Beautiful Day!

My Grandmother Mary in her Sunday best taken in late 1920's.

Sunflower Jewels

Sorting through my Mom's jewelry boxes today, I found two beautiful earrings that inspired me to create a digital design. I took pictures of the earrings and used them as centers of the sunflower photos that I taken of a bouquet my husband gave me. The earrings belonged to my Aunt Mary Jane who traveled all over the world and collected a lot of pins, necklaces & earrings. When she died, my Mom got all of her jewelry.

Sunflowers

Photo is a part of a beautiful bouquet that my husband gave me. Miss you Mom.

Coffee & Bridge

My Mom use to serve appetizers on these metal rose motif tole trays when she played bridge. The oval shape coffee pot reminded me of the one my Mom had in the fifties. When I was 4 and 5 years old, I would accompany my Mom to other ladie's homes so she could play bridge. I loved going because it meant I could play with other little kids and eat all of the goodies.

At my Mom's wake this year, I met with two of the ladies that played bridge. They were in their eighties and I haven't seen them since the 1950's. Time goes by way too fast. I still remember exactly what their houses looked like.

Cookbook Memories

My Mom gave me the famous Better Homes & Garden cookbook for my wedding shower years ago. As a new bride back in the seventies, I memorized each recipe. The yellow bowl shown in the picture belonged to my Mom which she received as a wedding gift in 1949. I loved to bake growing up so this bowl got used quite a bit making chocolate chip cookies, banana bread and Christmas cookies.

A Long Time Ago

I have more fun layering & altering graphics & pictures that I have downloaded.
The background was first a picture of a teapot collection that I took, then I swirled and warped it using Photosuite that resulted in this picture that looks like a painting. I then added a photo of my brother & myself.

Wedding Topper

I found my parents wedding cake topper all wrapped up in my Mom's cedar chest in the basement. In addition were my brothers tiny cowboy boots from the fifties, dresses my Mom had sewn, tiny knitted booties and my Dad's Navy uniform.

Jewelry Treasures

When I was little I use to take out my Mom's black leather jewelry box from her dresser drawer and spread everything out on the living room carpet. Here are some of my favorite ones.

Wedding Day

My Mom & Dad's wedding day. So happy to start their life together.

**About Red Gingham Hearts**

Hello,

I'm Mary O'Rourke, owner of this new blog site called Red Gingham Hearts. I also own a gift basket business called Baskets On Occasion, Inc. for 16 years which involves a website basketsonoccasion.com and a retail store. I'm proud to say it has been a very successful business locally and nationally.

Why start a blog called Red Gingham Hearts one might ask? It's for my Mom who passed way suddenly in January 2008. She was a special lady and I miss her. She was my support and my best friend. That is a picture of my Mom & myself when I was two in the header that I designed. The other picture is my Mom holding a picture of her grandson Sean (my son), his wife and her great granddaughter Erin, ( my grandaughter). My Mom was so proud of her family!

My brother and I sold our childhood home of 55 years and I got 100's of every greeting card and photo that my Mom saved in her 81 years of life. I have done arts & crafts my whole life and have decided to paint again and create mix media using my families photos, greeting cards and whatever I can get my hands on. It's been good therapy in helping me deal with my Mom's loss.

My Mom loved to sew and as a child I had gingham dresses of various colors and my Mom had a red gingham apron with white hearts. I always remember that apron.

As I get more time, I hope to post my new art creations and anything else my camera comes upon. Here's to you Mom, Grandmom and Great Grandmom!