Made ~ Hair Pins

Over a year ago, I decided to participate in an arts and crafts show at a local church.  I spent hours making hair accessories, jewelry and digital prints for the show.  I spent hours on designing the right displays and marketing materials.  I spent 10 hours the day of the show setting up, manning the booth and taking it down.  I had put so much effort into the show and made less than $80.  I was bummed to say the least.  I packed up everything and went home.  

The hair accessories stayed in my garage in a box for at least a year.  Then one night I had a dream of a little African girl dressed in a plain sackcloth type dress wearing one of the hair pins in her hair.  She had the biggest smile on her face.  Why?  Regardless of her dire circumstances (abject poverty), this little girl felt beautiful because she was wearing a hair pin I had created.  That's why she was smiling.

When I awoke the next morning, I retrieved the box from the garage and took it to one of my co-workers who participates in Operation Christmas Child.  I gave her all of those hair accessories, nearly a hundred of them, to put in the shoeboxes for little girls all over the world.  When I told my co-worker the history of the hair bows, she said something very profound.  She said, "Marian, you realize these hair bows were never meant to be sold at that craft fair?  They were meant for little girls like you saw in your dream.  God had a different purpose for these hair bows."  Wow.  I hadn't thought of it that way.  

Made ~ Thirty-One Bag Makeover

For my 40th birthday a friend of mine gave me a gift certificate to Thirty-One.  It took me for-ev-er to decide on which bag I wanted.  Finally (after a couple three months) I ordered a monogrammed dark denim cross body for me to take on my junking adventures.  Once I received it, of course, I could not leave well enough alone.  The bag was a little too plain Jane for moi.  

So, I added some vintage lace and crochet trim as well as a handmade floral pin to give the bag a little more personality. What do you think?  Personally, I cannot wait to use it!