OUR INSPIRATION — Emily Smith

Simply Amazing is inspired by the positive creative energy of Emily Smith. Emily was an avid arts and crafts lover from a very young age. She traveled with a sketchpad and pencils, squirreled away bottle caps and broken trinkets for craft projects, and designed cards for every occasion.

But more than that, Emily was kind. She wanted everyone to be treated fairly and equally. She knew the power of words, the strength of small actions, and the joy of an unsolicited opportunity.

As a little girl she easily grasped the concept of sharing. When the piñata dropped at a birthday party Emily would scour the ground and made sure every party-goer had an equal share of the loot. Once at an arcade she steadily gave away her allotment of quarters, so every child had a chance to play. Giving came naturally to Emily, and she would go without to give to others.

Posted on Emily’s bulletin board was a cutout heart with this handwritten quote by Mother Teresa, “Kind words can be short and easy, but their echoes are endless.” Emily never passed up the opportunity to tell a stranger ‘hello’, or a little girl that she looked like a princess, or an elderly person that their outfit was ‘snazzy.’ She had a way to make people smile and let them know that they mattered.

While working as a private caregiver, Emily would paint her client’s nails, work on holiday craft projects, and bake their favorite treats. One time she gave anniversary flowers to her client whose husband had passed away years before. She leaned into others’ lives and recognized what would help them feel loved.

Emily died November 22, 2017 from a fentanyl overdose. Her life was celebrated on her 27th birthday at her family home and was attended by more than 200 of her family and friends. Champagne was popped and balloons were sent to the sun and stars, a send off in true “Emily style.”

Emily would want children who receive Simply Amazing Creative Boxes to know that this gift is their very own. She would tell them to be creative because there’s no right or wrong way, just their OWN way. She would say, “If you mess it up then dress it up -- your work is one of a kind, simply amazing, just like you!”

Emily’s smile lit up a room, and she scattered happiness like confetti. Her creative nature, love of art, and give-until-it-hurts spirit is what drives our mission. Emily would have been so very proud and humbled that her legacy is the inspiration for Simply Amazing.