Memories & Glue

I finally finished a project I have been thinking about for a while. See, a few years ago I bought a shadowbox that I never ended up using for the project I had in mind at the time. Not one to just get rid of things that can be useful, I saved it. The darn thing moved with me from Fort Collins to Milliken, and finally, to Wisconsin, where it still sat around for a while. I wanted to use it for just the right thing.

It finally hit me when I changed my license plates. I knew I wanted to use my Colorado plates for something and finally could! 

I gathered some things from my time in Colorado, though that was easier said than done. I wanted to put things that reminded me of good times, favorite places, and people, but I didn't want to fill it with pictures (that's what my scrapbook and other framed photos are for), nor did I want to stick anything too valuable or irreplaceable in there. And then, like most of my projects, this one sat around for a long time until I finally did it!

 

No, your eyes aren't fooling you, I blurred out part of the number.

It took me a few tries to get everything arranged how I liked. And then I had to get a bit creative with putting everything in there. Obviously a shadowbox has depth, so I wanted to use that and shoot for a layered look.  

I started with my old, trusty map of Fort Collins. Boy, I used that thing a lot when I first moved there! It was definitely worn in places. I took the map and glued it to the back of the shadowbox. I tried very hard to make sure the part glued to the back included campus and the area of town where I lived for 5 whole years. While you can't actually see where I lived (it's covered by the license plate), you can see where campus is...right by my CSU Alumni pin!

You can also see a couple of tickets in the photo- one is for the Denver Art Museum (DAM) and one is for the Budweiser Brewery. What a contrast, huh? The Brewery was a fun place to visit, particularly because it was the first one I ever toured and it's home to one of the Clydesdale teams. I went there a number of times over the years- with my family, friends, and grad school peers- and it was fun every time. I didn't visit the DAM until the last couple years I lived in Colorado. I wish I had gone sooner! And became a member! It's a place that has some great memories attached...and great art! Plus it's very interactive, which is fun for everyone, let's be honest. 

Oh, The Rio! I may miss you most of all! OK, probably not, but I have not had a margarita as good or as potent anywhere else! Seriously, there is a 3 margarita limit- I debated displaying the back of the matchbox because it says that! The salsa was delish there too. The food was good, but people typically didn't go there for the food. I couldn't even tell you how many times I went there to celebrate something...or to start out a fun evening with a marg! 

Another place I went to often, in the later years, was Jay's. My advisor loved that place and would sometimes take his students out for a nice evening...on his dime. I had some really great times with him there. To me, Jay's meant laughter, live jazz, amazing creme brulee, wine, and oysters. Not all at the same time, though. :) I also remember cold nights...for some reason I really only remember being there when it was cold out, which makes me think of the twinkly Christmas lights on all the trees and walking down the street arm-in-arm with my advisor and a good friend. 

I tucked a map of Colorado in there, as well as my brochure/guide to the DAM. I also included a New Belgium bottle cap. I think it was from a Fat Tire or maybe a Skinny Dip. Gosh, I just realized...it may seem like I just drank a lot the whole time I was in Colorado! Budweiser, The Rio, Jay's, New Belgium. I promise, I didn't! In fact, I've probably had more New Belgium brews since I left Colorado than I did when I was living there. 

My little shadowbox might not seem like much, but it was fun putting it together and fun reminiscing. When I think of the good times I had at these places, it brings up all kinds of other related memories too! Good times.