LOAD212 - Day 7 - Christmas Card 2011

The prompt for Lain Ehmann's Layout a Day challenge for Day 7 was: I always thought....What did you used to think that has now not come true?



I again diverted from the topic in favor of working on my Christmas card album. I now only have to do 2009 and I will be all caught up (for this album, anyway!)

Journaling Reads:

We took this year’s family portrait at Grandma and Grandpa Hillary’s 50th Wedding Anniversary party at Blue Water Grill in Grand Rapids on a gorgeous October afternoon. All of Dad’s brothers and sisters were there with their spouses and children, bringing the party attendance total to 29 people!

You all had a blast spending time with your cousins on the west side of the state. Owen and Allison were joined at the hip. Rachel still likes to follow Liam around like a puppy, Ashton did a hysterical impersonation of newborn Emily’s cry, and Jordyn enjoyed sitting at the adult table.

Our outfits were inspired by the dress that Jordyn chose to wear which contained shades of aqua, teal, gray, and black. Jordyn is officially a young lady. While Liam and Owen are turning into quite the little gentlemen. Ashton is still pretty perfect and looked adorable in his skinny black denim.

Even though the picture was taken in October, Mom didn’t get the wallets printed until mid-December. She stuffed them into variations of this Hallmark card: Sha(red), Sac(red), and Chee(red), the proceeds of which benefited AIDS elimination in Africa.

If you’ll remember, Mom purchased these cards in 2008 and intended to send them in 2009. It was nice to finally put them to use, even if Mom didn’t get them to the post office until December 20th! (Mom will try harder next year to get them out early like she used to!)

In the end, though, getting the card out on time…or at ALL, for that matter, doesn’t mean much unless you take the time to share love with friends and family. Let’s give less stuff and share more love, indeed.

Some observations about the process and the products used:

1. Patterned paper from the DCWV Christmas stack. This is an awesome stack. I use it all the time!


2. Had more energy tonight than last night...I'm contributing it to the ahhhhhhhhmazing bath I took earlier tonight. And I'm going to bed before midnight....SCHA-WING!


3. I listened to Pandora again, but I listened to the Ingrid Michaelson channel. Very scrappy.

LOAD212 - Day 6 - Christmas Card 2010

The prompt for Lain Ehmann's Layout a Day challenge for Day 6 was: Little Girl Dreams. Or big girl dreams, or your kids' dreams, or the dreams you have with your spouse. Basically what dreams in your life have come true, which ones haven't, etc.

Well, as I showed yesterday, I forced myself to do the daily prompt and didn't love the end product. So, today, instead of racking my brain and coming up with a page that's only so-so, I decided to do a page that's on my never-ending to-do list.

Each year, I scrapbook our family Christmas card and put it into an album. Each page lists info about the Christmas card selection/creation process and details about getting the photo taken. I thought I was two years behind (needing to do 2010, and 2011), but when I grabbed the album, it turns out that I am three years behind. Problem is, I can't find the 2009 card. OOOPS. I'll have to look a little harder.


I completed the 2010 card:



Journaling Reads:

Yep, back to the photo card this year. With an infant in the house bringing the offspring total to four, a full time career, and a husband who travels to Indiana every week for work, convenience is the name of Mom’s Christmas card game.

The theme of this year ‘s card was Joy. Something we all tried to find more of this year in the face of Poppa’s illness.

This photo was taken in the fall shortly after Poppa was diagnosed with brain cancer. We joined Mom’s side of the family for a professional portrait session in October with the knowledge that Poppa wouldn’t be with us much longer.

While the photo session was bittersweet, it was wonderful to spend this time together. Coordinating schedules for three active families, however, was no walk in the park. But, we finally found a date that worked for everyone and got a lot of fabulous pictures taken. With three families at the portrait session, plus the group shot, we were at the studio for quite a while. Fortunately, all eleven of the kids were extremely well behaved. And, luckily, the parents behaved, too.

Afterwards we went to dinner at Outback.

It was nice to have the Christmas cards printed in October. Talk about being ahead of schedule!

The focus this Christmas was definitely on Poppa and Gramma. It made us all understand that the true gift of Christmas is family and the importance of spending and cherishing the time we have together.

Life is short. Live it joyfully.

Some observations about the process and the products used:

1. Done IS better than perfect.


2. Looking forward to doing our 2011 card.


3. Need to find our 2009 card....anybody out there who is an organized hoarder like me still have it?!


4. Watched Modern Family on Hulu while I did this layout. What a funny show!


5. DCWV Christmas Stack patterned paper.


6. On Day 6 of this challenge, I already had to refill BIG RED.


7. Doing a layout a day is productive, but exhausting.

LOAD212 - Day 5 - like mother, like daughter

The prompt for Lain Ehmann's Layout a Day challenge for Day 5 was: The more things stay the same.

I really struggled with this assignment. I thought about it all day, and could not come up with something to "fit" the prompt. I had decided that I was just going to do my annual Christmas card page. But, after the Superbowl party, as the day and my eyes were coming to a close, I didn't have the time nor energy to do justice to the Christmas card page. So, I forced myself to sit down and whip something out. Then it hit me, a page about how Jordyn and I are similar and different.

Some observations about the process and the products used:

1. Do I LOVE the design of this page? Not my best work. Hey, it's DONE, not PERFECT.


2. Besides the metal accents (from Stampin' Up) and the white cardstock, everything else was a scrap. This IS scrapbooking after all.


3. As soon as I uploaded the page to the LOAD212 flickr group, a great page idea for this prompt came to me. Where was that idea hiding 20 hours earlier?


4. I had planned on this page taking me 30 minutes. But, it tookabout 75 minutes. Afterwards, I fell into bed without even cleaning up my scrap table first!

LOAD212 - Day 4 - Christmase Eve has changed

The assignment for Lain Ehmann's Layout a Day challenge for Day 4 was: How have things changed? She encouraged us to scrap the FIRST thing that came to mind. For me, it was instantly Christmas Eve without my dad.


Hidden Journaling (behind the photos) Reads:
In 2009, we didn’t know that this would be our last Christmas Eve where we could hold a conversation with you, ask you to carve the turkey, and joke and laugh as you told your corny jokes.

In 2010, the brain tumor had taken away your personality, your ability to interact spontaneously with others; and we sadly knew that this would be our last Christmas Eve where we could sit next to you, hold your hand, and kiss and hug you.

In 2011, we spent our first Christmas Eve without you. You weren’t there in body, but we know you were there in spirit.

We miss you every day, but the holidays are certainly harder. My tears started to fall when I opened a gift from mom. She gave me the Irish whistle and song book that I had brought back from Ireland for you in 1990, it had sat atop your dresser for two decades. She gave Jacob your Pickle ball paddle, because he now enjoys the same sport he used to watch his Poppa play so well. And the floodgates opened when Shawn gave an International Association of Fire Fighters vehicle sticker to me, Mom, and Jeremy along with the heartfelt note that I’ve attached to the back of this journaling card.

Christmas Eve has changed.

NOTE FROM SHAWN ON THE BACK OF THE JOURNALING CARD: I asked one of the firefighters at Hazel Park Fire Department if I could get an official vehicle sticker for each of us-Mom, Jeremy, Heather, and myself. I know that it has much significance for those in the line of duty, and also for us, who have been blessed by Dad, who always served faithfully. I recently received this impactful message from one of his fellow firefighters, Bill Anderson: ‘Bennie was a quiet but positive influence on me. I feel blessed to have had him next to me in many a fire. It might have saved my life. –Bill’

Some observations about the process and the products used:

1. DCWV Patterned Paper from the Christmas Stack


2. Cried a lot while I made this page


3. My scrapping music lately has been the Johnny Cash station on Pandora, with songs by JC, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Waylon Jennings, these people are story tellers. Which is why I think their music goes so well with scrapping. Give 'em a listen!

LOAD 212 - Day 3 - Gorgeous Girl

The assignment for Lain Ehmann's Layout a Day challenge for Day 3 was to look at yourself THEN and NOW. How have you changed/stayed the same?

Journaling Reads:
No, I'm not conceited. This was my dad's nickname for me my entire life. I was his Gorgeous Girl and my sister was his Darling Daughter. As awkward as my tween and teen years were (the least embarrassing photographic evidence is pictured above), I had the confidence of a beauty queen. I credit a lot of that swagger to this moniker. My motto has always been, "If I don't think I'm beautiful, who will?" Which apparently is why I decided to get some Glamour Shots taken in the 90's. What? You didn't?

Some observations about the process and the products used:

1. I do not love my own hand journaling, but sometimes it makes the most sense for the papers you're using.


2. Next time I do LOAD, I will organize my photos beforehand. Searching for a photo or two or through is proving to be the biggest time sucker so far.


3. DCWV paper from Fun in the Sun Summer Stack. I took a second sheet of the same paper (that my first attempt at hand journaling failed on) and hand cut out some more of the flowers to frame the photos some more.


4. This layout contains - 2 sheets of 12x12 card stock, sticker letters, 3 brads, and 12" of ribbon.


5. As I was finishing my page, Owen came into my office and looked at the photos. He pointed to the photo from 1982 and said, "That one is a little bit ugly." Um, yes, thank you, Owen. So, I replied, "And guess who looks JUST like that photo?!?! YOU!" Burn.

LOAD 212 Day 2 - ...these girls.

The assignment for Lain Ehmann's Layout a Day challenge for Day 2 was to scrapbook a Favorite Photo.
Journaling Reads:
Shortly after my dad was diagnosed with an anaplastic astrocytoma on his thalamus (stage III brain cancer), it was clear he wouldn’t be with us much longer. We decided to throw him a party to celebrate his life, while he was still somewhat with us. There are so many people who helped us pull this phenomenal party together in such little time. I had a team of girlfriends, led by Kendrea, in charge of the gorgeous decorations; my pseudo sister, Lorrie, put together an amazing video with hundreds of photos and several songs we had provided her with (many of which she stayed up ‘til the wee hours of the night to scan); friends , family, and members of my parents’ church provided the food and drinks; and …these girls.

These girls (Amy, Tina, and Kim) helped in so many ways, I can’t even begin to name them all. They were there for me from the day my dad was admitted to the ER, to the day we were given his prognosis , to the funeral and grieving that followed. Scrapbookers themselves, they were key in capturing the memories made during the celebration of my dad’s wonderful life. They took pictures and encouraged guests to fill out memory cards. They have been my shoulder whenever needed, and I am forever grateful for their friendship, their support, their laughter, and their much needed hugs. Love you girls! Sept.26, 2010

Some observations about the process and the products used:

1. The 30 minute page is still elusive.
2. LOAD would be much easier if I knew how to navigate Flickr. Learning as I go.
3. All three patterned papers are from the DCWV Indian Summer Fall Stack.
4. Flower is from a pony tail holder...when the elasticity on the pony tail holder gave way, I saved the flower. And I'm just now realizing it probably isn't archival quality.
5. The brad in the center of the flower is from Stampin' Up's Hodge Podge Hardware set.
6. I'm wondering if all of my LOAD pages will in some way be about my dad. Really missing him these last couple of days.

LOAD 212 Day 1 - Corned Beef and Cabbage

How crazy can I be? I signed up for Lain Ehmann's Lay Out A Day challenge in which we are given a prompt each day for the entire month of February, and I am supposed to scrapbook one layout per day for the next 29 days. Um, I haven't created more than a half dozen layouts in all of 2011, and I signed up to create ONE per DAY for all of Feb?!?




Yep, certifiably insane.




At least I completed Day 1's assignment: A Matter of Taste. The prompt was to scrapbook about something food related. And I chose to record this story:


Journaling reads:

As St. Patrick’s Day, 2011 approached, my heart was heavy. This would be the first St. Patrick’s Day where I wouldn’t be able to call my dad and ask him to make some corned beef and cabbage for me as I had done for so many years in the past. Having lost a parent herself, Mair knew how hard this first year without him would be. To boost my spirits, she offered to throw a St. Patrick’s Day EVE party, complete with corned beef and cabbage. Look at the joy in her face as she stirs the pot! She is a fabulous cook, a self-taught chef, and an amaaaaazing hostess. The corned beef and cabbage (plus potatoes) were out of this world! She told me later that night that she felt Bennie’s presence as she prepared the meal through out the day. I could truly feel his love and warmth shining through the food. Being surrounded by this compassionate crowd and the ultimate comfort food (Hello! Guinness chocolate cupcakes, I love you!), made the loss of my dad easier to bear on this first St. Paddy’s without him here. Thank you Laura, Mair, Shelley, and Amy for lifting me up with your food and bevvies. 3/16/11

It's not a perfect layout, but it's DONE!