...AUNT KAREN...

I didn't have as much free time, as I would have liked to have had during March. But I did try to do a few things for the Scrapathon at Gingerscraps. One such challenge I did, somewhat at the last minute, was the Inspiration Challenge. The rules were simple:

1. Make a layout that honors someone that inspires you.

2. Use only a single photo.

3. Use "White Space" in your layout.

I was fine with everything except that whole, 'white space' thing. I don't really love most white-space layouts. I'm not really of a minimalist mindset, so it's a struggle. I decided to search through my template folder and I found a template that would work for this challenge. It may not have as much white space as others, but for me - it worked.

As I was thinking of people who inspire me (and there are many), I felt like I should focus on my aunt. Last November she celebrated her 80th birthday. It's a huge milestone and I cannot believe she is 80. To look at her and spend any amount of time with her, you quickly realize her attitude and demeanor defy her age. She's still hiking and hanging out with the youth of our church and shows no sign of slowing down. I know there's a certain image and ideal that comes with the name Karen, and it makes me a little sad because my Aunt Karen doesn't fit into that ideal. I get why the joke came around and find myself using it as times, as well. I'm not perfect.

My aunt has always been a huge part of my life. She resembles my mom (they ARE sisters) and so I think early on there was some comfort in that. My aunt's youngest daughter is a couple of years younger than me, but because we were the only girls in that age group, we became friends and I spent a lot of time at my aunt's house. Aside from the many sleepovers, my aunt never let an important day in my life go by. Even if she wasn't there personally, she did something to let me know she was thinking of me. At some point in my childhood years, I remember looking up at her and telling myself that I wanted to be like her one day. I still want to be like her. I hope I can still do things like hike and hang out with teenagers without skipping a beat when I'm 80.

SUPPLY LIST

TEMPLATE: Signs of Spring by Gingerbread Ladies COLLECTION: Time Together by Connie Prince FONTS: Happy Birthday (Word Strips) and Autumn Celebrate (Journaling)