The Portress Heirlooms

Ephemera and the Art of Remembering

So much of life is made of fleeting things: a ticket stub tucked into a pocket, a grocery list with your loved one’s handwriting, the smell of rain on the day you brought your newborn home. These small, passing details—what we call ephemera—rarely feel significant in the moment. Yet later, when time has carried us forward, we find ourselves wishing we had saved more of them.

Personal Ethnographies are one of the few ways we can gather these fragments into something lasting. A book, video, portrait, or heirloom can hold the stories and images that slip so easily through our fingers. It can give permanence to what was temporary—capturing not only the words we said, but the atmosphere of the moment, the symbols and objects that defined a season of life, the spirit of a time that can never quite be recreated.

Think of the zeitgeist of your newborn’s entry into the world: the music that played in the background, the soft blanket they were first wrapped in- a special event, a wedding or a memorial, where a thousand tiny moments—snippets of conversation, gestures, laughter, tears—flashed by and disappeared. When my close friend of 25 years died, I found myself going back through all our text conversations- rereading our jokes, laughing and crying at once. Their family got immense healing and joy, despite their pain, in receiving archival print outs of our funny conversations and the many thoughts that were on their mind which they didn't always share.

Once gone, we are left only with the fragments we managed to grab onto.
In these moments, even if already past, we crave a way to hold them again anew.

This is where ephemera documentation becomes part of my work.

I gather not only stories and testimonies, but also the fragile pieces of memory: the scraps, the images, the little markers of time and place. Woven together, they form a kaleidoscope of memory. A child’s drawing taped to a fridge, a faded photo booth strip, the phrase someone always used to say—these are the fibers of life that deserve to be saved, honored, and passed on.

Let me capture it for you!

Discover what I can do

Personal Ethnographies
I create personal ethnographies: living archives of memory, testimony, and story. Through interviews with friends, family, and colleagues, I gather firsthand voices that reveal the richness of your life from many perspectives. These collections weave together quotes, anecdotes, and reflections into a beautifully written record of your journey. A personal ethnography is more than a gift—it is a legacy, a way of capturing the fullness of a life for yourself and for generations to come. Makes a great gift for a family member, mentor, retirement commemoration, wedding anniversary, and so much more. 

Beyond Goodbye Books
Beyond Goodbye is a grief-centered offering, designed for families who have recently lost a loved one. In times of loss, new stories can bring us closer—helping us understand different sides of the person we mourn. I interview the web of people who knew them, following connections to mutual friends and acquaintances, asking each person how they knew your loved one, what they remember most, and for a story they’ve never shared before. These voices are gathered into a collective portrait—a book that not only honors their life, but also provides comfort and healing by revealing the many ways they were known and loved.

Children's Books
Each book can be a gentle introduction: a way for a child to “meet” a grandparent they never knew, learn about their cultural roots, or see how their own story connects to generations before them. Through narrative, children are given both comfort and continuity—a chance to grow up with a deeper sense of belonging.

Additional Services
Family Heirloom Making and Archive Creation, Empathetic Listening, Trauma Work, Photography Services, On-site event work (weddings, funerals, anniversaries), Video Making, Social media content (Reels, videos, etc.)