“Our ability to handle
life’s challenges is a measure
of our strength of character.”
~ Les Brown
“Our ability to handle
life’s challenges is a measure
of our strength of character.”
~ Les Brown
“Jesus is the greatest gift of all.
This gift grants you eternal life.”
~ John Hagee
“And the angel said unto them,
Fear not: for, behold, I bring you
good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people.”
~ Luke 2:10
“Living in the light of eternity
changes your priorities.”
~ Rick Warren
In the early morning hours my mother, Marian, peacefully slipped away to spend eternity in the Church Triumphant. She lived a humble life, focusing on simple things. She liked John Wayne movies, Louis L’Armour books, Willie Nelson’s braids, and Johnny Cash music. From her backyard swing, she’d feed wandering squirrels, ambitious chipmunks, and hungry birds. Purple irises and pink hollyhocks lined the wooden fence every Spring. With a youthful spirit, she loved board games, playing cards, and walking on wooden stilts. Her favorite fragrance was “Tabu” perfume and she wore it as long as I can remember. She was everything you love about life. Godspeed. I love you, Mom. 💕🍃🌸
“I love everything about the holidays:
the decorations, the parties, and
spending time with friends and family.
What I love most is that feeling
of giving back. Every bit counts.”
~ Brad Goreski
When a fellow blogger encouraged me to share my love of gift-wrapping in a “How To” post on my blog, I couldn’t resist! Supplies are simple: satin ribbons, decorative boxes, colorful berries, gift tags, quirky embellishments, and framed photographs. Put them all together and you have a captivating gift-wrapped package that will have your friends and family adoring its beauty rather than trying to sneak a peek inside. Place the the gifts under the Christmas tree or on the fireplace hearth to spread excitement as well as anticipation of an upcoming event. Decorated packages become “Instant Décor”. Interesting boxes can be found anywhere all year long. Often greeting cards, scented candles, exotic fragrances, and luxury beauty products are packaged in unique and vibrant boxes. It’s a shame to discard them after opening when you can go “green” and give them a facelift as a phenomenal package for someone else. Satin ribbon is classy and elegant, in my opinion. Choose polka dots, geometrics, or muted tones. Make single or multiple bows. Angle cut the ends to create a nice finish. Incorporate any embellishment such as a sprig of rosemary, a pine cone, a branch of holly, or an interesting ornament. Let your creativity shine! Sometimes I attach a gift tag, other times I take a snapshot of the recipient and put it in a miniature frame. Who doesn’t love seeing photos? Afterwards, the frames hang on the tree as memorable ornaments. Just be sure to include the date on the back for reminiscing years later. Whatever you design, have fun and be creative. Anything goes!
“The lofty pine is oftenest shaken
by the winds; high towers fall
with a heavier crash; and the lightening
strikes the highest mountain.”
~ Horace