Gifts

 Today is one of my favorite kinds of posts.  Gifts and special people.  That's what I'm here to discuss.  Many years ago, when I was a brand new baby-blogger, I stumbled upon Kearsie.  She is witty and fun, and smart.  She made me laugh and smile and think.  She made my man laugh whenever I would read snippets from her writing to him. There was a moment when I first "met" Kearsie that I was literally hanging across my husband's desk laughing so hard I couldn't speak for about five minutes.  If you don't believe me, ask my man.  He stood there laughing, because I was laughing, but he had no idea what we were laughing at.  That makes me laugh. 

Anyway, time passed and sweet Kearsie developed breast cancer.  Our family prayed for hers and I felt a deep love for her in my heart.  As she recovered from treatment I would always see her post things on Facebook that she had created out of felt and fabric.  Really cool things like toy cake.  That sort of thing.

I keep telling her she needs to open an Etsy shop.  She keeps telling me, "Yeah I know..." 

As my little niece's first birthday approached, I began stalking my sis-in-law's Pinterest boards (I know y'all do it too) and found a few different pins for puffy alphabet letters.  I knew I wanted them for her (and my niece)... so I turned to Kearsie.  She whipped them out.  She hand blanket stitched them.  She made them so they can be tossed into the wash, drooled on, and chewed up.  She made them cute. She made them soft. And best of all... SHE made them.  There is something about giving a hand-made gift with meaning, made by a person you adore, for a wee little baby-type person you adore, isn't there?

 She made them in a sort of ombre color pattern.  I'm a big fan.  It didn't escape my notice. 

 

 (Please excuse the frumpy sweater.  I sometimes wear my man's sweaters -though they hang to my knees. Haha!)

Seriously, I'd never have had the patience to make these.  They are sweetly raw-edged and colorful.  I don't believe it gets any cuter. 

 My contribution was wrapping them.  (And yes, you can chain stitch anything.)  I told you I was in love with embroidery.  FYI if you are going to embroider wrapping paper, pre-poke your holes and it will work like a dream. 

 I sewed a package envelope out of brown wrap after embroidering her little monogram onto a piece of the wrap first.

 We wrapped the whole thing in gray and white string/twine... and I created a darling tag that has us all singing this song. (Which basically means that my hoodlums have been doing a Sound of Music mash-up for days.)

If you would like something as cute as these letters, Kearsie has a ton of creativity and can make play foods, rag dolls, tea sets and other fun things.  You can find her on her blog... or email her directly at kearsie@me.com.  Tell her I sent you!