When I heard the heartbreaking news of a former coworker losing her 40 year old, only child, to stage 4 pancreatic cancer I knew immediately I had to create a wreath for my friend named Sandy. I worked with Sandy for over 13 years starting in 1985. Sandy loves gardening so I wanted to to make a wreath that she could possibly hang in a quiet spot in her garden. With a little bit of shipping supplies and a lot of love, this piece began coming together.
I’ve often seen these unique wrought iron and wood, angel wings at Hobby Lobby so that was my inspiration. Saturday I picked up two angel wings, along with a starfish and a wrought-iron ring holding three wooded seagulls inside. I plan to attach the angel wings to a huge grapevine wreath then add some soft pink flowers and finish it with the starfish and seagulls as the beach was her daughters most favorite thing. How sad must my friend be, missing her only child, wondering why and longing to hug her daughter just one more time. It’s my hope that this unique wreath will show my heat felt love and my sympathy.
The second Wreath Shoppe project is being donated to the Sunflower Galla, a fundraiser for Miss Holly’s House (a private Christian school that my friends little girls attend.) Rita approached me for donating a wreath this year, since last year’s wreath was a huge hit, bringing in over $150 at the auction. This is a special fund raiser as it would have been Miss Holly’s son’s birthday. Her son was killed in a farming accident when he fell into a full grain bin and suffocated before he could be rescued. His death came at an extremely hard time, because Miss Holly was close to opening her private school and her son was her number one supporter. Miss Holly somehow found the strength to finish the school in honor of her son.
This year’s wreath is a messy, rambling, spring event of the ever palest of pinks and the deepest of purples. It just goes to show how useful shipping supplies can be in putting together beautiful wreaths. Like many of my past Christmas decorations that were tweaked for a different look, this wreath was tweaked from hanging on my son and daughter in-laws front door last year. It was one of my all time favorite creations simply because of its wildflower look, and its rambling vines and twigs. The twigs were tweaked from a wedding event, so they were repurposed for the third time. I still remember gathering the twigs and spray painting them white, with no idea that they would end up on a donation wreath to Miss Holly.
This should catch you up on the latest projections at the Wreath Shoppe, until next time, may you enjoy life to its fullest and may you be blessed beyond anything you could fathom.
