Small Break in the Craft Store Fast

Tomorrow, I will be breaking my self-imposed craft store fast. I'm a little upset as I was doing so well, but it is for a good cause. A friend of a friend has ordered two hats for a young teenage girl who is going to be having brain surgery to help regulate her epilepsy. Unfortunately, she will have to get her head shaved.

I had a couple of hats sitting around that I had made while trying to size out a pattern and they perfectly matched what this customer was looking for, so I sold them to her at a great price.

My heart was moved with compassion for this young girl. When I was almost 13, I broke a vertebrae in my lower back (no trauma, it was a freak thing), and I spent almost all of my seventh grade year in a back brace that looked a little something like this:

http://www.cpparent.org/images/body_jacket.jpg

Needless to say, it was not very comfortable, and not very easy to hide. It's hard enough being a young teenage girl dealing with all the insecurities that come with just being in that period of life (all you ladies remember, don't you?), but adding in something like a back brace or a bald head makes it just that much more uncomfortable. With the exception of a few snide "Hey, Quasimodo!" remarks, my classmates really rallied behind me, and I was never treated much differently because of the brace. I pray this young girl feels the same support from those around her.

I wanted to do something special for her, so I also included a gift certificate for a free custom-made hat so that once she is feeling up to it, she can design her very own hat. It's not a big thing, but I really hope it lifts her spirits and helps take the edge off of losing her hair.

Now, as I went to get tags printed up to package up this order, I realized that not only am I out of colored ink, I'm out of tags and bags. So, tomorrow it's off to the office supply store and the craft store. I promise to walk in, grab tags and bags, and walk out (after paying for them of course). Now to go find two coupons to use since I've just been tossing them all in the recycling to avoid temptation. :)

I have been inspired to add this gift certificate for a custom-made hat to my etsy shop in the future. It'll be a great gift for those hard to buy for people. I will post an update once the item is in the shop. Are you thinking about Christmas gifts yet?