Missing you Mom

In only five short days it will be Thanksgiving. .I'm always amazed how quickly the holidays roll around from one year to the next and this year is no exception...once again I find myself saying, "Wasn't it just New Years?"

Thanksgiving is a great opportunity for families to gather around and eat WAY, WAY more than they want or need. I always love and dread this time of year. While I probably say this on my blog every holiday season, I totally love Christmas and the whole holiday season and the emotions and memories this blessed season bring. But for me the onset of the holidays is also a time of sadness as I'm reminded that my sweet Mom's passed away 10 years ago in December. Having a family member pass away so close to a major holiday always leaves a lasting effect; a little dark shadow over a very wonderful time of year.

My goal is not to bring you down, but only to introduce the reasoning behind today's post and why I would create a MOM tag at this time of year when you would typically see this kind of thing around Mother's Day.

A few years ago I began a tradition of making an ornament or tag each year that I could hang on our Christmas tree as a little remembrance of those who were once a big part of my life - someone who shared in my Christmas joy, but are no longer here in person, but live on in spirit.

Today I want to share the tag I made for my Mom. I'll hang this tag from our Christmas tree as a small reminder, not that I'd every forget, but more of a small token of honor.

My mom always said that she would rather receive flowers when she was alive and could enjoy their beauty and smell their sweet fragrance, so I made sure that she received plenty of flowers over the course of her life. But the flowers that I give to her now that she's gone are more for my benefit than hers. It serves as a reminder of how much she enjoyed having a fresh arrangement on her table.

The lace that I used on her tag represents her love for all this antique and and the whole vintage look that decorated her home, and the pearls were her birthstone which she also loved.

The heart that I used behind the chipboard MOM reminds me of the great heart she had. I was an adopted child and the loved that she (and Dad) showed me touch me in such a profound way.

I would encourage you to create a tag or ornament for a loved one who can't be with you this holiday season. It's a lovely way to honor and remember them as well as give you time, as you create your project, to reflect on the person that they were and how they touched your life.

Thank you for coming by today and for your continued visits. They really warm my heart.

{Supplies}

Paper: Sweet Blush (PTI)

Ink: Regal Rose

Accessories: Thickers Chipboard Letters, Creme de Rouge Glimmer Mist (Tattered Angels) Diamond Lace Punch (Fiskars), Doodlebug Glitter, Fresh Chipboard Scroll Corner (Maya Road), Flourish Floret Mask (Tim Holtz) Strawberries & Cream Acrylic Paint (Making Memories), Lace (i{heart}papers) Clear Flowers (Making Memories), Pearls, Rose Flowers & Flourishes (Zva Creative), 1" Organdy Ribbon and Pink Gingham Ribbon (SU), Button from stash, Pearl Heart (Buttons Galore & More)