Hello again!

If you’re like me, you’re longing for cooler days!  Bring ‘em on!

While I share some of this week’s wonderful home decor that just arrived, I’ll take you on a stroll down memory lane.  I’d bet that many of you have similar stories and I’d love to hear about them!

As I approach my October birthday, I never forget about sweltering in my childhood birthday outfit, that I couldn’t wait to wear on that important day.  You see, I was the middle of five delightful children and money didn’t grow on trees.  It was usually one new outfit for the school year.  Are you in tears yet!?

In fact, back then, I wore hand-me-downs from my oldest sister (8 years my senior) and my next oldest sister, (5 years older).  So you can imagine, I was on the cutting edge of fashion at all times! And in seventh grade, wanting to fit in was everything, I was never too good at accomplishing. It might explain why buying lots and lots of clothes for the shop comes so easily for me! 🙂

Forgive me if I’ve shared this story before, but as you can see, I’ll never forget those years!  Not only did I get to wear my older sister’s clothes, but my mother and her three sisters would send their kids’ clothes that they’d outgrown, around the country, for all of us to enjoy!

But wait!  There’s more!  My mother was a pretty skilled seamstress, back in the day.  If I had been more outspoken, I would have asked her to put a lining in the red and black buffalo plaid wool skirts she made for both of my older sisters.  Yes, I wore a slip, but even so, I was squirming in those two skirts.  Itchy beyond all itchy!  (We won’t talk about the hair cuts my older sister gave me, or the time mom left the permanent solution on my hair too long!)

The beautiful thing, that you might have already picked up on, was that she made not one, but two of those skirts!  So, they stayed with me for quite a few years.  When I grew out of one, there was yet another, waiting in the wings, to impress my fellow fashionista’s at school with!

Never the less, as you probably know, October isn’t the time to wear your new winter outfit; knit sweaters and herringbone wool skirts…especially in public school, with no A/C!

Finally, in my last two years of high school, clothing requirements started to relax and girls were allowed to wear pants!  Holy smokes!  But dear dad wanted me to dress like a lady and said “no” to pants!  Being the rebel, I started to sneak pants out with me, so I could change at school.  It’s a wonder I didn’t end up in juvenile hall!

Well, there you have it!  If I had just been the oldest, I would have been spared from most of these experiences…but then, I’d be 8 years older!

Thankfully, I survived and I’m sure it contributed to the practical person I am today. By many standards around the world today, I was very lucky!  And I can’t imagine feeding and clothing 5 kids, let alone everything else that comes with raising kids!

I hope you have a wonderful day and that cool breezes find you!