Tuesday Treasure with maybe a hint of Made of Monday

Just over a week until Thanksgiving. Just a two days until my folks get here, and then the next day we are off!

The sound track of Thanksgiving travel is running through my head:

Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house we go…

On the road again….

Oh there’s no place like home for the holidays….Pennsylvania and some homemade pumpkin pie…

But then home is here – not there. Oh, there are things about there that are home – the people, the food, the time together, and the sense of heritage. I find myself walking a fine line between here and there.  The older I get the less connection I have to the place, though the connections to the people don’t dwindle, or at least the desire for the connection.

I love my family, but for nearly 25 years we have lived some place far away. Not some insurmountable distance, but far enough that daily life goes on. Other family moves. Kids grow up. Life happens. I am so thankful for all the technology that has continued to keep us connected so much better than long distance telephone calls and handwritten letters!

This week’s Tuesday Treasure is called On going Home. It is all about the things that come to mind as we prepare to journey to the “homeland”. 

• ·         The pumpkin pie and sled from the songs we would sing on the way.
• ·         The Steeler’s paraphernalia that gets packed and worn with pride while we are there among fellow fans.
• ·         Tokens of the travel- Construction barrels that litter the turnpike!
• ·         Images of the places we will see along the way and visit while we are there.

If you are traveling this Thanksgiving, I pray for safe travels for you. If you will spend your time with family, I pray for peace and joy for you. If you find yourself far from home and without family, count yourself blessed! No, I pray for you, too!

Enjoy this weeks treasure!

Tuesday Treasures...Turkey!

Thanksgiving is two weeks away...I can not wrap my head around that - that and everything that has to happen before and then in the wake of our thanksgiving pilgrimage to visit family...Regardless if I am prepared mentally or otherwise Thanksgiving will arrive...and with it BIG FAT TURKEYS!

Grace has been signing all about those BIG FAT TURKEYS, as she learns songs for the school program. It makes me chuckle. I love it!

I love Thanksgiving. For years it was the big holiday for me - the time when we traveled to be with family, and family gathered together. Sometime, Christmas gifts were exchanged early. There were always crafts and shopping and TURKEY!

Okay so really my favorite part of Thanksgiving is the stuffing...but there is no stuffing without... Turkey...

So here it is...this weeks treasure is turkey in all its Thanksgiving grandness...

Enjoy!

Tuesday Treasures...32

So now that I am 32, I thought that 32 would make a great treasury...WRONG!

I really had to work hard to find things that had 32 in the description and appealed to me.

Oh it could have all been paintings or photographs or baby blankets...but i am made of so much more than that!

A few of this weeks listing were sort of pushing the 32...I included things that were 32 count or .32 or 3.2...or that were in a shop that had a listing that had 32 in the description...but 32 is what it is...

and so are Tuesday Treasures! Enjoy!

Tuesday Treasures - Patterns

Who doesn't love a good pattern! Oh, the possibilities...totally custom. The choices!

I love a pattern! I love the way a pattern gets my creative juices flowing.

A new pattern is a reason to rummage through all my supplies and find the perfect materials, or even better  a reason to shop!

And then there is the triumph of having it come together just like in the picture! Only better because its my choice of fabrics and details!

And then there is customizing the pattern - taking it to the next level...making adjustments for fitting, moving pockets, adding pockets, making it totally my own!

Oh, I love patterns!

I hope you enjoy today's treasury! And just as a note, my birthday is next week....I would love any of these patterns...well except the ones that involve knitting or crochet...I don't do that...yet!

Tuesday Treasure - My Dad!

Today is my dad’s birthday. He is a pretty amazing guy.

He is patient. He is kind. He can make anything. He is always busy, but not like in a million different directions, just never still. He thinks with his hands the way people talk with their hands. He loves me. He loves my mom. He loves my kids. I think he might even love my husband.

My dad is today’s Tuesday Treasure.

The Etsy treasury is made up of things that my dad loves like burgers and pizza and cookies and Pittsburgh Steelers football.

There are also jigsaw puzzles and kites flying on the beach, model trains, and lots of other good things that make me think of my dad.

And electricity because he loves his job, too.

Happy Birthday Pops!

Tuesday Treasures – Trains

This weekend The Things I am Made of and a few friends will be at the Historical Appomattox Railroad Festival in Appomattox, Virginia. If you are in the area please stop by and check us out.  TIAMO will be joined by The Whimsical Peanut and Aubrianah Shannen Photography.

So today’s treasure is trains and not just because of the railroad festival…I can recall throughout my life a nearness to trains. I can remember walking across the train tracks to get to the river, nearly every time I was at my grandma’s house. The train tracks ran right behind one of my high school friend’s home. In college, I loved to take the train home from school, along the Potomac and through DC. My husband and I’s first house was not far from the Amtrak station and a busy train thoroughfare.

My dad is an avid model railroader, train collector. Only recently was I subjected to a train collectors’ convention – it was like my dad times a thousand only mostly older and mostly grumpier…mostly. Many of the guys there were like my dad – still a kid at heart. It is as much fun to find something new as it is to tear something old apart and see how it works.

My kids have taken to trains quickly, as well. There are train tracks right at the edge of campus, so we frequently see trains in our travels through town. Grace loves to count the cars and watch for cabooses.

Without further ado, today’s treasury….Trains!

In other TIAMO news…The blog has a new sponsor!  DMC – Dance and Music Creations, located in Wyndhurst, this fabulous studio is one of Grace’s favorite places! She is in her second year of dance and loving every minute.  They offer all sorts of dance classes – some even just for boys- zumba and music and voice lessons, as well. Be sure to check their link out!

Tuesday Treasures...Trucks!

Today’s treasure is sort of two-fold.

The treasure is officially TRUCKS – in honor of Touch aTruck this Saturday, which the kids and I will be attending. Let me just say that if you are in the Richmond area you should be sure to attend this gem of an event!

Which brings me to the second, unofficial treasure – those surprise moments that turn into lasting memories. The day that you thought was just going to be day and turned into magic! That is what Touch a Truck was for Grace and my folks last year.

We had seen an ad for it and it wasn’t very much to go. It was something for Grace and her Popsie and a chance for me and then teeny Jackson to get some rest and quite. I think the pictures speak for themselves, but they had a wonderful time and are so excited to go back this year and take Jackson!

I mean who doesn’t love trucks, right?

Enjoy the treasury!
And I hope to see you at Touch a Truck!

Tuesday Treasure – Books – and their characters

I recently read Little House on the Prairie to Grace. It was sad and scary and wonderful all at once. And I can’t help but smile when I hear her playing out scenes from the book. She wants a bonnet to let hang down her back like Laura, but she says she wants to be Mary because she is older.

We read a lot at our house. Nearly, constantly if Grace had her way.  At times it is hard to find things to read. We could read every picture book in the house ten times a day, so a while back we started reading chapter books.

We have read Little House on the Prairie, Charlotte’s Web, Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, Mary Poppins, Magician’s Nephew, and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. We have read most of the Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson Peter Pan series, as well.

Each new book brings a new set of playmates – imaginary ones for Grace to play with and make stories around. Each book adds new words (mostly good ones) to her vocabulary. Each book brings hours of questions.

So this week the Tuesday Treasury is things that call to mind some of our favorite literary characters. You will notice I included Anne of Green Gables – Grace has no interest in this book and it makes me sad, as it is my absolute favorite!

Enjoy!

Tuesday Treasures…

All of these things and then some will be in the shop soon!

Today’s treasure is Halloween…and since Halloween is my birthday all the great things in my Etsy Treasury have to do with both Halloween and  Birthday’s…even if it is just something I would like to get for my birthday!

I have started to put some Halloween things in my own Etsy shop, The Things I am Made of, but alas the weather has thwarted my attempts to finish up (start) photographing a few of the things. Please check back once the rain has past for newer photos. I will also try to get additional photos posted to Facebook, too!

As we head into this rainy Tuesday, enjoy a little spooky celebration and some Halloween Treasures!

Tuesday Treasures...

Tuesday Treasures

I am working on keeping my house clean, which for me means getting rid of a few things and making room for living. This is really hard for me. I see potential in so many things. (This is where my husband starts “coughing” hoarder loudly in my direction!)

 In my cleaning, I came across a treasure – an old wallpaper sample book. It came from the attic of the dear old lady my daughter got her nose from. I have had it sitting here for nearly 2 years – moving it from house to house, from house to storage and back to house.

My plan was to make cards with it, but as I started tearing it apart yesterday I had a friend and her baby on my mind and I was struck…I could make this wallpaper into bibs! Sounds a bit farfetched, I know, but the wallpaper is from 1978 at my best estimate and its all fabric backed and “scrubable” according to the book.

Another project added to the list, but it is one where I have the supplies on hand and will be making good use of something that would have otherwise been trash. Aren’t those some of the best projects?

There are a few pieces that really aren’t bib worthy…but would be great for any number of other things. I will be posting them over at the TIAMO etsy shop.

Be sure to check out the Tuesday Treasure Treasury, too.

Tuesday Treasures - Numbers Found

I had this big plan about this Tuesday's Treasures and then....(isn't that how the best stories start?)

We went for a walk in the neighborhood Sunday morning. Neither of the kids have been feeling very well and the weather was nice. So instead of infecting every kid at church with whatever it was they were fighting, we got some fresh air and family time.

We were headed back towards the house when I noticed these cool numbers in the road. At first, I thought someone might have dropped a set of magnetic numbers for a sign,  but the kids were fussy at this point and we were moving quickly. I wasn't going to take the time to explore.

I said sort of off-handedly to my husband," Those numbers were really cool!" He wanted to know what numbers, where, all the good details...and then he insisted I go back and look at them closer...(Isn't he a good husband?) And what I thought was maybe a handful of numbers was hundreds - and not just numbers, either!

There were two sets of words - "To Riser" and "Pedestal". "To Riser" isn't the coolest...but I can think of at least a dozen different ways to use "Pedestal" on a card!

I am pretty sure these number tags are remnants of the construction going on in the neighborhood, maybe from the pre-fab trusses and rafters they are using. No matter where they are from they are interesting and inspiring.

When my husband insisted that I pick them up and bring them home (not all of the hundreds, but some!) I knew it was a Tuesday Treasures find, and that an Etsy Treasury was a must, too!

Let me tell you, there are A LOT of numbers on Etsy. I tried to find ones that would stretch my creativity. Sometimes the best finds aren't the ones that meet an existing need, but that inspire and send your creative process down an unexpected path.

So today's treasure is numbers, specifically numbers found.

Think of those posters where they show the numbers and letters in butterfly wings.
Or the collages that "find" letters and numbers in every day objects.

My find wasn't quite like that, but it goes to show you just never know what you are going to come across on a walk....even in your own neighborhood!