wedding invitation: gina + tylre

This Plum and Silver Chevron invitation was created for my cousin Gina & Tylre's October wedding in Fort Myers, Florida.  Both ceremony & reception were held at the historic Burroughs Home & Garden. When creating the couple's invitation, their only request was to have a modern invitation that would reflect their Florida wedding style.

One of my favorite features added by the couple was their choice of RSVP. Instead of having guests mail in reply cards, they opted to have their replies posted through their personal wedding website.

To the bride & groom: Thank you for making me a part of your special day! I know this is just the beginning of a long and beautiful journey ahead.  May God bless you.

.......

For custom purchasing details please click here.
** Invitations were exclusively designed and printed by Erica Diaz (at) inspiredbyabove.com

The First Of November

Can you believe it's already the first of November? Where has this year gone?! It seems like just yesterday that we were in the midst of wedding plans. Now we are here, almost a year later, planning our first anniversary trip.

Here is a glimpse of last night - starting our itinerary in between trick or treaters.

And guess who was sitting right next to us? Yes, the king! Obnoxious, I know. 

How has your week been? This weekend we have plans to do some stuff around the house, take Christmas pictures, watch football with the family and relax. I hope you have a lovely weekend and get out and enjoy this November weather!

Next week I'll be sharing our plans for our trip and asking for recommendations!

Baked Butternut Squash

Since I shared with you my first experience to Trader Joe's last week, I figured you might want to know about one of my favorite items.

Have you ever tried Butternut Squash? So delicious! Think of a potato and sweet potato mixed together. I've found butternut squash to be a perfect accompaniment to any weeknight meal. Last week, we paired it with grilled chicken.

How To:
1. Season squash with salt, pepper, garlic powder and olive oil.
2. Spread out on baking sheet lined with foil.
3. Bake at 425 for 20-30 mins. Flip over half way through.

And that's it. So easy!!
My next project will be attempting butternut squash soup. I'll let you know how it goes.

Cool Weather, Pancakes & Proverbs 31

Well, the weather has finally cooled down here in Miami (70s) and I couldn't of been more ready! We are now entering the season of open windows, family walks and lots of time spent outdoors. This weekend, my husband woke up inspired and made us Sunday morning pancakes! Weekend, I miss you already.

 Monday's are never easy for me to start, but I did find peace in this verse yesterday and am hoping you do to.

Strength and honor are her clothing;

She shall rejoice in time to come.

26 

She opens her mouth with wisdom,

And on her tongue is the law of kindness.

27 

She watches over the ways of her household,

And does not eat the bread of idleness.

28 

Her children rise up and call her blessed;

Her husband also, and he praises her:

29 

“Many daughters have done well,

But you excel them all.”

30 

Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,

But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

31 

Give her of the fruit of her hands,

And let her own works praise her in the gates.

{Proverbs 31}

Happy Monday!

Franklin Covey Conference

A few weeks ago, my school sent me to my first professional development seminar in Orlando, Florida. When I found out I was going, I was beyond excited to experience what it'd be like to go on a "business trip" and most of all to soak up all that I could learn.

The speaker of the conference used to head the Dubai offices of the Franklin Covey organization. If you've never heard of this company, Stephen Covey, founder, wrote a book titled The 7 Habits of High Effective People. Although he is no longer around to share his knowledge, his company is still spreading his legacy.

This conference could apply to any occupation. I just happened to be in a room full of administrators and teachers, so it was tailored to us, but many companies invest in this training.

The facilitator started the day by asking you to imagine your 80th birthday. Who are the people you would want there? What do you want them to say about you? What legacy did you leave?

Now, take all of those and ask yourself, what are you doing today to be the person you want to be then? Many of us spend our lives working at organizations that have mission statements, but do we create mission statements for our own lives?

For example, a mission statement could be simple.

To make a difference in all that I do....

This could apply to your job, family, ministry etc.

The purpose of this training wasn't just to make you a more rounded employee, it was to help you become a more rounded person. If you do not take time to do the things you love, you will quickly burn out and not be able to give your job everything you've got.

Another very helpful part of this training was their way of teaching how to handle time management. I thought I was good at time management? But was I really? How would I know the difference between good time management and badf time management? Take a look at the Covey way of thinking...

They teach you how to prioritize the big rocks (obligations) in your life.

After coming back from the conference, I felt like I had pressed a reset button. I was ready to walk into work Monday morning with all of my new time management skills.

Using the Franklin Covey model definitely takes practice but it does work. I noticed how much I accomplished the next week, and did not feel guilty if I didn't get everything done.

For more information on this subject, visit the Covey website.