, 2016/0 Comments/in Invitations, Tips & Tricks, Weddings /by Shelly Whyland

You(the future Mr. and Mrs.) just sat down with your future in-laws and without too much blood, sweat and tears — you have agreed upon the “magic” number that will be your wedding budget. Well done, GREAT JOB! Now, the real FUN begins.

The average cost for a wedding in Syracuse and the Central New York region in 2015 ranged from $16,825 to $31,213. I took these two numbers and averaged them and came up with $24,019. We’ll use $24,000 for our “magic” number.

I don’t know about you, but whenever “money talks” take place I just want to disappear. Most money discussions lead to great amounts of stress, arguments and fights. All things most people want to AVOID. What I’ve discovered is that having a plan makes these talks go much smoother. A realistic idea of what weddings actually cost can help with this plan.

The Wedding Budget

Below is a table of a wedding budget breakdown with our $24,000. Now remember, this is just an average breakdown.

	Wedding Budget Breakdown $24,000*
Category	Percentage	Cost
Reception	45%	$10,800
Photography/Videographer	12%	$2,880
Flowers	10%	$2,400
DJ/Band	8%	$1,920
Attire/Hair/Makeup	12%	$2,800
Ceremony/Officiant	2%	$560
Stationery	5%	$1200
Transportation	2%	$480
Gifts	2%	$480
Wedding Rings	2%	$480
Total	100%	$24,000

If you wanted to add a Wedding Planner, the low end would be 16% of your budget or $3840 for the full service. You can always choose to go ala carte. That way you decide on the specific services you might want or need. By adding this service you would bring your total budget to $27,840. Yes, you are now over budget, but by having a wedding planner a lot of the stress comes off of you.

When you have a plan it can keep your budget on track and minimize unwanted stress. There are lots of ways you can cut costs and still have the wedding of your dreams. You might be a DIY bride who is crafty and can make a lot of items you want yourself. Or maybe you are a thrifty shopper and can find your attire for a steal.

By having the numbers, you have an idea of where the money should go. That way if you pay less for certain things you can put that money where you want something else. You can do this with each category.

Let’s be realistic for a moment. If your Mom and Dad are paying for this shindig and you keep going over the agreed upon “magic number,” another talk could be in your very near future. “Money talks” can be very stressful but when you have a plan, and better still can stick close to that plan, the stress pretty much melts away!

Save, Save, Save!!!

If you are employed when you get engaged, you should start saving money towards your wedding. By having that money set aside you could have some of those extras that are over budget that you don’t want to live without! Your parents would appreciate you taking ownership of some of the expenses. They may not take the money, but it will show that you appreciate them.

Here at Melody Creek we want to help you with your wedding needs. We specialize in wedding stationery, but our heart is to help ease your wedding plans so your wedding day is everything you want it to be. Contact us today for a free consultation for wedding stationery.

The following resources for my statistics in the table above:

www.theknot.com
www.marthastewartweddings.com
www.costofweddings.com
www.blogbrides.com

Did you find this post helpful? Leave a comment. Tell us what you think.

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Key Elements to Write a Killer Maid of Honor Speech/Toast

March 2, 2016/0 Comments/in Tips & Tricks, Weddings /by Shelly Whyland

How exciting, you’ve just been asked to be the Maid of Honor in a wedding! Don’t panic because you were also asked to give a Maid of Honor speech/toast. You haven’t got a clue what to say. You might even be thinking how can I get out of this? I’m not very good at public speaking, maybe I should decline and let someone else do this. It’s ok, we’ve got your back. Remember, you were asked because you are very important to this awesome couple.

Below are some key elements you could use in your speech:

Introduce yourself
Be who you are — I’m sure that’s why you were asked to be the maid of honor in the 1st place
Keep it light
Tell a funny story about the person who asked you (bride or groom)
Say something from the heart
Tell them (bride or groom) what they mean to you
Thank the bride and groom for asking you to be their maid of honor
Thank the other bridesmaids for making today (the wedding day) incredible for the bride and groom and for being a HUGE part of this day that they will always remember
Use a favorite “love” quote
Remember the wedding day it’s about them not you
Keep it short

These are all just suggestions to help you get started because honestly that’s the hardest part…….starting. Give yourself plenty of time to write the speech so you’re not doing it at the last-minute. This is a big deal and you don’t want to rush, so start early and take your time. The more time you give to this the better it will be.

Google is a great resource to actually look at speeches/toasts and see examples of how they are written. There are so many different styles and choices you can choose from. You can then adapt one to fit for you and the bride and groom.

Pinterest is also another place to look at examples of maid of honor speeches/toasts. Again there are samples you can get great ideas from.

In my opinion the #1 KEY element in writing a killer maid of honor speech/toast is YOU! You know these people. You’ve shared experiences with them that probably no one else has, or ever will. Draw from your love, knowledge and experiences that you have shared together. From all of these things you will have a killer speech/toast come wedding day!

Hi there, I am Shelly the owner and designer at Melody Creek. We make custom wedding stationery and invitations. We are located in Lafayette, New York. My goal with this blog is to share wedding related topics, tips and advice, do’s and don’ts, amazing ideas and how to’s. We offer so many services at our studio. Please contact us today for a free consultation. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Have the BEST day!

Photo courtesy of Nicole Marie Photography

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