...here's my take on Ali's challenge! The excerpt from the book was really inspiring! It sparked a whole bunch of journalling (which is hidden behind the photo on the right side, a few pages just pull out from the top):

"I was really self-concious growing up. Embarassed and awkward in my own skin. A girl okay with being a wallflower. and one day, I wondered why i cared so much. why I cared about what people thought. I was in junior high, all of a sudden aching to be myself. to make my statement. to share myself. to find my true friends and be at a comfortable place with my own skin. I got some courage. I dyed my hair blue and was happily unique and had honest friends and boys still liked me. I was left wondering why I hadn't been this way all along! There was something liberating about pouring my thoughts into a journal and learning who I was and letting go of the need to fit in. Realizing there is no "perfect", anyways. I am now so comfy with myself. One day, I just woke up: time goes by too quickly to give a damn and let other people's perceptions of you or your choices dictate the direction your life goes. Nobody will know me if I don't share myself. If I don't open up or write it down, no one will know. I deserve to give a piece of myself. I need to create and make my heart happy and treasure the imperfections that make me human. I can tell my story through pictures for nobody but myself, because my heart is happy with that story. And my family will learn the deeper parts of me through this story. Instead of sitting back, I choose to live life as it is, now. As it goes. Come what may: everyday is a new chance to look at the world through open eyes. To find new inspiration. to cultivate love. to share a moment. smile at a picture. aim to a new direction and test out the waters. I live my life as an artist. and life is my art. I never would have imagined that the myself I knew in junior high could grow and love and express the way I've learned to. Could be so open to letting go and not worrying: just jumping into life head first with no second thoughts. Letting people know her - and no matter what, being happy just knowing herself and writing it down to be remembered."

Kind of just wrote my thought once I read the prompt...Junior high was a lot of change for me..it's totally cliche, but I "found" myself. I got comfortable with myself and I'm so thankful, because it's helped me make solid relationships with my family, friends, and also helped me out in the relationship department...knowing who I am. Life is art, to me...people and imperfections and the day-to-day dreams and aspirations and things we hold most dear =) Sorry for the giant essay...lol...lil piece of my heart, here...=)

I found the vintage lace at an antique store last week, left the hand-written price tag on cuz I loved it! Airplane tag in the bottom right says "don't lose your way", and above the vintage picture, it says "time is a place, not a space"...I used some vintage german cigarette cards (the orange boat) that I found in France...some Hambly love...and distressed the MM noteworthy letters with watercolor paint and ink...

Truly let my heart free with this one..it's one of my fave pages ever!! thanks for the inspo, Ali! Thanks for peeking!