WEDnesday Love: Leave Me Alone - It's Mother's Day!

Life as a wife, mother, friend, sister, daughter, wedding and event's planner equals one thing.. BUSY!  I can count the times that I'm able to lay across the bed and either read, watch television or simply sit and scratch without someone asking me questions or giving me answers that I didn't ask for. 

This week in particular has been a zoo with weddings, cheer tryouts, driving to Evansville, Indiana in a day and a graduation dance that I must prepare for.  Did I also mention I have a few other designs due for a wedding at the end of this month?  AnyANDwho, my daughter's have also asked me repeatedly for the past week what I want for Mother's Day and each day I give the same thing and they chuckle. I have never imagined that being left alone was such a difficult task.  I love my family and wouldn't trade them for the world.  However, after countless hours of "MA, MOM, MOTHER, HEY... SHARON".... at some point silence is more than golden.

Recently a co-worker asked about Mother's Day and was shocked by me not wanting a lot of hoopla surrounding me on that day.  Today, a friend asked the question on FB what ladies wanted for Mother's Day and I'm sure some thought my response was selfish and others may have found humor in it; seriously...  the idea of a day filled with nothingNESS has me all bubbly on the inside. 

NOTE:   I know I'm a mother, reminded MULTIPLE times throughout the day.  I'm beyond grateful to have been blessed with such precious cargo.  However, I can close my eyes and see myself in the most raggedy pj's I own, with a bottle of wine and snacks very close by.  Ooooh, I just had another thought of me sitting outside on the deck off the bedroom with that same bottle of wine (or another) and Pandora playing Will Downing.  Wait, maybe I'll wander outside onto the patio with ... yep, you've guessed it, a bottle of wine to look at the grass grow.  The last two will only work if ALL the kids in the neighborhood, and their dads have the same idea for their mom/wife/girlfriend and walk around in complete silence so we can actually hear NOTHING!

"Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible."

Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Tasty Tuesday Recipe: Spicy Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Welcome to Tasty Tuesday!! What does this have to do with event planning or weddings? Nothing and everything. Life in itself is an event and daily we find ourselves celebrating in some time of way. Currently, I am doing a weight loss challenge with a group of ChiTown Moms called "Lose Weight in 8".  So, in honor of that challenge and Mother's Day, I thought it would be interesting to post recipes each Tuesday during the month of May.

My alias during the challenge is "The Busy Absentee"!  As a professional wedding and events planner I am typically always busy AND always absent from healthy food choices.   I get so busy planning and managing business and family that I often forget to eat.

Last week I believe I did OK by preparing the following recipe for the family... Try it for yours and even for Mother's Day!!! 

Spinach and Pepper Jack Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Sauteed Mushrooms. 
Ingredients
8 Chicken Breasts
2 Pkg Spinach (I used frozen creamed)
16oz Pepper Jack Cheese
Mushrooms
Cajun Spices
Grape seed Oil
Toothpicks

Directions

Heat oven to 350. In a bowl mix the spinach and cheese until well blended.

Take the chicken breasts and split open and stuff with spinach mixture. Using the toothpicks to keep close, turn over and rub with grape seed oil and sprinkle with Cajun spices.  Place in glass baking dish and put into the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes.  In a separate pan, cook mushrooms.  Once sauteed and place over chicken with remaining spinach/cheese mixture

Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Monday Motivation: Desire Me, Respect Me; Oh, the TEMPtation

To be desired; a sense of longing for a person or object or hoping for an outcome is a powerful emotion. To be tempted is to be inviting or attractive to something or someone and some would say it's an attempt to get someone to do wrong.

"All men are tempted. There is no man that lives that can't be broken down, provided it is the right temptation, put in the right spot."~Henry War Beecher

Every day we are tempted by something; to eat a burger or not? To run the light or wait? To speak or study to be quiet?   Heck, Adam and Eve were tempted in the garden and we see how that went down.  My thought is everyone is capable of all things; I am a firm believer that men need an opportunity and women simply a reason.  However, spare me the thought of "the devil made me do it".  The devil, nor anyone else or anything, forces us to make these bad choices and yield to temptation. Sin is our choice. Temptation is something that we know is wrong, but our flesh wants to do it anyway. 

I've been seeing clips from the upcoming Tyler Perry movie TEMPTATION and also various groups having what they consider open discussions on the topic.  In the movie this one line really has me thinking - "I want to feel alive, I want to feel wanted".  So let's talk about it!

Everyone wants to feel alive, wanted, desired and in the end respected.  Every Thursday many of us watch Olivia and that man have so much fire that it's amazing they are able to show it on regular television.  We all long for the type of fire that happened when love was new.  We've read about it in Shades of Grey, seen it on television and if we're honest, envisioned it in our heads.

Where has this type of passion gone?  Have we gotten so caught up in our day to day lives that we've failed to pay attention?  Have we taken our mates for granted or do we feel so low about ourselves that the first wink turns us on?

Chantelle Taylor-Bittings, wife, mother and owner of Chantelle Bittings, LCPC a Professional Certified Therapist believes that "small changes can yield lifetime results" shares her feelings on the topic.

"I feel that it is easier to focus on who is not stroking your fire rather than reigniting the flame yourself. Fire needs oxygen. Turn to your neighbor and say: Breathe on me!!!"

Afraid to speak openly and honestly on the topic? That's fine, at least be honest with yourself!

Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

WEDnesday Love: Martha Stewart's "Wedding Party" Hits Chicago!

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

Martha Stewart, the queen of DYI, may be the dream planner for many brides.  Good news brides to-be! Even if you're not one of the few to have her on your team you are still in luck.  Martha Stewart Wedding Party has teamed up with some local vendors and making it’s first ever stop right here in the Windy City - Chicago! So don’t worry if you still have things to check off your to-do list, this event has got you covered!

The Blooming Quill

Mark your calendars for Sunday, March 10 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and set your GPS for the Radisson Blue Aqua Hotel.  Join Darcy Miller, editorial director of Martha Stewart Weddings, Meghan Andalman, founder of Lovebird Events and Claudia Hanlin, founder of the Wedding Library, for a day of inspiration and fun! 

Vosges Haut-Chocolat

This premiere wedding event carries a ticket price of $65 for a single or $110 for a couple and features expert panel discussions, celebrity speakers, raffle giveaways, sweets, and drinks, a Destination Weddings & Honeymoon Lounge and more for brides and grooms-to be! Some topics of discussion will be how to personalize your wedding and how to transform unusual locations into the wedding of your dreams. There will also be over 50 vendors present for DJs, bands, accessory retailers, invitation designers and much, much more!

Purchase Tickets Online HERE - Hope to see you there!

"Love & Laughter"
Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Fun Friday Find: Out with the Old OR Bring In New!!

Photo Source: Esty.com-Aquamarine, purple amethyst and coin pearl earrings

The featured color (purple) for February was indeed my favorite and next week I will go into detail about the color for March but right now I'm loving the combination of both. What a great way to end February and start March than with this cool combination.

I truly love this combination because it is so stunning to the eye.  It reminds me of a tropical paradise; a color palette that blends the traditional (deep purple) with contemporary (aqua). 

Whether you are poolside, having an outside soiree, or at a local indoor venue; this combination is cool, hip, elegant and stunning. When planning, consider purple and aqua up-lighting with modular white furniture, a signature cocktail in either color and hanging paper lanterns for a perfect atmosphere.

 

There would be a lot of options for flowers but I think that Hydrangeas would be the most sensible. You can find the blue/purple and cream hues in them already. Of course, there are other flowers, such as delphinium and roses that could work too! 

"Love & Laughter"
Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.