Three Things + 1 : Inspirations for storytelling
(1) Jon Schmidt's Love Story (Taylor Swift) meets Viva La Vida (Coldplay) via Jana Beck (who does these very cool custom high-contrast paintings). I've started listening to more music again. I go through phases with what I listen to on iTunes/internet radio while I work. For a long time it has been all news all the time and I am finally starting to move back towards more music and less talk. I find that listening to music often connects me to stories and evokes a wide range of emotions from my past.
(2) I can't remember if I have posted about this one before or not but it is so, so good it bears a second posting: Phillip Toledano's Days With My Father. This is words + photos. This is real life documentation & celebration. This inspires me to tell the stories of my family with more words and less stuff.
(3) Jen Lee's Fortunes : a little book of written pieces. Inspiring and filled with emotion, Jen weaves stories that are great examples of a different way to write our lives other than who, what, where, when, etc.
(4) I got a second and third batch of family photos from my cousin. These ones were even older than the others. Found some serious gems in this bunch. This one is my Great-Grandfather John (also called "Mac"), Grandfather Neil (my Dad's Dad), and Great-Grandmother Martha. Even though I have no idea of the stories of most of these people's lives they inspire me in the not-knowing. I could look at them for hours just studying the faces, looking for family similarities, day-dreaming about what their lives were like in the early 1900's.
4th Annual Paiges In Time Cropathon
Eugene, Oregon scrapbooking event coming up Friday, August 28th through Sunday,
August 30th at Valley River Inn. Includes a benefit auction for the Heart Gallery of Lane County (A Family For Every Child : one of my favorite local groups). All the details are listed here including the classes that go on sale July 27th. Note: I am not teaching any classes but am planning to go & scrapbook on the 29th.
What a wonderful collection of inspiration. Thanks Ali!
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beautiful song :) But I can't get the days with my father to work - is it me?! Thanks for sharing :)
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Always love your inspirations! Days with My Father is brilliant! And, I just love Jen Lee's new book. I'm off to check out your other treasures!
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Thanks for the video link - I LOVE it and have been listening to it over and over already!!!
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i think this will be playing on my computer LOTS of times here at work...very soothing. I already like the original version but this one...love it.
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Thanks so much for sharing... I have phases too... right now I'm in the quiet mode... where I just love the quiet... I love listening to music, too... and I love putting the news on the TV, to keep up while I'm creating!
Family photos... I know... I have so many pictures of family too... I ask a lot of questions to those who knew them... especially my Aunt Mary who is now 104 years old... she's as quick as a whip and I can count on her for my family's stories... she's a kick... know everything about everyone, (I think she was a busy body in her time) and when I saw her last month... she reminded me of some of my own childhood memories with my sister and brother when we lived on the farm... her stories are precious... it's amazing what we forget in our own lives... it's a blessing to have others around us to help tell our story too... Thanks again. M
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ohwow. i love them all. thanks so much for sharing, Ali!
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Ali,
Thanks so much for that music!!! That rendition of Love Story is so awesome.
I have a 12 year old DS and he's not much into "the girl" singers right now so I don't often get to listen to them! I am going to Itunes to download this one!
Thanks!
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Thanks for sharing the link to Phillip Toledano's work, it was so powerful and just what I needed to start my morning off inspired to live fuller today.
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good stuff, all.
My Dad was "mac" all his life. My kids never knew him. I need to do something about it.
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thanks for the You Tube Link ali! just loved listening to that this morning at work....beautiful music.
Have a great wednesday!
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great post ali. love the song. and thank you for pointing me to phillip toledano's site. wow.
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I dont' remember that Days with My Father link...it is amazing and so inspiring.
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You never fail to inspire me! This post got me thinking about the big hat box of photos that my husband's great-grandmother (Nannie-Mom) kept under her bed. Her favorite thing was to get you to come into her room and sit with her while she went through the box and talked about the photos. The photos varied from very recent to early 20th century and I loved to listen to the stories. I was always a willing participant. She was born in 1899 and died in 2004 and was quite a woman. I wish I had recorded the conversations now. Her grand-daughter has the photos and I am now motivated to scan and scrap some of them -- maybe something on generations as my daughter was born almost exactly 100 years after Nannie-Mom and they knew each other. Not many of us get to know our great-great-grandmother!
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Great photo! I love those beautiful old homes behind them. Sometimes I think we crop our photos so closely today that we "crop out" some of the history. TFS!
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Love that video. I already loved "Love Story" but this is fantastic. Thanks for sharing all the inspiration!
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Hi Ali,
We are having a family reunion(my husbands side) at our house (four generations will be here) over Labor Day. In anticipation of the event I have scanned close to 2,000 pictures contributed by different family members. The goal is to make the few each family has available to everyone - we still haven't decided if we are starting a family website to post all the pictures or just copy to DVD. However since I am the official scanner I've had the time to look at each photo.... I've become adept at finding my husbands grandfather in a crowd and he died 20 years before I met my husband. The resemblance between cousins and grandchildren, that in some cases have never met is uncanny. We know for sure that we are putting together a video/slide show and I had already selected Taylor Swift - Love Story for one of the songs!!!
Have a great Wednesday -
Laura
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Saw Toledano's piece on A CUP OF JO a while back and was very moved by that documentation of family + life.
Photos+Words. Photos+Words. Photos+Words. Amen.
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thanks for that song this morning. totally put a smile on my face as i eat my breakfast in the semi-dark of the kitchen.
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you were so sweet to link back to my blog... what a fun surprise!
and isn't that composition just fabulous. i first heard it months ago, and i still can listen to it on repeat for hours while i paint :)
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what a beautiful post..I agree about the impact words can have, so inspiring!
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So with you on #4. In the same boat right now...Many photos and few details.
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I've seen Days with my Father before and it moves me every time I do.
I'd love to do that crop in Eugene (need some me time) but I can't leave the baby for that long (reason I need some me time). I'm going to have to wait until next year. :D
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Ali, thank you for sharing the lovely story "Days with my Father" and the music. So inspiring and moving.
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Thank you. I now have to go buy his CD. That was outstanding!
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