09/06/2026
Happy Heavenly Birthday, Mommy! ❤️
Mildred Lorraine (Britt) Wilson (1927-1992) September 5
When my mother passed I was just a young, newly married woman, but the deep, principled values she gave me never left. She didn’t just plant the foundation for the woman I would become - she also planted some seeds for Life’s Treasures Gifts/Life’s Treasures Vintage & More.
The first photos reflect a vintage glimpse into my parents love story (sadly both of them gone too soon)- James Otis and Mildred Lorraine Wilson
-🔔Featured here is a mid-century vintage brass hanging bell on an ornate stand, engraved with the words, “TO MILLIE WITH LOVE” on the base.
To be honest, I don’t know the real story behind this brass table bell because I discovered it in my parent’s home after she passed. So, MY STORY is… My father was a soldier in WWII and he had the bell engraved to express his love for Mildred. He either shipped back this unexpected package to the states or he presented this lovely bell to her as he came back home (alive!) from the war! Either way, it’s still very romantic!
Well, that’s my story and I am sticking with it! 😀❤️
The latter photos represents one of my earliest refinished jewelry boxes. Her name is “Mildred”! This jewelry box was given to me by my mother when I was a pr***en. We loved jewelry! Years later I refinished, distressed, and painted it in antique white. I replaced the k***s with three pairs of my mother’s clip-on earrings. The sides and back are accented and stenciled in gold paint in an abstract, symmetric scrollwork motif. I gave this beautiful jewelry box last year to my oldest niece, whom she and my mother spent a lot of time together when she was a little girl.
My mother often recited these words that I later found out they were written by Oscar Hammerstein and became lyrics in a song in the musical, The Sounds of Music 🎵:
“A bell is not a bell until you ring it.
A song is not a song until you sing it.
Love is not love until you give it away.”
(condensed version)
Jarrett🤟🏾 Jordan | Graphic Designer
