Fulfilling a Dream!

Okay I just needed to post this because I am so very excited!  I got an email back today from St. Jude's Children's Hospital with approval to add them to the list of hospital which we are donating to!  They will only accept the headbands at this time because they get a lot of hats (as I can imagine) and they have very strict guidelines for their donations (understandably)!  As a kid, I would ride in the St. Jude's Bike-A-Thons and as I got older I always thought it would be the place I would end up working.   My husband and I even made a pilgrimage there when we moved from Michigan to Texas, just because I wanted to see in person this place where miracles happen.  I'm sure you have watched the St. Jude infomercials and listened to those Stories of Hope and thought what "what would I do" hoping to never have to find out; but it does happen, as it did to my brother.  I think everything changes from that moment of diagnosis on.  I think the conception of this project started long ago, on those late nights watching those St. Jude's commercials and hoping that it never happens to anyone I love.  But it did and now we can do and are doing something to try and make the day or even just a moment a little brighter for those brave brave children.  Yep, it's a dream fulfilled for me to be able to do something for kids battling cancer.  I've heard the story that Danny Thomas (the founder of St. Jude's) prayed to St. Jude saying "show me the way and I will build you a shrine" - he listened and acted on what his heart was telling him to do.  Obviously, this project is nowhere near what he did but just as I was wondering if this project was going to continue, I get this email from St. Jude's agreeing to accept a donation from us.  Maybe I'm just being really way too mushy (and if you know me you know I'm a big no huge sap) but this is really meaningful to me and to this project.  Thank you St. Jude's for allowing us to be a part of your kids' lives! :)

Yes, we are still here!!!!

Okay, I know shame on me!!  I haven't posted anything in a while but it's been a crazy time in our home (summer fun, camping - yikes, school starting), so getting time to do much of anything else has been close to impossible!  Luke, of Luke's Lids, and his family also moved home this summer and are now closer to our family and I know that everyone is so happy about that!  Welcome home Luke and Co!

We are working right now on hats and bows, planning for a donation the beginning of October (keeping my fingers crossed that we can make that goal).  We are also going to be selling bows at a craft show, November 13 at St. Petronille Catholic Church here in Glen Ellyn, so if you are around here please please please come by and tell your friends to come by!!  To be frank, we really need to make some money to keep this project going! There are some super cute Kofi hats that I want to purchase for the winter months but they are expensive and in order to be able to buy them I need to sell A LOT of bows!  I did get a wonderful donation from Diane Lucas of beautiful hats for this project!  They are so soft and comfy, I know our kids are going to LOVE them!  Thank You Thank You Thank You!!!!

There is so much that I would like to do for this fall and winter season!!  I have seen some adorable ribbon for Halloween and Christmas, as well as collegiate ribbon that I would love to buy but the ribbon is quite expensive so I am hoping to sell out our bows at the craft show in November!!!  I was thinking it might help if I could find a local store that might be willing to sell our bows during the year so if anyone knows of a store that might be willing to help please contact me (tanyalg30@hotmail.com)!!   Until I file for 501(c)3 status we are funding this project on our own and really need to find some different ways to keep going and growing!!  If you have any ideas I am all ears!!  Any and all help is so welcome and appreciated!!!

I hate asking for help so this is all really hard for me to write but in order to keep this project alive I need you!!!  I need people to help me brainstorm ideas, make bows and hats, and deliver them to as many kids as we possibly can!  I'm hoping to connect with St. Jude's in the next couple of weeks about starting a partnership with them as well and I'm pretty excited about that.  I am just so grateful for all the help that we have received thus far...especially from my sister who is my partner in all this.  Kimi you are such an inspiration to me and I am so proud to be doing this project with you!!!  Thank You Thank You Thank You and I Love You!!

Have a blessed day everyone and thanks for taking the time to read!!!!

Bow Sale this Weekend!!!!

Okay, so this Thursday through Saturday, I am going to be selling bows during the Glen Ellyn Sidewalk Sales!  I will have a table set up outside of the Swap Shop (Thursday and Friday from 10:30 - 1 and in the evening, Saturday all day) with a variety of bows for sale.  All proceeds are going right back into purchasing the supplies needed to continue our mission of creating funky headware for kids with cancer.  If you are in Glen Ellyn, stop by and see me and tell your friends!
Thanks for all the continued support and hope to see some of you this weekend!!

Growth and Expansion

Wow!  All I can say is Wow!  I feel so blessed to be surrounded by so many people who care about this project!  I have to first start with Canada - no not the country - but the vacation there with my husband's family.  I am so grateful to my husband's mom and aunt for the beautiful scarves they brought from India and his cousins and sister for helping me out with creating so many funky fun hats and headbands while in the beautiful setting of Cottage Country!  You ladies did an awesome job and I am so proud of you all!  Next, I have to say that my sister (AKA project partner) and I rocked it out the following week while I was home with my family!  We were up late almost every night making bows for headbands and brainstorming our next moves (which I am so very excited about)!  Between the hats in Canada and the bows in Michigan, we managed to make 150 hats, headbands, and scarves.  That means that we have enough to supply 3 different hospitals this month!  AMAZING!!

  

In our brainstorming sessions, my sister and I decided that it might be beneficial to start selling some of our bows to help fund this project, so......I will be selling bows this week (Thursday through Saturday or until they are gone) during the Glen Ellyn sidewalk sales outside of an awesome shop called the Swap Shop (thank you Beverly)!!!  So if you live in the area, please come by and check them out!  We are going to try to start selling them at area craft fairs and possibly some local shops.  If you know of a store owner who might be willing to keep a couple of bows on hand to sell, please contact me!  We are also planning a hat/headband making party in our hometown of North Branch, so keep checking for updates as we finalize dates and times for this event!

The last bit of exciting news is we have added another hospital to our project!  I will be making a first delivery to the pediatric oncology unit of Central DuPage Hospital next week and I am very excited about this!  I have to thank the Chicago area chapter of the American Cancer Society for this connection!

I am so humbled at the path this project has taken and thank God for all of the wonderful people helping us to continue our mission.  I'm not sure "thank you" is enough, but to all of you who have helped us out in any way, my God bless you and thank you from the bottom of my heart!

If you know of anyone who might like a hat or headband please contact me or if you know of a hospital that might be interested in a donation please let me know!

Creative juices are a-flowin'!

It has indeed been a while my friends!  With summer now upon us, my boys want to spend most of their time outdoors so it has been hard to get much accomplished!  I did have one fun evening with my friend Tina making hats!  I also had my bow making sister teach me her craft, which I am leaning slowly but surely.  I have to say my bows are not quite as adorable as Kim's but it's a start, right!  My in-laws are in town right now and have graciously donated a box full of beautiful scarves from India for this endeavor, so between those and the hats we have been able to finish, I am ready to make my first donations to Hurley Medical Center and the Ronald McDonald Children's Hospital at Loyola Medical Center.  I do not yet have a tally for the Hurley donation but I have 45 hats and scarves for Loyola.  I'm so excited to get these out to the hospitals and start getting some feedback!

I would like to take a moment to thank a few people...
My good friend Tina - thanks for helping me out and all of your great ideas!
My mother-in -law and my husband's aunt - thanks for all the scarves, I'm sure the girls are going to love them!
My sister Kimi - thanks for teaching me the art of the hair bow!
My friend Lori's mom - thanks for all the hats, you are awesome!

Hopefully your summer is off to a fun and exciting start!  If you are reading this and have any suggestions for hat ideas or know of someone in need of some funky headware, please let me know!

Growing!

Hi Friends!  It is May, we have moved our family back to Chicago, and Luke's Lids is growing!!  I'm so excited to be expanding this project!  We are going to be donating hats to the pediatric oncology program at Hurley Medical Center in Flint, MI and the Ronald McDonald Children's Hospital at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago, IL.  I'm so excited about these opportunities to expand this program but it means we are going to have to step up our production to be able to fill all the needs.  I'm hoping to maybe have a few hat parties this summer and get lots of people involved in helping us!  If you are interested in helping out, please let me know:  tanyalg30@hotmail.com

April's in Bloom!

I wish April was in bloom!  In Minneapolis here, it snowed all morning, luckily it has all melted and the day ended with a beautiful sunset!  We are moving this weekend so thankfully my sister has kicked the headband and hat making into high gear!  She is personally hand-delivering a truckload of headbands and hats tomorrow to Mott's and I'm so excited for her!  I think these headbands are going to be just perfect for Easter!  I'm also proud to report that this month's tally is:
April - 93 hats and headbands

I am looking for help designing a logo for Luke's Lids.  If anyone is creative and wants to help us with this or knows of a graphic designer who might be willing to help us out, please contact me (tanyals30@yahoo.com)!  I have absolutely no talent for drawing whatsoever not a single drop so this is something I need to outsource! :)

Happy Easter and thank you again for reading and all the support!