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Sanae Ishida

A crafty little atelier in a grey city

Happy Friday + Randomness

May 10, 2013

Happy Friday! I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that it’s Mother’s Day this weekend. These months are slipping away and soon summer will be in full swing. As I was thinking about the day to celebrate maternal figures in our lives, I stumbled across a package that my father-in-law had sent me a few weeks ago. M’s grandmother (ergo my father-in-law’s mother) is not doing well – this saddens us greatly, but she is also over 90 years old, and has led a remarkably full life. I hope to live a life as full as hers. And time — for better or for worse — inevitably marches on.

She has a large collection of brooches and pretty compacts and the package contained many. K loves them, and particularly loved that the compacts still contained make-up (I didn’t let her use any). The sparkling gems, the fancy cases, the small puffs, the powdery scent; these little keepsakes are filled with old memories. I am so grateful we have them.

And this delicate embroidered handkerchief is the handiwork of K’s great-great-grandmother. I find its simplicity beautiful. According to my father-in-law, it was stitched around 1900, when great-great-grandma Iuella (isn’t that a great name?) was a teenager – amazing:

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K came home excited yesterday and told me that she wrote me a couple of poems for Mother’s Day, but shhhhh, they’re still a secret. Then she proceeded to recite them:

Poem #1
I love my mother
Because I don’t have another
I’m going to Peru
She’s coming too
Why did she go?
Because I’m too slow

Poem #2
M=My mom sews me
O=Outfits to wear
M=Mama is beautiful

I love them.

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Don’t forget that the giveaway is still open until 5pm today – the comments are fabulous, and I am having such a great time reading about everyone’s dream jobs (or non-jobs in some cases)! Have a beautiful weekend, my friends! A haiku:

Happy Mother’s Day
To all you awesome mamas
pamper yourselves, ‘kay? 

Filed in: life • by sanae • 10 Comments

Comments

  1. Katie

    May 10, 2013 at 5:46 am

    I love her last poem! I hope you have a fanatic, and relaxing, mother’s day!

    Reply
    • sanae

      May 10, 2013 at 11:59 pm

      Thanks, and a happy Mother’s Day to you as well, Katie!

      Reply
  2. Cate

    May 10, 2013 at 5:51 am

    you’re so lucky to have such beautiful treasures from your husbands family! that embroidery is exquisite. I can’t even imagine having the time/patience/skill to create something like that (let alone using it!).

    Reply
    • sanae

      May 11, 2013 at 12:03 am

      They are treasures, indeed! It really makes you realize the evolution of times, doesn’t it? Imagine our ipad/social media savvy teens of today embroidering something like that (though maybe there are teens like that today? I hope so…).

      Reply
  3. Venus

    May 10, 2013 at 9:13 am

    I’m so sad to hear about your MIL. Over 90?! Wow… I pray I can make it to 50. The broaches and compacts are exquisite and the handkerchief is just amazing. The detail and patience put into it at such a young age… I don’t think I can do it at my age. What an honor to have these treasures, Sanae.

    I love K’s poems… happy mother’s day!!!!

    Reply
    • sanae

      May 10, 2013 at 11:38 pm

      Happy Mama’s Day to you too, Venus! I doubt I’ll make it to 90+ (though you never know) but K’s got the DNA so longevity is in the cards for her. I’m also amazed that a teenager had the patience for such intricate embroidery – I really love that handkerchief and want to get it framed.

      Reply
  4. Maria

    May 10, 2013 at 10:41 pm

    Beautiful treasures Sanae! the broaches, compacts and K’s poems. Happy mother’s day! and have a nice weekend.

    Reply
    • sanae

      May 10, 2013 at 11:24 pm

      Treasures, indeed! Hope you have a wonderful Mother’s Day too, Maria!

      Reply
  5. Lucinda

    May 12, 2013 at 10:08 am

    That K is going to be a writer like her mother!
    Happy Mother’s Day, Sanae:)

    Reply
    • sanae

      May 13, 2013 at 9:43 am

      Ha! So kind of you, Lucinda – I think K has far more natural talent than I do 🙂

      Reply

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Thinking of all the Mama Bear-ish wonders out ther Thinking of all the Mama Bear-ish wonders out there, giving so much to surrounding creatures big and small. I often feel like that little prickly hedgehog inadequately but heartily offering up a single stem of gratitude. So much love for mothers and maternal figures everywhere! 💕💕💕💕#happymothersday
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