The Shadowbox

My maternal grandparents were very special to me.  When I was a little girl, my grandmother would babysit my bother, sister, and I while my mother worked and went to college.  She ruled with an iron fist but could be a lot of fun.  She loved to grow flowers and could cook like no one else.  I remember making many trips to her kitchen as an adult (after a quick kiss on her cheek) to fix a plate of whatever yummy goodness she had on the stove.  (I was named after her.)

My grandfather worked for the Railroad and loved horses, growing a garden, coloring in the Sunday paper, and life in general.

They always seemed like an odd couple to me.  He was so kind and gentle, and she ruled the house with a switch and serious tone.

As a child, the girls in our family would take road trips to Hodges Gardens, and Natchez, Mississippi.  On each trip, my grandmother would always take her blue Samsonite "overnight" bag.

When my grandmother passed away in 2008, I was devastated.  She had been in the nursing home for quite some time (my grandfather passed away several years before).  I lived in the next parish so I did not get to see her as much as I would have liked. After the funeral, my family had to make the dreaded trip to the nursing home to pick up her belongings.  When I spotted her blue Samsonite I immediately knew I had to take it home with me.  Over the years I would go through it from time to time and reminisce over the different items inside.

One item was a small birthday book she always kept on the end table beside her chair.  She had it for as long as I could remember.  It had a cute little case which had began to fall apart years ago.  Not bearing to get rid of her precious book of scriptures and every birthday in the family, she covered it with floral contact paper.

Another item she kept close to her chair was a pair of scissors in a case marked BB,  She was an avid seamstress, quilter, and crocheter so it made sense that she have the scissors within reach.

The brooch she wore from time to time but not a favorite; but it was hers just the same

The watch belonged to my grandfather and the pearls (though fake) were loaned to me by my grandmother to represent "something borrowed".

Last month I was fortunate to find several old windows at Canton, Texas First Monday Trade Days.  I had seen various shadow boxes with doilies and lace and thought it would be a handsome addition to my PINK room.  It wasn't until I started playing with various items that I realized it was time to take the items out of the Samsonite and put them out for everyone to enjoy.

I hope my grandmother would be proud with how it turned out.

I have added a few instructions on the tab listed "shadowbox".