Friday, November 27, 2009

25 Days of Giveaways...Day 1!!!

Happy Black Friday!!! Can you believe Christmas is in less than a month now??? I know that this holiday season is going t0 be a difficult one for me (and you.) Shopping needs to be done and it always makes me sad to see all the things I would love to buy for my sweet Sophia & Ellie. That is why I decided to do what I can to spread some joy to our community. So with the help of 24 other lovely ladies we are doing 1 giveaway a day for the next 25 days. So check back here every morning to see where to go for that day's giveaway. Don't forget because each giveaway will probably only last for 1 day (sorry to those of you who live oceans away, I hope you are able to participate in this too!)

Now for the first giveaway...

I am having a really hard time deciding what to give. Of course it will be one of my handstamped pieces, but not everyone has the same needs. So I am going to "advertise" my newest creation for the giveaway, but if it doesn't fit your needs, I will be happy to work with you and create the perfect piece just for you. So here it is...my newest necklace and it can be yours...


All you have to do is leave me a comment and tell me any special things you might me doing to keep your babies' spirits alive during this holiday season. Here a few things we are doing: My parentes bought us a white Christmas Tree that we plan on decorating with mostly pink ornaments just for Sophia & Ellie. I also want to have a special stocking made (or purchase) for them to hang with the rest of ours. However, I can't find what I want anywhere (any suggestions would be great!) Also, the girls are buried under an olive tree and I want to have some ornaments painted with their names to hang in the tree during this season. Anyway...I can't wait to here (and steal!) some of your ideas too. Leave me a comment quickly!!! I will randomly choose a winner this evening!!!

Thanks for participating and don't forget to check back here tomorrow to see where to go next!!!

42 comments:

  1. Oh wow, that necklace is lovely Tina, fabby giveaway.
    I like your ideas for remembering Sophia and Ellie this Christmas. I'm still struggling with what to do for Florence. Christmas is not my favourite time of year anyway,but I know it's going to be so hard this year.
    I have so far made a special christmas fairy to watch over us this Christmas. (and a matching one for tomorrow's giveaway).
    I'm also busying myself making blankets for the bereavement suite at my local hospital in her honour.
    The only other thing we have planned so far is to go visit her grave Christmas morning, and to have some sky lanterns to let go on Christmas evening just for her.

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  3. I just adore this idea, Tina. What fun! I am doing a tree all in butterflies for Ella. I've ordered pretty glittery butterflies in hot pink and silver. I also plan on donating a few toys to babies that are around Ella's age (what she should have been). I've asked my family to do that, as well. I love Jeanette's idea of donating something to the hospital for other bereaved mommies. Love your new design. :)

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  4. This sounds like so much fun! To keep Brystons memory alive during the holidays I plan on putting all of his photos on ornaments and decorating the tree with them. I also plan on doing a Holiday balloon release at his site, weather permitting of coarse. Id like to tye a few small toys to the balloon for his xmas gifts. I want him to be included on the holidays with us so badly so this is my little way of doing that. *HUGS*

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  5. I was soooo upset the other day, Christmas shopping...I told my bestie that I was upset buying stuff for other people and I should have been buying for my elliot, and now I'd never get to....I can't claim this idea.
    She says to me "Brandy, we are going to start a ptchwork quilt and for every birthday and Christmas we are going to add a patch. That way you can shop for him every year....look until you find that perfect piece of fabric and anything else you want to add to it."
    So this is how I plan on keeping Elliot "alive" at Christmas and his birthday, every year. I am so glad she came up with this idea to because I think I was so angry, I couldn't get past it to think of anything...

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  6. Tina,

    Love it! You are so very talented.

    For Christmas we to several things to keep our angels memory alive and strong. I made semi-coordinating stockings for the whole family and my trio's stockings are in the middle with angel stocking holders. We have 3 large lighted angels that we put up in our front yard. I painted eveyone's names on large wooden snowflakes that we hang down from the covered front walkway in front of our house.

    Here are pictures
    http://s164.photobucket.com/albums/u5/thebrg/?action=view&current=233403cf.pbw

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  7. What a great idea Tina. If you need an extra day I would love to donate one of Hannah's Delivering Hope memory boxes. I plan on decorating her own small tree on top of the curio that holds Hannah's ashes and mementos. Also she has a stocking. I chose to give her one that matches all of ours just as if she were here. I am making her a square for the memorial quilt at a local hospital. And also knitting cream color hats with gold bands around the top to represent a halo. These will be donated to hospitals for the angel babies. But it is still early too so maybe I will think of more! God bless all the families this season. Praying for each and every one's strength.

    Katy

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  8. My husband and I are fairly discreet about our memorials to our baby, so I bought a letter "D" ornament at Kohl's which looks like a christmas cookie..I also bought 2 more for my mom and sister, so that every tree we share Xmas under this year will have Denise with us.. My mom and my sister are rockstars at helping me through the grief.. I also have a dear friend who lost her little girl shortly after we lost ours, and I sent the letter "e" for her daughter's name as well.

    My blog has a photo of them both. If you are looking for whimsical and childlike, then Kohl's may be the place to find Sophia and Ellie some cute ornaments.

    My plan is to buy an ornament for Denise every year.

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  9. The necklace is beautiful!
    I am at a loss as to what to do to remember my angel this year. I will probably buy an ornament, but had never thought about the little tree thing until you mentioned it. Hmm..maybe I'll buy one of those mini trees with mini ornaments and put it in Zoe's space in my home.
    Thanks for the idea Tina!

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  10. I hope I win! I love that necklace :) We are going to have a separate small tree just for Mackenzie that we will add to each year. We will also have a stocking for her. Our support group has a Christmas ceremony too so that will be a nice way to remember her this holiday season.
    xo
    Ashley

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  11. Hi Tina. We will be taking a few very small artificial trees to the cemetery to put around my grandparents' and Gracie's markers. We will be doing the trees with white solar LED lights, mini glass balls in pink and blue and a personalized glass ornament for Gracie. We will also release some balloons on Christmas with our family. I am working on a special stocking, as well. (If you haven't found anything by the time I have a finished product within the next couple of weeks, I will email you a picture....)

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  12. Hello Tina, you may or may not have read what we are doing for Jonathan on my blog, but we are setting up a little Christmas Tree and decorating it in white and baby blue in angels. It will always be Jonathan's tree. :) Hope you had a great Thanksgiving. :)

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  13. Lovely ideas, Tina. We are doing a stocking for Jenna, which I would love to be fuchsia. :)
    Also, we are including her on our Christmas cards we send out. At the cemetery where she is buried, they have a remembrance tree and we are tying a ribbon on there for her. I also want to collect an ornament just for her each year. This year it is the one April made for me.

    xx

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  14. Tina - your necklace is gorgeous!

    We are doing many things to keep Nicholas' memory alive and with us. Of course, I have the Angel Wings Memorial Boutique, which gives me so much comfort. We have already received so many special Christmas tree ornaments in honour of Nicholas and I look forward to putting them up with our other boys.

    Thanks!

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  15. Your necklace is gorgeous. I have briefly started looking for a piece of jewelery to wear in memory of Janessa. Once I get it, I do not think it will ever come off. You are very talented!

    We are remembering Janessa this Christmas a few different ways & I am sure we will add things as days pass & I see new ideas from all these amazing women.

    We are bringing Janessa her very own Christmas tree to her grave. I still am unsure how I would like to decorate it.

    We are getting her 2 ornaments for our tree. One with her picture & one, if I can find it, a sleeping angel on a cloud. Still looking.

    We will visit her on Christmas morning & release some baloons for her. I love the idea of attaching a small toy for her!

    I will also be donating a toy for a child her age for "Toys for Tots."

    We will keep her pic up & candle lit when our family comes over for Christmas Eve.

    Again, this 25 days of give-a-ways is great!

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  16. Hi Tina, we ordered Christmas cards and included a picture of Emma and Chase's names on it along with a picture of my two step-kids. We have special ornaments for them and will probably buy a new one to honor them every Christmas. I love your idea of putting ornaments on the olive tree. Emma and Chase are buried under an oak tree we planted for them. I am definitely taking that idea from you! : )

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  17. :-) I am decorating a big beautiful turquoise Christmas tree just for my Maxton. I have turquoise butterflies for it and am putting some pretty turquoise and silver ornaments on it.

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  18. I love the idea of decorating their own tree!! I made Kasey a stocking to hang with ours. I also did Christmas with Kasey right before his birthday. I also include Kasey's name in the Christmas cards I am sending out. I am sure I too will steal others ideas. Sending you lots of hugs!!

    Nicolle

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  19. The necklace is beautiful and this
    giveaway extravaganza is a great idea. I've been thinking about some knitted butterfly ornaments for the tree but I haven't made firm plans yet. I may try some of the ideas from other commenters.

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  20. Sorry for your loss.

    The necklace is beautiful.

    I have a few things that I would like to do in remembrance of our little girl.

    The other day I when out and bought a 3 foot pink Christmas tree, that I plan on decorating with butterflies, angels, and some handmade items.

    We are going to be going up to Rockafeller Center in NYC to see the tree this year. My husband has always wanted to take me. I told him after we have kids, so we would be able to take them. Instead I will be taking a tiny bit of Shealyn's ashes and leave it under the tree.

    That is all I have for right now. I am sure as Christmas get closer I will have more things planned.

    All the best.

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  21. Last year we made two table top trees full of pink decorations in memory of our girls. I also designed Christmas cards with the theme Angels Among Us- that was a wonderful way to honor their spirits at Christmas. This year I am looking for butterfly ornaments as we had a butterfly release at their gravesite on their first "birthday".

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  22. Hi!
    We are having a special christmas tree this year with all handpicked pink and silver (by us) ornaments just for Charlie! We are also going to write special christmas letters and tape them to ballons and send them up into the sky
    I have also brought a beautiful hurricane lamp with a strawberry candle that will be our centre piece for christmas dinner that we will burn in memory of our special girl.
    And last but not least we have also grabbed a tag of the target christmas tree and will buy a present for someone in need in memory of our little girl.

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  23. Hi Tina,

    That is a beautiful necklace and the giveaway is a really neat idea.

    To remember my son this Christmas, I will be giving thank you gifts to the hospital units who were involved in his care, and also giving my husband a hand-painted mug done by a local illustrator with symbols that remind us both of our baby boy.
    Ruth

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  24. Tina - As usual you have a wonderful talent and that new piece is beautiful!
    Last year we found two tiny metallic white Christmas Trees with pink lights and small pink ornament that we put on either side of our big tree. I have been working on making tree skirts with their name’s on them, I'm just hoping to finish them in time to put up the trees this weekend. We also purchased ornaments last year in memory of the girls for the big tree and my parents gave us some for them as well. I am planning to get them a new ornament every year to hang on the big tree.
    Also our neighbor makes yard decorations for Christmas and last year she brought us wood stockings with the girl's names painted on them and we took them out to the cemetery a few weeks before Christmas and brought them home after the Holidays. And we are planning on taking them back this year. I plan on taking pictures and will probably post them in a few weeks.
    Thanks again for doing this I think it is amazing!

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  25. I think what you 25 ladies are doing is just so wonderful.

    When my beloved Sophia Rene passed away (Sophia is my twin A) on March 11th, 2008 my bosses sent flowers to my office for me to try and cheer me up. They know what I like and sent the most perfect pink and purple arrangement with the most wonderful looking pink butterfly in it. When the time came to get rid of the flowers I knew I had to do something special with that butterfly. I kept in in my bedroom. Before Mya was born I placed it on her dresser. When Sophia came home from the mortuary I placed the butterfly with her. Last Christmas while decorating our Christmas Tree in pink for Mya I realized rather then getting Sophia an orniment I should put her butterfly on the three and I did. It made our tree so perfect.

    This year I would like to find a nice picture from orniment and put Sophia's "Name in the Sand" photo and hang it. What Carly does is amazing.

    Though we will are not able to have anymore children I will always want Mya to know is is not an only child she is a twin.

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  26. To keep Austin's memory alive each year, I get his pictures/blankets and put them around the Christmas tree once it's up....I also talk alot about him with his little brother....as well as family..

    Sara
    rose081900.wordpress.com

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  27. Beautiful pc. You are so very talented.

    To remember Vayden, we are going to have a special ornament made for him, We're going to take photos of his photo by the Christmas tree, but the biggest thing we're going to put together 23 parent gift sets for long term or out of state NICU parents. These packs will have a bunch of travel items for the moms & dads that barely sleep let alone leave the NICU. The hospital where Vayden was born is the biggest in our state and many families come from rual areas of OK, the hospital is also not closly located to a walmart or even a CVS. We picked the number 23 because Vayden was born on 5/23 but i'm sure we'll throw in 2 more just fit with Christmas. :)

    -Stephanie

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  28. I had decided not to participate in this giveaway thingy, but what you are giving away is so special that I got tempted. I want to see Akul's name everywhere and when a mom offers to do that... I cannot resist. This December I plan to add angel babies to Akul's fairyland and honor Akul by making another angel mom smile. I now that is what Akul wants me to do. Hugsssssss

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  29. Tina--Since I am shopping with you anyway, I hope I win your giveaway. I will be one step ahead at least on something!

    I, too, am going to decorate a tree just for Chase. I have purchased several ornaments, in fact, the only thing I have bought on this trip has been ornaments and things for Chase. My mom gave me a very precious ornament and told me to do whatever I wanted with it. It is a sleep in heavenly peace angel--so, so precious, and it will be perfect on my tree. I have embroidered a tree skirt and plan to take a photo of us iwth the tree for our christmas cards. I may or not send a letter, too.
    Yes, this is a very, extremely painful time for us and I think this is a very cool thing for you to do for us, Tina. Something to have fun with that only we can understand. Thanks, Tina!
    love,
    christy

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  30. I hope I'm not to late!!! I can't believe I almost forgot about the first giveaway!!!

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  31. We are going to try to go to the cemetary where alex is buried and talk to him. We go every couple of days to visit him.
    We will never forget our two angels.

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  32. Mostly we are going to try to just survive this season but we also plan on getting a new star for our tree and a new star menorah to light for Oliver. When our first son came to visit me in the hospital after we learned the devastating news of his brother's death he started repeating the word star star star over and over again (he had never previously said the word, he was 18 months). So stars are very important to us.

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  33. I love that necklace! So precious...

    I have an ornament with Leila's picture on it, and I'm also looking for an angel ornament for the tree. The money I would have used for Leila's Christmas this year will be used to bless a family less fortunate - we'll be grocery shopping, and getting a Walmart gift card, for a young family we know who are being especially hit by this economy. I think this will make my Leila smile down from heaven!

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  34. We lost our baby boy a month after you lost your twins. The memory box the hospital gave us had a porcelain heart on a ribbon...we're going to put the charm on our Christmas tree every year as an ornament. we also both wear a little baby-size ring on a necklace.

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  35. we lost peyton just before the holiday season last year and were not up to putting a tree or lights up. this year we have decided to set up a special peyton tree in the front window, one in her honor with special ornaments that make us think of her, this way all who pass the house will be able to see her tree.

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  36. What a lovely thought for the comments. I can't wait to read through everything for more ideas to help our family grieve and remember George as we celebrate Christmas. I want to get a special Christmas tree ornament for our George. I also want to settle on an urn for his ashes and our priest is going to come over to do a little service as his ashes will be with us in our home until my husband and I know where we'll end up one day. I think having that done will be very healing for me. I'm also writing "and in memory of our baby George" on every Christmas card we send so that his name is included with those of his older siblings and ours. Your jewelry is just lovely, Tina. So pretty. Thank you for thinking of this 25 days for us all to share some joy through our sorrow. xo

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  37. Hi,
    I just lost twins at 18w, Alexander & Amelia on November 10th, 2009. We are getting cards made with their footprints and handprints for the family. Liz Chicago lpcreations@sbcglobal.net

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  38. That is a beautiful necklace and Im sure who ever wins it will enjoy it. Since Connor was in my life for 17 months before he passed he did get to celebrate every holiday at least once. Every year (this one being the second without him) I put up his stocking that I bought him for his first Christmas. I also hung a picture of him by our Christmas tree so that when we take a family photo around the tree he will be in the picture with us. Plus I have ornaments with his name on them.
    I hope you have a good Christmas and be able to celebrate with your girls in your own special way. *hugs*

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  39. Well I am sure this is closed now, but I wanted to share what I did to keep Jayden's spirt alive this christmas and last. My sisters and brothers and all all made our our hand painted (on just colored bulbs) for Jayden, they were all beautiful. I planned on maybe getting him a stocking, and all our christmas lights on the house are going to be all blue to remind us of him (and my moms house; just as we did last years-blue stars). He died twenty days before christmas last year; and I will once again be sending him a GIANT christmas balloon this year with lotsa of loving things written on it from the family who misses him SO much.

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  40. hi there, I just found out about this giveaway on another blog, and realized I had seen your blog once but forgot to put you on my reader. I will do that now.

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  41. p.s. i will post a blog post about this on my blog.

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  42. I was away and missed this, but I still wanted to share. I just put up a whole tree in honor of Sophie and Aiden. It's all red and silver with a giant silver S and a silver A right on the top. It felt good to do somehting to honor them, but so horrible at the same time. I'm going to post a photo on my blog if I can.
    Your jewelry is beautiful. I am waiting to order-if I am lucky enough to bring a living child home one day I want to wait and get one with all three names.
    Thank you SO much for doing this! You are amazing.

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