Do you know anyone who has a birthday? Yes, of course you do! Everyone has a birthday. Have you ever wondered what the perfect birthday gift is? You know, the one where the birthday person will love, will remember, and will smile with? The birthday gift that she knows you love her? This perfect gift then needs to be a gift that speaks to multiple love languages to give to a multitude of people. Last summer, I read The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts. This book talks about having a thriving marriage by speaking the love language of your spouse. If you only speak English, you would not understand what someone who only speaks French is saying. Just like verbal language, love language must be understood to be received. However, I'm not married. So it was a good reference but not exactly applicable to me yet. And then I found: The Five Love Languages Singles Edition: The Secrets that will Revolutionize your Relationships. I loved this book! However, I thought a better title would be The Five Languages: Secrets for Everyone in Your Life. It was not just for how I relate to other singles or potential significant men in my life (yes, there was one or two chapters on this), but most of it dealt with every sort of relationship that we have. It dealt with love languages of parents, neighbhors, co-workers, and other everyday relationships. The relationships that people have with the birthday people in their lives--everyone. So what is this perfect gift for anyone because it captures so many of the love languages? A birthday card. Not just a card, but a card that is beautiful on the outside housing your beautiful words on the inside. A card that says more than "Dear Obadiah, Happy birthday! Love, Me," but one that shares a funny story, shares how you feel, shares several sentences. A card that is handmade with love. I know, I know. You are probably thinking, A simple birthday card does not cover all the love languages. So let me show you: The five love languages are: 1. Words of Affirmation--these are genuine words spoken to that special person in your life that are encouraging or complimentary. A birthday card that shares more than "Happy birthday!" are words that your person can read over and over again. She can read how much you love her and what she means to you. 2. Gifts--Gifts are small tokens that say "Hey, I found this and I was thinking of you." They do not need to be extravagant, but they do need to be something tangible that you give. Yes, it is usually better if this card is accompanied by a bit bigger gift, but the card that you picked out and carefully crafted the words for will speak to the person whose love language is gifts. 3. Quality time--This is the love language where spending time together is so valuable. Quality time though can also be in the form of quality conversation. Though you may be absent from the person, taking the time out of your day to draft a well thought-out and meaningful card will speak volumes to your quality-time friend. And of course if you give him the card in person and then spend the rest of the afternoon with him, he feels extra love. Trust me on this one; quality time is my love language, and I love receiving cards and letters. 4. Acts of Service--Acts of service are where you go out of your way to help someone through washing the dishes or taking the trash out or doing the laundry. Giving a well thought-out card may not really speak to an acts of service person, especially if your room is messy. However, you could write about how you cleaned your room or even promise them to help them in some way (as long as you follow through and keep your promise). 5. Physical touch--This love language says that you love someone by coming into physical contact with them like a hug or a pat on the shoulder or even just brushing against her as you pass. This one, I admit is a bit difficult to explain with cards. However, if you hand-deliver the card then you can reach over and give that desired hug. And maybe if you are far away, the person will still feel loved because you were actually touching the paper that he is now touching. So what are you waiting for? It's time to get your very own perfect birthday gifts! Or if you aren't quite ready to buy one, you can like, share or subscribe our page for when you are ready to buy that special card. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites
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A few days ago, I was cleaning out some old papers and I found this.
Look familiar? It was the prototype of my current logo.
The notebook this was in was from 2012--five years ago. It's crazy to think that I had this shop in the back of my mind for five years.
As I studied this doodle, it reminded me about why I started with cards. With each card that I make, I am giving a little piece of my heart to go along with the card. Each card that I hand-craft is formed with love. If you are one of the people who gets a card from me (birthday, invitation, just thinking of you etc.), know it is my way of saying that I love you and that I am thinking of you.
My favorite moments are when I create a card with the preferences of the receiver. The look of awe or "How did you know I love..." make every moment spent on the card worth it.
I chose to sell the cards that I make so that others can experience giving a hand-made card. Someone can look at their friend and say, "It's handmade by my good friend Parthena" (I say good friend because I hope that if we are not good friends that we may become better acquainted through these cards). Some of my favorite customers have been those who have ordered custom cards. They told me what they were looking for, I then produced a test card to show them, and I allowed them to tweak it as necessary. Working together, we produced sets of cards that were tailored to the recipients. One customer gave me an image of a Norfolk mermaid with a stethoscope and requested that I create elegant graduation cards for her Eastern Virginia Medical School friends (a school based in Norfolk).
A fellow teacher asked me to create cards based on her classroom theme, monsters. Whenever someone opened the card, he would know it was from her class.
With custom cards, each recipient knows that the sender put in the thought and energy to create the card even if the sender was not the one who put the glue on the paper.
Cards are ways to make people feel special. The outside of the card is the cover to the inside--like a book sharing a preview of the glorious tale within. Most of my cards are blank so that the sender has plenty of room to write how he feels about the recipient without squishing or rearranging words. Cards are ways to express love both on the outside and the inside. They proudly proclaim, "You are important to me." They announce, "You matter to me." That's why cards. Do you have an idea for a card? I would love to hear about it! You can contact me at [email protected]. Bonus: If you use the coupon code CELEBRATE between now and July 21, you will receive 25% off of your Etsy purchase! Please like, share, comment, or subscribe if this post inspired you in any way. |
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