Post Card Party for Mom, The Perfect Gift

So ... in the midst of my flea.o.logy flea market last week, my husband brought in the mail and handed me a post card ... it was an antique postcard from an old neighbor.  Shauna is awesome, and one of the most organized people I know, but probably the last person I know that I would think of as sentimental ... and the sweet vintage post card with birthday greetings for my 60th birthday was definitely sentimental.

 Then I remembered that Mr. Pollyanna had asked me where to find the wedding address list  a few weeks before ...  and yes, he caved and told me that 'more cards like that will be coming.'

 My clever daughter-in-law Nell, who is also my flea.o.logy business partner, had thought up a great idea for a party by mail! Something special for my 60th!
Nell had shared her brilliant idea with Brittany, my oldest daughter who lives in Idaho. Brittany got on line and found a lot of antique post cards on Ebay ... then she wrote a letter explaining the Post Card Party to my friends and family members. She and my daughter Emily, in Texas mailed the pre-addressed, pre-stamped post cards to my friends and family ...

Then lots of lots of fun postcards started arriving every day ... it was so fun to read the birthday greatings and to be reminded of fun memories.  I loved it.  I have run to the mailbox for years!  

Then, when I met my kids for lunch to celebrate my birthday I was presented with this adorable box that Nell had made to hold the cards ... now I have a birthday party in a box!  I love it.  Its made my birthday celebration last for a week!!  Thanks to my wonderful kids, they are all amazing! 

Service that Liberates Women

Last week, I had a wonderful opportunity to help women I will never know ... to bring a small measure of good into the lives of strangers, whose language I cannot understand.

This is a picture of a woman in Kenya.  It was taken by a group of women, serving other women in an organization called 'Days for Girls'.  The founder Ann Lewis, who had been to Africa on a humanitarian mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, wanted to find an on going way that she could help the beautiful people she had come to love during her time in Kenya.

In her prayerful consideration of what she could do to make a difference, she felt prompted to inquire of a friend she had made in Kenya ... she emailed  "What do you do to take care of your 'time of the month'," or some such question.

A whole layer of culture was uncovered.  She was told that young school age girls often stayed home from school during their 'time'.  That they would be confined to sitting in their huts on a piece of card board, until their 'time' was over.  This lead to the girls getting behind in school, and then dropping out.  Because they were 'done' with school, they were considered marriageable, at ages as young as 12 and 13.  One photo of  a high school age class we saw, showed about 40 boys and 4 girls.

Ann conceived a program, where women in the United States would sew reusable sanitary pads in the bright, and dark colors that the women looked favored.  The resulting pads would not show staining, and would become an emancipating factor in the lives of these girls and women.

 Melissa Clark, a cohort of Ann's, came with boxes and boxes of precut flannel to be sewn into folding pads. She is shown below explaining the process to a couple of women in my We Can service group, at our first Monday meeting.

 We all got busy, cutting, sewing, turning, ironing and top stitching colorful octagonal pads.

The finished pads are folded like this, and then inserted into special holders that the girls can also wash as needed.

 Melissa told us of the need for dark patterned flannel, (no people or animal patterns, she said) ... this organization also collects money to buy bolts of flannel, and other materials for the production of this wonderful liberating product.  It was definitely a 'feel good' morning ... and I am personally sold on this project.

If you are interested in helping out with the Days for Girls program, click here.  The program has expanded since its inception and now helps women all over the world, including some areas of the United States.

Shabby Chic Designs

 Dropped by my friend Andrea's house, of Queen B and Me fame this week...

This great sign is one she had picked up at flea.o.logy the day before, how fun is that?

 I loved this sweet vignette, I thought the lace hung behind the window was charming.

 I also loved the stenciling and jeweled handles on this pale blue shelf.

 She said she bought the naked shade frame at flea.o.logy last year ... love the lace and floral additions.  Andrea is such an awesome decorator!

... and the exposed brick in this corner is perfect, since I am trying to get my dear husband to agree to let me chip the plaster off on one wall in my bedroom.  I showed him this picture, and even got my oldest son to tell his Dad how  awesome exposed brick can be ... maybe we are making head way ... well I can always hope.

Thanks for coming along on this impromptu tour.