Super Mom

My Mom has special powers. Whenever I have something really specific in mind that I want, she inevitably finds that exact thing when we’re shopping. But not only does she find that must-have item, she almost always finds it for a deep, deep discount. There are countless stories of her stopping in front of a rack or a shelf, rummaging around, and pulling out whatever you’re looking for with a big red “clearance” sticker slapped on the front of it. My friends used to recruit her to go shopping with them.

So, a few months ago I put her powers to work for me yet again. I wanted an antique looking wire birdcage to use as a card box. (Yes, I realize this is a little overdone these days, but I love it and I want one.) We went to a store near where my parents live and we split up, me moving faster through the aisles than she was, and I got to the end thinking we struck out. But then here she came, holding this birdcage with a big yellow “clearance” sticker on the front of it:

We immediately did some inspection and realized that the wire flowers could be cut off fairly easily. The door was too small to fit cards in, but luckily my Dad is pretty handy and we decided he could remove the wood pieces making up the current door and replace it with a bigger one. As you can see the clearance sticker said $10, but when Mama Sundae took it up to the register they only charged us $5! It was practically free! We also decided to paint it black and my Dad found a new knob thing for the top of the cage, which we will use to tie some of the damask fabric around. Here it is with the flowers removed (sorry for the blurry pictures):

And here is the finished product (minus the fabric bow tied onto the top):

Hooray for handy parents! What are you using as a card box?

BLOGGER

Mrs. Sundae

Location:

Chicago/Lake Geneva, WI

Occupation:

Knowledge Manager

Wedding Date:

September 2008

Venue:

The Abbey Resort