handmade wishes

The year I moved back home I took up a new hobby: making cards. I have no idea how it even began really..college was over, and the friends I had spent the last four-ish years seeing day and night were scattered across the country. Facebooking and texting were our constant form of choice for instant communication. I remember a friend of mine had an interview she was excited and nervous about and thinking that "wouldn't it be nice if I surprised her with a good luck card". I got a package of scrap booking paper from the clearance aisle at walmart and picked out some random stickers and stamps and got to making her a card. Then another friend of mine got a job so I sent her a card too. Then I started making up rhymes and getting really into making birthday cards. My parents talked me into writing something up for my brothers graduation announcement to send out to our family members, so I handmade forty announcement cards to send out. Friends got engaged so I sent them a card. Someone had a baby and so I made them a card. It just sort of grew and grew. You get my point.

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In an time when people find it socially acceptable to post a happy birthday message onto a friends facebook wall rather than picking up the phone to call them, I'd like to think my handmade, personalized cards make a difference.

Think about the number of times you've received a card for your birthday or any other occasion. How many times have you opened that card expecting to see something heartfelt written by the person who gave it to you and all it says is "Love, so and so" or ever worse "From, so and so".

Seriously, that is a huge pet peeve of mine. I would rather you not give me a card than give me a card with a message written by someone sitting in the great big offices at hallmark and the only contribution you made to it was to write "love, so and so" 

I put thought into the poems I write for my cards. I sort through the mass amounts of craft paper, ribbons, stamps, patterns, just everything over and over until I find the right combination of elements to make the card perfect, they way I envisioned it.

I've evolved a little since I started making my cards. I've upgraded the pens I use to write my messages, picked better quality paper, even ordered these wonderful envelopes to dress up my cards when they get sent out in the mail. I've even branched out in my gift giving choices. I've been known to bust out different batches of cookies, package them up nicely in jars or tins that I put a lot of thought into choosing and creating, and adding a card to give out for birthdays, housewarmings, Christmas gifts, even for my best friends bridal shower.

Does it sound like I'm bragging? I hope not. I just take a lot of pride in the thought and detail I put into personalizing a gift or a simple card for someone. I even impress myself with the final product. Most of the time I spend hours or days working on a card or gift package, and send it out without any reason. To me, there are few things greater than finding a surprise card amongst my junk mail and bills. It makes me feel special and warms my heart to read a message someone took the time to think about and write for me.

That's the way I hope other people feel when they get one of my cards.

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What's my point here? It's this: Think back to when you were a kid and you handmade every card you made for your parents, sister, brother, teacher, or dog. You sat there, used your imagination, and every crayon in the box to come up with a masterpiece you were proud to give someone. Those scribbles meant something. It meant you did more than pick a card in an aisle under harsh fluorescent lighting and paid four dollars in order to use someone elses's words, a strangers words, and expected them to convey a feeling or sentiment of affection for a person you care about.

Take the time out of your life to sit down and really create something for someone you care about. I'm not saying you have to be like me and make a card from scratch..no I'm not saying that at all, but it would sure be nice if you could...but I realize that people have lives, jobs, families and obligations that use up every spare moment you have, and doesn't leave a lot of time (or desire) to spend any free moment you do happen to catch, up to your elbows in paper and glue. All I am asking is that next time you feel like you need to give a card to someone for whatever reason, you put your thinking caps on and really think about what you want to say and write something heartfelt.. Even stick a stamp on it and send it in the mail, just because.

Deep down inside we are all that little kid who used to get excited finding special mail just for them whenever a special occasion was getting closer.

I still am that little kid...so send me something special, you'd make my day :)
and keep a lookout for those of you who know me in real life, because maybe you'll find something special in your mailbox one of these days.

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with a heart full of hope & a mind full of dreams

Sarah