Fairygodmother Fashion Sense...

Fashion sense..."Fairy Godmother" to my oldest niece on the eve of her graduation from High School.  This page was from our LOAD in Vogue 10/13.  I love the photo.  Truly a classic look.  I was going for Hepburn. Ciara is a classic. She has great fashion sense.

She didn't love this dress but I bet after a few years and a few kids...she will love this portion of her Senior photo shoot.  She is fresh faced with just mascara and a little lip gloss. She does shine from within. The Layout a Day prompt was about fashion and embellishments...so I turned the page into fashion/life advice.

I hoped to capture the fun and the flavor of the journaling. It is a bit more embellishment than my usual style- but I wanted to go outside of the box. Life is a grand adventure.

A Long Time Coming..."The Last to Let You Down"

This is the page I have been holding back.  When my brother lost a friend who was closer than a brother and  a business partner in October - it was our 4th close/family death in less than 12 months - I finally found the desire to tell this 18 year old story. Part of my reluctance was not so much that it was sad - but that once I told it - it was finished...the end of the story. I was hesitant to "let it go". Well...now that song from Frozen is being sung by my resident "earworm". Fellow Scrapbookers...there are no rules!  We can tell it again if another avenue comes along or another medium to try. Our stories are just that...ours!

I want my boys to know that life here is just a blink in the face of eternity but every day counts. I want them to know a little about their Aunt April and how we said "until we meet again". I want them to have respect for the men and women who serve and tender hearts toward anyone walking the path of loss and grief.

Not all pages are happy...because life hurts sometimes.  I think telling the story is a way of healing and holding on to the sweetness of even the saddest moments.

...because every day is a gift!

People ask if I think "Scrapbooking" is dying out. My answer is a passionate "NO"! Why? Because we are all have a story to tell.  Does it matter? Perhaps only to our own loved ones, but it does matter!

I was born to a family of story tellers on both sides of my family tree.  How I loved to sit on Great Grandpa Bess's lap and listen to him talk of days gone by trying to see with my imagination what he saw and experienced. The same with my Grandpa Lindgren.  Every sleep over came with ice cream and bear stories.  Then, as we grew older- it was the stories of his childhood in a family of Swedish immigrants that captured my ear and my heart.  I was born to people that chased down fears...worked through failures...and never let their spirits be broken by hard stuff.  I want my children to know some of their stories.

My Dad loved to tell stories, too.  As a young adult I realized that a county grain elevator was the hub of as much gossip as any beauty parlor! Stories new and old were told and re-told.  Without stories...fiction or true life tales...life would have no flavor.

I am hoping that my little break from blogging to grieve, gather and recharge has me ready for LOAD214 with Lain, Dani and the crew. Life is short!  We have to tell our stories now. I believe our kids and grand kids..and even the great grandkids will be glad we did!

Fond of YOU

This layout was a LOAD challenge.  The LOAD (layout a day) assignment was to create a layout inspired by "fondue".  Now, as LOADsters know - there are no rules and we can take and twist it anyway we want...I used "FOND of U" . I decided today was the day to step back into the creative blog universe.  After another death in October that closely impacted our family and the holidays...and a special wedding ...I just haven't had the time or energy.

Today, I will begin again.  I love that we can always start fresh. A New Year...new stories to tell and some old ones, too.   Happy 2014!