You know those last “finishing touches” on the wedding box?  Well, I ran into a problem — I got the idea that I should clean up the workshop first.  Then straightening one shelf turns into 4 drawers, and 4 drawers, turns into the whole closet, which turns into a desire to clean out everything.  So now, my workshop is less useable than when I started.  But have faith, the pictures should be ready early next week!?!  (Anyway, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.)

I’ve almost finished my mother’s wedding box using the scraps of fabric leftover from her wedding dress.  I’ve found some pretty special pieces to put in it.  I’ll describe here and pictures will follow later in the week.  The box opens at the top and has a drawer at the bottom.  The front is decorated with a bow that matches the bow on my mother’s dress.  

The colors of the wedding were pretty much red and white.  In the red satin-lined drawer is a stack of letters tied in a red satin bow.  The letters are communications between my parents while they were still engaged and my father was in boot camp for the Army Reserves.  I was trying to decide on a knob for the drawer and had purchased two:  one was a crystal looking one that looked more like a wedding and the other was a porcelain one that was less appropriate but I liked the look better — as so did my mother.  But I decided that I would go with the crystal look.  Then I read just one of the letters from my mother to my father.  She had a friend whose father build furniture and was building a few pieces for them.  She had been deciding on the knobs on the furniture and I guess had been thinking a lot about it.  We still have the pieces and the knobs are porcelain.  There is a line in the letter that says that she loves him more than a porcelain knob.  Decision made, I swapped out the knobs.   [Read more…]

I’ve been watching some of the shows about the Tiny House movement lately and really trying to picture myself in a tiny house.  Now, you should know that I live in an apartment that I built in my parent’s basement that is about 1000 square feet.  (To be fair, I do “share” some of their storage space in the house).  But I look around my space and think there are things I could get rid of, and things I just couldn’t.  The items on the couldn’t list are usually books or memories.  

I understand the advantages of a tiny house living with regard to price and footprint; but I watch people making decisions about giving up things and I wonder if, at some point, they will be sorry for their choices.  Sure you can take photographs of keepsakes you let go, but there is something about the feel of something.  

Let me give you an example.  My mother made her own wedding dress.  I will confess her great sin here.      [Read more…]