Made With Love

 How many people use real, fresh Vanilla extract for their recipes? How many of you would like to use real fresh Vanilla extract for their recipes? It doesn’t take too much effort to throw together a bottle or two. I’ll include the recipe later in the post, but my point is, I always hear people say they aren’t the crafting kind. The vanilla in a nice bottle with a cool label and maybe a ribbon for effects is a wonderful gift.

Before I continue its time to find some tunes for this page.

We will start with:

Jamie Cullum, The Piano Man at Christmas, Island Records, 2021
A good start, we will see how far we get.

Went over my Jamie Cullum time. Next was:

Michael McDonald, Season of Peace – The Christmas Collection, BMG, 2018

The idea of making Christmas gifts by hand has faded over the last 50 years. Although making a come back that I can see for 10 years or so, it will never be competition for the big market, not anymore. What a shame. Gifts made with love, sweat, sometimes blood and tears, are far more memorable than getting the already outdated PlayStation 23. The world is in a hurry. Everybody is caught up in the “hustle and bustle” and trying to be the first in line everywhere they go. It’s nobody’s fault, the days are too short to try and make ends meet, it’s a struggle that we all face. When there is a spare moment, it certainly isn’t going to be filled with more work trying to come up with a silly gift, am I right?

No, I’m not right. When we take those extra few minutes a day or night and craft out gifts for our loved ones, it means so much more to the recipient than receiving a foreign made piece of plastic that will last two weeks before it either breaks or ends up in the closet underneath the holiday blankets. Granted, there are gifts that cannot be made in a wood shop, or sewing room. A vinyl record for an avid collector is a good example. The idea that crafting gifts is first in line and shopping at Target is further down the list is a great start.
One of my first digital prints was made for my wife’s parents. About 25 years ago I was creating art in a conglomeration of applications such as Poser, Bryce, Vue, Wildfire and adding finishing touches in Photoshop. When I was done, I would take them to a printshop and have them print out a large format copy, then I would go to Michael's and get a frame, different layers of matting, and put it all together.
This one piece was 22”x28”, I was proud to have created this, Julie’s parents loved it and hung it in their living room. I look at that piece today and see that it wasn’t a great piece at all, actually, it was quite terrible. They loved it because I made it.

As kids when we got that fluffy knitted sweater that grandma made, with one arm too long, and was a color that wouldn’t make us cool, we laughed behind closed doors. We did not know how much love and time grandma put into that sweater. Flawed? Sure, but it was made purely from someone’s heart. I think everyone should stop and think of the handmade gifts that have been tossed because a person didn’t realize the feeling put behind the creation. More time and thought are spent on a handmade gift, than any money at Tiffany’s or Best Buy.

Oh, really quick, the Vanilla recipe:
Vanilla beans, Madagascar preferably (25 beans). Sold online – 20 bucks or so.
Vodka, any brand will do. Average 750ml – 18 bucks
Decorative bottles.  8.5oz Flip top - average 3.42 per bottle.
Ok, let’s do the math. $20 + $18 + $10.26 = $48.26
I vanilla bean per oz. in the bottle, so 8 vanilla beans per bottle. 25/8 = 3 (+)

Put the beans in the bottle and fill with vodka. Because the beans will take up room in the 8.5 oz bot
tle you are probably going to use 6 – 7oz. of vodka. 750ml = 25.36oz, 25.36/7 = 3 (plus a shot at the end)
You are wondering what the $10.26 is I added above, I jumped the gun and did the math already.
3 bottles at $3.42 = $10.26
3 bottles of vanilla made from the heart = $48.26/3 = $16.08 per gift. Handmade with love and something to be remembered for under the coast of a McDonald’s dinner for two. Hate to say this, and I may gain a few haters here, but who in the hell would go to dinner at Mickie D’s? Sorry, I got squirreled there.

A few years back, I tried to recreate a picture of a cabin my dad took us boys to one time in Vermont. I was young and the vision was foggy, but I was determined to give him a gift he could see the memories through. I used my usual modeling software and went back and forth for weeks between programs trying to get what I remembered onto a digital canvas. When done I had it printed and then framed.

When dad opened his gift, everybody stopped to watch. His reaction was priceless. He cried because someone remembered the cabin and brought the memory back to him. Was it a great picture, no, it was my memory to him. Hell, the cabin on the creek side was probably on the wrong side, its what I remembered. It was made from the heart.

I think we should all take a step back away from the last-minute shopping at big Sam’s or where ever and think about what would be special for those we love. Baked goods are always a hit. So, you can’t cook, how about something written down on some cool paper that is heartfelt?
Not everybody can carve wood, or make jewelry, but I guarantee there is a hidden talent. Draw out tickets for free services around the house, use your imagination. Imagination is free.
Just try to do something from the heart. Last minute shopping doesn’t show thought, it shows procrastination because you obviously feel obligated to buy something. Did I hit a nerve? Good.

I know how busy we are in the world today, we did it to ourselves. Take a step back, think, and start designing something in your head. Something will spark, and you will not only get a rush, but you will be amazed at what you can do.

Just “Thinking Out Loud”.

Thoughts?