Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers to share family
history through old photographs.
This week’s Sepia Saturday prompt is a timely one: Valentines.
My family was never very sentimental when it came to saving greeting
cards or crafts made by children.
However, one Valentine card has survived. Maybe it was the beautiful artwork that
prompted my grandparents, Orvin and Lucille Davis, to put it in a special place
so that no harm would come to it. Surely
they believed future generations would want to see it.
Ordinary construction paper, a little glue, and gold
glitter – voila! A masterpiece! Small personalized hearts make this Valentine
truly one of a kind.
The poem inside tugs at the ol’ heartstrings.
Get in line!
I want you to be
My Valentine!
Wendy & Mary J.
Quite honestly, I probably plagiarized that little ditty
from a store-bought Valentine. However,
I added my own brand of creativity with those heavy-handed exclamation points emphasizing
the sincerity of my message.
I included Baby Sista’s name on the card. I’m sure she was much too young to make her
own Valentine, which dates this card 1961 or ’62. Truly vintage.
In keeping with family tradition, I have dutifully tossed
out all birthday and Mother’s Day cards as well as Valentines, even those from
my darling daughters. Save one. I don’t recall how old Daughter #2 was when
she selected this card, but she was obviously old enough to write a message and
creative enough to craft her own outline font.
So I would have thought she could have read the front of
the card.
I asked Mr. Guilty Party why he allowed that child to buy
this card. His response: “That’s what she picked out.” (I’m guessing it was the rainbow colors.)
Some day in the future, she will see this card again and
have a good chuckle.
Share the love this Valentine’s Day at Sepia Saturday.
©
2015, Wendy Mathias. All rights
reserved.
Fun post Wendy! Love the valentine card your daughter gave to you. That's cute, and very sweet too.
ReplyDeleteI know -- I'm sure Zoe thought a rainbow heart was the best card for her mommy, regardless of what it said.
Deletehahaha! Little did Zoe know that "the man of her dreams" statement would come back to her in the form of "boy of her dreams" when questioned by Adley!
ReplyDeleteGrandma knew a good card when she saw one. Glad she saved it!
Ha yeah
DeleteSo funny! Look at you...a SAVER!
ReplyDeleteSue at CollectInTexas Gal
I confess I do save SOME things.
DeleteTwo very special cards that you were right in preserving. Daughter #2's card is so adorable. The more I read about it, the more chuckles I had. In her defense, with the font and rainbow colors, maybe she just glanced at the front and thought the word, "Man" was "Mom." :) Too cute! Still chuckling.
ReplyDeleteMaybe that's it.
DeleteI hate having to throw out cards and every now and then I have a cull (after scanning of course). I’m so glad you saved this one from your daughter; I can see why she chose it.
ReplyDeleteScanning is a good idea. My habit became fully ingrained before scanning was invented.
DeleteI save immediate family cards in a scrapbook which serves as a kind of family history story - the cards advancing as the children grew up & began having families of their own. As to Mr. Guilty Party regarding the 'rainbow' card, it's hard for fathers to deny their daughters. Our 12 yr old daughter, on a shopping trip with her dad, decided she wanted a certain pair of earrings & so he bought them for her. When she walked in the door wearing them, I gaped! They were 4" long bright green helicopters with yellow blades. "What were you thinking?" I finally managed to blurt out. "She wanted them." came his shrugged response. But she did love them & wore them often & they've become a cherished part of our family history - Suz's helicopter earrings.
ReplyDeleteHelicopter earrings -- must be genetic. Suz sounds like she inherited your personality??
DeleteOh, well...maybe she thought it read, "To the Mom I Love"!
ReplyDeleteMaybe so.
DeleteMy family never saved cards either. The only valentines I remember are the ones we exchanged in grade school and the ones I made as an adult doing rubber stamping.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who makes cards - beautiful work.
DeleteRecycled valentines improve with time!
ReplyDeleteAnd one can never have enough exclamation marks!!!!!!
Now now. I must say that when I was teaching, I would not allow exclamation points in serious writing. Exclamation marks alone cannot get people excited -- word choice, that's the key. Surely my students appreciated this bit of wisdom. (insert eyeball roll)
DeleteWendy, I am surprised to discover you don't save cards. I love to send & save cards. Happy Heart Day!
ReplyDeleteThen I must send you a card.
DeleteThere is something special about home made cards from children and grandchildren. I have kept cards for many years in a box, but perhaps I too should mount them in a scrapbook as part of our family history.
ReplyDeleteYes, you should. My historical society was given a scrapbook of newspaper clippings and greeting cards that a local lady kept for over 50 years.
DeleteYour daughter's reasoning is quite sound: that's the card she wanted to give you. Simple as that! What a great piece of love that is!
ReplyDeleteOK, I get it. Yes, she loves her mommy.
Deleteah... it's lovely to have a card you once made for your grandparents, especially one covered in glitter!
ReplyDeleteYeah, and today I hate glitter. But what kid doesn't LOVE glitter? That was the ultimate craft supply.
DeleteSo precious and funny at the same time!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou said it! That's why I kept it.
DeleteVery sweet, and both well worth saving! Your daughter just wasn't bothered about what it said on the front, she just added her own message very neatly on the inside.
ReplyDeleteI know -- I appreciate that effort.
DeleteThat card from Zoe is hysterical and so sweet at the same time!
ReplyDelete