conversation starter guest books.

How often have you picked up the pen and frozen, mid-stroke, after writing “Congratulations”? Each and every time I am faced with writing something in a guest book I panic. I try to think of something short + witty, or something profound, or something heartfelt and I always come up with a lame “congratulations and best wishes” (straight out of a Hallmark greeting card, published in 1968).

I love words. I am full of them. I just hate the pressure of a one-line message that is inevitably going to be filed away somewhere until the day it is dragged out at a couple’s 50th anniversary or the baby’s sweet 16 birthday party to my embarrassment.

Cue Martha, who has done it again. She’s inspired us to step outside of our guest-book-comfort-zone and into the exciting world of conversation starters. How brilliant; a guest book that acts as an icebreaker.

Some of my favourite ideas that she features (as clip art, no less, making it easy to print + wrap any notebook) are “what were you really thinking during our vows?” (hah!), “when did you know we were meant for each other?” and “what’s your funniest memory of us?” To hers, I add the following: “If you could describe us in a song, what song would that be?” “What toast would you make to us on our 50th Wedding Anniversary?” and “What is your advice for living a life you love?”

I also think this would be fun at a baby shower or first birthday. I’d love to write entries to my favourite tiny humans under the following prompts: “Dear 16-year old, Lyla…” or “If I could provide you with one life lesson I wish I learned at an earlier age…” or “Happiness is…” or “What advice to use and what advice to interpret for yourself…”

Awesome.

See another interpretation of Martha’s guest books here.

(Photos courtesy of Martha Stewart via me oh my).