March 29th, 2012

Butterfly Set ~ Special Offer!

See related blog post at gratitudebydesign.wordpress.com

This set includes:  Two sets of Eight Square Notes  in Ming Butterfly and Butterfly I   Two Boxed Sets of Twelve Gift Enclosures  in Butterfly Stripe and Ming Butterfly  Originally $56.  Special Offer $19.95 each.

February 15th, 2012

Pardon disarray as we restore order following a recent hack!

Ah, the wonders of internet technology.  I am awed by the broad embrace enabled by the this cosmic billboard, yet completely perplexed when having to pick up the pixels following an attack.  Please bear with us and feel free to call if we may be of service 607.277.3188. 

In the meantime, here’s our French Bull Dog decked out for Westminster:

Ready to show!

July 23rd, 2011

Celebrating Summer

I love my next door neighbor, Pat.  Whenever I call, she answers the phone with, “Hi honey, watchya need?”  All too often I find myself in the midst of a recipe without one or more key ingredient.  Sigh.  And, Pat always has just what I’m seeking.  She’s right up there on my ‘gratitude list’ these days.

Today, in celebration of the potent summer heat, I decided to make a batch of Sweet Potato Vichyssoise.  Filling a jar for Pat as a thank you for coming to my rescue (with a cup of white wine) I decided to tie one of Gratitude’s Gift Enclosures to the jar with a note of thanks.  (A great idea for sharing jam, too!)

Pat's Jar of Vichy with Blue Poppy Gift Enclsoure

It was fun looking through our many summer florals with the color orange in them (to match the soup.)   They were so pretty assembled all together, I decided to create a special assortment in honor of warm summer days, wonderful next door neighbors and Sweet Potato Vichyssoise.  Here’s a shot of the Vichy Gift Enclosure Set:

Sweet Summer Gift Enclosure Set

Of course, we have Note Cards to coordinate:

Summer Vichy Note Card Set

Both sets of Summer Vichy Gift Enclosures and Note Cards are available on our website www.giftsofgratitude.com.

I’vc also included a scan of the recipe.  It’s from one of my all time favorite cookbooks, The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook (red cover.)  (Available on Amazon.)  Please forgive the splotches on the cookbook page…sure sign of a well-loved recipe.  (Cook’s note: I often prefer the color and texture of yams over sweet potatoes and often add a bit more lime ~ especially if I plan to serve it cold.)  Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Vichyssoise from The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook

July 15th, 2011

Grape Hyacinth ... a perennial favorite

This classic is a
popular perennial
from the
floral collection.
Sturdy
periwinkle sentinels
publicize spring…
strength and hope
all year round.
Peruse our site
to see the
entire collection

August 24th, 2010

write a letter...

“Blessed be letters ~ they are the monitors, they are also the comforters, and they are the only true heart-talkers.” Donald B. Mitchell

Email’s great, but writing a letter is so much better!  I believe in writing letters. This age old ritual blesses both recipient and author. Who doesn’t enjoy the thrill of retrieving a hand written note from the bundle of daily mail? Our teenagers still squeal with delight upon discovering a letter addressed to them..octogenarians often structure their day around the visit to the mailbox…and every night upon arriving home, husbands (and wives) all over the world inquire, “Any mail today?”  Many letters are kept…cherished for years, decades sometimes centuries.  We tend to express things in writing that would not be conveyed via email or chat or phone.  We open our hearts in letters.  What better gift to our loved ones and ourselves?

To encourage those of you reading this blog who share my love of letters and would like to make some time to write, I have a special gift….For the first 100 responses, I will provide an assorted set of six of my square note cards ($14 value) for the cost of shipping and handling ~ just $3.50.  Please choose “Writing Project” from my website www.giftsofgratitude.com. This will fuel one week’s worth of letter writing!The inspiration that sparked this offer came from a course I took last spring centered around “The Artist’s Way” by Julie Cameron.  The chapter on “Recovering a Sense of Abundance” includes a weekly assignment of writing a letter each day.   For those of you who have not discovered this book, I highly recommend it. For others who have completed the course and worked through this task, you will understand my enthusiasm for encouraging and enabling others to practice the ritual of writing by hand. Embracing our family and friends through letters truly does reveal an abundant sense of gratitude…and through this self-enrichment, reaches out and blesses others in meaningful ways.

*Looking for a gifted facilitator of The Artist’s Way online? I heartily recommend Carol at Inspirationhouse.com)

With love and gratitude,

Julie

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