OUAS February Challenge

Peonies Perfect Petticoats

My entry for OUAS February challenge, the topic being LOVE, whichever way you choose to interpret it. I have chosen my love for the garden and specifically for my peonies.

I also made this layout for CSI #57, and used the five colors: teal green, light celadon green,  white, ballet slipper pink and dark pink. I documented a love story, and used as my evidence flowers, leaves, vines, birds, solid background and 10 layers.

There are snippets of the journal directly on the layout, and the full journaling is tucked under the photograph.

My full journaling reads:  "I fell in love with peonies, those overblown, luscious "roses of Spring," when I was a little girl. I must admit my love affair had as much to do with the fascination of watching the ants that crawled all over them, as it did with the huge deliciously colored strawberry ice cream blooms!
    When I grew up and finally had a garden of my own, the longed for peonies were brought to me by my Mother. Together, we planted a border, digging deeply and enriching the earth, setting the "eyes" exactly one inch below soil level. Planted properly, peonies are said to be immortal!
    Thirty years have passed. Every June I fall in love again with these faithful friends! I cut armloads of flowers for the house, but now I shake off those pesky ants! And then I arrange them into many vases to grace various tables. I continue to delight in peonies luscious layers, so like ladies petticoats! I reflect on their raspberry cream deliciousness until the morning I wake up to discover they have cast their petals all of a fell swoop onto the polished tabletops! And then I cut more....
    Mom is gone now, but her gift of peonies to satisfy my heart's desire, remains a lasting legacy......peonies truly are immortal!"

Of course I have used the beautiful sketch provided by Nadia!