The blessing of pain….
February 10th, 2015 | Posted by in Inspiration from others | Spice Grove Designs - (12 Comments)This is by far the
About hip dysplasia… (the short version)
1. Hope!
2. Strength!
3. Health!
4. Understanding/Compassion/Empathy!
5. Patience!
6. JOY! (what’s that you say?? no, really, read on!)
This Veteran’s Day, Be An Angel…
November 11th, 2014 | Posted by in Giveaways | Giving Back | Inspiration from others - (0 Comments)It’s no secret that I hold veterans and active duty soldiers close to my heart. My Dad was Air Force and sweet Mr. Spice Grove was in the Army. So when I say how impressed I am by all that my friend Brenda over at STRUCTUREbags does for our military members and families, you can be sure that I’m not overstating things!
From her amazing letter writing campaign last Christmas, (distributing hundreds of letters and ornaments to soldiers overseas and to the families of those same deployed soldiers) her partnership with Team Red White and Blue – her heart is to help those who serve! Again this Holiday Season, Brenda is looking to make a difference for military families and YOU get to be involved!!
Here is more information straight from Brenda:
“During the entire month of November, nominators can visit www.structurebags.com to create a wishlist for a nominee and tell STRUCTUREbags about their deserving nominee. Wishlists can feature anything from the STRUCTUREbags store, including items from the soon-to-be-released all-new 2015 Organic Canvas Collection and the expanded Camo with a Cause line – now available in four camo options.
Winners will have their wishlist fulfilled by STRUCTUREbag’s “Deployment Angels.”Prizes include a $150, a $75 and three $50 gift packages. Additionally, the first 25 nominators and nominees will each receive a complimentary tree ornament in the camo print of their choice. Winners will be chosen based on the written nomination and will be selected by a panel of military spouses. There is no purchase necessary to enter or nominate and self-nominations are welcome. Complete details can be found at http://www.structurebags.com/pages/season-of-thanks-2014.”
“My time at West Point opened my eyes to the daily sacrifices made by our military,” said Brenda Guyader, founder and designer of STRUCTUREbags. “And the holidays can be especially difficult.”
“I first heard of ‘Deployment Angels’ on Valentine’s Day 2013 when someone secretly left a small box of chocolates for a neighbor – the spouse of a deployed soldier. We all teared-up,” she said.
Since its founding location at the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2011, STRUCTUREbags has supported active military families through its Camo with a Cause line of products. For every item purchased in that line $1 is donated to their strategic partner, Team Red, White & Blue, the national organization connecting veterans to their communities through physical and social activities.
STRUCTUREbags continues to invest $1 per item sold or donated from the Camo with a Cause line in Team RWB’s ongoing social and athletic programs for veterans and their families.”
After being married to a soldier who deployed I can tell you firsthand that anything you do for soldiers AND their families will make a world of difference to all of them. My Hubby used to tell me it gave him such peace when he knew that we were taken care of while he was away. So don’t miss out on this awesome chance to make a huge difference in the lives of those who serve this Holiday Season! Thank you so much Brenda for allowing us to share this opportunity with our friends here at Spice Grove Designs!
Have a blessed Veteran’s Day friends and a special ‘Thank You’ to all who have and are serving!
PS…..Don’t forget to click on the ‘Deployment Angel’ photo to nominate someone!!
4 lessons learned from our ‘Charlie Brown’ Christmas Tree
December 21st, 2013 | Posted by in Inspiration from others | Spice Grove Designs - (76 Comments)
I just love this time of year! The wonder of our girls as we unpack our Advent Calendar and Nativity is precious! Chasing my 20 month old around to try to get Baby Jesus back so she doesn’t hide Him somewhere I’ll never find Him is hilarious! I love the cooler weather and the comfy clothes. The yummy treats and family time are such a blessing! Basically, I love everything about Christmas – what is means and what it brings. We don’t do fancy decorations in our Home but try to keep things simple and meaningful. One piece of decor though that I do look forward to bringing out each year is our ‘Charlie Brown’ Christmas tree!
This tree was with my Father years ago when he was stationed in the Philippines with the Air Force. It was sent to him again when he was away in Italy for a year when I was 8. It then traveled to Arizona to be with me in college and then on to Oregon to be with my brother at college. It’s next journey sent it all the way over to Iraq to be with my Husband when he was deployed with the Army. And though it is literally falling apart, it gets more precious to me every year. It serves as a wonderful reminder to our girls that beauty on the outside fades, but a beautiful heart will never age or grow dim.
It teaches them about sacrifice and courage as we tell the story of its journeys. They marvel, touching each branch, at how this little tree has traveled more miles than any of us probably will in a lifetime. It tells them of love that can never be dimmed by distance or time. But most of all it shows them that just as this little ‘falling-apart’ messy tree was able to impart joy and hope and comfort in dark time, so too, the Messiah born as a baby in that messy, dirty stable was able to give hope, grace and the ultimate gift of love for all of us……
Yes, this little tree will always hold a special place in my heart. As we spend time together this Christmas, we wish you and your loved ones a Blessed Christmas and Peaceful New Year.
Inspiration from Spice Grove Designs
November 16th, 2013 | Posted by in Giveaways | Inspiration from Nature | Inspiration from others | Spice Grove Designs - (51 Comments)As we near the end of our week of inspiration I have to say thank you to all the amazing ladies who by being who they are inspired this week!! What an amazing group I am blessed to know!!
I can go on and on about the amazing things that move me, such as Nature and Faith and Family, but I want to make sure that you all know that YOU inspire me too!! YOU make my days of creating brighter by your feedback and your response to my designs. You make my long computer nights sweeter with your kind comments on Facebook! Your encouragement after a rough day makes more of a difference than I can ever say!! Your creative ideas, shared opinions and moving stories are priceless, valued and appreciated!
In short, YOU inspire me!! YES, you!! The one who takes a second to like a quote on my Facebook page. The one who browses our shop and comes up with an AWESOME idea for a custom design. The one who shares their heart and story with me. I treasure each and every one of you. YOU are the reason this dream has gone forward. You are the ones in my heart when I sit down with a blank piece of paper to create a new design. Your lives are the ones I think of when I find a new up-cycled beauty that I just have to share! And you are the ones who make all of this possible. It still boggles my mind to imagine my little designs sitting in their new homes……
So from the depths of my heart I can only say a humble and sincere ‘thank-you.’
I’ve never had a giveaway this HUGE, so make sure you enter the drawing below and WIN any design of your choice from the Spice Grove Designs shop, PLUS free shipping!! The best of luck to all of you friends!
If you haven’t already, make sure you stop by Facebook and Twitter to say hello! Or stop by and check out our inspirational Pinterest boards! Make sure you sign up for our newsletter on the right so you don’t miss anything! To view see all the giveaways offered this week click here!!