I would tell you how old she is, but I am sworn to secrecy.
Let's say it was a big one. Not big as in fat, but big as in important.
So, I wanted to create something special for her.
I made her a charm necklace. I know, I know. It sounds cheap, doesn't it? Making something for her birthday? What am I? Five?
My mom really does love anything from Dillards or Sephora, makeup, jewelry, etc. But she can get that stuff any old time. This is a one of a kind....
I personalized it to include anything that is important to her. (Please don't feel left out if you are not on the necklace. I am sure you are important to her.)
It has 30 charms (more charms than any of my charm necklaces). One for every year of her life. Hee hee.
The #1 Gram charm is because my boys call her Gram. And, of course they think she is #1. She plays Monopoly with them. No one else will. That makes her #1 in their book.
The lipstick signifies her beloved obsession with all things make up. Sephora and Ulta are her favorite haunts.
The copper bird on a branch has absolutely no meaning. Other than it is cute.
The woman in the kitchen charm is a housewife from the 1950's. What my mom always channeled. The copper owl has the same signifigance as the copper bird: nothing. Just cute.
The daschand in the picture is one of my mom's dogs. He is the male of the two and the most social. He allowed me to snap his picture and even posed. Either that, or he was plum exhausted from the visit with my three boys. Probably the latter.
The copper oval is one of those cool penny creations they have at many tourist sites. We went to Woolaroc this summer and Tiny T put a penny in this machine and it came out a distinct version of Frank Phillips.
The ever popular Bartlesville attraction, the Frank Phillips Mansion, is the next charm. We have been visiting here since we were tiny children.
Speaking of tiny, there is Tiny T in the photo charm bottle cap. He is still tiny to me, although he weighs a whopping 85 pounds.
The landmark front doors of the Woolaroc Museum, where we have taken more pictures in front of than I care to remember, is next. My mom showed me a picture this summer, taken in front of these very doors, from the 1950's, with my Dad also! They were on a school field trip from Jane Phillips Elementary school.
The gold butterfly is in memory of my Nana, mom's mother. She loved butterflies and even decorated her bedroom with them.
My oldest son, Big A is in the next photo charm bottle cap. He is starting high school now. Sniffle. Sniffle.
Right next to him is the University of Tulsa charm. It is where my mom works now. She loves it there.
Well, I had to put myself on there, right? Somehow I came out with green hair. Serves me right.
My sister is on the other charm. I am sure she won't like the picture of her I included.
The copper bookplate includes my mom's initials on scrabble tiles.
The Angel charm next has a cute saying that references my Nana:
"All that I am, all that I hope to be, I owe my Angel, my Mother"
The chocolate bar is next. My mom has a severe weakness when it comes to chocolate. I could tell you some stories....
The Bull is next, my middle son, in the photo charm bottle cap.
The Oklahoma flag taps her love of the state she was raised in. The vintage angel represents her angel collection. We try to get her one each Christmas.
The next photo charm is my nephew, the one we call Goolie. What a cutie, couldn't leave him out.
The cutest charm in my collection, the copper pot. My mom loves to cook!!
And the Starbucks coffee cup. While she might not have Starbucks every day, she definitely has a cup of coffee in the morning. (Her favorite drink is the Caramel Frappuccino)
The tiny copper cuckoo clock signifies our german heritage. Plus, its just too cute!
My favorite charm on this necklace is this Murphy's Steakhouse charm. If you have not been to Murphy's, or haven't even been to Bartlesville, this is a must visit place. My mom has been going there since she was a child and their hamburgers and fries are unforgettable.
The copper schooner represents Oklahoma. The wheels actually move!
The Frank Lloyd Wright Price Tower is an architectural treasure and right in downtown Bartlesville.
The Phillips 66 logo is important, as my mom spent 30 years working for the company that made Bartlesville, and the oil industry, what it is today.
The tiny piano represents all the years my mom played the piano. Heck, she even played at her own wedding!! (just for fun, of course)
This necklace was so fun for me to make. It was a thought provoking, tear-inducing, memory igniting project and I enjoyed every moment of it.
I hope she enjoys it as much as I do.
Happy Birthday Mom! We all love you!!
