words cannot express...

how incredibly grateful and overwhelmed I have been since early wednesday morning. my heart and my tearducts have been overflowing. when i decided to host a benefit for jonathan's birthday, i had no idea what i was in for. so much love, generosity, and support has been poured out in our direction that i am simply in awe. thank you.

thank you for making this week one of the best i have ever had.

thank you for helping little insignificant me do something truly amazing.

thank you for taking on a cause that may not impact your life daily, but certainly impacts the lives of those closest to me.

thank you for your friendship and for your encouragement.

when i started allora handmade, i had no idea what a blessing it would be and i am so thankful for the opportunity to give in a way that was otherwise impossible.

do you want to hear what we did this week? drumroll please....

with your help, we raised over $1300 for Autism Speaks.

can you believe it? i know. AWESOME.

my sister has been in tears. what a blessing for her to feel supported through you in one of the biggest challenges she has ever had to face. and though J may not know of your willingness to contribute to a cause that will affect his life, his family will. so, thank you.

i can't think of a better way to start off the year. i feel as though my heart has been changed, and my mind has been opened to the possibilities that are out there as long as i am up for the challenge. i hope that 2010 will be a year of change and growth and giving. i know that it will be an amazing year if i can learn to look outward instead of inward and give more of myself, my time, and my talents.

thank you. thank you. thank you for making that possible. those words just don't do it justice!!

BIG NEWS!

Hello friends! I am so excited to announce a really cool benefit going on in my shop today through friday.

I love how December is so full of the spirit of giving. The feelings I had this season have helped me to make a goal in 2010 to give more: of myself, of my time, of my talents, and my resources. My first opportunity starts today! January 14th is my nephew, Jonathan's 10th birthday. He was diagnosed 8 years ago with Autism, and that diagnosis has drastically changed the life of my sister and all the rest of our family - in so many ways.

Every Christmas and birthday I struggle with what to get him that he will really enjoy.Since buying gifts for Jonathan is so difficult, this year for his birthday I am having an Autism Awareness benefit sale in my shop. The shop is loaded up, and from today, January 13th through Friday the 15th, I will donate 100% of the proceeds to Autism Speaks. I figure the best gift I can give him (and his family) is a chunk of change to help solve the puzzle that is autism.

Here is where I need your help. I would love to shout it from the rooftops, but my corner of the blogosphere is only so big. If you are willing to post about the benefit and the opportunity to help out my nephew and millions of others (the statistic is now 1 in 70 boys are diagnosed with autism in the U.S.) I would greatly appreciate it.

Here are the details:

• 100 % of the proceeds for the 13th, 14th, and 15th will go to Austim Speaks
• For every $10 you spend in the shop, you will be entered to win $40 towards a purchase at Allora Handmade ( So, if you spend $50, that's 5 entries).
• I will not be taking custom orders during the benefit so as to get purchases out the door as soon as possible.

I think that's all. If you have any questions, please let me know. It means so much to me to be able to use my time and talents to be able to give back to a cause that is so close to my heart. Happy shopping!

coming up...

hope you all had a happy holiday season! it sure was nice to close down the shop for a minute and catch my breath, but i certainly have missed you all as well as my little creative outlet! just wanted to tune in and make sure you check back in on wednesday for some exciting new things, a chance to give, and a chance to receive... and that's all i'm going to say for now!

curiosity piqued?

see you wednesday!