a box of treasures

Yesterday, i got a treasure box in the mail.

my dad & his twin brother

This was our Christmas gift from my mom.  A huge pile of fabric, photos from past times, toys, and books.  It is such a wonderful gift - a mixture of new and old.  So many memories rediscovered. Rowan has really been enjoying all the photos of me as a little girl.  It's like she has just discovered that I existed before she was born.  It's very sweet watching her just stare at the pictures - I can only imagine what is going on inside that little mind of hers.  Yesterday, she took two of the photos, cut out my face and put it in this little mini photo album that she is now carrying around with her.  Heart melting. 

me when i was 4 or 5

The fabric will certainly make an appearance in future projects.  Most of the solids are hand-dyed and are so very soft.  The prints are eclectic...some I love while others I wouldn't likely choose on my own.  I like having different fabrics around to play with - especially when it comes to making art quilts. 

Rowan's part of the gift were a set of My Little Pony's that belonged to my sister and I when we were kids.  She loves these ponies and was very excited to see that they came with outfits she can dress them in.  She puts them to bed, signs to them, tells them stories, dresses them, and brings them for walks.  She usually isn't very interested in dolls, stuffed animals, or similar toys so it's a bit of a surprise to see her playing like this.  I think she likes that they used to be mine.  She keeps asking "did you do this with them when you were a little girl mama?"

I also love the reuse-reclaim nature of this gift.  The fabric was just sitting around her house collecting dust.  The toys were sitting in a closet taking up space.  The photos were stuffed into a drawer in their hutch.  I'd look through them every time I came home though it always overwhelmed me to choose a few to take with me. Most of all, I love the memories & love that were packed in this box.