Hello Thursday -- Sneakeroni

Heyo!  I thought I'd throw you a couple more sneaks today.  One of these shall be shown relatively soon.  The other.....well, less soon, but not to far off.

I also think that Washi Tape should be a serious consideration when one is decorating one's home.  I've found recently that it can really add a lot to things about the house.

Take for example this simple canister, originally purchased holding loose tea from 'The Republic of Tea'.  I may or may not have a slight tea addiction.  I may or may not have gather somewhat of a collection of these little tins in the passage of time.

In this case, I used it to create a fun project for Freckled Fawn, my new favorite stop off for Washi tape goodness and all manner of other fun bits and bobs.

I started with an embarrassingly naked can.

However, I understand that modesty requires that one get dressed.

Here is my sweet little can in her slip.  It's a very simple masking tape affair. But once again, there is not quite enough to go out in public.

This is where Washi tape comes in.  Simply go round and round with a variety of prettily color tapes until you feel she's properly dressed.  As in all well put together outfits,  you must add some finishing accessories. That is where the label and some lovely Letter stickers and finally a tiny die cut help to complete her 'pretty as a picture' ensemble. 

Give it a go and let me know how yours come out.

More fun little home decor projects coming to a blog near you!!!  Keep a look out!

My dear friend Rebecca suggested that when I last left off on my story, I was 'setting you up'.  I suppose I was.  There was a lot of drama in my young life.  

Those who know me well know that I am a rather dramatic personality, but sometimes you just have to live it like it really is.  I can tell you that recently, things have been a little less so and I am having zero problem with that!

Alright, where did I leave off...........

My birthday is in July.  July 22nd to be exact.  Please make a note of it! ;)  As you may know, that puts me right in the middle of Summer.  Which also means I have a bit more than another month at home with my mom.

During this point in time, our little household was really hurting for cash.  My father did faithfully provide the child support, but that was only $200 per month. Even in 1985, that wasn't a particularly generous sum. Certainly, it wasn't sufficient to keep two people afloat.  

So mama had to find work.  As I mentioned before, keeping a job wasn't her strong-suit.  The most common employment she found during this time frame was as an in-home nurse for elderly people.  

It often meant she had to stay away all night as that was the shift that was available.  Usually, when that happened, I'd stay with the neighbors, Gavin and his family..  That had been a relatively acceptable situation in my mind up to that point, but somewhere along in here, things began to change.

Hal, Gavin's father turned out to be yet another in a string of unsavory character's during my life that had a special taste for young girls.  His particular taste tended to be girls just past puberty. 

Hal's girlfriend, Audra, who was also Gavin's aunt, had become a close friend for me.  She'd begun to tell me a bit more of their history.  Audra was only 19 at this time, which now seems ridiculously young.  She told me how Hal had seduced her when she was only 14 on this very same property.  He was married to her sister Darlene at the time, but that had no impact on him.

Now that I was 13 and developing as 13 year old girls do, Hal was taking an interest in me.   The comments began pretty innocently, or so it seemed.  He'd just say nice things about me or compliment me on how my clothes looked well on me.

But soon, the comments became too explicit and he was 'noticing' things about my developing body and commenting rather specifically about those as well.  I began to make sure I didn't end up there with him alone.

I wonder now whether Audra had been aware of his interest.  I would imagine she was, but given how she'd gotten connected with Hal, she probably didn't know what to do either.

I  kept out of Hal's way for the most part and spent my time with Audra and Gavin and Audra's little son and daughter, Jake and Sally.  We'd drink cold Pepsi's or ice coffee by the gallon and talk and play cards while Hal watched his porn movies in the living room or read erotica.

I think we were all happiest when Hal got called to go out of town for a job.  

One day, Darlene called Audra.  She was in trouble, having been severely beaten by her live-in boyfriend.  Gavin had been living with her in Georgia at the time. "Could Audra, Hal and the kids come up and get Gavin and help her until she was healed enough to go home from the hospital?" she wanted to know.

Audra immediately began packing.  She also asked my mama and I whether I might go with her to help care for the little ones while she was tending to her sister.  It meant getting away from mama for a few days and being with Gavin again so I jumped at the chance and mama consented.

We drove straight through, about 8 hours to arrive at Darlene's home by around 11pm.  Audra, dropped us at Darlene's trailer and left immediately to go to the hospital.  

I helped Hal to get the little ones situated and to sleep.  Gavin was not there, having stayed with a friend while his mother was in the hospital.  I went out to the kitchen to tell Hal I was heading to bed as well.

His look told me he had other ideas.  He had the strangest sly smile on his face.  And then, the propositions began.  I won't go into the details, but I can tell you that they were graphic, disgusting and terrifying.  Hal was certain that he could convince me I would like what he was offering.  

I was disgusted.  He was a 45 year old man and I only a 13 year old girl.  By that time, I'd learned enough to know that I could say no and that I wanted NO part of that.  However, I was scared to death.

Finally, Hal told me that if I wouldn't consent to 'be' with him, then I must be a lesbian!

Blam!  It was a hard blow and one that might have caused me to cave in.  It was manipulation, and by God's grace, I knew it for what it was. Instead, I retreated to the front porch where I stayed the entire night. Crying. Afraid.  Alone.  Cold.  Uncertain.

Hurt and ashamed to have been talked to in that way.

I watched the sun come up and the dew on the grass that morning.  The sound of children waking was music to my ears.  Hal stayed in bed and I couldn't have been happier.