Guest Post Series: Tell us about someone special in your life

Bellflower Books are all about telling the important people in our lives why they are loved and appreciated.  We decided to do a series of "guest posts" on our blog profiling the important people in the lives of our readers.  Please contact us if you would like to contribute a post.  We are hoping to do with our blog what we have done with our product and encourage people to write the meaningful words they may not always say:)

No One Like Her ~ Guest Post by, Alison of "Mama Wants This"

There is no one like her, really.

She is of generous spirit.

She is warm and kind.

She is gentle, yet strong.

She is loving and tender.

She is my mother-in-law.

I know, I am extremely lucky.

I have heard too many stories of nightmarish in-laws.

Of interfering, bossy, unsupportive in-laws.

When I met her for the first time for lunch, she took the hand I extended to
her, clasped it close and said she was thrilled to meet me. She asked all
about me, my family, genuine interest in every word, every smile, every nod
of the head.

When my husband and I got married, she embraced me and told me that we are
now family. She turned to her other two sons and said, "She is your sister
now."

When I told her about my pregnancy, she teared up and told me she was so
happy for me, for my husband. For the next 8 months, she made sure she
cooked me food that nurtured my pregnancy, my health. She knitted blankets,
hats, mittens, shoes, all gorgeous in their miniature form.

When my son, her first grandchild was born, she hugged me, said
congratulations and told me I would make a good mother. She took care of me,
like I was her own. She cooked nutritious meals for me, made me cups of
tea.

She showed me how to bathe a newborn, how to get a onesie over his delicate
head, how to swaddle him.

She looked after the baby so I could sleep, take a hot shower that lasted
more than 2 minutes, pumped milk.

Because of her, I now have a few hours of time to myself every day. She and
my father-in-law look after my toddler every afternoon. She thanks me for
that. She sees it not as a chore, or a favor, nor out of necessity. She
LOVES having him there.

She helped me potty train him. She makes him lunch some days, dinner every
day. She makes sure he gets snacks. She takes him out for walks. She makes
him clothes. She's sewing him a quilt.

She does all this out of love. Love for my son, love for her son, my
husband, love for me.

She has no idea how much she means to me. How different my life would be if
I did not have her in it. How different my son's life would be.

I hope that some day, she will know.

This post was written by Alison of the blog Mama Wants This!  To learn more about Alison check out her very interesting bio.

Bellflower Books is a Proud Sponsor of "Project Marriage"

A good marriage requires a lot of hard work, so when we were asked to collaborate with two amazing bloggers Mommy Friend and Life Without Pink to help sponsor their Project Marriage Challenge, we couldn't resist!

This month's challenge is to plan an actual "Date Night" with your husband, during which, talk of children is strictly prohibited.  This is something that my husband and I are actually good at.  It is so wonderful to leave our home and focus on just each other for the night.  This may sound silly, but before nights like these I try to read up a bit on current events and other interesting topics so that we can easily engage in adult conversation that does not revolve around children:)

Something else I have noticed that makes my own marriage work is trying my best to make sure my husband feels loved and appreciated.  I am hoping that through our Project Marriage Bellflower Books giveaway, we inspire someone to create a beautiful Bellflower Book full of love, photos and memories.  This could actually be the perfect gift to give your husband for an anniversary, birthday, holiday or "just because".

Make sure to check out both collaborating blogs and participate in this great challenge.  I have learned that my marriage is always a worthwhile place to focus attention.  Being a part of Project Marriage is a fun way to do this!

Etsy Favorite - Sweet Stella's

Sweet Stella's ~ Paint and paper made beautiful!

Through the wonderful magic of Twitter we became aquainted with the Etsy store Sweet Stella's.  This delightful Etsy store was created by Shannon Moyer-Szemenyei who started working with paper as a creative outlet when her son was 5 months old.  Sweet Stella's offers a variety of unique paper goods like tooth fairy boxes, custom board books, banners and cake toppers.  

My personal favorite is the "Walk of Hope Notestack".  100% of the proceeds from the purchase of these notecards will go to the Ovarian Cancer Canada Walk of Hope Campaign.  Shannon is actually the Chair for the London, Canada mini walk. She participated in it last year as part of her fitness goals after having her son in June 2010. After gaining a new appreciation for the way a woman's body works, Shannon wanted to help make it a premiere fundraising event.  There is nothing better than a "Gift that Gives Back" so I plan to stock up on these beautiful notecards.  They will be perfect for my gift shelf for use as last minute hostess and thank you gifts.

It is obvious when looking at Shannon's Etsy site that a lot of heart goes into her product and her designs.  I love that her work is so customized and affordable.  Sweet Stella's is a wonderful resource for unique party accents and gifts.

To learn more about Shannon and her company check out her blog at: http://www.sweetstellas.blogspot.com/ and her website http://www.sweetstellas.com/.

Meaningful Person of the Month - Dionne Williams

Dionne Williams - One of our fantastic interns!

Dionne is one of our very dedicated UNPAID interns who has donated her time and energy to our company (Bellflower Books) because she believes in our product and truly enjoys helping others.  When I interviewed Dionne for the internship, I was so impressed with her intellect and maturity and with how genuinely interesting she was.  I had Dionne write her own Bio to be showcased on this blog.  Please continue reading to learn more about a very impressive young woman...

In her own words....

Hey!  My name is Dionne Williams.  I am a junior at Bowling Green State University studying creative writing.  I have always had a connection with words.  From reading to music, I have always enjoyed the way that they can make a simple statement into a powerful emotion.  I always say, if you're going to say something make sure it's worth saying.  I write poetry, short stories and occasionally lyrics. Upon my graduation, I want to be a jingle writer.  I seem to have a knack for making catchy slogans.  My leisure activites include writing parodies and singing every Disney song that pops into my head, while making dances for talent shows.  I am currently the public relations chair for Sigma Kappa Theta Upsilon.  One interesting fact about me is that I am only 4 feet 11 inches tall, which is one inch less than a midget.

I am originally from Cincinnati, OH.  Go Bengals!  I attended Hughs Center high school, which is across the street from the University of Cincinnati. During my senior year of high school I had the opportunity to enroll in the University of Cincinnati for English and Math and entered BGSU with enough credits to be considered a sophmore. So, technically, if you judge my class standing I am a senior.

Another interesting fact about me is that I have only had two jobs in my entire life.  One was a King's Island Amusement Part in Mason, OH. This is a big park with rides and attractions like Cedar Point or Coney Island.  I worked there for four years in food service and every year I was promoted.  Thanks to King's Island, I can make a pepperoni pizza in a minute.  My current job is a lab monitor at the Wolfe Viewing Center on BGSU's campus.

What I wish for my future is to be happy like everyone else.  I knwo my major isn't very lucrative, but it makes me extremely happy and as long as you have happiness you are the richest person in the world!  I love to make people laugh and smile and pursuing a career in marketing makes me able to do everything I love; write poetry, make music and spread love!

Etsy Favorite - Jeneri Jewelry

I met my friend Jen, and artist behind Jeneri Jewelry, while I was at the park with my kids in Chicago.  We found out pretty quickly that we were both originally from Ohio and had a ton of similar interests, including little boys around the same age.  We quickly became friends. 



As a special gift when my second child was born Jen made me necklaces like this with my kids initials on one side and birth date on the back!

 Jen started out making beaded jewelry and selling it at craft shows.  I told her about Etsy, and she became an almost immediate success!  She has since traded her beads for fine metals and I absolutely love her line of personalized and meaningful jewelry.  Jen even incorporates her mother's many talents with a selection of hand made purses, scarves and belts.

I always love talking to Jen and hearing about her latest ideas, designs and adventures as a mom.  She is one of the most genuinely GOOD people I have ever met and deserves every bit of the success she has achieved.  Check out her beautiful jewelry and treat yourself to something special:)     http://www.etsy.com/shop/jenerijewelry

Meaningful Wedding Gifts

"We just gave a bride a book at her bachelorette party and I can't tell you how amazing her reaction was!! She was so touched and happy, the groom wrote the last page and it was such a great touch. This book make the party!! Thanks again!"
~Nicole

When we created BellflowerBooks we thought our extremely personalized memory books would be just perfect for weddings. Here are some great ideas for how to use Bellflower Books to create meaningful wedding and bridal shower gifts that your loved ones can treasure forever!

Document the Engagement

A close friend of mine created the most priceless wedding themed Bellflower Book that I have ever seen. She put together a book (as a surprise!) documenting her sister's year long engagement. She started with the engagement story and a photograph of that night and finished with a beautiful love letter from her fiance. She used the collaboration function to collect meaningful letters from family, close friends and future in-laws. The finished product was amazing! She managed to capture every special detail from dress shopping, to choosing invitations, showers, the bachelorette party and every other important event. I would have killed to have someone put together a book like this for me!

Creative Bachelorette Party Gift

Honestly, how many pairs of cheesy under ware does a girl really need? The bachelorette party usually consists of the bride's closest friends, so what a great group to work together and create a book full of funny memories, sentimental stories and good wishes. Make sure to include the moms in this one and any other friend or family member not able to make it to the actual party. You can all have fun looking through the book together and sharing funny memories! Make sure to split the cost of the book up between all the girls! This makes for a great personalized gift for around the cost of a greeting card!

Book of Love and Advice - Perfect for a Bridal Shower

Marriage is an adjustment for everyone, so a book full of love and advice from experienced loved ones is just what every bride needs! Have Moms, Grandmas, Aunts, Cousins and close friends all contribute letters of love, advice and encouragement. Even those who have not been married can write about the special qualities the the bride possesses which are sure to bring her happiness in the future!

A Group Cookbook

I remember trying to cook after I first got married. What a nightmare! Luckily my mom had put together a cookbook full of special family recipes. She even included photos of our friends and family eating together. I think that this would be such a wonderful thing to do for any bride and the collaboration function at Bellflower Books  makes the creation of this special book extremely easy. Invite friends and relatives to contribute their favorite recipe. They can choose to add a photo of themselves, the food or of family and friends eating the food! This way every time the new bride goes to cook dinner she is not only aided by a book full of great recipes, she is reminded of everyone who loves her!

Wedding Memories

This is one of my favorites! The bride or a bridesmaid can send out a Bellflower Book invitation to contribute to all of the wedding guests a few days before the wedding. This invitation can tell the guests to have their cameras ready to snap their favorite moment from the wedding in order to contribute it to your collaborative memory book. How fun would it be to have memories and photographs of your wedding from the guests' perspective! I think this would be especially fun with destination weddings! A good photographer can only capture so much, it tends to be your friends and loved ones, who know you the best, who take the most intimate photographs. This would be a priceless record of the most important day of your life!

Do you have another idea for creating a wedding-themed Bellflower Book?  Please leave a comment or contact me at kerry@bellflowerbooks.com