Chanukkah Giveaway! {CLOSED}

The winner is..... Moriah M. congrats! 

I am so excited to be getting to offer you all a giveaway from the lovely Peaches and Cream Studio!

I met the owner, Victoria, this year during Pesach and got to spend time fellowshipping with her lovely family. So when she told me about this giveaway offer, I was thrilled! She has graciously offered to send one of you a set of 8 Chanukkah art prints! 

I wanted you to get to know Victoria a little so I asked her to share about her shop, and how she got started.

"For years my family and friends have told me that I needed to start an Etsy shop, and in 2013 it finally became a reality! Growing up, I was constantly drawing- whether it was at an easel next to my artist sister or doodling in my textbooks (oops!). My grandmother taught me how to use her sewing machine when I was 8, and whenever I wasn't drawing I would be sewing any textiles I could get my hands on! 

As a seamstress and artist, my designs for my Etsy shop are always derived from faith and family, but they are also influenced by my experience in Israel in 2014. Although I am not Jewish, I fell in love with the culture + traditions, as well as the rich and vibrant diversity. 

The story of my art prints came about one day as I was browsing Etsy for Messianic/Jewish artwork. I was disappointed by what I found- much of what I saw was rather chaotic, with unappealing color palates and steep price tags. I was looking for something clean but bold, chic but still in touch with tradition. I wanted something to hang on my walls that put a sparkle into an age-old way of life, something that would bring a new dimension to timeless heritage. 

I didn't find what I was looking for, so I decided that I would just have to create my own! I'm excited to share my work with the Etsy community, and I hope it fills a need that I saw was lacking. I keep my prices affordable for everyone, because I'm a bargain-hunter at heart myself. All my prints are printed on sturdy cardstock and ready to be put into frames as soon as they arrive in your mailbox!"

 These are the prints being offered, aren't they great!?

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Then the phone rang...

It had been barely even 24 hours since I posted about having the faith to stay put, when your heart wants to go. I was giving the baby a bath and when I came out my husband was hanging up the phone. I was a little confused because the last little bit of the conversation I heard sounded like something was going on, and it was after 10pm.

He told me a very sweet friend we had met at Family Week was in need. Her husband and some other friends were at the airport and needed a place to stay for Shabbat. My husband had told her we couldn't help because we had no way to transport 8 people to our home. But I said oh no Hashem will provide a way, and called her back! (with his blessing of course)

After some back and forth we decided that they would stay one night in a hotel and if there were still issues they would come to us for Shabbat, bezrat Hashem.

That night we prayed that if it was His will that we would get to host these people in our home. We weren't sure what that would look like but we were willing to give it a try.

The next morning they called and decided that half of them would come to our home over night and half of them would try again to get on their flight. Money was tight but we just moved forward in faith. As my husband was getting ready to leave he went to check the mail. Lo and behold there was a check there that we weren't expecting to for at least a week! It was such a blessing, and it meant that we were now able to provide a better experience for our guests.

We don't have any extra bedrooms, so we moved our children into our room and prepared the children's room for our guests. It was kind of like camping, which thankfully our guests didn't mind.

We had a sweet time of fellowship and there was plenty of food and snacks to go around! When they left I felt edified and like we truly opened ourselves up to be used by Hashem to bless His people. I am so thankful for that. It was just like a little wink and nudge to let me know that He sees my heart and that if I just stay open to being used by Him, He will use me in His own way.

Staying put may not always be what we want to do, but it's not about us. It's about Him! Plus there are people all around you that are in need. Whether it be physical or spiritual, there are areas where you can serve and be used.

A week or so after our guests left we had another family over for dinner who was having a rough time. We wanted to be a blessing and we were. A few weeks after that my husband was able to go and help a family, who had been homeless, paint their new home so they could move in quickly.

We may be called to stay here, but I'm learning that we are still called to serve. It may not look how I thought it would, but it looks exactly how my Abba wants it.

Love and blessings,