Smiles Sent Saturday ~ 11/22/2015 ~ Thanksgiving Cards & package

This week I thought I'd share some of the envelopes I decorated for Thanksgiving cards as well as what went in a small care package for a relative in the armed forces.

For my grandfather who is fond of apples!  The Valley Forge stamp is technically a Christmas stamp-but the colors matched and prayer & Thanksgiving go together.

For our goddaughter - I thought this envelope ended up being "cheerful"

I just LOVE those "We Give Thanks" stamps!

Attempt at oak tree to mirror card

The card looked like pencil art, so I used a colored pencil for the tree.

This card had roses in a pumpkin.

Thought the peppers worked well.

Love the Illinois stamp-so pretty & perfect for Thanksgiving.

The card had blackberries on it, and the football & dog stamps were to represent what we plan to watch on Thanksgiving.

Gave up on the oak leaves, & went generic with the leaves. 

Football!

For a letter to a great aunt whose dad used to work on a train & part of the letter was about packing shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child.

This is probably my favorite of the envelopes!  Ducks flying from a fall lake!  I measured against a postmark on a card I received to be sure the ducks would be canceled...

And finally, here's what went in the care package.  Thanksgiving classics: turkey, cranberries, and pecan pie...all a little different.  Plus M&M candy corn, a Mounds Bar (as I normally make coconut pie), popcorn, & Uno Avengers as game playing is always a part of our family Thanksgivings.  And, not pictured are some homemade pumpkin cookies.

The name “Smiles Sent Saturday” denotes my hope these things I mailed made the people who got them smile.

Smiles Sent Saturday ~ November 14, 2015 ~ Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes

This week’s a little different.  Instead of something I mailed through the Postal Service.  This is about the shoeboxes I sent through Operation Christmas Child.  For two decades they've collected shoeboxes filled with school & hygiene supplies as well as toys and other items from individuals, families, and groups, then deliver them around the world to children in need or crisis.  My family's done it for most of those years.  Here's three of those boxes I packed this year for girls with different themes:

This was a "rabbit" box for a girl 2-4 years old.    Someone gave the us the rabbits-and they looked like a "mother & baby", so I didn't want to split them up-so I found other smaller items to fit in around it-I was quite pleased with how much I could get in!  I even found a small toy and thin composition book with writing paper in it to add later.

This was for a girl 10-14 years old.  I went with owl themed.  My mom sewed the owl bag, I found the owl report cover (which I used to make a Stationery Set), stamp, collapsible water bottle, and stamp were on clearance at CVS,  The crocheted bracelet with owl button was donated, and we already had the owl wrapping paper.  To be able to get more to fit I put the puzzle pieces in a zippered bag and tucked small items around it in the puzzle box.

This was a cat box.  The report cover had a a cat with a ball of yarn on it and was also a stationery set.  I was pleased with how many cat items I found I had as well as other items I was able to fit in.

Our family, including my aunt, packed 50 boxes this year.  You can see some others of those we packed for different ages and genders a Girl 2-4 years old, Boy 2-4 years old, Girl 10-14 years old, & Boy 10-14 years old) at my Simply Shoe Boxes.

The name “Smiles Sent Saturday” denotes my hope these things I mailed made the people who got them smile.

Smiles Sent Saturday~11/8/15~Veteran's (Armistice) Day

This coming Wednesday America will celebrate Veteran's Day, in other parts of the world I believe it's called Armistice Day (as it's celebrated on the day the Armistice to end WWI). A couple years ago I started sending cards that'd I'd found at the local dollar store. It seems to be well received, especially by one who served during the Vietnam War in Hawaii, his wife told me that he really liked/appreciated  it and didn't remember anyone ever doing that for him.  So, if you know a veteran, please consider sending them a card, it may mean more than you know.

This was for my Grandfather who served in the rebuilding of Europe after WWII.

...another card...

...for a WWII Veteran who I think served on the European front (under Ike)... 

 ...a WWII vet who served on the home-front (hence General Marshal who did the same)...

...a Vietnam Marine Vet....

...and finally for someone serving in the Navy linked to the aviation sector.

The name “Smiles Sent Saturday” denotes my hope these things I mailed made the people who got them smile.