We are so excited to have been picked to be featured this week on the Etsy Lab Rats team’s Feature Friday!
Check out our interview!
Lab Rats ROCK!
♥MilandDil
Tag Archives: friendship
Golden
Some days are golden. The sun comes up and you feel as though the whole world is glowing. The first day of fall feels like that for me. Days will get cooler, although in the Chicago area we are still awaiting the arrival of Summer…
The trees here will begin their annual color extravaganza, the brilliant shades of crimson, auburn, scarlet, goldenrod, and more will drizzle down and crackle underneath your feet as you pass by. Fall means coming indoors more and enjoying warm apple cider and fresh baked pumpkin bread. It is the perfect time to dream about what is left of the year. To plan the holidays, without worrying about who can’t come, not getting the perfect gift, not having enough, because really you have what you need when you have your family nearby- whoever and however that is. You have every dream come true, and all those other parts were the illusions.
Yes, it can be fleeting and yes, family can be complicated. But I think some of us make it more complicated than it needs to be. Reach out, forge connections. Most times it is better to choose to be in relationship than to choose to be right.
Family may not be perfect, but the paradox is that family is perfect the way they are. Each of us trying to muddle through- get along, support each other as best we can. When we are loved, without exception or condition life is golden, and the world is glowing. Life with the real, true, supportive love of family is golden, just like the perfect autumn day.
Mil
Adventures
Tomorrow Dil and I are going on another adventure. We are going button hunting. As I write this images of camo outfits, hip waders and other hunting gear pop into my head. Of course we only need a GPS , or a map, and we’ll be on our way to a place that we think may have lots of buttons and elastic that might suit our needs. Then we’ll be meeting Dil’s Mom for lunch. She has been one of our biggest supporters and has been doing her own button hunting for us as well. As a “mil” one of the things I’d never thought about when my children were younger was what it would be like if and when they had their own family.
To be a part of Dil’s family, to share some family gatherings, to be in touch with Dil’s Mom from time to time and watch our friendship grow, this has been another windfall for me. This year has brought many losses to my life and yet there have been many moments to savor and celebrate. As thoughts of Summer turn to thoughts of Autumn, and harvest, I think of the richness of my life, the growth of my family and the fledgling business we are nurturing. I am grateful for the support, love and assistance of family and friends who have stepped up to help in so many ways, whether with donations of buttons, gifts of supplies, words of encouragement, or spreading the word about milanddil. Thanks to everyone who has joined us on our magnificent adventure.
Something Blue
Mil Here-
Today I received a gift of buttons, of friendship and of story. My friend C brought me buttons. “My Aunt was going to get rid of them anyway,” she said. But C, ever kind and thoughtful knows that we’ve started this business and so she gave them to me. With the buttons came a wonderful conversation about thrift, (when people didn’t need the shirt they cut off the buttons), about childhood recollections- playing with the buttons in the button jar, and about precious memories. C had set aside a number of buttons that were special to her, favorites that evoked memories that were pleasant. That recalled times that were happy, that remind C of a younger and stronger woman than her Aunt is now. C also brought a gift of bags in which to mail our bracelets out to you, our buyers, made buy her aunt. ” These are complementary, maybe if you like them in the future and your business is going well… look at the blue velvet. It’s soft.” And it was, soft and a soft blue, lovely and deep but not dark.
C took out the buttons that were dear to her and we looked at each one. Some were big, some little. Some had rhinestones, some of which were missing. C didn’t mind the missing stones. We admired the buttons and thought about how beautiful they’d be as a bracelet for her son’s upcoming wedding, two weeks away. A couple of the larger buttons have a soft shade of blue in them, just the shade of her dress. I mentioned to C that I had a special friend who could not come to my daughter’s wedding earlier this year. That friend had given me some buttons and I had fashioned them into a bracelet I’d worn to my daughter’s wedding. You cannot always bring everyone you love to the wedding, but you can take them with you, you can smile when you see the memories on your wrist. C’s bracelet, “Something Blue” is on our Flickr for you to view. Please enjoy. If you would like a custom bracelet, let us know.
Mil