a quick trip to Detroit

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? Mine was busy and whirlwind. Steve's sister had a baby boy last week, so we drove to Detroit Friday afternoon to see her and her husband, and meet the new baby! We left mid-afternoon on Friday, and got there around midnight, after making a few stops, of course. The hotel we stayed in was awful - they lost our reservation and were not apologetic about it in the least. They finally sorted it out, but by the time we got into the room, it was after 1am, and of course, we were exhausted, and a bit hungry. 

Luckily, Steve's favorite, White Castle, has several (24 hour!) Detroit locations, 

so off he went. 

Sheepette decided to try a few fries too.

I happen to be obsessed with Tim Hortons, a Canadian coffee chain, and they also have several Detroit locations, so I was quite pleased about that. We might have gone twice in the weekend, and I'd have been fine with going more than that  ;)

I love the iced cappuccinos, and the Timbits are just really fun. I wish they had a DC location. Maybe someday. Until then, I will dream about it! 

I promise I didn't eat all 40 on the way home...some are to bring to work with me! My co-worker's wife went to college in Canada, so some are for her too!

We also brought two dozen Georgetown Cupcakes to Heather! She loves them! 

You may know that Detroit is located just over the Canadian border from Windsor, Ontario, and I love seeing the Bridge to Canada sign! There really wasn't time for a trip over this time, but next trip for sure! 

On the way home on Sunday, we stopped by the Flight 93 9/11 Memorial in PA. I didn't take any photos there, as it felt a bit disrespectful to me (most everyone else there was, but it was just a personal decision for me). I saw this massive elephant right by where you get back on the highway, and I was wildly amused by it. 

You may notice that there are no photos here of Heather and the baby...I don't feel right about posting photos of children without their parents permission, so I always ask first. I don't think that Heather knows about my blog, so I think it's best not to post them for now. Maybe in the future! For now, you'll have to trust me when I say that he's adorable!

I think I got a bit carsick on the way home (not actually sick), as I didn't feel well for most of the ride. I woke up this morning still not feeling too well, so I am home from work today. I'm hoping I didn't pick up a bug or something there, and it was just too many timbits  ;)

How was your weekend? 

I'm a godmother again!

Last weekend (4th of July weekend), Steve and I went up to Connecticut for a baptism - Heidi and her husband Adam asked me to be godmother to their baby Ethan! The baptism was in Adam's hometown at his family church, and one of his best friends from childhood (who lives in nearby New Haven, CT) is the godfather. 

Here we are!

Afterwards, Adam's parents hosted a wonderful dinner at a nearby restaurant - the oldest inn in CT, and rumored to be haunted! 

Here's a selfie, by Steve, Ethan, and Sophie  :)

I was so thrilled that our friend Christine was able to be there! She is a good friend from DC (Heidi introduced us, actually!), who moved to New York when she was married a few years ago, as her husband is a college professor. They had a baby a few months ago, and I was so happy to meet baby Ada! Ada is just a month older than Ethan, and I've decided that they are getting married one day. Here they are meeting for the first time-

They totally dig each other  :)

I was so honored that Heidi and Adam asked me to be godmother, and I am beyond blessed to now have THREE handsome godsons! Since my three godchildren are all boys, I think that would be a hat trick, if I played hockey (am I the only one who finds this joke I came up with completely hilarious? yes? okay). I've also decided that my having three godsons is God's way of telling me that I will only have daughters one day! I'm also lucky that Heidi and Adam live in nearby Annapolis, so I will see Ethan often. My oldest godson Jackson (turned six on the 4th!) lives in my hometown in NH, and my second godson Andrew lives in New Jersey, so I don't see them as often as I'd like. 

Do you have any godchildren? How do you keep yourself involved in their lives, if you don't see them often? Do you have any special traditions with them?  What kind of godparents do you have, if you have them? 

happy happy happy!

Happy 4th of July, fellow Americans!

Also! A most very happy 6th birthday to my godson Jackson!

This photo is from my most recent trip home, in May! 

Love this boy!


Also! It's my NINE year anniversary of living in DC! Crazy. I can't believe it! 

How are you celebrating today?

another baby quilt!

A few weeks ago, Steve and I went to Iowa for his sister's Heather's baby shower! She's expecting a little boy in early August, and I made a quilt for her! I was so pleased with myself, as it was the first time I've ever finished a quilt before the baby arrives! As I explained in the last baby quilt post, I am always a few quilts behind. I still have to finish Christine's baby Ada's quilt, Heidi's baby Ethan's quilt, and, Stephanie's baby Grace's quilt! Also, I spoke to Stephanie this week, and she told me the exciting news that Grace will be a big sister in November! So, looks like I have another baby quilt to add to the list  :) 

For Heather, I selected a fabric line called One For the Boys by Zoe Pearn for Riley Blake Designs. As I often do, I ordered it from Fat Quarter Shop, which is one of my favorite online fabric shops! They are located in TX and the customer service is second to none. For the pattern, I kind of made up my own, not following anything in particular, and I am pleased with the way it turned out! 

I also made a few cloth covered burp cloths using cloth diapers and some fun fabric! 

Along with these, I gave Heather a little onesie and a copy of Peter Rabbit, one of my all-time favorites. I think she liked everything, and I hope that Baby N likes them too, when he arrives. He'll be here in a few weeks and I am looking forward to meeting him! 

The baby shower itself was very nice, and Heather received many lovely gifts. Baby N is so loved already - what a blessing! It was a short weekend in Iowa, as that was the main focus of the trip, but we did have time to see some friends of Steve's and a few other things in the area. We toured a historic home, just for fun, and I met an aunt and uncle of Steve's that were in town for the shower. I hadn't met them before, as they live in St. Louis, so that was a good thing! We'll be back in Iowa in September for a Labor Day weekend wedding! 

Tasty Tuesday! Strawberry and Creme Cupcakes!

Here's a recipe from my sister Bethany! I have it cross-posted to Scarlet Threads blog today too, so feel free to peek there if you wish! Also, we have some darling new aprons in the apron shop...have you seen them yet?? I'm loving the ruffles on Priscilla so much. Remember, if you purchase anything from Scarlet Threads, use the code lex25 at checkout for a 25% discount! We're trying to get to all 50 states this year, so please share with your friends! Any friends in Alaska? That's my goal...send an apron to Alaska  :)


Anyway! Cupcakes! My sister loves to bake, and they always look delicious, and these cupcakes were too good not to share! Of course, I just wish I lived close enough to try one...DC and MA are just too far apart! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Normally I like to bake from scratch, but I always keep a few boxes of brownie and cake mix in the cupboard for those "emergency moments." My husband and brother in law spent the day ripping up the carpet on the stairs in our new house and putting in new hardwood stairs- yay, they look so pretty!  I was in the mood to bake, which isn't anything new, and felt the boys deserved a treat after their hard work.

Luckily, I had all the ingredients necessary for a cupcake recipe I'd been wanting to try!

I didn't have as much time as I hoped, as I had plans for the evening and it was already 4pm, so I pulled out a box of chocolate cake mix, heavy whipping cream, and fresh strawberries.

Make the cake mix as directed on the box, and fill cute cupcake tins about three quarters full.  For maximum moistness, bake for a few minutes less than directed on the box.

While cupcakes are cooking, wash and dry strawberries.  Cut into thin slices and set aside.

Wile cupcakes are cooling, whip heavy cream with hand mixer until fluffy.

Carefully cut off tops of cupcakes.

Spread a layer of whipped cream onto each cupcake, cover with a strawberry or two, and replace cupcake top.  I also put a dollop of whipped cream on the top so it would stick to the strawberries!  Add another dollop of whipped cream to the cupcake top and cover with one more strawberry.

Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve and store extras in fridge as well.

This is a delicious, easy summery recipe that got thumbs up from all!

What's baking in your kitchen this week??


Eeeek! Just realized this was my 700th post!!! Should I do something to celebrate? A fun giveaway? What do you think??? A Scarlet Threads apron?   :)

pre-flight breakfast!

Happy Saturday! I have a  2pm flight to Iowa this afternoon for Steve's sister's baby shower tomorrow. This flight includes a four hour stopover in Chicago (UGH!), but I had time for a leisurely breakfast watching The Pioneer Woman at home before I left!

An English muffin and tea.  Perfection.

Yes, I always fly with my passport, even domestically....you never know when you'll be whisked away on a secret mission somewhere  :)

I made a baby quilt for Steve's sister Heather, so I will post photos next week!

Happy weekend, friends!

funniest pet contest!

My brother's dog Styles has been entered in a funniest pet photo contest! 

Don't you love it?! 

He's part pit, part mastiff and the sweetest thing you've ever met. 

If you are feeling generous and want to cast a few votes, go to this link. The contest is run by a local Rotary group nearby my hometown in NH, and all of the proceeds from the contest go to a local scholarship fund, of which I was a recipient back in the day! Seven votes is $5, and local college students would be so grateful to the support! 

If you vote, scroll down to CF18 Styles D***** to cast your vote! 

Styles and my brother would also appreciate it, and feel free to share this via twitter if you wish! My twitter name is @lexilooo, if you don't already follow me there!  

the best gift

I must confess. I've been a bit out of sorts this Christmas season. At first, I blamed my sister's wedding...since that was Thanksgiving weekend, I never really had a chance to relax before it was suddenly December and I had to be ready for the holidays and all that come with it, but that really wasn't fair of me. I knew her wedding date all year, and of course the date of Christmas doesn't change...so I had plenty of time to prepare. I just didn't.

 

 

So, by saying I've been a bit overwhelmed this month would be an understatement. 

 

 

 

We were in Iowa this year with Steve's family, meaning this was the first year that I wasn't with mine. More on that later.

 

 

 

After my sister's wedding (which I never blogged about, did I?), I had an extra day at home in NH, to relax. There is an antique shop downtown that I love, and try to pop into each time I am home. Steve and I went in Sunday afternoon. I spotted these, and my heart stopped-

 

Chiko and Elena.

 

 



 

My grandmother has a set of these prints on her wall, and has had them forever. She and my grandfather received them as a wedding gift more than 60 years ago. Apparently in the 40's, these were very fashionable, and the "in" thing to have. She has always loved them. In their house, they hung at the bottom of the staircase, and as a little girl, my mother would sit on the bottom of the stairs and talk to them.

 

 

A few years ago, my mother found a set at an antique shop and bought them for herself, and my aunt has a set as well. When I saw them, I think they were marked $12 each. I took this photo, but never bought them. A few days later, I saw the photo again, and wished that I had bought them. I tweeted and instagrammed about them too, and people said to call the store and see if they were still there. I emailed my mother and asked her to stop by and grab them for me. She replied saying that she went to look, but they were gone. Sadface.

 

 

 

This afternoon, after spending the day in yoga pants watching a Law and Order: SVU marathon (Steve and I got back at 2am last night!), we opened a few gifts that my parents sent to us. In doing so, I found this-

 

 

 

Chiko and Elena!

Yes, the very ones. As it turned out, my mother went down to that antique shop the very next day to get them for me, and I couldn't be happier about it.

Now I just need to find the perfect place for them to live in the house!

What was your best gift this year?


Hope you had a most happy Christmas and New Years!

 

 

 

 



ettiquette?

As I mentioned, my sister is engaged and planning her wedding for this November. She and Scott, her fiance, are working on registries. They had set one up at Macy's, and then found that several things had been discontinued, so over the weekend, they went to work on them.

Here's the situation-

They went to Bed Bath and Beyond to do a registry there, and before, she checked the Macy's list to see which items were still needed, and also which things should be deleted from

Macy's and add to BBB, based on price.

Side note- apparently Macy's has an app that emails you everytime someone buys from your registry?! How awful, I think!

Meanwhile, the Macy's app showed that someone bought the set of everyday glasses and the silverware that they registered for. Apparently the buyer in question is the best friend of my sister's best friend's sister (does that make sense?). So, Bethany's best friend is A, A's sister is B, and B's best friend is C, who bought these two things from the registry.

Bethany, of course, knows C, and they are friendly, but they are certainly not friends. C was at A's wedding, and we all saw her then, but that was the last time, and that was almost three years ago. Bethany and C certainly don't talk often, maybe the occasional facebook note, but nothing more. We can't imagine that C would think she would be invited to the wedding. Bethany has sent out save the dates, but C didn't get one, obviously, and they were sent out a month ago, and mentioned on facebook, so C would likely have seen that post, knowing they had gone out and then she didn't receive one at the time, or since!

It just seems so strange that C would buy Bethany a gift, and buy two things, at that.  Bethany said that she was planning to delete that silverware, as she later learned that it isn't great quality and out mother suggested something nicer. So, they added a different set.

Now Bethany is feeling weird that C bought them stuff, and isn't sure what to do. Should they return them? She doesn't think that she can ask A or B about it, because it is an awkward situation.

It just seems to be really strange to both of us!

Have you ever been in a similar situation? What would you do if you were Bethany? Is this the strangest thing you've ever heard????



here comes the bride

No, it's not me.

My sister is engaged, and has been since late January, and yes, I am just now talking about it. I'll be 100% honest. Of course, I was thrilled for her, but I did not have the best reaction to her news. Here's the thing. She's my younger sister, by four years. Steve and I have been together for longer than she's known her fiance. I think it is perfectly natural for the older sister to feel like she should get married first, right? Right.

I had a few days of misery, and then I got over it. Something in my head snapped, and I realized that I was being ridiculous, and then I was happy for her. Really happy. She's happy, and that is what matters the most, right? Right.

As I said to her, this means that when I get married, she will have to be the matron of honor, which sounds much older and fuddy-duddy ish than maid of honor, I think ;)

Right, so as maid of honor, I have to plan the shower and bachelorette, among other things. She lives outside of Boston, and the wedding is in New Hampshire, the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend. She has her dress, and we've also selected bridesmaid dresses, which are from Alfred Angelo. They'll be navy blue.

I've come up with an idea for the theme for her shower, which I think will be really terrific. My mother loves it too. I've decided that it will remain a secret from her, and I'm going to see about keeping the date of the shower a date too, if possible! That date is not determined yet. Since I'm in DC, and she's in Boston, that could be a bit trickier, but we will see if I can pull that off.

I did manage one surprise already though!

The weekend of President's Day weekend, in February, she and my mother planned to go dress shopping. She asked me if I could come home for the weekend and go with them, but I had a baby shower that Saturday, so I couldn't. About a week before, I realized that weekend was actually Presidents Day, so I had Monday off from work, and they were planning to go shopping on Sunday. Ding ding ding! I had also just gotten my tax refund, so had some extra cash, and booked a flight home. I told my father, but nobody else. I flew in early Sunday morning and rented a car. As I pulled into my parents driveway, my mother was putting something into her car, and just looked up at me in shock. I parked the car, and explained what had happened, and she was so happy. We went to pick up my grandmother, who was also shocked. Then we drove to the bridal shop, where we told the saleswoman what was going on, and she loved it. I hid behind a rack of dresses, as we heard Bethany coming in. She came in, hugged my mother, grandmother and aunt, who was also there, and then they all began talking about what sort of dress she was looking for, and things she didn't want. I then jumped out, holding a really awful looking dress, and said "what about this one?" She was SO shocked, it was really great. I'll never forget the look on her face when she saw me!

So! She has a dress, we have dresses. She has a date and location set. Bridesmaids are selected. I have a date with one of them next week- she lives here in DC too, so we are getting together to talk ideas, which will be great. One of the bridesmaids is also getting married this fall- she is marrying Bethany's fiance's twin brother. Does that make sense?

So, now I am considering dates for the shower, and debating if the bachelorette should be the same weekend. In theory, yes, since most people will already be there (the shower will be in NH too), and I don't want people to have to travel too many times. Trying to keep people's budgets in mind isn't easy, but it isn't as though mine is limitless either!

So, what about you? Did your younger sister get married before you, and how did you deal with it? Am I awful for not screaming with joy when she called me with the news, even though I came around a few days later? Any tips for me?

baby quilt- a February finish!

Did you watch the Super Bowl last night? As a native of New England, I suppose I should cheer for the Patriots, but I'm not the biggest football fan out there. Steve and I watched, but I will admit, we were both more invested in the commercials! I loved the M&Ms and the Doritos, and the polar bears with the Coca-Cola. So fun.

I was tweeting during the game (are you following me @lexilooo?), drinking prosecco, and at the same time, I finished a baby quilt! This is a quilt that I began several months ago with the DC Modern Quilt Guild, as we did a charity event. We made a number of baby quilts and then donated them to a local organization that helps low income mothers with their new babies. At that time, I was a bit overwhelmed and overextended, and didn't finish this one in time to donate, so I donated another quilt that hadn't found a home yet. Now that this one is finished, I need to find it a home too!

I do love the idea of charity quilting, and really want to do more, as I get a bit better with each quilt that I finish. I'm still not always comfortable with the things that I do, and I feel as though I am very cautious with my quilting, but that isn't a bad thing, right? There are so many great organizations out there to support mothers and babies, and I want to find one that I really love and support them by sending them quilts. Four quilts a year seems like a good starting point, I think...so in the next eleven months, I need to finish three more baby quilts and then I will donate them. If I do more than four, even better!

Right now, I am working on another baby quilt, though this one has a home. A friend of mine is expecting her first, a boy, in April, and her shower is in two weeks! I am out of town this coming weekend, on a work trip to Atlanta, so I need to finish it quickly! I really love the fabric that I am using, and of course, will post pictures when I finish!

What about you? Have you made anything recently? Did you watch the Super Bowl? What commercial was your favorite? Who was your team?

the best boys

I was home this past weekend to meet my best friend's new baby, Owen, who just so happens to be the younger brother of my godson Jackson. Sunday was his baptism day!

I asked Jackson if I could take Owen back to DC with me, and he said that I couldn't, because "Owen is his favorite person in the world and he'd miss him too much if he was gone."

I melted.

Love those boys!

ultra what?

Something to ponder.

I have a friend who recently found out that she and her huband are expecting their first child next spring, and of course, they are beyond thrilled. Her mother is over the moon, as it is her first grandchild, and she's been wanting to be a grandmother since they were married three years ago. I've met her mother many times, and she's really terrific.

I noticed on her mother's facebook status last night that she booked a flight to come visit next month, so she can be here for their 3d ultrasound, when they find out the baby's gender, among other things. I was a bit confused by that, to be honest. I can imagine how excited she is, but I think that would be such an intimate moment for a husband and wife, and I can't imagine wanting to share that with anyone else but my spouse.

Am I alone here? If you found out your baby's gender before he/she was born, was anyone else in the room with you? If you don't have babies yet, would you want anyone else there?

a feeling of longing

Last night, I was watching Survivor, as I always do on Wednesday evening (addicted, I admit it!), when I checked facebook (another frequent occurence). I find it somewhat difficult to keep up with people sometimes, as the "feed" on facebook seems to operate in such a strange way. Random people that I should probably delete from facebook are always popping up, but then two weeks will go by and I don't see a peep from my sister, but then going to her page, I'll see all sorts of things that I somehow missed.

I saw a status update from a good friend's mother (and good family friend as well) and saw that my mother commented, and I noticed at first because she wrote "lexi" in her note. I clicked on her page, and saw a list of, quite literally, about 75 replies, all coming from my mother, my sister and her two daughters, who are very close friends of my sister and I. D and my mother are good friends- D's two daughters, K and K, are each a year older than my sister and I, and all are close family friends, as I said. We all grew up together, spending holidays, birthdays and everything in between together. Some of my best memories involve these ladies. I can't remember what D's original status was, but somehow it turned into a conversation about the six of us all getting together for a weekend. D, K and K are all in my hometown, where my parents still live. My sister (B) is in Boston, and I am way down here, in Washington, DC.

Alone.

Not alone, but not that close to them and I was suddenly hit with an overwhelming sense of homesickness, so much that I spent the next hour trying to convince Steve that we should move to Boston (for reference, Boston is about an hour and a half from my hometown in NH).

Steve, not surprisingly, is not terribly on board with the idea.

For as much of me that wants to move closer to my family in NH, the same part of him wants to move closer to his family in Iowa. It really makes me sad sometimes, to know that my children will never be close to their grandparents the way I was growing up. Both sets of mine lived in my hometown and they were (are) a huge part of my life. This isn't something new, but something that I've struggled with for the entire time I've lived here in DC. Of course, I knew this moving here, but perhaps part of me didn't think I'd stay here as long as I have. Part of me thought I might move back after a few years. I just wish that I could easily hop in a car and drive home for a weekend, or even an afternoon.

Saudade, or saudades (plural), is a Portuguese language word difficult to translate adequately, which describes a deep emotional state of nostalgic longing for something or someone that one was fond of and which is lost. It often carries a fatalist tone and a repressed knowledge that the object of longing might really never return.

(the painting shown above was on the wiki page...I really like the painting and wouldn't mind a copy of it....)

Where did you grow up and do you live nearby there now? What do you do when you are feeling homesick?

why the secrecy?

Last night, I got a facebook message from one of my oldest and dearest friends. It seems that she had stumbled upon this little blog of mine and wanted to let me know that she'd been reading for about a month now. She asked why I hadn't mentioned it, why it was a secret. I explained a bit, just saying how I like my little corner of the world where most of my "real life" friends don't know. It's not as though I write anything inappropriate in here- I think this blog is pretty G-rated, wouldn't you agree? :) Still though, she understood my reasonings, she said.


It's funny, because she also blogs, and I comment on hers, though when I comment, I comment anonymously and write "love, lexilooo" in the space, as her mother and sister read hers, and they are also close family friends. I think my mother reads hers sometimes too, though my mother isn't much of a blog person to begin with. She says that she "doesn't get blogs."


We were messaging back and forth for a bit, and I said that maybe one day I'd make it "public," and tell my family about it. Then she asked if my mother would be upset that I'd kept it from her for so long, which made me think a bit.

Is your blog public or private? Does your family and friends know about it? If so, what was their reaction? If it is private, what made you decide to blog that way, and do you plan to eventually tell people about it? What do you think they will think of it?

sparkle all the way!

This weekend, I am heading home to NH to go on a quilt retreat with my mother! Feel free to giggle, my sister has been calling me Grandma since she heard the news! It is at a resort up in the White Mountains and we are staying in a cabin with two other friends who are going! I don't know what we are making- it is a mystery quilt! I know that it will finish to be 58" x 58," which is a good size. For supplies, we were asked to bring about one yard of our "focus fabric" and then 2 1/2 inch strips that match. I went to the fat quarter shop, a great online shop and found these-

It is from a line called Sparkle All the Way and the designer is Robert Kaufman. The poinsettias on the bottom is my focus fabric, and I am using the pre-cut strips to go along with it! I am hoping to be able to finish this weekend, but we'll see! I may do a little post here and there with my progress, as I can blog from my iphone, but we'll see! If you don't follow me on twitter, feel free to, as I will likely post pics there too!

a cozy new quilt!

My mother made this gorgeous quilt for me!

It is using a type of fabrics called batiks. I've never used batiks, but from what I understand, people either love them or hate them!

It's also quite big, as you can see.

She showed it at a quilt show this past weekend, in NH. I wish I could have gone home to see it there, along with all of the others!

I can't wait until it is on my bed!

In related news, I am finished with the baby quilt that I made for my friend! I will post pictures of it later this week. I am pleased with it, despite the mistakes :)

oh baby baby!

I found out last night that my friend Klaudia had her baby yesterday morning!

Hurrah!

Klaudia is a good friend from high school (her name is actually spelled with a C, but I spell it with a K...long story and joke between us, maybe I will tell the story some day, as it is amusing!).

She and her husband Sam live in Wisconsin and were married three years ago.

I'm working on a baby quilt for her, I will have to speed it up!

Once it is finished, I will post a picture, of course.

Welcome to the world, Sabrina Rose :)

a heavy heart

I don't know if you saw the news yesterday, but cnn, along with many others covered it. Outside of Seattle, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter went down, taking the lives of three crew members and injuring a fourth.

One of those crew members was married to an old school friend of mine. They have three young children; ages 8, 6 and 2.

My heart breaks for them; I cannot even fathom what they are going through right now, what she is telling her babies about where their father is.

Coincidentally, earlier this week, she had flown home with the babies, to spend time with their families in New England, so I know she has the comfort of her loved ones when she needs them the most. She is in my thoughts and prayers.

Tonight, hug your husband/wife/son/daughter just a little closer and tell them how much you love them. Hearing someone say that they love you never gets old and you really can't say it enough.

how charming

Beth over at Social Climbers recently posted about charm bracelets, and it got me thinking about my own charm bracelet. When I was younger, my Meme gave me her own charm bracelet from her younger days, and gave me my own, adding charms to it as the years went on. It has been living in my jewelry box, rarely seeing the light of day, until now.



This bracelet was my Meme's-




It includes a few charms that my aunt gave her in the early 1970's for Christmas, as well as charms from trips she took to Louisiana and Florida as a young girl, among others. Those older charms don't have dates!


Here is my charm bracelet-



It includes charms from my First Communion, from a Christmas or two, my 13th birthday, my middle school graduation (1994!), a sand dollar, a horse shoe and a small silver pig, from my days when I was really into collecting pigs.


I also found these two, which were never attached, for some reason-



From my sweet 16 in 1996 and my Confirmation, also in 1996.



I remember how exciting it was to get a new charm. We'd take it downtown to the local jeweler, who would attach it for me and then polish it up so it sparkled and shone in the afternoon sun. Walking out of the jewelers with the bracelet tinkling on my wrist, I always felt like such a fancy, grown-up lady.


I also found this, a loop to be worn on a chain to hold charms. Meme bought this when we realized that the bracelet was about full (maybe that is why the other two were never added?). This one includes a field hockey stick (I played in high school) and a charm for my high school graduation in 1998.





Those are the last charms I have. My Meme was diagnosed with lung cancer when I was in college and passed away in July 2003 while I was in Poland. My father called me and told me that I needed to come home. I arrived at the hospital one night where Meme was asleep and surrounded by family. She never woke up. I'd like to think that she knew I was there, that she waited until I could get home. I wish I could hear the stories of her charms one more time.



Perhaps I should begin collecting charms again, after more than ten years, and add them to a new bracelet, something I could give to my own daughter one day. I think Meme might like that. Perhaps also, I should begin a similar tradition for a niece or god daughter, should I have one someday. Then they could one day give it to their daughters.



Did you have a charm bracelet? I'd love to see photos and hear its story.