life. now. together. ~ heidi swapp dreamy

hello friends...

you all know why we take pictures, right?
we take photos to remember.
remember things that once were.

because what is life without memories?

sometimes we take a photo and do not realize that it was a once in a moment shot and that an era is passing and changing and will not return to what it once was.
sometimes that is not realized at that particular moment in time…
but rather comes over and washes us like a wave and then that moment becomes so much more than it was at that point in time.

are you following me?

i really love this photo for that reason more than anything...
it represents a passing moment.
a sort of "post-this is how it use to be" moment...

well, truth be told, this is the second time i have created a page for this particular photo. 
i was not in love with the first page i did, and so had to recreate.

do you know it took henri matisse six years to complete “Bathers By a River”? this did not take me six years to create, but i think that is fascinating.

like stated before...
this memory was created on a page once before...
and i had to revisit it...
the Dreamy Collection from Heidi Swapp tells this story for me so much better...
the Ephemera words fit perfectly as do all the Word Jumble Stickers.
all in all it was just a better fit for what i was trying to share and remember here...

ah...
so what am i trying to say...
take pictures.
take lots of pictures.
even the little what might not be considered significant pictures.
because someday the neighborhood is going to change.
someday family is going to weave in and then back out.
someday the 'now together' will look different.
and those moments should be celebrated and documented and saved...

till next time.

ode to my mama

Greetings my friends...
it's been a busy busy two weeks...
and now it is already mom's day!!!

Sharing today a little o' layout I did today of my mama. I woke up thinking about her today...and this is what came about those thoughts...

My mom just had breast cancer surgery this past month. She came through it beautifully, but it has not been without it's difficulties. She has been in a lot of pain and discomfort. It has taken her a bit to get back into the swing of her social life as it is just a bit too difficult for her to even travel in a car. She has had challenges with her medications wreaking havoc with her body. She continues to have lots of medical information given to her that requires a lot of processing and decision making. HOWEVER...through it all...she has smiled. Been upbeat. Smiled. Laughed. Celebrated Easter. Smiled. And endured it all with consummate grace. It's been a beautiful journey to be a part of.

The 'life is beautiful' paper from Dreamy was perfect for a page about my mama. The Dreamy Jumble Words were spot on to embellish this page and add a spirit of what I was feeling while creating this mom page. I had to add some artistic touches using that dang Polka Dot stencil that I love so much. A bit of matte gel and gesso and Blush Color Shine gave me wonderful dimension over the Mini Dot stencil that I used and misted with Blush as well.

More dots on manila. I love that look so much. And another Jumble Word added to my page too.

Here is to you if you are a mom. I hope this is a celebratory time for you. It's not always been for me. But I found in my life that I had to do some changing. Some forgiving. Some letting go of junk that just did not matter. My mom will attest to that. She too has had to do the same. Today we enjoy a renewed relationship and we simply love and accept each other for who we are. No expectations. Just acceptance. It allows a real sweetness in our lives together. And for that I celebrate this Mother's Day.

till next time...

easter card ~ heidi swapp homemade holiday

Today I share a technique new to me at heidiswapp.com. A card for Easter. Hope you hop in. (get it...'hop in'!?!?)