1000 Pillows

To Learn…Is To Live

There are no boundaries to the limitless situations that occur in life
Take the moments and let them encompass you one at a time
Do not get stuck in regret rather take what you can from experience

Remember only what is important and let the rest go
Make memories daily and write down the fantastic
Live in your life not outside of it

Close your ears to the sounds of negativity
Work in several directions until you find your compass
Strive to reach a goal and then try again

Let love ooze from your pores even if it is not from your heart
Move away from pain and find comfort in what makes you smile
Take words seriously, but laugh often enough to cry

Listen to your body and learn its language
To be whole is to be able to hear what is within
Keep track of the signs and move forward

See completely all around you and not narrowly
To grow is to have vision internally and externally
A life without purpose is closed

Find something that is relevant and make it yours
Water the ideas that grow in your brain
Do not root in one field because it may be fallow

Talk to God often and be thankful
There is nothing wrong with asking for help
When all else fails remember there is tomorrow

I think one of the most important and romantic thing to do when you are in a relationship is write each other love letters. One of my favorite books is The 50 Greatest Love Letters of All Time.

My husband won me over with love letters because we dated long distance for almost a year. Here is one in particular that means the world to me:

~F

Articles, and everything that is happening in the world is very much what I enjoy. Your softness, and the time You take to share it brings me back a bit. You make me want to put the paper down, to listen to what is inside You. I cannot tell You how much I want to spend time reading what You have sent me, especially your poem. I leave your emails open during the day so that I can go back and reread them. Thank You !

The words below are not mine, but they affect me the same way You do. I have never met anyone like You, but at every turn, I Love who You are. I enjoy the prospect of, another date, another day. This poem may be a bit much for two people that have spent so little time with each other. But I want You to have this today, not tomorrow. I hesitate only because it is so revealing. So intimate. I feel no guilt about anything that I have shared with You. Anything we have done…especially our intimacy.

Thank You for sending me something that inspires You. As I have said, I don’t ever want You to stop.

I NEED TO KNOW

I need to know that I am loved
Far beyond coffee in the morning and a favorite meal.
I need eyes looking at me as if there is no other left on earth
Words to tell me why I have been chosen from all the rest
I need caresses, love notes, an arm locked in mine,
Fingers on my face, hands brushing back my hair.
I am strong only in my capacity to endure pain,
In my determination not to be overwhelmed by
shadows that appear without permission
and endure without reason.
I am strong in confronting the fears that match each decade of my life,
In not looking back with guilt and regrets,
In my persistent reassurance that all my dreams will be realized.
I am strong when it is essential to someone that I live,
Unthinkable that I die, unbearable that I disappear,
A love that goes all out without reservation or calculation,
A love of total trust and total loyalty.
A love that can last until I breathe my last breath and
gaze my last gaze – at You,
When I am finally glad that I have lived
Because I know how much I have been loved.

─James Kavanaugh

I just wanted to wish everyone a happy holiday season. If any of you are still looking to give Christmas Gifts please consider giving the gift of hope and life by donating to Aplastic Anemia Foundation.

A great way to use leftover fabrics is to take one of your favorite cookie recipes, bake them, use the fabric and a piece of yarn to make a beautiful DYI Christmas gift guaranteed to put a smile on anyone’s face.

One of my favorite Christmas Cookies to make is the Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookie. The photo and recipe is from Whole Foods.

For the Recipe click here: Merry Christmas!

The Love story continues… I absolutely, unequivocally hate to fly. I know it’s one of the safest ways to travel, but I just can’t get myself to calm down while on a plane. As the Southwest flight sat on the runway at LAX to prepare for take-off all I could do was pray. I could not believe that three weeks had past and I was on my way back home to Chicago.

The captain’s voice crackling in and out on the speakers announced that we were preparing for takeoff. As the plane started to pull away from the gate I quietly began chanting, “Find a happy place… Find a happy place.” I wish there was a shot for this kind of thing. Something that you sign up for in advance so that when you get on the plane a flight attendant injects you with a happy serum; you pass out, and then wake up at your destination. No feeling of jumping out of your skin from fear, stomach acid from nervousness or needing a barf bag. “Fasten your seatbelts folks cuz here we go!” said the captain. I looked over to the right of me for moral support, but the woman sitting next to me was already snoring. “Really,” I need to be on whatever she is on. No luck to the left of me because the ipod and ear phones were plugged into said human. “Ugh!, how do people do this on a regular basis?” Read more»

Welcome to 1000 Pillows. This blog was originally created to sell 1000 handmade pillows to raise money for my wedding, but sometimes life has other plans in store. John and I decided not to wait until we could raise money for the wedding because my grandmother is sick and we wanted to make sure she would be able to celebrate our dream with us so we got married early on 11/28/09.

Many people have asked me to continue writing our love story and making pillows so I will continue. For each pillow I sell, I will donate 50 percent to the Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation in hope for a cure. The goal is to raise $2900 because my brother died at the age of 29.

Please join me weekly as I continue the love story and make pillows for a greater cause.

To contact me please email me at frances(at)1000pillows.com

The Love Story Continues…Friday: Have you ever eaten so much that your stomach looks like it is three months pregnant? I stood in Joel’s bathroom and was caught off guard by how huge my belly looked this morning. I was bloated from days of feasting and I had yet another dinner planned for this evening that included John. I had to get over this quickly so that I could fit into my cute dress. This Girl was in need of a remedy STAT!

I quickly bolted to Joel’s kitchen to whip together an old family remedy to get myself back to normal. I took a lemon, boiled some water, found some honey, a little cayenne pepper and some fresh ginger….Mixed them all together to make the perfect witches brew. For as much as I love to eat, I have always had an unhappy stomach and digestive tract so my mom used to come up with concoctions that she would get from health books to ease my pains. Down the hatch! Read more»

John and I got married in Chicago on November 28, 2009. It was fantastic! The weather was sunny and in the 50’s. I could not have asked for a better day! My grandmother made it to the wedding and that was the best gift that I could have asked for. She is currently in the hospital and fighting an infection, but we are hoping for the best!

Thank you for all of your well wishes! I will continue the love story and pillow making on this blog because many of you have asked me to do so.

However, 50 percent of all money made from any pillow I sell will be donated to the Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation in the name of my brother, Americo Palladino who passed away almost five years ago because of this disease. The goal is to raise $2900 because he died at the age of 29. My hope is that some day they find a cure!

So please join me as I update the love story and create a new pillow weekly for a greater cause!

Much love,

Frances

To all of you who have supported this blog, I wanted to let you know that John and I have decided not to wait any longer or do a super expensive wedding. My grandmother’s health is fading and I really want her to be a part of our day so we decided to get Married over the Thanksgiving Holiday in Chicago. We are going to have a small ceremony of just close family and friends and a dinner party.

Many of you have written to me to ask that I continue the love story so I will. I have a lot of planning to do in the next few weeks so I will not update the love story until after the wedding.

1000pillows will take a new turn starting December. It will be the story of our love and I can’t wait to continue telling it.

Love,
Frances & John

I recently discovered a fabulous place called Melange Apothecary in Sherman Oaks a few weekends ago with John. We walked in and I immediately fell in love with the intimate fragrance that invites you into the the shop.
John and I spent an hour customizing a perfect blend of eau de parfum made with hints of chocolate and fig. The owner blended my choices and guided John through the process of what additional scents she could add to make the perfume tantalizing to his senses. I loved discovering what peeked John’s interest.

I highly recommend spending some time with the man in your life in a place like Melange Apothecary to learn what scent makes you irresistible to him.

The convenient roll-on applicator delivers the perfect dose of fragrance and is great to carry in your purse or pocket. The budget friendly price of $18 for a scent that is customized to make your man go crazy for you, is well worth the price!

This pillow is no longer available for purchase.

Love Story continues…Life always seems to have its own plan for me. There is constantly a struggle when it comes to control. Some people know exactly what they are doing and when, while others get a clue along the way. I knew what I wanted to accomplish and what I needed to be responsible for in life, but it forever seems to have a bit of a different plan for Me! Instinct can only take one so far. I am learning that it is necessary to just let go.

Coming to Los Angeles may have been a test run for Boston. Boston would bring me relief or challenge my ability to accept some of the things that have happened in my life. To understand solace. Being alone, as I have mentioned before, was never needed or possible. I didn’t know how to be still, much less far from home. My Home… Alone…Quiet. I didn’t know what those words meant after so many years of being surrounded by people. Too many people. Too much of what everyone else always wanted but not enough time for me to decide what my favorite drink was or what Chicken Tika Masala was, or Pho, or real French Onion soup! Read more»

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