Generosity - The Gift of Flowers in Painted Jam Jars

I think most people want to be generous - they just don't always recognize what it is that they have to "give."

Right now, what I really have to give is flowers. The more I talk to people, the more I realize they rarely make themselves casual flower arrangements. But what a difference flowers can make on your mood! A subtle "power of suggestion" item that says life is good.

So I am making and giving small bouquets every chance I get. I think the secret to the success of these flower arrangements are my vases. Flowers need a vase and I've devised a way to make affordable vases that my friends want to keep and reuse.

I save jam jars all year and then in an afternoon, paint them all with polka dots. I use glass paint, my brush is a cotton swab for the perfect dot and once the paint is dry I follow the directions on the bottle and bake the vases in the oven to make the dots permanent. Super easy and so cute!

Tonight I am invited to a small dinner party and in addition to salad, I am also bringing flowers! I'll be cutting a fresh bouquet this afternoon of yellow roses. All it takes is a few roses, a painted jar and an orchid clip.

What can you be generous with? Your time? Your tomatoes? A simple gesture of generosity can mean the world to someone.