Red, White and Blue and other things

Here comes summer. And with summer comes my favorite color combination for decorating. Red, White, and Blue.I use that color combination inside and outside each summer.   Summer has two patriotic holidays so why not use the color combination to show your " American Pride".

One of the easiest things to work with when making a wreath seems to be tulle wreaths or  rag wreaths. For my summer wreath this year I decided to do tulle.  This is the results of my wreath. The ladies at our Senior Center had seen my Spring Wreath and liked it so well they wanted to learn to do one so that was the May craft we did for "Krafts with Karan Day". What fun it was to do.

I bought 1 1/2 yard of each color red, white, and blue . Leaving it folded in half at the normal fold line I than cut it into 4 inch strips cutting from the fold across to the open edge. I stacked each strip neatly with all folds together.

After cutting and stacking I than cut  into six inch sections  by starting at the folds. I cut the first cut at 3 inches. After  unfolding each I had my first 6 inch strips. Then continue cuting the strips in 6 inch lengths on across. It should end up pretty true to 6 inches when cutting your last strip. Tulle is very forgiving  when cutting so you will not need to be right on exactly with your cuts. As you can see from my last strip the cut is very jagged. This creates no problem as it will not show the uneven cuts at all when tied onto you wreath.

Stack each color into piles when cutting. the end results will be 3 stacks one of each color. I used an old embroidery hoop part for my wreath but when teaching crafts  we did recycle wire hangers for our wreath form. Just shape it into a wreath shape and  you will be ready to start.

I started by tying on a red a white and blue and you will continie this right around the wreath, pushing each strip tightly together. You can tie in 6 of one color, 6 of the next and finally 6 of the 3rd color to make it a bit more striping. Just do you own thing is my motto. As you continue to tie on strips your wreath will begin taking shape.

The last inch or so is the hardest to tie on as the tulle is so full at this point  but just pack it tight as can be and it will tie on. After I had  completed   tying on eash strip  I took a couple long strips of 10-12 inches of tulle. I used white as I had a lot of extra white from another project. I ties it into a bow and left the tails dangle. I hot glues this bow to the bottom of my wreath. I then maqde a small version of the tulle bow in blue and hot glued that right to the center of the white bow. Fluff the tulle into a full bow. Then I added some shiney star shaped glitter in red, white and blue and I had some flags and God Bless America  cupcake decorations. I just pulled them off the picks and hot glued on  my wreath and added  a strip of tulle at the top to use as a hanger. If you use a wire hanger just bend the wire hanger into a circle and fluff your tulle to cover the hanger potion from sight. Hang and enjoy  your wreath throughout the summer months.

And here is my summer Christmas tree decorated to show my " American Pride"  Do you do anything to show your "American Pride?

May God Bless America.

A Mothers Day Tribute In Memory of My Mother

Mothers Day 2010. Little did I know upon walking out of my parents home that it would be the last time I would see my mother. Mom had to go into assisted living in January 2010. This was the hardest thing dad had ever had to do. Mom was suffering from Parkinsons and had to have care 24-7 . It was wearing dad totally down. With my sisters both working and myself also working we could not help dad as much as we would have liked. We suported dad all the way. Mom could not longer walk or eat without help. It was becoming very hard on dad.

For Mothers Day Dad had brought mom home for the day. My sisters and I cooked and took all the food over to spend the day with mom and dad in their home. This was the last mom would be home. Twelve days later mom was "Dancing  With Jesus"

 Oh what wonderful memories of mom I have. I would like to share my "Mom" with you.

 This is a picture  of moms younger Brother George  also known as Uncle Bud to me, Mom , and her older sister Leah. Aunt Leah is 86 and still going strong. Unlce Bud passed away 2 years before mom.

Mom and my dad met while dad was still in highschool and married in  1946. Soon I came along. The oldest of  5 born to them.

Mom and I taken when I was about 2 1/2 or so.

Before my sisters were born mom and dad suffered the loss of both of my brothers. One in 1949 and one on 1950. In 1952 my sister Rhoda was born and in 1954 my youngest sister Gail  came along. In 1956 dad was transfered with his job and we moved to Ohio where we lived until 1963 moving back to Michigan at the beginning of my senior year.

Shortly after coming back to Michigan mom went to work for our local IGA Grocery Store and was employed there till she retired 28 years later.

In  1969 mom became a first time Grandma and oh did she love that. She and my daughter were very close as she was with each of the Grandchildren. Mom and dad loved traveling with all the grandchildren and took each grandchild to Florida for a week just before they started school. What fun they had showing them all the different sites of the state.

                            This is mom  with the first born Grandaughter. My Oldest  Lisa.

                                                This was taken at moms retirement party.

On retiring mom traveled.. She went all the places that dad had no desire to see. She and my Aunt went to Aruba. Mom loved family history and would go on jaunts all over to the different libraries in search of our roots. She volunteered at the County Clerks Office looking up genealogy names dates etc. for those  that were also searching for their roots. Thanks to moms efforts I have pictures of many of my grandparents, great grandparents, and great great grandparents. I have locks of hair from my grandmothers first haircut.. My husband George and I have traveled on some of mom and dads roots searching and I have been able to walk on the land and into the house owned by my dads side for over 250 years.

In 1993 mom and dad were there when my oldest  daughter married. Oh they were so thrilled that day.

In this picture mom is fastening her Grandmothers Pearls on Lisa. What a awsome thing to wear  your
                                        Great  Great Grandmothers jewelry on your wedding day.
 
                  In 1996 we celebrated mom and dad's 50th anniversary with a big party for them.

                                                             Here is the happy couple

               And here they are with myself, my  three daughters Lisa, Cherrie, and Jill and the the Great 
                                                                        Grandchilden.

Mom and Dad celebrater 64 years of marriage. It was a marrige that never waviered. I wish all could have grown up  with a marriage as stable and loving as  mom and dads. I told my husband the last time we took a trip with them in 2001 that it is so neat to see couples at that age still walking hand in hand. I never heard mom and dad have a disagreement. The love and respect they had for each other was truly amazing.

As a final picture I want to share one of the last pictures taken of mom. Mom lived to see two Great Great Grandbabies. This is the  5 Generation picture of the Silveus side of the family.

Karan, Mom holding Cadyn, Justin, and in the back Cherrie

Mom tomorrow is Mothers Day. I  miss you greatly. It was very hard picking out a plant to take to George's mom today. I stood crying as we did it. I know how you loved your flowers. But I did find something there and thought of you. An angel and I am going back for her. She will go in a special garden of roses that I am putting in this summer in memory of you. I know you would love her. 

I found this poem and thought it was so fitting for  this post.

I love and miss you mom.

Happy Mothers Day in Heaven

IN MEMORY OF MOTHER

                                                When you view the twinkling stars

                                                within the darken skies,

                                                 you see the soft reflections there

                                                 like shown in mother's eyes.

                                                Always with a gleaming glow

                                                 that smiled upon her face;

                                                 and everyone adored her so...

                                                 with love and warm embrace.

                                                                * * * *

                                                 And mother had a zeal for life

                                                 without some selfish greed;

                                                 she eased the pain of other's plight

                                                 by serving those in need.

                                                And she would never let them down,

                                                 by faith and serving God,

                                                 For she and He were closely bound,

                                                 as "peas are in a pod!"

                                                             * * * *

                                                 So herein lies the facts I feel,

                                                 that warm me through and through,

                                                 for all the strength she came to yield

                                                 was courage, brave and true.

                                                                 * * * *

                                                 For the illness that befell her

                                                 in latter days gone by,

                                                 purely bore her faith and trust

                                                 in mighty God on high.

                                                The emptyness within me,

                                                I'm bound to understand...

                                                that everything is meant to be,

                                                 and ends in God's own hands.

                                                  And How I love and miss my mom,

                                                  now free from ill and pain,

                                                  and someday in the great beyond

                                                  I'll be with her again!

                                                                * * * *

                                                                                               By William E. Hardison