Wanna in El Paso

This dome was made for my husband's uncle and aunt when they celebrated their fifty-fifth wedding anniversary. It is shown here in their living room (the glass dome was removed for the picture). Unfortunately, I didn't think about taking pictures until some four years later, and naturally, it was just before we had to leave to drive back to El Paso, so they are not all of the best quality.

The dome began with the selection of the card, which forms the "walls" of the setting. The maps, his shaving kit and her makeup kit reflect their many vacation trips, years of traveling to fireworks conventions and frequent visits to El Paso. It reads:

Love bears all things
Believes all things
Hopes all things
Endures all things

The card was made by the Gibson greeting card company; appropriate since their last name was Gibson.

To give the card more stability, I inserted cardboard inside the folds, and glued a piece of wallpaper on the left side, covering the Happy Anniversary, so that I would have a clean wall. The chair I made in a DeeVee Chasteen (I hope my spelling is correct) workshop. The Bible on the cushion reflects their devotion to their faith and church, and our uncle's slippers, newspaper and ever-present box of Kleenex are on the floor under the chair.

The rug is a circle of fabric; its fringe made by pulling threads from the straight edges of some of the same fabric and gluing in place. The anniversary table is made on a cut-down frozen orange juice can. It has an anniversary cake, napkins, forks and plates. The sack of fireworks in the floor represents their years as wholesale fireworks distributors. (See Miss Minnie's Fireworks Stand)

On the table are an anniversary gift and card, along with a red bird and a brass bell with a wooden handle representing our aunt's china bird and bell collections. The roses in the vase are silk ribbon; the lamp is made from beads.

The shadow box hanging over the table is a miniature version of one that hung in their entryway. The original was made by my mother-in-law for them in the 70's. (See The Guest Room Shadow Box .) The miniature shadow box was made by Jack Chasteen. I made the curtain to look like the one in my aunt's real shadow box, used an HO scale chest and lamp, and a tiny fern. The woman is a repainted model railroad figure.

The card, signed by me and my husband with all our love, reads:

On this day for celebrating
the love you both share
it's only natural to thank God
for the blessing you bring
and to wish you every happiness
today and always

Uncle Elvin passed away two days after their 60th wedding anniversary; Aunt Maurine passed away two years later. Their only child, a son, still has the dome, as far as I know. One of these days when we visit, I hope to get better pictures - if it still exists by then.

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