Memorial Day: In case you thought it was national bbq day

Memorial Day

Today I wanted to remember and honor my GrandFather along with all the women & men who served our nation.  They are our heros!!!  We honor you and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your service, dedication, strength, and perserverance for our freedom! 

I found this picture on Pinterest and how many of us know that a picture is worth a million words.  Some families don't have their love ones anymore.  Freedom is not free, at times it will cost you everything.

This is my Grandfather who served in the Navy.  I love him so much and want to honor him.  He just came out of heart surgery and I am so thankful that I still have him.  I love you grandpa!

He's so handsome

I can't believe he would jump out of airplanes!  Yikes!

Proud to be an American

My grandpa is the one in the middle with the helmet on.

..."It is impossible for a democracy to endure if the political lines are drawn to coincide with class lines. The resulting government, whether of the upper or of the lower class, is not a government of the whole people, but a government of part of the people at the expense of the rest.".... Theodore Roosevelt

My Grandfather top row in middle, Great Grandmother & Father, along with my Great Uncles

This picture is of my grandparents my dad (in yellow) and my aunt.

I love my Grandfather, he has always been the man I have looked up to with admiration!  When I was a little girl he would take me to the park, to the hardware store, cruising in our pink bomber, he would even take me to the bar to have a glass of milk with red pistachios.  He was the only one who called my by my middle name, Denise.  He showered me with so much love and attention!  He would crack me up because he would always tell me how pretty I was, and because he is a jokester, he would end it by saying, "pretty ugly" I would start cracking up right after!  He was a great father to my daddy, a successful business entrepreneur, loving husband, and especially the BEST GRANDFATHER A GIRL COULD ASK FOR!!!

He walked me down the aisle of my wedding and for our dance he chose the song, "I hope you dance" by LeeAnn Womack. Thanks for coming along with me down memory lane!

So if there is someone that you should honor in your life, please do so, life is so fragile!  I always spill my heart and can't hold back, and when I do, it does my heart good!

Hugs & Kisses,

Angela~Creator of Hephzi

Funky Finds Featured: Hephzi Creations & Mi Bazaar Latino

Hephzi Creations along with my wonderful friend Claudia with Mi Bazaar Latino were featured in Funky Finds Blog (below) and I wanted to share with all of you!  Thank you for supporting Hephzi, you are truly a blessing to me!   Thank you to Funky Finds , we had the time of our life!  Everyone and I mean EVERYONE there was so warm, hospitable, they walk around with beautiful smiles, they are so geniune!  I JUST ADORE THEM!!! It could be that I am a Texan, lived there when I was a little girl, my family is from here, so I guess I am partial :0)   I know that Claudia and I can't wait to go back to Fort Worth, Texas! It's very possible in 5 years we may be just moving there!  So until then we will visit as much as possible!  We are also looking forward to the Huck Finn Jubilee , which is father's day weekend.  This event will be featuring bluegrass live music, camping, hot air balloon rides, line dancing, wrestling championships, circus and so much more!!!  Come join us in celebrating wonderful fathers who are eliminating the "orphaned hearted" in our culture!  I got my boots ready, do you? 

Hephzi Creations & Mi Bazaar Latino

In March, we had the pleasure of meeting two gals from Los Angeles. Angela of Hephzi Creations & Claudia of Mi Bazaar Latino drove halfway across the United States to participate in the 4th Annual Funky Finds Spring Fling we hosted in Fort Worth, Texas! Both are so sweet & friendly (a perfect fit for Texas!) and they had one of the cutest booth setups I've ever seen. I was ready to forward my mail, because I planned to move right in to the lovely space they had created!

Both Angela & Claudia have an aesthetic that perfectly suits me. It's a combination of vintage & kawaii, a perfect marriage in my opinion, and their products are nothing if not girly. The Hello Kitty & flower Swarovski iPhone case is a perfect example. Angela has been posting lots of updates on Facebook as of late & I have fallen head over heels in love with the embellished vintage bowling bags & boots.

Claudia of Mi Bazaar Latino also offers a large selection of lovely jewelry & accessories. The vintage flower corsage bracelet is one of my favs & I LOVE the coin purses. My bestie, Tamara, treated me to an Oh Deer brooch similar to this one & I wear it as often as possible. So fun! And both of us purchased a Hephzi Creations tee at the event. I love the graphic & the fit is great, but what really drew me to the design is the scripture from Isaiah 62:4 stating, "HIS delight is in YOU," which inspired the name Hephzi Creations.

Both designers are participating in a quite a few shows in California this summer, so be sure to stop by & tell them hello if you happen to be in the area. I promise you will be happy you did...just be sure to bring along your spending money!

(Pictured: 1. Booth Setup at Funky Finds Spring Fling; 2. Vintage Bowling Ball Bag; 3. Oh Deer Brooch)

http://funkyfinds.blogspot.com/2012/05/hephzi-creations-mi-bazaar-latino.html

Do more than exist, LIVE

It's very easy for me to get lost in laundry, dishes, preparing meals, work, Facebook, Pinterest, Draw Something, texting, more laundry, errands, maybe a nap, more meal preparation, etc!! Just existing is SO EASY!! Everyday duties, chores and lists CONSUME MY DAY! Do you know what I'm talking about? You know when you wake up in the morning and think to yourself, "I gotta get going! I have SO much to do today"! Then before you know it, it's time to start dinner and you don't remember eating breakfast and I don't think I stopped long enough to have lunch! You know those kinds of days?

When I get lost in days like that I reflect and think to myself, "Did I encourage anyone today? Did I spend time in prayer or stop long enough to get centered? Did I ignore someone who was trying to communicate with me? Did I forget to laugh or smile today? Did my family get kisses and hugs today? Did I pack a lunch for my husband? Did my words "love" my husband before he stepped out to work? Did I brush my teeth? Did I put on deodorant? Am I wearing moisturizer with SPF?

When my days are blurred with busyness I JUST EXIST! I become a rock in the middle of a field, useless!

When I choose to get centered and spend some away time with my Maker I find that in the midst of Mommy busyness is LIFE! I stop and remember to smile, to encourage, to love and to LIVE! When I choose to LIVE vs exist the birds sing in harmony, life is richer, the sky is clearer, the fragrance I give off is sweeter, my husband's kisses are more potent, my sons laughter is livelier, the woes of the world seem to be muted. When I do more than exist I become a tree that gives life! When I do more than exist I become someone who's core shines in and out of season!!

The LIFE I choose is just that, a CHOICE! 

Will you choose to exist or will you choose to LIVE!

The riches of LIFE are held in daily choices! So choose well my friends!



Stephanie Lainez-Children's Book Author
www.RealMomz.blogspot.com
www.mystoryhousebooks.com

Legacy Collection Part II

Hi Sweet Hephzi's!!

 I am excited to share Hephzi's Legacy Collection Part II, captured by thee one and only New Life Productions!!!  Hope you Love!

Happy Spring Hephzi's, Sparkle and walk in Splendor!!!

Hugs & Kisses,

Angela, Creator of Hephzi~