Homemade Garden Wedding Invitations

Do it yourself wedding invitations are easier than you think, especially if you have a computer and printer available. There are many kits available for purchase at craft stores that you can easily personalize and that include pre-made invitation cards, response inserts and envelopes for reasonable prices.

But I personally liked the idea of putting a bit of my own creativity to work, and came up with this idea for my own wedding. We actually used these as placecards/favors, but turning them into invitations would be a snap as well.

Eco-friendly, Garden-inspired Invitations Made Easy

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The first thing I did was search the internet for special paper with flower seeds embedded in it. The papers are beautiful with a charming homemade look and feel, and they come in a huge array of colors, so you can pick the right one for your wedding. You can find good selections by doing a simple Google search. Some sites offer the paper in bulk - this is what we did - or for a little more, you can buy them pre-made into cards. Check out these sites for ideas (but be sure to compare prices because they can vary quite a bit, especially for shipping).

• Botanical Paper Works
• Flower Seed Company
• Of the Earth

If you buy the bulk sheets (often sold as wrapping paper), you'll need to cut them to the right size, but this will also allow you to make them truly customized for your special day.

Since you can't run the paper through the printer, you'll need an overlay sheet unless you're a calligrapher and plan to hand-write each invitation. The easiest way to do this is by getting some vellum sheets - the semi-transparent pages you often see in scrapbooking. These are readily available at craft stores in the scrapbooking section and can be purchased by the sheet or in packs of 50 or more sheets. It comes in standard 8 1/2 x 11, so it's easy to run through any printer.

Then once you select your invitation wording, print it onto the vellum (if you're using an inkjet, make sure the ink is dry before you do anything to it) and cut it just slightly smaller than your seed paper. Then attach the vellum to the front of the seed paper with a ribbon, small flower or other decorative piece. You now have a beautiful, handmade invitation! And it also serves as a keepsake to be planted as a reminder that your love will continue to "bloom" as you begin your new life together - just remember to include the planting instructions!

Knowing When to Quit Your Job

One of my college advisors used to say, "when it stops being fun, that's when you know it's time to stop." I think she was wise, and I've followed this advice throughout my life. But it's never an easy decision to quit your job and move on. It can be scary, both from an emotional perspective and a financial one. So how do you know it's time?

7 Signs That It May be Time to Move On

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1. Getting up every morning to go to work is getting more difficult. If you're finding yourself having to drag yourself out of bed each day dreading the trip to work, then this may be the first sign that you're on your way out. We spend a huge portion of our lives at work, and if it has become something that you dread, it's time to think about why you're doing it. Many people move in and out of relationships because they're not working out - they no longer enjoy that person's company or they realize they are moving in different directions - but they stay in a job that makes them less than fulfilled. If your relationship with your job is no longer challenging, satisfying, interesting, stimulating, etc., it's time to ask yourself if it's time to move on. Similarly, if you find it's getting easier to sneak out of work a little early, this is a sign of the same thing.
2. You're finding it difficult to focus while you're at work and/or you're less productive than you used to be. People who are at the threshold of leaving a job often find themselves having difficulty staying engaged with their current work. Unless you're a brain surgeon, or in another job that requires your full attention, you may find your mind wandering into non-work-related thoughts. You may even think about other things you'd rather be doing for a living. It may be important at this point to make sure you're not using your current work computer or other resources to start a new business or search for your next job on company time. Remember, as unhappy as you may be, this place is still paying your salary, and you may need your current employer as a reference and/or as an entree into your next job. It's important not to burn any bridges - you never know if you'll need the benefit of good relationships to help you in the future. But if it's becoming a struggle to stay focused and get your day-to-day job duties done, just be sure you're staying on top of the critical tasks and think about whether or not this is still the place for you.
3. You're finding yourself way more productive than your co-workers but you're bored or finding yourself with time on your hands. If this sounds like you, then you may have reached your peak in your current job. Especially if you're smart & have a good work ethic, you may have gone as far as your current job can take you. If you're no longer challenged or learning something new, you'll easily find yourself bored and/or ready to move onto something that will help you keep learning and growing in whatever is your chosen field. It's both natural and desirable to find work that will stimulate us and feed our need for feeling like we're contributing something important. Things that come to easily to use will feel like they're less significant than things that take a little more hard work. So, finishing your work quickly and twiddling your thumbs for the rest of the day feels like a waste of your time and talent, and it may be time to pack up & move up to something different.
4. Opportunity is knocking. Sometimes, others recognize potential in us before we do. If people are seeking you out for your expertise or asking for your help, it's probably a sign that they feel you have something valuable to offer. Perhaps it's something related to your current job. I could also be something you just do because you're good at it and you love it - like someone who loves soccer coaching their kid's soccer team - or something you do as a hobby. Learn to recognize these opportunities and take some time to evaluate whether you could turn these into your day job.

5. You're feeling physical signs of distress or discomfort. Oftentimes, our bodies have a way of telling us important things, if only we'd listen. It took me a while to learn this lesson, but once I learned to listen to my body I learned that it had great insight into what was making me happy and what was no longer good for me. I started noticing that every time I drove into my former company's parking garage, I would get a huge headache or my knee or stomach would start hurting, but as soon as I left for the day, I felt better. The stress of simply parking my car at work was making me sick. Admittedly, not everyone may experience physical symptoms, but if you do, and there are no medical reasons for them to be happening (DO get them checked out by your doctor first!), you may want to ask yourself what else might be going on, and if it's work, remind yourself that your job is not worth your physical health.
6. You just need a change. There are times in our lives where we simply feel we need a change. It could be for one of the reasons listed above, it could be to get out of a rut or it could be just to spice up our lives a bit. Perhaps your personal circumstances have changed since you got your job. For me, I got married & had a family, so I felt I needed to find work that allowed me to spend more time at home. Maybe you're looking to move to a different part of the country because you're tired of the heat/cold/whatever. There are a million reasons people need a change, so if this is you, take a look at your individual circumstances and see if changing jobs will give you what you need.
7. You've finally gotten to a place where you're financially secure and you don't need to work. What a great place to be! If you've done the planning or if you've been fortunate enough to come into some money, the time may be right to leave work behind. For some folks, it may mean that now you have the opportunity to follow your passion while for others it may mean just taking a break for a while. Whatever your circumstances, remember that this decision doesn't have to be forever unless you want it to be. If you want to work, you can still work, but since you don't "have to" anymore, you'll have the flexibility to find work that you love. And if you find that you want to re-enter the field you're leaving, just be sure to keep up with your contacts and stay current enough to make that re-entry a less daunting prospect in the future.

These 7 reasons certainly don't cover all the reasons you may want to consider quitting your job, but they touch on some of the more common ones I've seen in my experience as a career counselor.

No matter what situation you find yourself in, be sure to do a couple things before you actually turn in your resignation letter.

• Check your finances to see if you can afford to quit.
• If you can't, then line up another job before you quit the one you're in.
• Be sure not to burn bridges where you currently work - you may need them someday, and you never know if you may end up working for someone who currently seems insignificant to you.
• If you have a family or are in a significant relationship, talk over the decision with them - you may find support where you didn't expect it or you may find that you have more work to do before quitting your job can be a reality.
• Understand the consequences of quitting, and do all you can to prepare yourself to handle them well - both good and bad things can come of a decision to quit, so try to anticipate them and figure out how to respond to each consequence. Once you're comfortable with your hypothetical responses, you're closer to being ready.
• Once you make your final decision to quit, do it with conviction - that way, you'll go out on top and you'll be able to explain to any critics (not that you should have to explain yourself) your clear reasons why quitting is the right decision for you.

Beyond those tips, the actual act of quitting is sometimes a leap of faith. In the end, you have to do what feels right to you, and know that things will work out the way they're supposed to. Good luck!