The Garden Club

My mother-in-law Ruth was a woman who loved bric-a-brac. There wasn't a surface of her home that was not filled with items that had caught her eye over her many years of window shopping.

Ruth was very particular about her favorite finds and didn't like for anyone to move about her carefully placed displays. She didn't cull through her mementos as seasons changed or a new item was purchased, rather she found yet another perfect spot to best enhance her newest acquisition.

One day, as a new member of Ruth's family, it occurred to me that the cabinets and buffets that offered her bric-a-brac a Place to Be must themselves hold treasures yet revealed to me.

I mustered my courage to ask, "Ruth, what do you keep inside your Hepplewhite?"

Side by side on our knees on the floor, Ruth pulled from the deep recesses of her buffet a multitude of cups and saucers and rather small plates. Each delicate in shape, each a different color, each a different pattern. "These are my Garden Club dishes." she said.

I was absolutely charmed as Ruth told me about the group of women who gathered together once a month at each others homes for over thirty years. Each woman had their own collection of mismatched cups and saucers. The woman of the club always admiring the set placed before them.

Ruth has been gone from us several years now leaving only one surviving member of the Garden Club. My mother-in-law's wonderful collection of luncheon ware has been divided among her daughters, favorite patterns chosen. On this day, May the first, I think of Ruth who called this day Decoration Day. Again something new and unexpected to me, absolutely charming.

Please do not Pin pattern to Pinterest.

Mega Who?

If you have followed my stories for quite a time, you know that my brother John is a proverbial Huckleberry Finn. Adventure and mischief seem to cloak him as comfortably as silt on the bottom of the mighty Mississippi. Who could ever have guessed that as the nation held it's breath waiting for the winner of the Mega Millions to be revealed, a voice from my brother's past would provide an ending to a story.

Deeana was just the type of girl my brother was crazy about; long dark hair and deep brown eyes, a Spanish beauty whose R's rolled attractively. My brother, in his mid-twenties was lean from summers lifeguarding and as dark of skin as she was. She thought he was Spanish as well. An immediate attraction that soon found the pair sharing an apartment together.

For my brother who has the wanderlust heart of a Gypsy, this was a step toward domestication I thought I would never live to see. I was invited with my family to meet Deeana and her large family. We fell in love with them all.

I will forever remember the weekend spent in John and Deeana's beautiful apartment whose walls were hung with my brother's beautiful art. My brother pulled me aside to tell me he planned to ask Deeana to be his wife. I would return to Ohio filled with such joyful expectation for my brother's future. A telephone call with bad news left heartache in it's wake. It seemed Deeana turned down his proposal. It seemed she wanted more. It seemed she had met someone with very deep pockets. A school teacher's salary was just not enough. John would not hear from Deeana for more than a dozen years.

With the Mega Millions payout reaching dizzying heights, John and his lifelong childhood friend Greg purchased two hundred tickets at a 7-Eleven in  Maryland. The very store where the winning ticket was purchased. As the news would report, it seemed there was controversy regarding a McDonald's worker who claimed she held the winning ticket. This was not the case. She was not the winner. A call from the past, a voice with rolling R's.

"John! It's Deeana! I heard on the news the unidentified winner of the Mega Millions is a teacher who says he will use his winnings to return to Italy to finish studying art. It's you John, isn't it!!!!"

My brother replied, "Shhhhh! I haven't even told my sister yet. Don't say a word about this to anyone." Deeana quickly asked, "Can we get together to celebrate?" My brother said yes, the next day.

My brother called Deeana the next day before the time they were to meet. "Deeana, the worker at McDonald's isn't the only one who didn't tell the truth. I didn't win the Mega Millions, I'm still a school teacher who is so glad I wasn't worth enough for you to marry all those years ago."

"Springtime in the Rockies"

I love springtime in the Midwest. It is a slow-moving affair that allows each variety of flower it's own moment to take center stage. Saucer Magnolias appear first of all. Their pink tipped white buds closed for days and days until the temperature is warm enough for them to open.

Crocus circling the roots of trees,  Red Bud seen in still brown woods, daffodils bunched happily together, tulips regal above their stems. Crafting again after such a long time feels exactly the way spring does to me. My awkward fingers feel as though they too are coming to life after a long winter's nap. A project spied in the margins of Molly Makes, a perfect place to begin.

I have always enjoyed these wonderful yarn wreaths. I chose a nice, bumpy off-white yarn which I wrapped first side by side and then at intervals, crossing the yarn to give a more textured appearance.  A branch snapped from my Chinese Rose Blossom tree, hot glued in place.

My "Use What's on Hand" philosophy of crafting has my gardenias being made from pink felt. I have cut long strips which then have been scalloped. Roll tight the first scalloped and then placed it in the center of the next scallop. Taking stitches with needle and thread with each petal placed.

Fabric yo yos make a nice contrast to the pink.

Flowers made for the right side of the wreath are slightly smaller in scale. I have pinked rounds and snipped with my scissors every fourth pink to nearly the center. Carnations, I love them!

Needing my Creative Breathing signature, a word plucked from my new Scrabble game. A wooden Easter ornament that has seen many better days gives just the vintage touch I love so much.

Charming! I absolutely love the way my yarn wreath has turned out.

"I'm too sexy for my shirt..."

Young, single male pilots are a breed of men unto themselves. When they gather together they speak in acronyms that close by female listeners are unable to understand but are drawn closer as though lured.  The pilots stand tall to square the golden epaulets on their shirts and flash their boyish smiles that are brighter than the starry skies they cross.

My dear sweet husband has witnessed the dance of the young pilots for more than twenty years now. Nearing retirement as a flight attendant, his habit is to have a glass of wine in the hotel and retire to his room to slip between the covers to sleep. But on a recent trip to Milan, Italy, it seems his own shirt was to sexy to resist.

A late night arrival, lobby waiting, a group of ten young women gathered to ascend in the elevator. Legs up to here and hair down to there, they could only be the young pilots' counterpart - MODELS.  "Too bad they aren't headed for the hotel bar." was the sad comiseration among the young men. The Hard Rock Cafe instead beckoned from down the street, "Do you want to join us Pat?" "No guys, a glass of wine for me and I'm off to bed."

A table for one, a glass of wine, my husband found himself to be the only patron of the hotel's bar. A commotion heard coming, my husband couldn't believe his eyes to see the group of beautiful young models coming into the bar. Laughter growing louder, music overhead, one of the models approached my husband and said, "Sir, if we are too loud for you, please let us know." She returned to her friends leaving the distinguished older gentleman to himself.

Soon two young men who had entered the hotel's bar with the models, ordered Champaign. Toasts are made, one young man approaches my husband with a glass. "Again I apologize for the noise so late at night.We have just arrived from the showings in London. These are the models for Gucci. In fact, the woman who approached you earlier is their top model, Natalia Vodianova. Why are you here sir so late at night?"

My husband replied, "I've just flown in with Victoria's Secret." The young man's eyes grew incredibly wide. He called out above the laughter and music to the models, "He's with Victoria's Secret!"

Within moments my husband found himself surrounded by the beautiful young women all wanting to take their picture with him and get his autograph! It most likely was the language barrier, but for this one moment...

my husband was "much too sexy for his shirt!"

Senior Citizen Crafts

EAK! Just the though of Senior Citizen Crafts when I was a newlywed was enough to send me anywhere than close to the senior who had drawn me near to gush over their latest craft made at, of course, their Senior Citizen's Center.

Aunt Dorothy was just such a senior, her home filled with handmade items on every surface able to hold, hang, or attach her latest proud creation. Crocheted butterfly magnets, soap dispenser dresses, pot holders with smiling plastic doll faces. There were Bingo card carriers and juice box pocketbooks, laminated place mats and coffee cup cozies. With each compliment I gave, I secretly vowed never ever to make Senior Citizen Crafts.

 And then I discovered blogging.

Where once I scrambled to discover where I had hidden away Aunt Dorothy's latest popcorn afghan as she knocked outside my door, I now find myself drooling over Ripples and Grannies on a daily basis.

Where once I bemoaned the plethora of Christmas Card Senior Citizen Crafts that came my way, I now find myself making them myself. Oh how Dorothy loved to crochet her received cards into baskets to hold hard candies.

Crisp white tags catching my eye at JoAnn's brought the memories of Aunt Dorothy's Christmas card crafts to mind, and I could not help but think what cute house ornaments the tags could become. Three tags are needed to make each house. Six houses can be made from one purchased package.

I have also made a template for you if tags are not available.

Aunt Dorothy would make coasters and place mats from her Christmas cards as well as ornaments made by cutting circles out and gluing their bent edges together. Here I have traced my templates onto my chosen card with a mind towards color more than the subject of the card. I want a red house with a white roof.

Glue stick cut out shapes to templates. I have added a ridge of scallops to the roof line.

A beading of hot glue along the edges, your house is nearly complete!

And so I find long before I am a Senior Citizen, a passion for the most simplest of crafts that express the holidays to me.

Aunt Dorothy was a woman who lived each day of her life to serve the Lord. Sitting in her parish church it's pews filled with the witnesses of her faith, I wept to see each one of her 18 grandchildren form a procession line to pay their final respect, each one carrying a handmade item made especially for them. Each one a Senior Citizen's Craft.


CRAFT ROOM NOTE:
I have been asked many times where I purchased the cute paper organizer that can be seen in the above photo. It is available once again at Michaels for $39.95. Be sure and use your half off coupon!

Invitation to Friendship

There simply has not been anything I have enjoyed more about this special Place to Be than the sharing of creativity and the opportunity to be inspired by others.

I have always been very shy about visiting others blogs and am always so happy when comments are left because to me they are invitations. It has been through these invitations that I have made unexpected friendships that have added so much joy to my life. Cindy of Prarie's Edge Farm left just such an invitation for me.

Cindy's happy ripples have inspired a What's on Hand craft cute as can be. A Gingerbread Tree Lot with candy colored trees for sale. Too too sweet and oh so easy to make.

Found in Michael's Christmas craft section for $1.00 apiece, unpainted wooden finger puppets that I snipped apart from their bases, hot glued back together, and painted with craft paint using white to highlight glitter after two coats of craft varnish have been applied. The very last of my October Afternoon Christmas paper pieced and glue sticked to the box, clear buttons equal SNOW! You do know that I love SNOW!

I do believe I will have to make Cindy's ripple afghan for my Make Over Room. It says "happy, happy, happy" to me with each colorful wave. Something new in the MOR? I know! Who could not come home with a red roofed dollhouse as wonderfully constructed as this one.

Some invitations don't lead to blogs at all but friendships through the mail. Tammy sent me a wonderful red and white round pot holder that needed it's own Place to Be. A vintage trellis brought to the ground by the Big White Puppy in Joe's yard had this MIL pleading for it to come home with me.

Perfectly perfect for displaying my vintage photograph greeting cards and favorite tags made by friends.

Perhaps you are shy as well and have come to this community to make a friend or two. I know my life has been blessed here, and I hope yours will be as well.