Warner Bros. Joyful Noise + My Story

Joyful Noise, the new Warner Bros. movie starring Oscar nominees Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah, is an inspirational film filled with laughter, joy, music, hope, love, and renewal.

After the death of the town's choir director, Vi Rose Hill (Latifah), a single hardworking mother of two, is given the position, only to come face to face with G.G. Sparrow (Parton) a fiery, tried-and-true gal who wants to give the choir direction in the way she sees fit.

Their bumpy journey to win the National Joyful Noise Competition leads them on a path filled with many of life's rawest emotions, but if they can overcome their differences and find a common voice, Vi Rose, G.G., and the choir may make the most joyful noise of them all.

Joyful Noise is such a powerful film that it made me think of a strong woman in my life: my Mom, who lived her life with a quiet mission to bring hope, love, and kindness to others.

A bright, shining light amongst her family, friends, and church, my Mom maximized her heart's capacity on a daily basis by lending a helping hand to anyone in need, whether it be through children's and adult ministries, volunteering at organizations like Juvenile Diabetes Research, sending monthly care packages to our soldiers overseas, building homes in Mexico for the less fortunate, or cleaning the church's auditorium, bathrooms and classrooms, no task was too big or too small for her to give it all that she had.

Since her passing in 2007, not a day goes by that I don't come across an example of how my Mom's open heart and helping hands made an impact in someone's life, most specifically my own and the ways she motivated me to go above and beyond what is just expected.

In 2010, my Dad and Uncle traveled to Mexico to build a church in my Mom's honor, in hopes that her tenacious work ethic, unwavering faith, compassion for others, and loving spirit will continue to inspire.

Women like my Mom serve as a daily reminder to leave our pride at the door and offer the most simple yet powerful tool we were given: our hearts.

I hope that you will join me in seeing Joyful Noise and take a moment to reflect on how we can all be more inspiring women to our family, friends, communities, and most importantly, each other.

Now it's time to tell your story! Leave a comment and tell me about a special woman who's made a difference in your life and how she's inspired you.

Joyful Noise opens in theaters January 13th, but you can receive news and updates about the movie on the Warner Bros. Pictures Twitter and the film's Facebook!

Also check out the BlogHer.com Joyful Noise page to see what other bloggers thought of the movie.

Happy 2012 + Pretty Little Liars Premiere

Happy 2012! Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season filled with lots of love from family and friends. As I awoke this morning, I couldn't help but notice how refreshed and renewed I felt. I've spent the last week baking and cooking tons of gluten free, dairy free recipes that I've wanted to try for a while. Donuts, cookies, pizza, roasts, appetizers- you name it, I made it, and it was fabulous. However, our tummies are a bit full and I think the next few weeks shall be filled with soups and lighter meals of the sort.

- gluten free donut, pizza crust, and chewy chocolate chip cookie recipes to follow in the coming weeks -

Jumping quite a bit to another (but equally as exciting for me) subject: Pretty Little Liars premieres tonight at 8/7c on ABC Family. I'm ecstatic. I love this show. I believe I read that we will be finding out who 'A' is this season- any guesses? When I visited the Pretty Little Liars set last month, the set designers gave us a tour of all the girls' rooms which are located on the same sound stage. Each space was decorated to perfectly represent the character, and I loved seeing all of the bed linens, pillows, and decor accessories in each. Here are a few of my favorite design elements from their rooms:

The Eiffel tower lamp on the left and wallpaper on the right caught my eye.Perfection:

I adored the yellow lamp base and white wood lattice chair.

Tune in tonight at 8/7c on ABC Family for the Pretty Little Liars premiere! It's never to late to start watching. You'll be hooked immediately!

Wishing you all the best in 2012!

Merry Christmas

photos via snippets&ink

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays! Wishing you all the loveliest of celebrations today.

Thinking of those of you who have lost loved ones this year and sending you especially warm thoughts. May your holiday be filled with wonderful memories and your new year be blessed with hope and peace.

Pay It Forward

Around this time last year I posted a "pay if forward" list of ideas that I had hoped to achieve during 2011. Looking back, I can both happily and regrettably say that I finished nearly half of the deeds on my list. While I do not think a kind gesture should be pre-calculated, tallied, or kept in a memory bank, I do like to jot down ideas to keep my mind and heart in the right place during a season filled with so many distractions. I am going to repost my same list, because quite honestly I think I should follow such guidelines more often.


My 'Pay It Forward' List:

• Hand write and mail a note 'just because' to a friend or relative.
• Bring a meal to a neighbor or friend when they are sick.
• Spend an hour playing games with the residents at our local convalescent hospital.
• Pay for the person behind me in a fast food line.
• Mow my neighbor's lawn or pull weeds out of their planters.
  
• Bring a pile of old magazines to my doctor's office for her waiting room.
• Take unused clothing and household items to a shelter or Goodwill.
• Tape the exact change for a soda or snack to a vending machine.
• Leave a couple pieces of candy on a coworkers desk with a note.
• Pay for the person behind me at a toll booth.
• Call a family member or friend on the day of a test or other important event and tell them I'm thinking of them. (I want to push myself to go beyond my comfort zone and actually call them. No text messages, IM's, Facebook comments, etc)
• Offer to babysit for our friends who have kids so they can enjoy a night out.
• Draw colorful pictures and bring them to St. Joseph's or LA Children's hospital for patients' windows.
• Leave behind my magazine or book on a plane.
• Make an extra sandwich and snack bag for a homeless person I see often.
• Start off by telling a customer service agent "I know this problem is not your fault." I often blame them, which is completely unfair and not right.
• Return an extra shopping cart to the front of the store.
• Write a note with an encouraging thought and put it in someone's lunch bag or coat pocket.
• If nothing else, simply open the door for someone and leave them with a smile.

I'd love for you to join in as well and create your own lists (don't worry about repeating ideas- all are welcome!). If you do, please be sure to link your post in the comment section below. I'd love to read them!

Old Charm

Nothing can beat a light, airy house with touches of old charm. The white hardwood floors, cozy fireplaces, intricate molding, and simple design esthetic all make for one wonderfully alluring and charismatic space. I especially love that the walls are void of any color; fantastic inspiration for those hesitant or unable to paint the space they're currently in.

photos Alvhem

Last Minute Gift Guide + Six Festive Free Holiday Printables via Thank You Cards Shop Blog

Buying or making gifts for your family and friends can be the happiest time of the season, but when time is running short the act of giving can turn stressful quickly. Here are my picks for last minute gifts that anyone will enjoy, starting as low as $5!


1. Amazon magazine subscriptions (some as low as $5/yr) 2. Shoe Mint monthly subscription ($79) 3. Harry Allen pig bank ($125) 4. Marc Jacobs dot printed cashmere & silk scarf ($200) 5. West Elm modernist mugs ($10) 6. Amazon Kindle ($79) 7. Kate Spade graffiti iPhone case 8. French Connection winter leopard belt 9. DODOCase iPad 2 cover ($85) 10. Rifle Paper Co. 2012 fruit calendar ($16.50) 11. Vivienne Westwood squiggle bag ($287) 12. Kate Spade Guide to Living Colorfully (set of 6 books - $35)

Freebies: The lovely Amy at Thank You Cards Shop Blog (I love her site) is offering six of her holiday printables for FREE! Her cards, labels, bookmarks, and recipe cards are so chic and festive- I can't wait to print them out tonight and use them. Visit her site here to download yours as well. Thank you, Amy!

Hosting a Holiday Craft Party

I love the idea of hosting a holiday craft party for your family and friends like this one featured on Style Me Pretty. Gather some old books and make a trip to the craft store for styrofoam wreaths, balls, and trees, fake moss, and lots of extra hot glue gun sticks, and your party is ready to begin. I think it would be fun to put some extra holiday labels on each table in case guests choose to give their crafts as gifts to neighbors or friends.

photos by Millie Holloman via Style Me Pretty gallery here.