Auld Lang Syne

The words "Auld Land Syne" literally translate to "Old Long Ago"... And though the song talks about remembrances of friendships and relationships past, the idea of looking back on times past can ring true for so many different situations.

When I began crafting this layout, I found the 8X10 picture of Melanie dressed in her tap costume from 2009 and sadly, my first thought was "eesh, an 8X10 is going to take the WHOLE page. The sentimentality of the image, with Melanie's missing tooth and her last traces of babyness didn't hit me until I was all done cutting, distressing, inking, and all that jazz...

The paper used was from an AWESOME giveaway at a winter themed Scrap-A-Doodle Doo crop over a year ago... As was the blue flower... The white lace and beige ribbon trim were from my stash (beige ribbon is Maya Arts, also a gift from Scrap A Doodle Doo!). Overall, because the picture is so large there isn't much going on with this page, but I did use the water technique to cut the frame of the diecut paper and allow room for the striped paper to how through.

Now that I have a moment to reflect on the layout though, what is most captivating to me is the fact that my baby girl, now nine, is growing up so fast. As we celebrate the beginning of a new year, perhaps I'm a bit sentimental, but it's so important to hold the ones dear to you close for as long as possible. Our children grow so fast, our friendships tend to fade as time goes on, and as we grow older, our priorities tend to shift. But let's always remember to "take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne"... And remember those days long ago with fondness. Happy New Year!

***Submitting this layout for the Anything Goes challenge at Kaboodle Doodles***