Celebrity Chef, author, and “First Girlfriend” of New York State Sandra Lee has made famous the term “semi-homemade.” In books and on the food network she promotes recipes of partially pre made items, couple with homemade additions. Hopefully this include quick, relatively easy dishes that have a home cooked feel for time impoverished cooks.
I borrowed the concept from Ms. Lee in making a gift wedding album for a recent couple. Understanding that many couples prefer digital photographs to share memories of their special day, I wanted to create an old-style album with actual pages (meeting archival standards, of course), I started with a beautiful album from my favorite paper, craft, and gift store Lees Art Store. On the cover, I added a truly beautiful swan-inspired card from another delightful paper store Il Papiro the upper east side.
On each page, I added “ephemera” that I collected over the years….cut outs from vintage cards, bits of vintage jewelry, old coin and stamps, and more. It is certainly not a “perfect” volume, but it is filled with affection and gratitude. Hopefully it will provide a home for some favorite snapshots of their New York elopement.
Please enjoy photos of the hand-crafted pages below:
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