Mother-in-Law

Today we just got back from my mother in laws house...she is quite the artistic one, and I have never really taken the time to tell her how much I appreciate her passions and love for her art. It means more to me since I have been blogging. Today was the best day we have had together in a long time. There is usually some kind of stress that gets into the way of having a very sweet time, and today there was nothing. She looks wonderful, and every inch of her home is filled with things that she has created. I had a lot of trouble rotating photos, so this is what it is, or else, I would not post tonight, and I try to stay committed at least most days. The darker photo is of her art room upstairs. She paints mostly there. The second picture is a photo of a gingerbread mold (girl and boy) that she has hanging in her kitchen. I told her I must borrow these around the holidays to make treats for Kayla and her friends. She told me that she bought it at a 'five and dime' when they first moved to this town. They are just an absolutely amazing size mold! I cannot wait! Here is also a picture of most of her fiesta ware, I say that because I went into the basement to get something and I saw boxes and boxes of the stuff. She found this shelf probably at a garage sale or thrift shop. Her ENTIRE house is furnished from a garage sale. She has always been a second hand shopper and I have to say, her years experience with this is more than anyone I have ever met. Each part of her home is sweetly decorated and has such a touch of art everywhere. There is also a picture where she has a small antique desk where she works on her laptop. When I got here, I began taking pictures of her place, complimenting her and telling her how much I have always appreciated her decorating skills. She has always given me gifts that have come from thrift stores and antique shops and I have treasured everything she has ever done for me. She does all of this without effort, with much confidence and such grace. She has given us the most beautiful oriental rugs, some that date as late as the 1800's....I told her about my new blogging stuff, and she was very interested. She told me she is going to a thrift shop on Saturday that is going out of business and that she wants me to go to check it out, everything is 50-75% off. I showed her my beginner beading stuff and she lit up, brought me upstairs, and showed me the boxes and boxes of stuff for children's beading that she picked up at a yard sale for my little girl. I couldn't believe it. Then she showed me the book she bought last week for learning how to bead, along with the lot of precious stones and jewlery that a friend of hers gave her. She showed me earrings that she bought for a quarter each that we took and tied a string around and I showed her how it would make the most beautiful necklace if we had a little leather rope. We had so much fun. It was wierd how we connected today. Like two little girls in a craft store. I made a necklace and two bracelets today, they aren't my favorites, but it is a learning process. The best part of the day was that we totally appreciated eachothers talents. And I told her about my creativity swap and she is very interested and excited about coming! I want to make more time with her, after today, I have really taken a step back to realize how much I appreciate that she does and that the things she loves, I do to.....