The Joy of Nesting

The other day LW and I were at Office Max. This is one of those stores where we have our own agendas and shopping lists. So at the door we "fan out" as my kids say when we are on a shopping mission :) I really didn't have anything on my list so I was doing the aisle cruise dance, in case they had gotten something in, I just had to have. As I rounded an aisle I looked up to see the Crayola Crayons display :)

I couldn't help myself, it stopped me dead in my tracks and the next thing I realized I was being drawn in like a moth to a flame. I don't know about you but there are certain things that the sight of will illicit all kinds of memories starting in childhood. Things that just seeing wrap you up in a warm fuzzy cocoon. Well seeing a new box of 48 or better yet 64 Crayola crayons (with the built in sharpener) is like that for me. Making art with crayons are some of the earliest creative memories I have. In fact when I think about it crayons were part of many events in my young life.

There was always shopping for school supplies and picking out first the Fat ones, then graduating to the box of twelve skinny ones. Oh but you knew you have arrived when the supply list called for a box of 24!! :)

Ahhhhhh but then there is the Bad Boys the box of 48 and the best of the best the OH MY Gosh box of 64!!!! Now those were what daydreams were made of. You knew if you asked for crayons for your birthday or Christmas you would for sure get the box of 48. But that didn't guarantee the coveted BOX. :(

We grew up the children of an Army dentist this meant we moved a lot. When it came time to plan the move or the long car trip for a vacation, Mum would let us each pick out a coloring book and crayons. Now we could have the box of 64 if the three of us would share.... oh yeah like that was EVER going to happen!!! So for trips we settled for the individual box of 24 :(

Then came the occasions in life that you could gage how undesirable they were by the box of crayons you were given. Tonsil out, braces on, vaccines for foreign countries, stitches, casts...... Unlike most kids, crayons (and coloring books) remained a part of my life as I grew into adulthood and are still a part of my Little Art Corner. :) I took a new box of the Bad Boys and a couple of coloring books, to college with me. When the stress of a paper got to be a bit much, out came the crayons and book. My daughter was 3 months old at her first Christmas and I made sure there was a box of the Big Fat ones under the tree for her. :) I'll bet you would find a box of at least the 24s among her things now :)

One of the first things I do when I get a new box home is pull all of them out and organize them by favorite colors and the ones most used. Yes well even those well adjusted people have certain eccentricities :) The browns are always first, funny it has always been that way. Then they are followed by the blues. When I was younger I use to say my favorite color was blue because if I said brown someone always felt compelled to tell me that brown was such a ugly color especially for a girl to like. When I told my Mum, she just gave me a huge hug and whispered "there are no ugly colors they are all beautiful" :)

Yellows and greens came next. These were always very important colors because how did you make the sun and grass without them??

Reds and oranges were used lots, they were just such happy colors!!

The pinks and purples were used much less, and to this day these are not colors I really spend a lot of time using. Each Spring I buy one piece of clothing that is pink. I tell myself that it really is a lovely color and I'll really enjoy wearing it. It hasn't worked yet and I'm 53, I'm thinking it's just not going to happen. As for purple, well the only time I ever wear purple is when there is a new bruise, where I ran into my desk corner :)

The last 3 colors to go in are the white, dark gray and black. The black is essential for drawing around the edges of the coloring book drawings. It still didn't see much use cuz it's much more fun to spill over the lines with color then it is to stay within the lines!!

SO back to the other day at Office Max. Just like the moths not being able to resist the flame, I reached out to that box of 48 Crayola Crayons and before I realized it they were bought and in the bag and we were out the door. But ohhhhhh there is nothing better then when you get your new box of Crayola Crayons home and carefully open the lid at the perforations to inhale deeply the "it can only belong to" smell of 48 brand new sharpened Crayola Crayons!!! All the warm fuzzy memories come rushing out, and you can't wait to start making "Sumsing" :)

Have a most audacious today or tomorrow depending on where in the world you are ;)

PS. Happy Mother's Day!! It's Mother's Day in the Scandinavian part of Bloglandia!! :)