Return to Grace

Not that I fell from grace recently.
At least as far as I know. :)
Just thought I'd share a few creations keeping grace in mind.

Quote Minibook
made this fun minibook at Scraplovers last week. Constantly striving and struggling to remind myself to keep grace in the forefront each day. Ever wonder what to do with those index prints? Use 'em in your mini-albums.

Beeswax Collage
Another creation inspired at Scraplovers. Used beeswax to add elements and dimension to this mixed media piece.

A Little Corner of my Home
Continuous reminders of grace.

Cards
Made these quite a few years ago. But being gracious remains a constant through the years.

Doodle
Inspired by Shiloh McCloud.

A few quotes

Believe it or not, both of these quotes are from a skincare company called Philosophy.
_

Grateful

I'm overwhelmed with the kindness and the generosity of all my friends, both online and personal. I had a fantastic, totally 'me' day, spoiled by everyone. But certainly one of the highlights was just hearing the little yippee's and well wishes for my birthday. I often get nostalgic around my birthday but this year I decided I would just focus on the celebrations. :) Thank you all for your warm wishes - each comment in my last post warmed my heart.

The most memorable event that happened yesterday was the rain. In 39 years, I don't recall it ever raining on my birthday. I know that in the Midwest and east coast, summer rains are par for the course, but in California, our summers are bone dry. Our local news commented that in the recorded history of the bay area, it has never rained on July 18th. I loved it - it really just barely sprinkled, but the cool weather and light precipitation was refreshing. And ending the day with a guiltless slice of chocolate cake and butter cream frosting certainly was the icing. :)

-A beautiful Grace journal from Phin.

Why I relate to Bambi so well

You Were a Deer

Graceful and gentle, you appreciate beauty and balance. A giving soul, you are able to sacrifice for the greater good.

What Animal Were You In a Past Life?

LOL! There's the grace thing again. In a silly little meme.

No Grace in Graceland

I left Graceland feeling oddly saddened and I'm really not sure why. I expected kitchy and even tacky. And I love nearly all things pop culture. But being in the house that Elvis called his sanctuary was just...odd. It was a testament to his life I suppose, but I think that's what was so sad about it. Maybe I went in thinking the tackiness was just for show, for display only, to bring in the paying tourists. But his house portrayed his life: tacky. It was decorated that way because Elvis' life was bizarre. And being in that space really made me believe he was bizarre, not just a little eccentric. The man did amazing things to change our musical history. I truly enjoy his music. I'm not a superfan or anything, but I like his stuff. There's no doubt that he was a pioneer to "Bridge black music and white music, rhythm and blues and gospel with rockabilly and country". I have to believe that the bizarre Elvis took over when the drugs and alcohol also took over. Sad. A beautiful Georgian Colonial style house. It was built in 1939 by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Moore. Mrs. Moore named the house "Graceland" after Grace Toof, her aunt. Elvis bought Graceland in 1957 and lived there till he died in 1977.

The living room.

The billiards room. Pleated fabric covered the walls and ceiling.

The jungle room: an odd collection of unusual exotic furnishings and accoutrements. Yes, there was green shag carpet on the ceiling.

With all that said, I'm still really glad that I went. But as I've told nearly everyone who's asked since I've been back, I wouldn't recommend putting it on your top 100 list of things to do unless you are a superfan.

I'm Going To Graceland

Im going to Graceland
Graceland
In Memphis, Tennessee
Im going to Graceland
Poorboys and pilgrims with families
And we are going to Graceland

In Graceland, in Graceland
Im going to Graceland
For reasons I cannot explain
-condensed from Paul Simon's Graceland

It's true, I'm going to Graceland. Sometime next week, I'll be traveling through Graceland en route to the eastern coast.

Graceland...Graceland...Graceland. I've never put any thought on Elvis' home but there's that word that always speaks to me: GRACE. Elvis was an icon of flamboyance, grandosity and splendor in the general public eye and it's hard to conceptualize GRACE with rhinestones, blue suede shoes and peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Maybe I've missed something. I was only 9 when he died and music to me meant Shaun Cassidy and Andy Gibb, not the King of Rock and Roll. So while I'm there, I'll see if I can find the gracious Elvis. At the very least, I should get some awesome photos of Graceland at Christmastime! :-)

Image from Doctor Macro embellished with Photoshop brushes.