Mini Album - The House That Built Me

 For a really long time now I've wanted to do a mini album about my childhood home.  I lived there for 18+ years and have MANY wonderful memories.  Unfortunately, I also have a terrible one.  My Mom passed away in this home, and I was there that morning.  For years now, it has been really difficult for me to go back.  I can honestly say that I've probably only been there 5 times in the last 7 years.  Sad, huh? 

   Well, a few months back my sister and I went over to Dad's house to go through some of Mom's stuff he was ready to get rid of.  When I pulled up, I immediately noticed the huge tree on the corner of the lot -gone. . . and a lot of the grass had died.  Paint was now peeling off the walls and my Mom's love for that home was clearly absent.
   As painful as it was, I got out my camera and started snapping photos of EVERYTHING.  I wanted to capture the details of the everyday sights that were important to me so that I could share those memories with my family.
   Although I was so upset about the house looking the way it did, I tried to accept that my Dad has moved on.  He has a new home, where he is extremely happy and he is working hard on making it his own.  Who knows, maybe he has let things go a bit on the old house because it's hard for him to be there too. . .I just don't know.  For now, it is just sitting there. . .waiting to be loved again.
Now that I've totally brought you down -LOL!. . .onto the album :)  . . .and what I decided to put inside. :)
Here's the sign on the corner.  I always thought it was funny that my maiden name was 'Evans' and I lived on 'Evanwood'  :)

 LOVED these kookie little metal awnings that were always over our windows. . .total sign of the times.  Our house used to be pea green.  When my parents painted it grayish-blue the awnings got a makeover too.

 This tree grew outside my bedroom window.  It was a sight I saw each and everytime I looked outside.  In spring it has beautiful tiny bright pink flowers that I loved seeing.

 Our front door was a beast!  It had to have weighed 500 pounds.  You could hear it opening and closing from anywhere in the house.  I want to remember it, and the delicate harp-like chimes that Mom had hanging from the back of it.

 I added an evelope full of more photos.  They all simply wouldn't fit in this book.  Some of the shots include:

• plants from our front yard
• the chicken wire that covers the wrought iron fence on the driveway (my Dad put that there in the 80's when he brought us our first puppy)
• view of the sidewalk across the street (which I walked to and from school on)
• the names written in the concrete on the pool deck

There are a bunch of them.  All which hold very special meaning to me.

 While at the house I turned on the sprinklers.  I started sobbing again as I remembered waking up on the weekend to the sounds of the front door opening, the sprinklers in the yard being turned on, and the smell of fressh coffee.  That was my Mom's rountine.  I miss her so much.  And as I sobbed I happened to glance out the kitchen window. . .this is what I saw. . .

 I know that my Mom was with me on that day.  She was smiling at me through that beautiful rainbow.

   If you haven't already done so. . .I highly recommend doing a similar project for yourself.  It could be a scrapbook page, an album, a journaling page with memories on it.  I think that because I took a gazillion photos. . .I'm also going to grab an antique recipe card box and add the photos and some cool scrappy dividers or something.
   I just know that these places we cherish so much. . .change.  If you hope to better capture how you remember it. . .get started.  :)

Recipe:
Album:  Maya Road
CS:  Stampin' Up
DP:  October Afternoon
Letter Stickers:  Jenni Bowlin
Punches: Stampin' Up, Marvy Uchida, Fiskars, Martha Stewart
Dies:  Papertrey Ink, My Favorite Things
Stamps:  EK Success
Ink: Tsukinedo, Ranger, ColorBox
Rustic Twine and Button:  Papertrey Ink
Envelope:  Maya Road
Adhesive:  Glue Dots, 3L, FabriTac
Other:  Jenni Bowlin Butterfly (cover), Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher (staples), Orange Baker's Twine

Thanks for stopping in! :)

love, lisa