Throw Pillows Explained...

In honor of my friend Mindy Owens who wrote a sweet note under my blog (and possibly the only one who actually reads it), I have decided to dedicate this entry to the Ricks family's love of throw pillows. As she observed, both my younger brother and I would like throw pillows for our new places of residence. He in Alabama, and myself in Hawaii... both needing the pillows ASAP. 


Let's start from square one though. 


According to the online dictionary: A throw pillow, or toss pillow, is a small, decorative type of pillow. Throw pillows are usually placed on sofas or armchairs but are also frequently used on beds and day beds. Throw pillows serve both an aesthetic and a functional purpose....


One may next wonder why in the world the two of us are incapable of buying our own throw pillows (or even want them, being our ages and all). I would guess (and hope) my younger brother may not wish to be seen (as a young male) buying such decorate pillows. I on the other hand, just recently being employed for the first time in three months, cannot justify the expense. But there is more... 


Though we both have great excuses, it does not fully explain the desire to have our mommy send us these pillows. After all, they are not really necessary and if anything just get in the way sometimes. 


So what's the catch???


The catch is that we have the most amazing and comforting mother on earth. Sorry if you thought you did, but you're wrong. 


She loves us in many ways, but one way is by providing the little things in life that make it fun and enjoyable. The little things that most everyone looks over and sees as irrelevant. Some may look at my mother and think her pursuits for just the right blanket or paint color are frivolous or materialistic. To he or she I would say you are a fool and just don't understand, (not to mention if I ever hear you talk about my mother that way, I will kick your ass).  


It's not the items themselves that are the joy of my moms finds, it is the love behind them that makes us feel cared for. Don't get me wrong, I loved having the perfect inexpensive jewelry to match my prom dress and all, but it's not the actual purchase that is special, it is her. 


You must also understand that my mother shops like it is an art form or a sport. She LOVES the hunt. She not only has excellent taste, but she is creative, knowledgeable, and super cost-effective along the way. If most companies were run with the amount of care, time, and effort that my mother puts towards shopping, they would be hugely successful, guaranteed. 


My friends have often noticed that I can be lazy in my pursuit of finding things that go well together or are the perfect combination of colors. Especially in the early college years when I would wear sweatpants and baseball hats everyday. What they fail to see perhaps, is that I am related to a professional shopper who loves to pick things out. It's like growing up with a professional painter and not putting all your personal effort towards painting. When you know someone who does it much better and you have unlimited access to this help, why work to personally perfect that skill?? 


Okay that might be a little dramatic. I actually do have a sense of taste and find more joy in putting things together the older I get. 


Can I just say though... NOT cool trying to decorate my first real apartment from 4000 miles away from my mother. Sure, sure... I'm learning to do things myself, but it's painful without her! 


Just to give you a picture: I went to target a few weeks ago, and as I was on the verge of tears feeling so far from home, I called my mom to just hear her voice. (If you haven't picked up on this yet, shopping makes me miss her more). Being the great woman she is, she first comforted me and then proceeded to get in the car, drive to Target, and go through the isles with me to pick things out. 


Fact: Target is so generic that the merchandise is not only the same, but organized the same on different land masses. 


Two hours, a lamp, a tablecloth, and two floor rugs later... mission accomplished. 


The thing is, it has nothing to do with the actual things. I am trained well enough to do that on my own and would probably enjoy the process. 


But when I wake up in the morning in my apartment, my mom doesn't seem so far. 


Shortly after we picked out the Target items my mother began a search for little things to match my apartment. Since she now had an example of the colors and an idea of what it looks like, she could begin the real hunt. A week later she had put together two care packages that apparently include some amazing throw pillows to match my rug. 


Fact: I've been waiting for the US postal service to deliver my boxes for THREE WEEKS NOW. They were supposed to be here two weeks ago, and if they lost them, I will be a mess. Not because of the items, but because I miss my mom so much and the throw pillows will be a great comfort. 


In conclusion: the Ricks family is super weird... but my mom is awesome. The USPS needs to bring my boxes... and that is my prayer request for the week. 


No... I'm not joking. 


(Okay maybe a little:)