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Merry Christmas from our family to yours!
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With Swallows Wings
A blog of hope and inspiration following a young Christian widow's journey through life, loss, and love
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via As I’m reading my devotional this morning, cup of coffee in hand, listening to the chatter in my home from my Little Man and my Mama and looking forward to a lovely day ahead filled with family, food, and laughter, I am reminded of my many blessings. “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families …” Psalm 68:5-6a In the years since The Hubs’ passing, our family has been the recipient of so much love. I can’t even begin to name all of the ways people have reached out to us, helped us, and touched our lives with small (and big) acts of kindness and comfort. I am so thankful for these angels, these wonderful people who became the hands and feet of Jesus, intentionally or not, when we needed it the most. I think back to our first Christmas without The Hubs, and my.. how far we have come. This year, although there is still an obvious absence both in presence and in our hearts, our lives are richer and fuller. This is because of those angels, and the love of our Savior who has saved my life with his miraculous birth. Now it is time to become another pair of His hands and feet, and pass along on of the blessings we’ve received. Christmas is all about giving and I am glad to have seized many opportunities to do so this season. I challenge us all to continue that giving spirit throughout the entire year. You never know just how much of an impact your small gesture will have on someone’s heart and life. We are an example of that <3 My Christmas wish for each of you, dear readers, is that you will experience a life full of love and be richly blessed — not only this Christmas, but always. I love you all! — And in the spirit of giving, I have a winner for the third Holiday Giveaway! Congratulations Melanie Lawrence, you are the winner of a gorgeous journal by Signal Mountain Artists! Check your email <3 Thank you to all who participated and thank you Lisa for your generosity!   
Merry Christmas, Erin! Welcome to the FINAL act of WSW’s Holiday Giveaway Quartet!
Can you believe we are at the end of the holiday giveaway series? I really can’t! That means Christmas is this week! Where has the time gone?! For the final culmination of this giveaway series, I am featuring an amazingly talented artisan… the lovely Karen of Karen Hazarian Jewelry. A while ago I stumbled across Karen’s gorgeous personalized jewelry on her Etsy shop and immediately wanted some for my own! I love how she integrates a personal approach and tailors her craft to the sentiment of her customers. I love so many of her pieces; her Crosses and Bracelet collections appeal to me, but I also love her Portraits and Photos collections. Karen takes such intimate aspects as handwriting and photographs, and creates unique mementos that can truly serve as daily reminders of the loved ones we miss so dearly. From Karen: “The desire to capture memories, people, pets and self-expression into jewelry has been the inspiration into creating the one-of-a-kind etched items that Karen Hazarian offers. The versatility of Karen Hazarian etched jewelry allows for everyone to wear a special memory, whether male or female.”
In honor of our sorely missed loved ones and our desire to remember them, Karen is offering one reader a beautiful personalized necklace! This handcrafted 5/8″ square pendant features your loved one’s handwriting. That’s right… you send Karen a ‘proof’ of something your loved one has written on, and she will recreate your dear one’s handwriting on a precious pendant made of bronze and sterling silver. This pendant will hang from an adjustable black leather cord and values at $85. What a beautiful Christmas gift in your beloved’s honor! Each piece is hand crafted in Karen’s studio using traditional metal-smithing techniques and materials such as .925 sterling silver, recycled sterling silver, 14k gold and recycled gold, and bronze in sheet and wire form. Please note, as her pieces are individually hand made, not cast, stamped or otherwise mass produced, they may and probably will have markings which is the creative, and unique quality of the etching process. You will see variations in distressing, finish etc on the front and/or back of your piece. These creations are American Made in Santa Barbara, CA. Please note, Karen’s amazing creations take time to customize so your unique jewelry will not be ready in time for the holidays. By entering this giveaway, you acknowledge that you will likely begin the customization process in early January and receive your custom jewelry weeks after. To win this gorgeous handcrafted personalized memorial necklace, enter the giveaway below using the Rafflecopter widget. Thank you Karen of Karen Hazarian Jewelry!  
I love the Pog Tag Photo Pendant! 
Love the Sterling Photo Necklace! 
i love the logos and drawings 
i love the 
I really like the 10K Gold Stacking Rings. ambrerose at(aol)dot(com) 
It was all so beautiful. I was very drawn to the child’s artwork print rings: http://karenhazarianjewelry.indiemade.com/gallery/image/mommy-ring-sterling-silver-and-14k-gold-fill Lovely. 
Child’s Artwork Necklace 
Love the New Gold Cross Necklace 
love the bracelets! 
love the child’s artwork necklaces;) 
omfg that sterling portrait necklace is amazing! 
I love the Armenian inspired Name necklace in gold and silver. Very unique. 
new gold cross 
I absolutely LOVE http://karenhazarianjewelry.indiemade.com/gallery/image/l1030260jpg Your work is some of the most amazing pieces I’ve seen! 
I like the bracelets. Thank you for this wonderful giveaway! 
I love the child’s artwork necklaces;) 
I absolutely love the Child’s Artwork Ring! 
I love the silver Armenian Initial Bracelet on Leather Cord… it’s beautiful! 
i like the childs painting necklace 
I have to say the Handwriting Necklace is my favorite. To have my mom’s signature with me would be perfect. 
I like this one too……….http://karenhazarianjewelry.indiemade.com/gallery/image/childs-artwork-necklace-0 
Very pretty pendant 
My favorite is the New Gold Cross. 
I like the etched artwork! 
I absolutely love the portrait pendants. I would love to have one made with my dad and me. 
I really love the Armenian Name Swirl Ring :) aaaaaah fingers crossed 
I’m not Armenian (not even a little bit) but I love the Armenian Name Necklace In New Gold and Sterling Silver. 
Child’s Artwork Necklace 
I like the Armenian Name Swirl Ring best, but I’d love to put a quote on it. 
I really like the Mother’s Photo Charm Bracelet! 
[...] Click Here to go to the contest page! [...] 
love the Armenian Name Ring with Armenian Bird Illustration 
mother and child 
i love Child’s Artwork Necklace…SUCH a cool idea!
i love the hard and soft together, looks awesome! 
What beautiful pieces. I especially love the message ring and the handwriting necklace. They’re both such lovely ideas. 
The Portrait and photos are really pretty. 
One of my best friends is of Armenian descent and she would love the Armenian Initial Bracelet on Leather Cord. 
Armenian Initial Bracelet on Leather Cord..Sterling Silver and 14 k Gold Fill 
Mother and child portrait 
I love her etching work especially this piece with the tree http://karenhazarianjewelry.indiemade.com/product/one-sided-silver-artwork-necklace 
I luv this, so lovely :) http://karenhazarianjewelry.indiemade.com/gallery/image/childs-artwork-ring , 
What a beautiful idea for jewelry.. her pieces are amazing. 
love the crosses, can’t decide which one! : ) 
Love that she will turn a child’s artwork into a piece of jewelry to cherish forever like this! http://karenhazarianjewelry.indiemade.com/gallery/image/childs-artwork-ring 
This is such an amazing idea! I love the Armenian Name Ring with Armenian Bird Illustration
Really like the child’s portrait pendant. 
Your jewelery is amazing. On the bracelet can you choose the color of the stones or are they already set? …from my mind, that is. These days, it seems like you are always on the edge of my mind. Yet, you seem farther away than ever. It’s so difficult to explain. No one quite seems to understand it either, how I can move forward SO much, as far enough as to desire love from someone else, yet still need and crave your presence. I guess the only souls who could really understand that sentiment are other widows. What I really desire in moments like this, aside from the obvious you, is comfort. That feeling of ‘home’. I haven’t felt completely at rest, completely relaxed… 100% like I can sigh a sigh of content and say ‘phew, I am okay for second’… since March 2009 when you left. My soul needs a moment, a hug from you, a second of content and rest. Yes, my Faith gives me that, more than I’ve experienced thus far. But I still haven’t found that ‘partner aspect’ that I need. I know it is coming in His due time. I have faith. But I am not incredibly patient. It is something I am praying for. What I really want is YOU back…but since I can’t have that, I am finally ready for whoever is next for my soul. Really, my heart is ready. So, is his? Whoever is meant to have this heart, is he ready? Part of me feels so excited for this man, because I am going to smother him with love. Then again, part of me feels apprehensive for this man because I am probably going to totally overwhelm him! The amount of love pent up inside me, the things I have learned about life and love and affection and appreciation, the levels of acknowledgement and gratitude I am going to show this person, are likely to overwhelm him because unless he has experienced a similar loss that has changed his world view, he is likely not going to understand right away why I am the way I am. So, maybe I’ll show him this: Future love of mine, your world is about to be rocked. Please don’t be afraid of me. I’ll try not to be afraid of you. If I come off too emotional, please understand that it is because emotions mean so much to me. I don’t want to let a second go by without you knowing how much I feel. If I seem distant sometimes, please understand it is because I am still figuring out how to reach you in your unique way. Please don’t think I’m not ready or that you aren’t worthy. You are just beautiful new territory. If I am moving quickly, please don’t see it as desperation or mistake it for neediness. In the life I have lived, I understand how short life and opportunities can be. I heed God’s call and I move when I feel led. If I feel your heart calling mine, I am going to respond based on His guidance. I trust His fate to keep things from moving too quickly. So, the sheer fact that you are reading this now means that you were called, I felt your heart calling mine, you have sang that gorgeous, special birdsong… and babe, all I can say is, you are the recipient of a stockpile of love that I cannot wait to bestow upon you. Smile and cheese your heart out as everyone becomes envious of *that guy* who is so obviously loved. I am so, so blessed to finally find you… It’s all in God’s hands. I give you up to Him. 
This was beautifully written and made me cry just a little bit. Good luck in your search. 
<3 I get it…I hope you find someone as special as you! This is sponsored content from BlogHer and P&G. Phew! I am in the midst of a busy few days. Can you believe Christmas is a week from today?! If time has snuck up on you like it has me, you probably haven’t finished your shopping yet either. I’m not feeling too stressed thankfully; our entire family pretty much has decided to skip gifts [for the adults] in lieu of getting back to basics and just spending time together. Although we’ve decided to go low-key this year, I do still have quite a bit of shopping to do for Little Man so now I’m in crunch time! If you are in last-minute shopping mode like I am, I have some deals for you. P&G’s eStore has been created with shoppers for shoppers to be a premier online retail site with new and better ways to shop online. Not only do you receive free samples with each order, but all orders over $25 ship for free. P&G, maker of favorite trusted brands for Women, Men, Health, Baby, Pets, and Home Care, is offering several holiday deals to help you save!
Need something for that hard-to-buy for man in your life? Try a Braun electric shaver. You can save $15 off the Braun Mens Series 7, Series 5, and Series 3 shavers by following the link to apply the coupon.
How about your girlfriend, daughter, or sister? Odds are they will enjoy some skin care products from Olay or makeup from Covergirl. Enjoy Buy One Get One Free products or save up to $5 off by following the links to apply the coupons.
Is Santa bringing toys that need batteries? Go for Duracell. Save on those expensive suckers by purchasing value packs in the most used sizes AA and AAA by following the links. Browse around P&G’s eStore and take advantage of these great deals plus many more from Gillette, Crest Whitestrips, Oral-B, and other trusted brands. Want even more savings? P&G is offering 15% for readers who are new customers! If it is your first order with the P&G eStore, just enter promo code A9Z-MN5-KY3-ISA to receive 15% off. Happy shopping!  |
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