Home Is...Family Heirlooms

I'm participating in Sandy's "Home is..." series over at The Reluctant Entertainer for the first time today. I've been wanting to join Sandy's party for awhile, and things just kept coming up. The theme for this week is Family Heirlooms.

I know I've shared recently that the majority of "Special Touches" in the T home are of the Fisher Price and Polly Pocket variety, but we do have some special family treasures in our home.

We have some furniture and accessories that I'd classify as heirlooms, but I really treasure family photographs, whether it's a snapshot I took last week or a black and white portrait dating back 100 years.

Many people link their sense of smell to memories. I have no sense of smell (ever!), so I tend to remember things in snapshots in my head, if that makes any sense. I think in pictures a lot, and I believe that's why I value photographs so much.

They say a picture's worth a thousand words, right?

I think the mix of old and new photos in our home is a nice blend of stories and memories from several families over the past century or so.

The photos over the couch are copies of black and whites from my dad's side of the family.

My dad's mother and his father (playing in the Swiss Open, how cool!):

The photo wall in the Addition is a blend of old photos from T's side of the family and really really old photos from my mom's side of the family:

The large one is a portrait of my great-grandmother (4th from the left) and her six sisters, dated in the late 1800s.

Pretty cool, huh?

And this last one was a Mother's Day gift from Natalie last year:

An heirloom to me because my baby was so proud to decorate the frame and give it to me.

These photos don't mean a thing to people who don't call us family, but I enjoy peering at the faces, wondering what stories these people lived. I know someday, somewhere, someone will do the same with portraits of me.

Be sure you're camera ready at the next family portrait session...you never know where that photo will end up!

{Cheese!}

My New Old Shabby Dog

I've always been a dog-lover.

I can remember sitting with my arms wrapped around the family Irish setter when I was feeling blue. Stroking Edie's silky ears always made me feel better.

I have a soft spot for "forgotten" pets. I'm the girl who climbed over the guard rail at the I-95 exit to rescue an abandoned kitten. Wearing a dress and heels.

So when I heard barking in the church parking lot after Bible study two weeks ago, I had to investigate. The girls and I found a small crowd of people huddled around a tiny little ball of fur.

Someone had driven into the church parking lot, tied a little black Pomeranian to a parking lot sign, and left.

The church groundskeeper is somewhat of a curmudgeon, and refused to let me call T to see if we could bring the dog home. He told me, "You don't need to mess with this dog. It's old." Then he hopped in his car and drove off to the SPCA.

Never one to appreciate being told what I do and do not need, I told T the whole story and he begrudingly made a trip to the SPCA on his way home to inquire about the dog.

That was two weeks ago, and to make a long story short, we finalized the adoption yesterday afternoon.

She is my unconventional Mother's Day gift. T rather liked the idea of not having to go out and shop for me this year.

This is Penelope. We call her Penny. (forgive the poor lighting...we haven't seen sunlight in forever)

I have a thing for the character, Penelope, from Homer's The Odyssey. (And maybe I'm a bit of a LOST-aholic as well.)

Penny is around 12 years old. She mostly seems to want to sleep in her bed, but I could tell she was looking for love by the way she nudged her little nose into my hand while I drove home yesterday.

Penny prefers Emma's bed over the (identical) one we bought for her, but Emma is willing to share if it means she gets a taste of Penny's canned chicken (we're trying to wean her off of what has apparently been a long-standing diet of "people food.")

I bet some of you are shaking your heads and wondering, "What is this girl thinking, adopting an old shabby dog like that?"

I can only reply that it broke my heart to think of that poor tiny pup living the rest of her days shut up in a cage, listening to the echo of barking in the SPCA's hallways. I don't know how much time she'll have with us, but I think she deserves a warm bed and a little love.

You might think she's shabby, but I think she's shabby chic.

A Last-Minute Gift for a 99 Year Old

I've mentioned before that my Nannie is a very difficult lady to choose gifts for. What do you give a 99 year old who has everything or had it at some point in her long life?

I pondered this as I wandered the aisles of Siler City's Wal-Mart on Saturday morning. Siler City, North Carolina is where my Nannie lives and if you can't find it at the Wal-Mart, then it's probably not worth looking for.

Also, there's really not anywhere else to shop unless you like tractor parts.

I ambled past a scrapbooking display when I had what Oprah calls a "light-bulb moment."

I remembered that my mom and I wrote "no gifts, please" on Nannie's party invitation, so I thought it might be nice to create a gift that all of the party guests could participate in...a memory journal.

Nannie loves to talk. About herself. Let's be honest. If I make it to 99, I'll probably want to talk about me too. So I was betting on the fact that she'd enjoy reading a little book filled with happy memories from friends and family.

I grabbed some cute flower stickers (Nannie loves her garden), the closest thing I could find to a journal, and some markers.

When we got back to the house, I plied Natalie and Michaela Byrd with crackers so they wouldn't notice the markers and stickers. Then I sat down and embellished the front with my stickers...if I had not been distracted by the fight in the living room over the Polly Pockets I might have had the foresight to add some ribbon to the front of the journal. I also added a sticker or two every couple of pages in the book to add a little pretty.

I used markers to write a cute "Happy Birthday" message for my grandmother and a pen to add a nice note with a few of my favorite memories of her. We had around 50 guests at the party, and many of them signed their name or shared a story in the book.

I wish I had a photo of it, but here's an example of something similar my sister's Maid of Honor put together for her bridal shower:

Other variations?

• Get a plain photo mat and have friends and family of a bride-to-be, expectant mom, birthday girl, etc. bless that person with a short message or words of advice. Frame a picture of the guest of honor with the mat and present it as a special gift.
• If you have plenty of time to plan, send matching notecards to guests with their party invitations and have them bring their best marriage or parenting advice to the bridal or baby shower. Insert the notecards into an embellished binder for the guest of honor.
• Have guests sign a onesie for a new baby, an apron for a new bride, or a "grilling apron" for a groom. Someone planned that at a cook-out for my sister and brother-in-law and they just loved it!

Really, it's the thought that counts. Nannie seemed pleased with her cards and the book, but I think she was most excited about seeing some of her family:

{Do you have any great gift ideas for people who are particularly hard to buy for?}

Linking to Kimba's DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land.

Reminder: The next Decorating Dilemmas Party is coming up next Wednesday, May 26th!

Start looking through your homes now for dilemmas you'd like some feedback on...anything in your home or garden is acceptable as long as you come ready to offer some helpful ideas to other partygoers. Don't have a Dilemma? Then feel free to share a Solution. You can see the last party here if you're curious. I hope to see you here partying!

::Weekend Bloggy Reading and More::

Happy Friday, lovelies!


I am so excited because I have a guest post up today over at The Shabby Chic Cottage. I titled my post "Eighty-Three Percent." I think some of the principles can certainly be applied to anyone who needs some perspective when it comes to Blogland. Please leave me some comment love there today if you can. 


In other news, the winner of the RJ Charms Giveaway is Kenzie from 9 o'Clock Dance of Joy. Kenzie, please send me an email and I'll get you in touch with RJ!

On to the good stuff. I had so many fun links to share this week, that I had to cut some out and save them for next Friday! I do hope you all like reading these posts...some of these are projects shared on smaller blogs, and I just had to get the word out. Enjoy!

~Headboard Turned Bench. I love how she made different pillows to accessorize!

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~Laurel shared some wonderful ideas for Teacher Appreciation Week. The end of the school year is coming...start planning now to show your child's teacher he/she is appreciated!

~Do you have any Pants on the Ground, Pants on the Ground? {sorry} Tausha made a No-Sew Embellished Headband out of hers!

~Key Lime Cake. Need I say more?

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~Simply adorable Kids' Chalkboard Table and Chair Makeover. I wonder if Kate could bottle up some of her creativity and talent and sell it on Etsy. I'd totally buy some.

~Beth told her readers How to Score Free Stuff. I love stuff. Especially when it's free.

~Check out this fab Playroom Storage Wall--proof that plastic bins CAN look cool!

~Nothing says "Spring is here" like a Felt Butterfly Pillow, right?

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~One of my very first Blogging Friends, Amanda, is teaming up with one of my newer Blogging Friends, Jen, and the talented Beckie to form a new site called The CSI Project. Just check it out.

~Cheryl shared a wonderful tutorial for a Wristlet Camera Strap. My little Sony doesn't have to be jealous of the fancy DSLR cameras anymore!

                                            

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{Any big plans for your weekend?}

Tomorrow is my Nannie's big 99th Birthday party in North Carolina. I'll be sure to post about it and return comments when we get back into town. Hope you have a sunny, fun weekend!

Crafty Girls Workshop

You all have followed me through some of my fledgling sewing projects like my Embellished Burlap Table Runner. You know I can sew a straight line, and anything after that is just luck and some wishful thinking. If you're a sewer or a crafty girl, you know how addicting it can be to have a creative hobby!

I was delighted when Anna contacted me because not only is this girl crafty, but she and her mother-in-law own Crafty Girls Workshop, a one-stop shop for the "busy craftista." What started as an Etsy shop in 2009, has grown into a thriving web store.

Busy ladies don't always have time to browse for everything they might need for a project. Crafty Girls Workshop is a lifesaver because they've done the hard work for you and offer suggestions to go along with patterns or fabrics to make the time spent on their site more efficient. They even do their best to share the back of patterns so you can put together your own supply list.

If you take the time to peruse the shop, you'll notice that Anna and Regina have taken care to provide a fair mix of styles. Whether you're hoping to find something soft and romantic, or funky and bright, these Crafty Girls have something to please varying tastes.

I like the fact that beginners are welcome at the Workshop. You can type "Beginner" in the store's search box, and several patterns for that skill level will pop up.

Best sellers for Crafty Girls Workshop include the children's boutique style clothing patterns. How cute is this Sassy Little Sisters Child's Apron?

I'm also loving...

The Snazzy Bag (I die!):

The Little Charmers Skirt and Jumper:

Happy Dreams Bedding Set:

And the fabulous mix of sewing books, magazines, and embellishements:

If you like to chat about crafts, you can also check out the Crafty Girls Workshop blog. You'll see that Anna and Regina want to foster a sense of community amongst their shoppers. They are on hand to answer your questions, and they understand what it's like to be a busy working woman or stay-at-home mom.

Anna says that customers who purchase from Crafty Girls Workshop "should feel that if we had a brick and mortar store that you could walk in any time and ask us a question and we’d help you with the answer because we’re interested in what you are doing and we enjoy helping people. (You can contact us through the Contact link on our website or through our blog.) In fact, we both used to teach kindergarten, and who is more helpful than your kindergarten teacher?"

I enjoyed my stroll through the workshop. Crafty Girls Workshop is offering Serenity Now readers a 10% discount if you enter the code MAY10 in the coupon box at checkout.

I don't know about you, but I'm ready to get my craft on...I just wish I had a workshop of my own!

If you are interested in advertising here at Serenity Now, please send me an email or check out my Advertising Page for details.

I Hope Annie Was Right

...let's hope that the "sun'll come out tomorrow," or at least sometime in the next few months so I can wear these babies.

I'm thinking bright pink toe nails?

Party Favor for a 99 Year Old's Birthday Party?

Yes, you read that right.

My Nannie is turning 99 years old this weekend, and my mom and I are throwing her a birthday party in North Carolina, where she lives.

Because I am tired of pulling my hair out, I'll just say that working with a 99 year old is very difficult.

She's had 99 years of having her own way and her idea of a party is quite a bit different from ours. I feel as if perhaps we will be hopping in a DeLorean (10 points if you can name the film without clicking that link!) and traveling back to a time where the most fashionable hostesses served mini gherkins, mixed nuts, and mints.

We're trying to find a nice balance between keeping Nannie from stomping her foot and not being embarrassed that she managed to sneak a bowl of mixed nuts from 1965 out onto the buffet.

Plus, my deadbeat aunt and her deadbeat husband (who we secretly call Friar Tuck) will be attending.

It will be delightfully awkward. And I say "delightfully" because I will, of course, be blogging about it next week and I'm sure you'll have plenty of laughs at my expense.

Also, I'm really not sure how many people will be attending. People my Nannie's age are surprisingly good RSVPers. But it helps, of course, if they receive an invitation. Nannie refused to let me make a copy of her church directory and address book to mark addresses off. Maybe she thought the Kinkos was going to sell the copied information to the U.N., which she is convinced Hillary and Bill Clinton are trying to take over. She instead insisted on handwriting all 40 addresses down and sending them to my mother in the mail.

It took her 3 weeks.

So we could have 30 people coming. Or 75. The more the merrier, right?

I am praying, praying that my girls don't choose Saturday to be the day that they forget about Jesus and decide to terrorize the party. Because nothing says "fun" to me more than having a bunch of 85 year old women giving me discipline advice.

So, anyways. I need some advice from you today. Not about discipline, but about party favors.

This is what I put together for my sister's bridal shower last summer.

I don't know that I'll have time to embellish the front, but Nannie loves pink and I thought some mints wrapped up in the pink tissue might be cute.

Any other ideas? I'm all ears.

And I promise I won't stomp my foot!