Having a collection, I guess, is part of growing up. When I was in grade school, I would collect Sanrio items, Hello Kitty being the queen of them all. In high school and some years in college, my collection of Sanrio stuff dwindled and my attention went to these dolls that are so adorable because of their teardrop-shaped eyes. These dolls, famous around the world as Precious Moments, are the creations of Samuel Butcher. He gave Precious Moments sketches as gifts to friends and relatives, until 1970 when he and a friend formally started a business out of it. They sold greeting cards and posters of Precious Moments and the response in the market was overwhelming. Not long enough, Enesco, a global leader in giftware, garden, home and decor industries, approached Samuel and requested to make a three-dimensional figurine of Precious Moments. When he saw the first sample of the porcelain figurine, he knew right then that it was Precious Moment's time to shine. And it's been shining so brightly up to this day.
*This video shows how Precious Moments are made*
The success of his creation did not satisfy Sam. Since he is a man of faith and devotion, he showed his honor to the Lord by building a chapel inspired by Precious Moments. It was opened in 1989 and millions of visitors came to share the faith and admire his works. The chapel, located at Carthage, Missouri is a sight to behold with angels, stained glass, and different art works from Sam. In almost every corner, there reflected Sam's faith and devotion to the Lord--angels everywhere, framed prayers, and other stuff that shows his belief to his creator. The grounds where the chapel was built is called Precious Moments Park.
Here in the Philippines, there is also a Precious Moments resort found in Kalibo, Aklan. Owner of this resort is none other than Samuel Butcher himself. Sampaguita Gardens, as it is called, is a vast land that is popular to tourists landing in Kalibo. Being a Precious Moments fanatic, it was quite an experience for me when we stayed there. There were couple of Precious Moments life size figurines, and a lot more in their showroom. Tons of Precious Moments in different sizes, themes, colors, and figures made my eyes twinkle in delight. The stuffed dolls were placed loosely everywhere, but the porcelain ones were secured in the cabinets. Despite my buffet breakfast disappointment (I am a sucker of breakfast buffets but theirs was a turn-off), I still look forward to finding myself inside the Sampaguita Garden grounds.
Now, there's a thought that's been bothering me since that Sampaguita Garden Resort experience... shall I revive my Precious Moments collection or not? Hmmmm....
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