Put On Your IRON PANTIES

    Ladies, this is for you. There are times in each of our lives when we have to put on our Iron Panties. You’ve heard of power panties, but this is different. Iron panties are invincible. They are intimidating. Iron panties mean business. When a woman puts on her iron panties, she tightens up, buckles down, sucks it up and gets the job done.

    We’ve all been through some crud in our lives. All of us. Some during childhood, some in the throes of adolescence. Some of us have suffered through bad marriages, bad circumstances, or gave natural childbirth to triplets. If we haven’t had hard times, we definitely know someone who has. Or is. Or will be soon. Good, true girlfriends are a precious few these days, so if you have them treat them well. We have to encourage one another, praise one another, cheer one another on, and most importantly, know how to recognize when it’s time to put them on. The Iron Panties.

    My friends and I have talked about the mythical iron panties for years. I have a few dear friends who are currently struggling through some extremely difficult times, and yet I have noticed something extraordinary about them. They have barely complained! And that’s one of those things we girlfriends are here to do: listen to one another. Vent to one another. Use one another as a backboard. But some of these gals, they take Iron Panties to a different level. They have a great attitude about their lives! They see endless humor in their circumstances! They are making themselves and other people laugh! They are living through their private nightmares with grace and dignity and humor. The effect is astonishing! They are inspiring others. They are an involuntary source of strength for those around them. Believe me, they’re scarcely aware of this because they themselves are just trying to survive as best they can. They are doing what they can to stay sane and move forward. They are surviving!

    In observing this beautiful phenomenon over the years, I devised an answer to a question I have carried with me. How do you, as a woman and a girlfriend, communicate to your Women-Of-Crisis that you not only support them and keep them in your prayers through these days of misery, but admire them for their panache? They deserve an award! We dote on one another with chocolates and wine and new baubles, but I am seeking an accolade. A trophy. A symbol. That is when it hit me. Iron Panties. The Iron Panty Award.

    The prestige of the Iron Panty Award should be overwrought with the knowledge and understanding that the recipient has survived Hell on Earth and has been recognized for it. It signifies Dignity, Determination, the Ability to move forward when all is but lost, a certain amount of Stubbornness, a dash of Grace, a heartfelt dose of Humor, and most importantly, STRENGTH. Afterall, that is precisely what Iron Panties represent. They symbolize our strength to do what has to be done. And thus I contrive the tangible Iron Panty Award. (see directions below!)

    The final product is something the recipient will cherish for years to come. Its meaning will be indisputable. No one else will have one. You can even give it to the woman who has everything. If there is someone in your life who is a sister in crisis, maybe you could find a moment to slip her an award. That is the wonderful thing about Iron Panties. They apply to so many situations, both good and bad.

Like Eleanor Roosevelt always said, “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience by which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along…thus I can do that which I think I cannot.”

HOW TO MAKE AN IRON PANTY AWARD:

What you need:

-one pack size 3-4 (XS) girl’s cotton panties

-wire coat hanger bent to fit panties

-one can rust color spray paint

-one can flat black spray paint

-one large container school glue (Elmer’s)

-one spray bottle

-one can high gloss clear spray paint

-one wooden plaque

-super strength glue or adhesive (E6000)

-one brass nameplate to inscribe (local trophy shop $2)

1) Visit your nearest bargain store and purchase a package of girl’s cotton panties. They should be small, like a 3T or 4T….as small as you can find them. I love to get the ones that look like Granny Panties….it communicates a touch of comfort to go along with that strength.

2) Bring those panties home and open them. Mix, in a bowl, 1 cup of warm water and 1 cup of Elmers glue (or other craft glue). Once solution is adequately mixed, soak panties in solution until they are saturated.

3) Panties will be a mess, so I shape a wire coat hanger into a small oval and hang the panties on them, securing panties with clothes pins. As panties begin to dry, I shape them into a 3-D shape, with the waist slightly open. The idea is to make them appear as though they are a small cast iron sculpture of panties. Allow to dry.

4) If panties are not stiff enough once they have dried, put glue solution in a spray bottle and spray them down with glue solution a second time. Allow to dry.

5) Once panties are completely shaped and dried, spray panties with rust color paint. This will give you the base coat for your “cast iron” look!

6) Now take some flat black paint and go over the panties again. It is OK for the rust or brown color to show through.

7) The final step for the panties is to spray them with clear gloss paint. This will give your Iron Panties the sheen of metal. Sometimes two coats are required. Allow panties to dry thoroughly.

8) Treat your wooden plaque as you wish. It can be stained (I stain mine) or painted or clear coated. I try to go for the awards look you see on the wall in the attorney’s office! Mahogany is nice. (Don’t forget to add a hanger on the back of your plaque.)

9) Once you have treated your wooden plaque, glue your Iron Panties to the plaque. I place mine in the center, then up a little, to make room for the brass plate at the bottom. For glue, I use E-6000 craft adhesive, but there are many alternatives. Allow glue to dry.

10) The final touch is a simple one. At many of our local craft and hobby stores, I can buy stickers that look like a brass nameplate. You can also buy etched brass plates at a trophy shop for $2-$3. I like the stickers because you can print the award in a favorite font. Some of you have a steady hand and can paint a plate, and even add your own “engraving”. Mine simply say IRON PANTY AWARD.