MareHare

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T11:48:00.001-08:00

We know that this is usually a day reserved for those in relationships that wish to show their love for their partner. We also hope that those same couples that run around trying to find the most expensive, the most delectable, the most outrageous gifts show their love more than one day a year. Otherwise the relationship is doomed.

It's actually the feast day of St. Valentine. This particular feast day was established in 496 by Pope Gelasius I. There were, it seems a few men named Valentinus roaming around the area at the time however, only one was buried on the Via Flaminia just north of Rome on February 14th. Another was alive during the reign of Claudius II, when Christians were being persecuted. This Valentinus was a Roman priest who often married Christian couples and helped others, which was a big no no, and actually a crime. He was martyred sometime between 269 and 273.

The one considered to be "the" St. Valentine has been acknowledged by the Catholic Church to have been a Bishop of Terri, which is south of Umbria. While under house arrest at Judge Asterius home (those darn Romans) this Valentinus spoke often to the Judge of Jesus and his works and teachings. To test Valentinus the judge had his adopted blind daughter brought to him. If her sight was restored, he promised to do anything that Valentinus requested of him. Valentinus placed his hands on the child's eyes and her vision was restored immediately so the Judge asked what he must do. The Bishop told him that all idols should be broken and removed from his home, he should fast for three days and then be baptized. The judge and all of his family members did so and he even released all of the Christian prisoners. Of course this Valentinus continued to preach about Jesus and he was eventually captured and sent to Claudius II (you know where this is heading - no pun intended). Claudius actually took a liking to Valentinus until he tried to convert him to follow Jesus. Claudius gave him an ultimatum, renounce his faith or die. Of course, he was not about to renounce his faith so they beat him with clubs and stones. When that didn't work he was beheaded. Wow, now that is the stuff that love stories are made of huh? He is the one buried at the Via Flaminia.

Valentine's Day was first associated with romance and love by none other than Geoffrey Chaucer who, along with his circle of writer friends, invented St. Valentines of legend. I just bet they would be quite surprised at how it has evolved to a day such as it is celebrated today. Sonnets, wildflowers and long strolls through the countryside hand-in-hand have been replaced by sexy lingerie, expensive bling and buckets of chocolate. Let us not forget those romantic dinners at restaurants that have 2 and 3 seatings today so they are serving you an appetizer and your dessert at the same time. I guess I'm a simpleton. All it takes for me is a genuine I love you from someone, a kiss, hug or one single rose or daisy and that's enough for me.

However you celebrate your Valentine's Day we hope that someone someplace tells you that you are loved and more importantly we hope you share that love with someone else.

Peace,

Mare

This Week on e-Bay

2012-02-08T12:07:00.000-08:00

Hello and congratulations to the NY Giants. It was a heck of a game, a true nail-biter, and a job well done. Yesterday we threw the ultimate party for them down the "Canyon of Heroes" in New York City with a ticker tape parade. I have been to a number of them, starting from when I was in my teens when I cut out of school to go to one and ended up happily screaming "HI MOM" to Penny Crone's camera which my mother unfortunately saw on the 6:00 pm news. I think I was grounded for a month, which seemed like an eternity as that was back in the day when the only thing in my room was a t.v. which was removed. Now being sent to your room is no longer a big deal given the fact that all of the kids that I know have every technology known to man available to them. It was worth it though. The crush of the crowd, the roar of appreciation as we saw our heroes and got rained on by millions of scraps of paper. I was there for the parades for my beloved Yankees a few times, the Desert Storm heroes, and Pope John Paul II (which was awesome and inspiring) and I think maybe even the Mets though I'm not sure about that one. They are so much fun and bring out the best in people and I highly recommend that you experience one at least once in your lifetime, wherever in the world you may be, but especially if you are in the tri-state area. Congratulations once again to the NY Giants.

This week we are putting items on e-Bay, some of which you can pay almost wholesale prices for. Make a bid and you could end up with a Madonna and Child, Passion of the Christ or St. Jude statue for just a few dollars over what WE paid for them!! We also have some beautiful Mother of Pearl cross pendants that you can make a bid on and Murano style cross and angel pendants on an 18" choker necklace for just $5.00. There are 5 different colored crosses to choose from and 2 angels. Last but not least we have some more of the hand-crafted rosary necklaces. There are only about 5 or 6 of them on there but they are all just beautiful and on auction as well

We are looking at new cross necklaces for this year and are very excited about the designs. Hopefully you will love them when you see them.

Have you visited our GloryGloryGifts.com Community Page? We are waiting for those poems and inspirational writings to start rolling in so that we can replace the current poem, which I wrote, to another's works. Please send your submissions to us at mare@gloryglorygifts.com.

We hope you enjoy the remainder of the week. Have a happy hump day and may peace find you today.

Mare

Super Bowl Sunday!

2012-02-05T13:04:00.001-08:00

To all the Giants fans out there - like my son and business partner Tom - good luck to your team. I'll be rooting for them too. It's a pretty even match up so at the very least it will be an incredibly exciting game. I have a confession to make. Yes, I will be watching the game but I have to admit I watch it now more for the commercials and the half game show. (Last year stunk btw. The acoustics were dreadful.) Now we are talking a gal that usually leaves the room during commercial breaks or mutes them to work on a crossword, Sudoku or read something so this is like the alt-universe of LOST or Seinfeld for us on Super Bowl Sunday. Today, everybody will watch the commercials, including me.

It has turned into an alt-universe around here in other respects too. I used to be hot. No, I'm not talking about like wow, she's smoking hot. I'm talking about tank tops in January hot. Hot all the time, cracking open a window in the dead of winter to get a breath of air while Tom walked around the house with blue lips, thermals and a hoodie hot. I don't think I've owned a sweater in 30 years. Now? Alt-universe. Yes, I still do the tank tops in January (in the house) but have a sweatshirt or a light sweater handy because I'm now getting something called a chill. I've heard of other people getting them but this is a new phenomenon to me. Tom? Well he's now dripping wet with sweat; all the time. It will eventually pass for him, thank God, but I'm doomed. I can see myself now. I will be one of those old people that walks around with a thick Irish wool fisherman sweater in August-outside. I guess that's better than the crazy old cat lady that Tom once told me I was going to be. P.S. we don't have any cats.

Good luck to the NEW YORK Giants! All I can say to the Patriot fans is sorry but it's our turn this year! All I can say to the folks from New Jersey is they may play in a stadium in your fine state but they are the NEW YORK GIANTS. YAHOO! GO BLUE!!

Mare

The Glory Glory Gifts Community Page

2012-01-28T16:38:00.000-08:00

Announcing the new Community Page for Glory Glory Gifts! We are looking for inspiration as the new year begins so we decided to open up the website (so to speak) and share our community's thoughts and inspirations with, well, the world. We know we have some lovers of writing in our community, judging by some of the names they use on Facebook and email, so we are hoping that they will not be shy and share their talent with us. Anyone that knows me knows that being shy is not in my DNA so we have kicked off the Page with one of my own works from 2004 (copyrighted in 2009), which we are hoping will be replaced by another soon. No purchase is necessary to be included on the page but you must be either registered with the website or a Facebook member to be considered for publication on the site. The work can be a poem, prose, an inspirational story or even a miracle that you have witnessed, but it must be an original, unpublished work that is faith based or inspirational and no more than 30 lines in length. We are hoping to receive a deluge of emails and soon and look forward to reading each and every one of them. Your original work can be sent to us at mare@gloryglorygifts.com or gloryglorygifts@gmail.com.

Another announcement is that we have de-activated the Guestbook at the website. After adding the Community Page we felt that the menu was looking a bit too cluttered so we decided that it was no longer needed as we are no longer a new entity on the web. You know where to reach us if you want to give us a pat on the back or knock us down a peg or two and, of course, comments are welcome on this blog as well.

You probably didn't even notice but we do have a new email account that we can now be contacted at. Both are monitored throughout the day so feel free to contact us at either one. The links are above.

We hope you enjoy the remainder of your weekend and as always, may God bless you with all good things.

Peace!

Mare

No News is Good News

2012-01-23T15:40:00.001-08:00

Things are very quiet here at GloryGloryGifts.com......ssshhhhh, very quiet. So since we do not have any business news to share with you I'm going to share some more interesting tidbits that I just found out recently. Exciting isn't it? Now, now; Be nice.

Last night 60 Minutes just happened to start at it's correct time so I sat down to watch for a while. They had a fascinating show last night about the last great migration of large animals, which are in the Serengeti in Tanzania. It is now thriving, however the eco-system is becoming more and more fragile as the river is slowly shriveling away due to de-forestation higher up the river. Trees are being cut down at an alarming rate for the coal that can be found in the region and crops are being planted and irrigated by the river. People are selling the coal and products in order to live, which I do understand. The biggest threat to the migratory beasts is the government's plan to build roadways. No food equals less beasts and eventually they will dwindle in numbers. It was just incredible to see the thousands of animals traveling through God's country. Thank goodness for tv and the internet for it is surely something that I would never witness otherwise.

The next part was about a group of endangered elephants in Central Africa and how they communicate. Fascinating. They can make sounds that are lower than a human's ear can detect. They make all kinds of complex sounds and noises to communicate with each other and there is currently research being conducted by (I believe) Cornell University that is cataloguing the ABC's of elephant talk. Led by a woman named Andrea Turkalo she has been living with and studying the sound patterns and their behaviors to distinguish their different dialogues. She has been there for years now and can actually recognize the elephants by the tone of the "voice." Now how cool a job is that?

The last installment was about Jane Goodall and her research with the chimpanzees. Now I just love monkeys. I could sit and watch them for hours. It was just so heartwarming to see Ms. Goodall visit her friends in the jungle and they knew her and played with her as if she were a part of their family. What an extraordinary woman. I found it incredibly amazing that blood transfusions can be done from ape to human and vice versa, as long as the blood type is the same. How freaking awesome is that? Though Jane no longer does the fieldwork (she's in her early 70's) she is on the road something like 340 days a year working to raise funding for research. What an inspirational woman she is. I have a feeling I will be visiting Amazon very soon to find books on her. I found this installment too intriguing not to read more on it.

In other news - I am finally reading Pride and Prejudice. I lie down at night with every intention of getting through a few chapters and find myself drifting off within seconds so it is taking me some time to read. I shall prevail though!

Remember during these stressful times that it is nice to give yourself a break once in a while. A good book or a wonderful program can restore the soul. I hope that you see or read something that inspires you today. Have a wonderful week and God bless!

Mare

Happy Birthday Cary Grant

2012-01-18T12:53:00.001-08:00

I just finished my breakfast break (it was 2:00 here) and happened to channel surf while eating. I came across the TMC celebration of Cary Grant's birthday. I didn't catch the name of the movie as it was halfway through when I sat down but it was Cary and Carole Lombard; wow what a pair. Of course it was in black and white but in one scene Cary is sick and mad with fever and I was struck by the way he was able to emote through his eyes. Just incredible. What really impressed me about this movie, as well as many other old movies, is that they can convey such deep romantic love, such caring and depth in a performance without the gratuitous sex scene which seems to be in every movie today. My first experience with this phenomenon was watching Sir Lawrence Olivier and Merle Oberon in Wuthering Heights. At the tender age of 11 I sat on the couch sobbing while I watched my poor Heathcliff pine for his Cathy. My father was in a fit too on the couch......he was stifling his laughter from watching me just fall to pieces. I guess Wuthering Heights is the ultimate definition of a chick flick. Girls get it. Guys? I'm not too sure on that one. So that was my break for the day and now it is back to work.

We have changed a photo on the website of the Passion of the Christ statue. Instead of using the photo given to us by our distributor we have taken a picture of it ourselves. Truth be told, the picture they gave us bears no resemblance, whatsoever, to the ones we have in stock. What we are going to do is put each on the web. If and when it sells the photo will change. This way you are getting the exact same statue that you have ordered - no surprises. Personally we believe that the current statue we have on the site (as well as the others that will be going on the site eventually) is just stunning in its beauty and truth. Because the wood has dark tones it is from a very old olive tree. The darkness and the light, we believe, is a reminder of the agony he endured in order for us to be saved by his sacrifice. Speaking about emoting through the eyes, just look at the way the artist has created the eyes in this wood sculpture. They way he has captured the eyes makes them appear to be looking into your very soul doesn't it? Click on the picture and really look at it. Personally I think this is an incredible work of beauty. I hope you will agree. By the way the colors of the wood ARE a little distorted in the photo. The darker wood is the color of molasses and the lighter wood is the color of peanut butter.

Our price will remain $50.00 for the statue, which is about 60% less than the retail price. As always, we thank you for your patronage and wish you a very pleasant day. Happy birthday Mr. Grant.

Peace,

Mare

Baby, It's Cold Outside!!

2012-01-15T11:24:00.000-08:00

Whoa, wow, and holy samoleons Batman!! It sure is freezing here on my little island today. Way back in the olden days (the 60"s) I used to have something called a muff. Do kids still use them today? I'm not even sure. But anyway muffs were great to keep your hands warm. The pouch in a hoodie where you put your hands over your belly is basically the same idea as a muff only they were made of furry things thing like rabbits and if you were really rich minks (sorry PETA). Those little things were warm! Well boy did I wish that I had a pair of muffs with me today in the adoration chapel. The chapel is located in the back of the church right next to the entryway so we feel it every time the door opens and closes so it is quite drafty. I fully expected my relief person to come in at 2:00 and find me frozen into the corner, in the final stages of hypothermia, but thankfully I had the wherewithal to throw my coat over myself and thaw out before that could happen. Do you know how sometimes when you take a breath in the cold your throat and chest kind of ache? It happened to me! Inside! Next week when I go I'll be sure to bring my scarf along; my mittens too and my thermal underwear. I will be a real fashion statement, that's for sure.

I found out something incredibly fascinating. Did you know that at least 13 people are reflected in the eyes of the Blessed Mother on St. Juan Diego's tilma? The images are imprinted on the pupil and iris of her eyes, which have been studied by an Engineer by the name of Jose' Aste Tonsmann. He used the digital process used by satellites and space probes to conduct the study and enhance the images. Tonsmann believes that the 13 people reflected were those in the room when Juan Diego opened up the tilma in front of Bishop Juan De Zumarra and others that were in the room at the time. Both eyes reflect the same images, though they are at different angles, just as they are reflected in any human's eyes. A separate study was conducted by Philip Callahan and Jody B. Smith who concluded that the images were not painted and the cloth, which is a rough maguey-fibered fabric, had not been treated with anything. It is also interesting to note that the fabric of the tilma usually disintegrates over a period of about 20 years, where this image and tilma have miraculously survived for over 470 years. Tonsman believes that reflected in the eyes is an Indian looking up to the heavens, the profile of a balding, elderly man with a white beard who he believes resembles the Bishop, a young man who he believes is the interpreter Juan Gonzelez, a man with a beard and mustache whom he believes to be Juan Diego because he is unfolding his tilma, a dark complexioned woman, who possibly worked for the Bishop and a man with Spanish features who seems to be stroking his beard.

In the pupils an entirely different scene unfolds. In the pupils are reflected what appears to be an Indian family of a man, woman and several children. In the right eye other people can be seen standing behind the woman. These images were all identified by the scientist magnifying Our Lady of Guadalupe's eyes by 2,500 times and by using mathematical and optical procedures. Richard Kuhn, the 1938 Nobel Prize winner in chemistry also examined the cloth and found it to be inexplicable. Amazing isn't it? I am sure you can google this information and see the photos of her eyes. It will be well worth your effort.

So what is new this week at GloryGloryGifts.com? Well, we are still working on the inventory. Counting each item is a tedious task but it must be done so we value and thank you for your patience when it comes to us responding to your emails and telephone calls. Don't be shy if you get the machine!! Please leave a message and we WILL get back to you a.s.a.p. I promise!

Just in this week from Bethlehem is a beautiful little statue of Our Blessed Mother with a rosary in her hands. The statue stands about 4.5" high, her face is un-detailed but the rosary beads are and it just a lovely little statue. They are priced at $14.00, which is about half of what it retails for. We also have the black and clear crystal holy land soil bracelets back in stock.

That's all the news from here. In these freezing temperatures don't forget to check on your elderly or disabled neighbors and relatives. Don't forget about our 4 legged friends either! They shouldn't be tethered to a pole or left outside for long. Keep warm, keep God close to your heart and keep smiling!

Peace!

Mare

Is it Friday Yet?

2012-01-03T16:19:00.000-08:00

OH NO! Winter has finally found us. Though I am kissing the ground this year. There wasn't a major blizzard the day after Christmas like there was last year. Yay! I'm exhausted though. It's the first official work day of the year and I'm already exhausted. I had a few opportunities to get together with my family over the last two weeks and it was just wonderful. I had my Christmas day miracle and a quiet New Year's Eve and a quiet dinner with Tom on the day. But now it's time to buckle down and tackle the new year with gusto. There are a few goals for 2012 and things going on that I would like to share with you.

Starting tomorrow we will be conducting our semi-annual inventory of products. Please bear with us and have a bit of patience if you happen to order something from us. It might not ship the day we receive the order but we will get it out as soon as we can (probably on the 2nd day after the order is received).

Our goal this year is to get out to more local venues in the New York and New Jersey area. This won't happen until May when the season officially starts but we will certainly keep you posted via this site on where we will be and when. Stay tuned for more info on that!

I am interested in increasing our inventory, especially the devotional bracelets, rosary necklaces, crosses, crucifixes and include more unique designs to our product line. There are some gorgeous saint and leather devotional bracelets and rosary necklaces that I would just love to add to our inventory. Of course, any new items will be posted on this blog, the Glory Glory Gifts blog and on Facebook. We are hoping to keep our prices below retail for you so we are currently looking at different factories and distributors to work with. We want to give you the best of quality and choice at the best price possible.

Also in line with the above goal is to make GloryGloryGifts.com grow in 2012 so that we can HIRE employees. That would be a dream come true if we could create jobs for some of the unemployed people out there. We try and help our Christian brothers in the Holy Land by buying their handcrafted products. Why not help those around us too? That is one of our biggest goals for 2012. You, and you alone can help us attain that goal with your purchase. Pass the word to your family and friends too. Americans need to stop shopping at the big stores like Walmart and Target and start supporting the small businesses both in their home towns and on-line. Help the small businesses before we disappear! (BTW ALL the people at GloryGloryGifts.com are volunteers. None of us, including myself, are salaried-employees. Actually two are employed elsewhere).

I am now stepping off my soapbox.

Last, we are currently also updating the website for search engine optimization (SEO). It's a long and tedious task but we have to do it so that we can be found by everyone around the world. We also ask for your patience with that though it should NOT affect your visit on it at all. In the long run it will help everyone to find us.

Well Grace (pictured) is climbing into my arms and putting her little head on my shoulder. She's telling me it's time to step away from the computer. Have yourself a lovely day wherever in this big beautiful world that you are and may God bless you with all good things this year!

Love,
Mare

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T08:00:00.000-08:00

I simply cannot believe that New Year's is already here. Truthfully, I've never been a big fan of it. I did go to Times Square once when I was young and full of gumption. We were squashed in like sardines, we had to get there early to get even remotely close to the spot where the ball drops, there were no bathrooms available and someone threw up on my shoes. Okay sorry about that last one. TMI definitely. But it is something that every New Yorker should experience at least once in their lifetime. The amount of excitement and love in the air is palpable. I loved it because regardless of who we were or where we were from it was an experience that we all shared and we had a terrifically great time. The majority of my New Year's Eve celebrations were spent at either my grandma's or my aunt and uncle's house. Today is my Uncle Taube's birthday so we would have a cake for him and then just hang out as a family and wait to watch the revelers in Times Square. All toasty and warm in the house with a glass of some kind of bubbly in our hands (usually ginger ale) we would watch those fools that had made it to the ultimate celebration and laugh at the silliness. Within a half hour we would be heading home. Grandma and Uncle Taube are now gone. Families change; Traditions sometimes do too, but memories of being with a loving family is never a bad thing now is it?

I remember as a kid being very excited about New Year's Eve. Another year meant a new chance at everything. Do-over day. That's how I am going to approach it this year. Forget resolutions! Who keeps them anyway? I am reclaiming New Year's Day as Do-over day. I'm going to let the past lie and forge ahead into the new year with the zeal of a 10 year old. No backsies allowed either and no regrets! Do you know why the Mayan calendar runs out this year? Because it is going to be MY year. That's what I've decided.

I hope you have a splendid and safe New Year's Eve and day. I hope that all good things happen to YOU in 2012 and who knows, maybe Do-over day will become a world-wide event!

Enjoy!

Mare

Christmas Miracles

2011-12-26T10:29:00.000-08:00

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me......a partridge in a pear tree. Traditionally the song comes from England, somewhere between 1558 and 1829 when Roman Catholics were not permitted to openly practice their faith. Each line has a meaning which I will synopsize here:
Partridge in a pear tree = Jesus
Two turtle doves were the old and new Testament
Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love
Four Calling birds were the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Five golden rings recalled theTorah or Law of the first five books of the Old Testament
Six geese a laying were for the six days of creation
Seven swans a swimming represents the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit - prophesy, serving, teaching, exhortation, contribution, leadership and mercy
Eight maids a milking were the 8 beatitudes
Nine ladies dancing were the 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control
Ten lords a leaping were the ten commandments
Eleven pipers piping were the 11 faithful apostles
Twelve drummers drumming symbolized the 12 points in the Apostles Creed

Of course it could have been also written by a woman that had an incredibly rich husband or boyfriend that loved to shower her with gifts. I'll take 5 gold rings any day! Especially now with the cost of gold skyrocketing. Hopefully you know I'm just pulling your leg; it's a song of tradition not greed.

I had the most incredibly gorgeous Christmas I think I have ever experienced. We had opened our home and hearts to someone in October that had no place to go. We were so blessed to be able to share not one but two glorious meals sitting together as a family both on the Eve and on Christmas day. Afterwards Tom and I showered him with gifts. He hasn't had a Christmas with a family since he was a young boy; he's now 24. I think I can speak for Tom as well when I say that he and I were overwhelmed by the young man's excitement of opening his presents; a coat, a pillow of his own, pajamas, underwear just to name a few items. Things we take for granted. I got an even greater gift when I gave a present to his wife who has never gotten a Christmas present, EVER. It was just a simple saint bracelet that I had made for her.

Now I know that many of you that read this aren't Catholic but I do believe that something happened yesterday that is beyond explanation. I call it my own Christmas miracle. I am a Catholic and part of my usual Sunday routine is spending 2 hours in our church's Perpetual Adoration Chapel. The chapel is open 24/7 which means every hour of every day and night someone is sitting there with the sacred Host, which Catholics believe is the actual body of Christ once it has been consecrated. Well yesterday was Sunday so I went to the chapel as I do but had actually switched my hours from 12-2 to 1-3 so that my friend could go and be with her family on Christmas. I bought my camera along with me to take pictures of the beautiful Nativity. But when I was all alone in the chapel I was (the only way I could describe it is "moved") nudged to take pictures of the chapel itself. The Host looked no different to me while I was in the chapel but I do have to say that yesterday I was so incredibly at peace; it was almost indescribable. When I left the chapel I took some pictures of the Nativity (which I have shared here) and when I walked outside was met with the most gorgeous sky. To me it looked like a huge dove hovering in the blue above me. Took some photos of that too. When I got home and downloaded the pictures onto my computer I noticed the host right away. I see Jesus face. Tom sees a heart. His girl Christina sees people and both Erv and Abbie see a face as well. I've included a picture of what the host usually looks like in a monstrance; plain white so you can see (well anyone who is a Christian knows what a host looks like). Without sounding like a crazy person I believe it is a Christmas miracle and I wanted to share it with you. Look at it yourself and decide. Even behind the picture where the flash is reflected in the brass you can still clearly see the change in the Host. All of the pictures were taken with the same little polaroid digital camera that I have. Any one of you that has seen the website or some of the photos on here know that I'm in no way a professional photographer. I will say that here we are a day later and I still have that incredible peace within which is refreshing. BTW out of all the people that looked at this photo, I am the only one that is a practicing Catholic. The others are Evangelical, Baptist or Agnostic but we all see that the Host is changed.

I hope that your Christmas was magical, spiritual, and peaceful and would just love your comments on what you see in the photos. Have a beautiful week!

I wish you peace and joy!

Mare

We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T18:30:00.000-08:00

We want to wish you a very Merry Christmas. May the joy, peace and love of Christmas Day follow you throughout the 12 days of Christmas and beyond into the New Year.

May God bless you with all good things!

With love from,

Mare and Tom
and our wonderful members of the GloryGloryGifts family
Elvine and Barbara without whom we would be lost

Something New Every Day

2011-12-21T11:22:00.001-08:00

I bet you don't realize it but you do probably learn something new every day - about someone you know, things that have happened or something you just would never have known or guessed in a million years. I just happened to watch 60 Minutes the other night and caught a trip Anderson Cooper took to the "Gardens of the Queen" coral reef about 40 miles off the coast of Cuba. It is a protected reef that is just brimming with the stunningly beautiful colors of the reefs and the fish that live in that eco-system. Places like this never cease to amaze me. There is such incredible beauty all around us - even in things that cause us to shudder like snow. It's awesome in so many ways, like in a good way when you look at each flake and see the intricate designs and in a bad when you realize that you have to actually shovel all those piles from your sidewalk and driveway. It is Just amazing and awesome any way you look at it. I highly suggest that you Google the Gardens of the Queen yourself and see it in all its glory.

I also found out this week that Tom has no idea what almond extract is. I went to the cupboard yesterday to see what I needed to start my baking and found that the extract was gone. It seems that when Tom was cleaning the cupboards out a few months back he sniffed it and thought, ugh, that vanilla smells awful and then proceeded to ditch it into the drain. The good news? I have THREE bottles of vanilla which should last through I don't know maybe my 83rd birthday. The bad news? The almond extract I use is SIX freakin dollars! On Sale!! More good news? The store brand is $2.99.

Here's an interesting tidbit that you definitely don't know about me, I have a penpal. We met in 1968 in Stokes State Forest in New Jersey when our families went camping there on vacation. We started to write; at first voraciously and then eventually (after weddings and kids) once a year at Christmas. We have never seen each other again but wrote about our lives through the years and kept in touch via snail mail. Well, we are now connected on Facebook. I love that. I love being able to share her life, and mine with her, every day. Life long friends, whether near or far, is a thing of beauty all on it's own. I cherish her and my other friend Barb, who has been my friend since we were Brownies together. A true friendship is just as beautiful to me as the Gardens of the Queen. They change. They grow. They sustain life. Just as any friendship does.

I hope you have a beautiful day.

Peace,

Mare

PS: Talking about friends - I just love this picture. The monkey adopted the little kitten who strayed into it's area. The picture is just priceless!

New This Week!

2011-12-16T19:50:00.001-08:00

Even though we are at the end of the year we just couldn't resist adding some items, which would make great stocking stuffers. We have added a new beautiful baby blue Our Lady of Grace bracelet ($5.50) that can be found on our Patron Saint Bracelet Page. We now also have 3 new patron saint pins that come with a prayer card - Our Lady of Grace, St. Jude and St. Gerard ($4.00), and a new rainbow colored, delicate (3mm beads) rosary ($10.00) which is perfect for a child, someone praying to have a child or for praying for the intentions of a child. This item comes boxed and includes a lovely saying by Mother Theresa of Calcutta.

We are also waiting for a new statue, one of the Madonna saying the rosary. This statue is approximately 11 cm in height. That should be here in a few weeks' time. I believe the price of that will be $15.00.

This Advent is flying by! If you want delivery by Christmas we suggest that you order by Monday, December 19th by 11:00 AM, EST so we can get the item out the same day (hopefully it will be in stock - things are flying off the shelves quickly around here!). Of course if you are on Staten Island you can order right through the 24th, as long as you can pick it up in time of course.

Don't forget to find that Partridge in a Pear tree! When you have a moment to catch your breath make yourself a cup of Joe, tea or cocoa and settle in and look for that little birdie. YOU could be the grand prize winner.

Last, we would love it if you could say a prayer for a special customer of ours who is trying to have a baby. We pray that God blesses her and her husband with that wonderful gift of life. We would also appreciate it if you could keep another new customer of ours in your prayers who ended up in the emergency room tonight after stopping here. I am devastated over it but he is home now, fine and resting comfortably.

Thanks and enjoy your weekend!

Peace,

Mare

PS - Feel free to drop us a line should you ever need a prayer said! I would be more than happy to include special intentions in my prayers as you are all already remembered in them daily.

The Partridge In a Pear Tree Kicks Off Tomorrow!

2011-12-10T11:06:00.000-08:00

Beginning tomorrow, December 11th through Monday December 26th we will be having our first annual partridge in a pear tree contest. The contest is open to all registered members of the website and Facebook friends. It's easy. Just become a member, find the partridge on the website, and use the "Contact Us" page to enter. You must include where you found the partridge on your message entry. Drawing will be held at midnight, EST, on December 26, 2011 and the winner will be chosen from all eligible entries. The winner of the contest will have the choice of any item currently sold by GloryGloryGifts.com on it's website.

To become a Facebook member simply click the "Like" button on our homepage or find us at www.Facebook.com/GloryGloryGifts. To become a registered member of the website visit the webstore at www.shop.gloryglorygifts.com and click on "Register." All members enjoy free shipping at all times.

Become a member, have some fun and get to know the website and you just may be the lucky winner! We will give you a hint. It is NOT the one on the Home Page, but at least you will know what you are looking for!

Only one entry per person is allowed. Employees of GloryGloryGifts.com and its affiliate, Custom Made By Mare, are not eligible. Neither GoDaddy.com nor Facebook are participants, affiliates or endorsers of The "Partridge in a Pear Tree" Contest .

We hope that you join us in this season of family and giving. As always, we thank you for being a member of the GloryGloryGifts.com family.

Peace!
Mare

The lovely oil painting above is by Chris Buzelli
inspired by the song, The Twelve Days of Christmas

PayPal

2011-12-06T14:55:00.000-08:00

Hi all! I hope you are having a grand day despite the stress of the holiday season.

I just wanted to let you know that effective tomorrow, November 7, you will no longer have to pay for your purchases with a credit card via PayPal. Should you decide to pay by credit card you will have that option, once again at checkout. You can still utilize Paypal if that is what you are comfortable with or if you have an established account with them. We want to provide you with as many payment options as possible.

I just wanted to offer an explanation for this change and to apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused by working solely with PayPal. We found over the last 2 months that some people did not have a PayPal account so they chose the "print invoice and call" payment option, which is fine, you know I love talking to you. Because of the way the website is structured though we cannot then issue any additional bills, so we would issue an invoice via PayPal's merchant services. The problem lies in when you pay the invoice. Because the initial sale was not generated through E-Bay or through the website, PayPal holds the payment due to us for up to 21 days. It is their policy. Our choice is to either ship the product and hope for the best or wait the 21 days until the payment officially clears to ship. Neither scenario appeals to us.

This is our solution. Going forward the payment options will be one of three: Credit card, PayPal or "Print and Call". Credit Card and PayPal are secure sites, as is our website, and you never have to worry about identity theft. GloryGloryGifts.com does not have access to any of your personal payment information; it is all handled through either Intuit or PayPal. Obviously we do need your shipping and contact information but that is never shared or sold to any other parties.

In the event you chose the print and call method, we will generate our own invoice which will be sent to you via email. If you are a local resident of Staten Island you can then pay us COD. If you are out of state you can mail us a money order or bank check. Your order would then be shipped upon receipt of the payment. I'm sorry, but no personal checks can be accepted unless you happen to be my favorite aunt Tilly or my beloved uncle Chester.

On a personal note, the mystery rose bush has bloomed yet again. It's been in the 60's here on my little island and today it's raining. The Christmas lights are starting to pop up all around the neighborhood and the roses are blooming again in the backyard. Saturday night I had a mosquito buzzing around my head while I was eating dinner. Go figure. Enjoy the little surprises that life throws your way and have yourself a terrific day. Thank you for your patience with us!

Peace,

Mare

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

2011-12-05T07:59:00.000-08:00

Yup, that's how we started our day off yesterday. I had planned on being up at 6:45 am to give myself enough time to shower, primp, eat and make sure I had packed the items we had just gotten in on Saturday from Bethlehem and Jerusalem and our best selling "Keep Christ in Christmas" magnet. As they say.....the best laid plans of mice and men......well in this case it was a Hare and a woman but my eyes flew open when Tom's alarm went off at SEVEN THIRTY; Barb our driver was coming at 7:45. I don't think I have ever showered so quickly in my entire life (and that includes when I was working for a large corporation a few years back). We managed to get out around 8:15 which wasn't too, too bad as the Moore Christmas Fair started at 9:00. I didn't feel so bad when we finally got there as the room was a flurry of vendors setting up. Of course, we forgot the magnets.

We would like to thank the Moore staff and parents for their hospitality. We thoroughly enjoy doing that Christmas Fair and hope to be there again next year (the good Lord willing). I have to give a shout out to some great customers of ours - Liza - who is in love with our products and may someday be our head of marketing and the return of the the pink lady - who purchased a new style of pink st. bracelet from us. I loved speaking with and meeting some new friends like Anthony who was wearing his grandma's rosary beads as a necklace. His grandma got them for her Communion circa 1928 and he has a photo of her with them in her hands; it doesn't come any more special than that. It was nice to meet you Jen, Lisa and Dawn. Lisa, our offer stands; do not hesitate to reach out to me or Tom. Dawn, I'm starting a novena today to Mother Theresa and will keep you in my thoughts on Sunday when I go to the Adoration Chapel. One of my favorite parts of the day was when a woman came to the table and went immediately to the hand-painted tiles. I told her about their history and she said oh I recognized them right away. I am Armenian. Can I just say something here? We have the best customers in the entire world. You make us laugh, cry and you share the most wonderful things with us. You are our inspiration to keep on going and we hope that you feel the love coming right back atcha (a little Staten Island slang for you there).

Thanks and God bless.

Mare

Moore Catholic HS Christmas Fair 2011

2011-12-03T11:01:00.000-08:00

Hola! Aloha! Guten tag! God Dag! Ni hao! Ciao! Salam wa aleikum! Greetings earthlings....and as they say here in Staten Island Yo (just kidding we say hello). Just a reminder to let you know that we will be at Moore Catholic H.S. Christmas Fair tomorrow from 9 til 5. If you happen to be in the Staten Island area - the school is located at 50 Merrill Avenue, right off Richmond Avenue in the Bulls Head section. Come and support the school, do some early shopping, take a chance on some lovely gift baskets (including ours) and stop by our table for a chat. This will be the last opportunity to see us in person this season as we do not have any other fairs booked for December.

Thank you for joining us in the fight against hunger during the month of November. We increased the amount allocated for each product sold from 25 cents to 50 cents. Between the internet and fair sales we raised $56.50. This doesn't sound like a lot of money but let me put it into perspective for you. $56.00 provides 207 pounds of food to the hungry. Just $36.00 feeds 19 children 3 squares for a week. So together we did a wonderful thing and we humbly thank you for shopping with us.

Have a blessed day and a wonderful weekend!

Arrivederci, Aloha and see ya, bye,

Mare

For Stephanie

2011-11-29T15:44:00.000-08:00

Did you ever meet someone that had a profound affect on your life? My niece was one of those people. During her short time here she did exactly what Jesus would have done, she fed and clothed the poor, loved her neighbor and was an active and vibrant member of her community, her church and her school. I can still see her with an IV in her arm, her hair cropped short, selling trash and treasures with the youth group to raise funds for their trip to World Youth Day. Yes, she was one of a kind.

Tomorrow, morning, early tomorrow morning is Steph's anniversary. I remember going to see her in the hospital 7 years ago tonight. The room was dark and she looked so tiny and frail in her pajamas they seemed to be swimming around her little frame. Steph was never a big kid, she had a cute figure on her and long blonde hair. She didn't look the type of person you would expect to move mountains and transcend people but she did. I was so blessed to be able to sit there and hold her hand and see her that one last time. Her beautiful face just slightly illuminated by the hall light outside as she lie there sleeping; her chest barely moving. She was only 20 when she slipped away from us on that quiet morning after fighting tongue cancer for only a brief 7 months. We found out about it Mother's Day weekend and she left us on the Sunday following Thanksgiving (November 30, 2004).

I wrote something for her back then. I hope that you indulge me and allow me to share it with you. One reason why I am posting this is to bring her life and her legacy to your attention. The other is to implore you to question your doctors if something isn't right. Nobody knows your body like you do. Her dentist kept blowing her off and did so for months telling her the open sore was from her braces. It had started as a small spot the year before; it might have been caught in time then. Instead she relied on her dentist. She initiated a lawsuit against him when she found out she had cancer, but died before it went to court. He offered a settlement to her prior to that which was about 1/10th of what she owed in medical bills so she declined it at the advice of her attorney. As an adult, she was responsible for the bills which topped off at close to a million dollars. When the case finally went to court, this year (yes, SEVEN years later), her parents were not allowed to testify - it was hearsay. The doctor's notes were spotty and his memory spottier. Because of that the jury couldn't convict him of anything. Even the judge, who shared his thoughts with Steph's dad a few days later in a private meeting, was devastated but couldn't do anything.

It is because of this I implore you to seek medical help if something doesn't feel right. Question them. Get a second and a third opinion. You could be saving your loved one's life or even your own for that matter. It's with a heavy heart that I share the poem I wrote for Stephanie in 2004, but I thank God for the fact that I had her in my life for the time that I did. Stephanie left the world a better place because for a short time she was in it. Because of her people have witnessed miracles, returned to the church, started their own fundraising efforts, gone on to learn new vocations such as speech therapy and have chosen lives of sobriety and stability. Yes, she was a special kid and I hope that maybe my sharing her story with you will help to save someone else's life.

Have a peaceful and joyous day,

Mare

The angel pictured above is now housed in Holy Child Church, Staten Island, in memory of Stephanie. She was not only involved with the Youth Group, she was also involved with the Music Ministry - playing the flute, a member of the Adult Choir and the Bell Choir. She was also involved in the Right to Life Movement and was the founder of the Midnight Run group that provided food and blankets to the homeless people in New York City.

Click on the poem to read it.

Happy Advent

2011-11-27T15:56:00.000-08:00

Today all the mass changes took effect for the Catholic Church and I have to admit I was feeling a bit out of sorts having to read the text and follow along. It made me feel so much better so see the priest flub his lines once and keep referring to his book as well. I'm not sure if anyone agrees with me but I really like the changes. For the first time in a long time I read each line and grasped exactly what I was saying instead of reciting what I have been reciting for almost my entire life without a thought in my head as to what the meaning of it is. The line that struck me the most was "Begotten, not made." I always said it "begotten not made." There is a difference and for the first time in a very long time I actually thought about the prayers said by the priest and the responses and I'm not ashamed to say so. I really like the "and with your spirit" response to "the peace of the Lord be with you always." Sorry to go all Catholic on you but the new changes did make me go, huh, and I'm just wondering what others are thinking now that the changes are here.

Another moment that made me go HUH this week was our Thanksgiving conversation. We invited the wife of someone that is staying with us (long story that I really don't need to elaborate on) to join us for dinner and the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade came up in our conversation. It's a part of our tradition (well mine anyway) to watch it while I'm preparing the goodies for dinner; we even went to it one year when Tom was 4. He still watches it on occasion too - while breezing in and out of the living room. I have never, ever, in my life met somebody, 2 somebodies in fact, that have never heard of it!!! That was my "HUH??" moment. So yes folks, I have met them. There are at least 2 New York City born and bred early twentysomethings that have no idea what the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade is. They never heard of a ticker tape parade either and they live in New York. I'm still scratching my head. IMHO EVERY New Yorker should go to the Macy's Parade, The Rock Center Christmas Tree Lighting, the New Year's eve ball drop in Times Square, a ticker tape parade, Ellis Island, The Statue of Liberty, a Broadway show, Central Park including the zoo, and the top of the Empire State Building - at the very least. Of course, me being me, I told them so and then shoved my stuffing into my mouth followed by a dollop of cranberry sauce and a piece of turkey and no, not all at the same time.

Shopping during Cyber Monday and the remainder of the week? Simply add coupon code FBfam to your checkout and receive free shipping. Visit us at gloryglorygifts.com and start your shopping early!

Have a blessed and peaceful Advent season.

Mare

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T10:09:00.000-08:00

We just wanted to take a moment to say have a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving Day. We have so much to be thankful for - a roof over our heads, a warm bed, an abundance of food and a healthy family. What else matters when your family is healthy and happy? Absolutely nothing. One of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving Day (aside from watching the Macy's parade and Tom Tom of course) is sitting around the table with my family and friends. We bow our heads and say grace and then each takes a turn saying what we are thankful for. It is a tradition that Tom and I began years ago when he was a wee boy and I was making a turkey for the first time. That just reminded me of our first Thanksgiving in our house. I remember lying in bed as a kid and hearing my parents cooking in the kitchen, early, like 6:00 am. By the time I got up the smell of turkey and stuffing was emanating every corner of the house. I decided I wanted to give Tom the same Thanksgiving memory so I got up at 6, prepped the turkey, started the stuffing and put it all in the oven so Tom could wake up to the same delicious aroma that I did. The only problem was that my parents were cooking a 30 pound turkey for the extended family; I was cooking at most a 10 pounder. Needless to say, our turkey was done in time for breakfast. It still makes me laugh today.

We are thankful to have you in our lives. We have been truly blessed to have met some truly incredible people and we look forward to the coming Christmas season and the coming year with confidence and optimism.

Happy Thanksgiving from the GloryGloryGifts.com family, Mare, Tom, Barbara and Elvine to your family. May you all be blessed with joy and peace during this holiday season.

Peace!

Mare

Small Business Saturday

2011-11-19T09:43:00.000-08:00

If I had half a brain I would be dangerous! On my last post I got carried away with my Tom Tom story and didn't tell you about the exciting things happening at Glory Glory Gifts!

We will be a part of the American Express Small Business Saturday extravaganza to help support local small businesses. As we are web-based, the world is our community, however, we are actually located in Staten Island, New York, in the 10312 zip code. We are a small business, operated out of our family home and we are very excited to be involved in this. Of course our prices on our olive wood products are already 25-30% below retail, but on SBS you can enjoy an additional 10% off your purchase by adding coupon code SILC when you checkout.

Your purchase will also help us feed the poor as during the month of November GloryGloryGifts.com will donate $.25 for every product sold to City Harvest. That's right! You will be purchasing products at just above wholesale, getting your Christmas shopping done early and helping those less fortunate just by visiting us on Saturday, November 26th and making a purchase!

Not sure what to buy your loved one for Christmas? Why not give them a GloryGloryGifts.com gift certificate. Simply visit the Home Page and click on the "PayPal Gift Certificate" link to the left of the screen. It's as easy as that!

We haven't said it in a while but we truly thank you for your patronage! Come and visit us on Saturday, November 26th from the comfort of your own home. We can't wait to see you!

Peace,

Mare

So Much to Report Today

2011-11-18T09:41:00.000-08:00

First and foremost - happy Friday! I can't believe another weekend is upon us. Is it just me or has this year flown by? The fact that Thanksgiving is Thursday just blows me away. Wasn't I just sitting in the backyard watching the butterflies and the dogs frolicking? Soon I'll be stuffing the turkey and listening to Tom Tom sing Go To Sleep Slumber Deep to Little Bo Peep. Love Tom Tom. I have since I was a little girl and I've been looking for him ever since. Funny thing is, though, that most guys have an aversion to wearing pointy shoes, hat and green tights while singing sweet love songs to anyone. So do you know what I did? I found his gravesite on-line via Find-A-Grave. He's buried in New York. I sponsor his page on the site. Yup. The nutball with the initials meh? That's me. Though it does give me some comfort to know that there are others like me out there. Check it out for yourself if you are a Tom Tom fan or look for someone else; it's an interesting site. Boy, oh boy have I gotten off the subject so let's get back to business.

This weekend, Sunday, we will be at St. Joseph/St. Thomas Christmas Fair from 10:00-5:00. The fair will be held in the school behind the church. You can access the parking lot via Maguire Avenue from Amboy Road; there is a light there. Hopefully we will see you then!

Changes are coming to the Catholic mass, which I am sure you have already heard. The changes become effective the first Sunday of Advent, which is next Sunday, the 27th. We have handy prayer cards, which are 5" x 7" and include the prayers and responses. They can be purchased through the website beginning this afternoon for 75 cents plus postage. They are perfect for a pocketbook, a satchel or even a shut in that watches the mass on tv.

Just in time for the holidays we have Frankincense and Myrrh. You can purchase them through the website for $6.50 and the box includes the incense and a charcoal tablet. Of course they are associated with Christmas and the nativity, but you can use them anytime to make your prayerful experience deeper.

So that's all for now folks. Have a glorious day wherever you are and we look forward to your next visit to Glory Glory Gifts.

Peace!

Mare

Did We Have Fun or What?

2011-11-13T13:42:00.000-08:00

We just wanted to thank the staff of the Holy Child Pre-school for their hospitality yesterday. We had a great day seeing some of our regular customers and meeting all of the new. Thankfully this was an easy one to set up for as it is literally right around the corner from us, so Friday night we loaded up the hand truck and pushed our products around the corner to the church. Both Tom and I agreed that in a way it was sooooo much easier to do this than the customary way of packing up the car, sitting amidst the boxes and bins, and then unloading the car at its destination. We loaded it up in the front hall and unloaded it at our table. What a beautiful thing. Tom and I, along with our housemate and co-worker Elvine, had a great time and we even splurged on a box of homemade cookies, rice crispy treats, cupcakes and - are you ready for this - chocolate dipped OREO's - such decadence - for an even more delectable price of $5.00 and all home made. (Actually I waited until after I ate dinner to eat my cupcake which was absolutely to die for.) Great job baking those goodies ladies and we had a great time as well. We will definitely see them again next year.

Next Sunday, the 20th we will be at St. Joseph/St. Thomas, on Staten Island, for just that one day. The fair is open to the public from Friday, the 18th at 3:30 pm - 9:00, Saturday, 9:00 am to 9:00 pm and then Sunday the 20th from 10:00 until 5:00. Come and meet us there. Hopefully this year, as last, I will be able to avoid the guy making the home made cannolis.

Sheesh this is making me sound like the only reason why we do the fairs is to get our hands (or mine at least) on those baked goods. In actuality, I am a very happy camper if I remember to bring my own home made PBJ and my water bottle. What can I say? I'm a cheap date.

So what's new at GGG today? Well, shortly I will be making a custom order for my little 8-year friend Connor who wants nothing more than to have his little blue lady bug rosary beads to say his prayers on. I'll continue my search for the perfect cameo for Lauren and cloisonne bell for Rosemary. Last, I'll be mailing out 2 items that we didn't have with us to a few customers that have been shopping with us for a few years now and contacting our friends in Bethlehem so that I can fill two large orders for one returning and one new customer. All in a day's work and exactly why I love what I do! In the 10 months that I have been locating items for people there has only been one time that the customer located one for herself; just happened to be the same day I stumbled on one on E-Bay. So she found what she was looking for (without my help) and I bought the Knotts Berry Farm Glowing Transfiguration card on E-Bay for myself.

Remember, come find us at the St. Joseph/St. Thomas Christmas Fair next Sunday. I will be the one with the GloryGloryGifts.com t-shirt, big smile and cannoli breath.

Peace,
Mare

Holy Child Holiday Fair

2011-11-11T10:27:00.000-08:00

At long last our first of the three holiday fairs that we will be doing this year has finally arrived. Join us for a cash and carry sale at Holy Child Church, 4747 Amboy Road, Staten Island (cross street Arden Avenue) from 9:30 am until 5:00 pm. We will try to bring as much of an assortment as we possibly can get onto the table and as always, if you don't see something ask! In addition to our Holy Land products, this year we will also have an assortment of custom made rosary and devotional necklaces. We are very excited about the sale and we do hope to meet you there!

The children's lady bug rosary bracelets are now available for sale on the website and they are just adorable and affordable at $6.50 each! What a combination. Treat your child or grandchild to one today!

I have to tell you a funny thing that happened yesterday when I had called one of my business associates about an item I was looking for. I asked her if she could provide me with the product number so that I could refer to it again. So she started to spell it out- P for Peter, W for well........Walrus at which point the two of us started to laugh hysterically. A few minutes later, while we were still chuckling actually, I said to her, "you know, I AM the walrus" at which point we started to laugh again. Any Beatle aficionado will get that one. It was a good laugh for both of us. I guess she frequents SeaWorld a lot!

Hopefully we will see you at Holy Child tomorrow. If not find us anytime at www.gloryglorygifts.com. Have a terrific weekend.

Peace

Mare

New Arrivals for the Holiday Season 2011

2011-11-05T10:01:00.000-07:00

Whew. The busy days are upon us. Just yesterday I received the latest shipment of items from Bethlehem and I must say that I am in love with one of the small nativities (just look at the "New This Month" above to see it). The silhouette of the Holy Family is carved right into a tree bark! These precious little treasures can be yours for just $5.00! Find it on the website today, along with the other 2 new designs on the Small Nativities Page.

Also new this week, literally yesterday, at long last are the Montana Blue and Ruby Red 7mm Swarovski Crystal Devotional Necklaces. I have tried to post a picture of each of them on the website so that folks can see what they look like; of course the pictures do not do them justice. They are sparkly, delicate and vibrant in color and it just doesn't translate well to photos. Oh well, the assortment is still visible.

So new this week on the website and available for purchase are:

3 new small nativities
1 new small musical nativity
2 new Swarovski Devotional Necklaces
2 Advent wreath/candle holders
1 keep Christ in Christmas magnet
and a partridge in a pear tree

hah, just playing with you on that last one. We will continue to offer items through E-Bay too in the coming months so we have several ways for you to do your holiday shopping. Our first holiday fair will be next weekend at Holy Child Church in Staten Island. Come and visit us on Facebook, at a fair, on E-Bay or at the website anytime. We look forward to your visit!

Have a great day and weekend.

Peace,

Mare