I'm happy to be back doing the 52 photos. I missed several weeks because of illness.
This week our challenge is to take a photo using the word 'wrap' as a verb or a noun.
Though my photo is of wrapping paper, this is certainly no ordinary wrapping paper. It comes with a story, and fond memories.
This wrapping paper is all vintage. I just turned 50 the end of February and I don't remember a time when we didn't have this paper around. The paper came on huge rolls which my dad hung on metal racks in the basement. Every holiday, birthday, wedding, or shower my sisters and I saw this wrapping paper. There were times we got tired of seeing it, and other times when we just had to smile as we were ripping open the package with maybe a bit of eye-rolling. The paper came from my maternal grandfather who never threw anything away. He worked as a janitor at our local Sears store which used this wrapping paper in the store. One day he was told to get rid of it--which he did--right to our house.
Now that my mom has passed, dad has been getting rid of stuff and passing it along to us kids. He still had huge rolls of this and carefully cut off some for us girls and all the grandchildren, and there's lots left! I never thought I would feel so nostalgic about this paper after seeing it so many years, but it holds so many memories of gatherings with family...especially with mom, who loved any reason to celebrate.
Blessings to you, and I hope you are wrapped with love and joy today.
Thank you for stopping by. Please visit Sally's blog to see the other participating blogs.
31 comments:
I love this! The memories and the beautiful paper! Thank you for sharing.
Excellent post! Love the memories. Keep it forever. :)
What a beautiful story, & a wonderful thing to be wrapped up in - nostalgia!!
I'll just bet that paper is a wonderful heavy, quality paper too...savour it, they don't make it like that any more :)
I love your wrapping paper and the story that goes with it. Wrapping paper make me nostalgic also. In my family we recycle wrapping paper and keep using it, by cutting off the scotch tape and keep using it until there is nothing left.
what a great family memory! and such an interesting story. i'm not sure I could get myself to use any of it to actually wrap with! thanks for sharing - great post!
Great story Alice. Quite amazing that this wrapping paper could be passed his far along and wonderful that it is your thread to fun family times. I am so happy you are back blogging.
Your gifts will look wonderful 'all wrapped up' with vintage paper. It is great that you rescued something that most would have just tossed out.
what wonderful, vintage papers! you are so lucky to have such memories :)
What fun! Isn't it funny how the things we value so little end up being so precious one day. One way to preserve some of it is to scrapbook or paper art with it. So many possibilities...oh, wait, that's next week!!
LOL! Beautiful story and memory... I think you should do some artwork with it to pass to all your siblings and cousins. : )
Beautiful papper and a wonderful story too.
Therese
I'd have a hard time using it too! WOnderful family memories!
Isn't interesting how the most ordinary of things can take on a special meaning? I can see why you might have tired of the same wrapping paper holiday after holiday as a child and young adult. But as we grow older, those same things come to mean continuity and gather so very many memories. What a wonderful collection - of papers and of the memories they represent.
Oh Alice what a lovely memory! I have some of this very wrap too!!! My sister in law was going through some of her mother in law's things and found wonderful wonderful WONDERFUL vintage wrapping paper. She gave them to me beacause she knew I liked to use papers in my art. Can't bring myself to touch em though! I love them wayyyy to much to take a pair of scissors to them:)
Alice, this is so incredibly beautiful of you to share such a touching memory.
What a wonderful backstory, and gorgeous wrapping! Such fun this particular prompt is bringing out!
Now I guess the question is: Are you too wrapped up in the memories to wrap with the paper?
Great post! Love the memories connected with this!
Oh my gosh, that is so awesome to have that paper after all this time! I miss so many things from my childhood we had to purge twice a year to Salvation Army, so many memories gone....
Oh, my, this is wonderful on so many levels! A beautiful memory, all wrapped in love and family moments; and some special rolls of paper - absolutely gorgeous!
You've GOT to make some resin jewelry out of each one! And preserve it forever. Such a sweet story. Love the patterns on the paper, especially the chess one, and the green floral.
And very very happy to see you back!
How thoughtful of your dad to make sure everyone had some of the beautiful paper. I'm glad you shared it with this prompt!
What beautiful paper! What they make today just doesn't compare. And the sweet memories you have of it makes it even better.
A belated Happy Birthday, Alice! Wow, what powerful memories from something so simple as wrapping paper. What a fantastic gift on so many levels.
Oh Alice, what a beautiful story! And what prescious memories to be "All Wrapped Up" in! Love your pics and the paper, too!!
Alice - Rave reviews on your post. I am a wrapping paper-holic and am envious of your stash. It's like everything wrapped in it is a double-gift with the reminder of such happy memories.
I hate to echo allnof the comments above, but I must! What a beautiful memory!
What a great story Alice, I love it! I think that's the funny thing about nostalgia, it's not always the things that you would think that get the memories flowing. Like my brother deciding he had to have our very plain mailbox from our childhood home. I don't get it. But anyway, it was special to him for reasons he wasn't sharing. glad to "see" you back, hope you are feeling better.
What a wonderful story Alica. Thanx for sharing.
What a beautiful story. How special that each gift unwrapped has a little extra special meaning to it.
What fab vintage paper and what a wonderful story behind it. Thank you for sharing it with all of us!
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