From my heart, August Rush and Ali Edwards remind me....

Must See Movie!! AUGUST RUSH....

Last night I watched the movie August Rush. I loved it! I am sure many of you have already seen it long ago but I hardly ever watch TV or movies. I love movies that touch my heart. I love movies that make me think. So while I was watching it Ali Edwards came to my mind. I know crazy isn't it? She is someone who I admire for her work and writings. I have met her twice now and think she is even cooler in person each time I have met her. But why did she pop in my mind while watching this awsome movie? In the movie this child/boy hears beautiful music that others miss hearing. It is out there but we do not hear it like he does. He took the time to listen deeply! Listen with his ears but also his heart. It was so amazing how beautiful sounds can be in every day life if you take the time to listen. So this is where Ali came in.... I hope she will inspire you like she has me. I take her CAPTURE THE MOMENT saying to heart! Let me explain by telling you the story from CHA summer 2008.

( now to look at this picture and know she is pregnant in it is so cool!)

You all know meeting Tim Holtz was huge for me at this show since I missed him at the winter show. I just so admire his work and wanted to meet him in person. Not only did I get to meet him but I spent about an hour watching him create beauty with his products! Did you all know you can form grunge board with heat? I had no idea and I sell lots of grunge board. I will post more on this forming of it in another blog. I now have tons of Tim Holtz products on their way to fill my store and for my personal use. I will be listing lots today in the store. If you have not play with Tim Holtz products it is a MUST! No need to be scared! Go to his blog and see his online classes to use his products. You can find his products in the AMR store. If there is anything I am missing you want from his line let me know and I can get it in for you.

SO anyway to make a longggggg story short, he had Ali Edwards come in and show off Alcohol inks while he took a much needed break. She was so funny and so REAL with this. She picked up the ink bottles and said "OKAY we are just dropping today!" Oh and she meant it! She had sheets of acrylic from Hambly and a cut out acrylic "Simon" name book from Clear Scraps. She picked up the inks and just went for it. Dabbed with a dadder, dropped from the dropper. All along I am thinking I would never in a million years do that. NOPE! And if I had I would have tossed it out thinking it was not good enough that it was way to random. She pointed out how beautiful it was and how cool the colors were. She had us watching the colors mix together and move on their own on the acrylic. You have to see this blog of her's to see some of what she ended up with by doing this... It really turned out gorgeous! I remember standing there thinking, wow how cool is she that she could stop to see the beauty in it. If you read her blog you will know she see's beauty in things we all often miss. So how the movie and Ali come into my mind at once is, I need to stop and be still more often. Stop and really listen to the music out there that I am missing being to busy and hurried. Maybe missing just simply by talking to much and not being quiet and listening. Watching that movie touched me to slow down and listen. Then Ali came to mind to remind me to slow down and SEE!!! Really see everything out there. CAPTURE THE MOMENT. Sometimes I sit on my front porch and I can now say I bet I miss so many beautiful small things right in front of me. When I am done with this blog I plan to get a refill on my coffee, and sit in my favorite chair on the front porch and SEE and LISTEN. Can you take a moment to do this today? Ali and August Rush to me remind me to slow down and enjoy each day, each sound, each item and hear and see the beauty around me.

Life has been so busy for my family this summer. My Father inlaw (Tom) had been ill with ALS for the past year. I went to CHA in July, had a wonderful time and learned lots. Came home that Sunday after the show to go straight to my FIL's party. We had a party to celebrate his life with him there, still very much alive. It was one of the most beautiful days of my life. He said before going to bed that night it was the best day of his life. My Father inlaw passed away that following Tuesday with all of us around his bedside. As sad as it was it was the most beautiful and touching moment of my life. I can so clearly remember, hearing his breath get so slow and so quiet. The wind was slightly blowing outside. We had the window open and you could hear the sound of the aspen leaves rustling. The birds were singing and if you listened hard enough you could hear the heartbeats of everyone in the room while we held my father inlaw and watched him leave the earth. It took something so huge for us to all stop and SEE and LISTEN to the beauty that surrounds us. Since that day I have been moving on keeping super busy and missing SEEING and HEARING. Watching that movie, thinking of Ali, and remembering July 22nd when my father inlaw passed reminded me to STOP and slow down! We all need to do this as often as possible. I am going to take my first cup of coffee every morning now and be still and listen, and be sure to capture the moment with my eyes wide open so I can SEE also. I wish this for all of you...

From my heart,

Stacey

Ali's new book will be here any day, be sure to preorder yours and it will ship right away. This is a wonderful book on mini albums and one we will all cherish having in our collection.

Meeting Tim Holtz was a wonderful experience.