Babies and Birthdays

There is something about the act of making something for someone. With every decision -- brush stroke, color choice or drop of glue -- I'm thinking about the recipient. It's somewhat meditative, and it makes giving the gift even more special.

In case you didn't know, I have a little bit of an obsession with giving my friends gifts as unique as they are. I had two opportunities recently to feed that obsession. First, with a friend's son who celebrated his first birthday. Second, for my dear friend who is expecting a little girl in June -- we celebrated baby's upcoming arrival this weekend at a lovely shower. I gave both the little ones a small piece of art for their wall. I made collages from cut-outs of painted paper; birthday boy got a curious iguana and baby girl got a purple elephant with a pink birdie friend perched on her trunk. I framed both pieces in a light wooden frame. I hope the little ones enjoy their gifts (someday) as much as I enjoyed making them.