Friday, January 20, 2006

Today is a Significant Day!


Today is a very significant day in the life of this teddy bear clothier! Today is my official 2 year anniversary of finishing chemotherapy for the treatment of breast cancer. While this is not as significant as the 5 year anniversary, reaching 2 years being cancer free increases greatly my chances of staying cancer free! Yippee!! You can read my story on my website . I also wrote a poem about my situation and what gave me the courage I needed to face being diagnosed with cancer. The picture to the left is of an angel bear I designed as a gift for someone just diagnosed with breast cancer. Her name is Pearl Angel Bear , she is dressed in pink satin with pearls hanging from her neck. She comes with a card that has another poem I wrote. This poem is the voice of a friend who is coming alongside the person who has been diagnosed. I had many friends who did that for me and their support, encouragement, and practical help was more valuable than I can ever describe.


"Walk forward in faith,
Let the Lord work His ways.
His unfailing love is with you
For all of your days."

Monday, January 16, 2006

Back to the questions about teddy bears

Another question you may ask is - How did you get started dressing teddy bears as gifts? Good question! I was a typical child who loved her teddy bear - my favorite was a pink teddy bear with a white tummy. I had other teddy bears, too, and I loved them all. I felt a special connection with my teddy bears because my last name was Bear. Yes, my maiden name was Debbie Bear - can you imagine the names the kids made up about me at school? Actually, I thought those names were rather funny and some were even clever. As I grew older, I started collecting other types of bears, just seemed to fit my name. A few years ago, I needed a baby gift for a friend and wanted to make something. Well, what could be a better gift for a baby than something involving a teddy bear? So I dressed a teddy bear, added a matching padded picture frame, then decided it needed one more thing. I took some wooden blocks, spelled out the baby's name and - wahla - a personalized teddy bear gift was born. From there I thought of so many things, I had to try my hand at selling them. When I decided to try selling on the internet (I did some craft fairs and home parties first with minimal success), I never dreamed that I would eventually have over 100 styles of teddy bear gifts to offer, much less that I would have so many customers!!! I didn't know that I could actually make my own patterns for the clothing. I could sew, but had never tried making patterns. Wow, I found out I could do it! (there's an encouragement to try something you've never done - you just might find out you can do it and do it well!) I found out I could cross-stitch and make personalized pillows to go with lots of my teddy bear gifts.

I'm sort of getting off the subject here, but this is my way of explaining that I sort of fell into the business. First because of a need for a gift, then a desire to make something different than I could find in a store. My affiliation with teddy bears just made that choice easy, and they are readily available. I also offer bunnies and a kitty cat angel. I would offer other plush animals if I could find a steady supplier. I'm always looking for something new to add to my line.

Next question to be answered: For what occasions are your angel bears appropriate for?

Sunday, January 15, 2006

Who's Your Special Valentine?

Now that I've answered some of your questions, let me ask you a question - "Who's your special valentine?" I'm going to do some blatant advertising here. I bet that whoever your special valentine is, he or she would love a teddy bear this Valentine's Day! Now is the time to buy your special teddy bear gift. Don't miss your opportunity to buy your Valentine's Gifts at a discounted price. Choose your gifts for Valentine's Day now, save 20% on your order, and have your item sent just in time for Valentine's Day! This sale lasts through January 31st , visit my valentine gift page for details. Over twenty neat teddy bear gifts, different styles, different sizes, something for all ages. Wide price range - spend a little or spend a lot! See all the items on one page for your ordering convenience. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at what I have to offer.

Here I Am!

Well, I've done it. I've started a blog - what have I gotten myself into? I really don't know, but as long as I'm here, I might as well just jump in feet first.

You may be asking - what in the world is a teddy bear gift? My definition would be: it is a teddy bear that is used as a decorative keepsake (not as a toy). The bear is dressed in clothing appropriate to the occasion (wedding clothes, graduation robe, angel dress, flannel nightgown, etc.), and items are added to complete the theme. They're cute, evoke positive emotions, and in general just make you feel good. Often a teddy bear gift will make a recipient feel good simply because someone thought about them. Flowers also evoke that thought, but once they die, it's harder to bring back that good feeling of being thought of. Teddy bear gifts don't wilt and eventually die. They stay cute forever!

The next question you may have is - why a teddy bear? My simple answer would be - why not a teddy bear? What other item brings to mind comfort, solace, happiness, and innocence like a teddy bear? Almost everyone had a teddy bear when they were younger, and that teddy bear was a loved companion. Someone to hug, someone to listen, someone to keep you company at night. Why not turn those childhood memories into a lasting memory?

Okay, that's it for my first post. More lessons on teddy bear gifts later.