A Seuss-Inspired Mother's Day by Cerella Sechrist (We Talk to Ourselves...a Lot! blog series)

Dr. Seuss art print by Cherie Sechrist (sweetclicks.etsy.com)

This Mother's Day is a particularly special one in my family. My brother and his wife are expecting a baby in July, and I'm super excited to become an aunt for the second time.

We're celebrating with appropriate fanfare - my mom is hosting the baby shower a week after Mother's Day, flying hundreds of miles from Pennsylvania to Texas for the Dr. Seuss-themed party she's planned. For the last few weeks, I've been presented with an endless parade of Seussical-themed prizes and favors for approval. My head has begun to spin from the countless rhymes my mother has dreamed up.

My mom, Cherie, is one of those creative craft people who can make works of art out of cast-off items the rest of us throw in the trash. She loves "upcycling" (a term I wouldn't have known if not for her) "trash" and turning it into "treasure."

Her Etsy shop, specializing in paper craft banners, "upcycled" creations from discarded books, and a variety of other goodies boasts hundreds of sales. When people ask me whether I inherited these artistic abilities, I just smile and say, "Not at all." (Although I did create the banner that graces the front page of her shop!)

As one of those people who can't even hang a picture evenly, much less successfully manipulate a glue gun, I bow to her superior skill in this department.

Perhaps because of my lack of talent in this area, I've been pretty impressed with the results of her work on the baby shower and thought that with the upcoming Mother's Day holiday, it might be nice to showcase my mom's talents. Here's some of what she's come up with: (Make sure you read to the end of this post to find out how to win an item from her Etsy shop!)

Each guest will receive a Cat in the Hat nametag with a flannel diaper attached.

Each table will boast a Cat in the Hat container (made from toilet paper rolls) with colorful gummy fish, a la One Fish, Two Fish. 

Prizes include mountable prints with Seuss sayings and graphics. The prints are made from old, discarded storybooks.

All signs, instructions, and games are colorful and creative with prose in Seuss style!

Prizes include Seuss quote prints with artwork from used storybooks; mini wooden boxes and crates with Seuss character images, pocket notebooks, necklaces, magnets, etc.

More prizes include "upcycled" Dr. Seuss notebooks created by my mom - the interior features blank pages in red and turquoise, and each one is bound with rings. The prize includes a Dr. Seuss pen!

Each family member, from great-grandparents to the "big sister", will have a colorful button to wear.

To celebrate this Mother's Day, my mom is joining with Loree and me to offer one lucky blog commenter a custom Dr. Seuss 8" x 10" print featuring the winner's favorite Seussical saying.

In addition to the print, the winner will receive a signed copy of my Harlequin Heartwarming novel, Gentle Persuasion, which I dedicated to my mom, as well as a signed copy of Loree Lough's book, Devoted to Drew, which features a single mom as the heroine! Both are perfect stories to share with your mom or daughter.

To enter, leave a comment below and share your favorite Dr. Seuss saying (or any quote about mothers.) We'll announce the winner in the comment section on Saturday morning.

And don't forget that you still have time to enter our Harlequin Heartwarming Mother's Day giveaway! There are lots of prizes! You can find out how to enter here.

Loree and I will be back next month with another edition of "We Talk to Ourselves...a Lot!"