My mom and my grandma love baking Swedish pancakes, and whenever my grandma visits, the two of them chat and enjoy the sweet treats before waking me and my siblings for breakfast. By the time we join them, the house is filled with the smell of butter & jam.
I moved to college in New Orleans when I turned 18, and the experience with the wild&artistic city inspired an incredible sense of wanderlust: I wanted to see everything. In four years I changed my address 6 times: I studied abroad in Rome, spent a summer au-pairing in Milan, volunteered a year in Mexico, and then moved to Chicago for graduate school.
I associated home with the sound of my sister singing in the shower, my brother yelping loudly when he passed a new level on Halo (an XBOX game), and my parents giggling over inside jokes. Luckily, none of those things are associated with an address or a building, and so I was able to take my home on the road. Like a turtle, right?
But seriously, roommates singing in the shower reminded me of my sister, Caity. Dates laughing so loudly that soda spurted out their nose reminded me of my brother, Sam. I felt close to my mom anytime someone was able to make me feel calm.
My little sister is a kindergarten teacher in Phoenix, and she recently won her dream home in a housing lottery. What’s a housing lottery, you ask? It’s a special lottery that allows firemen, police-officers and teachers to buy a house in foreclosure at a huge discount It’s hard to imagine someone more deserving than my hardworking and kindhearted sister.
Anyway! Caity is moving this week, and I wanted to help make her new house feel like a home. I decided to make a make a floral wreath out of paper, and calligraph “home is wherever i’m with you” on the inside. You can see my project below, and maybe, just maybe, Caiters will send us a picture of the artwork hanging in her new home.
I started with a circle of paper as an outline for the wreath:
Made leaves out of colored paper:
Made the task a little easier with pre-made paper flowers:
And placed the entire wreath in a shadow-box frame:
That turned out beautifully! 🙂 And I love your perception of home… so helpful when moving around a lot!
yes.. you will have to share some of your tips with me sometime 🙂 even though i’m permanently in minneapolis, it’s hard having my family everywhere else.
Beautiful wreath! Its also important to make yourself feel like home where you live.
i know.. i wanted to make one for myself right after i finished 🙂 maybe next week!
This is so so cute! Well made!
Xx,
Zhenya
http://beingzhenya.com
thank you!
Even without knowing your sister, yes she really deserves the house! And wow, what a fortune! I hope the same thing lands on my feet. Hahaha
What you made is really gorgeous, miss. ❤
haha, thanks for the kind words — my sister really is the best 🙂
You truly have a gift for creativity through art 😉 And the story that you share about the true definition of home really does strike home. It makes sense of those times when a completely unrelated experience reminds me of a time in the past with family and friends. It is times and memories like this that bring a smile to my face, thank you 😉
anytime 🙂
I teach kindergarten in Tucson, AZ but before moving here I lived/went to elementary school in the Phoenix area, small world! Your gift to your sister is gorgeous.
interesting- i went to elementary&high school in avondale. we might have run into each other a few times 🙂
You are so crafty and artistic and thoughtful!
& you’re way too kind 🙂 thank you!
Weird but true..I heard that song on my ipod yesterday, and totally thought of you (I’m not sure why, but I did!)
um.. that’s kind of the nicest compliment ever. that was the last dance at our wedding 🙂
This explains those texts!
don’t tell caity!!
She was not happy that I told her to wait to read this post!
Ahh… She only needs to wait til Saturday 🙂
It came today (Thursday)!
You should sell those. Seriously, what a special gift. Congrats to your sister!
it would be fun — i have ideas for a lot of different designs. probably will just remain gifts for now 🙂 thanks though!
you are very lucky to have a mother and a grandmother who are both still living.
i know, i’m thankful for them every day 🙂 thanks for the reminder 🙂
your good karma must have rubbed off on your sister to help her win the new home.
your gift to her reminds me of a similar thing to do in a jewish home, that of putting a mezuzah on the doorposts.
oh no.. i think, if anything, my sister’s good karma rubs off on me. she’s the sweet one.
Luv swedish pancakes and try to make them as often as possible! Luv your weath and it’s great art and a fab house warming gift!
oh goodness, it never even occurred to me to make them on my own – they seem so delicate and complicated. might have to change that 🙂
Aw, the wreath is adorable, and I love the sentiment behind it. I’m sure your sister loves it!
I’ll find out soon- I’m hoping she will send a picture of it in her new home:)
Cute! ❤
Thanks 🙂
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