Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today is my mom's birthday. She is one awesome lady and has pretty much taught me everything I know about how to live frugally and hunt down deals.

I can't believe that the most recent picture I have of us is from Christmas! I guess I need to take more pictures with people in them!
---
My mom and I love to get each other special presents that just scream, "us" we also love to wrap them up all pretty. I'm not usually a gift bag user, but when I found this mini reusable shopping bag at Whole Foods, I knew my mom would love it (she did!).



The Dick and Jane collages are just too cute! I filled the bag with boxes of tea (where do you think I learned my three cups a day tea habit?) wrapped in brown paper, because who doesn't love having something to unwrap?



because I am a nerd, I decided to make a card to match the Dick and Jane bag. A little google image search action and some editing later, and I came up with this:



Isn't coming up with a special present to give every bit as good as receiving one?
---
My mom has given me lots of special gifts over the years, but some of the best things she gave me weren't tangible items. In honor of her birthday, I thought I'd share some of the best home related things she's given me.

1. Joy in bargains - Family lore has it that during show and tell in Kindergarten, I proudly stood up and announced, "My Mommy went yardsale-ing on Saturday, and she bought me this sweater!" Clearly, I understood from and early age that bargain hunting is nothing to be ashamed of and should be celebrated. So thanks for taking me to yard sales and thrift stores and flea markets and teaching me that if you're meant to have it you'll find it some day at the right place, for the right price.

2. Room to develop my personal style - Thanks mom, for letting me display my antique bottle collection in my bedroom window (which happened to be on the front of the house) even though the look didn't really jive with the early colonial vibe of the rest of the house!

3. But not too much room! - Thanks for deciding that painting my room hot pink or lavender or bright blue would have been a bad idea. My Lisa Frank loving 12 year-old self would have been sick of those colors in less than two weeks! Of course now white is one of my favorite home decor colors, so I've come along way from middle school.

4. Time to create - Not every mom keeps a fully stocked craft room and is willing to let her kids make messes with bits of fabric, string, glitter, and glue. Thanks for letting me disappear into my room with the glue gun and beads, thanks for letting me build a newspaper geodesic dome in the middle of the living room, thanks for always exclaiming over every project, even if it didn't turn out as expected.

Happy Birthday Mom!

<3
Hattie

p.s. Don't forget to enter my giveaway, your odds are pretty good!