Odd Enthusiasm

     Several years ago, I suddenly decided that I liked cemeteries.During a high school photography class, I had to come up with a subject on which I could do a series of prints. I don't recall how or why I chose cemeteries, but my project was a smashing success. I took a lot of beautiful photos that I am still really proud of.
   
     Cemeteries have a lot of emotions hiding behind the stones & monuments. There is, of course, a massive sense of loss when confronted with so many graves. Upon seeing the mausoleums, there is a sense of respect for the lineage of the family it contains. There is anger when coming upon a stone that has been defaced or knocked over, and a deep sadness when the realization strikes that you are standing in front of the grave of a child. 
    
My favorite emotion, however, is wonder. There are so many beautiful angels in cemeteries, with the majority pointing up towards heaven. I am no longer shocked by stories of weeping & bleeding Virgin Mary statues, because so many of these angel statues seem to have tear stains running down their faces. I've often wondered how this can be faked on statues so high off the ground that I can't even take a good picture.

     
     Over the years, I've spent a lot of time searching for cemeteries, especially old ones. My favorite headstones are the ones so ancient, that their faces are unreadable. I guess I'm intrigued by their mystery.

     There is also a peaceful element that comes into play, when you realize that you're standing in a cemetery so old that no one has been there for a long time.

      When my grandparents passed away, I initially refused to visit their graves. I felt that my grandparents were always with me, and not in some hole in the ground. At one exceptionally desperate time in my life, I found that their cemetery was the only place I could go to get some peace. I began spending more time there, and my love of cemeteries was reignited.

     

The past helped me resolve the present, and paved my future.

How To Wrap A Christmas Gift

In the spirit of the season, I thought I would try something new: a gift-wrapping tutorial! At work last week, I was asked to wrap up some empty boxes to make a display of presents. My co-workers all complimented me on how nice they looked, and so I figured I was better at it than I thought I was! So here we go: a step-by-step list of instructions, complete with photos!

Step One: The Gift

The Gift

This is an ornament that I bought for my Mom from Pottery Barn. In keeping with tradition, every year I buy my parents a new one for their tree.

Step Two: Gather Your Supplies

Supplies

 

This year, I bought my wrapping paper and ribbon at IKEA. Gift cards are optional- I just happened to find these at the grocery store where I work. And don't forget the scissors like I did!

Step Three: Package Your Gift

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Here I used a small box left over from another purchase at Crate & Barrel. I wrapped it in tissue paper, and folded it gently into the box.

Step Four: Cut Your Wrapping Paper

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Try not to cut too much paper off the roll! By putting the present on the unrolled portion of paper, you can estimate how much it will take to completely wrap around the box and eliminate wasting the paper.

Step Five: Commence Wrapping

I like to use lots of tape! Every time I make a fold in the paper, I tape it down to avoid having it come undone. This also helps keep the paper tight and crisp-looking.

Tape down each side as you go!

Fold

Tape

and Repeat!

Almost There...

and Done!

Step Six: Add Embellishment

 I like to use LOTS of ribbon. Once you've cut the length, find the middle and place it across the top of the gift. Then wrap it around and bring the ends together to intersect on the bottom side of the gift. Then wrap the ribbon around the other two sides of the box, bringing it back up to the top to be knotted.

Step Seven: The Card

Like I said, the card is optional. Last year, I used different patterns of wrapping paper to differentiate one person's gifts from another. But this year, I decided to keep the paper simple- I only bought this silver roll, a red roll with the same pattern, and a plain red roll. So I picked up these cards at the grocery store, and I just slipped them under the ribbon.

And you're done! A gift anyone would be pleased to receive.

Merry Christmas to you all!