Happy Belated Mother’s Day to all you moms out there! I spent my day unpacking (hubby and I visited his parents for only the second time in over a year due to Covid), then the youngest son came over. He asked if we could help with a DIY project, and I said sure. I had no idea what it was until he got here, but we spent a couple hours repurposing vinyl records. He’d found some YouTube videos, so with some old albums he’d collected, we reshaped them into bowls, shelves, and bookends. He plans to use them in his new apartment.
Which brings me to new life news. He and two other friends are moving to Austin, TX in early June. It’s something they’ve talked about for several months, and he plans to take a year off before starting grad school. We’re sad to see him go, but excited for this new chapter in his life. Plus, we’ve never been to Austin and plan to stay a few extra days and check out the city after helping him move.
Speaking of repurposing old vinyl, here are some pictures of what my sons got me for Mother’s Day. Aren’t they awesome? The artwork is painted on KISS Alive II records. I’ve been a KISS fan for years (and what a coincidence I just mentioned them in my Monday post a couple weeks ago) and plan to have these framed. Aren’t they awesome? Youngest son ran across them at an art festival. I know it may not be the typical Mother’s Day present, but my sons know me pretty well.
Hubby and I finished this short, four episode series of Secrets of the Whales last week. The show explores the cultures of orcas, belugas, narwhals, sperm whales, and humpback whales. What amazing, beautiful footage! We enjoyed every minute of this incredible series and learned a great deal about the whales, their communication skills, and social structures. If you have access to Disney+, I highly recommend watching it.
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Your sons gave you a way cool Mother’s Day gift! The whale series sounds fabulous, thanks for the rec.:-)
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Right? They did a fantastic job. Hope you enjoy the whale series, Priscilla – so educational and amazing.
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This is a great gift and a very exciting news for your son!
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We’re thrilled for him, Sophie. It’s only a plane ride away, and we get to explore a new city.
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Those are amazing, Teri! Exciting that your son is moving to TX too. I’m sure he’ll enjoy it there. Glad you had a great Mother’s Day. 😉
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I think he’ll enjoy the city, but the temps are another story. He’s extremely warm-blooded, and from an early age stated he was moving to Alaska, lol. Hope you had a fabulous Mother’s Day also!
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I love Texas and hope he enjoys. I’ve never been to Austin but I have visited San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas/Ft.Worth. I’ve gotten some of the best steaks I’ve ever eaten there ❤️. And, what a cool Mother’s Day gift! Have a great week 😊
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We’ve never been to TX at all, so we’re looking forward to checking it out. Get some reading done before your girls descend upon you this week!
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What a great gift from your son, Teri! I’m glad you had a nice Mother’s Day.😉
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Thanks, Jill – they really surprised me with this gift!
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When I was in the 6th grade, my best friends and I dressed up as Kiss and performed in front of the entire school. We lip synced! I was Peter Chris. LOL! When you mentioned Kiss in your last post, that immediately came to mind.
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I don’t know that I’d have had the nerve to get in front of people and do it, Jill. What a fun memory!
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Lol! My friends were more extroverted than me. I hid behind the drums.😉It’s a great memory!
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Sounds like a great Mother’s Day and what cool gifts. My son was and still is a huge KISS fan. I made him and his buddies KISS costumes one Halloween, did the makeup for them too. I hope your son enjoys Texas. xo
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So cool you did your son’s and friends’ makeup, Darlene. I tried it with my oldest one year, but it’s definitely not in my skill set, lol. Still, it was a fun Halloween. Hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day!
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Teri, an amazing present for Mother’s Day and itsn’t it wonderful that your sons know you so well! Enjoy finding just the right frame for it! Good luck with your son’s move to Austin. Is it very far from you? It’s always bittersweet moments as the young become adults and head off their own ways. x
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Austin is about a 13 hour drive – so we’ll definitely be flying. Neither hubby or I really enjoy driving – especially not that long of a distance. Fortunately, we’re an hour away from an international airport. I’ll be frame shoping soon!
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What an amazing weekend! That DIY idea sounds great and I loved that art on the record.
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It was a fun project and really easy to do, Yesha. And with his love of music, it’s something that totally suits my son.
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Oh, how cool, Teri! Best wishes to your son. Austin is an amazing town. If you pass through Dallas, wave!! 🙂
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We’re excited to see what Austin has to offer, Jan. If we get close to Dallas, I’ll definitely send a wave!
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Those are pretty cool. I had that album myself at one time, but mine could have been an 8-track. I’ve never been to Austin, but would like to visit once.
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I think I still have my original one stored upstairs – vertically, of course. And I remember 8-tracks, Craig.
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Great gifts, Teri. Austin is a great city, especially for the youth. Housing costs are pretty steep but with three of them they should manage.
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There’s no way he could manage it alone, so it’s good the three of them are moving together. We also have some family friends in Austin, so they’ll know a few other people.
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That’s good too.
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Kids growing up is a little tough in some ways, Teri. The project you did sounds like fun and your gift is amazing.
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It really can be, Robbie, but hubby and I did a good job. Now we get to take advantage of the cities our sons move to!
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Very groovy. I’ll tell you what – if he ever decides to hit the craft fair circuit, those albums-turned-into-other-objects are a BIG THING. Really amazing gift! Also, have you seen The Octopus Teacher yet? (I forgot if you mentioned it before…) Your post about the whales/orcas made me think of that. 🙂
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Vinyl has seriously made a comeback in a lot of ways. I have a feeling he’ll be repurposing some more soon. I haven’t see The Octopus Teacher – sounds like something I need to look up.
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You’re gonna flip when you see that movie. And, oh my, yes. Charlie (my DH), ran record stores for YEARS and our entire basement is basically wall to wall vinyl (and CDs).
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Sounds like a vacation destination my son would love, lol!
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VERY cool Mother’s Day gift, Teri. I bet you were so excited.
I love the sound of the whale series and will half to check it out!
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They really surprised me with this one, Mae – a perfect gift. Bet you’ll enjoy those whales – so fascinating.
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Those album covers are so cool. I have a lot of old albums. Time to get out the crafting supplies. Lol. And thanks for the recommendation of the Secrets of the Whales. I always enjoy your suggestions. 🙂 Safe travels to you son, too.
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Thanks, Diana! It was fun melting vinyl on purpose (had some not so purposeful incidents many years ago). Maybe you could start a new hobby! Secrets of Whales was wonderful. I’d watch it again.
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Neat idea with repurposing the old records.
As for your gift: it doesn’t matter if it’s a traditional Mothers’ Day gift, as long as it made you happy. Besides, something you’ll love that isn’t the traditional gift shows your son knows you and thinks about what you would like, rather than just buying any old thing. That’s my opinion anyhow.
The show about the whales sounds fascinating.
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Exactly, Tori. I’ve never been much for traditional gifts anyway. I’ve always told hubby if he felt the need to buy me flowers, get me a Best Buy or bookstore gift card instead. My sons know how nerdy I am, lol.
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