Gift Idea ~ Booth Owner

These are my thoughts as I'm sitting here, cutting cardstock into tags for part of my dad's Christmas gift. My dad has a booth at a local antique mall. He enjoys hunting for good finds, the challenge of rebuilding and repurposing. He even enjoys loading up his truck to restock.

Least favorite part... pricing. Mom tells me they're always buying pre-made tags for $1, and are low on other materials like twine and string. So, I know dad loves his booth. He loves thrifting, and being thrifty. Just doesn't like making tags. Perfect, cause I can do that!

Ok, making a bunch of tags. What else?

After looking around in my own resale stash, I found a wooden carrier (well, a small shelf turned on it's side). Filled it with small metal buckets, and a tall metal box w/lid. They all fit!

Realistically, I know my practical, yet creative dad will sell or repurpose what I give him instead of keeping it to use for organization. It's great knowing he finds joy in painting or rebuilding, etc. so I just see this as part of the gift.

I'm also a booth owner. This is a short list of my commonly needed items, as well as a few things I'll add to personalize. His favorite color is green, so that may also become part of the theme:

~ bundles of similar sized tags (sm, med, lg, extra lg)

~ twine, crochet thread

~ fine black markers/pens
~ double-sided tape
~ paint brushes
~ scissors
~ safety pins
~ favorite snacks

~ cash for thrifting

There are so many ways to give! I hope you make or find just the right things for everyone on your heart this Christmas season!

Beautifully Broken

"Amid a life full

of stumbling blocks

& imperfection, we are

all grateful for second

chances."

~ Lynn G. Robbins ~

This paperweight has a nasty chip. First thing you noticed, right? No. In fact, the only way you'd know it's there is if you held it in your hands and turned it over to reveal the damage... or if I told you.

A picture can be altered, edited, filtered to serve a purpose. If you work at it, you can really present a beautiful version of reality. But that's what it is. A version.

I do enjoy editing photos and artwork, and evoking feeling through all of that. It's just I don't want to blur away all imperfection. That's where the most interesting stories are.

There is beauty in brokenness. There's beauty in honesty and wrinkles, and rust and wear.

There's beauty in time-tested, worn and weathered. And beauty in those who preserve and embrace the imperfections... in things, in others, and most importantly, themselves.