La Joie! Everyday Joy....: Gifts of.......stuff and time?

I had thought that embroidery was a dying art and that I was one of the only ones around, besides my mom, who still liked this handicraft. I found out how wrong I was when speaking with one of my neighbors.

She could only talk for a moment as she was on her way to buy a birthday gift for a niece about my daughter's age, 10. She said at Christmas, she had taught her niece how to embroider. She said her niece just loved it and so for her niece's birthday, she wanted to buy her embroidery supplies of her own. I thought that was a fantastic idea! Every time my daughter and I go out to buy a birthday gift for one of her friends, I'm reminded of this conversation. It got me thinking about gifts and the nature of our gifts. Do we give "stuff" or something of ourselves? How about we do both?!

So for you other crafty friends.......when buying gifts for little girls (boys too - both my boys know how to knit), think handicrafts. Share your talents. Give her/him something that is "unplugged" or as my friends would say "without a screen". Give your time with the gift.

Give yarn and needles and an hours' worth of knitting lessons.
Give embroidery tools and an afternoon of sewing together.
Give a Cuddlebug and spend a few hours making a supply of birthday cards for all of her friends, and your friends too.
Take her to a bead store and let her pick out all of the supplies to make a bracelet, then take it home and help her put it together.
Give him all of the supplies to make a bird house and spend the day, measuring, cutting, hammering, painting......the birds will thank you!
Help him paint a clay pot and then take him to a garden center to pick out the perfect cactus to plant in it.
Go to the local fabric store and let him pick out fabric for a BBQ apron - every chef needs a good apron. Help him cut it out and sew it. You'd be surprised at this......my 13 & 16 year old sons are fascinated with the sewing machine and sewing with it. Anything with a motor!!!!

These are just a few examples but I'm sure you can think of so many others. I think it's so important to spend time with each other and converse with each other and learn from one another - children and adults alike. I'm hoping for my next birthday, my mom gives me the time to teach me how to embroider like she does! Here is an example of her artistry. To me, it looks like it was painted. Once I learn how, maybe I'll have another mother daughter party - an embroidery party!