Check out these fun Mothers Day gift ideas from Bliss Boutique...

Studio 5...

Don't forget to tune into ksl's Studio 5 on Thursday at 11:00 am to see some of our fun Mother's Day gift ideas! We will have something for every mom and every budget...Happy Mother's Day everyone, you can thank me later:)

THE BLISSFUL BOUTIQUE IS ALMOST HERE!

We are SO excited about the fun event we are putting on...This weekend is our first ever "BLISSFUL BOUTIQUE" and let me tell ya, you do not want to miss this one! We have some of the cutest new products and accessories you have ever seen. I have been searching the state over for the last 2 months and am bringing the most talented vendors in Utah so be prepared to be wowed! And don't forget to bring mom, we have so many ideas for Mother's Day you wil be sure to find something she will love...See you all this weekend!

Changes...

Ok, so most of you know that the last year has been a super challenging one for me and my family with our sweet little Cooper and all of his problems and heart surgeries. I just love him more than words can say and I am SO happy to report that his last surgery went great and he is home again and doing well! I am SO relieved, and as I sat up at the hospital with him night and day I had a lot of time to think about things...life in general and how I want mine to be.

It is a bit scary having a "heart baby" especially one with the problems Cooper has. Although his surgery was successful there is still a chance that the subaortic membrane will return, requiring more and more open-heart surgeries. The thought of having a lifetime of surgeries is of course not appealing to me but no matter what I do I cannot make it all better. It's just one of those things in life that is out of my control and I hate not being in control! Seeing him go through so much the last few weeks has really made me realize how much he truly needs me. Although he is back to his busy, happy little self he still needs me and will continue to need me everyday, and so do my other 2 darling boys.

For the last 3 years I feel like I have been doing a balancing act...being a photographer, running a boutique, being a wife, mom, sister, daughter, friend, neighbor, YW leader, etc, etc, etc...it is just starting to become a bit much for me. I used to be pretty dang good at the whole balancing thing, people would ask me all the time how I did it and to be honest I didn't think twice about any of it. I loved my job and I loved my family and it all just worked. Sure it was stressful sometimes, but I made it work...but when all of this started happening with Cooper everything came crashing down and now I don't know how to get the balance back in my life.

I want to be the best mommy I can be and I want to live my life with no regrets. Going through this trial has made me realize just how precious life is and I want to enjoy every single minute with my boys...they just grow up too darn fast!

I am torn because I love my job so much and I have put so much time, money, effort, and energy into it that there is just no way I could call it quits and I don't think it would make me a better person if I did either. I love it too much and it is now a part of me...a part of me that I can't let go of. So, after thinking about this decision for quite awhile I have decided that I am going to try something new with the boutique and I hope you all like it! It is the new and improved version of my "balancing act." I have decided that instead of being open 5 days a week like I have been doing for the past 2 years I am going to try something new and we will be open every other weekend for a little "blissful boutique." We will be open every other Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and select holidays as well and we will be bringing you even more hot new trends and fun accessories for everyone!

I will be hand-picking each vendor myself and it will be a big event with treats, fun things to do, and the hottest new fashions and products in Utah! I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS! I think it will be great because I will now be able to offer so many fun things that I just didn't have the room to carry before and I will also be able to offer new things every week without putting so much of my own time and money into doing it all. It will allow me to still do my photography, keep my awesome building, put on an amazing boutique on the weekends and spend more time with my boys and hubby...it's a win-win situation, don't you think?!

If you are interested in being a part of the boutique please contact me asap for details. Space is limited and is already going super fast! I have already got some great vendors lined up for our April boutique and I can't wait for you all to see what I have in store for you! I appreciate your support more than you will ever know and I hope the boutique will continue to be a success. Every year it seems to grow more and more and I feel so blessed to be a part of something so great! Thank you and check back soon for more exciting news...

Utah Group Helps "Heart Babies" And Their Families | Utah News, KUTV, 2News, Utah Community

Here's the clip from the news story we did for channel 2 news. It aired the night before Cooper went in for surgery. You can view the clip by clicking on the blue link below...

Utah Group Helps "Heart Babies" And Their Families | Utah News, KUTV, 2News, Utah Community

When Ashlie Bundy found out her baby Cooper had a heart problem, it hit her like a ton of bricks. “I just thought, you are kidding me,” said Ashlie. Cooper’s pediatrician detected a problem during a check-up. Soon Cooper was having open heart surgery to repair holes in his heart. Although Ashlie said she and her husband had plenty of support from family and friends, she felt somewhat alone. “Of course they were there for us to vacuum our floors, bring us dinner. But they don’t know how I feel. They can’t know how I feel,” she said.

That feeling of being all alone was the same thing feeling Carolyn Quigley had years ago, when her newborn daughter Hope underwent surgery for a heart defect. Carolyn, who at that time was a first time mom, was overwhelmed with the responsibility of taking home a newborn, fresh out of surgery. Quigley’s daughter only lived a few months and after she got over her pain, she did not forget that feeling of loneliness. She helped found Intermountain Healing Hearts. “It’s about parents helping other parents,” she said of the group.

Intermountain Healing Hearts is a volunteer, non-profit group. IHH serves families who are in the hospital with a child who is having heart surgery. Quigley said the group’s mission is simple: “The goal is for families to know they are not alone. That there are other families who have been there.” Quigley said often, families whose children have heart surgery make an unexpected, fast trip to the hospital. Some parents travel from neighboring states and have no time to pack clothing. Often those parents have no idea what the surgery will be like and they are not familiar with complicated medical terms and procedures. IHH visits the parents at Primary Children’s Medical Center. The volunteers lend the families in the hospital an ear, they provide food and help them find a place to sleep (if they are from out-of-town). The group also has a “goodie” bag with things like snacks and even socks to keep mom’s feet warm in the hospital room. The group has also written a handbook that explains surgery, after care and other important information to parents. Quigley said the group’s volunteers will be as involved as the family wants.

For Ashlie, the involvement was limited, mostly calls to check on her family and Cooper, but those calls were invaluable to her. Cooper, who is almost two, had another heart surgery the second week of March. Mom reports he is doing well.

For more information go to: www.intermountainhealinghearts.org

Ashlie Bundy makes heart-themed jewelry to help IHH. More information at: www.thehopefulhearts.com

Update...

I just wanted to give everyone a quick update...Things have been a bit crazy for me and my family lately. First of all, shortly after Christmas we did some remodeling in the store. We painted, got new carpet, and of course we also got tons of new inventory so you really need to come in and check it out! Spring is just around the corner and we have some awesome things coming up:)

Also, some of you might know this already, but we just found out that our sweet little baby Cooper is going to need another open-heart surgery on March 1st. I appreciate all of your love, comments, and concern for him and our family and I am hoping all will go well and I will be back to shooting again just in time for Spring. The boutique will continue to be open during normal business hours and we have now extended our Saturday hours too, we will now be open:

Tuesday-Saturday 11:00-5:00

So come in and see the new look and have fun shopping! I appreciate your patience as I get through this tough time with my baby. If you are wanting to schedule a sitting please call or e-mail me and I will get back to you asap...thanks,

Ashlie

ashlie@blissphotographyandboutique.com

801-380-3284

btw: if you want updates on how our little Cooper is doing you can visit his heart blog www.hopefulhearts.blogspot.com

Bliss boutique is having a Halloween Party!!!

Ok, as crazy as it sounds the holidays are pretty much here and we are having an awesome sale to help jump start your Christmas shopping this year! We will be debuting a ton of fun new products, having yummy treats and of course a great sale! I am offering $25 off any photography sitting and the boutique is having some crazy deals too...how does 3o% off of designer jeans sound or maybe buy one get one free on all snuggle luv products for your little ones? You don't want to miss this one...tell your friends and join us on Thursday, October 22nd anytime from 11-8...see ya there:)