A Note From Lisa–
Fall is my favorite time of year. Crisp nights, warm fires, family games, and comfort food!
To be honest, I was never much of a Halloween person. Of course, when our children were little, my husband Tony and I would dress up with them, often in coordinating themes, or outfits.
Tony was the biggest kid of all! One of his favorite costumes was his Sylvester the cat onesie… let’s just say with all that “fur,” he was always warm and cozy while running around with the kids!
One year we dressed the kids as characters from the Wizard of Oz. My mom thought with her “sewing skills” and my creativity that we could make the costumes for the kids, Dorothy, Glenda, and the Lion. We started the project in September to give ourselves plenty of time.
Long story short, a couple of days before Halloween, I was at my tailor’s begging for her to squeeze me in to finish the kids’ costumes in time for trick or treating!
Thanksgiving always reminds me of Stella. Thanksgiving was her favorite holiday, and she hosted the family every year. She had custom toppers made to extend her dining room table, and she moved it diagonally so that we could seat 26 people at one long table.
She lovingly ironed linens, placed polished silver, beautiful china dishes, and crystal at each place setting. She taught me how to build beautiful centerpieces out of sugared fruits using crab apples, grapes, and mandarins. It was an event that was weeks in the making, and as I am sure many of you reading this will agree, the day itself is over in a wink.
Stella was a big collector of china teacups. I believe it started when her sons would gift her with a beautiful teacup and saucer for her birthday every year. Over the years, she had assembled a very special, eclectic, and unique collection of fine china teacups and saucers.
The first year I spent Thanksgiving with Tony’s family, he and I stayed late to finish all the dishes for his mom. Everyone had gone home or was already sleeping upstairs. As tony washed and I dried, he told me stories and memories of each teacup, pointing to details in the designs, recalling his mom’s reactions. I will always cherish that moment, and I intend to use those teacups again one day, perhaps at the wedding or baby shower of one of Stella’s granddaughters.
The holidays are for making memories, I hope you make some of your best this season!