Handmade Goodness

I was so overwhelmed by the special and unique gifts that were given this year at Christmas in my family ...many of which were handmade.

I LOVE that!  

I wanted to share them with you....

Some that others made for me and some that I made for others.

And... all the awesome handmade on-line stores that I shopped at but couldn't show you cuz I didn't want to spoil the surprise in case the person I bought it for read my post (whew).... well now I can share all about these talented ladies!

I'm not gonna give it all to you today though....I'm gonna spread the goodness out and give you a sprinkle here and a sprinkle there.

1. Something I made for others

These dish towel aprons!  You can check out the post that inspired me {here}.  These are totally cute from the front but if you were to turn them over, you'd see that I am not a seamstress!  Thank goodness I'm not a perfectionist cuz these babies would have never made it under the tree!

2.  Something that was made for me

I was so blown away by the gifts that others made for me! This is SO hard to only show one today. But here is one of my favorites!!!  My oldest daughter and her husband set them a budget for what they could spend at Christmas and used it wisely.  They practically made everything they gave this year and we ain't talking rink-dink stuff!!  Check this out.....

A vintage cake plate!

They bought the plate at a thrift store and the candle holder at an antique store.

I think they paid a total of $3.75!!!!

That makes me love it even more :)

3. Something handmade that I bought for others.

Now I can spread the love for all the wonderful shops and ladies that I bought gifts from this year.

This first one is from someone I've already shared...Kate and {The Adopt Shoppe}.

Remember when I shared about why the word joy is so special to me and my mom? {here}

Well, I had Kate custom make this for my mom with the meaning my brother came up with.

She loved it.

  I can hardly wait to show y'all more of all this handmade goodness!!

Hope y'all are having a wonderful day.

Stephanie :)

The Handkerchief

This is a handkerchief that sat on my lap last week on my way to a funeral.

But it wasn't for me.

It was for one of the sweetest ladies I know who was having to let go  of her beloved brother who had been sick for a long time.  I was bringing it for her.

To wipe away the tears that were sure to come.

~Bringing a handkerchief to someone~

That seems so small doesn't it?

Well, a gesture so small can mean the world to someone who is hurting.

It did for me.

You see, I didn't come up with this thoughtfulness on my own.

When I was the one in need, when my own brother died tragically in an accident,

I was on the receiving end of a handkerchief.

A dear friend gave one to me and my mom as she hugged us both.

Few words were said but her thoughtfulness that day has lasted a lifetime.

We both used our little hankies throughout the day when the tears would come.

I still have mine.

Such comfort even when no words of wisdom can be found to share, 

when the grief is strong, the situation is unfair, and hearts are breaking...

a simple handkerchief can speak volumes and bring great comfort.

Death is inconvenient and interrupts our lives when we least expect it.

Because of this, I buy hankies in packs and keep them ready to give away in times such as this.

Maybe you can do the same.

I am forever thankful for the thoughtfulness of my friend who took the time to do that for me.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

Matthew 5:4

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ."

2 Corinthians 1:3-7

Stephanie :)

today I am thankful for:

~thoughtful friends~

~my husband's calling and that God is using him to advance His kingdom~

~my favorites slippers~

~my daughter who speaks up for God's word even when it cost her~

Gifts from the heart

Well, it's getting that time of year when the weather begins to change and fall is approaching and I start thinking about the HOLIDAYS!!!

I do love the holidays!!

Thanksgiving and Christmas and all the fun stuff that goes with it!

I love it all. 
The food. The decorations. The time with family. Traditions..

and   I absolutely love giving gifts!!!

I wish I was the kind of girl who could just buy a present and be done with it.

Nooo...for me, it has to have meaning. Some sort of significance of why I picked it out just for the person receiving it! It is super sweet but it makes shopping a little more tricky.

that's just me. who I am.

 For those who have read  "The 5 Love Languages" by Dr. Gary Chapman,
 I discovered a while back, my secondary "love language" is gifts.

(...gotta keep our love tanks full! Awesome book if you haven't read it yet! )

So yeah. For me, its not about the cost of the gift. It's about the thoughtfulness of the gift.

One of my most favorite gifts my man has given me over the years was a little package he sent me while he was in the Navy on a 6 month med-cruise.
 It had two Elvis stamps and a Chick-O stick!

My heart melted when I opened it.

The Post Office had just come out with the Elvis stamps and he snagged two for me before I could get them myself :) Love.

The chick-o stick was one of my favorite snacks...I hadn't had one in years but his thoughtfulness in remembering my love for them compelled me to make a silly vow not to eat but to sit it out where I could see it until he returned home to me.

Well..I was also pregnant at the time with our third daughter and flung a serious craving for something sweet and alas...there went my chick-o stick.

Sad thing is...it tasted like the ship smelled! like oil or something...yuck. I should have just kept it as a "Monument of his love for me'. ha!

Well what got me thinking about all this is a post from a
sweet bloggie friend, Katie, at Life in the 505.

She reminded us on Tuesday that there were only 103 days left till Christmas.
 So that means as of today, Thursday, there are only 101 days left til Christmas!

She pinned this awesome pic...

Yep! That is me...I've got lots of ideas twirling around in my head and on "my list".

I just don't know how I'm gonna get them all done in 101 days!

BUT as I've  said many times.... and it is the truth..

"I've got more time than money"

So I'm gonna get my butt in gear and get busy!

NOW.... with all that being said. I'm gonna share the reason for this post.

I want to share with y'all in the coming  weeks some of my most favorite gifts I've given and some I have received that were more costly in time and thoughtfulness than they were costly in the money department.

I will call them "Gifts from the Heart".

We could all use some ideas right?

Well, here's the first one I'd like to share...
Quite a few years ago,
 I was given a precious basket filled with hand stamped stationary and a beautiful pen.
It looked kinda like this basket only MUCH smaller tied up with a pretty ribbon :)

I LOVED it!  My sweet friend knew how much I loved to send notes and

 I thought it was the sweetest gift!

 I've used up all the stationary, the basket bit the dirt but I still  have the pen..

It's the white one..I lost the top but I love it too much to part with it.
I found this turquoise one not too long ago so I treated myself :)

Since my basket got worn out, I  found myself a new box to keep by my chair where I have my quiet time with the Lord in the morning.  

When He puts someone on my heart I have a card right there, handy, and ready to jot a note, scripture or word of encouragement.  Not having to get up and search for a note card has helped me be more diligent and purposeful on being an encourager.

I got it free one year when I purchased a bunch of boxed cards from Lifeway Christian Bookstore.

Mine's a mess, buts its filled with all kinds of cards and addresses.

Right at my fingertips,  right when I need it.

I have given a box to my Mom and my mother-n-law.

I found a leather looking basket/box to match their decor and filled it with 

• Beautiful note cards of all kinds. 
•  New pack of their favorite pens
•   A book of stamps.

They both have told me it has been not only one of their most favorite gifts

 but also one of the most used gifts through the years.

My mom is usually with my family on Christmas morning so she gets a stocking each year, so I always have plenty of new pretty note cards to replenish her stash....its an on-going gift that she looks forward to.

You can be as frugal or as extravagant as you want to with this gift.

The possibilities are limitless.

You can use a wooden box like this..

Or a pretty paper box like this...

Or a wicker basket like this..

Then start filling that baby up with all kind of pretty note cards.  

The year I gave them to my two moms, I opened the packs of note cards up and split them between the two of them.   I just tied  up the sets with pretty ribbons.  I was able to give them a greater variety of cards and it looked so pretty when they opened up their basket. 

I found these beauties  at Dirt Cheap.  They are originally from Target, but I paid $.25 a pack for them!!

OR you could most definitely go check out so many of our bloggie friends 

who make gorgeous hand made note cards for a real sweet touch....

Like from  Jami at Called Me Blessed.

or Sarah at Yes Teacher!

Well there you have it.

Maybe someone out there will will be tickled pink about this Gift from the Heart and already has just the person on their list to give it to.

What are some thoughtful gifts you've given or have received lately?

Inquiring minds would love to know!

Stephanie :)

ps. I'm linking up with Kristy for her weekly "Things I'm Loving"...I know this isn't a list of the stuff I'm loving at the moment but it is things  I love...holidays, giving gifts, helping others...