Do you have items which you keep merely because of the memories they bring to mind?

Just as when something reminds us of a happening that caused us to feel pain, fear, sadness, etc – we tend to re-experience those emotions in varying degrees.

In the same way, positive memories bring a feel-good factor.  

Before I retired I worked for over 40 years as a psychologist in adult mental health. The one fact that I had to work hardest to instil in people was that increasing the daily feel-good vibes in small ways, is possibly the most important step towards feeling better overall.

Who hasn’t at some stage brought back some kind of souvenir from a holiday in the hope that, when back home in the daily routine, a glimpse of it will remind them of the happy experience and lift their spirits?

In many of my handcrafted gifts, I focus on creating items that can recall for the recipient a happy occasion or time in their life.

My new hanging heart decorations are a small and simple way to keep a reminder. These can be created for so many different occasions from birthday, anniversary, new birth, graduation or wedding souvenirs to little items in memory of maybe a pet or a person. The addition of a photo (optional) and a zodiac chart showing the positions of the planets on the day just make the little gift a bit more personal. They also make suitable little gifts to give before the event. The possibilities are endless.

I create Keepsake Dolls to act as positive reminders of a very special occasion, person or time of life. 

Maybe a doll dressed as the bride on her wedding day would make a gift for her mother to treasure. 

A doll created to remember a special person in your life can revive happy memories of them each time you see it. The doll I created of my grandmother does just that for me. I wrote a blog about my  grandmother

A Keepsake Doll in a school uniform brings back memories of schooldays if they were happy.

A replica prom dress can be a lasting reminder of that special night for a young girl.

Or perhaps someone close has taken part in a theatrical production and a doll wearing a copy of their costume will keep that memory alive for them.

I love to make detailed decorative items that will be brought out by the family at Christmas. I picture them diving into the storage boxes each December to rediscover their treasures. Items that may have already seen numerous Christmases are greeted again with the excitement of a visit from an old friend.  

It is hoped that these may become much treasured family heirlooms brought out each year to evoke good memories of other Christmases and add to them.

Any item that the brain experiences along with positive feelings will tend to re-evoke those feelings to some degree each time it’s encountered again. Any gift presented at a happy time will be a bringer of happy feelings to the recipient. The longer a gift lasts, the more good vibes it can bring.