My Button Box

When I was last in the DC area, my friends and I went to a nice fabric store. We needed to get Hannah some hair ribbon for her Willy Wonka play. Anyway, I think the store's name was the G-String. It has everything you could imagine on two full floors. While checking the place out I noticed bulk buttons on sale. Each bag had very cool assorted buttons, not made in China. They reminded me very much of my Grandmother's button box. I bought three bags of buttons. We had fun in that fabric store. We bought lots of ribbon, buttons and a green boa for Lisa's niece.

When I was a girl I passed a lot of time organizing, sorting and lining up my Grandmother's buttons. Sometimes she let me sew one on something or just a scrap of material. I loved that button box. My mom has it now. Today I found a tin in my closet that reminded me of my Grandmother and her collection of Hummel figurines. It became my new Button Box. Yay. This was a quick and perfect substitute for the cookie tins (full of butter cookies) that I was eyeing on the Internet. I had spent the past week trying to decide between a 1lb, 2lb, and even looked at a 4lb. But none of the tins seemed quite right, until I found the Hummel tin in the bottom of a box in my closet. It was there all along and I just did not remember it.

I dumped out the three bags of buttons into the button box. Then I started sorting and looking at them all. I was so pleased at the variety of the collection. They seem very authentic. It looks like there are a few military type sets. (Perhaps this is related to being from the DC area.) There are two Brooks Brother's buttons. There is one little button that looks like an abalone shell button. There are 8 sparkly little white buttons. There are some that look like soft pillows (but they're hard) in assorted sizes and colors. There are some blue ones that look Greek. There's one pink one that looks to be made from a shell.

I love my button box. It makes me happy and reminds me of the time I passed just looking at and lining up buttons when I was a child. Those were simpler times, with a lot less work and responsibility. Buttons could be a whole new form of stress management therapy. Now I wish I could make everyone a button box.

I don't really plan to do much with these buttons, other than admire them and sort them and enjoy them. They might occupy a visiting child some day or just me. I put the thread and needle sets from traveling in there too in case I ever get a mind to sew one on something. They are so cool. I love my new button box. If you come over, ask to see it. I may let you.