e: is for elizabeth

he...

{proof that I was an early scrapbooker as well as a packrat}  

• was my first crush 
• was the reason for my love of music 
• made me to WANT to dance (even though I truly can't) 
• single handedly revolutionized the way music videos are created at least 2 times 
• was a fashion icon (i KNOW i'm not the only one who sported a red jacket with zippers!) 
• blurred the lines between pop, rock and soul effortlessly
• broke barriers before Oprah, Tiger, Halle and Denzel needed to (i stole that from Al Sharpton) 
• always had a twinkle in his eye (except for when he dangled Blanket* out of that hotel window) 
• was a genius 
• was an icon 
• will be missed 

* Mike, seriously. Blanket? I can kind of understand Prince Michael Jackson, but Blanket?

I was with my Mom today when I got the news (we were in IKEA). She said, "I guess he heard Ed McMahon: 'Heeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrre's Mmmmichael'". Thanks, Mom. I needed that.

May they (and Farrah) rest in peace.

e

still devastated...

...by the death of Michael Jackson.

I'm hoping that I'll have something wise to share later but, right now, I'm off to watch BET.

xo,

e

unwritten

So, Ali didn't post a weekend creative this week, but last week's really intrigued me. The challenge was to create a super simple layout that focuses on the words and photos, rather than on the product.

I took a recent photo of Sade and printed it out at 8x10...something I have never done, but always wanted to try. I wrote some song lyrics directly on the photo ("Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield):

"No one else can speak the words on your lips. Drench yourself in words unspoken. Live your life with arms wide open. Today is where your book begins...the rest is still unwritten"

My journaling reads:

"baby girl- I know that being 14 can be rough...it's not just your imagination. School + friends + boys isn't always a good combination; at times I'm sure it feels as if you are on a neverending road paved with drama. Please trust me when I tell you that it will get better. In about 5 years or so, you will look back on these days and laugh - you'll wonder what all the fuss was about. Because then, none of this madness will matter...the mean girls and dumb boys will be someone else's burden (though still mean and still dumb). Until then, keep smiling, keep those gorgeous brown eyes open and continue living YOUR life and writing YOUR story. xo Mom

I'm so in love with the Claire line from Love, Elsie that I couldn't help but sprinkle some product here and there :)

e

me & music

My girl totally rocked this song last night:

Also loved this performance:

Ironically, these are 2 of my all-time favorite Mariah Carey songs (the others being "We Belong Together" and "All I Want for Christmas"). I didn't realize until last night that Ms. Mariah has been in my life for quite some time. Her first album came out the summer after my Freshman year in High School, so we're talking 10 15 almost 18 years (damn!).

So, after I finished watching American Idol, I really started thinking about the role music has played in my life. Music, for the most part, has been an extremely reliable companion. People come and go, you move and grow (or not), but music is constant and unmoving. Recently, I came across an article in the March issue of Creating Keepsakes Magazine about documenting your favorite songs for any given year. I think it will be great to look back and see how my tastes change (or don't). ALSO (and Im totally excited about this), I'm going to start scrapbooking a "song of the month" layout every month (time and God willing). There are so many songs that touch me for various reasons - I don't want to forget about them 18 years later (as I did with Mariah Carey's "Vanishing"). I want to keep the songs (and the feelings that accompany them) fresh in my mind. So stay tuned :)

e