Posted Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Idea Behind The Letters To The Troops Table
Over the past few months I have been inspired by the amazing strength of our servicemembers and their families. I wanted to do something to thank and recognize our troops and came up with the idea to set up this Letters To The Troops Table.
Concept
The Letters To The Troops Table provides writing material for friends and family to write notes to a loved soldier or an entire troop. Sometimes people are discouraged from writing letters because they don’t know the address but with this setup your guests won’t have to worry about that. You can place all the finished letters in one large package at the end of the event and address it yourself. Standard postage rates apply even for troops serving overseas.
The Letters To The Troops Table would be great to set up at a Fourth of July BBQ or neighborhood gathering. If you have a spouse, friend, or neighbor serving you can have a photo of them framed on the table and a note with details from their latest update. This idea would also be really sweet at a wedding where a special servicemember couldn’t be in attendance.
What You Will Need
Creating this Letters To The Troops Table is easy to do. When setting up the table find a patriotic table cloth that is smooth enough to write on. Provide cards, envelopes, and pens for guests to write their notes. Having a sign in front of the table or hanging above the table will catch their attention and clearly explain what the table is there for. You can have photos of the soldier or troop framed on the table as decoration. If you have an update or letters you are willing to share you can have those on the table as well. Have a real mailbox for guests to put their finished letters in.
Cards
I want to thank Red Letter Paper Company, Scrapping Dahlias, and The Iris and The Bee for donating cards for the troops and the shoot. Each card company was featured in an individual post on Holiday Helpings so if you would like more information about the cards featured and where to purchase them click on the following links:
Patriotic Thank You Cards by Red Letter Paper Company
Patriotic Cards by Scrapping Dahlias
‘Merica Cards by The Iris and The Bee
Photographer
All these spectacular photos were taken by Marissa Winchester, associate photographer at Sweet Poppy Studios. Marissa helped translate my pencil sketches and scattered thoughts into beautiful photos capturing the look and feel I had envisioned. I had so much fun working with her and am so excited to feature her photos on Holiday Helpings.
Posted Tuesday, May 14, 2013
These patriotic cards by Scrapping Dahlias are great for writing thank you letters to the troops. Each card is handmade and has layers of different textures. These beautiful cards were generously donated by Jan owner of Scrapping Dahlias for the troops and will be featured in an upcoming post.
You can view other products by Scrapping Dahlias and these cards by clicking here.
photo credit: Marissa Winchester, Sweet Poppy Studios
Posted Tuesday, May 14, 2013
You gotta love this card! The Iris and The Bee designed this ‘Merica card while apparently listening to Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA.” It doesn’t get much more ‘merican than that!
This card has three things going for it (1) it says ‘Merica, not America, ‘Merica (2) it has a mustache… a stars and stripes mustache and (3) it has those awesome black shades. I just love this card so much!
The ‘Merica card by The Iris and The Bee was donated for the troops and was used in the photo shoot last weekend. This card will also be featured in an upcoming post with more photos from the shoot.
If you would like to purchase this ‘Merica card and check out other cards by The Iris and The Bee click here.
photo credit: Marissa Winchester, Sweet Poppy Studios
Posted Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Say thank you to service members, veterans and their families for keeping our nation safe with these Patriotic Thank You Cards by Red Letter Paper Company. As you all know I am a big believer in the power of a handwritten note. Even more so when those notes are headed to our servicemen and women overseas. These patriotic cards are blank on the inside so you have tons of space to write a thoughtful note to the troops.
It gets better… not only are these cards patriotic but they are also environmentally friendly and printed on recycled paper. So when you purchase these patriotic thank you cards you can support our troops and be green!
You can visit the Red Letter Paper Company shop on Etsy by clicking here. Make sure to check out some of the other products too!
photo credit: Marissa Winchester, Sweet Poppy Studios
Posted Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Over the next few weeks you will see some marvelous new photos on Holiday Helpings thanks to Marissa Winchester of Sweet Poppy Studios. You all know how much I adore Sweet Poppy Studios and it was an honor to get to work with Marissa for the first time. Marissa helped translate my spastic thoughts, penciled sketches, and countless emails into truly beautiful images capturing the look and feel I had envisioned.
I want to thank Marissa so much for all the hard work and energy she put in for this shoot. I only shared a few of the photos in this post… a bit of a tease, I know! Many, many more photos to come! Thank you so much Marissa!
photo credit: Marissa Winchester, Sweet Poppy Studios
Posted Monday, May 13, 2013
As you know I am a HUGE fan of Sweet Poppy Studios photography and often feature them on Holiday Helpings. Well, prepare yourself for a whole lot more adoration and loving posts about them this month. Check out their new and improved website by clicking here.
photo credit: Carleigh Fager, Sweet Poppy Studios
Posted Monday, May 6, 2013
Ashley Westfall, founder of Miss Ashley Jewelry on Etsy, is not only an amazing jewelry designer she is also a proud military wife and mom of two. I stumbled upon her shop on Etsy a few weeks ago and was instantly drawn to her hand stamped necklaces for military wives. It took me a while to narrow it down and decide which necklace to feature on Holiday Helpings. I thought it would be fitting to feature her Hand Stamped “I Love His ACUs And His Dress Blues” Necklace. What I find so touching is that Ashley, a military wife herself, is making these beautiful gifts for other military wives. These necklaces connect military wives all over the globe and that is truly beautiful.
I had the opportunity to see the necklace in person today and was instantly a huge fan. I love how Ashley used stainless steel, copper, and bronze to create a complimentary distinction between the 3 different metal discs. The top bronze disc is hand stamped with two boot stamps, the discs after have the continuing message “I love His ACUs and His Dress Blues.” You can also have the necklace personalized.
You can check out this necklace and others by Miss Ashley Jewelry by clicking here.
photo credit: etsy.com
Posted Monday, April 29, 2013
As some of you may recall I featured The Idea Box Kids before on Holiday Helpings over the holidays. Jennifer, owner of The Idea Box Kids, recently released a new idea box targeted for summer. The Summertime Activities and Ideas box is filled with ideas for easy summertime activities that involve no planning. The ideas are printed on 30 double-sided wooden “coins” and will provide hours of entertainment for your kids all summer long. “Have a three-legged race,” “make flavored ice cubes,” and “make an outdoor fort” are just some of the fun ideas printed on the coins.
Summertime is supposed to be a time for kids to play outside and relax and enjoy being a kid. This box will help you as a parent make sure your kids have a great summer. You can purchase The Summertime Activities and Ideas box by clicking here.
photo credit: etsy.com
Posted Monday, April 15, 2013
The warm weather has me excited for all the upcoming outdoor cookouts and summer BBQs. It still may be a tad bit early to share summer inspiration on Holiday Helpings but I just can’t resist. I have no will power when it comes to waiting to share great ideas.
Watermelon is often the star of the cookout table with its vibrant colors and refreshingly delicious taste. Watermelon is usually served on a plate or in a fruit salad but there are so many other ways to highlight this juicy summer favorite. For instance, try serving watermelon slices on a popsicle stick. Just cut the watermelon into triangles, cut a slit for the popsicle stick, and insert the popsicle stick. Simple as that!
photo credit: aprettylittlelifeinthesuburbs.com
Posted Tuesday, April 9, 2013
I have always been a fan of this month because it is National Grilled Cheese Month and my favorite day of the year falls in April. You can imagine my excitement when I found out April is also National Card and Letter Writing Month!
I am a real advocate for taking the time to write handwritten notes and have some spectacular pen pals. One of my desk drawers is dedicated to this passion of mine and is stocked with birthday cards and thank you notes. What I realized though is that my card drawer was really lacking in the everyday card section. I wanted to find notecards that worked for any day of the year and could be gender neutral (I have a few male pen pals and they don’t seem to like my pink cards).
So I went on a hunt for the perfect card and I stumbled upon Sara’s Daisy Love shop on Etsy. I was immediately drawn to the Fabric Monogrammed Note Cards. They were simple, cheerful, and weren’t too girlie. I received my personalized set of these Fabric Monogrammed Note Cards today and just adore them. I eagerly opened up the package and pulled out my set of handmade cards. Each card is decorated with a different fabric initial and I love all of them.
The Fabric Monogrammed Note Cards are wonderful cards to have on hand because they are so versatile. Celebrate National Card and Letter Writing Month by sending a note to someone you care about on this adorable card. To purchase your own personalized set of these cards by Sara’s Daisy Love click here.
photo credit: etsy.com
