Being 15 hours from family can be really difficult sometimes, especially when major “developments” occur. One such development was the discovery of breast cancer in MY (read that with a little kid’s “mine, not yours” attitude) again, MY Mommy this past November. Now before you go getting all worried, my Mom is doing great! She has been so strong and positive-minded during this whole experience, which has helped me get through it while being so far away. Shout Out #1: I love you, Mommy! Shout Out #2: My Dad has been a rock-star nurse through the surgeries and has carried the same positive mind-set. I love you too, Daddy! Shout Out #3: My sister has been there to help out too, Love you too, Al! Ok, back to being far away… Due to my new job and a busy life in general, I have not been able to just jump on the first available flight and go visit. Since I can’t be there, I started thinking of other ways I could surprise my mom. I got pretty good at making/ sending care packages when my hubby deployed a few years ago and decided to adapt the “Box of Sunshine” idea I’ve see all over Pinterest. If you haven’t seen it before, the “Box of Sunshine” idea is where you find a whole bunch of fun yellow items, pack them up in a box, and send them to someone to brighten their day. I named mine “The Pink Box Project” and then got to work finding pink goodies I thought my Mom would like. Supplies: ~ Fun, Pink Goodies ~ Box – USPS Flat Rate boxes are great for this! ~ An Element of Surprise ~ Sharpies/ Magic Markers ~ Tape The first thing I did was get to work finding pink items. I checked out the dollar store, craft store, grocery store, and anywhere else I had errands to run. I was able to collect a big box full of stuff in a very short amount of time. To add an extra personal touch, there were also a few things I decided to make. Once I had everything, I had to figure out how to get it there. This is where USPS Flat Rate boxes come in very handy. You can stop by the post office, pick up a few different sizes, and avoid searching, and searching, and searching for the right box. Personally, I always have a few flat rate boxes around the house for “spontaneous stuff sending,” but if you don’t need or want them, you can always take them back to the post office when you go drop off your package. There’s no sense in throwing them away. Once I had the right box, it was time for a real world game of Tetris. Packing the box is always a fun challenge for me because it’s always a challenge to make everything fit just right since I usually get more than the box can hold. Now for the element of surprise… Just before taping up the box I took a fun, heart garland, gave it a little fluffing, and placed it on top of everything in the box so it would spring up when the box was opened. After loading the surprise, I taped the box shut and got to work decorating it with my pink Sharpie. In the end, my box contained: ~ A Crocheted Hat – Project post here! ~ An Inspirational Quote – Project post here! ~ Leather Chord Bracelet – Project post here! ~ Flowers ~ A Candle ~ A Mug ~ Dark Chocolate covered Fortune Cookies with the PERFECT name (Emily's Fortune Cookies) ~ An Ornament ~ A Nail Kit ~ 2 Pink Nail Polishes ~ Gum and Tic-Tacs ~ 2 Heart Pillows ~ A Basket ~ A Scarf ~ A Notepad ~ Note Cards ~ A Pocket Calendar ~ Pink Pens ~ A Key Chain - Donated by a friend of mine, THANK YOU! ~ Heart Garland I didn’t tell my mom it was coming, I just let it show up with the directions to call me before she opened it. I’d say it did the trick and brought a smile to her face which made my day! Hopefully this inspires your spontaneous side! Check out my newest Pinterest board with all sorts of care package ideas here. Who are you going to surprise with a box of things they love? | Pink Goodies Galore!Call Me...Let's Decorate!Check out my list of goodies for ideas to fill your next package!I think she liked it! |
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“It’s a new year, so why not try something new?”
That was the thought that popped into my head last week while cleaning out my craft room and reminiscing over all the projects I’ve completed during the past few years. And before you ask, yes, I have a whole room dedicated to my crafting. I’ve always had a passion for crafting, but not for any one type of crafting, I love it all! Learning new skills, making gifts for others, turning ideas into finished projects, and decorating my home are just a few of the reasons crafting is so appealing to me. According to my parents, I’ve been crafting since my early childhood. In fact, since age 6, they can’t remember a time where I didn’t have some sort of project going on. Over those 20 plus years, I’ve definitely collected my fair share of supplies, although recently, I’ve been working to narrow down my stash to just the “crafting essentials.” I haven’t fully figured out what those essentials are, but I’m working on it. Anyway, back to the thought that popped into my head. This thought lead me to an idea to create a journal of all of my projects, including notes, supplies, paint colors, etc. Then another thought popped into my head… “Why not try something new and share this journal with other crafters through a blog?” So, here it goes… |
AuthorTo put it mildly, I LOVE crafting! The only problem is that I don't fancy just one specific type of craft, I love it all. With this in mind, I've decided to keep a running chronicle of projects and, hopefully, inspire someone else along the way. Categories
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May 2016
Note:The information provided in this blog are my opinion and is not guaranteed. Results may vary. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me via my "Contact" page. I am not affiliated with any of the companies or products I may write about.
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