Kate's Point of View

The Product of Creative Frustration

Category: family / friends Page 1 of 27

Packed Into a Suitcase

A suitcase. It means adventure. Escape. Freedom. Rejection. Next steps. Goodbyes. Inside a suitcase, you put everything you need for a journey, regardless of whether you’re packing quickly so you can jet out of a place or methodically in anticipation of something great.

This past weekend I was in Dayton with Wonder Boy and we were going through some of his grandmother’s things. She passed away recently, and while no physical thing can replace her or provide true comfort, they can serve as reminders of good times, happy experiences and love.

Being an in-law during moments like those is weird. You want to strike the right balance of paying respect and laying claim on things. That’s especially tricky because we all have different ways we like to remember people and different takes on the importance of mementos.

When we drove home, our trunk was filled with an amazingly large amount of cat art (all credit, if that’s the right word, to Wonder Boy), some artwork created by Wonder Boy’s grandparents, some odds and ends for around the house, some costume jewelry and the sweetest little blue suitcase.

Every suitcase has a past. Has it been quickly packed for hurried departures or methodically in anticipation of adventure? And how will it be used next?

Modern suitcases are made to be durable, lightweight and super functional. Vintage suitcases, arguable more durable, were made to be functional and, IMHO, super cute.

So while Wonder Boy’s family was going through antiques, memories and old household items, I was fixated on a tiny suitcase.

Do I need it? Absolutely not! Don’t take it. But it’s so cute! No, no, no. You don’t need it. But it’s so cute!

Cute won out. I don’t know how or why Wonder Boy’s grandmother used this particular suitcase. Make-up and other toiletries? Unmentionables? With some very stealthy packing, maybe as an overnight bag? My romanticized, uninformed version is that she used it to carry hew jewelry while going on a train ride. Massive amounts of jewelry.

However she used it, this cute (haven’t I mentioned yet just how cute it is?) suitcase helped her along in journeys and I’m excited for when I get to bring it on one of my own.

Every suitcase has a past. Has it been quickly packed for hurried departures or methodically in anticipation of adventure? And how will it be used next?

Post inspiration.

Trying to Recreate Memories: In Words and in Real Life

In college I went out with my friend Movie Critic for happy hour. Whatever the happy hour special was, it definitely involved beer by the pitcher. So, because it was such a good deal, we each got our own pitcher! I’m pretty sure we drank straight from our pitchers, thinking that was the funniest option. After happy hour, we went to our school paper Entertainment Staff editorial meeting and tried to play it cool, which last perhaps five minutes. Then from across the circle of writers I heard a loud HICCUP from Movie Critic and proceeded to collapse into a pile of giggles. Our editor was irritated with us, but pretty accommodating, considering. We definitely didn’t repeat our pre-meeting happy hours after that, but I’ve always looked back on that night as one of my fondest college memories.

Although thinking back to that night makes me smile, I don’t think it’s a great story in the retelling. Where did we go to happy hour? How much were those pitchers of beer that we decided we each needed our own? What made us think we were so hysterical that night? These are details lost to me forever.

My favorite memories are messy. I try to recollect each part of the moment and it’s hard. Usually because I was too busy enjoying the moment. Sometimes because I’ve enjoyed pitchers of beer individually.

On a recent plane trip I started reading The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. On the one hand, I didn’t particularly care for it and it’s long descriptions of the running of the bulls and bullfighting in general. But I also read it as a recounting of a wonderful time spent with friends and filled with the drama that accompanies drinking and crushes and friendship and enmity. Reading it as an outsider, as someone not invited to the party, it’s a little tedious and full of inside jokes.

Sometimes the memory is better as just that, a memory.

That’s not to say I shouldn’t have read the book. (My first Hemingway!) Or that memories can’t be shared beautifully. It’s more to say that I’m grateful for the memories where I can share the highlights and the emotions that accompanied them. I’m okay with forgetting the details if it means I was more engaged in the moment. And I forgive a storyteller for their bumpy retelling of a happy memory for the same reasons.

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway.

A New Baby Nephew and A New Baby Blanket

The younger of my two sisters recently had a baby. He’s adorable and tiny and so far I’ve really only seen him and sleep and squirm a bit. When I hold him, it’s like holding a football. He just curls up like a little pillbug and sits in the crook of your arm.

My nephew is an absolute cutie!

When my other sister had her second baby, I made him a baby blanket. I thought I’d do the same this time around but up the ante a bit. The blanket is a quilted state of Ohio against a green background with white, satin trim. For the state of Ohio, I pieced together pieces of clothing from my nephews great-grandmas, grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

I did not include anything from his canine sister’s extensive wardrobe, which has left some bad blood between Roxy and I. See how she’s glaring at me???

The state of Ohio in this blanket is pieced together from clothing form all of my nephew's family except the dog, for which she is very upset.

I honestly did think of her but wanted to keep the extended family fabric donation a secret so didn’t know how to subtly ask for some dogs clothing.

Everything else worked out okay though! I figured out how to incorporate some stretch knit from onesies so cousins could be represented. I made it so the word “Love” from one cousin’s outfit was right over Columbus, where my brother-in-law’s side of the family is from. I tried to make the Cincinnati Reds logo fall over Cincinnati but it ended up over Dayton. I successfully placed green over Athens, Ohio, for some subtle Ohio University pride.

The quilted baby blanket I made for my nephew features the state of Ohio, made up of pieces of clothing from all of his extended family.

I struggle when I do a craft to see beyond my mistakes. For instance, the way I quilted  means that things got squished a bit and Ohio is a little skinnier than it should be. My rows of quilting are pretty straight, but by no means perfect. Adding the satin trim is always a struggle and I’m never truly satisfied with how it looks, but by that point I am so tired that I just let it go.

When I do get past all the little mistakes, I am proud. Through what is basically no more than millions of little knots of thread, I have created a blanket that will hopefully last a long time and represent all of the love that my nephew will have in his life from all of his extended family.

I asked my sister for some pictures of my nephew with the blanket. She hooked me up!

My new nephew with the quilted baby blanket I made for him.

My new nephew with the quilted baby blanket I made for him.

My new nephew with the quilted baby blanket I made for him.

My new nephew with the quilted baby blanket I made for him.

My new nephew with the quilted baby blanket I made for him.

I know I am biased, but this little guy is so cute!

Photo credit to my sister throughout!

My Summer of Fun

I planned on a Summer of Fun. My goal was to stuff a bowl with slips of paper detailing fun and unusual activities throughout the city. I never followed through on that idea, but my Summer of Fun was just that.

I still have two weeks of Summer to pack in some fun, but so far, I’d say I’m doing pretty well. What have you done to make your summer full of fun?

My mom, dad and I visiting the Motown Museum in Detroit, Michigan.

A Day of Fun and Using a Pole Selfie Stick to Get Great Couple Pictures While Out and About

To celebrate Wonder Boy’s 40th birthday, I planned a packed Day of Fun. We did a behind-the-scenes tour of the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, visited the National Museum of the United States Air Force, had drinks at Tank’s Bar and Grill and capped off the evening with a meal at Nicola’s in Cincinnati.At the Zoo, we weren’t allowed to carry around a camera. Fortunately, a staff person took photos and will be mailing us a CD of them soon. (Cannot wait!!!) We caught some selfies, though. Sun, flowers, the feeling of Summer even though it was only April. What’s not to like?

Woner Boy and I at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens - photo taken with The Pole Selfie Stick.
Note the lack of arms taking over this picture? Normally I’m reaching out so far going for a good pic that I end up really just capturing the essence of my elbow. Thanks to The Pole Selfie Stick – not an issue.
Woner Boy and I at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens - photo taken with The Pole Selfie Stick.

The lighting at the National Museum of the US Air Force was not really conducive to selfies. That and all the people in uniform had me feeling a little self conscience. I did capture some fun photos of flight memorabilia, though!

A parachute for dogs!!! Propeller Wonder Boy in a cockpit Some wartime plane art

While in Dayton, we hit up one of Wonder Boy’s favorite bars!

Woner Boy and I at Tank's Bar and Grill - photo taken with The Pole Selfie Stick.
I love that we were able to take our own photo and have it include the sign. Impossible without The Pole Selfie Stick.

Wonder Boy and I travel a lot just the two of us, One definite challenge to this is getting photographs of ourselves form the trips. Usually, pictures are just of one or the other of us, unless we find a kind stranger who offers to take out picture. Using The Pole Selfie Stick, we were able to take several pictures of the two of us. I’m so excited for what this means for upcoming vacations!

The Pole Selfie Stick is easy to use. I paired it with my iPhone 4S, which is on it’s last leg, and it worked great. I felt like the phone was secure, even when I had The Pole extended out it’s full length. We got the hang of this quickly and fabulous photos as a result! I don’t have a GoPro but this works with those as well, which seems like a great feature.

I received a The Pole Selfie Stick to sample and review. All views shared here are my own.

The Pole Selfie Stick - great for capturing photographs.

Page 1 of 27

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén