Stay Tuned

So I haven't posted in a while.  I've been eyeball deep in wedding prep for my sister's wedding which is coming up on Saturday. I've also started my Christmas cards which I will post after the holiday.  After the wedding I have 3 scrapbooks to work on - one should have been done 3 years ago but life gets in the way. I will be posting pics after the wedding of everything that I have done for her the big day.  I hope to grab some pics of the bride as well.  Stay tuned and I'm still looking for any hero mail.  Wishing my sister the best day she can possibly dream of. 

I HAVE A GOAL, WON'T YOU HELP ME REACH IT

After receiving an email from a deployed hero made me realize just how much that these brave folks appreciate hearing from us, right? Show them that you care – take 2 minutes right now, reach beside you for a piece of paper and a pencil, and write a thank you. 

My goal is to send 100 Anyhero cards by Thanksgiving 2013.  Can you help me out? 

Remember that kids can also write letters or send coloring pages.

If you need to know where to send your letters please email me at woloszyn6289@verizon.net with the subject Any Hero.  I will post a count as I get letters on my blog so everyone will know where I stand.

Just some FAQ to help you out:

How long does it have to be?
These notes can be short or long; we get folks who write 2-3 page letters, others who jot a note in a storebought notecard, and kids who draw elaborate pictures or color downloaded pictures for our heroes to display. All are welcome!If you choose to use a storebought card with a sentiment inside, please jot a short note along with it instead of just signing it.
Who do I write it to?You can start your letter “Dear hero,” “To an American hero,” or a variation – or simply start with “Hello!” We use the term hero instead of soldier because then the letters can apply to any branch of the armed services.
Can it be typed?Handwritten really gives these letters a personal touch; you can keep it short if you don’t want to handwrite a lot!
Does it need to be stamped on the back or have an envelope?Neither are needed, but you may do both; the letters are placed in a ziploc bag on the top of our cards. Please don’t seal the envelopes, as our shippers review all mail before it’s sent.
Can I get others involved?Sure! Letter writing is a great community activity; we’ve had schools, corporate offices, holiday parties, all sorts of groups have had cardsignings. We’ve even had folks set up a table at a local store or art festival and invite people to write a note to a hero, and some have carried postcards on flights to ask other passengers to sign them. You’ll be amazed at how many people would enjoy writing a note.
What should I talk about in a letter?Anything! Thank them. Tell them the freedoms you’re grateful for. Share your life with them if you wish – describe your family, community, hobbies. They love to hear that life is going on well here at home – so send them a news clipping about a happy story in your hometown, or a cartoon that will make them smile. Tell them your pet’s latest antic.
What should I NOT talk about in a letter?Politics, negative news, anger about the war or society. Our heroes need positive encouragement, so save these views for the water cooler

THIS MAKES IT ALL WORTH IT

This is an email that I received from a solider for helping out with Operation Write Home:

Ms. Loughrey,

Thank you for taking the time to create cards for Operation Write Home.
As a deployed soldier I send three cards home per week to my family.

I enjoy looking through the boxes of cards to send home. The cards make
it easier for me to write home which both my family and I appreciate.

Thank you for your service to our country!

TIMOTHY CHRISTENSEN
MAJ, TC
Director, Rail Advisory Team
North Kabul Compound, Kabul

WELCOME

All OLSH parishioners.  I'm excited you could stop by.

Are you a handmade card maker?  Then Operation Write Home may be a gateway for you to create cards for a great cause.

Or do you just like to write letters?  Along with sending cards the organization also sends any hero mail to the troops.  Any Hero mail is written to a "hero" to show our thanks and gratitude for all they do. 

If you would like to participate and help make cards or write Any Hero mail for our troops I would gladly send them in my packages.  This is also a great project for kids to get involved with.  Kids can download some coloring pages off the organization's website or they can write their own mail. 

Also, monetary donations help with shipping costs and I would also be able to send that along with my cards. 

Donations of supplies would also be a big help.  Supplies include different colors of cardstock, scrapbook paper packs (6" X 6") and A2 cards and envelopes (card size is 4.25" x 5.5"/envelope size is 4.375" x 5.75").  Any supplies I would receive I would make sure that they get used only for OWH.

If you have any questions or comments please contact me via the information in the church bulletin. I am hoping to get a little help and participation from some parishioners. 

Also, more information can be found by clicking the Operation Write Home Button to the left or visit www.operationwritehome.org.  If you plan to make cards please visit the organization's website for the guidelines which must be met in order for your cards to be acceptable for the troops.  Also, you can find the coloring pages for kids on this website.

Please scroll down and see some of the cards I have donated to Operation Write Home or to see any of my other projects.

Thanks for stopping by and considering helping out Operation Write Home.

July Operation Write Home

Another batch of cards for OWH.  Now I just need to sort, stamp and envelope them all up.  I also need to write some any hero mail to put in with them. 

Bridal Shower

Last Saturday, July 13, we had my sister's bridal shower with 50 guests.  I was planning this event since January until I was almost pulling my hair out.  Now that the shower is over I get to help with some of the wedding decorations.  The wedding will be here sooner than later.  I can't believe that after all of this planning the shower has come and gone.  By the way I did a lot of sneaking around to try and surprise this kid, but that didn't happen she figured it out and that is how it goes with a bridal shower since you know that you are getting one anyway you suspect everything.  However, she may have figured out the date but she had no idea what the theme was (a movie theme).  Here are some pics from the shower:

Front of invitation

Back of invitation - I had cut these out and taped to the front and then proceeded to laminate them.

Centerpieces - I had made up stars to put on the floor with each guest's name.  Then the first person to find their star and get back to the table won the centerpiece.

Favors for the guests.  Inside was a pack of microwave popcorn. 

What a wonderful cake provided by the flower girl and her mother.

I had made this poster.  I thought I got a better photo but I lost them.  I'll have to have my sister take a better one and post it.  We also had about 9 other real movie posters through out the hall on display.

Each guest was asked to bring a Christmas ornament to help the couple decorate their tree each year.

The bridal party.

The bride to be.

Coming In August

A new Cricut cartridge.  Come and shop with me on my Close to My Heart shopping page beginning on August 1 to get this new cart.

Another Get Well Card

for someone at my church.

Get Well Wish

This card is for a Parishioner at my church.  This lady was involved in an accident and although I never met her I thought a card may cheer her up a bit.  The church had put her address in the bulletin this past weekend and said that people were asking for her address to send her Get Well wishes so I decided to join in wishing her well.

Inside I put a sentiment that says:  Someone remembers, some cares:  your name was whispered in someone's prayer.  I signed it with my name followed by card angel.

A Sea Of Happiness Birthday Card

We were invited to a 4th birthday party for a friend's son.  I made him this Nemo card and he got excited when he opened it.