One last blurb about Mother’s Day then, I promise, I’m done until next year.
It seems I’ve started my own little Mother’s Day tradition. I just realized it this past week. Mother’s Day weekend has turned into my ‘time to plant annuals’ weekend. The risk of frost is usually over and I’m itching to get outside. This year, I kept plantings to a minimum just because we’ll be moving sometime…whenever we get The Underdog whipped into shape and our current home sells. Still, I wanted to add bright pops of color to boost curb appeal. I bought a trio of burgundy petunias and added them to our perennial flower beds.
They are so bright they almost look neon. We have the best little hometown nursery just down the road from us. The selection is wonderful and everything I buy from them grows to be so lush. In our window boxes, I planted hot pink geraniums with sweet potato vine. I love using pinks and fuschia alongside chartreuse and lime outside.
The window boxes are located on the second story of our home right outside the master bedroom. I’ll be honest. They aren’t easy to fill and the process usually creates a mess in our bedroom. I have to carry the potting soil bags and flowers upstairs, remove the window screens and carefully dump and plant everything while leaning through the window. For that reason, I try to plant fairly maintenance-free blooms. I love being able to see the flowers from my bed, so it’s all worth it. I peek out at the window boxes every morning and check to see if they’re in need of water. {Yep, I have to water them through the window too.} Each year I’m amazed at how quickly the window boxes fill out. The geraniums and potato vine look quite puny against the house now, but in a month or so they’ll really take off and start overflowing. In case you’re wondering, we added two of these self-watering flower boxes to the house shortly after we bought it. They’re great – totally maintenance free! We get compliments on them every summer. I’ll have to remember to take some pictures and share them with you when they’re at their prime.
In other Mother’s Day news, I gifted my mom this glass jar matchstick holder/lighter and candle…similar to the one I previously shared here. The glass jar and lid combo was 59¢ from Goodwill. It’s sort of ironic that it resembles a baby bottle.
I added jute twine and a scrapbooking vellum tag.
The bottom has a lighting strip to ignite the matches.
My mom loved her gift. I had to point out the strip on the bottom, but she thought it was ingenious. I always enjoy making gifts for my mom because she appreciates them. Prefers them, in fact. I fondly remember her hand crafting many things for me, other family members and friends when I was little. Ballet recital costumes {I took ballet classes for 10 years}, pottery {we had a kiln in our laundry room}, watercolor paintings {she saved up money to take classes…which was a big deal because she was a stay-at-home mom and my dad was a blue collar worker…and there were 4 kids in the family!}, crocheted blankets {loved the way my toes felt wiggling through the holes}, and even school clothes {when we couldn’t afford the newest styles, she’d copycat them for cheaper}. She indirectly taught me to sew. For which I’m very thankful for now. I don’t ever remember her sitting me down and instructing me to sew; I just picked it up from watching her do it so often. Her drop-down sewing table was one of the most beautiful pieces of furniture in our home. My mom suffers from schizophrenia now and her mind is often elusive. Creating things for her and watching her realize that I put time and love into them is about the only way I can connect with her. Plus, it reminds me of better days when she was healthier. Her love for all things handmade is something she’s passed onto me. And I’m grateful for that.
Okay, so that just got all sentimental. Whoa. Sorry. But it’s hard to talk about Mother’s Day without actually talking about your mother. Did your mother teach you a certain skill that you’re most appreciative of? Baking? Piano? Gardening? Canning? Make Mom proud!
images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking
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