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Thursday, May 7, 2020

Happy Mother's Day!

In my post Changing Gears... Again, I'd shared how I was losing track of time and suddenly realized that it was only a couple weeks until a very important event. Some of you guessed that it was Mother's Day (May 10th here in the U.S.), and you were right! I generally send flowers, candy, gift cards to my mom, but this year, I wanted to give her something to play with! And that is how the southwest/Spanish style patio came about.


It had humble beginnings, being made from foam core and cardstock. But that is why this hobby is so much fun! A little dreaming, determination and some scraps and viola! Something from practically nothing!


After that first post about the project, I added a string of lights and floral vine to the pergola, and added a wooden base and frame filled with mini railroad gravel. I had a palm tree in my stash which had been slated for a different project that I was going to make for my mom a few years ago. I was excited to finally be able to gift it to her in this one!


I made several pots of flowers, a potted cactus, a rocking chair from a kit, a stool and tray table and a bunch of other fun accessories. Mom is not a "mini person" and wonders how I don't get frustrated working with things that are so small. She adores burros and makes pilgrimages whenever possible to find and feed them, so I had to include one of those - a tiny one. See if you can spot him!


She marvels at my patience and dexterity and says she would never have the patience. I think she would have the patience once she experienced the fun and thrill of each little treasure. So, I left most all of the accessories loose and packaged separately. I wanted her to have the joy of unwrapping many small wonders and then getting to arrange them in any way she likes. I included a photo of a suggested layout, some fun tack, tips on placing items and instructions on the lighting and battery box.






Mom got her package yesterday and called me right away. She was THRILLED, and so excited to unwrap all of the accessories! She said I had made her year and that it was like Christmas! My dad was pretty excited about it, too, and told mom he wanted to play with her! I hope she ends up enjoying it so much that she asks for more roomboxes to play with in the future! You know I'll enjoy making her plenty of them!!!



What more can you ask than to give a gift where the recipient loves what you've made for them, especially when it lets them know how special they are to you!!!

To all the moms and everyone else who has loved another human or animal selflessly, Happy Mother's Day to all of you and may that love come back to you sevenfold! I hope you get to celebrate together, whether on a screen or in person!

xo xo,
Jodi

50 comments:

  1. You are a find daughter, knowing just what your mom likes, even giving her more to enjoy. I love the little patio with so many authentic details. I mean a dandelion? Who'd think of that? The burro close to her heart. A good book to read. A nice for for a chilly evening. No only did you put a lot work into the gift, but put so much thought in it. Bravo.

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    1. Thanks Ann! I am glad that you enjoyed the project with me, too!

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  2. Dear Jodi, Both your mother and you are very lucky to have each other. You are simply and exemplary daughter, kind and generous, a daughter to be proud of. It is so good to be able to make a mother happy, as I'm sure she is. Your gift is gorgeous! I hope there will be many more, and who knows, Your mum will try crafting minis. Never too late. (Take me for example....)
    Hugs, Drora

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    1. Thank you, Drora! My mom and I are so lucky to have each other, and my heart goes out to those who must endure Mother's Day when their moms have already passed from this life to heaven. It is kind of you to say such wonderful things about me, but I got all of my good qualities from my parents who are amazing and lovely people. As for more minis... Mom snapped a photo of an empty shelf, the one just below where this porch will live. I am already dreaming of new ideas! :O)

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  3. Wonderful work. I love the flowers very much.

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    1. Thanks Melli! I always enjoy making flowers because they have such a big impact on a scene!

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  4. ¡Qué escena más bonita! Me encanta como ha quedado. Las flores, la chimenea, la mecedora...¡resulta un rincón tan acogedor y relajante! Me imagino la ilusión que le ha hecho a tu madre.

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    1. Gracias isabel ¡Estoy tan feliz de que te guste cómo salió el porche! ¡Ojalá pudiera preparar uno de estos en tamaño real!

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  5. Desearía poder sentarme en ese hermoso rincón.
    Un regalo encantador.
    Un besin

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    1. ¡Yo también, Carolone! ¡Si solo pudiera construir en escala 1: 1!

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  6. What a thoughtful gift. You not only selected items that are meaningful to your mom, you gave her a part of yourself. I love that it is interactive. If I had received a gift as cute as your Southwest Patio, I would probably touch or reposition something each time I walk by 🤗.

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    1. Thanks Sherrill! It truly is a part of me and the creativity that my parents love about me. I can't tell you how thrilling it is for me that she loved it so much and has a greater understanding of my passion for minis! A lot of the desire for having things just so and for decorating came from my mom always keeping a warm and lovely home growing up! I used to resist being like my mom, but now, with a little wisdom in my age, I am proud to be so much like her!!!

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  7. Jodi,que maravilloso regalo para tu madre! no sólo has pensado en ella en cada detalle que has puesto en la escena,sino que,además,le demuestras que nunca se es demasiado mayor para jugar,para tener esa inocencia de la niñez que nos hace descubrir la ilusión en las pequeñas cosas.
    Tu escena es una declaración de amor hacia tu madre y ella,como madre,siempre lo tendrá presente!
    Feliz día de la madre a ti también! Aquí lo celebramos el domingo pasado día 3!
    Besos.

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    1. Gracias Pilar! Estoy muy feliz de que haya recibido el regalo exactamente como lo pretendí para ella: mostrarle lo hermosa que son sus gustos y deseos y que la entiendan y la amen. ¡Saber que se divirtió jugando con todos los accesorios y no puede esperar para mostrárselo a su mejor amiga también es una sensación maravillosa!

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  8. What a wonderful gift!!! Jodi, you have made the most perfect gift to your mother. A small and beautiful scene packed with colour, wonderful treasures and love. She must be thrilled! I loved this scene from the beginning and now that is completed it totally exceeded my expectations. I would be certainly over the moon if I receive a present like this, something to treasure forever. Happy mother´s day!

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    1. Thanks Alex! It makes me so happy to know that you would welcome this gift and enjoy it, too! That's the best complement! Wouldn't it be wonderful to have something like this to enjoy in real life!!!

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  9. WOW, Jodi, what a huge surprise for the both of you!! Firstly because you had lots of fun and than got surprised by your dear Mom that she LOVED your surprise, how great is that?!! I bet that the mini bug has bitten your Mom now, so you can built her more room boxes ;).
    This special Mother's Day roombox was a fantastic one, I love seeing what you've added later on. The whole has the atmosphere you loooked for and wanted to give to your Mom. And I'm happy to see so much flowers/plants in this project ;).
    Hehehe, had to love that your Mom was so excited that your Dad told her that he 'wanted to play with HER' ;O)!
    You've put much attention to detail and love for your Mom in this project, she can be proud of you. I hope you'll have a lovely Mother's Day too.
    Here, in The Netherlands the strict measures are just a bit loosened the day before yesterday. So, I can go to my daughter's house and visit her and her partner, including my sweet grandson, who I haven't seen for about 10 weeks now. So, THAT will be my most greatest gift of Mother's Day ever, because the 10th of May is Mother's Day here in The Netherlands too :)!
    So, Happy Mother's Day to you and all Moms of the world, whenever you will celebrate!
    Stay healthy, take care, Jodi.
    Hugs, Ilona

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    1. Oh Ilona I am so happy that you liked the way the porch came out but I am thrilled that you get to spend time with your daughter and grandson!!! Yippee!!! I was just telling Russ the other day that if I had grandkids it would be torture to have to stay away from them!!! I hope you have the best time ever and Happy Mother's Day to you, as well!!!

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    1. Thanks MaryFran and welcome to my blog! It's so nice to have you, and I have added your blog to my Great Reads list! I am looking forward to catching up on your quilt shop this weekend!

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  11. As cute as a button - what a lovely daughter and what a lucky mom. Not only is the gift a delight it is filled with love and, as a mom myself, it means she knows she raised her daughter right.

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    1. Thanks Marilyn! It's wonderful that mom felt the love I put into the gift and it was so much more fun than ordering flowers, lol! If my mothering is reflected in how our kids turned out than I should get an award - they are amazing! :O)

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  12. Oh Jodi that's wonderful! So sweet! I don't doubt that your mom loves it. What labor of love.

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    1. Thanks Sheila! I am so glad that she reacted so well to a mini gift and that she enjoyed playing with it!

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  13. es una escenita encantadora!

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  14. Tu escena es una maravillosa obra de amor.
    Ha quedado preciosa.
    Un saludo

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    1. ¡Oh, gracias Marian! ¡Estoy tan feliz de que te guste!

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  15. Dear Jodi, what a Wonderful gift for your Mom! (You are such a good daughter!) The patio is so charming and inviting... who wouldn't want to play there? I think it was a brilliant idea to leave all the pieces separate for her to open and arrange... and that you wrapped them individually meant she had to examine every piece carefully! (Brilliant strategy!) Not to mention that you thought of Everything, even the Burro! And the hose for watering all those lovely plants in the Hot Desert Sun!!! (I love that touch of realism!) The rocking chair and the books too.... and the flowering vine covering the arbor... and it even has lights for evening viewing! And you made it all from bits and pieces and in Record time! WOW! :):)

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    1. Thanks Betsy! I am so happy that she liked it so much and so glad I was able to get it done in the amount of time I had! If only we could be together but the distance and the virus made sure that wasn't going to happen this year! I did want to make bougainvillea to grow all across the pergola but had such trouble with the wrong paper, the Cricut not cutting the petals all the way through and figuring out how to put three stamens in the center of each flower. I think it can be done, just not in a couple weeks. So maybe someday there will be more garden structures in her future! I owe her an orange tree, too. And oleander...

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  16. Wow what a gift!!! Great idea to leave all the little treasure seperate so she can enjoy them seperatly and play with the place in your porch.
    Wow the fireplace and all the flowerpots and a comfy chair with books.
    Yes again a really fantastic miniature!
    Have a fine mothersday!
    groetjes van Marijke

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    1. Thanks Marijke! I'm so glad the idea worked out and so happy mom liked her gift! I wanted to include more of her favorite things but knew I would not have the time. But now I can send little care packages to her with new stuff to play with!

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  17. oh wow! this is lovely and I am sure she will love it! my mum only gets asparagus lunch at my place - outside.. safe distance and all ;-)

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    1. Thanks Marion! Asparagus lunch made by a daughter sounds pretty great to me!
      I am sure she'll feel loved and treasured! Happy Mother's Day and I hope your son gives you a nice surprise, too!

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  18. What a wonderful gift. I love that you packed the accessories separately so she would be involved in the creation. ❤️

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    1. Thanks Keli! I had my fingers crossed that she wouldn't get too frustrated and I'm so happy that she actually enjoyed playing with everything!!!

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  19. great scene !!Happy mothers day:)

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    1. Thanks BurSel! I'll wish you a Happy Mother's Day too!

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  20. What a wonderful gift for your Mother at Mother's Day... and what fun that even your Dad had his share! ;O) Its for sure the most special and personal gift you could make for her, the whole scene so well done and filled with personal details. And you even did not forget to add those typical details that make a scene realistic and vivid - the dandelions and the hose made me smile. Fantastic work - and a brilliant idea to wrap up the miniatures individually to enable her to play with them and to enjoy a pretty good "Christmas in May" moment. And it's so promising that she loved it so much and found a good place for it at once... this is shouting for more stunning Mom projects to come.

    I'm wishing to you and all the Moms out there a wonderful Mother's Day. I must admit that Mother's Day is the only day in the year when I would never give a gift to my Mom... but we have an agreement on this topic... and it helps her to get over my resolution because I'm often giving gifts to her at all the other days in the year. ;O) This is fine for us... and also fine for a certain flutterybeary who has decided with a broad grin that if I did not give a Mother's Day gift to his grandma he would not be obliged to give a Mother's Day gift to his Mom. This clecver little rascal, I have no idea what has happened back then when I made them, there must have been something mysterious in the stuffing wool... *LOL*

    Hugs
    Birgit

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    1. Thanks Birgit! I am so happy that she liked her gift, and what fun it was to create with her favorite things in mind!
      I think you and your mom must feel the same about Mother's Day as Russ and I do about Valentines Day: Don't save that love and the demonstrating of it for one day a year! Show it all through the year and every time you remember how amazing it is to have each other!
      As for Fluby... What a blessing and a pain in the you~know~Where to have smart kids!!! While you admire them for their wit it is also exhausting sparring with them and you often leave feeling like you've met your match, lol! But they are themselves gifts and so any time spent with them leaves you filled and happy! You made him perfectly, sarcasm, ornery and all! Have a wonderful day with your mom and do something fun "just because"!

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  21. A wonderful gift for your Mother! This patio is stunning; everything is perfect.

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    1. Thanks Faby! It was sure a fun little project to do and what a relief that my mom enjoyed it so much!

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  22. Es un rincón lleno de encanto y de detalles preciosos.
    Me encanta el color.
    Me imagino la ilusión de tu madre con tan maravilloso regalo.

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    1. Gracias eloisa! Fue un tema muy divertido para trabajar y a mi madre le encantó. Ella lo llama su casita!

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  23. Your Mother's Day gift to your mother was a stroke of Genius, Jodi!!!!
    Not only in its compact size and garden theme, but also that it is 100% original and that she gets an opportunity to experience the same joy and excitement playing with it as you've had in constructing it- it's an Ideal way to connect with your mom and shorten the physical distance between you by sharing an experience and MOST IMPORTANTLY; it was MADE and RECEIVED with LOVE!!! ❤️

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    1. It was such a great joy to show her in miniature how well I know what makes her happy! And what a great feeling to know she had fun playing, too! Her BFF only has boys, and when she saw the casita (what mom is calling it now) she said she wished she had had a daughter!!! I am going to have to find out what she likes and make something fun for her, too!

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  24. It was a lovely gift for your mother and the individual little packages were a great idea. How nice for her to be able to "play" and choose her own settings.

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    1. Thanks Irene! It is so much fun to be able to not only share this passion with loved ones, but to have them fall in love, too!

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