Have a Very Merry
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"The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other." ~Burton Hillis
From all of us at Bluebird Gardens, Merry Christmas!
Charlotte
Christmas Gift Suggestions
/"To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect."
~Oren Arnold
Pets as Christmas Gifts
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They are everywhere this time of year, cute pictures of puppies and kittens in big red bows ready for Christmas giving.If you are going to give a pet as a gift, please ensure that the family will have time to spend with the animal immediately during and after Christmas.
Veterinarian friends tell me what often happens is that people adopt a pet for Christmas, then board it as they take a vacation. The young animals quickly bond with office staff, then don't warm up as quickly to returning pet owners. It's one of the reasons why populations at animal shelters significantly increase in January.
Adopting a pet is a lifelong commitment. Puppies and kittens will grow up to be well-adjusted pets if you invest time in them from he beginning. It takes time, patience and love to develop a relationship with any animal, and the earlier you can do so, the better you both will be.
If you do want to adopt but have a planned vacation, consider wrapping a stuffed toy in a red bow with a stocking and tell the kids you will pick up the animal when you get home. That way your pet will not have the trauma of being in a vet office for several days and you can start bonding as soon as you get it.
Charlotte
Do Not Open Until Christmas
/The customer has a long drive ahead of her at Christmas so she decided to have her gifts shipped directly to her destination.
The only concern: making sure her relatives don't open the packages before she gets there!
Not a problem, I told her, we'll make sure the gift is wrapped and instructions are clear. To be opened only at Christmas!
And in case there was still some peeking, I made sure the contents were also kept a secret!
Ho ho ho!
Happy Birthday Rag Doll
/It was late evening on a record-setting cold day. When the phone rang, I fully expected it to be a neighbor needing help, or a repair man putting me off yet again.
Instead, it was the familiar voice of a recent customer who had asked us to gift-wrap one of our Howard Furniture Care gift kits as a birthday present. At the time, she had also mentioned how much she admired our 85th Anniversary Raggedy Ann doll.
“She’s so perfect,” the customer said. Her husband had bought it for her as her birthday present and it had arrived just in time.
“Did you notice the address?” she asked. Of course, I said, but I thought it was a Christmas present so I didn’t want to say anything.
Did I mention we are very good at keeping secrets?
Charlotte
Warm Heart, Warm Hands!
/Sometimes my office is only a few degrees warmer than it is outside. When the weather forecaster said it was 3F, more like -7F with the wind chill, I knew it was time.
Opening the box carefully, I removed a gift from my sister-in-law; felted hand warmers with the cutest applique cats on the top.
Mary said she picked up a number of wool sweaters at a local thrift store and after washing them, put them in the dryer on hot. I have done so but not intentionally so it crossed my mind how many sweaters I could have repurposed.
Once shrunk, wool turns into a soft felt. Mary then cut a couple of holes for my thumbs.
She said they were easy to make; the biggest challenge was finding wool sweaters she liked. Well, it's more like finding wool sweaters she likes for hand warmers but doesn't want to wear herself. I understand, we have a hard time cutting up cute clothes for custom clothing quilts sometimes, too.
These live in a box because when I first received them, one of my cats left her own sleeping cats cat throw and decided to use these warmers as her napping spot.
We have reached a compromise. I’m now wearing the hand warmers; the cat is sitting in the box.
Homemade Bluebird Card
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This was so sweet, a homemade thank you card left on my office desk by a co-worker.
The white card has corrugated brown strips at the top for the birdhouse roof, and a hole in the center for the birdhouse opening. What kind of birds would use this house?
Inside, a bluebird on a branch with unglued leaves helps deliver the message. 
The back is stamped with the card maker.
Are you tempted to make your own homemade cards? What kind would you make?
Great Book Title!
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Over the years, I have received mail through the post office in a variety of shapes and details.
The ones that still arrive addressed to "Charlotte" without a last name, sometimes without an address, amaze me.
Of all the half-addressed envelopes - with thanks to my friends at US Postal Service - this one is one of my favorites.
And the Winner Is
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Wouldn't you just love to get one of these?
A Texas elementary school ordered 5 of our paintable bobble head cats for a kindergarden awards ceremony.
I can see them painted gold, or maybe a school color like all blue.
"I would like to thank…."
Words of Inspiration Pillows
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When someone is starting new - whether it's a new home, a new job, a new career - words can be inspiring.
These custom made to order words of inpiration throw pillows were made for a friend starting a new life in a new town. He was full of excitement and optimism, looking forward to a new start.
We embroidered special words on 16x16 inch fabric pillows. Not just any words, but words that make life special: love. Smile. Imagine. Breathe.
And the most important word of all - believe.
What special words would you put on your inspirational pillows?
Charlotte
Sweet Wedding Party Favor Idea
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Julie was looking for something special to put her handmade lip balm in for her best friend's wedding shower.
"Your strawberry pouches will be perfect," she said when she called.
The problem was she didn't know how many to order.
Even though she had sent invitations asking for RSVPS, guests weren't calling back. After a few phone calls, we had a number and Julie had her strawberry party favor pouches.
They turned out just right, don't you think?
Personalize Quilt with Toy
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Isn't this lamb adorable?
He looks like he could have jumped right out of our One Sheep, Two Sheep Baby Quilt!
Adding a complimentary toy to a baby quilt is an easy way to personalize the gift. It also makes a nice connection between the child and quilt.
Over the years, we've received dozens of notes from customers who like their quilts and get an even bigger kick out of the toy!
Charlotte
Cute Twins!
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Our custom rag dolls have such interesting lives after they leave Bluebird Gardens! We make our rag dolls so they can wear most baby clothes 3-9 months. One of our boy rag dolls travelled from Missouri to New York to meet his "twin."
Aren't they precious?
Charlotte
January Birth Flower Carnation
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The closest I get to growing carnations in Missouri is Sweet William, a member of the Pink family and hardy carnation cousin. Like roses and other flowers, raised carnations come in several different colors to convey different meanings. A pink carnation means affection. A red carnation means 'I love you.' White carnations mean pure love; striped carnations means regret that a love is not shared, and yellow carnations mean rejection or disappointment.
Carnations are a florist favorite because they are long-lasting, like chrysanthemums.
The other January birth flower for traditional personalized gifts is snowdrop, grown from tiny bulbs planted in fall that in Missouri bloom mid-spring. Snowdrops represent hope and beauty.
Charlotte
Personalized Throw for a Grandson
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This customer fell in love with our Bluebells Applique throws and is now giving one to each of her grandchildren. Julien turned 3-years old this year. He's a big fan of Disney's movie "Cars" so we included a green truck to deliver birthday wishes. His grandmother told us he loves his quilt and travels everywhere with both throw and car.
Now that's a satisfied customer!
Charlotte
December Birth Stone Turquoise
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December's traditional personalized jewelry gift birthstone, turquoise, is regarded as a love charm. The name comes from an old French word for "Turkey."
Turquoise is sacred to Native American Indians, often used in rituals and ceremonies. It is a symbol of good fortune and success, believed to relax the mind and protect its wearer from harm.
Turquoise rings, in particular, are thought to keep away evil spirits and enhance wisdom, trust, kindness and understanding. The color ranges from green blue to light sky blue. Because skin oils can change the color, turquoise should be regularly wiped clean.
Combine a vintage turquoise piece with a contemporary silver tone ladybug watch for a nice personalized gift combination.
Charlotte
Gloves are In the Bag!
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For the practical gardener, why not personalize with embroidery both a lightweight gardening bag and a pair of our leather gardening gloves? In this example, the customer chose to put the full name on the bag and initials on the gloves.
Practical and personal, that's a great combination!
Charlotte
Gardening Gloves with a Name
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There are gardening gloves and then there are these personalized leather gardening gloves. I love the way they fit, the way they protect my arms from thorns, the way they look after many uses. Our customers like to give these gloves as personalized gifts, usually with embroidery on only one cuff.
It can be a first name, or initials - the gloves will still work well either way!
Charlotte
Personalized Birthday Throw
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How to celebrate that milestone birthday?
This customer picked one of our Applique Roses throws and added her best wishes, initials and the special date. Whenever AJ sees this throw, she will be reminded of this special date and the people who mark her special day with her.
Happy birthday, AJ!
Charlotte
A Woman and Her Horses
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Teresa loves horses.
She designed this original quilt for herself featuring 20 different embroidered horses in country colors. One of our returning customers saw it and after buying a quilt for her daughter, ordered a horse quilt for herself.
Can you see how the plaid and blue denim corners suggest horse shoes? The red bandana is a nod to country living. We call this custom quilt "Teresa's Horses."
Charlotte
