FRIENDS

Saturday, April 10, 2010

THIS BOTTLE'S FOR YOU MOM

I had a dream. I did. I was so excited about this swap I just couldn't wait until tomorrow!


A few nights ago I dreamed about my Mother. True story here: We had been foolishly estranged for a couple of years and were in the process of mending our fragile relationship and she had been ill but was on her way in 1988 via Amtrak to visit me for Thanksgiving in northern California. She became sicker along the way and had to be taken to a hospital in Tucson. I made it down there but only spent about an hour with her and never got to make my amends before she died. I have tortured myself for years over this but I got the idea of a Mother's Day swap while dreaming of her last night and don't have any REAL sister so just couldn't wait to tell all you bloggy sisters about it and I just hope lots of you will want to be a part of it with me. I think it will be a sweet way for all of us to pay homage and tribute to our Mother with our blogger friends. We will be honoring each other's Mother whether she is with us here on earth or just with us in our hearts.

Well girls I recently participated in a Bottle Swap and had so much fun hosting the Bunny Swap that I decided to do another swap but one using bottles! If you've never sent a bottle through the US Mail you're in for some fun. We'll be using regular clear plastic 2-litre bottles with the labels off. Your goodies go in the bottle and you attach your mailing label and your return address label and send it directly like that. No box to put it in. Just send the bottle. Keep in mind as with all packages the weight. The more it weighs the more it costs. So try to not fill it with heavy objects. Who wants metal when you can have lace anyway! teehee

So before I show you how to cut your bottles for inserting the stuff, let me tell you about the theme I have in mind:

What I would like to do is for us to fill our bottles with whatever we think our OWN Mother would like. Things that describe her personality whether she is here or in heaven. Little things such as puzzles if she like working puzzles, knitting if she was a knitter, jewelry if she was a bling-bling type gal and you get the drift? Also we can put a little story about her in the bottle and maybe a photo and our partners can get to know who our mother is/was. Then when we do our Mother's Day post about our real Mother we can also honor our "other mother" (the Mom of our partner). Sound like fun? I just really miss being able to do something for my mother and I'd love to share with my swap partner things about my Mama and what made her unique.

Soooooooooooo are you in? Good. Now here is a little picture of the four bottles I recently sent out in another swap before Easter just to give you ideas (they look like they were all shreds but really had lots of tiny elements in them) but these were smaller than a 2-litre and you're really challenged to find things to put in the smaller bottles so let's all stick with the big ones.




Now this is how you cut your bottles and get them ready for the mail.
STEP 1: Wash your bottle and remove the label and let it dry inside. Put the lid on tightly after it dries.


STEP 2:with a Sharpie marker make your cutting lines about 3" down on both sides and all across the bottom (which makes a flap shape)and with your exacto knife cut down both vertical lines


STEP 3: the trickiest part here is to cut a long piece of clear, wide packing tape and lay it down the center of the bottle so when you cut the horizontal line you will have a "handle" to hold onto while filling the bottle, because without this piece of tape the flap once cut will want to snap inside the bottle!


STEP 4:Now you can lift up on the bottom end of the tape and carefully hold it up while you're cutting across the bottom line. NOTE: If you are totally confused there are U-Tube videos showing bottle swaps by Yoliebean.


STEP 5:You can hold onto the tape while you insert your goodies


STEP 6: If you want to add tissue paper or shreds to make it prettier or to protect something, now is the time to do it. Then you will want to have everything assembled and at your fingertips and start to add your treasures and when the bottle is filled you simple start taping the clear tape over all your cut lines. The tighter the bottle is filled the better it will ship. And when the bottle is secure you tape down a large "label" of plain or decorative paper to cover all the messiness of the tape and to that you attach the to and from labels. Be sure to mark bold on your labels TO and FROM because the post office has been known to send the bottle back to you (after all they do not know who is who) because the labels are fairly close together. And that is that.
Take it to the post office and they weigh it like everything else and put your postage sticker on and off it goes. Watch them put the postage sticker on so you know they have it above the recipient and not to the sender! When your partner receives her bottle she will remove the label and cut the tape off and retrieve her surprises the same way you put them in.

OK so if everyone is clear on how to stuff your bottle and mail it and what the theme is then you can get to work on yours. But wait a minute....First we have to have a partner, so today is Saturday April the 10th and we will begin signing up and this swap will have equal partner to partner so if Mary has Jane as a partner then Jane has Mary as a partner. As I list the partners it will be up to you to each get in touch with your partner and get their addresses for mailing.

You have one week to sign up and Partners will be assigned here next Sun.Apr.18. I will send out one email reminder on Wednesday April the 28th. You will have two weeks to work on your bottle and Bottles should go out in the mail no later than Saturday May the 1st. Mother's Day is Sunday May 9 and we can post our bottles that day as we pay tribute to our own Mother.

I am going to TRY to have Mister MckLinky working properly for this swap but in case we have problems; he and I, then I ask that you leave me comments and list your NAME, your E-MAIL ADDRESS and your BLOG URL. No more confusing swaps in mizmollye's world! Thank you.

If anyone has questions please email me at dixiegardenself@yahoo.com

Thanks and Happy Bottle Swapping, mizmollye

15 comments:

  1. Hi Miz M, I just posted a long epistle that got eaten up by blogger I haven't been buy in a while but I am glad to see you have been having fun with your grandbabies. I am sorry to hear about the little boy who got killed. There is just too much evil in this world of ours but all we can do is keep praying and trying to do good in our little way. Your swap sounds so interesting and unique. I wish I could join in but I have decided that I have to something with all this crap ahem supplies I keep buying. I think I do it as a way to soothe myself but I am getting swamped and starting to feel I might be a bit crazy. I am with you on the dolls. I just bought three dolls and I don't even collect dolls!! Poor David, I don't know how he puts up with me. I understand perfectly about your mother. Me and mine are like oil and water but we have been trying harder to get on recently. Have fun on your swap. i will be back to see how it goes.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think this swap will mean a lot to many of us. I just know that your Mom knew you were there, rest assured she knew how much you loved her. I'm excited for this next swap.

    ReplyDelete
  3. HiMizzy...Quick upadate...I'm with Mama and Stacy doing my FirstBorn and BossyBigSis Thing. You know what I mean. I will be here awhile...weeks...months???? I would love to do this swap, but guess I had best wait and do the next one. Your Mama sends her Love from Heaven via your Dreams...Sue

    ReplyDelete
  4. I put my name in the swap but thought I had to add visit so mine looks stupid! lol...can this be fixed?
    Linda @ A La Carte

    This is my first swap so I'm nervous but excited also.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Girlfriend, you do not look stupid! No one knows any more than you about how this silly MacLinky operates so not to worry. I'm just glad you're playing along. I don't think this will be a big swap group but the ones who need to do this will participate so it's all good.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mollye,
    You are such a genious! I really do think so. What a creative and fun swap!! I will look at my calender tomorrow and see if I can swing this before I sign up. Thanks again for the books. You have no idea how much I love them!
    Blessings coming at ya!
    Gwen:)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I found your blog via another blog but I would love to participate if you would let me! jccapps@mindspring.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love this idea! I adored my mama! I have to laugh because she liked to drink beer and I probably should not try to send that in the US Mail! Ha Ha! But my mom had so many wonderful qualities that I am running all these things through my head. I am so excited to participate! Hugs Anne

    P.S. I know your mom loved you much and knew you loved her.

    ReplyDelete
  9. what a sweet swap! I am sooo excited! i have re-posted this on my blog , hoping to get a few more takers...and linked back here to sign up and get the details.

    ReplyDelete
  10. you make me feel like a mischieveous kid with your cool ideas and inspirations. I can't wait to carve into a bottle. My son just polished 1 off last week and threw it out so I'll have to get another one. lol

    I'm having fun imagining my mom's personality and likes and what that means I should put into my capsule.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'd love to participate, however I will be in Florida for Mother's day, leaving on the 7th. Any idea how I could get my post up, amybe just early? Lori

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh I want to do this. A wonderful way to share our wonderful mom's, please keep me informed.
    Love your blog.
    Love ya,Debbie

    ReplyDelete
  13. Sure I'll give it a try! I'll just have to post my pictures before I leave for Disney! Lori

    ReplyDelete
  14. I'm getting my bottle ready tonight for Amy. Will mail tomorrow. I put it off until the last minute, but yet this is exciting try to share what I love and learned from and about my MOM. Thanks for doing this. You are a very special lady. Big Hug.

    Kathy - GFDiner
    http://blog.gfdiner.com

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for taking your valuable time to tell me what you are thinking about!