Treasures from my Grandmas

Happy Memorial Day weekend Blogland Neighborhood !!! I've been meaning to blog about some beautiful things that I've inherited from both of my grandmothers recently, but it kept getting put on the back burner for one reason or another . But, since this weekend is Memorial Day weekend (at least here in the good ol' USA) I thought it was the perfect time to write this blog post in memory of both of my grandmas.



These are my dad's parents , Anna and George on their wedding day in 1928 (LOVE her wedding gown !!!!) and...









this is a beautiful pie plate that I remember seeing on my grandmother's dining room table for years and years ....









....and now I am honored that it has a place in my dining room!




This is my other grandmother holding my mother in 1930....and just a year or so before this picture was taken my grandmother , Mary, left her home and family in Italy , packing up all of her belongings in ....




...this very suitcase to join her husband, Harry, here in the USA. They got married before WW I, then my grandfather came to this country to find a job and make enough money so that my grandmother could come over also. But, before that happened WW I broke out and my grandfather , who was still an Italian citizen , had to return to Italy to fight in the Italian army. So, surviving the war and having his legs frozen in the Italian Alps , he returned to the USA AGAIN and started AGAIN to work and save up enough money to bring Mary over - which he finally did. And if you think THAT's amazing, what I think is even MORE amazing is the fact that she fit all of her stuff in that one suitcase !!! HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE??? Moving from Italy to the USA for good and all you need is one suitcase ?!?!?


Love the worn leather of the handle. My mother told me that she can remember going away for vacations to visit their aunt for a couple of weeks and grandma would pack her things PLUS my mother's stuff and her younger sister and brother's stuff in that ONE SUITCASE !!! For TWO WEEKS !!!! ONE SUITCASE !!!!



....and here's grandma with her sister Carmella (in the polka dot dress). I wanted to show you this picture because .....



...when I opened grandma's suitcase, I found these sheets .....


...that were hand embroidered by Aunt Carmella !! (GASP..... HAND EMBROIDERED !!!)




(GASPING FOR AIR !!) H-A-N-D
E-M-B-R-O-I-D-E-R-E-D !!!!! GORGEOUS !!!! Let me tell you .... IF I ever accomplished anything like this (and that's a BIG "if" since we all know my track record for finishing things isn't a stellar one) I most certainly would NOT let somebody sleep on them (because we have alot of slobberers and droolers in this family). I would frame them with a big neon arrow pointing to them so everybody could see how amazing they are !!!! Sadly, these gorgeous sheets are stained in a few spots and torn and patched here and there so I would like to maybe take the embroidered parts and make them into pillows......one of these days !!!

Well, I still have lots of big events coming up and my "delusions of grandeur sewing project gift list" that goes with all of these events, so I should go attempt to get organized and get started (or just spend time making another list of everything I hope to get done then hyperventilate .....)

Have a fun and safe weekend !
Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Off they go ....

Good morning Blogland Neighborhood! Well the past two weeks have flown by .... lots of stuff going on here at MBIAJ Headquarters with my Moonbeams Boys Evan and Matt. They've grown up while I wasn't looking (or pretended not to see) and, well, here we are, and off they go ......



......to the prom. (Evan's prom was this past Friday night. Here he is in his VERY bright tux with his VERY understanding date and good friend Emily)




...and here are Evan and Emily with their good friend Tyler. Evan and Tyler have had these goofy tuxes planned since their freshman year .... their version of the tuxes from the movie "Dumb and Dumber" with a little Sponge Bob and Patrick thrown in! (and I must say Tyler's date was also a very understanding gal!)

And that's not all that went on this past Friday. Moonbeams college Boy Matt (who finished up his 3rd year at Penn State 2 weeks ago).......


...packed up his car with his dirtbike and mountain bike (and some clean underwear and socks he assured me) and ....
waived bye bye to his old mom to head south to Florida for the summer for his first grown up internship/job ....



Off he goes ..... (sob)








So..... now that a couple of days have gone by and I've medicated myself with enough chocolate to sink a ship, it's time to get myself together for the next couple of months ..... more stuff .... Evan's All Night Pary (for the senior class given by the parents) is this Friday. Then we have a belated 50th birthday celebration for my sis, Evan's high school graduation, niece's graduation from college/nursing school, Matt's 21st birthday in June and my other niece's wedding at the end of June ! (and you just KNOW I have delusions of grandeur about all the sewing/quilting projects my unrealistic other self has planned for all of these milestone special occasions! Including the apron that did NOT get finished for the bridal shower that was YESTERDAY for the niece who is getting married in June .... oh well ...)
Guess I better get busy!

Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Happy Mother's Day !!!!

Happy Mother's Day Blogland Neighborhood !!! I LOVE this picture of my grandmother holding my mother ....so sweet! Hope you all have a lovely and sweet day (that includes only a the bare minimum of stinky laundry ....




(ad included in Mother's Day card from Moonbeams Boy Matt .... Isn't he thoughtful !!!!???? a real comedian !!! ) In his defense he also got his Mama a gift card from JoAnn's cause he KNOWS his Mama LOVES to shop for fabric !!! And Moonbeams Boy Evan is in the process of making me a deck chair in his woodshop class !!! (picture to follow after it's finished) ... AND both boys are planning a cookout later today for me and their two grandmothers !!!! I LOVE MY BOYS !!!!!!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY !!!!!!

Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Spring is springing .... (an ode to dandelions ....)

Well happy spring (FINALY) Blogland Neighborhood ! A slight and unexpected lull in the day job schedule today allowed me some time to go outside and "smell the roses" .... well, not exactly (our roses are far from blooming and in need of some TLC and probably a bit of CPR) .... BUT, violets we've got !!! and, since they're not growing in their designated area (i.e. the flowerbed) but have decided to grow all over the yard, I thought it best to pick them before the lawn mowing dept steps all over them and mows them down in their pretty little tracks !



.....and THESE !!!! We've also got LOADS of these !!! In fact, if it weren't for dandelions (aka known as pista beds around here ) we wouldn't have much of a lawn at all !!!






...and really, I think dandelions get a bad rap ... how can you deny the cheeriness of that happy, sunny yellow flower???





......aaaahhhhhhh lovely spring violets in my favorite little vase my mother gave me !














....and here are those pista beds elevated to a new level of elegance in a wine glass vase ...maybe they'll turn that water into dandelion wine !!!




Hope spring is springing where you are and you're able to sneak outside for a few minutes to "smell the roses" or pick a few weeds !
Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Tuscaloosa tornado disaster, The after math - how you can help

Good morning Blogland Neighborhood. Usually this blog is my happy little escape from reality, but the destruction and loss of life from all the recent tornados in this country have been devastating. I've been trying to find out how I can help from here in Pa. The son of a friend of mine from high school is a student at the University of Alabama and was there on the day the tornado hit. She spent a few panicked hours trying to get in touch with him. She finally did and thankfully he is OK. She has a facebook page with links to some of the organizations that are helping in Alabama.
UA Tornado Relief and
Toomers for Tuscaloosa

If any of you know of other oganizations , Comfort Quilt projects, or Blogland Craft Benefits to help the tornado victims not only in Alabama, but Georgia, etc. please feel free to leave a comment with the info or a link.

Thankyou!

Be back soon!
Mary Anne (aka Mare)