It Started With a Trinket Box!

As I was working at the thrift shop one day a couple of weeks ago, the Caravan Silent Auction Chair came in to look over our inventory for stuff for our Caravan Silent Auction. Christmas Caravan is Assistance League Omaha’s largest fundraiser. This is a really big deal, and it is always well received. It is two days of events with 4 homes in the city open for viewing in all their Christmas finery. There is the boutique which people wait every year to attend. This is when the Thrift Shop really shines. The finest of everything we receive in donations all year long, gets their moment in the spotlight. Evening clothes and mink coats, jewelry, better handbags and shoes and don’t forget the housewares. All is brought to the Champion’s Club and put on display. There is a banquet on Wednesday Evening that is a formal affair also at the club. Thursday the houses are open for viewing.

Well let me tell you I got sucker punched. As the chair is roaming thru the inventory, I showed her a piece that we have had for a while. It’s a lovely little piece of folly that you give to someone who has everything. A Jay Strongwater trinket box. A tiny thing that fits in the palm of the hand, but one of those things that makes you smile every time you look at it. It would be a great way to propose marriage! Anyway I showed it to the chair and she said no, no it’s too small. Rather than taking no for an answer I opened my mouth! Now wait a minute here, this would be great in a basket with other stuff. Now you know my wheels started turning. SH_T!!! It could be, well, in a rush I said it could be a Mardi Gras Basket. You know fun, some wine some glasses. My online cohort remembered the jeweled brass napkin rings we have. She found 4 wonderful balloon wines in the thrift shop. Now the wheels are really turning. They said great idea “You do It”. No, no I don’t want to do it. But you’ve got all the ideas. Yup sucker punched. By the way you have 2 weeks to get it done.

On my way home that day I thought back on how that happened. I’m not on the committee. I don’t do committees for a reason. They take up too much time, to much nonsensical conversation, too many restrictions. You know, I want to do things my own way. Come to the meeting tomorrow at 11:00 they say. As I’m merging onto the interstate I’m thinking about this.

A plan is formulating in my head. Well this could be kinda fun. Hmm!

Being the good girl I do as I’m told. I show up! I do my usual, and sit back and listen and observe. I don’t jump in unless I can contribute. After a while I start asking questions, like I can do this basket myself, the answer is NO. Wait what! Well they all have to look alike. They all have to have black crunchy paper stuff and they all have to be wrapped in white tulle with big black and silver bows. I am slightly affronted, you tell me to do it and then you’re not going to let me do it? Of course the diplomat that I am (NOT) didn’t say that. I meekly said well if I bring everything for it here and do it, is that ok. Oh sure, sure. It will be great, can’t wait to see it.

The very first thing I think of is I wish I had the purple napkins that I had just given Florida. They were purple linen and I had embroidered the frayed edge, as well as a flower on them. They would have been perfect. Let me tell you, Florida is a paper plate girl. She doesn’t believe in fine dining and a paper towel works just as well as a cloth napkin. I knew all this but, I was clearing things out and I don’t do purple, and I knew she liked purple. So I thought I would give them a try with her. Hmm could I get four back from her? No I argue with myself, that would be rude. But if I could just get 4. Doesn’t hurt to ask, right. These are well traveled napkins.

Whenever I was designing a room I always made up a story in my head. Who was going to live here, how would they use the space, what would they want for it. Principles applied perfectly to this basket. As I am merging onto the interstate I am making up a story. A bottle of wine, masks! We need masks, well I could just whip some of those up on my embroidery machine! Tarot cards, well we have to have those. Wonder where I get those. (Turns out I only had to shop with my granddaughter, she had a full set!) Chocolates we have to have chocolate. Ok what’s the story.

A damp wet February night, four besties, an evening of intrigue, sitting around a dining table with candle light. After a great meal with candles still burning, shadows bouncing off the walls. A couple of bottles of wine consumed. The tarot cards are spread across the table. What will the say? Whose life is about to change? The mystery of it all. Now I’m kind of excited, this IS going to be fun. Would I like to sit down and have my fortune read? Absolutely not but, that is beside the point.

I start on the masks right away only to discover each one takes about 2 hours to stitch out. Ok this isn’t going to be a whip up project. This is going to be a project. Take a look in my thread stash, determined to get rid of some of the ugly colors I will never use. The old why did I buy this color?” Make the purchase of the specialty stabilizers I needed for the embroidery 100.00 later, Chocolates and a bottle of wine. The wine was cheap Prophecy but I could not resist the label. It was just too perfect.

I had a couple of false starts on the masks. The first one I made was too stiff and scratchy, I needed to change course. In the end I had 4 masks I was satisfied with. I put the other two aside thinking they might be fun for my great grandson when he’s a bit older.

I gathered up all my toys and took them to the next meeting of “the committee” and was determined to make the best basket ever. I wasn’t sure how it would play out or if everything would fit but after filling it I was happy with it and everything fit. Photos were taken for the silent auction. I have to say the women on this committee are wonderfully dedicated and supportive of each other. Sharing ideas and suggestions. After all two heads are better than one, right.

Here’s the basket, tell me what you think. Would you bid on a basket like this?