Hello, everyone!
Welcome to June and the next installment of my “Old New Borrowed Cool” series. I’m so excited to be back and have you joining me again. I truly enjoy doing this series. It makes me think outside the box and get back in a lot of ways to the reason that I started scrapbooking to begin with – my family. It’s hard sometimes when your hobby becomes your job and occasionally I lose track of the important things I want to document. This column has become a way to re-connect with that. I hope you know that I think long and hard every month about what I want to do and feature. Some months it comes easily. Others are much harder. But I think this month was probably the easiest yet because here in the US the month of June is month we have to honor FATHERS.
When it comes to fathers, I am a lucky girl, much luckier than I deserve.
First, I was blessed to have an amazing dad. My Dad was a man who put me, my feelings and my needs above his own time and time again. He went to bat for me when he understood that I had my own thoughts and desires that weren’t necessarily the plans or desires my parents had for me. He listened to me. He corrected or punished me when I needed it and apologized when he was wrong. He was loving and patient (most times!) and I knew every single minute of every single day how much he loved me.
Then came my step-dad. My step-dad inherited and bitter, stubborn 12-year-old kid when he had never had kids of his own. I made life beyond unpleasant for him yet he never ever faced me with anything less than a smile and his famous laugh. He pushed through my resentment over my parents’ divorce and became one of my strongest supporters and by doing so earned all my love. But even more than that, he is the strongest supporter of my children and is the best grandfather that they could imagine doing all that he can to be the best one he can be especially now that he’s the only one my boys have left.
And then there is my husband. My husband is one of the best examples of how to be a hands-on Dad that I know. He is there for my boys every step of the way. He encourages, plays, disciplines, listens, hugs, loves and wrestles. He is on the sideline at every football, soccer or ball game. He became a scout leader than scout master to give the boys the best scouting experience. He is there. He is present. And they are so lucky to have him. I know that it’s only starting for the boys to realize what they have in him. But they’re learning.
So today for this month’s OLD NEW BORROWED COOL, we’re doing a tribute to Fathers – my husband in particular – using the “borrowed” words of my boys as to why their dad is so special!
As always before I get started I want to recap once more about the premise for this blog series. Each month I’ll bring you a new post that incorporates something OLD from my stash, something NEW that I might have just picked up and something BORROWED from wherever I can get it to create something COOL to share with you! It’s as simple as that.
So with all this in mind, this month’s selections were:
OLD: Some “vintage” Heidi Swapp products – chipboard alphabets, papers, etc. as well as an eclectic bunch of doodads that have been lying around!
NEW: Current Heidi Swapp Products from her new Memory File line.
BORROWED: The sweet words of my boys as they honor their dad.
COOL: This fun Father’s Day tribute layout featuring a fold-out for additional photos and journaling!
I hope you enjoyed this month’s addition of “Old New Borrowed Cool” as much as I enjoyed doing it. My challenge to you this month is to get out there with the father, father-figure or man in your life and take the time to document it. Let him know how much he’s appreciated.
Happy Father’s Day, everyone.
