Southern Girl Swap--Blog Hop Guest Post

I'm blogging over at Leslyn's Lovely Life today so hop on over there & check out my post on a few things that are on my Christmas list this year!  And don't forget to comment for your chance to win some Starbucks goodies!  =)

Hi my name is Bethany and I blog over at Bloom Designs! My blog consist of a little bit of everything from graphic design projects all the way to fashion finds! A little over a year ago I got married to my best friend of 5 years, Tyler Toney and together we have a fur baby named Sadie who is pretty much our whole lives right now!

{We like to drink soda pop and gaze at each other on a bench conveniently outside of somebody front door in the middle of nowhere. Oh wait...you don't do that? *smile*}

{Our fur baby, Sadie Swift Toney. Chewer of all things and professional dirt digger.}

Growing up my family didn't have any crazy Christmas traditions besides your usual decorating the tree to Christmas music and gathering around the TV to watch a Christime- time classic...such as Elf. So when I spent my first Christmas as a Toney last year, I realized I had married into a family full of special traditions!

Last Christmas while opening presents- I was handed this tiny box from Tyler's grandmother who we all call "Nean". At first I thought she had gotten me a pair of earrings or even a ring by how small the gift was but while opening the box- I unveiled this tiny pink box that said "Mini Basket of Beauty" on it. It was a little worn on the sides and the color had slightly faded on the front. Looking up, I smiled and got slightly awkward saying "Aw thank you so much Nean!" not exactly knowing what this gift was but still wanting to be nice at the same time! I mean hello...This was my FIRST christmas as a Toney...I didn't want to blow it! Laughing, Nean said, "No..no open the box!" So when I did, I found this small folded up piece of paper that said:

A YEAR FULL OF LOVE

You may think I'm an empty 

box to sit upon a shelf.

But really I'm a box full of 

LOVE from a little elf.

This will last all year long, until

you hear a Christmas song.

Then you decide for next year

in which stack of gifts I will

appear.

Still slightly confused, Nean begins to explain the meaning behind this tiny box. When my sister-in-law Paige was in elementary school, they gave all the kids the opportunity to go shopping in a store they set up in the library. This store contained of small trinkets that you could buy and wrap right there to give to your family and friends for Christmas. So Paige ended up buying this "Mini Basket of Beauty" for Nean that year. When Nean finally opened the present from Paige, she realized that nothing was actually inside the box. Paige had either purchase an empty box or it had fallen out at some point while wrapping it. Seeing that Neans gift from her was empty, it really got her upset. But Nean being the loving and sweet grandmother she is quickly replied, "No Paige, this gift is perfect! You got me a little box full of LOVE!"

So every year, this tiny box gets passed down each Christmas to somebody different in the family. Being the newest member of the family I had it passed down to me from Nean herself. So every time I looked at this box throughout the year, I was reminded of how much the Toney family loves me and how much I am blessed to be apart of it.

During Christmas I think we get wrapped up in thinking "How can I top the gift I gave last year?" or "If I only had more money this year to give the perfect gift..." when really sometimes the best gift you can give is just letting the person know you simply love them.

Even if it that loves comes in the form of a tiny, empty pink-faded box.

What a sweet and unique story and tradition!  Thanks for sharing with us Bethany!  Don't forget to hop on over to Charmed Bliss to check out all the other wonderful Southern Girl Swap blogs for this month!



There is also a little giveaway going on!  Check out the rules below!