The truth about hoarding.

Mothers Day 2009 is the first time that I have celebrated with my mom in 15 years. Since 1994, we have been separated by the Pacific Ocean and half of the continental United States. Just having her here has made this a stellar year.

Honestly, I have been BAD about Mothers Day gifts in years past, mostly due to my severe allergy to the post office. Combine that with the fact that I am usually a last minute shopper and it takes mail a good 3-5 days to wash ashore in Hawaii (assuming the wind pattern is in our favor and I can find a bottle large enough to cast it off in). Those factors create the perfect storm of no presents on Mothers Day for my mom.

Until this year. When we eliminated the need for the postal service by flying the recipient 8 hours to us. Slightly more expensive (sure) but much more effective.

Here's a shot of G, holding our homemade gifts. This is a pretty crappy shot, with the glare off of the cellophane (Glorious, glorious cellophane) and all, but how can I not post the shot of this cute little girl?

The finished product was more like this: a circle of thin plywood (purchased at, you guessed it, Hobby Lobby), covered with some pretty scrapbook paper (mod-podged). I cut a smaller circle of coordinating paper with a scalloped scissors, and had G decorate it with a message to both grandmas. I then mod-podged that on top of the first layer of paper and added a couple more layers of mod-podge through the evening. Then I took some grossgrain ribbon and glue-gunned it to form a loop for hanging at the top of the circle. Wa-la. Just another way to display a child's artwork, when you're fridge is already 6 layers deep in construction paper...these babies conveniently hang from a door knob, window, etc.


Our slightly more adult gift was this blue vase/pot/urn. I saw this on a blog that was featured on Today's Creative Blog (see my sidebar) months ago, and can't remember the name of it. Anyway, this woman had a blue vase similar to the one I gifted, with the black and white gross grain ribbon around it, and a vinyl monogram attached. Seeing as the vinyl monogram would have taken 2 weeks to receive, there was NO CHANCE that puppy was going to be ordered on time. Some of you more responsible peeps might have a shot. Any-hoo, we filled the vase with a t-shirt I monogrammed and a key chain attached to the ribbon. Other cute ideas would be kitchen utensils (as this would make a great utensil holder), dish cloths, a bottle of wine...you name it. The pot is a very heavy ceramic purchased at...Hobby Lobby. And let me just say that place is great with sales, so if you keep your eye out for a 50% off sale on ceramics (happens maybe once a month), this would be a GREAT deal.


I am going to leave you with one of the MANY things I love about my mother. Besides the fact that she will drop everything to fly 8 hours to watch my children, and she makes a killer tuna casserole. She is the source of my hoarding addiction (genetics, I believe). Like me, she is a pack rat. And really, she can't be blamed, because I helped briefly clean my grandmother's apartment after she died, and the piles of stuff we waded through was simply amazing. Think newspapers from Kennedy's assassination...and every issue following.

All this to say, that holding on to stuff is what we do. It's how we love. It's how we keep the spirit of the times in our lives that we don't want to forget. It means we love things enough to want to savor them, and not just rush on to the next best thing. I am not kidding when I say that cleaning my basement would be something like cutting off a limb. Because I treasure what is down there for some memory it holds. Some friend I loved. Some day that will always be unforgettable. Some moment that was surely the best of that particular day in my life. Just because they are in our past doesn't make them inconsequential...to either of us. And I love that the people who pass through my life are as important to me today, because of the history we have (and never forget). On top of being a "sentimentalist", I also happened to inherit her memory for dates and details.

So Happy Mothers Day to you Mom...and to all of you mothers who are passing along amazing things to your little ones....