Blow Out {the candles} SALE!

Go, Emmy, it's your birthday!

If you know me, you know that I love a shindig of any kind.  my favorite vision is a backyard table scape complete with all the twinkle lights, champagne, laughter and a little one man band on the side.  So, there you go, if you ever wanted to throw me the PERFECT par-tay, DONE!

My birthday is always Memorial Day weekend so school celebrations and friends showing in attendance was never something i counted on each year.  Sounds so pitiful but the older i've gotten the more I have relished in this long weekend the calendar lays aside to celebrate ME....oh yeah, and all those that serve our country like my own daddy!

So, this year I want to share the joy and put on a fun birthday sale shindig!

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Enjoy my pals!  This sales on me....or for me??  not sure how that works if it's my birthday but i'm the one giving stuff??  Either way, have fun shopping!!

with joy~em

HELLOOO HEALTHY!

Hey there, healthy!

So, I have to confess before any of this info that I was raised to be a fairly healthy eater.  As a child of the 80s and a very "good food" conscious mother, there was no hope for me being hooked on bi-product chicken nugget happy meals or mashed potatoes from an Ore-Ida box.  Nope, never, not happening at the Ruff family crib.  The only time we ever "went out to eat" was on cross country trips in the family station wagon with wood grain siding and even then we were LUCKY to do that because my mother had totally thought ahead of us.  She had packed sandwiches the night before, complete with lettuce in a separate bag {so it didn't dare get soggy} and chips distributed in "baggies", not the easy pre packaged kind we snatch today.  We may get lucky and stop at a SERVICE station for a fun drink but that was only, and I mean only, if one of us had to use the restroom or my dad was so desperate for gas that he was already considering who would help push had he waited until the next exit.

i know it's hard but please don't be jealous!  and who needed to be facing forward when you could sit backwards....or on the floorboard to sleep?!?

With all that prefaced, life does happen and college does take a toll on our bodies....or it did in the 90s.  {I'm still not sure why these skinny little college co-eds don't take advantage of the freshmen 40 like we all did.  It truly was some fun times and we were all in it together!}  Looking back I'm pretty sure that my body was NOT a wonderland and the inside was screaming for some sort of cleansing that Jesus just didn't provide!

Fast forward to TODAY!  Today, I am super conscious of what I ingest, slather on my face and even feed my own children {like mother like daughter whether you like it or not, gals!}.  I'm thankful that I don't struggle with food battles because I had a mother and grandmothers that instilled upon me that true beauty was in an Oil of Olay bottle!  HA!!!  No, they raised me to believe that Jesus gave me self worth; not the size of my jeans, the color of my hair or the trophies that gather dust.  So, when I was asked by my precious friends at Arbonne to participate in the 30 day Clean Eating Boot Camp I jumped at the opportunity for several reasons.

First, Arbonne has been around for more than 35 years.  It is a company that I know a lot about and trust every ingredient they put into their products.  Second, getting healthy from the inside out is always a good idea and I will talk more on that as this challenge goes on.  And third, I have a daughter.  Silly reason maybe but I want her to grow with the same understanding that her outward appearance or size makes no difference in the end if her 'insides' are full of toxic ideas and negative perception of herself.  AND.....the metaphor for the win!  hee hee!

So, I will be blogging about my results, good and bad, as much as possible during the next 30 days.  I am not getting any endorsement for this.  It's more to keep myself accountable than anything else honestly.  I love the reps in MS for Arbonne and will support them til I die {but healthy though of course!}

Follow along for some good recipe ideas, honesty of sugar depravation and obviously the honesty of where I am these days when it comes to our image and how we need to turn the emphasis back to the heart instead of what fades away.

***ask me any questions you have too***

with joy ~

Splashin' into Summer

Summer around here comes early and seems to end earlier every year too.  It's my favorite time of year even though it's unbelievable hot down south.  i love the idea of no alarms, pjs til noon and beaches with friends {with a frozen beverage too of course}.

As i reflect on the last quarter of business i am continuously blown away at the growing love and support for RDP!  y'all seriously rock!  I want to continue to offer one-of-a-kind pieces that are high quality and thoughtful at the same time.  

To continue to do so i finally have accepted that LESS IS MORE, just not when it comes to ice cream!  We are going to implement a new work flow for custom work so we can, 1. spend more time with family and 2, dive into custom projects with the sincerity and devotion they deserve.

So, RDP is limiting the amount of custom jobs it takes on every month to 4 for the next few months.  we will reevaluate this number at the end of July to see if that number should decrease, stay the same or increase.  we promise to be honest there and not let you down!

please don't leave us or run for the fill-in birthday invitations somewhere.  and if you do, just don't let us know!!!  {totally kidding, not kidding}  We feel that RDP has an inventory of invitations, notecards and more that fits everyone's needs and still sets you apart when that amazing piece reaches a mailbox!

here is the updated Custom Order Information......

these are the new "guidelines" and information

Our Etsy shop will reopen June 20th so don't forget to browse around there as well.  AND....at the end of July we will debut a beyond amazing line of products that has been in the works since February and you won't want to miss that.

Be sure to sign up for our emails {we don't send anything you don't want to see} and we will be back next week with a special guest blog post!.....now scroll to the bottom for a fun "thank you for reading" surprise :)

with joy ~ emily, RDP

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Summer Special :: Add one of these to your cart and get 5% off {coupon code : summer}

some not so RUFF changes!

Change is inevitable.  I may be one of the strange ones that doesn't mind change and actually finds it refreshing, but then again, i know that's not the norm for most.

When i sat down to reevaluate where Ruff Draft Papers is and where I want it to be this year, I knew that changes had to be made and made with a joyful heart of thanksgiving.  He has done more than i could ever have thought to ask of my business.  Isn't that just the way He shows off in most everything we think WE have planned.....bigger and always better are His plans for us!  I have to trust that God has this business in His hands and that means i LISTEN {super hard to do sometimes because you have to stop talking long enough to hear} to the direction i feel pointed.

Here are some changes happening officially on April 1st......

• pricing for all invitations and products will increase slightly
• a custom design fee will be applied to all "from scratch" work/designs {$5 of this fee is applied towards final purchase}
• a custom design contract will be sent to customers requesting such work and work will only begin once contract is signed and submitted
• we are adding to our product lines to offer you more fabulous gift options!
• shipping prices have increased across the country.....hate this one but that means we have to do the same :(
• orders over $80 will receive FREE 2-day shipping!!!

Here's a NON-professional quick video to give you a little update.  just in case you are an auditory and visual learner :)

we are working hard to update the site with all of the changes so please be patient with us and let us know of any suggestions you may have as well....we love feedback!!!  

with joy ~ em