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!