It has been gray and steadily raining for the last several weeks in Seattle. When I greet the clients at my salon, I always try to put a bright smile on my face and approach each one with an enthusiastic, “Hello, how are you doing?” Lately, the most common answer I got was, “I hate all of this rain. The gray skies, in addition to all of the bad news around the world, is really getting me down.” As a result, I decided that I needed to put forth an extra effort to brighten up the salon with colorful decorations. In addition, I wanted to offer some cheerful and thoughtful, handmade gifts for my clients to purchase for themselves or to give as a gift to a special person in their lives.

I immediately got busy that evening after work, creating artful items while burning the midnight oil. Excitedly working throughout the night, my somber mood quickly turned into a feeling of joy and happiness by the time I decided to call it a day. While trying to fall asleep, I had visions of the smiles that would be created by those who would receive one of the gift items I had made that evening.

The next day, I received a book that I had previously ordered. It was just released a few months ago by my friend Sherry Belul. The title of this little, but insightful book was, “Say It Now: 33 Creative Ways to Say “I Love You” to the Most Important People in Your Life.” I immediately began reading the book and could not put it down. “She’s so right!” I said out loud, as I turned through the pages. Here is a small excerpt from one of the chapters in her book:  “If you want to make an extra-special impact in your recipient’s day, I’d encourage you to give or send a gift that feels…different, something that’s creative, personalized, and made with love.” 

Upon further reading, I discovered that Sherry had past struggles with depression. During the darkest chapters of her life, she learned that when you send a little love toward someone else and bring a little delight to their day, it makes you feel that much better as well. You feel lighter, brighter, and a little more hopeful about the future – all because of that small connection you’ve shared with another human being.

Please meet lovely and whimsical Sherry Belul by viewing her video. I guarantee that she will bring a feeling of warmth and sunshine to brighten your day. You will soon be humming, “Singing in the Rain,” even if the skies are gray and it has been raining non-stop for several days!

Sherry’s book, “Say it Now: 33 Creative Ways to Say “I Love You” to the Most Important People in Your Life,” is available for purchase on Amazon.   
*I’m trying something new with affiliate links so if you purchase the book through this link, I’ll receive a small percentage of the sale (at no cost to you) to help fund my creative and philanthropic endeavors.
 

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Now, getting back to where I started, here are the gifts I made. I’m sure that sweet ornaments and the face pins will put a big smile on anyone’s face, even when there are dark clouds and drizzly rain in the forecast. 

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Wood Face Pins

These 1 1/2″ round pins are made of wooden disks. Each pin has a unique look in their facial features and hair colors. They add lots of personalities to your outfits… especially (like me) if you wear basic colors like black, white and grey.

I created a special online gift store, Artful Giving Shop. I would love it if you would do go there and browse through all the art items I offer for sale. Let me know how you liked it. Did it make you happy?