I had a wonderful birthday a week and some days ago. There was good food, a red velvet cake, and good cheer.

Just celebrating with my three favorite people and some home made food and cake would have sufficed. But, there were gifts, all of them very special. But there was one in particular that I’ve been inclined to share, having finally found the time between then and now.

I present to you, the wallet!

Not just any old wallet, a wallet that was hand made especially for me by none other than my lovely sister. “Big deal,” you say. “People make stuff all the time!” A big deal, indeed!

This is not an ordinary wallet, nor my sister an ordinary crafts person. Oh, she’s dabbled here and there, telling me that she gets bored and moves on. She took up a little water color painting for a few months, took up paper crafts last year for a couple of months.

She says this is the one thing that she’s been most excited about. She’s been secretly going to craft stores to buy materials and other supplies.

Here’s the deal. My sister doesn’t sew. I don’t recall her ever sewing. She was a tomboy when we were kids, always on her skates, skateboard, or her bike. I couldn’t keep up with her. She was a little lightening bolt, and a hardcore bruiser to boot.

I sew. I started sewing when I was six. My mom gave me a little blue Holly Hobbie sewing machine (exactly like the one on the left) and my grandma showed me some tricks with a needle and thread. I used to sew with my mom who had a real Pfaff sewing machine that she made real stuff with. I made two ginger bread men and experimented with doll blankets and Barbie clothes. I was way too domestic for my age. I also watched way too much Little House on the Prairie and thought I was Half Pint and my dad was Charles Ingalls because he was a carpenter just like Charles. But that’s another story for another day.

Moving on. What’s truly amazing about this gift was that my sister sewed it by hand, all by herself. When I opened my gift I said, “Oh, this is beautiful! Where did you find it?” To which my sister replied, “Look at the tag.” Which read:

I looked at her stunned and she said, “I made it.” For ten minutes I did the whole, “Really? You made this? You? Made this? Really?” I never thought that my sister would even be remotely interested in sewing. But here we are, with a precious wallet to show that people can surprise us in the most profound and amazing ways, especially the people closest to us.

Not only am I touched that my sister made this gift for me (she said she would come home late from work and stay up late just to finish it), I’m also excited about what the future may hold and the prospects that I may have a crafting partner. I won’t hold my breath, but she seems to really like doing this. Maybe the world will get to see some of her items for sale on Whispering Iris’s Etsy site! Thanks for reading everyone!