inspired

Apparently, I am really digging color lately.

Looks like color has been grabbing my eye lately... 1. Frosty Morning, 2. Untitled, 3. Winter Night, 4. Art is everywhere, 5. November Buck, 6. Fetch, 7. Pens, 8. Painting, 9. Burning Incense, 10. Untitled, 11. Mud, 12. Blue House, 13. Leaves in Light, 14. The Staircase, 15. story hour, 16. Dettaglio _DSC4956, 17. flickr.com/photos/94022142@N00/3686292823/, 18. ghosts in the marina, 19. Moon Bay 月亮灣, 20. Untitled, 21. Untitled, 22. the (really) little red canoe, 23. stream of the season, 24. those were the days..., 25. A view from the Caribbean, 26. Old San Juan, 27. IMG_4653, 28. IMG_4652, 29. {trick or treat}, 30. The look of nobody home, 31. Playing with Leaves, 32. fever_balcony-wide-angle-00, 33. Day 3, 34. Day 19, 35. Day 16 (transparency), 36. Day 18 Created with fd's Flickr Toys

Leaving a Legacy: A Look at Why I’m Creating Yesterday & Today

Have I mentioned just how much I am enjoying Ali Edward’s Yesterday and Today class at Big Picture Scrapbooking?  It is INCREDIBLE.

It’s just what I needed.  I was questioning why I scrapbook and whether or not it was worth it all in the end.  Would someone care about these things once I’m gone?  Should that even matter?  And it does to me. 

I’ve decided I to create a heritage album series based on the fact that I want to leave a legacy behind.  Right now, I have about six 12x12 albums full of various topics, life, love, play, etc.  By the time I leave this world, it could be like my sister-in-law who has close to 50.  And what if my family doesn’t want 50 frilly albums?  That worries me.  So I’ve decided to create an abbreviated short series of heritage albums.  Also known as, if you throw everything else out, please keep these.  They will tell you more about where you came from and who those people were.

Enter Ali’s class.  She has such a heavy focus on words & pictures.  She wants us to get the story told.  Of course she is all about excellent design and fun products, but the meat of the class is to get our most important stories told.  Simple ones, fun ones, hard ones and just plain goofy ones.  My goal is to attempt to paint an accurate picture of myself and the people I come from, the people I love, the people I call family.

And it’s not just for me.  It’s for Andy, my husband, too.  It is to be our legacy.  A little slice of our lives, who we are and what we love and where we came from.  I hope it will be inspiring.  I hope it will answer some questions.  I hope it will be cherished and loved.

How They Met: a Yesterday & Today Layout

I have been working on a special project to remember my Grandpa who passed away in August.  Forgive me if I am vague about the details, as it is to be a surprise gift.  What I can share with you is a layout that resulted from the time I’ve spent remembering and honoring Grandpa.

In collecting data for the project, I ran across a brilliant gem.  A brief, romantic story I never knew.  How my Grandpa and Grandma T met.  You can read the full story here.  Today, I just wanted to share the completed layout and a bit about my own scrapbooking process.

One of the things I’m enjoying about Ali Edward’s Yesterday & Today class is she’s sharing glimpses into her creative process.  And I was tickled pink to see the way she tried out the meat of a layout on several different backgrounds!  Why?  Because I do the same thing.  Just for fun, here’s a brief look at the top paper choices I made for this layout. 

  

These five were narrowed down from about 14 pieces that I originally pulled out.  I know, crazy, right?  But I simply adore color and if truth be told, I’m also a bit of a perfectionist.  Shhhhh.

So, I must know, does anyone else ever agonize over paper choices?  Though I must admit, I am getting better and much quicker at narrowing down the choices.  And thanks to the wisdom of my father-in-law, I am learning to “do something, even if it’s wrong.”  In the end, I am always happy.  Now, I am just learning how to get there quicker and with less stress.

Learning to Focus

I LOVE this picture of Hailey.  We captured that wonderfully intent expression she wears when she begs.  She truly likes to keep her eyes on the prize.  What I don’t like is that the camera choose to focus on her eyes.  Actually, it’s not that this is technically a problem in the shot.  If it had focused on her nose, then her eyes wouldn’t be as sharp and clear.  The problem I have is over the control. 

I basically have NO idea how or where the camera is going to focus on any particular shot.  And for many reasons, that is not good.  So, this weekend I am going to bust out the manual to my nifty starter DSRL, the Nikon D60.  Something tells me this is critical in my learning to focus.

Do you have any information about focusing?  Do you have any good photography forums or websites you would recommend?  Do you focus?

Peace, Joy, Noel: Making Memories Mistletoe Christmas garland

I have long been enjoying the paper garland you see decorating many a scrapper’s home, featured on their blog. Perhaps they have a simple word reminding them why they like to create or they have spelled out a child’s name for a birthday party. They always look gorgeous. And they always look intimidating.

So when I ran across the Making Memories Mistletoe Garland kit at a local scrapbook store, I decided to take the leap. I mean, how hard could it be? I had all the pieces and instructions I needed. I took the plunge.

All in all, it was a fairly easy project and the instructions were clear and easy to follow. However, there was one little problem. The size of the black ribbon they included was quite WIDE and the holes in the plastic beads were NARROW. I tried several ways to get them threaded: cutting the ribbon at an angel, trying a needle & “thread” (the ribbon) and finally just cussing at it and throwing up my arms in frustration.

My hubby picks this moment to pipe up from his hobby table: why don’t you use some of that thread you have. I could’ve thrown the needle at him, but I totally throw like a girl and he was 10 feet away. There was no point and besides, he had a point. I’ve got tons of scrappin’ goodies just crying out to be used.

While I was digging through my stash, I decided that I would try and “spice up” the original design. So, I grabbed my Maya Road Mists (which I ADORE, but hadn’t used in a month or two) and decided to make things brighter.

I also mixed up the shapes and colors and added stickers and a few stick pins.

All in all, I didn’t stray to far from the original design. Remember, this was my first time. But sometimes the attention to little details really make the project.

If you have created a garland of any kind (holiday, birthday, random word), I would love if you would link me up. Peace!

It's Nice to Know Someone Enjoys You

I've never much participated in "chain emails" or things of that sort of nature. And mostly, I have "thumbed" my nose at the various little blog "awards" out there... probably because no one ever nominated me. Boy, do I sound like a whiny second grader or what? LOL


Well, my friend Andi recently nominated me for the "Kreativ Blogger" Award and I must admit that I am flattered. Thank you Andi! She gave a nice, brief description of my blog that made me blush. I'll paste it here.

"I forget how I met Lauren! But let me tell you.. I love her blog!
From her shares of books, or weather ,or her dogs or life. She's another
country girl that I just love. She has been taking all sorts of fun
classes and I get to 'watch' and learn. :) Thanks Lauren for sharing
all of it!"

You are welcome. It is SO nice to realize that all your hard work and effort is enjoyed by others. I must admit, I share a lot of stuff on my blog because my husband, while loving and supportive, probably never cares if he sees another scrapbook page in his life!! And while that's not entirely true, I'm quite sure some of you can relate.

So, THANK YOU for reading, stopping by and saying hello. It means a lot to me! I'm working on a way to give back a little. I'm thinking a little scrappy goodness giveaway? What do you think??

PS. Here's a little look at what's coming up next:


PPS. You should really visit Andi's blog. She is a true country gal, I'm a convert. LOL. Her family has a ranch and she shares bits and pieces from their lives. And if you enjoy handmade cards? Andi is always hard at work creating and sharing. **hugs girly**

C is for Cookie as S is to Smitten Kitchen

O. M. G. I am in love!!! Swoooooon! You have not LIVED for chocolate chip cookies until you have sunk your sweet tooth into the delectable "Our Favorite Choclate Chip Cookies" compliments of Smitten Kitchen. You simply MUST try them!