Mimi: The Queen of DIY

When assigned this blog, I was somewhat at a loss of what to do. My interests are so vast, I couldn’t decide on just one to write about all semester long. However, at the time, I was a new to Pinterest (now a loyal follower) and was getting so many wonderful ideas about Do It Yourself projects. When I made the commitment, it also dawned on me. This would be a good way to stay connected to my grandmother, Mimi, who passed away this May. Losing her has effected me and the rest of my family incredibly, and this was an amazing way to stay close to her.

My Mimi was the Queen of a Do It Yourself Lifestyle. Whose cooking was out of this world, her crafting skills were impeccable, but most importantly her sewing skills were so beyond.

Eating at my grandparents house was always a treat... a very frequent treat. Mimi and Papa lived five minutes up the road from my house, and it was their main responsibility in life to not let my brother, sister, and I go hungry. And we aren’t talking microwaveable meals, we are talking about some of the best meals and baked goods imaginable. Mimi had three rules about eating at her house: She needed an accurate head count ahead of time, you were not allowed to ask what she was cooking (because it is rude of a guest to ask what is for dinner when they are invited over to someone else’s home for a meal), and you must be ON time- however, if you were late, she would always save you a plate... and a lecture on how impolite it was to be late.

My third birthday cake- Made by Mimi

My dress also Made by Mimi

Mimi’s crafting was always so special, and she was always so creative. I have two bulletin boards constructed by her, one of which is made out of wine corks. When I was born, Mimi took it upon herself to steal me for the day, and made sweatshirts for my parents and both my grandfathers with my footprints and handprints on them. She of course re-created this project with both my brother and sister. My dad still will wear those sweatshirts from time to time.

Mimi and Papa (Also known as Myra and Bill) at the beach in matchy matchy bathing suits made by Mimi

Mimi’s claim to fame, however, were her sewing skills. I do not believe there is an adjective grand enough to describe her talent in the department. As I have learned recently, her sewing skills developed out of nesscity. She was the oldest child in her family of three children, and her father passed away at the age of 40. Leaving my great-grandmother to raise my grandmother's younger brother and sister, who were significantly younger than my grandmother, on a teacher’s salary. Her need for an incredible wardrobe and the fact she had to get herself through college did not mesh well. So she began to make her own clothes. My great-aunt (Mimi’s sister) recalled her coming to visit with hand made creations for her, and thinking they were the most beautiful things she had ever worn.

My grandmother’s talent developed so much, she went on to win awards for her sewing skills. However, her most impressive seamstress accomplishments, to me, were the two wedding dresses she created, completely on her own; hers and my mother’s. Both dresses are both simply beautiful, and look professionally done. Both have intricate beading. My grandmother’s dress was more on the modest side. Champagne in color, tea length, with quarter length sleeves, and a beautiful beaded band around the center. My mother’s dress, was more traditional and extravagant. A long, floor length skirt, with beautifully puffy sleeves (my mom got married in 1986), cream in color. As the story goes, my mother had envisioned a traditional, but simple gown, which my grandmother ultimately agreed to. However, my grandmother came down with a flu 2 weeks before the wedding, and ended up beading the entire bodice. Of course, it turned out to be a stunning wedding gown.

My wardrobe, from the day I was born until I was about 6 was pretty much exclusively Mimi-made. As a young child, I had a very hard time understanding the uniqueness of my wardrobe, but it wasn’t long into my young adult life I realized how special it was that my grandmother handmade all of my clothes. Truly beautiful clothes. My brother and sisters closets were very similar when they were young children, and more frequently than not, the three of us were in matching Mimi-made ensembles. I have ballet tu-tus, formals dresses, casual dresses, and everything in between made by my grandmother.

Mimi was an incredibly special and talented woman. My family speaks about her everyday, and ALL of our closets miss her immensely.

A [Not So] DIY Thanksgiving

With the holiday season in full swing, I have been thinking quite a lot about holiday traditions, and how different families celebrate each holiday.

For me, I have two vastly different families. My mother's family takes holiday time VERY seriously. From the food, to the decorations, to the seating arrangements, it is all very thought out and calculated, and all day from scratch (food, decor, etc.).

However, my dad's family is not like that at all. Where they have an array of other talents and skills, domesticity is not high up on that list. This past Thanksgiving, my brother, sister, dad, and Grandma (dad's mother) packed up in the car in Jacksonville, Fl. and made our way down to Miami where my dad's sister and family live. My brother, sister, and I love making trips to Miami. We are very close to our cousins, and it is always a really nice, warm time.

However, our Thanksgiving Day wasn't all that traditional. We spent the mid part of the day through the early evening wondering around South Beach and Lincoln Road, eating pizza, and enjoying each other's company. When we finally made it pack to my aunt's house, we began to unpack Thanksgiving dinner. That's right, you heard me... Unpack Thanksgiving Dinner. In the picture above, you will see my father (whom I adore more than anything in this world) and my aunt (who always makes me laugh) furiously unfoiling the entire Thanksgiving feast purchased, entirely, already made from Publix (the big grocery store in Florida). These two INCREDIBLY educated human beings (my dad an accountant, my aunt an attorney, and her husband, who isn't pictured, also an attorney) did not think they could put together a Thanksgiving meal by themselves. Our joke that evening was "Have you heard the one about the CPA and attorney who tried to make a Thanksgiving dinner..."

But when you think about, this is tradition in itself. My dad's family isn't the group to gather in the kitchen and cook while spending time with each other. They are... we are, the more get up and go do something type of people, and it was a delicious Thanksgiving!