In honor of Mother’s Day, I decided it would be fun to take you on a tour of our home and show you the many treasures Andrew and I have accumulated that are special memories of our moms (and grandmas). He and I were blessed with wonderful loving mothers and grandmothers and have so much to be thankful for!
Let’s start with my side of the family. I was blessed with THREE grandmothers, yes, three. My Mimi (my mom’s mom), my MawMaw (my dad’s mom) and my Mom-O (my mom’s godmother) who we happily claim as not only family, but as a grandmother. I was also blessed to get to meet and spend years enjoying three great-grandmothers-Nana (my MawMaw’s mom), Granny (Mom-O’s mom), and Grandma Katie (my dad’s grandmother on his father’s side). While I never got to meet Mamaw (Mimi’s mom), I grew up hearing my mom and Mimi’s stories about her and I know I would have loved her.
Up first, let’s talk about Mamaw and her wonderful artistic talents. Like I mentioned, I never got to meet this beautiful lady, but I spent my childhood seeing her works of art on display at Mimi’s house and our own and wishing I could paint and sketch like she could. Here are just a few of her pieces we have at our home. She could paint almost anything, from flowers to homes, to my Mimi’s favorite…a bull fighter. She painted and glazed by hand the plates in her home that add a touch of color to my china cabinet!
Up next, my Mimi! My Mimi was probably one of my favorite people in the whole world. She was so full of life and laughter and was loved by everyone she met. When she went home to be with Jesus two years ago, I felt like those of us left here on earth had lost a true angel. I love this story that I get to tell you about the pieces I have of Mimi’s–about 10 years ago, we helped her downsize into a smaller home. She and I sat in her living room floor for hours carefully wrapping her wedding china up to be boxed away. Boxed away for what you ask? For me! She wanted us to put it in storage so that I could have it when I had a home of my own. It was so special spending those hours with her, but not as special as it was for me to get to unwrap those dainty plates after all those years. I proudly display her china in my china cabinet and smile each time I see it!
Another thing about Mimi that I loved was her knack for always being the best dressed no matter where she went. She had so many different types of costume jewelry, necklaces, earrings, bracelets…all matching sets of course. When she passed away, my mom and I went through her jewelry and pulled out the pieces we would wear ourselves (we both rarely wear costume jewelry) and were left with tons of beautiful things. I didn’t know what to do with it-these held so many memories for us. I decided to take apart the different pieces and use them to decorate a mirror! I love how it turned out and looks so cool hanging on our wall! It will be loved and used for many years.
Since we are talking about the china cabinet, I can show you the beautiful crystal collection of Mom-O’s that I have on display. Not many 22 year olds have the type of pieces I have on display, but thats only because when we downsized Mom-O and Pop-O (about 4 months back) they graciously gave Andrew and I most of their furniture for our new home. Mom-O also gave me her crystal collection…and let me tell you, its quite a collection. She spent years finding all the different pieces and they fit nicely in the cabinet with Mimi’s china.
My Granny was such a funny woman! She passed away when I was about 7 and Mom-O made sure I got her porcelain cat. It is a strange thing to give a 7 year old, but I can remember, plain as day, going to visit her at her house and always watching (and wanting to touch) this cat on its stool in front of the tv. I don’t know why I had a fascination with it, I have never been a cat person, but I just loved it! Now, it proudly sleeps on the top shelf in my living room.
My MawMaw is up next and she has a story similar to Granny’s. When I was little, she had this small glass bell with a flower attached to it that I loved. She tells the story that every time I went into or left her bedroom, I always had to ring the bell. Well this bell had been given to her and my PawPaw as a wedding gift when they got married at 18 years old (talk about YOUNG love)! It is so dainty and looked so perfect on her shelf. When Andrew and I got married in November, she wrapped it up and gave it to me! What a symbol of love it is! They have a marriage that I hope Andrew and I mirror someday!
The memories I have of my Nana are so vivid you’d think they happened yesterday. My Nana died when I was 4 but I remember so clearly putting on talent shows with my brother for her and my MawMaw, where I would sing and he would play the harmonica she had given him. She would stand me up on a stool and tie an apron around me and let me help her make cookies. I remember always using this hand crank device that was used to grind up brown sugar. The cup I have of hers I’m unsure of when or why I was given it. I don’t know if it was because of my love of teddy bears or what, but I always used it to store little things like buttons and coins growing up. It sits in my china cabinet with my other grandmother pieces.
I not only was blessed to be born into a fabulous family full of wonderful women, but I also married into a family very similar. Andrew was very lucky to have the women in his life that he did, and I’m thankful to them for molding him into the man he is today.
One of his absolute favorite things he owns is a hand-carved wood chess set that belonged to his great-grandmother. It is so intricate and decorative and I can’t imagine having been the person who spend days and weeks carving it! He had always loved getting it out and showing it off or using it to play, but now it sits on display (and for use) in our home.
I’ll end our “tour” with the heirloom we just recently got! A beautiful mirror/coat rack that had belonged to Andrew’s Moo (his dad’s mom). It had been used in her home and had spent the last few years inside Andrew’s parents’ home, but when we moved they graciously offered it to us. It looks wonderful inside our entry way…almost like it was made for the space. Like I said, we just recently got it, so I haven’t had time to really make it our own, but I know that this beauty will be used and loved for many years to come!
Do you have any family heirlooms in your home that help keep a memory alive for you?
Robin Lane Living 