When my mother passed away, I inherited a large box of some of her Christmas decorations. After a few years of lugging this box in out and out of the attic and re-taping it each time, the box literally started falling apart.
So last year as I was getting ready to recycle the box, I cut out my Mother’s precious writing of “Christmas” from it and tucked the piece away in my hutch for an entire year.
I couldn’t wait to pull it out this year, because I knew I had plans for this cardboard piece. It also reminded me of this song, and the power that heirlooms can hold in a family. When Amy Grant sang this popular song years ago, my good friends Debbie Meador, Jane Houston and I also sang it at our Christmas service. Little did I know, a few years later, the impact of these words after I lost my mom to cancer.
Up in the attic
Down on my knees
Lifetimes of boxes
Timeless to me
Letters and photographs
Yellowed with years
Some bringing laughter
Some bringing tearsTime never changes
The memories, the faces Of loved ones, who bring to me
All that I come from
And all that I live for
And all that I’m going to be
My precious family
Is more than an heirloom to meWisemen and shepherds
Down on their knees
Bringing their treasures
To lay at His feet
Who was this wonder, baby yet king
Living and dying
He gave life to meTime never changes
The memory, the moment His love first pierced through me
Telling all that I come from
And all that I live for
And all that I’m going to be
My precious savior
Is more than an heirloom to meMy precious Jesus is more than an heirloom to me
(Sung by Amy Grant, here.)
My Mom, Millie, is very dear to my sisters’ and my heart, as we miss her very much. It’s very special how the memory of a loved one can live on through heirlooms, pictures, videos, letters, and even writing.
So this year, this is what I gave my sisters for Christmas.
I stenciled Mom’s writing of “Christmas” with a black Sharpie marker onto stencil paper.
Then I cut it and glued it onto a white glass plate.
I poured a high gloss finish onto the plate.
And used a hairdryer to get the bubbles out.
They are not perfect, but I think they turned out nice.
One for my sis Di, my sis Linda and me, with black plate stands to display and to keep Christmas alive, through our mom, in years to come, which hopefully we’ll pass down to our kids!
More than anything else, I’m thankful for my family at Christmastime. I feel blessed. Yes. Very blessed.
What have you done to preserve your special family heirlooms or memories?
(Thank you Kelli Novak, for the inspiration! You may also enjoy An Elegant Toga: Grandma’s Tablecloth, or a bit about sisterly love, or Can I please hold your hand? A Mother’s Day Gift. Above photo is my beautiful Mother and her mother, Grandma Dubs.)
I’m linking this post to Kimba’s DIY Day today, too! And adding to Nester’s Year End Party!
I love that idea! What an amazing way to always remember her! They look great too!
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so sweet, Sandy. Makes me think about what things my kids will cherish after I’m gone…
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Wow this is soooo special, I love it all. I love homemade gifts that are treasures of the heart! I will remember this for my mom! Merry Christmas Sandy!
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Oh Sandy – that is precious. What a wonderful idea to keep her legacy alive through her handwriting.
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Wow. I don’t know what to say. This is such a sweet and touching post. Sniff. Thank you sharing this wonderful idea with us.
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I love it. Thanks for sharing.
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Oh man, Sandy. This one got me. *hugs*
I lost my grandmother when I was 16, 2 days before Thanksgiving. I miss her (still!) every holiday season. That Christmas, about a month after we lost her, I got my very last and most precious gift from my grandmother…
a little furry jewelry box, her last note to me written in black marker on the bottom of the box… inside was her wedding ring.
I can only imagine how much you miss your mom. Those sweet memory token gifts like the one you made your sisters is so, so precious. What a thoughtful way to remember her.
I think of my grandmother when I see what has now become *my* wedding ring. And when the spoon collection she meant for me never made it to me, I found and fell in love with a spoon ring that warms my heart every time I wear it.
You are a sweet and special soul, Sandy. The world is better because you’re in it.
Merry Christmas.
Love,
Darcy
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I know it wasn’t easy to write this post, but I want to thank you for sharing this thoughtful idea Sandy.
I hope that you and your family have a wonderful Christmas together, and I know your sisters are going to cherish the gifts you made them forever!
Layla
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Sandy, this made me cry. What a wonderful wonderful idea. I’m sure your sisters will absolutely love their gift!
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What a wonderful idea, Sandy! I love it!!!
Merry Christmas to your whole, beautiful family.
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I absolutely love this idea! I’m excited to sort through some treasures from my dad, so that I can make something similar for my sister next Christmas. My dad had very distinctive writing and she’s going to love it. THANKS!
You are such a blessing! Have a wonderful Christmas!
Kristin
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Sandy, I can relate to every word you wrote.
I lost my Mom to cancer when I was only 32; she was 59. This year marked the “half my life” of losing her. I was 64. I have outlived my Mom.
I also inherited the family Christmas decorations and cherish each one. You came up with a wonderful idea when you made the Christmas plaques for your sisters. Those should be cherished items forever. God Bless You!
Betty in Oklahoma
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Excellent. You are one creative lady. Thanks for sharing this! I too would have cut that piece out of the box, but doubt I would have come up with a use this creative!
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Thank you for sharing such a wonderful story! I absolutely love the platters especially the meaning behind them…It would be something that I treasured forever and ever. It is such a brilliant idea. Happy Holidays!
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oh wow!
what an absolutely beautiful way to honor your mom! a cardboard box is so simple but when it is your moms and her writing it becomes a treasure
i know that your sisters will love and cherish the plate
God Bless and Merry Christmas
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What a brilliant idea. Handwriting is just one of the small things that we remember about a person but lose touch with when they are gone. We like to get out my husband’s mother’s recipes to look at her handwriting. It was next to impossible to read what she wrote but we all adored that about her.
Merry Christmas Sandy!
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What a precious memory to preserve Sandy!
We are all becoming more and more aware that handwriting is a lost art. I cherish each and every piece of handwriting from my parents and all the more now that my Dad has recently passed away.
What a precious gift you are to your sisters to have given them this visual from your Mom.
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What a lovely idea!
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Sandy, what a very sweet and precious post. I know that must have been bittersweet with memories, but what a great thing to do with her handwriting. Our moms do have that special handwriting that we recognize all our lives I know your sisters will definitely cherish them. Great pic of the 3 sisters too, you are all beautiful ladies.
Looking forward to seeing you again at Blissdom. We’ll get in a few hugs then. Merry Christmas my sweet friend!
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Sandy, that is really cool. I scrapbook a lot, and one thing Creative Memories consultants ALWAYS talk about is how important it is to leave our handwriting behind. For some reason, seeing someone’s handwritten words evokes such emotion, even years later. I am sure your sisters will LOVE their gifts!
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Well, that made me cry.
What a precious gift.
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Sandy,
What a special plate! What a treasure! This brought tears to my eyes and a memory to mind. Years ago Aunt Millie gave me a book “Let’s Make A Memory” (Shirley Gaither & Gloria Dobson) She knew I enjoyed documenting family events. I think she gave it to me after I had video taped our Christmas gathering at Steve and Cheri’s. (The highlight being the Friesen Family Rap.) It’s a book I treasure. I’m so glad she signed the inside.
Merry Christmas!
Love you, Debbie
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Such a precious and priceless gift.
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this is one of the most precious projects I’ve ever read about. What a great gift for your sisters!
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This a wonderful gift and precious heirloom, Sandy! What a wonderful way to preserve something so special to you.
You are amazing.
love you,
Melissa
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I love this.
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Oh Sandy, that made my heart ache. Your mom was such a beautiful lady in many ways; lovely, yes, but always sweet and kind, always encouraging. What beautiful way to preserve a sweet memory or each of you gals. Blessings to each of you.
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What a wonderful way to preserve your Mom’s handwriting. I’ve taken two hand-written recipe cards that my dear Mom and dear Gram wrote and put them in frames hung them above my stove. I have the pie pan that my dear Gram used also hung above my stove.
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What a precious idea! Tucking this away…
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What a great idea! It looks wonderful…
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This is such a great idea! My sister-in-laws’ father -in-law (hope that makes sense), passed away this fall. She told me they want to take his old wool sweathers and “boil” them down to make mittens for all of his grandkids! I thought that was such an awesome idea and a great memory for the grandchildren!
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Wow…what a touching and wonderful idea. Thanks for sharing!!
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That’s such a beautiful idea. What a treasure to have. I was just thinking it would be neat to enlarge and frame a copy of one of my Grandmother’s old handwritten recipe cards and hang it in my kitchen.
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Dear cousin, I too have sweet memories of your mama. What a great idea. I have some of my moms recipes in her writing…..hmmmmm, I must put on my thinking cap. You’ve got lucky sisters to receive such a gift from their baby sister!
Much love to your little family
Peggy
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Sweet memories, and a great idea for a gift!!!
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What a wonderful idea! They are beautiful.
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What a wonderful idea! Your family will treasure that.
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Beautiful, Sandy. What a unique and touching way to honor your Mom. And I LOVE that Amy Grant song–it is tied to some very precious moments for me too. Thanks so much for sharing!
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LOVE this post and this idea sandy – great idea! i’m going to do it!! funny thing – steph and i have been talking about this bc i soooo miss my mom -but i do have some of her hand written recipes. i’ve been copying them the for my kids’ hope chests as i go along and bake and cook things…hugs! heidi
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What a beautiful, thoughtful gift idea, Sandy! You’re so creative with that kind of thing!! I bet your sisters LOVED them!
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So sweet! The best kind of gift.
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I love this idea, Sandy! I wish I would have seen it before today. I need to do something like this for my Mom for her birthday. She has many things given to her from her Mom. Thanks for the tip!
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What an awesome idea!!!! I wonder if I have anything with my moms writing!!! I’m going to look!
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What a treasure! The handwriting of loved ones is such a gift, wish I had something like that from my grandma. Your sisters will be thrilled!
Merry Christmas Sandy!
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What a fabulous idea and wonderful gift for you and your sisters! My mother passed away three years ago and I memorialized her with a shadowbox. It is an old, aged wood crate. Inside I put a lovely photo of my mother in her prime and then added some of her loveliest, monogrammed hankerchiefs, from the days when “ladies” always carried them, some of her jewelry, photos of her two husbands (was widowed the first time), a momento of her first baby (my brother died as an infant). Now it is a lovely shadowbox to remind me of the best of my mother whenever I look at it.
God bless you this Christmas and always!
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What a wonderful, creative way to remember her. I’m sure your sisters loved them too! Hope you have a wonderful Christmas, Sandy!
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Sandy, this is a really, really neat idea! wow! I really like it. Thank you so much for sharing this idea and the story with us. Kelly
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This is sooo special! What a treasure!!
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What a beautiful blessing for you and your sisters! When my grandmother passed I received a box of her recipes. I went though them and picked a handwritten recipe for each son and daughter in law as well as one for each grandchild. I matted and framed them. Everyone was surprised and thrilled to receive their personal recipe. Merry Christmas!
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Hi there, I just wanted to let you know that I adore your plates and the meaning behind them, and that I was in tears after reading the lyrics to that song! God Bless you and your family, Merry Christmas! I’m sure your sisters will really enjoy them!
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The plates are such a wonderful idea, Sandy, and something that will be cherished by your sisters. Merry Christmas to you and your family!
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Hi Sandy…what a great idea! I love the photo of you and your sisters and know they will love your gift. Have a Merry Christmas!
Connie
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Yeah…I get it. I keep running my hands over Andrew’s keyboard, mouse, desk, anything he touched.
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This was a beautiful idea! It made me cry! What a cherished thing…her penmanship! I’m sure your sisters will be so touched. Does my mom know about this post? Merry Christmas…again! Love you!
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What a wonderful idea. Such a great way to preserve a special memory. We don’t have much physically, but we always look at the old family photos around the holidays and recall the special times..most of my older relatives have passed away and I have such fond memories of them.
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Oh That is the smartest sweetest thing ever. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!
Hugs, Leanne
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This brought tears to my eyes. What an amazingly creative and lovely gift. And it’s after midnight, so it’s officially Christmas! (I’m keeping my husband company while he assembles a dollhouse.)… Merry Christmas, Sandy!
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Beautiful idea!! Hope I never forget this one!
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I have to tell you, you words ring so clear in my ears. My two sisters and I lost our mom to cancer 12 days ago. We found out she had cancer on the 9th, brought her home on for hospice on the 12 and lost her on the 13. It was all too fast.
I’ve decided to photocopy her hand written recipes to make memory/cook books for my sisters and niece. I’ve go a year to get the done just the way I want. Mom was great about writing the name of the person she got the recipe from on the back, so we’ll know which relative they were handed down from. Now that’s heritage in hand writing.
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Hello!
I just came across your blog last night and wanted to say how much I enjoy it. The Stencil a Memory tutorial is wonderful. Thank you for sharing and I look forward to following you in 2010.
Happy New Year!
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This is such a wonderful idea. I have so many things that my mom wrote. I even kept a notebook of rummy scores that she kept when we would play.
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You know of course, this will be cherished by you and you sisters for a lifetime. Another example of how I am constantly amazed by your kindness to others, your chic sense of style, and most of all your warm loving heart. Many Blessings to you and your family.
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This is a fantastic idea. My mother just passed away December 11. I put a note she quickly jotted to me on my refrigerator to remember her handwriting but this would be a great way to save it forever…or until the children break it. Thanks for this post.
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One can tell you are a person with a caring heart for coming up with something like this. I love the idea and hope it brought you some peace this season.
Happy New Year!
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Oh I love this! How special to have her handwritten word! And what a remarkable gift you gave to your sisters…I can imagine their emotional response. I am about to post about a gift my mom gave to me and my sister this year…I will have to let you know when it’s up…such a great idea for any family to pass down.
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Crying. Simply beautiful. What a beautiful way to preserve your mother’s memory.
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This is a wonderful idea.
What a great gift to your sisters.
blessings in 2010
barbara jean
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What a loving, living gift you shared with your sisiters and their families! I am going to use this idea… my own mother’s handwriting sample is small, but I will enlarge it and share it with my family too! Thank you for the gift this Christmas! Bless you for sharing.
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That is such a wonderful idea – you are so amazing Sandy, I would never have thought of that! It’s amazing how the simplest things remind us of people and how we can be recognised by our handwriting. It’s strange to think about the things that we will leave behind that will mean something to others.
Jade
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I absolutely love this piece. Thank you for sharing. I saw it on Skip to My Lou. What a perfect way to keep a memory. Thank you for sharing. BTW, where did you find your stencil paper? Would transparent paper work as well? Please let me know. alysawhitlock@yahoo.com. I’m going to do this for my friend as a late Christmas present. Thanks.
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