Birthday Season

Well this girl certainly makes the most of her birthday . . . with Birthday Season. And why not celebrate someone so lovely before, during and after the actual day?

This year, in addition to our usual Fridge Photos and "Happy Birthday" banner, I was inspired by Pinterest to make this "Party Hat" banner.

So I converted some photos to black & white and printed them onto cardstock (I used regular paper first, but it was a bit too flimsy). Then I added some scrapbooking paper to make up the party hats. I punched some holes and added vintage ribbon from my stash to hang the banner.

It was a big hit with the birthday girl!! And we all enjoyed reminiscing over the various ages and stages of her life so far . . .

And what birthday party is complete without a cake?

The timing was just perfect for Dawn from As Sweet As Cinnamon to post a link to Lea's Paleo Chocolate Birthday Cake . . . .

Our household is predominantly gluten-free these days, so it's great to find recipes for delicious culinary treats. And this one is certainly on the "make again" list!

Happy Birthday Dear Kelly, Happy Birthday to YOU xoxoxo

The Surrogate Angel

tradition [trəˈdɪʃən]n

1. the handing down from generation to generation of the same customs, beliefs, etc., esp by word of mouth

2. the body of customs, thought, practices, etc., belonging to a particular country, people, family, or institution over a relatively long period

3. a specific custom or practice of long standing

One of our Christmas traditions includes our kids taking turns, year about, to put the angel on the top of the tree . . . they may be grown up now, but the tradition continues.

Last year we got a living tree, which was a bit small for the angel, so we had to find her a new temporary location at short notice - she went on top of a nearby cupboard!

This year, the tree it still too small, so we're going with a surrogate angel.

She's a little lighter on the fragile top branches. She's not quite as regal. But I think she's pretty cute.

So we're not breaking with tradition, just modifying a little. After all, you've got to do what you've got to do!

Through Their Eyes . . .

"To me, photography is an art of observation. It's about finding something interesting in an ordinary place... I've found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.”

Elliott Erwitt

This drawer full of cutlery has some stories to tell . . . there's some that I chose, some that we've inherited - from parents and grandparents. There's little embroidered doilies in each little segment - treasures from my Nan. This cutlery is used when we sit around the table each week for "Family Dinner Night". They've been used for all sorts of meals - old favourites and trying new recipes. Meals that we've laughed through, solved worries through, shared stories through. When I look at this picture I see utensils for eating . . . but I also see all those memories, the love and the laughter. This picture the shows me "something interesting in an ordinary place".

Recently we (me, our daughter and her partner) have been using Instagram on our phones. What I have loved about this experience has been what they have captured from their perspective of different aspects of our home . . .

like this tree fern - in a garden bed which needs some work . . . but I see the beauty and the lushness from this perspective.

And this view from the workshop window . . .

I love the moodiness of this picture. It made me look past the things I usually see, like the grass that needs mowing, and the shrubs that need trimming. And see the "something interesting".

When these pictures were taken we were all looking at the same things, but all seeing them differently. So thanks to my fellow "Instagramers" for showing me my world with fresh eyes.

Fridge Photos

We have a birthday tradition in our family. When it’s your birthday photos of you adorn the fridge for a week. Years ago our fridge was always covered in stuff – school notes, shopping lists, photos – you name it and it was there. These days the fridge usually only gets ‘decorated’ for birthdays.

I just love taking a trip down memory lane when it comes time to get the photos out. There is a large envelope for each family member that houses their photos.



Any new ‘fridge-worthy’ photos taken during the year get added to the envelope. These days there’s not room for all the photos, so each year sees a new mix of memories on display. These photos are not the ones that are necessarily the most technically correct or visually beautiful, but they are the ones that hold special memories of moments in time captured forever.

Today is our baby’s birthday, so it’s her time to shine on the fridge. Happy Birthday Kelly!



What birthday traditions do you have in your world?

Traditions

It’s funny how you create traditions without even realising it.

When our kids were little we would let them take turns putting the angel on the top of the Christmas tree. One year (1997) we couldn’t remember whose turn it was. So we sorted that out and I decided to make a note so we wouldn’t have the same dilemma the following year. I tucked the note in with the angel and it worked really well.

I wasn’t really a documenter back then.

I wasn’t thinking about how in a few years time I’d want to scrapbook about the things we do and that the bit of paper I tucked in with the angel would become so important to me. So I just grabbed a bit of notepaper. It’s a scratchy old bit of probably not very archivally safe paper. But boy does it hold some history!



It is so much more than just a list now. The kids each wrote their names and the year it was their turn. It’s great looking back and seeing how their writing has changed. And remembering how they each in turn were happy to let the other one have their turn without argument.

This year both our children left home. But we still had to get together to decorate the tree (even though they both had trees of their own). This year they thought it should be our turn to put the angel on the tree. But it just wouldn’t be the same if one of them didn’t do it. So the list came out again this year. And the paper’s just about filled up.  So next year when we need a new bit of paper to continue our tradition, it will be archivally safe – for me and for them. Because this is one tradition I don’t want to lose.

What traditions have you created in your world?