“Tangled Up In You” (2008) Staind

You're my world
The shelter from the rain
You're the pills
That take away my pain
You're the light
That helps me find my way
You're the words
When I have nothing to say

And in this world
Where nothing else is true
Here I am
Still tangled up in you
I'm still tangled up in you
Still tangled up in you

You're the fire
That warms me when I'm cold
You're the hand
I have to hold as I grow old
You're the shore
When I am lost at sea
You're the only thing
That I like about me

And in this world
Where nothing else is true
Here I am
Still tangled up in you
I'm still tangled up in you
Still tangled up in you

How long has it been
Since this storyline began
And I hope it never ends
And goes like this forever

In this world
Where nothing else is true
Here I am
Still tangled up in you
Tangled up in you
I'm still tangled up in you….still tangled up in you….

I love this song. It’s the only one by this band that I’m familiar with, but it’s been a favorite since the first time I heard it over two years ago.

It was originally played for me by a close friend who had just spent the weekend trying to find songs that should be “their song” (he and his girlfriend). This wasn’t one of the two they decided on, but when she sent it to him and he listened to it, he fell instantly in love with it, even taught himself to play it on his guitar.

It’s definitely a great song for expressing love in a committed relationship; but if you’ve been following this blog for any length of time, you know that’s not enough for me, especially for songs I want to share as part of my “Songs of September” series (almost done going thru the alphabet, only almost a year later!)

When I was looking for a video to share with you, I couldn’t find one of the actual band, but I think that may be better in this case. There are so many ways to interpret what he’s saying, so many relationships and life experiences that come to mind, I’d rather be left to my own thoughts than watch two actors try to play out the message for me. Which brings me to the deeper meaning that really makes this song resonate with me, and the reason I had to include it in this series.

A few months after my friend shared it with me, it came on my iPod while we were driving from Spokane, and we started talking about what it says; turns out he had the same thought I did the first time hearing it:  this transcends any guy/girl, human relationship – this speaks to our hearts about God’s love for us as well. He is so committed to loving us that He has not only become tangled up in our every moment, He died so we could be with Him forever!

With that in mind, read over the lyrics again, listen to the video one more time; close your eyes and let yourself wander into God’s presence. These words, these feelings he sings about, when you really hear them you see that they are intense and passionate. Is that where you are with God?

Just a thought. As I said, it’s also a great song to have as “your” song, and I hope one day soon I will have someone to be tangled up in, too.

Digging the Rabbit Hole

Today for my “Thrifty Thursday” altered book project, I decided to take a trip down the rabbit hole – but first I had to create one!

This is a common technique used in altered books and art journals, a variation of the “frame”, in which you glue several pages together and then cut out the center. In this version, I cut a series of circles, each one a little larger than the last, leading up to a photo on one of the pages in my altered book:

As you can see, the image gets larger each time you turn the page, until finally you see the entire picture:

The next step will be to decorate each page. I haven’t decided if I want to use a theme – perhaps something relating to the actual image – or just have four different layouts. Probably the former. I may also add some additional elements to the insides of the circles (someone else with the girl maybe?) just for a bit of depth and whimsy. This is a really fun technique that can be expanded upon in countless ways, and can use as many pages as you wish.

A fun sort of bonus:  you’re left with circles cut out of book text, great for adding to art journal pages, mixed media canvases, or even elsewhere in your altered book. For my circles, I started with 3.5”, then went up to 4.5”, 5”, and 5.5”. You can alter these measurements depending on the size of your final image and the number of pages you wish to create. In order to cut the circles I used a Creative Memories circle cutting system (awesome thrift store find!):

This system came with three blade sizes, three circles, and a template to help you determine which blade to use with which circle. It also came with that brilliant cutting mat you see under the page (it fits right into the book!). You could also use a Martha Stewart circle cutter, an old fashioned compass, or even just trace around circles of the right size. If you had to, I’m sure you could find templates online to print and cut out, then trace around.

This can also be done in different shapes – ovals, squares, rectangles, or hexagons would be fun. Play around, have fun, and take a trip down the rabbit hole! You never know what you might find! As for this one, I’ll be posting photos when I get some of the pages finished. Happy crafting!