Creativity at the Core of the Perfect Holiday Gift

(MS) -- With the holidays upon us once again, the endless and often exhausting search for the perfect gift has no doubt returned as well. And just like shoppers can rely on long lines at the mall and crowded parking lots, they can also count on that one friend or family member on their holiday shopping list who seemingly has it all, making them nearly impossible to shop for.

Though there's little shoppers can do when it comes to long lines at the mall or crowded parking lots, fortunately there are steps shoppers can take to make even the most difficult person on their list a cinch to shop for.

- Avoid the mall. Someone who already has everything likely has seen or purchased all that the mall has to offer, so shoppers can avoid the stress of the nearby mall by looking elsewhere for gifts.

- Get creative. Creativity is often at the core of the perfect and thoughtful gift. Such was the case when Jera Deal, a mother of three and a school mother for her daughter Julianna's preschool class, found herself hunting for the ideal gift to give Julianna's teacher for her wedding. Hoping to go beyond the gifts listed in the registry, Jera decided to turn a playful game she and her family enjoyed while walking in the park into a creative gift idea.

To aid in their children's alphabet lessons, Jera, her husband, Brad, and their three girls began "letter hunting" on walks in the park, looking for different "letters" in nature (sticks) and architecture (stones). For each letter they found, they would take a photograph, soon collecting the entire alphabet.

While the game initially started as a playful and creative way to help her daughters learn the alphabet, Jera Deal turned that game into an ideal gift for her daughter's teacher, custom framing the letters from her now extensive library to spell out the teacher's new last name.

"It was a gift from the class, so I knew it had to be really special and really unique, and something that she would never forget where it came from," says Jera.

The gift proved to be just that, and the Deals soon discovered their idea that started as a game with their kids was also a perfect means to giving a thoughtful, unique and creative gift. In less than three years, Sticks and StonesTM grew from a thoughtful idea for a teacher's wedding gift into a succesful business with some rather renowned clientele.

"If you want to give someone a totally original keepsake -- here it is," says Oprah Winfrey, who gave one to Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes as a wedding present. "This is the perfect gift for the person who has everything because no one has anything like this!" Featured on "The Rachael Ray Show," "The Martha Stewart Show," and in People magazine among others, Sticks and Stones offers an extensive gallery of letters in both nature and architecture. Shoppers can choose which letters to use, ensuring no two creations will ever be the same.

To learn more about Sticks and StonesTM, visit www.CreateSticksAndStones.com or call 866-377-8412.