This image recently popped up on a site I follow on Facebook called: "Do You Remember"
And I thought, oh yes. I remember.
As a student in a Catholic high school, it can be difficult to feel like an individual, while sporting the same uniform as the hundreds of girls who surround you.
So our pocketbooks became the vehicle through which we expressed ourselves.
Around 1970, decoupage became the rage in our area. Specifically, decoupaging metal lunch boxes.
We poured over magazines and newspapers, clipping images and words that appealed to us and defined who we were. We carefully applied them to the outer surfaces of the lunch boxes with adhesive, then sprayed them with a sealant. The interior was usually lined with felt.
I was quite proud of the finished product, though I've no idea what eventually became of that purse.
To be honest, it was quite awkward to carry and
made a bit of a racket every time I opened and closed it.
What I did save, and cherish, is a decoupage box a dear friend made for me when we graduated from college. It captured so many memories of our shared lives on campus and what we hoped would be our future.
Maybe it's time to bring this creative form of art back.
Something to teach the wee ones someday, perhaps.
