Introducing Origami Owl and Celebrating Home

Tell us a little about Origami Owl:
Hi, My name is Angeline, I am an independent designer for Origami Owl. At Origami Owl, we help you tell your story through jewelry. We have lockets, necklaces, charm bracelets, earrings and more! Origami Owl also has a special bridal line. With our birthstone charms, a locket is sure to be a hit for the mother or grandmother in your life! Teens love our leather wrap bracelets and necklaces. Make sure you check out our new Christmas items!

Tell us a little about Celebrating Home:
Hi my name is Angeline. I am a Celebrating Home Designer. Did you ever wonder what happened to Home Interiors? Well, Celebrating Home is a conglomeration of Home Interiors and Home and Garden Party (and now Penelope Anne as well). As you can imagine, we specialize in several great product in many categories including: Home decor, home fragrances, dining and entertaining, gifts, personalized items, and more! For the month of November, purchase an Avery style Ooh La Lamp and get a jacket for half off! The Ooh La Lamp makes a great gift! Also, be sure to check out another favorite our famous Bean Pots. Please take a moment to watch the Ooh La Lamp in action in this short video: https://vimeo.com/86382223

Tell us a little about your connection to Elim or Reece's Rainbow:
Because of Reece's Rainbow, I am the mother of a spunky 5 year old with DS that came home to my husband and I from Colombia on Valentine's Day of 2013. We are currently in the process of adopting two more children with DS from Eastern Europe. I started selling Celebrating Home and Origami Owl to help fund our adoption and help other adoptive families as well.

Tell us what you're planning to do with the other half of your commission:
25% will go to my Reece's Rainbow Angel Tree Child, Annalise and the rest will go towards our adoption of Chance and Callie.

Introducing Tricia Anson and Paparazzi Jewelry.

Introducing Tricia Anson and Paparazzi Jewelry.

Tell us about Paparazzi Jewlery:
EVERYTHING is just $5, it is all Nickel and Lead Free, and it is all fashion forward and super cute! We have a wide range of items including necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, and hair accessories! Revamp your wardrobe with new accessories without breaking the bank! With an extensive variety of jewelry and hair accessories and an ever-changing product line, Paparazzi offers something for just about everyone! Shipping is $5.95 flat per order, and orders of $100 or more ship for FREE!

Tell us about your connection to Reece's Rainbow and/or Elim:
Both of these organizations are very close to my heart and were introduced to me through Emily and Natalie. Advocating for special needs and for orphans is something that I believe everyone should do. One day, I would love to add to our growing family through adoption as well if the Lord sees fit. Until then, I am always more than excited to help others on their journeys in any way I can!

Would you like to share with us what you plan to do with the other 50% of your profits?
I sell Paparazzi in order to help out and be able to stay home with my three (soon to be four!) great kids!

Introducing Jamberry Nails and Anna Horvath!

Introducing Jamberry Nails and Anna Horvath!

Tell Us About Jamberry Nails:
Gone are the days of nails that chip and flake after only a few days! Gone are the days of the single colored manicure. Gone are the mani/pedis that take all afternoon and most of your cash too! Jamberry nail wraps arm you with style and confidence while demanding very little of your time or money.

Tell us about your connection to Reece's Rainbw or Elim:
We are in the process of adopting two little boys, one of which was listed on Reece's Rainbow. We are so excited to help anyone fundraising for an adoption or wanting to just throw a fun party for themselves.

Tell us about your plan for the other 50% of your commission:
We plan to put it towards our FSP on Reece's Rainbow to help with travel expenses for our two adoptions. We should be able to travel in January!!

Horvath.jamberrynails.net
Choose "Virtual Craft Fair" party at checkout

Confirmed Vendors - Elim Christian School/Reece's Rainbow Virtual Craft Fair

For directions on how to shop, click here.


Angel Crafts Shop 
Website
Facebook page 
Please state in 'Leave a Note' section - ElimRR Virtual Fair.


Artful Fair - Glass Charm Jewelry
Website
Facebook page
Please mention virtual craft fair in message/comment section.


Ava Anderson
Website
Facebook page
My consultant # is 6258. The Party ID # for December is 46192.  Go to my website, click on "shop" at the top, then click on "Shop All Products" in the green box. Once you are ready to check out, just create an account and enter your information. You can email or call me with any questions or help you may need. 


Avon - Avon for Adoptions 
Website
Facebook page
Mention Elim or Reece's Rainbow at checkout.


Baltic Hope Gifts - Hand Stamped Jewelry and Canvas Ornaments
Facebok page
Mention Elim/RR Craft Fair when you message the page to order.



Bellaroma
Website
Facebook page
Please order from ELIM Event


The Butterfly Shoppe - Handmade Jewelry
Website
Facebook page
Please include message that purchase is for Virtual Fundraiser


Cara's Care Art by Cara Murphy
Facebook page 


Celebrating Home
Website 
Facebook page

Crossroads Card Company
Facebook page


doTerra Essential Oils
Website
Choose Virtual Craft Fair at checkout.


Dove Chocolate Discoveries
Website
Facebook page


family.heART - Esty Shop
Website
Please indicate in the notes section that you're ordering for the craft fair.


Jamberry - Anna's Jamberry Nails
Website
Facebook page
Choose "Virtual Craft Fair" party at checkout


Lia Sophia
Website
Facebook page
Click on "browse our jewelry", then under LOOK UP A HOSTESS, enter "Jenn" as first name and "Leverty" as the last name. Then click on the STYLE GUIDE to shop!


Lilla Rose
Website
Facebook page


Mary Kay
Website
Purchases should be local to Elim Christian School (Palos Heights, IL) only.  


Norwex
Website
Facebook
Click "Products" then "Shop Now." Discover our eco-friendly products that create a safe haven by radically reducing chemicals in your home! Once you are ready to check out, click "Proceed to Checkout"​ and then you may either create an account or check out as a guest.  On the next screen click "Help me Find my Host" and type in Erin Davids. This party is directly linked to the Elim Christian School/Reece's Rainbow charity fund, which 55% of profits are being donated :). Thank you for donating to a good cause! Any questions email me at davidserin84@gmail.com.


Origami Owl 
Website


Pampered Chef
Website
The vendor is having the show ship to her house.  She will put the orders together and deliver them to Elim if you are local.  If you are not, you can chose to have the items shipped directly to your home.  


Paparazzi - Tricia's Paparazzi Accessories
Website
Facebook page
Be sure to join the RR Angel Tree/Elim Christian School Fundraiser Party to shop!


Pink Zebra - Sprinkles for Autism
Website
Order from the party link above.  When checking out it will ask for party #. The number is 47704. It will then show hostess as Elim Online. 


Royal Palm Soap Company
Website
Facebook page 
Mention at the Elim Fund at checkout.  


Scarves and Skirts for Sara - Hand-knit Items.
Facebook page
Mention the craft fair when you message the page to order.

Shaklee
Website
Facebook page


Stella Dot
Website


Sweet Shop Body Scrubs
Website
Facebook page


Tastefully Simple
Website
Facebook page
CRAFT FAIR


The Ribbon Box Project - Hand-made and custom hair bows.
Facebook page


Thirty-One Gifts
Website
Facebook page
Click“My Scheduled Parties” across the top banner. Find the Elim Christian School/Reece's Rainbow Virtual Craft Fair Event. Click “Shop now” on the right hand side of the event.The next screen will explain the event details. Scroll to the bottom and click “Shop Now”. At the top of the next screen it will say my consultant information. Under that will be the event information. Guests will be able to shop under the Elim Christian School/Reece's Rainbow Virtual Craft Fair Event by clicking on the items that they want. They can then add each item to their cart.


Usborne Books
Website
Facebook page
If any of the links aren't working, please contact me at kdskorner4kidsbooks@gmail.com.


Wildtree
Website
Go to http://www.mywildtree.com/AWOJO/. Click on My Events and "Shop Now" under Elim Christian School/Reece's Rainbow Virtual Fair.


Yellow Song Bird Accessories
Website
Facebook page


Younique
Website
Facebook page

Wait....What???? I want to shop. Now what?

The idea of a Virtual Craft Fair is pretty new.  I've have a few questions about how this actually works from a shopper's perspective.

It's really easy!

*You can shop any time between November 16th and December 6th.  

*Just go to this blog post and see who the vendors are.  

*Click on the link that says Website Page and shop away.  

*Make sure to look and see if there are any special instructions listed so we get credit for your order.  

*That's it!!  

Make sure you join the Facebook event.  Vendors will be featuring sales, special items, and special offers on that page.  We will also be featuring a vendor daily and sharing their story.  

Please share this blog and the Facebook event with your friends and family.   Everyone is Christmas shopping.  Why not help someone else with your purchase?  

Even if you don't shop, you can still help.  Follow these links to make direct donations to help these little girls find their forever families or help Elim's Speech Pathologists get ipads! (Any donation of $35 or more to Kimberley or Alicia will get you a beautiful Christmas ornament with their picture.)  

Donations for Kimberley

Donations for Alicia

Donations to Elim 
Choose Equip People with Disabilities---Resources for Children---Mention the Craft Fair at Checkout.  

Looking for Vendors/Crafters!

We are exciting to announce that we are seeking Vendors and Crafters for our first ever Elim Christian School/Reece's Rainbow Virtual Craft Fair!

The Virtual Craft Fair will be held from Sunday, November 16th to Saturday, December 6, 2014.


Only one representative from each company will be allowed to participate in the craft fair.  (For example, there will only be one Avon vendor.)

All sales will take place online.  In order to participate, you must have an online presence, such as a website, etsy shop or facebook page.

Vendors must be willing to donate 50% of their commission (or profits).   25% will go to Elim Christian School.  12.5% will go to Kimberley on Reece's Rainbow and 12.5% will go to Alicia on Reece's Rainbow.  (Our committee is more than happy to help you calculate/make your donations when the time comes.)  

A $5 deposit will be required to assure your spot but can be deducted from your final donation.  

The money donate to Elim Christian School will go to purchase ipads for the speech pathologists to use during group and individual sessions.  Almost every student at Elim has speech therapy so almost every student will benefit from your sales!  

Kimberley and Alicia are young girls with special needs who are available for international adoption.  International adoption is incredibly expensive.  The money raised will go into their grants to help offset the costs of their adoptions when their forever families are found.  

To get an application or to ask questions, please email Natalie at nkeller@elimcs.org

Thanks for your support!



Click here to see the confirmed list of vendors.

Click here to learn more about Elim Christian School.

Click here to learn more about Reece's Rainbow and Angel Tree.  

Check out our Facebook event page.

Meet Alicia!

Alicia is a 10 year old little girl living in an Orphanage in Eastern Europe. My niece and nephew were adopted from the same Eastern European country, so this is a country that is very dear to my heart. Sadly, Alicia has recently been transferred out of her orphanage to an institution for older children. This girl NEEDS out! 

Read more about Alicia here. 

I'll share some things about Alicia from a family that visited with her in July 2010. 

"From an adoptive family who visited with her in July 2010:  “ Alicia absolutely LOVES one on one attention. she is front and center if you are handing out kisses and hugs. You can see she wants a Mama all her own, and it will be so hard on her to have her sister leave to be adopted, as her other sister was already adopted.   (Their mother is deceased, most likely from AIDS).   She likes to swing.   She loved to lay her head in my lap while we were both on the bench swing and I would stroke her hair. The other kids didn't like to share my attention but Alicia was ok with it.   I could have two in my lap and she didn’t mind, but she didn't like being crowded out when the other child decided they wanted me all to themselves.  She likes sensory input.   She kept rubbing her arm across my husband’s unshaven face and shivering and making the funniest face and then immediately doing it again.  She likes to go down the slide again and again.   She really likes to be in the  middle of whatever is going on, and be included. But often she is excluded, even by attendants.  For Alicia it’s a vicious circle. She is delayed, she gets frustrated, they don’t let her do things the others are doing, she gets more delayed and more frustrated. She is VERY VERY SWEET AND LOVING.  She needs a family that has only a couple kids, not ten. She has HIV.   If you want a little girl to hug and kiss, she will GLADLY take all the hugs and kisses you can hand out. She is not afraid of men but is not inappropriate either. I saw her with my husband as well as another couple of young men who visit regularly.  Alicia is on the small side, like maybe size 4.  The children are valued and loved at this orphanage.   The grounds are visually stimulating and the kids get outside for a couple hours in the morning as well as afternoon.   They even go swimming in the pool they have there.   Hope someone will come for Alicia very soon!”   Alicia is toilet-trained and able to say when she needs to use the restroom.  She has tremendous potential if someone would take her home and love her!"

Alicia is a super LOVING little lady and deserves a mama and papa of her very own. 

Read the requirements below and prayerfully consider adding Alicia to your family. 

• Married couples only
• Married individual adoptions available for those who qualify
• No stated family size restrictions
• As of late 2011, there’s no longer an upper age limit for parents
• At least one parent must be a minimum of 15 years older than the child
• Total with travel approx $25k
• First trip, 2-4 weeks to attend court
• 10 day wait after court (parents can return home)
• Only one parent must return to complete the adoption for approx 14 days
• No diagnosed history of mental health conditions or certain infectious diseases
• No criminal history
• May adopt multiple unrelated children
• This is a very fast program! Start to finish is an average of 7 months. Families committing to children in this program, especially the children at risk of the institution, should be in a financial position to complete the adoption quickly. It is a blessing to be able to adopt so quickly, but leaves little time for major fundraising efforts.

Meet Kimberley

Kimberley is an adorable 7-year-old in a country that I love in Latin America.  (A country that Elim has sent teams to work in.)  A family recently adopted a little girl from there.  Is it believed that she was be the first child adopted from there with Down syndrome.  Another family is in process right now for a little boy with Down syndrome.  Wouldn't it be great if Kimberley was next?  

According to her Reece's Rainbow profile:

Girl, born Feb 2007
Down syndrome, congenital heart disease and hypothyroidism. Mental delays.

Report dated 2010

Kimberley is predominantly cheerful.  In the orphanage the girl is described as a sociable, smiling, loving, quiet girls, who enjoys being with other persons. Her sleep is normal. She enjoys eating pretty food, so the orphanage gives her vegetables, eggs, iron, etc.. However, they still give her vitamins and avoid foods with lactose.

Her communication is usually through gestures, cries and guttural sounds.  General gross motor and fine motor delays, common for a child with Down syndrome.

She participates in group activities and plays in partnership with other children.  She is cautious with strangers but she adjusts quickly to their presence.

I can't help but wonder how much progress she's made in the last four years and how much more she would make with a loving family?  

These are the requirements to adopt from her country:

• Single women or married couples, age 25-55
• Couples must be married 2 1/2 years
• Both parents, one trip of 4 weeks
• After the adoption finalization and new birth certificate, one parent can go home early (about 2.5-3 weeks); one parent remains for final visa exit interview and new passport
• Approx 9-12 months from dossier submission to travel
• No set restriction on family size
• Parents with mild mental health history may be considered on a case by case basis
• Two unrelated children in the same orphanage can be adopted together
• The agency seeks Christian adoptive parents
• Total cost approx $27,000 (additional child, add about $5000)

As you can see, the costs of international adoption are high.  Grants through Reece's Rainbow and other organizations help offset this cost.  Every purchase you make will help this little girl's future family.  Maybe that family is even you!  

What is Elim Christian School?

Since its start in 1948, Elim has served thousands of children with disabilities. Through Elim Christian School and its specialized autism programming (ACE), Elim provides educational, therapeutic, social, and vocational training for children with developmental disabilities.  (Taken from their website.)

Basically, Elim is a Christian, special education school that serves children who, for a variety of reasons, cannot be served by the public school system.  Elim believes in helping each child reach their God-given potential and teaches from a Christian perspective and world-view.  

Each day, approximately 275 children with disabilities travel to the Palos Heights campus of Elim Christian Services seeking the educational, therapeutic, vocational, and recreational services Elim Christian School offers. Approved by the Illinois State Board of Education, Elim Christian School offers diversified programs, including specialized autism programming, to students ages 3 to 21 who have developmental and/or physical disabilities.

While Elim receives funding for their day-to-day operations from the school districts they serve, every good teacher knows there are always so many more things you could use and would love to have.  Purchases from the virtual craft fair will allow the speech department to purchase ipads for use by during therapy sessions.  Almost every child at Elim receives speech services so almost every child will benefit from the new ipads.  

What are Reece's Rainbow and Angel Tree?

What is Reece's Rainbow?  

The mission statement of Reece's Rainbow is to advocate and find families for orphans with Down syndrome and other special needs by raising funds for adoption grants and promoting awareness through an online community, media communications, and other events.  (Taken from their website.)  

Reece’s Rainbow is not an adoption agency.  They are an advocacy and adoption grant/fundraising organization only.   They raise awareness for waiting children with Down syndrome and other special needs for the purposes of international adoption and social activism. They actively pursue donations as grants to offset the costs related to adopting the children they serve.  (Taken from their FAQ page.)  

Basically, RR is an organization that maintains online photo listings of children available for international adoption.  Advocates and families work to raise money for waiting children and adopting families.  Since 2006, over 1,200 children have found HOMES with their forever families because of Reece's Rainbow.  

What is Angel Tree?
Angel Tree is Reece's Rainbow's annual Christmas project.  Warriors sing up to raise at least $1,000 for each child listed.  They plan any and every type of fund raiser.  More important than the money is the advocacy.  Each child gets shared on social media and at local events in an attempt to find their forever family.  

This year, I signed up to raise money and awareness for Kimberley.  You can read more about my attempts to advocate for her here.

My friend Emily is advocating and fund raising for Alicia.   You can check out Emily's blog here.


MAKE SURE YOU CHECK BACK SOON FOR A MAJOR FUND RAISER FOR OUR ANGEL TREE GIRLS AND ANOTHER GREAT NON-PROFIT THAT HELPS PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES LOCALLY!