Has Craft Project Written All Over It

One of the stipulations for having a party for my mother for her 80th birthday was that there were to be no gifts. Cards were acceptable, but gifts were right out. "I don't need anything," was her comment. This is truth, with a bit of reservation. There are things she needs but they don't tend to be of the perfume or stationary or trinkets kind. And then there are the things she wants.

Wants and needs are different but can become muddled in one's thinking. When we headed to Carole and Larry's wedding in March, we stopped at a Panera for a snack. They had Republic of Tea tea flavors but not the kind she loves, Ginger Peach. In the car, she allowed that she'd looked for the tea online and was kind of appalled by how much it cost to order a tin. My gift radar went off. Here was a want. She missed this tea and hadn't had it in many months. Bingo. I can get her something that skirts the "no gifts" request.

So, after the wedding, in fact, the very day she drove home, I ordered two tins from Republic of Tea's web site. She was thrilled and I know it's something she will actually use. (I later found Ginger Peach at Mariano's for a dollar less than I paid off the web site and she found it for $1.25 more than I paid at a specialty grocery near her. This means she will always have Ginger Peach in her cupboard.)

When the box came, the tins were packed with these.

I've seen all sorts of packing materials, some more recyclable than others. This was a totally new material. I dumped a few onto the table.

Holy craft project, Batman! Some spray paint and heavy yarn and I have a garland. I could insert flower picks in the holes, wrap the garland around a foam circle and have a wreath for the front door. I don't need one right now as I have my spring wreath up which will be changed, at the beginning of next month, for the lilac bough Carole and I made years ago. I happened to think that if I lived closer to my nieces and nephews, we could make mini-garlands for their rooms. At the very least, if I don't do anything with these in 6 months, they are all recyclable.

I like Republic of Tea's Blackberry Sage flavor. It's not a flavor I find anywhere. Although I need more tea like I need a third eye, I'm thinking of ordering a couple tins of this flavor for myself, just so I have more of these packing triangles to work with. That's a silly reason to purchase anything, to get the packing materials.

Once I finish the cross-stitch I'm doing and the book I'm reading, then I can turn my eye toward using these. Maybe, when I get into working with them, they won't turn out to be as cool as I expect, but we'll see. Imagination in overdrive.

Beverage:  Huckleberry tea

Deb