Treat Mom by buying from moms

Personalized cards

Siobhan McAndrew, Reno Gazette Journal

Carson City mom Colleen Bannister came up with her business idea one Christmas when she and her husband were tight on cash.

"I made up these little cards," said Bannister, who is selling 35 Thoughts, a personalized card set.

A cross between a sentimental Hallmark card and the fill-in-word game Mad Libs, the package of 35 cards has a saying on the front and is meant for the gift giver to fill in the back with a personalized message or thought.

Cards say things such as, "If you were a song, it would be called," "If I could play any game with you, it would be "," and "I will never forget the time ".

Bannister, 32, decided to launch her idea after having her son, Cole. "I wanted to be able to stay home with him," she said. The cards are a perfect Mother's Day gift idea from a child.

"You know women remember everything, like if your husband says you look beautiful," she said, "you remember and keep that. This is along the same idea. You can keep those special thoughts that someone thinks about you."

A set of 35 cards costs $9.99 at Borders and online.