Marie back here with you today, wondering how it is August already, yet to the point of summer that I can't wait for cooler weather, boots, jeans, and a few children back at school with a regular routine. Speaking of back to school, do you have a kid going off to school for the first time? To Kindergarten or gulp, college? Or perhaps you or a friend has moved away, and you want a little reminder of them. Something simple that when you walk by, just makes you smile.
My friend, Jess, had this amazing mat cut in the shape of Pennsylvania and framed a photo of my silly friends and I. The photo tells a story, but the mat adds more to that story, and reminds me of those friends from a state I grew to love during my time living there. (Now hanging in my bedroom, and no, didn't make my bed yet today ;)
Another way to remind yourself of someone is with a simple piece of art. Back in May, my grandmother passed away. At 93, she had a wonderfully full life as a professional knitter, roller derby champ, and mother of three. For many years she lived in Iowa, home of the National Balloon Classic. As I have friends who live in Iowa, there Instagram feeds are filled with beautiful photos of hot air balloons, and it reminds me of how much she loved them. So I decided to create a little print to honor that love.
I created this in Photoshop Elements, simply using the custom shape tool (which just happened to have a hot air balloon shape :) then took strips of paper (using the function + command + g keystrokes on a Mac to fit the paper into the shape) from my favorite new Paislee Press Kit, Meant to Be, and whala, a little something of my grandma to hang in my home, which when I pass it, will remind me of her.
Is there something special that reminds you of a loved one? Or an awesome "you had to be there" moment you could turn into a little piece of art? Share some memories in the comments below, or your projects in our Flickr group! As always, thanks for stopping by today!
