Top 3 opportunities to give

<span style="font-size:130%;">Whether you give your time or your dollars, or choose to spread the word, there are so many opportunities to give. Here are my top three choices for this week ...</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/utterly-engaged/shelter-box-usa" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584885684397992818" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioIiKb0LjEXGGZvEBkJjaslR0Eo5_rJsTlLXfLhQe8fu2Ad1f3DNKbZJltKGDOD04_he_nCMVwOH_pLRTMPb9SpDhnNsMcuuii0HpwLHsoFZzpcCdvP0NBoB0V-MNith6e3hneONncfAlT/s400/forjapan300_250_badge.gif" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 250px;" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Event: <a href="http://www.utterlyengaged.com/for-japan-with-love/">Bloggers Day of Silence and</a><br /><a href="http://www.utterlyengaged.com/for-japan-with-love/">Disaster Relief Collection</a><br /><br />Where: Click here for <a href="http://www.forjapanwithlove.com/">list of participating blogs</a><br /><br />When: Friday, March 18, 2011<br />Collection Dates: March 14-31, 2011<br /><br />Why: All donations will go towards emergency shelter<br />and life saving supplies to Japan via <a href="http://www.shelterbox.org/">Shelterbox</a>.</span><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLfd9zH24RPNGeWFARv1puEc_fV8g5ex66DgJw-bktPLAUBiKPEYmEbFyXsoxC-L-taMRYHHcuGA2mzBzISPyTEEPFchkOHq_MjhHbq7f1P3eXklTsctNltb3SC-b3nHaR9zwsmpSouy-/s1600/GCI.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><br /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.shelterbox.org/"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584890017403206018" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU1MGBCb29P0AxbJQZ2LTywx1ybLAVNd_7dHyx3yuwdYhPDIxjux2Bjx6g66yeaZgr4GCLseYF2Zu2bWBUgB3Tb9eBcq_KmfT1UjIA1Kd8U3v5JFeA6ejBR2FssiCP80U81r_D-2ZeF_y2/s400/shelterbox" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 95px; height: 112px;" /></a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shelter-Box/268827443036?sk=wall">Like Shelterbox<br /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shelter-Box/268827443036?sk=wall">on Facebook</a><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5LfIXrTPteeTZjLCnH2x9HGsy12Y8MxVdJCk-NQ33ak1ZT2Qz791wyrlk3BT2wwEmPh8_kgxQhweXBbHtv3fKdgHp4O-nQFo9ZqL8lN7Xjkwvf6mDbPAdtbOqlFKdYXxLwmaURxIl3uju/s1600/GCI.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><br /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.roomtodreamfoundation.org/2011_gala.html" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584792406926102082" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhoeB8-VbR3XLUuvckhxC0rCqyt_-WH4mn6ZMrbE6PLzueb4Tf_QOKw2mHAW4nDH8w3a55hY2yG2PEzlYoElpScyuSCEgFWGrGIqIE1sFRDhayopQnf_bOCmlTSXSNrXblHzpWRxqpNUkh/s400/gala2011tktback.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 195px;" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.roomtodreamfoundation.org/2011_gala.html"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584792408815255026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWRpEH0iyboqbgzR8KxGitkVi3cwUFq2Kzhj5Qx1s6LhM67HHg2uaZ0fx_93PJW1T5137w1sc6J-rOiOYHXnfLOxTEFM_BWQiKqL5xBFfpT1oxnkOJCUt4EDkraM8pPaNk_vCViZL5izpa/s400/gala2011tktfront.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 194px;" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Event: <a href="http://www.roomtodreamfoundation.org/2011_gala.html">Room to Dream Foundation</a><br /><a href="http://www.roomtodreamfoundation.org/2011_gala.html">Carnival of Dreams</a><br /><br />When: Saturday, March 19, 2011 at 7pm<br /><br />Where: <a href="http://www.afhboston.com/directionsandcontact.php">Artists for Humanity</a>,<br />100 West 2nd Street, Boston, MA<br /><br />Why: Donations will help provide chronically ill<br />children with healing environments.</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/roomtodream?sk=app_4949752878#%21/roomtodream?sk=wall"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584882106355026642" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnjHB5Up25yJN4U4BjfKQPRRoBY7kvuVRrN_Wd1AEQvpVgPdY1Wa6Jyhqb3oudzLF-QmWgWJqZ4VLyCpl_ZDW0D69MEdwsBRm4z2r0INpMEPgs7Dfi3UXsD-ddpEBb9Desy_KBPc296Oy/s400/rtdlogo" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 136px; height: 92px;" /></a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/roomtodream?sk=app_4949752878#%21/roomtodream?sk=wall">Like Room to Dream<br />on Facebook</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><a href="http://gatheringchangeinc.blogspot.com/2011/03/come-to-table.html"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584879944764262386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_v5uU5a0ZJ_TcHKgyMx6DxN2mgHArfvHFgPi_cICFykWdyomlyHbWPBWtnUJr6dyo-NnYcs2zL82CumlCMvwSh0no6aSgxq3OLHl8gYAuimGSIvhOQc8F5Qmgvul7wfSJlyBafok1GCUh/s400/GCfundraiserbutton.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Event: <a href="http://gatheringchangeinc.blogspot.com/2011/03/come-to-table.html">Gathering Change Hunger Awareness</a><br /><a href="http://gatheringchangeinc.blogspot.com/2011/03/come-to-table.html">Fundraiser Breakfast</a><br /><br />When: Saturday, March 19, 2011 at 9:30am<br /><br />Where: <a href="http://www.thomsoncc.com/">Thomson Country Club</a>,<br />North Reading, MA<br /><br />Why: All donations will support local food pantries<br />and a percentage will be matched by the<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span><a href="http://www.feinsteinfoundation.org/">Feinstein Foundation</a></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" > One Million Dollar<br />Hunger Challenge</span><span style="font-size:130%;">. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><br /><a href="http://gatheringchangeinc.org/"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584883805451514082" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLfd9zH24RPNGeWFARv1puEc_fV8g5ex66DgJw-bktPLAUBiKPEYmEbFyXsoxC-L-taMRYHHcuGA2mzBzISPyTEEPFchkOHq_MjhHbq7f1P3eXklTsctNltb3SC-b3nHaR9zwsmpSouy-/s200/GCI.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 168px;" /></a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/roomtodream?sk=app_4949752878#%21/pages/Gathering-Change-Inc/168454599865240">Like Gathering Change, Inc.<br />on Facebook</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Have a great weekend<br />whatever you do!<br /><br />xoxo yvonne</span><br /></div>

Top 3 opportunities to give

Whether you give your time or your dollars, or choose to spread the word, there are so many opportunities to give. Here are my top three cho...

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Inspired by ... Vintage holidays

<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtGc-I5QA068_VceNW0AdbMQiojKc_wtc6LDZOZ2qdGvkA01IxCokj1u2l7xgbuXWXifV74eNZ528qCb6gsHliNvHVzAL57fkOoLQ2-GiduQDcBPJ0JJwnGWl8ysiFHF0P1V8W16iVIHs/s1600-h/silverwreathYB4RTD.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415179426793420194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtGc-I5QA068_VceNW0AdbMQiojKc_wtc6LDZOZ2qdGvkA01IxCokj1u2l7xgbuXWXifV74eNZ528qCb6gsHliNvHVzAL57fkOoLQ2-GiduQDcBPJ0JJwnGWl8ysiFHF0P1V8W16iVIHs/s400/silverwreathYB4RTD.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 338px; height: 400px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >A silver and blue wreath that I designed for</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" > the<br /><a href="http://www.roomtodreamfoundation.org/festwreaths.html">Room to Dream</a><a href="http://www.roomtodreamfoundation.org/festwreaths.html"> Festival of Wreaths</a> </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >in 2007</span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;">When I was growing up, I used to love visiting my grandparents home during the holidays. Besides hanging out downstairs in the </span><span style="font-size:130%;">“finished” </span><span style="font-size:130%;">basement with my 26 plus cousins, eating delivered pizza and then getting in line to take a turn at the holiday pinata, what I really looked forward to was seeing the same decorations year after year.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> The big multi-colored lights on the artificial tree, the fake cardboard fireplace, <a href="http://cathyofcalifornia.typepad.com/cathy_of_california/2007/12/aleenes-trim-yo.html">the kissing ball made up of tiny plastic medicine cups</a>, the small silver-tinsel tree with shiny blue ornaments on the buffet table ... this was 50–60’s decorating at its finest (none of us cared that at the time it was the 80’s!)<br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.oldchristmaslights.com/beyond_the_50s.htm" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415202245201127186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghLsXWQJOly_hzs6staE36CeB9ezSAXbQyZ2IQb6rc5UOcsE8O_kQBevAnxuy_aBYoBEkRiyQe0_FsfKyMqhSjJ7t6uo5nXTQgFsVh3evWfCb9q83BtWxvcfJKbxe-0REmu4Vumm14Xa4/s400/tree+patent.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 246px; height: 400px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Diagram of an artificial tree as</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />posted on </span><a href="http://www.oldchristmaslights.com/beyond_the_50s.htm" style="font-style: italic;">Beyond the 50s</a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />A couple of years back I created the silver wreath pictured above for a fundraising event to benefit <a href="http://www.roomtodreamfoundation.org/">The Room to Dream Foundation,</a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"> a Boston-based charity that designs healing environments for children with chronic illnesses. I used my grandmothers “modern</span><span style="font-size:130%;">”</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> decorating style as my inspiration for this </span><span style="font-size:130%;">sparkly-blue </span><span style="font-size:130%;">and silver tinsel wreath. These days I tend to prefer a more organic look, but I still view the retro combination of blue and silver as “traditional.</span><span style="font-size:130%;">”<br /><br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS4cR2QtxunVPmGoDnsz4hH1y8hovvqBtDhLodbIMTt3t8bjU-uU1ucxD0bFcNGVuusIhxJuXkJDWuYQmlK9_jYMoZyVx3xuQAoupru2tASX2_dR4X0piwhRhVKaGcFSpHN_3p6b54DmI/s1600-h/silverflowers.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415197215426593266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS4cR2QtxunVPmGoDnsz4hH1y8hovvqBtDhLodbIMTt3t8bjU-uU1ucxD0bFcNGVuusIhxJuXkJDWuYQmlK9_jYMoZyVx3xuQAoupru2tASX2_dR4X0piwhRhVKaGcFSpHN_3p6b54DmI/s320/silverflowers.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 253px; height: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">A vintage looking ornament designed<br />by</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Beth Hylan at <a href="http://www.bethhylan.com/">the Design Studio</a>.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">To see lots of silver and blue done in a big way (and not one plastic-cup-kissing-ball in sight!) </span><span style="font-size:130%;">check out this great holiday decorating post presented by the talented women at <a href="http://skirtedroundtable.blogspot.com/2009/12/our-favorite-holiday-decorating-blogs.html">The Skirted Roundtable</a>. They feature a lot of their favorite design blogs of the year, along with interesting podcasts on design related topics and personalities.<br /><br />And if you’re in the Boston area and would like more </span><span style="font-size:130%;">inspiration for a vintage holiday, </span><span style="font-size:130%;">check out the <a href="http://www.sowaantiquesmarket.com/">SoWa Holiday Marketplace</a>. Look for my friend <a href="http://johnandstephblog.blogspot.com/">Stephanie of Vintagesteph</a> and tell her I sent you!<br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.sowaantiquesmarket.com/" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415215578536474962" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4q-zhx-8SyYO0b3XoOerr4VZvlbtSejapTOJgIAG7alFoLe05tQfAqbh8k2wZEgfu6vJtZ2BUtYQGR59bTQ1lm_zP_pYY_gCn35f0ySE369m6UhOmPRYpOfEPym2KsQNbMTXwHby9EU/s400/SOWAad" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 282px;" /></a><br /></div>

Inspired by ... Vintage holidays

A silver and blue wreath that I designed for the Room to Dream Festival of Wreaths in 2007 When I was growing up, I used to love visiting...

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