Vintage Buttons, the Aunts, and Her Little Black Dress

It was just one of those days where I was thinking of Mom. A lot. Kind of all day. I listened to the three voicemails I saved from her--I love how in one of them she says "I love you" in a way that she almost sings it, even though she had been quite ill. That was her normal "I love you." I have so many photos of her, and really quite a few from recent years right up until age 87. But I wanted to look at a photo from the 1960's of her--one that would make me smile. The cute mommy I remember from when I was five.

I call this one Ladies Nite 1965. Mom is fabulous in her little black dress. On the left Mom's sister, Aunt Bonnie, looks completely bored! Or maybe lost in thought. Next, in the red, Mom's cousin, Loretta, was one of their best friends. I think she looks like she had lots of fun. Next, my Mom, June, in the prettiest dress, her LBD. Very lady like. It cracks me up how it's draped over my Aunt Betty. Why is her dress draped over Aunt Betty? Why doesn't Aunt Betty care? I guess we'll never know, although Aunt Bonnie is still living and I could and should ask her. Mom's older sister, Aunt Betty, died when she was only 47 from leukemia. I always remember her being tired. But she was once a beauty. She knitted me a complete set of hat, scarf and mittens. I just love how Mom is looking at what appears to be a martini, and smiling. I think they told a joke right before someone snapped their picture.

I was so happy the other day when I found my jar of vintage buttons. They belonged to my mom's aunt, Aunt Sis. Mom gave them to me many moons ago--and lately it makes me feel happy to use them on a lot of things.

This would make Mom smile--she loved it when I made things. After all, she was the one who gave me this book:

And I started making things and haven't stopped. I need to make my own LBD. I love you Mommy.

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch, Remember

Every Inchie Monday - ENDLESS

Today's Inchie theme--Endless--leaves me thinking of Love, Joy, and Hope. Sometimes you only have one at a time, sometimes you have all three...but they can be Endless.

Since stitching is something that makes me endlessly happy, I knew I had to stitch together my Inchie this week. Just fabric, thread and buttons for me--no glue, no papers. 

(An Inchie is one-square-inch of artwork. Please visit our Inchie blog hostess at http://everyinchiemonday.blogspot.com/) 

So I rifled through my wonderful stash-o-goodies for hearts and then cut out my fabric squares. With a square of felt sandwiched in-between the two pieces of cotton fabric--I was quilting! Mini quilting is kinda fun.

I think I'm going to call this "button quilting," with my big heart button and two jeweled hearts taking up the majority of the stitching. I left the edges endlessly rustic, for a country-quilt feel to go with the sparkle.

Big Boy Tomato Plants

Right now I am endlessly tending to my nursery of garden plants being grown from seed. The tomatoes I planted in February are doing very well. When I have multiple seeds growing up together, as soon as they get their third leaf, I separate them out into their own pots.

Other plants that I have over-wintered on my greenhouse sunporch are doing well, so I will already have some great photos to add to my homemade garden journal!

I just read on the Burpee Facebook page that spring travels north at 16 miles per hour. All I have to say is, hurry up! In the meantime, you know what I'll be doing: eating, writing, dreaming and stitching.