LOAD213 - Day 5 - Never Alone

The prompt for Lain Ehmann's Layout a Day (LOAD213 - Scrap Happier) challenge for Day 5 was to  scrap about your honey. Considering that three out of the first four layouts this LOAD featured my husband, I broadened the scope a bit. This is a Facebook post that I put out recently. Behind the photo collage are all of the replies I received. The title is a picture of a tattoo of a waitress that I had last week after a particularly emotional time missing my dad (who passed away two years ago). There is more to the story of that tattoo, but I will have to give myself some time and space from the experience before I scrap about it. At any rate, her tattoo was a reminder that, even though he's gone, my dad is always with me. My Facebook post was sent out to honor all of the people in my life who helped me through a pretty difficult four days.

 

Journaling Reads:

Sunday, February 3, 2013 - Beyond grateful that I have so many wonderful women in my life. It's not often that I'm an emotional basket case, but when I am, I can count on my daughter, Jordyn Hillary, to listen and exchange crazy texts; I can call Mair Bedford Greene and Michelle Soloway Raisch, who will change out of their jammies, drop what they're doing, throw on a baseball hat, and meet me for a drink because they KNEW I wouldn't ask them to do it unless I needed it; then there are my breakfast buddies: Domonique Call, Amy Keith Petoskey, and Traci Hummel Parsons who cried right along with me over eggs BENNY; and there are also long distance confidantes: Maria DiPonio Hillary & Aimee Puglise Alban; and local let's have a glass of wine tell me everything listener, Lori Fry Skibo. My life is enriched with all of you in it. And, while not a woman, my best friend, Kevin Hillary, who hugged me and held me through the tears...I'd be lost without you. And how can I forget my hottchicks, who put up with my roller coaster emails over the last few days?! Love you girls!! Kim Ouellette-Basinger, Errica Shanahan, Domonique Call, Amy Keith Petoskey, Traci Hummel Parsons, Tina Johnson Davis, Marlo Heidisch Esser, Karen Johnson. BLESSED. I'll get back to my standard issue Zumba emails next week. (24 Comments, 39 Likes)

Hidden Journaling Reads:

• Mair Bedford Greene oh hell, you just made me cry all over again!!! Love you more than words, Heather <3>
• Domonique Call Aww! Love you muchly!!!!
• Kelly Jones Bourn Hope you are better!!! I don't even know what the heck is going on and your post could make me cry.
• Jennifer Gekiere-Myers Your loved and blessed!
• Maria DiPonio Hillary Love, Love, Love You!!!
• Rebecca Elaine Krupa You can add me to the list anytime you need an ear! : )
• Barbara Shumate love you Heather.
• Jodie Miller Viviano good friends are a blessing for sure!!
• Aimee Puglise Alban Love you girlfriend!!
• Beba Tawfik I HOPE YOU OK HEATHER!!OXOX
• Heather Shellnut Hillary And how can I forget my hottchicks, who put up with my roller coaster emails over the last few days?! Love you girls!! Kim Ouellette-Basinger, Errica Shanahan, Domonique Call, Amy Keith Petoskey, Traci Hummel Parsons, Tina Johnson Davis, Marlo Heidisch Esser, Karen Johnson. BLESSED. I'll get back to my standard issue Zumba emails next week. :)
• Tracy Albert Thinking about you hope all is ok. <3>
• Katie Zelenko Scepka Hope all is ok...
• Kelly Petit Baran Sending you hugs Heather!! You have so many wonderful people in your life because you are wonderful!! You deserve the very best because you are the very best my dear!! I am sending you positive thoughts along with lots of hugs and love!!
• Heather Shellnut Hillary Thanks, Ladies!! I'm definitely good, just went through a couple of days intensely thinking about my dad and missing him. But, I KNOW he's always with me, and that's comforting.
• Michelle Soloway Raisch Awwwww!!!! You will NEVER be ALONE!!!!! Loves me some Heather!!!! <3>
• Lori Fry Skibo There is an old saying, what comes around, goes around. The reason you have so many wonderful friends, is because you, yourself are one....
• Lisa Litchfield Sorry you are feeling blue but so happy to see what a wonderful support network you have. Hugs, cuz!
• Pam Oliver Hey and me too!!
• Errica Shanahan Love you sister!
• Kristin Donaldson Pitser Heather, can completely relate to you and the how (even after many, many years for me) sometime out of the blue you can have a hard couple of days of missing your dad! You got a great list there...and you can always add one more if you need me ;)
• Heather Shellnut Hillary And how could I forget Pamalicious Pam Oliver, who has seen me at my craziest moments?!? Glad she doesn't charge me double for my nails when my manicure often doubles as a therapy session!!
• Annette Elcoate Oh honey, I can't even imagine what it must be like to lose a parent! Of course you were down and so glad you have a group of ppl to count on! You can count on me to comment on your beautiful FB photos, beautiful!!! Keep your chin up! Your daddy is proud:)
• Annette Elcoate And I'd like to be a part of that breakfast club:)) ha! Hang in there beautiful!

LOAD213 - Day 1 - Scrap without words

The prompt for Lain Ehmann's Layout a Day (LOAD213 - Scrap Happier) challenge for Day 1  was to try and convey your message without using words.  No words for a title, no journaling.  This was not an easy prompt for me, because the story behind the photo is sooooooo important to my scrapbooking. But, I think I accomplished the goal, with this double-page layout. It's a collection of photos of me and my husband from 2012. I kind of cheated and added numbers in the corner of each photo, and behind each collage is a key that lists the date, location, city, and state of each photo. 

Some observations about the process and products:

1. Most of the heart punches were in my punched shapes (stars & hearts) drawer.  Gotta like that!
2. Photo collage created in Picasa
3. The left half of the page is primarily the first half of the year.  The right page is primarily the second half of the year.  I had braces on in the first half of the year, therefore I'm smiling with my mouth closed in the pictures on the left and smiling with my mouth open on the right side of the page.
4. I had 24 photos of Kevin and I together in 2012, but I'd like to get more than that taken in 2013.  It would be fun to do a page like this every year.

LOAD1012 - Day 13 - We Love Wine

The prompt for Lain Ehmann's Layout a Day (LOAD1012 - S.H.O. Time) challenge for Day 13 was to try clustering.  Now, let me tell you, there is a fabulous cluster-er who participates in LOAD, and she makes it look SO effortless!!! Check out Lisa's tutorial here.  For me, however, these clusters took a LOT of effort!

Journaling Reads:

We were enjoying a fabulous wine weekend in Traverse City with 16 other couples, when Kevin announced to our friends, out of the blue, that L. Mawby was the first winery he and I had ever visited together - 11 years ago on our one year anniversary. I was so touched that he remembered that and cared enough to point it out to everyone. He's not much of a romantic, but obviously he's sentimental about certain things. We love our wine, and we love each other.

Some observations about the process and products:

1. Background patterned paper is from Stampin' Up.
2. Lower left tag is an altered Converse tag that I wrapped ribbon around and stuck a little heart down inside.
3. Lower right cluster includes another altered tag from some clothing, I covered up the name of the clothing company with a piece of black ribbon, it didn't match exactly, but it matched enough, and then I used letter stickers on top of the tag to spell Love Wine for the title.  This also includes some ephemera from the wine tasting at L. Mawby, brads, buttons, flowers, the kitchen sink.
4. More of the same in the upper cluster.
5. Seriously out of my comfort zone.  At the end of the day, I spent way too much time hemming and hawing over these clusters.  I prefer pages with fewer embellies, less fuss, and with more focus on the story and pictures.  Not that clustering is wrong or bad, just not something I'm comfortable with.
6. At the end of the day, I think there's a little too much going on here for me.  But done is better than perfect.  And there it is.

LOAD512 - Day 7 - Wine Buddies

The prompt for Lain Ehmann's Layout a Day (LOAD512) challenge for Day 7 - Half Hour Page

Took longer than a half hour, but I was doing other things whilst scrapping.  I took a departure from birthday pages for a minute and scrapped a VERY recent event.

Journaling Reads:

Wine Buddies
What a fabulous trip to Traverse City we had! On Cinco de Mayo, 2012, Kevin and I enjoyed the Sip & Savor wine tour of the Leelanau Peninsula with our best wine buddies, Amy and Joel Petoskey, and eleven other fun-loving couples. Our first stop was to Chateau de Leelanau where they served delicious pulled pork tacos paired with their Solem Farm Red. A wonderful day, indeed.

Some observations about the process and products:

1. Twine would look good on this page. But, done is done. 
2. Photo Credit: Amy's iPhone with some sort of filter or app.  I'm not very iSmart.
3. I really wish I was back on that wine tour, RIGHT. NOW.

ScRaP SiStaZ Challenge 19 - NINE YEARS

Had the scrapping bug tonight. I followed ScRap SiStaZ Challenge 19 (even though the post says it's Challenge 18, it's really 19). When I printed the wallets for this layout, I also printed the wallets for Challenge 18. I hope to scrap those in the next couple of days.

NINE YEARS:

Some observations about the process and the products used:

1. It took me less than 5 minutes to select the patterned paper. It jumped out at me because it had all of the same colors that were in my photos, yet it was light enough for me to do my hand written journaling directly onto the paper.
2. The square buttons on the right side of the 4x6 photo were left over from a sewing project that I did when I was in ninth grade, I made a halter top. Told you...I save everything!
3. This is my recession era anniversary present to Kevin. We celebrate 9 years of marital bliss next Wednesday, 10/21.
4. Following Stacy Julian's "category drawers" made locating photos for this layout super easy. Except, I don't really have category drawers in the physical sense, I have category file folders in the virtual sense. These photos were all found in the "Us" file folder.

Inspiration Layout: