Happy Birthday to The LovingKind!

I am in total awe and full of gratitude to celebrate this day with y'all. Part of me feels like The LovingKind has always been here, and the other part can hardly believe it's been a year!

I am grateful from the top, bottom and every side of my heart to the Lord for the gift of The LovingKind. There is no doubt that it is His heart for love, marriage, and people that is behind all of this. I have learned so much, enjoyed so many new things, and made some amazing connections, and I'm just so thankful He has chosen me to be part of this.

Woody hand painted this ceramic heart with The LovingKind logo mark for my birthday. He is self-proclaimed not to be a painter, but what he may lack in skill, he makes up for with loads and loads (and loads) of heart. I love him so much.

Thank goodness for my dear husband too! Not only does he show me what it is to live as The LovingKind, but life with him gives me so much inspiration for the blog! Living and loving in marriage every day, is a gift and lesson-learning machine, and I wouldn't want to live it with anyone other than my Woody. Forgive this sappy, personal moment, but, thank you, babe, for loving me, cheering me on, and being so darn adorable. I love you.

And, to readers and followers of The LovingKind, THANK YOU! You can't even imagine how much joy I receive by sharing this journey with you. Whether you've been here from the beginning or are visiting for the first time today, every time you read, comment, like or message, I get the biggest smile on my face. It is truly an honor to welcomed into your hearts, your homes and your computer screens to share a little piece of our lives together. I look forward to the next year of growing of loving alongside you!

As a tribute to the first year, I thought it'd be fun to recap some of the best moments and top posts of the past year! We'll start right where it all began with the first blog post, "So This Is Love" on Valentine's Day 2014.

First blog post, "So This Is Love" February 14, 2014

In February, I also shared what is still one of my favorite posts to date, and a great resource for brides (or anyone helping to plan a wedding), The Focus 3 (part 1 and part 2). Maybe part of the reason I love it so much is because I got to share some of our gorgeous wedding photos by the talented Sarah DeShaw!

March celebrated Woody's birthday, I was part of a fun "What's in my bag" feature with Sunshine Magazine, and I shared our proposal story and proposal video on National Proposal Day!

This video was one of the best surprises of our lives, and I can only imagine how remembering this moment will get sweeter and sweeter throughout the years.

The spring led to thoughts on purpose, wondering about the common statement that the first year of marriage is the hardest, and some helpful feedback regarding finding the right wedding photographer.

In June, I shared one of the most popular posts of the year, "Selecting Heartfelt Bridesmaid Gifts." I loved selecting gifts for my bridesmaids and was delighted that so many people found this post helpful!

June also marked the first of my Behind the Lens series featuring wedding photographers. This series got a little off track at the end of the year, and I'm excited to pick it back up in 2015!

My dear friend Callie and I kicked off our Luv Cooks + The LovingKind collaborated posts in July, and I shared some thoughtful reflections on marriage and commitment that I learned back when Woody got his wisdom teeth out in 2013.

Stir fry in the city with Luv Cooks!

Yes, I got permission to post this photo!

August was a big month! I turned 29, we were featured as a Southern Wedding Southern Newlywed, and the love journal post was another favorite with readers!

September  and October were a little quiet on the blog as I worked hard preparing to launch my Christmas card collection. In the meantime, I shared some of my favorite online places for you to visit and also the second post with Luv Cooks! 

November was one of my favorite months of the year! Not only did Woody and I celebrate our second anniversary at Disney World, but I also launched the The LovingKind Shop! 

Enjoying the Magic Kingdom!

The first products available in the TLK Shop were Christmas cards, and I absolutely adore this video created in partnership with Nicholas Keaton sharing the vision behind this first product collection!

I did not anticipate how fulfilling and wonderful it would be to have people order the TLK Christmas cards and use them to send holiday cheer. I know how much I love when I find just the right card or product, so helping to bring this to others was really special. I even received one in the mail from our newlywed friends, RJ and Kayla!

December was a great completion to a full year, and I finished it out with a personal favorite post about my two-year marriage lessons, and a festive recap of our New Year's Eve party from the year before.

The New Year started off in a great way for our family and for The LovingKind!  In January, I shared my 2015 goals, the first of a regular, monthly post with goal progress updates and new goals for the month, and the response was incredible! This included a fun giveaway of some of my favorite Making Things Happen products from the Lara Casey Shop, and it was the most commented on post ever for the TLK Blog! I was simply giddy getting to learn about your goals and meet new friends.

I also shared about some thoughts and tips on marriage and money in January, and then came the exciting launch of love + Valentine's cards in the TLK Shop! Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday, and I had so much fun creating these cards celebrating love and friendship. The best part has been seeing which cards people pick out for the ones they love (and of course sending some of my own)!

Complete Collection of love + Valentine's cards

Good Pickin' card

And that brings us to now! Another goals post went up to kick off February, and Callie and I shared our favorite collaborated post yet—a sweet Valentine treat! As for the rest of the month, I'm excited to celebrate a meaningful Valentine's Day with Woody (one of my February goals), and put a fun, behind-the-scenes post on the blog!

Sneak peek of Behind the Scenes post!

It's safe to say the first year of The LovingKind was pretty special. I grew and learned SO much, and experienced enormous amounts of love through it all. What's to come for 2015? You can count on continued goals posts, more marriage and wedding-related content, new collaborations, and more products for sure! Beyond that, I'm excited to see the good plans the Lord has, and I'm going to continuing creating and spreading love.

Thank you so much for reading and sharing, and most of all for being The LovingKind!

Photos in this post by Jacob Blount, KLP Photography, Rachel Coffey, and Sarah DeShaw. 

Valentine’s Luv & Strawberry Swirl Marshmallows

Valentine's Day is almost here, and I for one am loving this sweet season! There are so many good ways to celebrate, and I am excited to share one with you today through a special treat! 

Strawberry Swirl Marshmallow from Luv Cooks, Happy Valentine's Day card from the TLK Shop, Mug and linen from West Elm, Pink Hot Chocolate from Sur La Table. 

For those of you who have been visiting The LovingKind for a while, you may recall that I am a cook-in-training. I choose not to claim that I am "not a cook" or a "bad cook" so "in training" seems to fit the bill! This is why I decided to team up with my fearless, cooking friend, Callie of Luv Cooks for a series of collaborated posts (see posts one and two on The LovingKind, and one and two on Luv Cooks)!

Callie of Luv Cooks

I love the way Callie cooks because she is brave to constantly try new things, and she always includes the most important ingredient in any recipe—love for those she is serving. I've seen this shine through in her "honeymoon inspired" chocolate pomegranate cookies she brought to our cookie swap, the handmade caramels she gave as favors at her NYE/wedding celebration party, and the skillet-baked cornbread she made for a weeknight dinner with friends. 

Not to mention, Callie loves Valentine's Day just like I do, so the focus of our third installment was obvious—a Valentine-worthy celebratory treat! I hope you will feel Callie's heart and sparkle come straight through the screen, and also check out my post for Luv Cooks! 

Here's Callie!

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Essential cooking tool: wooden spoon
recipe: Strawberry Swirl Marshamallows

True love, they say, is a "many splendored thing" (cue Andy Williams). Love in the kitchen, I say, comes in many splendored, shapes and sizes. 

It looks like slow-simmered, homemade chicken broth, carefully watched into the wee hours until bones and onion are discarded, then stirred into carrots and celery; noodles boiled al dente, chicken shredded and topped; served steaming to the one who needs to be soothed. It looks like a crazy day, schedule full to the brim, halted when the one who makes your heart skip a beat walks in the door with just the spice you needed. It looks like early morning scrambled eggs, whisked with gusto, while French press coffee fills the cool morning air with velvety richness.

To me, love also looks like a wooden spoon. Ironically, and of all of my kitchen tools, they are the first to show the stains of recipes gone by- smudges of sauce, caramelly burnt sugars, lowly hot water spots. But they are by far essential for oh-so-many kitchen tasks—sautéing vegetables; guarding a boiling water pot so it doesn’t overflow; scraping browned bits off the bottom of a braised pan.

My beautiful sister Caroline actually gave me my current favorite wooden spoon that she had monogrammed just for me. It’s luv cooks logo reminds me of the intention and care she put into buying it for me every time I stir. But for those of you looking to purchase your own wooden spoon, I adore sturdy, well handled varieties that stand the test of time. This olive wood version at Williams Sonoma is spot-on, but bamboo is also a solid option, as these tools tend to be lightweight and more flexible. Birch wood can be an excellent choice too!

In this recipe for marshmallows, a well built wooden spoon is key to the best marshmallow experience you can have. Make sure you watch your sugar mixture and stir it frequently so the sugar dissolves. Then, stifle your desire to stir as your mixture reaches the perfect boiling point (240 degrees). Finally, the stirring comes full circle as you fold in your egg whites. Its a beautiful, stirring process (wink wink).

All in all, the wooden spoon may be the most loved kitchen tool I own. Yet, it really is the one that shows wear the most. It hit me a few days ago that maybe that’s how real love actually is- messy sometimes; but always steady; always helpful; always solid; always beckoning us to stir more deeply into the good that awaits.

May you enjoy this sweet treat, and this sweet week, with the ones you luv.

Strawberry Swirl Marshmallows

What you will need:

For the marshmallows:

1/2 to 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup cold filtered water, divided
2 tablespoons plus 2 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

For the strawberry swirl:

1 pint fresh strawberries, halved and tops removed
1 tablespoon sugar

What You Will Do:

1. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking pan well with cooking spray. Scoop about ¼ to ½ cup confectioners’ sugar into the pan and toss the sugar around to coat the top and sides of the pan, discarding extra sugar.
2. In a large bowl, pour ½ cup cold water over the gelatin. Let it sit for a few minutes to soften.
3. Put halved strawberries and sugar into a blender to sit while you prepare the marshmallows.
4. In a heavy saucepan, cook the granulated sugar, corn syrup, remaining ½ cup water, and salt over low heat. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until all of the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to medium, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook without stirring the mixture until it reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove pan from heat, and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture (don’t worry if you now have a gelatin dome- just keep blending), stirring until dissolved.
5. Beat mixture with a mixer on high speed until fluffy and tripled in size, about seven to ten minutes. Once it gets so sticky that your beaters aren’t really working anymore- stop there!
6. In the bowl of a separate stand mixer, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla and almond extract.
7. Add egg white mixture gently into the sugar mixture with your wooden spoon until combined and still fluffy.
8. Pour the mixture into prepared pan, using an oiled spatula (or spoon) to spread the mixture evenly.
9. Make the strawberry puree: Blend the strawberries in blender until smooth.
10. Use a wooden spoon to dallop strawberry puree in center, then corners of pan. Using a toothpick, make a pretty swirl pattern, gently combining the strawberry puree with the marshmallows.
11. Chill in the fridge for a few hours and up to a day. I found it helpful to spray a piece of plastic wrap with cooking spray, then stretch it over the top of the marshmallows. 
12. To remove the marshmallows, run a knife around the edges of the pan. Cut marshmallows in to a grid of your desired size. Use a spatula or knife to remove. Enjoy!

We decided to bag up a few of our marshmallows to share with friends! Hi, You card from the TLK Shop.

Extra fun:

As you can see, Mattye and I fully embraced the celebratory nature of Valentine's Day treats with a fun white and dark chocolate dipping station! All you need is some melted chocolate; we melted Divine 70% ginger chocolate bar and white baking chocolate. Once dipped, sprinkle the mallows to your heart's content (we loved the Valentine-themed sprinkles from Sur La Table)! This is the one case where double-dipping is officially allowed! 

Good Pickin' card from the TLK Shop.

Also, if you have extra strawberries from the puree, they are great for chocolate and sprinkle dipping too!

Happy early Valentine's Day!

New love + Valentine Cards available in the TLK Shop!

I have always loved greeting cards. They combine two of my favorite things—words and illustrations. In fact, as a little girl, I used to create cards for my parents on the regular and even started my own card "business" drawing custom cards for all my parents' friends (think: Lemonade Stand—Hallmark edition). 

I don't know what it is, but there is something about those sweet pieces of folded paper and their messages of love, thoughtfulness and celebration that I just adore. Knowing this, it comes as no surprise that when I set out to create products for The LovingKind, a card collection was the obvious starting point. 

The TLK Shop had a great launch at Christmastime, and with the my favorite holiday, Valentine's Day, right around the corner, I knew the next opportunity was to release some designs I had been dreaming up for a while. Some of these ideas have been sketched out in my sketchbook since before the launch of The LovingKind, and I am jumping-off-my-seat excited to finally get to share them with you!!

Complete Collection

I hope you love these cards as much as I do, and more importantly, I hope they inspire you and help you show the important people in your life that they are loved. From a classic "Happy Valentine's Day!" greeting to a playful "Love is the Jam" card, this collection is created to make you smile and to make celebrating those you love easy and enjoyable.

Love Jam Card

Each card is created from my hand drawn illustrations and hand lettering. My dear friend, Michelle of Parapalla Design Shoppe, helped me get my illustrations turned digital to be printed for you! And, I couldn't be happier with them! The illustrations just come to life printed on 110lb smooth ultra white paper and paired with a colorful, coordinating envelope. All they need is your personal message of love and celebration and a stamp to make someone's day!

Together Forever Card

Hi, You. Card

Good Pickin' Card

And, these cards aren't just for Valentine's Day. If you ask me, every day is a reason to celebrate love and the people you care about, so choose your favorites and use these cards throughout the year! They're perfect for saying "I love you" to your sweetheart, "Congratulations" to a newly engaged friend or bride and groom, "Happy Anniversary" to a couple you love and admire, or just "You're awesome" to a good friend.

Whether you pick up one card, a few, a collection, or just browse through them, I hope they bring so much love and cheer into your life and relationships!

As always, thank you for visiting, for reading, and for being The LovingKind!

New Year's Eve: a time to celebrate!

It's New Year's Eve! This day always bring so many emotions for me. As someone who is sentimental by nature, NYE can be a little much for my heart to handle. From nostalgia for the year ending, hope for the one to come, and a wistful feeling as I want to savor what it's like to be living in the moment, I have a lot going on inside!

If I'm really being honest, most years I kind of just want NYE to be over so that I'm not so dramatically confronted with the passing of time. I'm a "savorer," and the conclusion of an entire year, and the knowledge that it will never be that year again is just hard for me to process.

Does anyone else feel this way?

Ringing in 2014 last NYE with my darling husband!

We couldn't wait until midnight for a kiss!

I'm glad to say, in the past couple years, this has really turned around for me, and I've learned to truly celebrate NYE. By surrounding myself with people I care about and ringing in the New Year with joy, I have come to think less about the passing of time, and more about how blessed I am. I shift my focus to all that the concluding year has given me, and embrace a wild excitement for the possibility of what's to come.

Last year, we hosted a "sparkly" NYE party with our good friends, Callie and Jake, and it was a true celebration in every sense of the word! Woody and I's favorite part of the party ended up being the Hope Tree we set up in our loft (the sparkly photo booth compliments of Jake, Callie, Taylor and Bo came in a close second!). We found the inspiration for the Hope Tree at The Paris Market in Savannah, Georgia, the year before, and Woody had looked for an opportunity to recreate it ever since. 

Our NYE Hope Tree

Hopes and dreams waiting to be made and hung on the tree!

We set up a lighted wire tree and asked people to "Share a dream, a hope a wish for 2014, hang it on the tree, and surely it will come to be!" It turned out to be one of the sweetest, most meaningful parts of the party. Seeing each couple find a moment during the festivities to hope and wish together was so special. Then, reading the collection of dreams was remarkable. The sincerity and individuality of each couple was heartwarming and inspiring.

Lucas + Rachel // Bought their first home in 2014!

Todd + Amy // Welcomed first baby, London, in 2014!

Jake + Callie // Got married in 2014!

Bo + Taylor // Got pregnant and renovated home in 2014!

Michael + Amber // Welcomed first baby, Daniel, and moved states in 2014 (We miss them!)

Matt + Natalie (Natalie pictured holding the "0") // Fostered their first child in 2014!

Here we are, a year later, and God has done so much in our lives and the lives of our friends. Not everything is exactly as we each hoped and dreamed, but isn't it really better that way? Ephesians 3:20 tells us that God is able to do "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine." As we conclude 2014 and look forward to a new year, there is nothing more that I hope and pray for all of us in 2015. 

So friends, whether modest or extravagant, I hope your New Year's Eve celebration is one of gratitude and hope. God is doing good things. Happy 2015!

TLK Shop Launch!

I am so excited to finally share with you the launch of the TLK Shop! From the beginning of The LovingKind brand, I knew I not only wanted to inspire love through writing, but I also wanted to create products that inspire love in our everyday lives!

I love celebrations and beautiful paper products, so there was no better debut product for the TLK Shop than a collection of Christmas cards! It all started with some of my hand drawn illustrations, and turned into a darling collection of love-inspired holiday greetings! But, there is more behind these cards than just pretty illustrations and paper.

There are four designs in the TLK Christmas card collection. See more details in the TLK Shop!

When we first got married, I was so excited to send out our first Christmas cards as Mr. & Mrs., but the process ended up being more challenging than I expected. With our timeline and budget, it just wasn't as easy as I'd thought. With this in mind, I set out to create my collection of Christmas greetings to be cards that celebrate the love and excitement of a first married Christmas, while being easy to order, ready to go, and fitting for a "newlywed budget!"

I partnered with Nicholas Keaton to create a special video to introduce you to the collection and shares the heart behind the cards. I hope you enjoy!

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Also, the cards aren't just for newlyweds! The two folded card designs are so sweet and perfect for anyone wanting to send an extra dose of love along with their Christmas greeting!

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special offer just for you!

To celebrate the launch of the TLK Shop, everyone who places an order between Wednesday, November 12, and Friday, November 14, receives 20% off! I hope you'll enjoy shopping the new collection, and since this is the season of giving, share the launch special with a friend!

Thanks for being part of this special day! I would love to hear what you think of the new collection! 

xoxo. mattye

it's our second anniversary!

I loved our wedding so much. So much that I was honestly concerned that our anniversary would make me miss it. I feel like on Instagram this is where I would follow with #sadbuttrue.

While I love looking back on our wedding, and do miss it from time to time, our anniversary is not just the "reminder" celebration of our wedding that I thought it might be, but it is truly a special celebration all its own. 

It's easy for a wedding to feel like the "main event," but the truth is, it is just the beginning of the real main event: the marriage.

I love this first-married moment right after we walked back down the aisle as husband and wife. I feel like our excitement could just leap off the page!

Photo by Sarah DeShaw Photography

I am so proud and honored for each year (today marks two!) I have been able to spend as the wife to my dear husband. Every anniversary is a time to remember the vows we made and the fabulous event that kicked off our marriage, to be thankful for the years we've been given, and to renew our love and hope for the future years to come!

This year, we're celebrating our second anniversary at the most magical place on earth: Disney World!

In the spirit of our anniversary this month, soon I'll be sharing what I've learned in the first two years of marriage, as well as some thoughts on ways to celebrate an anniversary. But for now, I'm going to spend time with my sweet husband having new adventures! I hope you'll also begin this month by doing something fun and by giving a kiss to the one you love! 

Happy November from the Woodcocks!

giving gifts from the heart

I really love to give gifts. I enjoy the thrill of selecting the perfect item by finding a creative solution for celebrating someone in an authentic and personal way. It’s not about the price, the brand or anything superficial. Rather, it’s about knowing someone and celebrating them in a way that says, “I know you. I pay attention to you. I care about the details of your life.”

In light of this, I have realized I am a high maintenance gift giver. It just makes me cringe to give a gift “placeholder” that feels insincere. You know what I’m talking about, the I-couldn’t-find-what-I-really-wanted-to-get-you-and-thought-would-serve-as-a-heartfelt-celebration-for-this-moment-so-I-got-you-this gift. Y’all, I just can’t do it! If I am giving a gift, I want to feel inspired and connected to it. Most importantly, I want to be confident it will bring a genuine smile and warm heart to the one I'm giving it to.

Gift packaging adds so much to a gift! I found these adorable bags and tissue paper at Target and couldn't believe how perfectly they coordinated with The LovingKind! They also work nicely with my "So this is Love" cards!

This outlook is a blessing and a challenge. It’s great when I am successful finding just the right gift, but when I don’t feel inspired or a gift isn’t coming together how I want, it’s agonizing. It’s at this point one might suggest getting the best thing I can find because after all, it’s the thought that counts. But that is just it! It is the thought that counts, so if I get a gift that I don’t think much of, then not only is the item not a good fit, but the accompanying thought is lacking too! See my predicament?! Because of this, I've come up with some solutions I'm excited to share with you!

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Wherever you find yourself on the gift-giving spectrum, I hope to meet you on your journey today with some tips and ideas! First, I’ll share my own recent holiday gift solution followed by eight tips for becoming one of the most thoughtful and successful gift givers your friends and family have ever known!

Flashback to Valentine's weekend with the Woodcocks

This year, for Valentine’s Day, I was a bit troubled to find myself on February 13 with little-to-no inspiration for Woody’s Valentine’s gift. In fact, not only was I not inspired, but honestly, with a February 14 launch of The Lovingkind, I had spent so much time focusing on the launch that I’d hardly given his gift much thought. Well, no blog is as important as celebrating my true love, so I swiftly shifted my focus and determined myself to get him a Valentine’s gift that was special, thoughtful, and still within what I like to call our “newlywed budget.”

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Valentine's gift solution

I was able to find all but one gift at Target and kept the entire collection under $100!

Our sweet collection of Valentine gifts for each other this year.

1. Little goodies

I accompany many of the gifts I give with small, extra treats—it’s so fun and inexpensive I can’t resist! Candy at Valentine’s Day is an expected yet favorite treat so I picked up little heart shaped boxes full of two of Woody's favorite candies. Also, Woody often borrows my Eos lip balm so I was delighted to find one for him in his favorite shade—orange!

Eos Tangerine Lip Balm at evolutionofsmooth.com

2. Personalized print

My dear friend Michelle who collaborated with me to design The Lovingkind has a fabulous little design shoppe called Parapalla. She has a “famous couples” design and she created one for me and Woody! My husband loves when I add little touches to our home so I knew he would appreciate this thoughtful and personalized addition to our downtown loft. I got a great quality 8x10 print done on semi-gloss paper at Staples for $1.19! What a deal! Then, I picked up a frame at Target to make the perfect presentation of this piece of art.

Parapalla Design Shoppe

3. Practical yet romantic item

Woody and I have talked for months about getting our phones out of the bedroom. The bedroom is meant to be a peaceful, personal place for rest and intimacy and having a cell phone flashing, buzzing, ringing and notifying you constantly does not help promote any of that. But, as many people do, we use our phones as alarms, so they have stayed despite their interfering ways. In order to finally rid us of phones in the bedroom, I bought Woody an alarm clock for Valentine’s Day! I found a simple, sleek design from Phillips that does not have lots of bells and whistles making it just as distracting as a phone. It simply serves as an alarm clock. I was so proud to find this gift and to reach one of our 2014 goals for our home and our marriage—phones out of the bedroom! What may not seem like a romantic gift, is, in fact, all about inspiring romance!

Philips alarm clock

Woody responded to each gift just as I had hoped and I could tell he felt truly loved, which is what matters most. While I'll admit this collection of gifts is a bit random, what made them special is the thoughtfulness that tied them together to feel personal and intentionally selected for him.

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Meaningful gift-giving is something we can all do. It takes more effort, but if you’re going to invest time and money into a gift, why not do it in a way that you and the recipient will enjoy?! Here are my tips for finding gifts that will truly celebrate the ones you love.

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 Gift giving tips

1. Consider Conversation

Think about recent conversations you’ve had together. Have there been any recurring themes come up? Do they keep mentioning anything in particular? If someone talks about something a lot, that means they are thinking about it even more. Thinking about what they have been thinking about is a sure way to have a successful gift-buying adventure.

2. Think Hobbies and Interests

What are their hobbies? Finding something they already love and supporting them with supplies, books, or inspiration to help them along their journey is a perfect way to encourage their interests and make them feel loved. For example, Woody loves to golf, so for his birthday I got him a private golf lesson at one of his favorite courses!

3. Rely on Favorites

What are their favorites? Are there things they love to eat, do, wear, listen to, or watch that you could turn into a gift? Use these triggers to get your mind going: candy, dinner, concert, clothing, brand, experience, subscription, music.

4. Pay attention

Pay attention when you are with them. Whether watching television, shopping, traveling, or being out and about, chances are they will see something they like and comment on it. Having your eyes and ears perked up for the little things they point out along the way helps you to not only give them something they want, but to say, “I am paying attention to you.” One of my favorite examples is by the groom of a recent wedding we attended who needed a wedding-day gift for his bride. He remembered a beautiful perfume she pointed out while they were in Paris, searched it out, and gave her a bottle of this special scent to wear for their wedding day and beyond.

5. Innovate

Think for them! What a great gift in and of itself to be innovative and buy something that will benefit them and they don’t even know it! These are harder to come by, but keep your eyes out for new items that are relevant to them and could add value to their lives even if it’s something they don’t know they need or want!

6. Share

Share what you love. If you love something, it’s possible that they will too. People will trust products or experiences given to them with an endorsement from you! What are your favorite products or brands that you could share with them?

7. Experience

Think about experiences. Gifts most often come in a tangible form, but experiences make amazing gifts too. Whether it’s seeing a concert or a play, traveling to a new place, or checking out a restaurant you’ve never tried before, experiencing something with someone is a wonderful gift and creates a special memory.

8. Speak their Love Language

Consider their Love Language. The way a person receives love can also impact they way they receive gifts. For instance, if their love language is “quality time” then spending a day together and taking them to dinner would be an incredible gift. If their love language is “acts of service” then doing an out-of-the-ordinary act of service like washing their car, planting new flowers, or making their favorite room of the house white-glove clean would blow them away. If their love language is “words of affirmation” then don’t ever give them a gift without a card to accompany it!

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Most importantly...

Remember it is not money or status that is most impressive in a gift. It doesn’t take someone special to drop hundreds of dollars on a nice item, but it does take someone special to give a gift that is personalized to one's interests, hopes, passions and personality. So often in my own experience, the journey someone went through to get me a gift that was “just right” meant even more to me than the item itself. It takes someone close to you to give you something that says “I really know you,” and that is the best gift any of us could receive. It’s the thought—the real, intentional thought that does indeed count the most.

What are your favorite gifts to give or tips that make thoughtful gift giving fun for you?

a birthday celebration: aunt ruth's yummy cookies

Y'all know I love a good celebration, so as my birthday drew near this year, I wanted to find a special way to celebrate with you, dear friends of The LovingKind!

photo by Rachel Coffey Photography

As I thought about how to celebrate with you in a meaningful way, I was drawn to this line from the heart of "We are The LovingKind:"

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The LovingKind is about accepting, appreciating and celebrating who you are, who we are, and the life we have been given.

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What a sweet thing to think about on a birthday! We have all been given precious life and with each year, it is something worth celebrating! So, for my birthday this year, the final of my 20's, I want to share with you a little piece of who I am through a cookie recipe.

I love to bake, and cookies are my favorite treat to create. What I'm sharing with you today is more than just a delicious cookie, but it carries with it a little piece of my history. I once was told that one of the best gifts to give someone you love is something that means a lot to you. In that spirit, I share with you my very favorite family cookie recipe, Aunt Ruth's Yummy Cookies!

Handwritten recipe from my mom. Photo by Rachel Coffey Photography

You may think I'm about to tell you about my dear, Aunt Ruth, but you see, I don't actually know Aunt Ruth at all! She was the aunt of one of my mom's good friends who shared this namesake cookie recipe with our family years ago. These cookies are special to me for another reason.

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My mom has made these yummy cookies many times over the years, and she happened to whip up a batch August 20, 1985, the day before I was born. Later that day, after the cookies had safely made it out of the oven, she went into labor and brought me into the world just barely after midnight on August 21.

Hello, world!

With their first baby having arrived, my parents were consumed with all the newborn activity, leaving everything else behind, cookies included. Until, my dad returned home to rest while my mom and I rested at the hospital. He saw the cookies, told himself he had just had a daughter and deserved to celebrate, and he began eating.

He ate so many cookies (my mom guesses probably three dozen!), he had to stop—not because his stomach was full, but because his jaw was actually fatigued! I've heard him tell this story many times and relate the feeling to lifting weights and reaching the point where your muscles simply cannot lift another pound. He said that is how his jaw muscles felt, and he physically could not take one more bite! It's fantastic and hilarious, and not at all surprising knowing my dad's sweet tooth!

I love this story because it makes me laugh, it makes me think of my mom and dad as young parents, and it makes me grateful for family. These cookies have been a family favorite literally since the day I was born, and every time I bake them, I think about this funny moment from my beginning and smile. They will always be my birthday cookies.

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I hope you will take this recipe into your own home, and that the yummy cookies will accompany your family for many great moments, big and small, along your journey.

Here's to you! Here's to birthdays! Here's to yummy, yummy, yummy cookies!

photo by Rachel Coffey Photography

Aunt Ruth's Yummy Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 cups oatmeal (I use rolled oats)
• 1 cup coconut
• 12 oz. bag chocolate chips (optional- I started adding chocolate chips on occasion and it's become a favorite in the Woodcock household!)

 

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Combine eggs, butter, white sugar, brown sugar and vanilla and stir well.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

Stir everything together and add oats and coconut (and chocolate chips if you choose!).

Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet covered with foil or parchment paper and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

Transfer the foil or parchment with cookies onto cooling rack.

Let the cookies cool and then share and enjoy!

recipe yields 6 dozen cookies

Let's celebrate the 4th of July!

I don't just enjoy a good party, but I truly believe in the value of the art of celebration. There are so many people, milestones and occasions worth pausing for, noticing and appreciating with a spirit of fun and enjoyment. The dictionary says to celebrate is to publicly acknowledge (a significant or happy day or event) with a social gathering or enjoyable activity.

Enter the Fourth of July. As Americans, this is a most precious day we get to celebrate. It's a day I find myself being grateful for and intentionally enjoying the freedom I can so quickly take for granted. It is a day to acknowledge the courage of our forefathers who committed and signed their names for our freedom, and the bravery of so many since then who have sacrificed to maintain it.

I love that we live in a country where we are not only allowed freedom, but are encouraged and expected to make the most of it. What we know to simply be our way of life is a luxury and gift that so many people pass through this life without ever experiencing. In my book, that kind of gift is a mighty good reason to celebrate.

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Along with a salute of appreciation for our country, I wanted to share a few ideas and resources to help you with your own Independence Day celebration!

Last year, Woody and I decided to have a Fourth of July gathering with our friends. We live downtown, so we are just a few steps away from a great view of the Birmingham fireworks show. We opted for a festive yet simple approach to our party that you could easily duplicate for this year between now and Friday.

Our dear friends, Todd and Amy, got excited about the idea of a Fourth of July party too and offered to co-host with us. It made it extra enjoyable to plan our little get-together with the help of friends!

I just love a paper invitation, but in the laid-back nature of this party, I didn't want the time or the expense it would take to get them designed and printed. So, I opted to handwrite the invitation, make copies on cardstock paper, and pass it out to friends. An invitation is the first impression for a party and I thought this one communicated a low key, yet personal and festive energy for the gathering.

We provided BBQ sandwiches, drinks and dessert, and encouraged guests to bring their favorite side or dessert too! It was kind of like a backyard picnic only inside!

One of the great things about a Fourth of July party is that the color scheme is already decided for you! These tissue paper pom-poms would be a fun DIY to try, but for my party timeline, I was thrilled to pick up this set of colorful red, white and blue pom-poms from Party City.

I absolutely love flowers and was inspired to do a patriotic bouquet. I just adore the soft white and blues with the pop of deep red.  I used blue hydrangeas, white snapdragons, red alstroemeria, red gerber daisies and mixed greenery. This set of miniature vases in an oblong basket made it so simple to do a larger arrangement by grouping small bouquets! I love that it made an impact, but was still easy to arrange.

This paper table runner by Kitchen Papers that we already had on hand provided a classic touch of gold and made for easy cleanup!

For a festive treat I made blueberry muffins, iced them, and added patriotic toppers from World Market. Make your own cupcake toppers with this cute DIY from My Sister's Suitcase. Or pick these up at Party City.

Colorful straws are an easy way to add a fun accent to your event. As guests carry them around in their cups it adds little pops of color throughout the party! Find a similar patriotic straw here.

Everyone got to take a flag to wave as we watched the fireworks later in the evening.

One of my favorite parts of our celebration was this photo wall. It was a great activity for guests to enjoy together and it made for the most precious memories! My mom gave me these star-spangled garlands from World Market, and they were just the right touch for a photo wall against the rustic, wooden surface right outside our loft. You can find similar garland from World Market this year too. We also provided some cute and silly props to use in the photos!

As day turned to night, it became time for my most favorite part of the evening—the fireworks! There is something whimsical and exciting that happens during a fireworks show, and getting to enjoy it with friends on a downtown street in my favorite city made for one special night! Whether you see a grand fireworks display or create one of your own with a few sparklers, its the light, crackle and sparkle that makes it celebratory!

I'm pretty certain this is when Woody was playing his favorite patriotic tune for everyone from his iPhone, Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the U.S.A." This is so "Woody" of him which would explain the adoring smile on my face.

I'm still working on my cooking skills, but I do love to bake. After an enjoyable summer night with friends, there is nothing like a homemade chocolate chip cookie for the ride home. These star-printed goody bags from Party City finished with a sticker and "happy 4th!" message made it easy to create to-go treats to thank our guests for joining us for a wonderful evening.

I hope our happy little party has inspired you with a few ideas to make your own Fourth of July a special one. However you choose to celebrate this Independence Day, just remember the point is to celebrate. Acknowledge, appreciate and enjoy the blessings of being an American and being free.

Happy Fourth, friends!

I would love to hear about your Fourth of July traditions or party tips! Share in the comments below!

selecting heartfelt bridesmaids gifts

Recently, the mother-in-law of one of my dear friends and bridesmaids asked me where I got the bags I had monogrammed for bridesmaids gifts. This question got me thinking about bridesmaids gifts in general and I thought it'd be a fun topic to bring to the lovingkind!

Having received many bridesmaids gifts over the years and having given them once, I recognize it is a special opportunity to honor your friends, but it's not an entirely easy process. First of all, choosing a similar or identical gift to fit the taste of multiple people can be challenging. Secondly, depending how many bridesmaids you have, even an affordable gift can become pricey when multiplied several times.

To help, I'm going to offer a few things to consider as you decide the best way to honor your bridesmaids. I'll also share the choices I made for my own wedding. But, before we get to that, let me remind you that your gift to your bridesmaids does not have to be elaborate or expensive; rather, it is a token of love and appreciation to thank them for the investment they are making into your wedding and your marriage. You may choose to get one gift or a few, and your budget and number of bridesmaids will certainly help you determine what is best. My hope is that these tips will help you navigate the road to giving bridesmaids gifts they will love and that are sincerely from your heart.

1. A gift that has purpose on the wedding day.

A great place to start is to think about something your bridesmaids will find useful on the day of your wedding. This could be jewelry to wear with their dress, a tote to carry around their belongings for the day, comfortable flip flops to change into for dancing at the reception, a cute water bottle to make sure they stay hydrated, a shirt or robe to wear while getting ready, or a special nail color to coordinate with their bridesmaids dress.

My choice

I have been in a few weddings where I received a tote bag as a gift and I loved it. I found it so useful the day of the wedding to carry around all the unexpected things I ended up with throughout the day. Because of this, I knew I wanted to get bags for my bridesmaids and I was thrilled when I found adorable canvas totes at Pottery Barn for a great price. To make them "wedding ready," my mom helped me find a woman in our hometown to monogram them in the most perfect wedding day lavender!

Stella & Dot Love Bracelet from the "Friendship Ties" collection

2. A gift that has purpose after the wedding day.

You might not feel a connection to anything that is useful the day of the wedding, so getting your bridesmaids something they can use in their everyday lives is also a fun option! A few ideas include a journal, a book, jewelry, a spa gift card, bath and body products, stationery, or a coin purse.

My choice

I love jewelry and I wanted to give a special piece to my bridesmaids. However, I quickly realized I couldn't afford the kind of jewelry I envisioned for their dresses so I opted for a piece that would work in their everyday collection. I chose the sweetest little bracelet from Stella & Dot. It is called the Love Bracelet and is packaged with a card that says, "the richness of life is in love." I chose this because I adored the idea of them having a piece of jewelry they could wear regularly that reminded them of our friendship and how rich and good love is.

I love the look on my precious mom's face in this moment when I gave her the monogrammed shirt I had made for her.

3. A gift that is personalized.

One of the best ways to create a gift that your bridesmaids will instantly love is to personalize it! In the South, we personalize anything and everything with a monogram, but you can also personalize gifts by color, scent, or style. Personalizing a gift is a special touch that shows the recipient you notice them and appreciate them for who they are as an individual.

My choice

One of the things I was most excited about on my wedding day was the time at the salon getting ready with my friends. Putting time and attention into this part of the day, I knew I wanted to give them a shirt they could wear that would be easy, comfortable and adorable in photos to boot!

My mom, mother-in-law-to-be, and sister-in-law-to-be would also be at the salon with us so I wanted to make sure they were included in the group too!

4. A budget that works.

Once you get going, bridesmaids gifts can be so fun, and if you're anything like me you might be tempted to start picking out more than you can really afford. The best thing to do is the same thing you did for your wedding: set a budget. Once you allocate how much you can spend, you will be able to enjoy the process of choosing gifts without harboring any stress about the expense. Also, once you set a total budget, you can figure out how much it breaks out for each bridesmaid. From there you can decide if you want to invest in one large gift for each girl or if you prefer to give multiple, smaller gifts.

my choice

I knew early on there were a few items I hoped to give starting with a small gift when I asked them to be bridesmaids. Because of this, I set a budget at the beginning of our engagement and as I picked up items throughout, I was able to track my spending. This truly made it easy and fun for me to purchase gifts and focus on the heart of what I was doing since the finances were already settled.

I love how clean and beautiful the shirts looked on all my sweet friends!

Isn't Deneb, my darling mother-in-law, adorable in her lavender "D" monogram?

Of course, I wanted to match too! I had looked at different robe, wrap, and shirt options to give my bridesmaids, but this shirt sealed the deal on the monogrammed white oxfords. It is actually an old shirt of Woody's (an authentic "boyfriend shirt!") with a soft lavender plaid. It is also made by Billy Reid who is the same designer that created Woody's made-to-measure wedding suit. Once I found this piece I knew it'd be the perfect compliment to the white oxfords I had considered for my bridesmaids.

Starfish ring by Premeir Designs

5. A gift that is significant to the location or time of year.

You may find that you are getting married in a special place, whether it be your hometown or a destination wedding, or a special time of year that inspires your gift. This has endless interpretations depending on the special feature you want to highlight. Some items to consider are locally made food like jelly or jam, or locally made gifts like bags, jewelry, scarves or a piece of art. If you're getting married in December choose a special Christmas tree ornament, if you're getting married at the beach give a personalized beach towel, or if your getting married in Louisiana give them a fleur-de-lis coaster set (one of my favorite gifts from a Louisiana wedding welcome basket!). 

my choice

My mom also wanted to give a gift to my bridesmaids. She knows most of my friends well, and it was really special to see her honor them and appreciate them with a thoughtful gift.

She picked out the starfish ring pictured above by Premeir Designs, to be a symbol of St. Simons Island where we got married. I love the elegant simplicity of these pieces that give a subtle nod to our destination nuptials. She also selected these lovely silvery gray pashminas for the girls to use in the case of a chill at our outdoor November reception. She chose the perfect gifts as my bridesmaids looked beautiful in their rings and made great use of their pashminas throughout the evening!

This is my dear sister, Lucy, looking precious in her pashmina as she gave her maid of honor speech at the reception.

If you look closely, you can see my mom wrapped up in her very own pashmina in lovely wedding lavender!

And for a little game of "Where's the pashmina?" take a look at the husband of a bridesmaid who turned it into a scarf!

At the end of the day, be confident that you know your friends well and will select just the right gift to make them feel loved and appreciated. With a little thought, attention and planning, you will create the opportunity to bless them with a heartfelt gift to honor your friendship and celebrate sharing your special wedding season together.

all photography in this post by Sarah DeShaw Photography

What gift did you give your bridesmaids or what is one of your favorite bridesmaids gifts you've ever received?