Bonhoeffer and Children

Dietrich Bonhoeffer has always been a fascinating character to me, ever since I heard about him in my Catholic high school. Recently I purchased Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas. Tim Keller wrote the foreword for it, so that was another reason why I figured it might be worth a look. It is. The book is very well written and engaging. After a 100 pages into it, I completely commend it to you. Here is a quote from about the brilliant but also pastoral Bonhoeffer regarding academia and children's ministry.

"Bonhoeffer began to wonder whether he ought to pursue the life of a pastor rather than that of an academic. His father and brothers thought that would be a waste of his great intellect, but he often said that if one couldn't communicate the most profound ideas about God and the bible to children, something was amiss...." pg 64

The one who is truly bright can communicated deep truth in ways that all can understand it. Here's to growing in wisdom for the sake of the children.

Hairstyle Look Book: The Poof

Happy Monday, Dolls!  We had a crazy hot weekend here in NJ and spending so much time outdoors in this weather  is certainly not doing wonders for our hair.  Even the sleekest hair can turn into a puffy frizz ball in just a matter of minutes, so what's a girl to do? Find a great style that is versatile & keeps the hair off your face! Sky high or slightly teased,  the poof is one of our favorite, most versatile, hair trends for the summer.  This simple look is an easy fix for those of us looking to beat the humidity and looks sleek and sexy regardless of if you're wearing your hair down or up! It's perfect for a day at the beach, a night out with the girls, and even for a wedding (both as a guest and bride!).  All you really need is a couple bobby pins, a comb, and some hair spray and voila! Instant poofage! Of course you could always cheat and get a Bump It (although we haven't figured out how to use ours just yet), but whatever you decide, wear your hair tall and proud like the confident girl you are!

Happy teasing!

XOXO

Jen & Saira

Oil and Water and Prayer

Since BP can't figure out how to clean up, or rather, stop their mess, some folks have turned this into an opportunity for corporate prayer.

Bobby Moynihan - When In Rome (on Blu-ray)

When In Rome is now on Blu-ray, and to celebrate it, here's a bad review of Bobby Moynihan:

And speaking of intolerable, "SNL" star Bobby Moynihan pops up now and then to screech like a wounded monkey as Nick's beer-swilling, improv-silly BFF, tearing around the frame as if there wasn't even a director on-set.

Read the full review here:

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/44203/when-in-rome/

Now about THE BLU-RAY:

Visual:

The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) preserves the golden cinematographic intention of the film, which provides a glow to the Roman antics to submit a proper romantic mood.

Audio:

The 5.1 DTS-HD sound mix provides a full sonic experience, with heavy emphasis on slapstick acrobatics and soundtrack selections, which retain a proper punch of low-end beats to help the movie bounce along.


Extras:

"Alternate Opening & Ending" (7:17) includes Beth's first-act encounter with a drunk partygoer and tough security, and a last-act gag with a mummified Jon Heder.

"Crazy Casanovas: Mischief from the Set" (12:28) is a making-of featurette, interviewing cast and crew about their experiences on the set and how well they interacted with one another. At one point, Kristen Bell is described as having "the body of a young woman and the soul of the Marx Brothers." That's exactly that type of promotional gobbledygook being served here.

"Extended Pain with the Suitors" (2:39) is actually the original title of "When in Rome." I kid. The supplement consists of three brief deleted scenes with the smitten boobs as they participate in an art installation.

"Kerplunk! Bloopers from Rome" (3:07) is a dreary affair, showcasing tired mix-em-ups from the cast as they deal with faulty improvisations and props.

"Deleted Scenes" (7:45) bring around more hysteria for Beth as she attempts to reverse the curse and juggle male advances, offers more sexual forwardness from Al, extended mummification with Lance, spies a naked lady painting of our heroine, and includes a brief scene with the suitors as they submit a few more jokes.

"Music Videos" for "Starstrukk" (by 3OH!3 Featuring Katy Perry) and "Stupid Love Letter" (by Friday Night Boys) are presented.

Enjoy!

Why pray?

When people are super-practical like myself, we often wonder whether it makes a difference if we pray or don't pray for someone. Guilt isn't a good or biblical motivator, but I think knowing that your prayers do make a difference in the lives of others can spur us on to a more faithful prayer life. Check out what Paul says in Philippians regarding the importance of praying for him:

NIV Philippians 1:19 "....for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance."

Paul credits the help given him by the Spirit of Jesus, aka the Holy Spirit, and the prayers of God's people. Just some encouragement to realize that prayers really do make a difference. I think the Spirit picks up any "slack" from God's people, but nevertheless, it is cool to see that God's people partner in prayer so that God's people can persevere in trials.

Showers of Stationary

Today's post is brought to you by our good friend and self proclaimed stationary snob, Hillary.  Hillary, a PR professional from Cranford, NJ,  is the first of the fabulous guest bloggers we have lined up for you this summer and we can't thank her enough for being kind enough to write for us and help us out.  So, without further ado, here's Hillary's first post, "Showers of Stationary".



With summer comes weekends of sunshine, shorts and swimsuits but don’t forget what other season it is – the season of bridal and baby showers! As you look up gift registries and head to Babies ‘R’ Us, don’t overlook one important aspect of your shower gift – the card of course! Here is a handful of classy cards, and notes of where to find them, you might consider accompanying your gifts this season:

These bridal and baby greeting cards by Snow and Graham can be picked up from NJ and NY gift shops including one of my favorites – Perch Home in Maplewood, NJ. If you don’t live near Essex County, NJ take a look at where other Snow and Graham cards are sold in your area here.

This Welcome Baby card by Eggpress is not over the top with ducks and diapers as most baby stationary is! The modern colors and bold print are great!  You can find Eggpress stationary at various shops in your area.

This Wiley Valentine card will shower any bride-to-be with the happy thoughts you send her way. Find this card and others in your area by checking out their website!  

Looking for something a little more magnifique?  This French-inspired new baby card from Smock, the first US Letterpress shop to print on Bamboo paper, is tres bien!

And, finally,this sweet pea letterpress card by Papyrus is both simple and subtle.  Find this card and many of the company’s other glittery, colorful cards at their stores throughout the tri-state area as well as at Target or Borders near you.

Thanks to Hillary for contributing to Paper Doll Romance with this great stationary post!  Leave comments to make her feel loved and be sure to check back for more posts from Hillary in July and August!

XOXO,

Jen & Saira 

The inevitables: Death, Taxes, and Soccer

Well the world cup is here and I guess that's kind of cool. I do enjoy a game or two, although I'm not a huge fan of an 0-0 tie. Of course one thing that even the most erudite soccer snob can't deny is that soccer always leads to death. The questions is just how much death (now to be fair, soccer does have more fans so I guess one could argue that's the reason). This may not be the first death associated with the World Cup, but it is definitely the most bizarre. A man is beaten to death because he wanted to watch soccer, but the rest of the family wanted to watch a "gospel" show. I don't know what kind of "gospel" it was, but I'm venturing to say it might have been "another gospel" like Paul mentioned in Galatians 1.