A crown to guide us

A dear friend, call her Edwina, once told Modern Mommie and I that hair reveals a good deal about how we think. She said it was one reason we were such great mates. The three of us think wild and curly thoughts. She's right. We do. I've always loved that metaphor. Sometimes it explains so much and others it's just makes me smile and giggle.

A few years back, we planned a mom's retreat into the mountains at a friend's "huggably" cute, rustic cabin. We drank lavender cosmopolitans from lavender sugar-dipped glasses and each made our own crown. The crowns were Modern Mommie's idea. If creativity was tested on a scale like an IQ, Modern Mommie's would be in the 99th percentile. Combine that with her artistic background and kaboom! Who knows what idea will come out of her head; be assured it will be incredible, wild and curly.

I got to thinking about Edwina's notion about hair and Modern Mommie's marvelous crowns and a Golightly family tradition was born. We do not write New Year's resolutions, we sit around the dining room table for most of New Year's Day and build crowns. As we construct them we think about the skills, tools and disciplines we'll need to fulfill the goals and challenges for the coming year and incorporate symbols into the crown. I imagine if we put on our crown a few times during the year, the intentions that went into building it will seep into our heads. I figure it's a more direct path to the mind than starting at the fingertips with writing. And, when you speak of your goals, well, they fall out of your mouth. We talk so much these days, one must wonder if anything that is said remains in our heads.

So that is how the Golightly's spent New Years day. But, -here's the thrift part - I did not need to go to any craft store or run any special errands to make this happen. I'd acquired all the items needed through time at the thrift store. For example, I might see a plastic bag that has a folding yard stick that I want for $3. Within that bag might be ephemera, buttons, beads, little paper flowers, scrap-booking items, etc. Sometimes I give things to Little Pie's art teacher and other I keep for occasions like crown building. You just never know when you might change paths and need a new crown.

Here's an equation I know to be true: thrift store = eclectic craft store that saves money while reducing the waste stream. Trust me, some of the most amazing treasures one finds in a thrift store cannot be purchased at anything craft store.

I now shall reveal the 2011 Golightly parade of crowns. I will not speak about them because they are all personal.

Follows is my crown for 2011. I will note that the acorn dangling on the left was one of my Christmas presents from Little Pie. She spent one afternoon searching for the biggest acorn she could find. That little gift spoke volumes to me; the thought that my daughter would spend an afternoon under oak trees in a park to find a treasure for me.


Mr. Golightly's crown:


Petite Poe's crown:


Little Pie, with great enthusiasm built two crowns:


As a family, we seek out different, more meaningful options for those sale-promoting holidays. For example, every Black Friday we don't go shopping. We go chopping. At the moment, Modern Mommie, Edwina and I are brewing up a new Valentine's tradition for our six girls. We do have fun.