PRESS PLAY Every post I will include the song that inspired me to build a post around it's title. What I'm Wearing: Not So Ugly Christmas Sweater - Adam Levine Collection, Jeans - Adam Levine Collection, Boots - Apt 9, Socks - Happy Socks "Christmas Time, The Ones I Love" (feat. Happy Socks) Dear readers, It's Christmas week. One of the most beautiful and memorable weeks of the year. It's finally time to wrap the last of the presents, prep the big dinners, put up the last of the lights, and celebrate the birth of Jesus. It's a week of heavy relfection and precious moments. Christmas is my favorite holiday. Since I was a kid i've had nothing but beautiful memories made every single year. I grew up very fortunate to have a family who was able to celebrate like we do. It wasn't all about the gifts for me. Sure, they were truly amazing, but the little moments made are the best memories I have. For my final collaboration of the year, Happy Socks and I have come full circle. I was sent a gift box of lovely holiday socks and knew exactly what the page was going to be about upon seeing the candy cane design. When I was 16 years old I wrote a song on Halloween called "Christmas Time (The Ones I Love). I know what your saying... Halloween? Well, as soon as Halloween comes I'm already blasting Christmas music and getting myself festive for 2 months of joy and love. When I wrote this song I knew time was ticking for me. The year was ending and I was entering the last half of my 11th and 12th grade years at the same time. I had just completed The X Factor season 1 that year and began working on my first record. I could already feel me miss my loved ones as the final year of innocence approached. I had a plan. Within 10 months I would be out of my parents house and home in LA where I belong. I wrote this as a dedication to my childhood and as love letter to my future. Happy Socks really expanded my mind this year. Being able to see beyond their designs brought me down memory lane. What a beautiful poetic way to celebrate Christmas by celebrating my Christmas past with a brand that has helped me to accept the good and bad of my my journey so far. As a child my parents would always find a way to go above and beyond for my sister, my uncle, and myself. It's always been the 5 of us. Now that we are older there is more of us. We are so blessed to have my nephews experience Christmas with us now. My boys Tyson a Titus remind me of when I was kid, wide eyes and mesmerized by the mysteries of Christmas. Seeing presents, hearing Christmas carols, learning about Jesus and experiencing Santa - The wonder in their little minds makes me feel as if my special childhood memories live on in them. Seeing them run around the house I grew up in makes me feel so fortunate for all that we have had in our lives over the years. I decided to do something different. All these photos were taken at our family home in the Bay Area. I can't recreate the memories already made, but I can look back on them and honor them moving forward. As I head into the New Year with the plan of moving back to my home in LA, 8 hours away from my parents and my loved ones, my goal is to make this one of the most special days ever. My mom always found a way to make us festive every year. Our house has always been decorated. We have calmed down a little, but growing up, damn... It was something. We still decorate a lot, but when I was kid the whole house, every corner was festive. My mom and dad made sure we cherished the hard work they put into our home. I still remember waking up every Christmas morning and tearing those gifts open. Although I no longer eat meat, I can still smell the delicious meals my family made. I look forward to purchasing our Christmas trees and decorating them with my cousins or other members of our family. I still love the sound of waking up to my mom singing in our native language in the kitchen every morning. Then there comes the time when my dad puts up all the lights on the house and makes our home feel like a bright shining star. I still feel the excitement when my family knocks on the door ready to have a fun day. These are things I try to replay in my head a lot. Some years we spent Christmas in California early and then Christmas week would be spent in Washington state with my Grandma. I think part of the reason why I cherish this holiday so much is because of my Grandma. She loved Christmas. Every year she would have this rosary said for the birth a jesus, we call it a novena. Then on Christmas day she would have the biggest and grandest party in Port Orchard, Washington. I wish I had photos of her house because she put so much love into decorating her many different Christmas trees. When my Grandma passed away in 2011, Christmas felt so different. That year was really quiet, but we still managed to make memories with her through the spirit in our home. My grandma helped purchase this house for our family. She owned some land in Guam and sold it. With a part of that money my parents used it as down payment for our family home. So my Grandma's spirit runs throughout this home. All my loved ones who have stepped into this house has made every Christmas have a lasting memory in my heart. I don't consider the Bay Area my home, my home is in LA. I do however consider my parents home, our family home, a keeper of a part of my heart. For me, my loved ones and Christmas help plant the seeds for the foundation of my year to come. Obviously we haven't had a good year this year. I haven't had the best last few years. But the other day at a performance I did, I told my audience - I don't know why, but I feel like something good is going to come my way. Through all the bad, I feel some sort of light is bound to shine on me and my family. This year on Christmas I look back at all the little moments. As I walk towards a new road I will use the love I have from my family, the ones I love, to make it feel like all the previous special Christmas days, every day. I could sit here forever and go into each detail of every Christmas for the past 22 years. But the photos I have speak for themselves. As the year ends I feel like at least this "War Is Over". I still have many more battles to be fought and won. But in my darkest hours i'll have the memories of Christmas shine through everything I do. I love the ones I love. As we get older we don't get to see everyone we care about. Some people don't live close by, some people aren't on this Earth anymore. But what I do know is we can always go back to those moments and have them stay in our hearts forever. Merry Christmas everyone. Happy Holi-day-aye-aye-ayes From Me. Love, Dom Photographer: Joanna Wheeler PAGE 31
Stories From My Life - Chapter 4
22 Comments
Anthony
12/17/2017 10:40:05 am
Dear Dom,
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12/17/2017 03:50:03 pm
Dear Dom,
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Simonetta Lein
12/17/2017 04:18:57 pm
I am like you, obsessed with Christmas 🎄 music and movies. I loved reading everything of this and those pictures! Are they tour children? I adore those happy socks, I have to have them 🎄👏💫
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12/17/2017 08:15:10 pm
Aww I love all these family photos you included! It makes me so excited to see my family for the holidays! And your socks are so festive like candy canes! Merry Christmas!
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12/18/2017 02:51:24 am
Hey my bestie
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12/19/2017 08:49:27 am
I love all of your Christmas memories and love Happy Socks!!💗💗
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NK iMODE
12/19/2017 10:21:32 am
Love all the beautiful photos of your family!
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Tuana Schumacher
12/19/2017 12:27:55 pm
Best month of the year!!!
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12/19/2017 02:01:33 pm
Omg love all those pictures!! And boy you caaaan sing❤️❤️❤️❤️ Loved that video
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Veena
12/19/2017 04:55:07 pm
I love everything about Christmas. These socks are perfect
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Meg
12/19/2017 07:23:38 pm
Seriously, Christmas season is the best. It is always when I feel the most loved, being surrounded by all of my close family and friends. The holiday season seems to leave a sort of magic in the air.
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12/19/2017 11:03:28 pm
I agree 100% the holidays are for making memories, spending time with family and eating yummy food!! It’s the best time of year
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I love this song! And I love all the details you shared with us about your Christmas celebrations growing up. They really remind me of the ones with my family too - such special times. Thanks as always for a beautiful insight into your world. Also the Happy Socks are adorable! x
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Valeria
12/24/2017 05:23:54 am
Dear Dom, first of all your song is beautiful and heart melting. Your voice is like honey for the soul. Thank you for sharing your childhood memories with your followers. It proves once more what a sensitive person you are. I have fond memories of Christmas from when I was a child. Then the first year my parents were divorced we tried to keep family traditions but it was very hard. My sisters and me were living with our dad and did all the cooking and Christmas preparations. And then we would watch The Sound of Music and cry a little because we missed our mom. Anyway life goes on and I’m trying to create the happiest memories for my daughter, like you do with your nephews. Big hugs and Merry Christmas, Valeria
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12/26/2017 09:57:44 am
Dom, I absolutely love when you share your music with us. You have the voice of an angel and are so musically gifted. It’s truly a blessing to get to hear it! I hope you had an amazing Christmas and I loved seeing your photos from Christmases past.
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