Is it weird that every time I enter the cozy home of a friend or relative, I kinda secretly peer at their family photos hung on the walls? First, I wrack my brain trying to figure out whats on the stove and if I'll have time to nosh, but I'll do that as I slowly make my way to the gallery wall ;-) Is it even weirder that I ALMOST ask where the family albums are? <insert blushing emoji here> What?! I do!!! I want to see how Grandma looked in her prime. I want to check out her fashion choices and hairstyles from way back when. I want to see happy moments, like birthdays, graduations, the occasional Sears (ugh) portraits and yes, of course-the quintessential album of all-the WEDDING album. Before you say "Enough with the ALLCAPS!", let me just tell you how much I looooooooovee photographs; when my two girls were born, I started documenting every little tiny itty bitty milestone. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.
They're first big cry, their first stretch, their first bath, their first day at home, their first dress, their first month, second month, first bottle of the boob, their first spoon fed meal, third month, fourth month, first year, first day of school, visit at the zoo, carousel ride, etc etc etc. Pony tails, bobby socks, running in the park at golden hour....there were never enough captured moments; I didn't want to miss a thing! As my girls grew older, we used to play "fashion show"where they would dress up in mommy's clothes and strike a pose for the crazy mom with the camera attached to her hand. I wouldn't even let them open gifts until my frame was in focus. I'm cracking up as I write this because I can visualize holding those photographs in mind right this very second! I have all these images still! Shoe boxes full of those thick, orange Kodak envelopes, stacked by order of month and year. People at the the CVS knew me by first name. How ecstatic I was when I can pick up the same day, or better yet, print right there on those little kiosks. If my camera broke or went mysteriously missing (I see you hiding in that corner, little cousin) then I would find those disposable ones and the rest is history. Well documented, timelined, drool-to-school history and I couldn't be prouder of my collection. I look back at these images and I feel that pang of excitement and nostalgia right in the core of my heart. I can touch them, hold them close, feel the matte coating on my fingertips because I was always drawn to that filmy-matte effect. It just always seemed like a person was eating KFC while they were thumbing through the glossies, right? I am very proud of the library of albums I made; something I can't wait to share with my children's children. I can only hope that my children follow suit in the same manner with my grandbabies otherwise I'm going to be a very busy Gramma! Now, I am actually visualizing a side by side Wall Gallery of my girls and their babies at the same age, next to our mother/daughter shoot, surrounding our huge 20 x 30 family portrait....!!! Who can go wrong with a mix of smaller ornate frames, spray painted to a vintage look alongside a collection of beautifully matted horizontals? Ugh, my heart is skipping beats :-D
