2012 S'mores Ornaments

The 2012 Smores Ornaments are now in stock and ready to ship!  In years past it would be a couple weeks after the New Year before any were in stock.  2011 was a great year and thank you for your business.  We look forward to a New Year and wish everyone success and happiness! 

In line up of the new 2012 Smores Ornaments include the Canoeing Ornament.  Equipped with a life jacket and paddle, this guys is ready to go!

It does get better, the next one is the Ice Fisherman Smores Ornament.  With a nice fish on the line!

The rest of our 2012 Smores Ornaments are online and include the Angel with Star Ornament, the Cupcake Birthday Ornament, Decorating a Tree Ornament, Rodeo Star Ornament, Rubber Ducky Swimmer, the Texas Hold 'Em Ornament, and the Wine Lover!  If you have a chance be sure to leave a customer comment on Yelp.   We look forward to a New Year and wish everyone success and happiness! 

2010 Christmas Wreaths

We recently stocked the Christmas Wreaths safely in the barn and now shipping wreaths all over the world.  We had to leave a day early to pick up the wreaths in Portland to stay ahead of the bad weather.  It was a good thing since the snow hit hard the next day, I-84 and Cabbage Hill received about 8 inches of snow from this weather system.  We figured it would be better to have the wreaths earlier than later because we've seen the Columbia Gorge come to grid-lock in bad weather.

We're excited this year, adding new wreaths to the line-up while keeping our reasonable prices and free shipping.  Our new (below) 20" Boxwood Wreath is made from fresh Boxwood right here in the Pacific Northwest.
      

Our newest wreath is the 20" Manzanita Wreath with artificial apples for decoration.

Christmas Wreaths are in limited supply this year and need to be ordered now to reserve your wreaths.  Please call our toll free number for buying Christmas Wreaths in bulk online and for corporate discounts.  Have a happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!  

Sincerely,

The Flying Cloud Gifts Family   

New 2010 Smores Ornament

After talking Midwest of Cannon Falls into revealing the new 2010 Smore Ornaments line up, we finally received some information and a picture! Here is a sneak preview of what is to come and we hope our S'more Collectors are excited as we are.

This is the "Surprise" ornament and is one of approximately 16 new Smore's possibly hitting the shelves in 2010. Plans and designs could change and we'll keep you posted. Now that summer is winding down look for deals on our website and follow this blog as we'll be posting weekly.

Be sure to leave a comment and let's have S'more fun in 2009!

2009 Smores Ornaments

Recently we received the new 2009 Smore Ornaments. We have carried the Smores line from the beginning and have many loyal collectors who have been with us for years. Thank you everyone for your support! On the bottom of this post, you'll find a recipe for Smores on a stick!

Above is the 2009 Smore Boy Scout Ornament. Looking happy with a bundle of wood! Below is the Girl Scout Ornament.

Ingredients:

1 Wooden Popsicle Stick

2 Marshmallows

1/8th of a Cup of Hershey's Chocolate Chips

1 Crushed Graham Cracker

2 Walnuts or Pecans

Push the 2 marshmallows over the stick, keeping them as close together as possible & close to the top. Crush the graham crackers and walnuts very fine with a rolling pin. Melt the Hershey's chocolate chips in the microwave. Roll the marshmallows on the stick in the warm malted chocolate, roll in the crushed graham crackers and walnuts. Yummy ~ Now you can do a dozen of these for the kids. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes or over night. You're going to love them. Great Recipe for the kids.

Enjoy!

Fight Against Breast Cancer

Please help Jack's sister Jean reach her goal of raising $2500 for the fight against breast cancer. As incentive, if you donate and become part of the Fundraising Honor Roll (click on this link) with $25, you will receive a free Serenity Angel Lapel Pin. If you donate $50 or more, you will receive a free Serenity Angel Ornament. All you need to do is comment on this blog and mention your donation, we'll then send a free Serenity Angel gift valued up to $17! Please email us your mailing address and if you have questions. Pictured on the right is one of the Serenity Angel Ornaments. Ornaments or Lapel Pins will vary with sayings and available while supplies last.

Now Jean will explain the fundraiser...

"This year, I'll be participating in a very special event called the Breast Cancer 3-Day.I'll walk 60 miles over the course of three days with thousands of other women and men. The net proceeds will support breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment through Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund.I've agreed to raise at least $2,300 in donations. I've set my personal goal at $2500. So I need your help. Would you please consider making a donation of [$amount]? Keep in mind how far I'm walking - and how hard I'll have to train. You can give online at http://www.the3day.org/. Just follow the link below to visit my personal fundraising webpage and make a donation. You can also call 800.996.3DAY to donate over the phone.I am now a 3 1/2 year cancer survivor and hope to be just a month shy of 4 years when I walk. I'm walking and walking, up to 21 miles last week and trying to add more each day and each week. As I turned 60 this year and the walk is 60 miles, this seemed like the perfect way to celebrate. I think.According to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, approximately 200,000 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, and nearly 40,000 will die from the disease. That's why I'm walking so far. To do something bold about breast cancer. I hope that you'll share this incredible adventure with me - by supporting me in my fundraising efforts.Thank you in advance for your generosity!"

Love to all - Jean

"P.S. Ask your employer if they will double your donation through a matching gift program!"

38 Ponderosa Pinecone Bronze

"Here’s an image of the 38 large ponderosa cone finials just before we packed them up to ship them off to the Ritz-Carlton Highlands project at Lake Tahoe today. Pretty neat! They are going on an outside balcony railing."

- Myron Kirkpatrick

Thank you Myron for sending this picture of (click on this link to view a complete listing of bronze cones) bronze pine cone hardware.

We hope to see more orders like this in 2009!

New Office

This is where I've been hiding for the last month! Our newly remodeled office. This used to be our storage room and we optimized our house and turned this into our office/sewing room (for my wife, Kristen). We decided to go with yellow walls and white trim. The yellow is for inspiration and also to create a positive work environment.

We turned the old office into a play area for our son Eli. He is happy to have the extra space to run and explore. Shown below, Eli is let loose in his new play area.

Now that I'm done remodeling, my focus will be more on Flying Cloud Gifts, the product lines we carry, and most importantly my family. Here is to 2009 and good things to follow!

Forest Impressions by Timber Bronze

We're pleased to announce Flying Cloud Gifts and Timber Bronze of Joseph, Oregon are teaming their resources together. Timber Bronze is locally owned and operated by husband and wife, Myron and Kendra Kirkpatrick (shown in the picture to the left). They are also family friends of Jack and Judy Burgoyne.

They produce "Forest Impressions" of solid bronze fixtures that compliment every home, including log cabin or rustic home themes. People in city settings who like the outdoors, find Timber Bronze products give them a feel for the woods and the mountains.

Shown below is a picture is a solid bronze towel ring, an impression of the lodgepole pine cone and bark from rural Eastern Oregon. Much of their inspiration comes from the nearby Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, Eagle Cap Wilderness, and Wallowa Lake. Their work is cast locally by one of the local bronze foundries of Joseph and Wallowa County.

Timber Bronze carries many bronze products to compliment various parts of a custom built home, cabin, remodel, or new addition. You will find a wide selection of solid bronze cabinet knobs, Pulls, and handles. They are in many shapes and forms of pine cones, bark, acorns, and branches. Other products include bookends, candle holders, door bell buttons, door knockers, drapery accessories, house numbers, stair rods, towel bars, and more.

While talking about their success, Myron said, “Timber Bronze products have also been used on projects such as the lodge at Crater Lake National Park, the sets of CBS Studios in New York and the new Ritz-Carlton Highlands at Lake Tahoe.”

Shown here, Myron is detailing a piece of bronze in his shop, being very meticulous!

Thank you Myron and Kendra for letting us write about your family business. We wish you success in 2009 and look forward to working with you!

Wonderful Wacky Women by Suzy Toronto

We're proud to announce the new addition of free spirited, "Wonderful Wacky Women" figurines created by Suzy Toronto. Each figurine offers a different saying and is unique to itself. Suzy Toronto was inspired by the theme of no faces from a conversation with her youngest adopted boy named Chase. When Chase was young, he asked Suzy what his mom looked like. Suzy then responded by drawing a picture of herself with a blank face, so he could imagine what she looked like. Chase seemed satisfied and went back to playing!

The above figurine reads "She Who is My Granddaughter." One of many figurines we carry. To learn more about Suzy Toronto, you can visit her website.

Thank you Suzy!

Flying Cloud Family

From left to right, (me) Rocky, (my dad) Jack, (mom) Judy, and my (brother) Jeremy. This picture was taken at the original Flying Cloud Gift Shoppe and Tree Farm in Astoria Oregon (circa 2003). In the background was the horse stalls my parents converted into a gift shop. During the Christmas season they would open daily, giving away hot apple cider while the locals came to shop in our store. This was a local tradition, to come and find their Christmas Wreath and tree. Flying Cloud has been a family tradition, run by Jack and Judy from the beginning for almost 20 years.

As we go into 2009, we look forward to carrying the tradition of quality and personal service!

Fed Ex Packages

Some of you might not have received your packages on time due to weather conditions across the nation. Fed Ex will be open until noon on Christmas Day. You might be able to check with the nearest Fed Ex to see if your package has arrived and pick it up if you can get there safely. If road conditions are bad, please use your discretion and be safe. We do apologize if the weather elements has caused any delays.

My wife, son, and I were recently driving through the Grande Ronde Valley in North Eastern Oregon and here is a picture of the road in front of us. The wind was gusting and blowing snow, causing white out conditions! We made it home safely and have stayed home since.

Please have a Merry Christmas!

Soldier's Christmas Wreath Comment

This is a comment we received recently from a soldier in Iraq that tugs at the heart strings!

"Hi Judy, Just wanted you to know how much our boys in Iraq have enjoyed the wreath. Apparently one of the Air Force fellas is from up your way and recognized your company and could name all the greens in the wreath. The guys take turns watering the wreath every day, depending on who is flying, and who has a moment. Even some Iraqis (that are our friends) have enjoyed the beautiful greens. Your wreath took exactly 1 week to get there and really brightens up Camp Victory (in Baghdad) as the colors there are not green, but mostly gray and tan (old buildings and broken rubble). They also received some colored Christmas lights from a friend back here and are doing their best to keep spirits up. Thank you - please let your team know how important their work is!" - Karin

Spreading Christmas Cheer

This has been one of Flying Cloud Gifts best years ever, thanks to loyal customers who have been with us over a decade! This blog will serve as a resource to our clients, friends, and family in hopes to create a large network that will benefit us all in some way.

Recently, I was searching the blog archives and noticed Megan's Munchies, a lot of great recipes and more. Looking through some of the recipes my favorite so far is the eggnog pancake recipe and they are incredible. Megan, we appreciate you including us in your food related decorations post. Jack and Judy said they are sending you a present if we can get an address from you! We're excited about 2009 because of the brand new S'mores Ornaments coming out.

Once again, thank you all for your support. We look forward to relaxing this Christmas while spending time with family and friends. Please keep in touch, let us know what you think of this blog and be sure to pass this onto friends.

We wish you a Merry Christmas and success in the New Year!

Sincerely,

Jack, Judy, & Family

New Wreath Website

Flying Cloud Gifts is proud to announce the launching of a new partner, http://www.naturalwreaths.com/ a Christmas Wreath gift site. The site was created to accommodate corporate gifting and the demand we've experienced. Corporations simply place an order for "x" number of wreaths, provide address' of destination, and we do the rest. We personally hand write a personal message from you and send the wreath directly to your person of choice. It's completely personal and designed to be the easiest, time saving tax deduction that shows your appreciation. Please visit our new site, add us to your favorites, and call our toll-free number for questions or ordering.

"Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail"

"Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail." I'm sure most of you have run into this saying more than once. Recently, my wife and I had a discussion about making plans for dinner. Most of the time we'll pull something out of the freezer the day before, making dinner an easy task the next day as it thaws out.

Every once and a while, we have nothing thawed out in the fridge and when it comes to dinner time we usually have to scramble. Typically we end up hastilly making something from scratch, not so healthy, like mac and cheese or go out to eat, which can eat into the budget.

This may not sound like such a big deal, however, if my wife and I eat out one time, it will typically run on average $18 (maybe more). $18 is usually not hard to come by at the time, but we like to go camping in the summer time. When we go camping, we buy groceries, fuel, and other supplies for the weekend, costing enough that we're not able to save. By the end of the summer with not saving and a lot of camping, we are usually maxed out with bills and what not.

At this point I often wonder what we could have done differently. Planning a meal for the next day could be a great solution. If you figure we eat out 4 times a month at $18 each time, that is $72 a month! Not much, but could be $72 in the bank waiting for a camping trip. If we do this same thing during the winter for 4 months, that could be $288 in savings for camping expenses.

Plan a meal for the next day, week, and month. Plan to put $18 a week (or more) into savings for the unexpected costs or for extracurricular activities! Most importantly, enjoy life without scraping by!

Corporate Wreath Gifts

Often when looking for a gift to give your clients, you want something that will remind them of you and the services you provide. A wreath hanging on the door draws attention and initiates conversation regarding your gift to friends and family thus creating positive advertising.

When clients are content with a service you provide they rarely bring up your service in conversation because there are no problems to talk about. If you're providing a good service for your clients and want to build your business, nothing is better than word of mouth. Let your clients sell your product to the people who trust them.

How do you initiate conversation? You need to give them a tangible customer appreciation gift they can hold in a visible place for their clients, friends, and family to see. When their visitors (clients, friends, and family) see this gift they ask, "where did you get that?" Your client will then explain who you are and what you do and should give you positive, word of mouth advertising if they like your service.

At flyingcloudgifts.com we operate a successful Corporate Gift Service and corporate wreath gifts are the most popular. We set up corporate accounts for hard working business owners who are busy with little time on their hands. They give us a list of their clients and we ship wreaths directly to them with a personalized handwritten message. The client then hangs that wreath up on their door at home or work. About 95% of people who walk by that wreath will ask, "where did you get that nice Wreath?" The client then explains who sent her/him the wreath.

The wreath is a unique and thoughtful gift people will appreciate and look forward to every year. And the best advertising anywhere!

Christmas Wreaths

Noble Fir Christmas Wreaths made in Oregon are a nice way to compliment your clients, employees, friends, or school fundraisers for the Holidays. At Flyingcloudgifts.com we do all the work, all you need to do is pick out your fresh wreaths and give us the addresses to ship them to. With your personalized message that is handwritten gives a nice personal touch that shows the effort you went through. The best thing is, you get the credit.