Ashley Hackshaw, Author at Ashley Hackshaw / Lil Blue Boo

Have the Day You Have

February 16, 2013 by Ashley Hackshaw

Early yesterday morning Boo brought me a vase with a dead leaf in it….stating that she was keeping it alive…..so that it would grow into a tree. I told her it wouldn’t work. She insisted it would….until I explained that it didn’t have roots…..not to mention it was already dried out. I’m not sure what set her off but she got so upset over the dead leaf that I promised her that this weekend I’d show her how to make terrarium. She never forgets a thing….because it was the first thing she mentioned this morning.

We went to Lowe’s early this evening and picked out the perfect little succulents. While we were there one of the employees asked if we like owls….we said yes…..and he told us to go to aisle 5. There in the rafters was the most beautiful owl…..it looked at us for a while…..and we looked back for another while. Boo “hoo’d” a few times and after a staring contest it took off……with a huge 6 foot wingspan. But it didn’t go far…..it flew up to the outside wall of the garden center where its mate was sitting.

Boo: You know….Daddy and I were here this morning at Lowe’s.
Me: What?!
Boo: While you were still sleeping…..

I didn’t think I’d make it out today…..I had such a horrible migraine last night and this morning. I think I used my brain too much yesterday. And then my pelvis was hurting….I have a CT scan next week. I woke up and the house was eerily quiet…..Boo had left me a little pillow that had our photo on it and a flashcard that read “Jesus” on my nightstand. It made me laugh. Mr. LBB and Boo had let me sleep in and I felt like I was missing out on the day. I had already had to cancel breakfast with my friend Shari. And then……those owls….ever feel like there are just little gifts waiting for you? And I’m always looking around and taking in where I am…..but I don’t think I would have ever looked up into the rafters. Those owls can be quiet and mysterious you know.

Anyway, Boo got to make her terrarium…plus one….and filled them with succulents. You know what I love about succulents? They are so cute and plump. I just have this uncontrollable urge to squeeze them…..but Boo cried over an already dead leaf….so could you imagine?

“About my leaves, I gave them all away, because that’s what you do with gifts.”

-Timothy Green

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The Hummingbird

February 14, 2013 by Ashley Hackshaw

I keep thinking about that little hummingbird that was following Boo around the other day. I love that so many of you said it was my dad shadowing her as she handed out her little boxes. My friend Megan sent me this today:

It says:

Legends say that hummingbirds float free of time, carrying our hopes for love, joy and celebration.

The hummingbird’s delicate grace reminds us that life is rich, beauty is everywhere, every personal connection has meaning and that laughter is life’s sweet creation.

It’s true.

Life IS rich.

Beauty IS everywhere.

Every meeting we have, no matter how brief, has meaning.

I wanted to tell more of the story behind the video.

The man that picked up the box in the little movie: he opened it and said he didn’t think it was meant for him. Boo insisted that he take it…..and give it to someone grumpy. First he jokingly gave it to his friend. (implying that he was grumpy)……then he put it in his inside coat pocket. I wonder who he handed it off to?

We were standing at a crosswalk and I whispered “Boo, what about the lady standing behind us?” Boo had a box in her hand and looked back at the young woman. She started to hand her the box and then hesitated…..she asked me to lean down and whispered in my ear: Can I have one of the OTHER boxes? She reached into my bag and looked through all of them until she found the one she wanted to give the young woman. It read: YOU ARE PRETTY. She gave Boo a huge hug.

The young man in Starbucks…..he’s always so nice to every single customer. Boo placed her order for a muffin and as we were leaving she said “I want him to have a box”…..so she cut back in front of the line and I heard “This is for ME?”

The woman at the end of the video where the bracelet pops out…..she was just visiting. Boo was so excited that one of her boxes would be making it all the way back to Canada.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Top 10 Party Tips and Behind the Scenes

February 14, 2013 by Ashley Hackshaw

Behind the Scenes: A Beauty Salon Glam Birthday Party with Mini Doll Salon via lilblueboo.com

Here’s the behind the scenes from Boo’s party and some of my tips for preparing a similar party….or any party for that matter! You can see the full original Party Post with all the pretty photos here.

The decor was actually pretty simple.

I like to set up one main food and treat table that is the backdrop of the party…..hanging different types of poms. I bought the pink tissue poms this year but the rest of the poms are from past parties. The lanterns are great because they are large and fold flat easily. I just recycle them all and repaint them if necessary. Spray paint is a great way to get all decor to match perfectly!

I have a sun problem on our patio for early parties….so last year I bought 2 bolts of 108″ muslin to cover the entire patio and block out the sun! We hang it from the roof (a few gallon jugs filled with water are great to keep it in place if you have a flat patio…..other wise a few nails can keep it up)….it folds up easily for storage too. The best part is that I can pin bunting and other party decor to it…..and you can create a great backdrop for photos.

I always buy generic type items that can be reused year after year. I also look for items that can be packed away easily in a large bin. I just re-spraypaint items to match the new theme. I have large white bowls and platters that can be used with any theme. I use large paper mache nesting boxes and hat boxes to add height to the tables (just re-spraypaint them!)

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