IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT

I sent a message to a Facebook Friend

asking if she'd like to trade products.

Nothing big.

Just something different.

She had in her possession something.

I had the same product, just something different.

Both could be used the same way.

With a different look.

She agreed and immediately sent me her version.

Took me a couple of weeks,

because I wanted to make a card to go with my trade.

Then I decided to add to it.

A surprise.

A Random Act of Kindness.

Something to brighten her day.

I sent her a bunch (and I mean a lot)

of supplies that I knew she could/would use

along with one of my cards.

Wait.

First the envelope.

Because the embellishments were chunky

and because I wasn't putting the card in the mail as is,

I slit the envelope and slid the right side of the card

into the envelope.

Once securely inside,

I closed the card over the top of the envelope.

(If you look closely, you can see

the stenciled brick on the envelope

peeking out behind the card.) 

PS - Michelle truly is "my biggest fan"

because she always leaves the sweetest comments.

My Christmas R.A.K.

It all began three years ago.

The little bird tags you've been seeing here on my blog

have also become an Random Act of Kindness tradition for me.

This is the third year that I've surprised complete strangers.

After the first year, I just knew I had to do it every year.

You can read all about that right here.

Last year nothing special happened.

Oh, don't get me wrong - everybody was very appreciative

and enjoyed their bird.

I'm not sorry I "played Santa" - not at all.

It's just that in comparison to the first year, it was lackluster.

This year?

Oh my goodness.

The very first bird I handed out just made my day/month/year!

I went to Grapevine Mills Mall to pick up a gift card

(with birds in tow.)

Just outside the store I was headed into sat a little girl with her daddy.

She was looking at his phone as he was showing her something.

Okay - let me recreate it for you:

Me:  Excuse me (they both looked up) ... do you have your Christmas tree up yet?

Little Girl:  Yes.

Daddy:  Yes, we do.  Would you like to see a picture of it?

As he scrolled through his photos, she was smiling at me
and probably wondered why I was there
and why her daddy was showing me their tree.

Me:  (looking at her) ... That's a beautiful tree - is that you

standing in front of the tree?

Little Girl:  Yes

Me:  (reaching in my bag) ... Would you like to have this to hang on your tree?

Little Girl:  (are you ready for this?)  Is it free?

Me:  (chuckling) ... Of course it's free and it's for you.

Little Girl:  What's the matter - don't you like it?

Me:  Yes, I like it.  Every year I make these

and pass them out to pretty little girls.

It's my Christmas present to you.

Little Girl:  Only to pretty girls?

Me:  Yes, pretty girls just like you.

Little Girl:  (big smile)

Daddy:  What do you say?

Little Girl:  Thank you.  Now can I give you a hug?
Of course I gave her a hug!!!!!

I stood there for the longest time talking with the two of them.

They are here on vacation (from near Austin)

and staying at The Gaylord.

She showed me that her ears are pierced.

She asked me if I had earrings on and when I told her no,

she asked if I was afraid.

She showed me she is four fingers old

and her name is Juliana.

(I hope I heard her correctly and have spelled it correctly.)

As we parted, we wished each other a Merry Christmas.

And I got another hug.

What a sweet little child.

Could her outfit be any more festive?

She told me she was going to keep this bird on her tree for "a very long time."

Julianna, you stole my heart!

PS - thank you, Daddy, for allowing me to post this on my blog
and on Facebook.  My Followers and Friends need to meet your daughter.
Merry Christmas!

Now I have more birds to pass out - tomorrow.

Are you famous???????????

 

Last year I decided I wanted to do something nice for complete strangers.  I made about a half a dozen birds ornaments (sorry, but no photos from last year) and left the house to find children - preferably Kindergarten age.

The day I chose to play Santa was less than a week before Christmas.  Things weren't going as planned - every child I saw was either way too young or way too old.

My last stop of the day of errands was Half-Price Book store.  Just as I was ready to leave, I saw a little girl (maybe six or seven) skipping across the store.  I didn't want to approach her alone so I followed her.  Sure enough, she joined her mother and older brother.

I walked up to her and said, "Merry Christmas!  Do you have your Christmas tree up yet?"  Her reply was "Ummm, no - we have to wait until two days before Christmas when they go on sale."  My heart immediately hurt!

I reached in my bag, pulled out a bird and asked her if she would like to have it and she could hang it on her tree ... and in the meantime, maybe she could hang it on her bedroom door.

Of course, she took the bird, thanked me profusely and asked, "Did you make this?"  My reply was, "Yes - just for you!"  If you could have seen the look on her face, you would have thought I gave her the world.  She showed her mom and said, "Momma, just LOOK at this beautiful bird.  This lady just gave it to ME."

And then she turned it over and saw my signature.  She looked at it, looked at me, looked at her mom, looked back at the bird and then back to her mom.  She told her mom, "Look.  It's signed."  And then with her eyes as big as saucers - maybe even bigger - she asked me, "Are you famous?"

Let me tell you right here and now.   This little girl made my Christmas!!!!

I'm sure I won't have anything like this happen to me this year, but I am hoping to make some youngsters happy.  So far, I've made these six and if there's time, I'll create more.

I bettcha that sweet little girl still has her bird.  And I bettcha it didn't get packed away with the Christmas ornaments last year.  I hope she hangs it on her tree again this year.

White Roses

Norma just loves white roses, so I'm told.  Therefore, that's what she's getting - on this card at least.  I'm not sure whether her husband will give her the real thing or not.  Happy birthday ... one of these days we will meet!

Thank you, Sandi, for the French tag.  Little by little I'm getting use of my RAK's you sent nearly two years ago!