And to start the New Year off....

I'll be highlighting custom wedding vendors!

As I've begun to focus on weddings, I have come to learn....I know nothing when it comes to the weddings of today. I've been blown away by the difficulties, the things the bride of today needs to be concerned with, but above all the choices! There are some really amazing custom wedding services and products-from invitations to favors and so many things in between. I think you'll be amazed at what can be done. I know I've been.

Here's a sneak peek at my first highlighted vendor-MeNeek Treasures!



Happy New Year!

Love a fresh snow fall!

Written a few years ago after a (at that time) rare snowfall in Washington.


How soft the world looked today
Blanketed in cold, white cotton,
All seemed clean and bright
And happy with innocent delight,
Child smiles on grown, weary faces
And laughter in responsible eyes,
Stepping lightly with slippery feet
and happy with innocent delight.
Tomorrow may bring woes again,
Heavy shoulders and sighs,
But the world was easier today
And happy with innocent delight.

M. Lancaster

WXYZ

I just finished a wonderful poem for a new baby, my favorite kind of poem. This one was extra challenging with two middle names and a W, two X's, a Y and a Z. Not often you come across THAT combination, thank goodness! : )

But the grandmother was very happy with the poem!

Oh my God Melinda, it couldn't be more perfect! You are truly amazing! ...This poem made me have goose bumps and I'm SURE De is going to love it beyond measure! Thank you soooo much!!!

Does me good to make a grandmother happy, and on that note-
A very HAPPY 5th Birthday to my grand-daughter ELY.

Featured on "Ok, Now What?-Bride

"Ok, Now What?-Bride" is a great resource for brides, chock full of tips and ideas, tastefully and colorfully laid out for you. It's vibrant and full of super neat ideas. And check out their post about DKS Verse. They did a great job catching the essentials of custom poetry for weddings.

What to pick, what to pick?

The last two poems I've worked on the main color of the wedding has been lavendar. The first one's embellishment was silver butterflies, but this one is flowers and I'm going back and forth. I think the glittered roses are too big, but I LOVE them, the others are smaller and more elegant.

Here's what clients are saying about their poems!

We had the most amazing wedding ever. I am totally not the kind of person to say so but I wish it wasn't over. I think both of us agree it was the best day of our lives so far! ….Thank you so much for being a part of making it even better than we could've imagined! Jennifer M.


…my postage package was the poem!!!! thank u soooo much!!!!!! it is absolutely gorgeous!!!! im lookin for a frame w/o borders so I can see the corner markers!!! im puttin on display @ the wedding!!!! The hubby is going to love it!!!!! Shay C.

"Immediately we hit it off with Melinda, to the extent we invited her to our wedding. We were amazed at how adept she was at capturing our relationship in words, after just a short meeting. Melinda was also persistent in her effort to make sure everything was exactly as we wanted, with many helpful suggestions. Our satisfaction is evident by the fact our wedding poem is found on the fireplace mantle in our living room. We recommend her without reservations. The poem was a perfect addition to our vows."

Patty & Eric L.

And the Winner is.......

Two actually!

Shay C. was the first person to enter and was given a free poem, she recently celebrated her wedding and read her poem to her husband during the ceremony. The contest winner is Lola M.

Thank you for all those who entered. I will be running another contest in November, just in time for Christmas!

Butterfly Poem

This turned out to be one of my favorite poems. This is an example of a "theme poem". The information given-it's a fall wedding, their wedding song "A walk through the woods" played by a trumpet. They dated on and off until she asked him!

Come, Walk through the Woods
and hear the trumpet call
of a swan lazily swimming
on the chilled waters of Fall,
in a meadow where dances
a mate and butterfly
upon the wind's softly whispered-
"Love cannot be denied"

For once they met upon the field
and passed each other by
for she still wished to grow
and needed some more time;
but he saw something special
in her countenance and face
and she could not forget
his beauty and his grace.

Not long ago she entered
her sheltering cocoon,
growing more beautiful each day,
until she emerged anew.
From there she sought her love
upon wings, strong and wide
and, finding him in the field waiting,
dared ask to be his bride.

He, in joy, did answer
Yes! and now they fly
journeying ever onward
together, side-by-side.
Their colors shame the flowers,
their hearts beat as one;
Come, come Walk through the Woods
to see them dancing in the sun.

Butterflies

I'm working on a new poem, where a butterfly is the theme. Well this just led me to all sorts of wonderful websites and beautiful pictures of butterflies.







but one of the coolest things I found was this. Incredible!

Say Yes to the Dress

Ok, I admit it-my guilty secret pleasure I LOVE "Say Yes to the Dress". And of all the dresses I've seen Pnina Tornei dresses are my favorite. I think she's a poet with her wedding dress designs. Her ballgowns are the best! and bring out the little girl in me and makes it easy to remember how when you're a little girl you dream of your Prince Charming. To Shay and Jennifer-my newest clients-congratulations on finding your Prince Charmings! : )

Cambridge Carnival Day

Cambridge Carnival Day coming this Sunday 12-7 is sure to be a funfilled event for all. Parade, music, food and.....Wiggles Press! Come on up meet myself and other authors, make a spider and enjoy all the fun and excitement!

Jolie Papeterie Boutique

Talk about original! Jolie's custom orders are so unique and lovely. They did some wonderful samples for me.





Now check out these custom thank you cards. Beautiful.

Wedding in the news!

I recently wrote a poem for a wonderful couple, Ed and Erwin. This was my first "Wish Upon a Wedding" poem. Their story was featured in this past Sunday's Washington Post. I was not only touched by the struggles they face as a couple, but by the fact that they adopted a special needs child, something that as Katelin's mom, really touched my heart. They are an extraordinary couple and an inspiration.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day

Quote from Eunice Kennedy Shriver.org homepage


Just received this email from Anthony Shriver and Best Buddies. What a wonderful idea. My brother, Jonathan, does the bike race each year from Boston to Hyannis, his way of helping Katie enjoy the comraderie that Best Buddies gives her.


Dear Friends,

As many of you know, last week marked the first anniversary of my Mother's passing. However, her spirit lives on through our continued commitment to making her vision of full inclusion for individuals with intellectual disabilities a reality.

Accordingly, we are launching the inaugural Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day in her honor. On September 25, 2010, Special Olympics and Best Buddies will lead the world in a celebration of my Mother's inspiration, impact and indomitable spirit. Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day will become an annual celebration of her life, and a global call for people to carry out Eunice Kennedy Shriver Acts of Unity – acts of inclusion, acceptance and unity for and with people with intellectual disabilities.

Suggested Eunice Kennedy Shriver Acts of Unity include: becoming a Special Olympics Unified Sports partner or Best Buddy; volunteering at an NGO related to the disability field or in a special education classroom or learning center (or donating supplies to one); and inviting a peer with an intellectual disability to lunch or a sporting event.

I hope you will join us in this celebration, and in doing so, become an agent of acceptance by embracing Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day's key values of love, social justice, courage, faith and hope. I'd also like to encourage you to take a moment to visit www.eksday.org to add your Eunice Kennedy Shriver Act of Unity, and challenge your friends and family to do the same.

For additional information, please visit www.eksday.org or contact your local Best Buddies office at http://bestbuddies.org/our-programs.

Thank you for your continued support.

Respectfully,
Anthony K. Shriver
Founder and Chairman
Best Buddies International

I was one of hundreds of people who stood outside during her funeral service and the parade of Special Olympians was so touching and though Katelin doesn't do Special Olympics, I know her life and the lives of millions around the world are better because of this one very special woman.

Written for Eunice Kennedy Shriver

There stands a woman on the shore,
steadfast, sure and tall,
and in her hand she holds a torch
that lights the way for all-

For all those less fortunate,
dealt a harsh hand by Fate,
and leads them down the path of Hope-
her footsteps mark the way.

She hands it to the blind man
so he may have his dreams in sight
and to the woman who cannot walk
so that she may stand and fight.

She lifts the little children
who cannot get there on their own
and carries them with tenderness
so that they may know a loving home.

Like many of her family,
who's own torches lit the night
for the multitude of millions
who could not find the light,

she sent a "message of Hope",
a "message of Victory",
and brought to the disabled
deserved Human Dignity.

In homes across America,
in countries 'round the world,
a mother may hope her child
is not forgotten, is not scorned.

So, fare thee well then on your journey
let the stars now light your way,
let a warm wind fill your sails,
and cause you no delay.

While here on Earth we raise our own
hands up to the sky
and with grateful hearts say thank you,
rest easy and goodbye.

M. Lancaster

Katelin makes apple pie!

My family and friends know that my daughter Katelin has Rett Syndrome, a neurological disorder, and at 17 she's really just a very big toddler. Now this has some downsides to it, but it also has some great joys, as I am reminded daily of the wonder in little things. One of Katie's favorite things to do is baking, she loves to pour and mix and squish squash and make a big MESS. All of which she got to do this day.(with Fox who goes everywhere)

Giveaways are in the air!

Guess I'm not the only one having a free handmade/written gift contest. Check out this site for hundreds of free handmade items! It's simple to scroll through and check out the items and see when the contest closes. Who knows? You may get lucky : )!

Win a free poem!

DKS Verse writes custom poetry for weddings, wedding and bridal shower invitations, gifts for the bridal party and all your special occasions. Go to my website and review it! What you like, what you don't like, whether you could see yourself using this service and if so, why; if not, why not. Then send me an email and let me know. The winner will be chosen on Sept. 30! Here's a chance to see what it's all about for FREE! This is up to a $100 value.

I just LOVE the new scanner!

Ok, I'm not a electronic gadget wizard by a long shot. I was so excited when I got a digital camera and realized after weeks I could take a video. But my good friend, Chris, just passed off a scanner and I've been having fun the last couple of days, scanning poems and cards. Here are two of my favorite.

The flower was made by first taking a photograph, then placing it under a sheet of mica and etching the picture on it. Then I glued it over a beautiful rose colored handmade paper, once it dried I cut around the outer etching, added glitter glue to the inside lines. Next, I layered the black background with mulberry paper "leaves" and glued the flower on top of it.

The second is one of my favorite sympathy poems. Each time I do this card it's a litte different because of the papers, but I always try to make them look like a fabric one might find in a quilt.

Handmade paper makes it beautiful

One of my favorite types of custom bordering is using handmade mulberry paper. I use this paper in many of my custom designs. Blue is used as water, white for clouds, maroon and pinks get put in sunsets. (I'd paint, but then again, I can't paint worth a darn, so I use paper instead) But it is also used as a simple border. It can be torn dry, which tends to give an uneven border. If you wet it ( I find a Q--tip works great for this) it feathers in a beautiful way. These are just some samples at how versatile it is.

Blackberries!

One of my favorite things about summer, is blackberry picking. Where we used to live in Marysville, WA, we had tons of blackberries right in our yard. Almost every morning Debbie and Sean would go out and pick me a bowl of blackberries for blackberry pancakes, YUM! This poem is an inspirational piece inspired by the good and the not so good aspects of blackberry picking. : ) Have a great day everyone!

September

Next month will be September and while I look forward to the start of school. It is always bittersweet as 9/11 draws closer. Soon after the attack, I wrote the following poem. In the days that followed I remember editing it over and over as the number of confirmed dead was lowered over and over. This poem will be on sale, matted as it is in the red, white and blue matting, during the month of September. The price will be $15.00. The proceeds will go to benefit the Vietnam Veterans Center in Hyannis. It will be posted on my website www.dks-custompoetry.com

Carousels!

I was inspired by the wonderful Carousel invitations by Jolie Papeterie Boutique to look and see if Heritage Museums and Gardens in Sandwich hosted weddings. And they do! What a great combination the two would make-a wonderful carousel themed wedding!

Updated wedding poem page

Still working on my website and I just added two wedding poems, to show a couple of different styles-one is symbolic but still includes aspects of the couple and the site of the wedding ceremony and the second is more literal, mentioning particular aspects of the couple and their relationship. Both couples loved their poems!

http://www.dks-custompoetry.com/Wedding-Poems.html

Great Review!

One of my favorite guilty pleasures is the handmade soap made by Reef Botanicals. I've gotten more compliments on my skin since I've started to use their products. Larissa and Eric are very crafty people and astonish me with how well they do so many things. In addition to soap, Larissa is quite the facepainter and henna artist. You can see some of her work here-http://njfacepainter.blogspot.com/2010/03/body-painting-alice-in-wonderland.html

Now on to the review! She received two poems from me, one for each of her nephews and was kind enough to review them on her blog. As I mentioned on my website, new baby poems are my favorites as I just love little ones and the promise that each of them holds.

Blogs I Follow: Melinda Lancaster, Author and Poet
I have this friend, Mel. She's not fibbing with that "author and poet," either. She's got a poem hanging in the John F. Kennedy museum in Hyannis, MA. Her currently-published children's book, Tyler and the Spider, is available on Amazon. Of course, I've already got three copies of it, one for each nephew (autographed to them), and one for me and Eric. There are more children's books in the works, and I'll be buying those as well, since her first is great!

Tyler was inspired by her 16-year-old daughter, who's got Rett Syndrome, and therefore occasionally confuses other kids with her inability to behave the same as they do. In it, Tyler awakes to find himself face-to-face with a spider, about which he's heard terrible things. Meanwhile, the spider is terrified of Tyler, having heard similarly frightening news about little boys. Of course, the two realize that their differences are OK and there's nothing to fear.

In addition to her children's books and the poem that is in the JFK museum, Mel takes commissions for personalized poems through her business, DKS Verse. You can contact her about her poetry and keep up with her travels on her Facebook fan page.

I was able to have Mel write a poem for each of my nephews when they were born. They're absolutely wonderful. My sister prefers internet privacy, and Mel used the name of each boy as the first letter of each line of the poems, so I'll only post the one written for my nephew on Eric's side of the family, Zachary Artemus Jensen.

Zeal has no boundries-
it flies throughout the land
And lightens the dark corners
in every heart of Man.
Casting off no shadow,
Hope shines in every soul
Heaven's angels' voices sing-
welcoming him home.
And they are joined in chorus
by Tara's Harp and kings
Reaching out from Ireland's shore.
Now hear the church bells ring.
Yet let the din be quieted
for here lies a sleeping boy,
And wrapped gently in his mother's arms,
her heart is filled with joy,
Reaching out, his hand is joined
by his father's, strong and sure.
Together they will face tomorrow
with love, sweet and pure.
Each passing day will find a boy
one step closer to a man,
Making his way, slowly,
in the best way that he can.
Under God's watchful eye,
his soul will find its way;
Still, time will seem to fly
from tomorrow to yesterday.
Just beyond the setting sun,
The horizon waits for you;
Each day upon your journey there,
may blessings be many, troubles be few.
Never fear that you may stumble
nor that you might even fall,
So many loving hands will catch you
and see you through it all.
Earth holds great promise
it lies not far ahead
Now, though, just rest easy
for angels are singing o'er your bed.

See why I wanted these? She's so incredibly talented!

This is a fantastic idea!

Make a Wish Foundation has certainly inspired a lot of people to pursue similar non-profit paths. Take for instance my own mother with Seniors Have Dreams, Too-a non-profit that grants wishes to seniors who've never had a chance to have "that" dream fulfilled. Today I saw this on weddingwire.com

Wish Upon a Wedding-a non-profit agency that grants weddings to the terminally ill.

http://wishuponawedding.org/
Companies dotate wedding items or services and they are bid on at an auction. The money raised is used to give a wedding to a terminally ill person. This is an awesome idea, and I've already signed up to donate a poem. Check it out, donate if you can, or maybe you can nominate someone. I think the world is a wonderful place!

Now on Wedding Wire, too!

This is a great site that I found from Jolie Papeterie Boutique.
www.weddingwire.com
I've been bouncing around in there for a couple of days now, and whew! there's a lot. All kinds of tips and advice. It looks to be a great resource for brides and vendors alike!

DKS Verse now on The Knot!

As of TODAY! DKS Verse is now a vendor on The Knot, one of the premier wedding sites in the country. The Knot is just overflowing with great ideas for your wedding including now, DKS Verse. Check out The Knot at www.theknot.com or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/theknot?v=wall

And the day was.......

Perfect! Patty and Eric "tied the knot" on July 10th and the day couldn't have been more wonderful. There was a little rain (because rain on your wedding day is supposed to be good luck) and then the sun broke through just in time for the bride to walk down the path to the beach. I enjoyed meeting members of their families and friends. Many would think the highlight for me was the reading of the poem during the service, not so. The highlight for me was seeing the smiles on their faces when they were pronounced husband and wife! A truely joyous day.

Welcome!

Debbie, my dad, Sean
Katie
My brother, Jonathan and my mother
Ely, Josiah, Callan and Surrey
Angie, Andrea, Preston, me and the grandkids

Custom poetry is all about those special people in your life.

It's a great honor to get to know you as I write your poem-you have to let me in to your memories, thoughts and feelings. So, I'd like to introduce you to those most special to me-Meet the family and know that when I write for you-I write with as much care, thought, and compassion as when I write for my own family.