Thursday, May 16, 2024
Members of The Morris Federation held a meeting on Saturday, Feb. 10, at 10 a.m. in the James Coryell Room at the Coryell Museum and Historical Center.
After a short business meeting, Anne Ramminger was introduced to present a Valentine’s Day-oriented program. Anne, the daughter of Kenneth and Velva Riddle, was a 1985 graduate of Gatesville High School. She currently works as Director of Health Information Management for the Coryell Memorial Healthcare System. Known for her scrapbooking skills and creativity, she has been a favorite with members of The Morris Federation who have enjoyed her hands-on programs over the last couple of years.
This year, Anne started out by showing members how to create decorative vignettes to set around their homes. It is really not necessary to go out and buy a lot of materials to create these vignettes or displays. They can be created with ordinary materials just lying around the home, but by pulling them together, they can create a happy arrangement which may look festive, enjoyable, and even inspiring. Such items may include things like candles, silk flowers, jewelry, books, cups, trays, and all sorts of knick-knacks – just whatever catches the eye.
The vignettes can be seasonal arrangements, or can be centered around a holiday theme such as Christmas (with a bowl of candy, mug with packages of hot chocolate mix, a stuffed toy, a plant, a candle, Christmas book, etc.); Valentine’s Day (with a framed picture of yourself as a child or a loved one, a pair of baby booties, a silk flower in a vase, a Valentine beside the frame, and a necklace draped over the other side of the frame); things that remind you of someone special (maybe your mother with a Bible, a pair of her gloves or a hat, a piece of jewelry, a bottle of her favorite perfume); things that a special friend has given you over the years; or just things that are meaningful to you and make you happy (like a tray with a special figurine, a candle, a piece of jewelry, some stationery or a letter, etc.).
You can set your vignettes anywhere – on a coffee table, a desk, a dresser. They can be placed on a flat surface, on a platform, on a scarf or a doily. She discussed how a person can alter their arrangements or colors or change the vignettes around as often as they like; after all, they are really for your benefit and your enjoyment.
After creating several vignettes, discussing them, and sharing ideas from members, Anne showed members how to make a hanging three-dimensional heart ornament, using hearts cut out from decorative, colorful, double-sided scrapbooking paper.
The group finished up by making and enjoying the perfect Valentine’s Day treat: S’mores! Yes, it was a messy but delicious way to end an already enjoyable meeting!
