Think...Reflect...Ponder...Remember...

I just finished the altered book for my oldest daughter Tiffany's college graduation and she loved it!...I can't wait to see it filled with pictures from her Nursing School and Clinical Adventures!

It made me think and reflect about those moments in life that matter the most. Like your "firsts"...marriage...your spouse...your children..family & friends...vacations..."favorites"...and all of those everyday "life happens" memories that we talk about and those that we forget about over time.

We need to start taking time to be more intentional...to take the time to think, reflect, ponder and remember those moments that are special, funny, sad, make us think. etc... Start writing them down so that when you are old and can't remember, or have grandchildren you can share what your thoughts and feelings were when you were their age.

I find it fascinating to know how much a loaf of bread or gallon of gas was when my parents and grandparents were my age or younger. How fashion and technology has changed over the years....hairstyles....fads... trends...home decor...fashion. We would not be able to compare these things and more over the generations if someone had not taken the time to document and take pictures of what everything had looked like back then.

The same holds true with our own lives... thoughts...likes/dislikes...family photos...recipes...how well will our children and our children's children know us when we are no longer here. When someone says to them that they look like you or act like you...will they really truly know what you thought...what you looked like...how you felt or what you liked? They will if you take the time to sit down from time to time to think...reflect...ponder and remember what is important to you and take the pictures and write the words to convey YOU to everyone else who will look at them and read them later...scrapbooking and book altering helps me to accomplish this.

I challenge you to make time to document those important things in your life.. the good, the bad and even the ugly...so that your soul will be heard....long after your voice is silenced this side of Heaven :)

Visiting the Library...

I sparked some curiousity with one of the librarians at my library. They used to hold an annual book sale and loads of people would show up to get a paper bag of books for $3.00 or pay .25 per book based on what was going on at the time. Well... they got smarter this year and to avoid the LONG lines of people, "line ditchers" and just downright rude people---they now have books for sale for .25 a piece (magazines and paperbacks are free)...DVD's and CD's, while they are a rare find, are about .50-$1.00 a piece.

As I am getting into altered art, books and assemblage...I find these all to be "rare finds" and often the librarians look at me, but never say anything about the amount of books that I buys on a weekly basis. They are probably just glad to get rid of them and make some $$. One day, one of my favorite librarians, Jackie, asked me what I did with all of the books that I purchase. I laughed out loud, as I thought no one had noticed but me that I generally buy about $5 worth at a time! :)

I told her my dream of having my own "shop" someday...where people could "create art"...read...etc...and that I also altered some of them. She had a puzzled look on her face, and I didn't know if she was having a mild heart attack or what at the thought of me tearing and deconstructing books. She said that she had heard of book altering, but was having a hard time comprehending what an altered dictionary would look like.

I took about 8 books in to show her yesterday...including the dictionary that I am working on. She was pleasantly surprised and amazed and thanked me for sharing my art with her. I hope that I left her as inspired as I felt. Thanks for your kind words of encouragement Jackie! ...see you soon :)

Altered Books and Other Things...

I am currently working on altering some books. Old training books that were headed for the trash at work...books that I have purchased at the library book sale and I am working on altering a Red Lobster menu into a scrapbook (a gift from a waiter who shall remain nameless, but is the COOLEST waiter EVER!...you know who you are Queen!) LOL! :)

My DH bought me a new camera for Christmas, so I will post photos soon... the darn blasted thing did NOT come with a memory card OR a USB cord!...so much for meeting the needs of your customers SONY!!- way to make the consumer pay EXTRA in this already sucky economy...oh well... I have a memory card now, but no USB Cord. So if any of my gal pals have an extra Sony Cybershot USB Cord lying around because you now have a new camera...send it my way!...(hint, hint Ellen & Kimberley)

As soon as I get the photos on my memory card and/or a USB Cord...I will post the pictures to my blog...but for now...I am off to get the porkchops and potatoes out of the oven cuz my good friend Ellen is coming over for dinner and to watch last night's Madonna episode of GLEE. (I almost watched it without her...but I waited!)...after that I am going to work on my books and will have pics up soon.

I am altering an old Zagat restaurant book...a computer manual a novel, a dictionary, and turning a chunky kids board book into a mini scrapbook for my oldest daughter who just graduated Nursing School.... so...stay tuned!