I always see these fun colorful pom poms hanging over charming tables at bridal showers, baby showers or like shown below to decorate a child’s bedroom. I assumed you had to spend grueling hours constructing each little pom from scratch until I discovered the company PomLove or as they like to call it “Happy Floating Paper.” Each Pom is available in an assortment of rainbow colors. Ranging from $5.00 each, 7 Poms for $30.00, or a 20 Poms for $75.00. – THE WIFE

www.Esty.Com/Shop/Pomlove

Drew Barrymore did it. Angelina Jolie did it. Britney Spears and Courtney Love and Whitney Houston did it. Well, those last three seem to be going back and forth between doing it and not doing it—but my point is that it’s completely possible to go from being a train wreck to being a good girl.

Look at the cases of those first two: Barrymore and Jolie. These two fine young beauties came back from a world of vices (Barrymore had a substance abuse problem and was in rehab before she was a teenager; Jolie’s adolescent tales were sordid, involving vials of blood around her neck and making out with her brother), and transformed themselves into caring, nurturing, smart women who are now world-famous actresses and, perhaps more importantly, great role models. Joining them is a whole roster of successful young women who rehabilitated themselves, from First Lady Betty Ford to actress Eva Mendes, to former reality show devil Nicole Richie.

Here’s why I bring this up: Even if you’re a train wreck, even if as you’re reading this book you’re drunk at a store and thinking about stealing it so you can trade it for a cigarette in the parking lot, there’s still hope for you. Even if you drink too much or pole dance to pay for your cell phone bill, you don’t have to be destined to an emotionally painful, liver-damaging, yellow-toothed, overly tattooed existence. Everyone has had a vice. Without fail, everyone still has one. (The person who tells you he or she doesn’t have any vices is lying—in fact, dishonesty is a vice in and of itself.)

Abraham Lincoln said, “A man without vices is a man without virtues.” So don’t lose sleep over your past. After all, part of youth is growing up and learning from your mistakes. Though your mistakes shouldn’t be so damaging they’re permanent: Don’t do something so toxic as a young woman that when you’re older you have a seizure every time you hear a bell ring; don’t pump your body with so many chemicals that when you have babies later in life they come out with three heads and twelve fingers.

But don’t beat yourself up, either. Even if you are a mess, even if you have become the type of girl no one respects, even if you are a tramp—it’s never too late to turn yourself around and become a lady. There is such a thing as second chances. (And third and fourth, for that matter.)

Here’s the thing: The perfect childhood doesn’t exist. Temptation is as old as time; or at least, the history of temptation extends as far back as the moment Eve gave Adam that serpent’s apple. But what sets the lady apart from the tramp is the ability to acknowledge she needs to clean up her act—and then, of course, the fact that she actually does clean up her act. Living a better life is an important decision, and one you have to make for yourself (no one else can make this decision for you, and it’s crucial to remember that you can’t make the decision for someone else, either).

Some of my best friends here in New York have pasts I have a hard time reconciling with the people I’m close to now. But I wouldn’t change them— or their pasts—for anything in the world. Their experiences are what made them the people they are today.

And perhaps more importantly, their experiences have provided me with some of the most amusing stories I’ve ever heard. – Whitney Vargas for Elle.Com

The perfect wife knows how to provide the harmonic balance within the family unit. She knows how to balance career, domestic chores, taking care of the children and support her husband emotionally. The perfect wife has many roles to fulfill and finds it both a challenge and rewarding. Not every woman wants to be the perfect wife. Many women will purposely try to be something different to establish their independence. Even those women that rebuff the idea of a perfect wife, read on. There are many deep emotional rewards for striving to be the perfect wife.

The perfect wife knows how to smile at those jokes that aren’t really that funny. She manages a small laugh and doesn’t remind her husband that he has told that joke before repeatedly. Without her husband knowing it, the perfect wife embraces these age old jokes over and over as if they were brand new. The perfect wife will know that one day her husband might be in a nursing home not able to even recognize who she is. It will be that day that these old jokes will be a memory that keeps her going daily to visit her wonderful husband.

The perfect wife finds the energy to pick up the piles of clothes, socks strewn about and the glasses that never make it back to the sink. Instead of clearing up after everyone and feeling like a maid, the perfect wife is proud of her home. It will drive her nuts to have the little messes here and there. She cleans up without a second thought as to who did it last time or why everyone around her can’t seem to walk to the kitchen sink. She knows that one day the house will be childless and there won’t be laughter as everyone is gathered around the TV watching a movie and forgetting their dishes. The perfect wife covets the memories that are being made in the household from an active family life.

The perfect wife wakes in the middle of the night to toss the covers back onto her husband because she wants him to stay warm. She doesn’t sit up and wonder why she had to marry someone that thrashes about and snores so loudly. The perfect wife cherishes the quiet moments when she can watch her husband sleeping peacefully. Deep down she knows that one day her bed will be empty because she has become a widower.

The perfect wife learns how to cook the dishes that are her husband’s favorite to eat. Eventually, she even learns to like some of these dishes herself. When he calls her telling her that he will be late getting home for dinner, the perfect wife smiles and puts the meal on warm. She knows that it is a blessing that she has a man that is willing to work very hard to financially provide for the family. At least her husband is out working late and not at the local bar picking up women or ending up in jail. There will be a day that the only food her husband might be able to eat is puree meals from a straw.

The perfect wife does not look at just today. The perfect wife does not keep score as to who has contributed the most or contributed what to a relationship. She values her marriage and embraces her friendship with her husband. When faced with multi-tasking and keeping the family balance, the perfect wife focuses on enjoying each moment for she is wise and knows that the precious moments of today are not forever. It is from the perfect wife that many of us could learn to cherish today and let yesterday’s problems stay in the past. By: Joyce Priddy

www.BirdandBanner.Com

I love the idea of formally asking those  whom you would like to be in your bridal party. I adore the paper chain people that we all learned to make in grade school and this project uses that simple concept to introduce your bridesmaids to everyone. Cut out the shape of the dress you plan on using in the color you desire and personalize each person with some paper hair. To complete the set I created a little card asking “Will you be my bridesmaid?” and included the wedding details as well as how and where to order the dresses. Enjoy! Anna of Rifle Paper/Once Wed

1. craft paper (for clothes & hair), 2. paper for bodies, 3. envelopes, 4. ruler, 5. scissors, 6. pencil, eraser & a glue stick.

First, be sure that your chain will fit in the envelope you chose. I decided to make my chain about 6 inches tall and 3.5 inches wide to fit in an A7 envelope. Draw tick marks every 3.5 inches (or whatever width you chose) on the top and bottom of the paper for how many people you want to cut out (I chose 6).

Cut out your rectangle and score the paper vertically between each set of tick marks. This will make folding easier and more accurate. Then, fold the paper accordion style.

On the top of the stack draw the shape of your person. Be sure to draw the arms and legs to the edge of the paper so that they will be attached into a chain after you cut it out.

Next, cut out the person shape and open up your masterpiece chain! Decorate your ladies with dresses of your choice and different hairstyles to personalize them. I also drew faces and painted their names on each one.

To complete the set I wrapped a band of paper around the chain and information card and wrote the name of the person I was to be sending it to.

www.RiflePaperCo.Com