An instant heirloom.

Yesterday I came home to a small package sitting on my doorstep. I immediately smiled guessing what it contained. I walked through my door, dropped all my stuff and began to break away the seal (I literally stopped two steps into my place). As I began feeling that rush like a kid on Christmas morning I stopped myself and got my camera. Weird? Most likely. To my defense the packaging was simple and adorable. The second I turned the packaging over to see the necklace I began to cry. You see this necklace is so incredibly special to me. I am so grateful that Heidi created this custom piece of art that will be without a doubt an heirloom. For those who know me personally - my dad died shortly after my second birthday. Unfortunately I never really got to know him (at least not that I can remember) and this year I created a body of photographic work that revolved around his identity and how that shaped my own identity. Needless to say it was an incredibly emotional journey - one that brought me closer to my dad; closer than I could have imagined. A little bit behind the design -- my brother and one of my sisters have a tattoo/s in honor of my dad. My brother has this portrait of him, while they both have the propellor wings (he died in a plane crash). For as long as I can remember I have said that if I ever get a tattoo, it would be this (welllllll....at least the propellor wings with Cherry Blossoms). I picked this particular portrait of him because of the meaning it holds for me. It is the 'known' picture of him. It was used for everything when he passed (it's even on his tombstone). It was framed in my house growing up. When I think of my dad this is the picture I see, and Heidi painted it beautifully. The timing of this necklace could not be any better. Not that  I wouldn't be totally in love with it any other time but given this year and the amount of time I have 'spent' with my dad, I couldn't be happier to have this heirloom to cherish.   You can find Heidi's work HERE & HERE  - she is such a talented artist. And not to mention, has a completely beautiful personality. If you take a look at her site you can see all of her awesome work! I am so in love with my custom necklace!   Hugs,Lauren