Having a ball...

Pray you, love, remember. And there is pansies, that's for thoughts.

(William Shakespeare)

April came and went before I took an opportunity to share a few photos from our big birthday bash--all my siblings and our families came together to celebrate our very favorite ninety year old!  And since pansies are one of her favorite flowers, coming up with an idea for party decor was pretty simple:

"Heart's ease! One could look for half a day 

Upon this flower, and shape in fancy out 

Full twenty different tales of love and sorrow, 

That gave this gentle name.”
(Mary Howitt)

We decorated one of the photo tables with some of her beloved handkerchiefs...I have never known my mother to not have a few lovely ones tucked away in purse for emergencies!  I fondly remember her rolling them into little dolls in a cradle when we would start to fidget in church.

We had fun incorporating special touches that represented Mother's love of linens, her favorite books and tea.  We filled the tea cups with pastel M&Ms and surrounded the saucer with little chocolate kisses.

We re-purposed shower, rehearsal and wedding decor from the past few years as well, which added some extra special memories...

And all of it added up to a very special celebration for an extra special woman, mother, grand-mother, great-grandmother, aunt and friend...

Sonnets are full of love, and this my tome
Has many sonnets: so here now shall be
One sonnet more, a love sonnet, from me
To her whose heart is my heart’s quiet home,
To my first Love, my Mother, on whose knee
I learnt love-lore that is not troublesome;
Whose service is my special dignity,
And she my loadstar while I go and come
And so because you love me, and because
I love you, Mother, I have woven a wreath
Of rhymes wherewith to crown your honored name:
In you not fourscore years can dim the flame
Of love, whose blessed glow transcends the laws
Of time and change and mortal life and death.

--by Christina Rossetti