Friday, May 22, 2009

A Tribute to my Grandmother

I've been debating about whether or not to publish this post. The Blogging world is an interesting one...many of the ones that I follow are professional- and people apologize at times for putting personal posts. This blog, on the other hand, is very personal to me- but I still hope that it also provides entertainment and enjoyment for others.



Here goes... My grandmother passed away a year ago yesterday, so the day was spent with mixed emotions. I miss her terribly, but at the same time, feel so blessed to have had her in my life. I spent much of my childhood living next door to my grandparents; in part due to the physical proximity, I developed a very special relationship with them.





Rather than focus on the loss, I want to take this opportunity to celebrate the fantastic woman that my grandmother was- and is in spirit- and her profound influence on me. But I also wanted it to be fun and light-hearted and in keeping with my general theme. So here are some cute items that remind me of her...






Village House Needlepoint, $150

Though originally from the mid-West, my grandmother moved to Maryland after college and became a true "Baltimore-on," embracing the East Coast culture- Maryland in particular. She loved crabs- both in tasteful decor and to eat- and I'm sure she'd adore this pillow!





Bird-watching was one of her favorite pasttimes; pictured above is a Baltimore Oriole, one of her favorites. I found this very cute birdhouse, in a cape-cod style.

2dormer.jpg (58765 bytes)

Birdhouse, $70

Memorial Day Hybrid Tea Rose

Grandmother was also a talented gardener. While my Grandfather tended to be in charge of the food garden, Grandmother took care of her roses, jonquils, and other flowers. This particular variety is very apropos this weekend as well. Memorial Day Hybrid Tea Rose, $17.95


She had great housekeeping skills, for lack of a better descriptor, as well.

She tought me to always line your dresser drawers. While her liners tended to be yellow and pink- color dependent on the room!- this is a great option.
Hammocks and High Tea scented drawer liner, $25
Jessie Steele Bib Ava Rooster Apron


She was a master of the kitchen and I enjoyed spending hours in there with her, making everything from canned veggies to pies. Aprons have come a long way in style and fortunately we cute options like this one above,
Jessie Steele apron, $24.


She also knew how to set a great table and buffet- and would love these hurricanes. Hurricane Glass, $145-350


Grandmother beat breast cancer twice!

Finally, I would be remiss if I did not mention her Faith in God. This was a significant part of her life- she spent much of her effort on various committees within the church and elsewhere helping others.

images/w1529a-large.jpg
I tend to not go for decorative crosses, but really appreciate this one shown above. German Silver Cross, $412.