Hello, friends! It’s the Dog Days of Summer, and I thought I’d take a break from Christmas in July to make a project in praise of Pink Lemonade! This sweet summery card features Rose Pink Delicate Stitched Satin from Really Reasonable Ribbon. It’s the perfect shade of pink for summer. Making this card brought back some sweet memories from my childhood.
Life Before Air Conditioning
Growing up in Vermont, we had no air conditioning, no box fans, no ceiling fans…nothing but handmade paper fans to help cool us down during the sultry summer days. My mom used to keep cans of Pink Lemonade Concentrate in the freezer to help us cool down. It was often my job to mix it up in a pretty glass pitcher. This was a process that modern children will probably never understand.
First you had to use the can opener to get the lid off. There were no “easy open” plastic pull strips back in those days. If Mom wasn’t looking, you could lick the sticky sweet pink lemonade concentrate off the inside of the lid. Sweet, tart, cold and sticky all at the same time, it made your tongue tingle, and your eyes water just a tiny bit.
Next we had to mix the sticky concentrate up with 3 1/3 cans of cold water from the tap. I always put in just the 3 cans so that ice could be added and the lemonade wouldn’t be too watered down.
Remember those old metal ice trays? First you had to run the back side of the tray under water to sort of loosen things up a little. Then you had to lift the cold metal lever to sort of release the ice from the metal blades. Don’t pinch your fingers during this phase of the process! But I did, and more than once!
Next you had to figure out how to release your fingers from the metal lever! Remember that? Sometimes the ice popped free easily. Sometimes not. And woe on you if you forgot to refill the tray and put it back in the freezer!
Summer Nights
Of course, summer only lasts for 2 weeks in Vermont, but I can still remember how hot my upstairs bedroom was at the end of the day. The sun set on that side of the house, so all afternoon, it soaked up the heat of the sun and then seemed to release it into my tiny bedroom right at bedtime. Usually the sheets on my bed were cool and refreshing. But during the heat of summer, there was no such relief. You could lay in your bed and sweat, even with the window wide open and the shade pulled up.
“Mommy, it’s too hot to sleep,” was the usual complaint. Mom, who had little patience for whining, would answer in her practical, no nonsense way.
“Now, Kathy, you just lie still and wait for the breeze. The breeze will come any minute if you just lie very still and be patient. Then you’ll fall right off to sleep with no trouble at all. Now good night.”
And you know what? The breeze would always come. How did she know that?
These hot summer days make me very thankful for my air conditioned studio. It’s a great time of year to stay inside and make pretty things with paper…and sip on Pink Lemonade.
You’ll find a linked supply list below this post.
Thanks for stopping by!
Cheerio,
kathy
SUPPLY LIST
- Rose Pink Delicate Stitched Satin (from the July Ribbon Club)
- Prima Peach Tea Paper
- 12×12 Pad
- 8×8 pad
- Journal Cards
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Looks very vintage! I love vintage. I will make couple of these for my Grandmas. Thank you for teaching us all your talent.
I vividly remember my hot and humid summer days, and sweltering nights, growing up in Illinois…which is why I much prefer living here in the Pacific NW!! We get about 8-12 weeks of summer weather…still too much for me, but tolerable. Give me fleece pants and mock neck Ts! By the end of our current heatwave, I’ll be hoping for an early Fall to begin!! Memories of those metal ice cube trays definitely signal how old we are…on occasion, I wouldn’t mind having a couple of those back again. Lovely card!
Your memories match mine. Happy days.
Kathy, this card so so beautiful and magical! That little fairy girl is so sweet. I just love her! The pink lemon frame around the mason jar is perfect. I can just taste the refreshing pink lemonade. So good on a hot summer day. I love the inside and the image of the beach umbrellas. Loved your summer nights story. What I wouldn’t give to have 2 weeks of hot days instead of 5 months. LOL Thank you for sharing this lovely card! Hugs!
Just had to laugh…bought 3 cans of the lemonade at the grocery store, trying to stay away from the plastic…and living along the Illinois River there were times, as a teenager, I would take 2 or 3 cool showers a day just to get some relief from the heat. That said, love your lemonade card, and those look like sweet peas? So many favorite flowers that don’t do well here in Wyoming. Really enjoy your comments re: your growing up days Kathy. thanks for sharing!
Love your memory of childhood summers. I forgot all about those cans of concentrate drink mixes, metal ice trays and growing up without air conditioning! How did we survive those hot summers in ny city in the 70’s…yikes…your project is so sweet and makes me happy when I look at it. Love your work. Hope your feeling better Kathy!
Love those projects that bring memories back to all of us. Remember the refrigerator’s you had to defrost yourself? A welcome task in summer heat and one we tried to avoid in winter. I do remember those simpler days and when dad bought us window air conditioners for our bedrooms – what a treat! But, with the windows shut I missed the sweet smell of grass being cut. We also used limeade, cherry limeade as well as lemonade and of course ice tea with mint from the garden. Thanks for the lovely project and the memories Kathy. You provide more recent treasured memories of sipping a cuppa while enjoying your projects and the trips down memory lane.
How in the world do you remember those days with such accuracy?! I could visualize myself going through the exact same motions of making lemonade…and those ice cube trays!! Your lovely card cooled me off instantly, BTW!
Such a lovely card. Your creativity is endless.
Awwww!!!! Beautiful, beautiful Pink Lemonade card Kathy! Luv it! And such a beautiful story too! Yes I remember those days making the Lemonade from those cans and sneaking a lick too!!! Those old metal ice trays were something else too. Always afraid my fingers would freeze to it!!! Lol! Yes our bedroom was upstairs too and very hot! Thank you Kathy for the walk down memory lane! And for the beautiful, beautiful card creation! Hugs, Suzy Q