In Search of the Holy Bibles

I thought I was going to lose my mind today.  I knew somewhere in this house I moved into a few years ago was my mother's Holy Bibles.  I remembered they were in a box with her hair brush, the one that I stopped using on her once I realized it was removing clumps of hair due to the chemo and radiation treatments for lung, liver, and bone cancer.  How could I possibly lose my mother's Bibles and hair brush?!  Can't I remember where I put everything over the past 25 years?!

I have so few possessions that once belonged to my mother.  After she died in 1986, my father went through her things and distributed them among my aunts and some of my mother's close friends, without any of us kids knowing.  Yeah, grief does "funny" things to people.  My sister saved the Bibles and hair brush for me, thank goodness.

I didn't have to tear apart the house too bad.  Turns out, I just put these items in a "better" box and put the box on the very top shelf of my home office.

In the larger Bible, I found sympathy cards that people had sent me almost ten years ago when my dogs died from a poisonous vet drug.  If you think gestures like sending sympathy cards to those who are grieving don't really mean anything, think again. People like me will save them for life.  Sympathy cards are so comforting no matter how many years after someone has lost a loved one.  Please don't be someone who doesn't acknowledge a family member's death, human or animal.  Spend a few bucks and send a card in the mail!

I think my angel mother would be very pleased knowing that her Bibles are not going to be in a box anymore. Soon they will be used in photos with the Faith Collection by Auntie Angel Designs. She, and my angel dogs, are a never-ending source of inspiration for me and breathe life into all that I do for my customers and their furry friends.

Angels With Animals Collectibles Returning to Heaven

Dog and cat lovers will be saddened to learn that Sarah's Angels collectible figurines are being discontinued and are returning to Heaven.

Sarah's Angels angels with dogs and angels with cats have been some of my most popular pet sympathy gifts over the years. These angels have provided comfort to countless dog and cat guardians who grieve the loss of their beloved furry family member once he or she has gone off to the Rainbow Bridge. Sarah's Angels figurines have also been given as unique First Holy Communion gifts and birthday gifts to pet lovers.

Made of resin, Sarah's Angels exquisitely crafted angel figurines have their own inspirational beginning. According to the manufacturer, "Sarah was diagnosed with liver cancer in June 1996 and given 6 to 12 months to live. Sarah, in one of her prayer times, during her sickness, saw ministering angels and felt God's presence and amazing love in her room. At the age of 40, God granted Sarah's prayers and took her home, with His angels, on January 12, 2000."

In Sarah's memory, the manufacturer of these fine angel gifts has been committed to helping find a cure for many types of cancer. It will be a huge challenge, I feel, for the manufacturer to find suitable replacements, but hope they continue their quest.

I give the highest endorsement to these wonderful angel-with-pet collectibles. I have my own Sarah's Angels collection which I proudly display in my home office among mementos of my angel dogs. See how you can display Sarah's Angels collectibles in your home.

This is your chance to purchase from the remaining stock of Sarah's Angels as once they are gone, they are gone forever. Priced at only $15.25 to $17.50 each, you can't afford not to have them in your angel figurines collection.

Dear Mom - A Love Letter

Looking for a great, heartfelt gift for Mom for Valentine's Day or Mother's Day?

Remember your elementary school days when you would paint or draw pictures and take them home to Mom? Or you would make a card for her on Mother's Day using crayons, construction paper, and thick white glue? If you have any of those pieces of art, dig them up and regift one of them to her to help her recall fun, fond memories.

Next, sit down and hand-write -- do not type -- a personal note expressing your feelings of gratitude, love, and respect. This does not require expensive and elaborate stationery as it is your kind words that are the true gift. Let your heart do the talking.

Nothing conveys your deepest feelings better than the written word. A love letter from you is a gift that Mom will read again and again and truly cherish for years to come.

"A mother's love . . . lights the way and guides you, gently and lovingly along the path of life . . ." ~ Unknown

"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." ~ Abraham Lincoln

How to Organize Craft or Gift Basket Supplies

Here it is, the first of the year, when a lot of us are looking for ways to get our offices organized or get clutter under control, or maybe even spruce up our crafting space. It can be challenging trying to figure out good ways to do this, that is for sure, AND stay on budget.

Being a gift basket designer doesn't mean I've always been so organized. My merchandise has always been neatly arranged on shelves, but my gift basket finishing materials were accumulating in bins, big baskets, or cardboard boxes on the floor. I felt stressed instead of feeling joyfully creative because my surroundings were not conducive to a good working environment. And, of course, everything was not looking pretty.

After spending hours online and physically shopping, looking for ribbon storage for countless rolls of ribbon, I could never find anything that would work. I'm not a hobbyist, so my needs are greater than others. I didn't have the luxury of shelves in a closet because there is no closet in my workshop. I also didn't want all the gorgeous spools of ribbon and cellophane hidden in drawers or in a cabinet because then I wouldn't know from a quick glance what supplies I was running low on or what colors I might like to add to my ever-growing collection.

After many trips to Lowe's to buy how-to-organize-a-room magazines, still nothing clicked. Like a lot of crafters and designers, I have some serious money invested in my supplies, so I was looking for an inexpensive way to get myself organized once and for all. I'm not joking when I say it took me a couple years to figure out a solution that I could live with.

For about $100, I was able to organize my gift basket "finishing station," mostly using materials and storage options I already had. My finishing station is not the area where I create my gift baskets and can spread out while doing so; this is the area that stays spotless while I wrap my baskets in cellophane and add the bow and all the finishing touches.

From Lowe's, we purchased white pegboard and installed it over the 2 x 4s of an open staircase, thereby closing off one side of the staircase and creating a wall. Inexpensive white shelves and metal shelving brackets (also from Lowe's) were mounted into studs through the pegboard. Thin dowel rods (Lowe's again!) for rolls of cellophane were suspended by pegboard hooks into the pegboard. Some pegboard hooks we purchased at Lowe's but others we purchased at Ace Hardware. Scissors and wire cutters were hung off to the side in a small area of the pegboard by pegboard hooks. A small folding table and folding chair were added to create a desk area. I already had these.

An old, inexpensive white closet organizer with wire sliding drawers was moved to one side of the folding table to hold supplies like my heat gun, glue gun, pull bows, bubble wrap, small sheets of cardboard, etc. On the top of this organizer I have space for my curling ribbon rack, my business cards, and a cute white tiger cup to hold pens and pencils. Mounted to the pegboard above this unit, I have a small metal cabinet with multiple drawers that holds rubber bands, brads, and other little doodads. On the side of this organizer I have mounted a clipboard for taking notes or for keeping track of inventory.

My paper cutter hangs by hooks on the pegboard to the left of the folding table. Organza ribbon rolls are hung on pegboard rods. Underneath the paper cutter is a beautiful basket that holds some of my gift basket reference and inspiration books.

All of my cloth ribbon spools are organized by color and are kept loose so I can grab what I want at any time and not disturb neighboring spools.

Here's another view of what this small, compact area looks like. Everything has its place and stays neat and clean.

I hope I have provided some inspiration to help you organize your crafting space or gift basket supplies. You don't have to be rich like Candy Spelling and have several gift-wrapping rooms and a craft room where you can be creative, complete your tasks, and stay organized. You can use materials you already have and purchase what you don't at Lowe's or other home-improvement stores to make the space you do have work for your individual needs.

If you have any craft/supplies organizing tips you'd like to share, please post them here!

Gift Basket Shopping? Some Things You Should Know.

A gift basket is a gift basket is a gift basket; right? Wrong!

If you're looking to give a gift basket to a friend, family member, volunteer, client, business prospect, etc., price shouldn't be your main concern. Price is important, of course, but you've probably asked yourself: Why does one basket cost more than another? How come these people are wanting me to pay so darn much? After all, how hard can it be to throw a few items in a basket, wrap it up, stick a bow on it, and deliver it?

There's much more to "it" than you'd ever think, and let me tell you why.

Not just anyone can pilot a jumbo jet, and not just anyone can or should put together a gift basket. All gift baskets are not created equal. Shop wisely. The old saying, "You get what you pay for" certainly applies here, especially when it comes to making a good impression on a potential client or business associate.

A gift basket professional spends many years learning about and refining his or her craft. Note the use of the word "professional" as there are many amateurs who think they know about what goes into the makings of a gift basket.

A professional attends trade shows in or out of their state and pays dues to belong to various organizations to acquire and keep their certifications. A professional subscribes to trade journals and magazines. Many takes classes on design and floral arranging and learn about the use of colors and textures, and much, much more. They're always on the lookout for new and unique items to present to their customers and their gift recipients. Why? Because this is their job. While you may find an occasional food or gift item in a gift basket that you can purchase yourself from a big-box store or grocery store, your gift basket should be filled with gourmet treats and keepsake gifts that can only be purchased by someone in the trade.

When you're purchasing a gift basket, not only are you purchasing a basket or container that's made of quality materials, you're purchasing every bit of its contents, both inside and out. You're purchasing sometimes quite a bit of the professional's time. There's shopping involved, there's assembly involved (because there is no "throwing" items in a basket; all items need to stay secure in their place by using things such as tape, ribbon, glue dots, skewers), and sometimes quite concentrated time involved in making sure an unwrapped fragile item doesn't get broken in transit. Nothing's worse than your gift recipient receiving a gift that is broken.

Once the gift basket is completely assembled and wrapped in cellophane or tulle (a fine netting), or shrink-wrapped, the remaining finishing touches come next. Are you purchasing a bow that resembles how you tie a bow on your shoes or are you purchasing a hand-tied bow that your recipient thinks is so beautiful, they don't want to unwrap their gift? Then when they do unwrap it, they'll be proud to reuse the bow on another gift or use it within their own home.

Curling ribbon or other enhancements complete the gift as well as a handwritten (hopefully) gift card with your personal sentiments affixed to the basket. Some gift basket companies provide computer-generated gift cards. Not very personal. Be sure they know how to spell all the words and your name on the card!

A gift basket must be securely wrapped for travel, either by a courier or UPS or FedEx. A sturdy box is chosen, and materials such as "puffed air" bags, bubble wrap, and blank sheets of newsprint paper are used to keep the basket from shifting during transit. Think Jim Carrey as the delivery driver in "Ace Ventura" kicking a box down the street so that it's barely recognizable once it's left on the customer's doorstep. What potential for a disaster!

A gift basket professional takes into account that even if a damaged box is received by your gift recipient, what's in it is still in perfect condition. Your gift basket must arrive at its destination looking as pristine as it was once the gift basket professional placed it in its shipping box.

Billing and tracking information is provided to the customer, and followup is made by the professional to make sure your gift was successfully received at its destination.

Phew! Does all this make you tired? This is another reason to allow a professional to assist you with your gift-giving needs.

In case you're wondering, the photograph above is one of my custom sympathy gift baskets. I actually lost track of how many hours I put into this gift basket between shopping for all its special components, including a custom photograph, and making it as beautiful and as perfect for the gift recipient as I could. Tying the bow alone took me at least a half hour. But this is what I do. This is what I love to do for my friends and customers. THIS is what you should expect from your gift basket professional to get your money's worth.

Rescuers Rainbow Bridge Pet Memory Bracelet

Our Rescuers Rainbow Bridge Bracelet was handmade by Auntie Angel in honor of all beloved animals who have crossed over to the Rainbow Bridge. Made specifically for animal rescue workers, we know that this beautiful keepsake bracelet will forever be cherished by the gift recipient.

Made with crystal beads in the colors of a rainbow, this sparkly bracelet is accented with a silver-plated rescue animal awareness ribbon and magnetic paw print clasp.

Rescuers Rainbow Bridge Poem

Unlike most days at Rainbow Bridge, this day dawned cold and gray, damp as a swamp and as dismal as could be imagined. All of the recent arrivals had no idea what to think, as they had never experienced a day like this before. But the animals who had been waiting for their beloved people knew exactly what was going on and started to gather at the pathway leading to The Bridge to watch.

It wasn't long before an elderly animal came into view, head hung low and tail dragging. The other animals, the ones who had been there for a while, knew what his story was right away, for they had seen this happen far too often.

He approached slowly, obviously in great emotional pain, but with no sign of injury or illness. Unlike all of the other animals waiting at The Bridge, this animal had not been restored to youth and made healthy and vigorous again. As he walked toward The Bridge, he watched all of the other animals watching him. He knew he was out of place here and the sooner he could cross over, the happier he would be. But alas, as he approached The Bridge, his way was barred by the appearance of an Angel who apologized, but told him that he would not be able to pass. Only those animals who were with their people could pass over Rainbow Bridge. With no place else to turn to, the elderly animal turned towards the fields before The Bridge and saw a group of other animals like himself, also elderly and infirm. They weren't playing, but rather simply lying on the green grass, forlornly staring out at the pathway leading to The Bridge. And so, he took his place among them, watching the pathway and waiting.

One of the newest arrivals at The Bridge didn't understand what he had just witnessed and asked one of the animals that had been there for awhile to explain it to him.

"You see, that poor animal was a rescue. He entered rescue just as you see him now, an older animal with his fur graying and his eyes clouding. He never made it out of rescue and passed on with only the love of his rescuer to comfort him as he left his earthly existence. Because he had no family to give his love to, he has no one to escort him across The Bridge."

The first animal thought about this for a minute and then asked, "So what will happen now?" As he was about to receive his answer, the clouds suddenly parted and the gloom lifted. Approaching The Bridge could be seen a single person, and among the older animals a whole group was suddenly bathed in a golden light and they were all young and healthy again, just as they were in the prime of life.

"Watch, and see," said the second animal. A second group of animals from those waiting came to the pathway and bowed low as the person neared. At each bowed head, the person offered a pat on the head or a scratch behind the ears. The newly restored animals fell into line and followed him towards The Bridge. They all crossed The Bridge together.

"What happened?"

"That was a rescuer. The animals you saw bowing in respect were those who found new homes because of his work. They will cross when their new families arrive. Those you saw restored were those who never found homes. When a rescuer arrives, they are allowed to perform one final act of rescue. They are allowed to escort those poor animals that they couldn't place with families on earth across The Rainbow Bridge."

"I think I like rescuers,” said the first animal.

"So does GOD," was the reply.

Sending Greeting Cards and Notes: A Lost Tradition?

This year, 2011, the United States Postal Service is a Gold Sponsor of the LOUIE Awards. The LOUIE Awards are called the "Academy Awards" of the greeting card industry. They are awarded once a year by a panel of industry experts, including retailers, manufacturers, and the media.

"The U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes, making it the perfect partner for the LOUIE Awards, whose focus lies in celebrating the importance of sending or receiving a handwritten card or note through the mailbox as we exist in the digital age," according to Gift Shop Magazine.

Are you someone who keeps up the tradition of sending greeting cards and handwritten notes through the mail? The last time you received a greeting card or handwritten note in your mailbox, how did it make you feel? Don't forget that feeling because someone you know wants to experience that great feeling as well.

The next time you want to surprise someone -- for any occasion, or for no occasion at all -- do so with a greeting card or handwritten note. It is the least expensive gift you can give that just may be kept forever.

Receiving a greeting card or handwritten note in the mail sure beats receiving a bunch of bills in your mailbox. Don't you agree?