Scrapbook Circle | June Sketch Challenge

I'm on a roll with another scrapbook layout for the June Scrapbook Circle Sketch Challenge.

For this challenge, I selected a photo of Noah and Brian playing in the ocean near Bodega Bay. (I'll be sharing a post with more pictures from our trip next week.)


I thought this layout was the perfect opportunity to talk about the popularity of Noah's name (hence the title: "hello, my name is Noah") as well as how my name and Brian's name were quite common the year we were born.

I wrote the journaling on a brown tag that slides right behind the photo.



Here's the short note I penned to Noah:

Dear Noah,
When we chose your name, your dad and I had no idea how popular it was! Just recently, I learned that in 2012, it was the fourth most popular boys name and in 2013, it was THE MOST popular boys name. So chances are, you'll have quite a few classmates/teammates/friends with the same name. Oh how your dad and I can relate! In 1978 (the year we were born), THE MOST popular girls name was Jennifer and Brian was the ninth most popular boys name. I think you'll find (as we did) that nicknames and the first letter of your last name will come handy.
Love,
Mom & Dad

Your turn: How popular was your name the year you were born? Click HERE to find out and then leave a comment below!

You & Me Layout

Surprise, surprise...I'm back with another layout to share! :-)


This layout showcases three pictures taken by photographer Mindy Newton.

Last year, I decided to splurge and hire a professional photographer to take pictures of us.

Mindy did such a great job, and I was thrilled with the way the photographs turned out.

So thrilled, in fact, that I used one of the pictures on our Christmas card, three on our adoption website, and still another on our adoption pass-along cards.

I also wanted to include a few of the photographs in a scrapbook layout celebrating six years of marriage.




The journaling reads:
Brian and I have been married for six years! We're genuinely happy and in love. But our marriage isn't perfect. We don't always see eye to eye. Still, the good times outnumber the difficult ones. Life is good.

J

Segway Layout

As you've probably noticed, I'm on quite a scrapbooking kick lately.

Why?

Well, you see, I have this list. (Shocker, I know!)

It's a list of layouts I want to do + stories I want to tell.

And this summer, I'm determined to check-off as many as I can.

Our experience on Segways in Chicago has been sitting in the number five spot on the list for months now.

But I'm happy to report that the layout is finished, and I've placed a check in the box.


Our tour guide, Segway Sarah, snapped the top photograph of Brian and me. I wanted to include a few more photos of Segways and Chicago, so I cut the three smaller pictures right out of the City Segway Tour brochure.


A good portion of the journaling came from this blog post. However, I wanted to include more details about our Segway tour, so I went back and reread my travel journal and incorporated some additional tidbits.


The journaling reads: When Brian and I visited Notre Dame in November 2010, we flew in and out of Chicago. We'd flown in and out of Chicago before, but never traveled beyond the airport. Eager to see the Windy City, we signed up for a 2-hour Segway tour. What is a Segway? It's a self-balancing, personal transportation device. After watching an instructional video at City Segway Tours and snapping on our helmets, we practiced riding in a nearby park. Segway Sarah, our tour guide, showed us the ropes. Being rather uncoordinated, I was nervous when I first stepped onto the Segway. I was afraid that I'd get going too fast (and lose control), so initially I only leaned into the handle slightly. Then, as my confidence grew, I started moving faster. I practiced turning around, too, by leaning to one side or the other. After ten minutes, I was ready to take to the streets. With a group of 12 people, we "segwayed" our way to Buckingham Fountain, continued onto Soldier Field where the Chicago Bears play, and looked out at Lake Michigan. The weather was gorgeous--sunny with temperatures in the 70s. Before completing our tour, we stopped off and feasted on hot dogs (from a real hot dog stand like in the movie While You Were Sleeping). I absolutely loved cruising around Chicago on a Segway! In fact, I had so much fun that I didn't want to give the Segway back. Brian, on the other hand, said he felt like he was going to crash at any moment. According to one of the tour guides, taller folks--particularly gangly men--have a harder time riding Segways. (For once, being vertically-challenged is advantageous!) I don't think Brian will climb on another Segway, but I'm game to do it again. In fact, when I get old, I don't want a wheelchair, I want a Segway.

J

Instagram Love Layout

Last week, while perusing Facebook, I learned that Cathy Zielske--one of my favorite scrapbooking gurus--had designed a FREE 8.5 x 11 layered template to showcase a collection of Instagram photos.

How awesome is that? I thought. I was so excited in fact, that I immediately set aside the project I was working on, and jumped head first into creating my own instaLOVE layout.

Thirty minutes later, my layout was finished (I just dropped in six photos, changed the color of the title, and added some journaling). Then, I uploaded the layout to Costco for printing.

And here it is:


Journaling: The same day I bought my iPhone 4, I downloaded the free application, Instagram. And I can honestly say: It was instaLOVE at first edit. For three months now, I've had so much fun snapping pictures with my phone, and changing their appearances by applying different filters. Left to right, top to bottom: Mom's birthday celebration at Chevy's; Rudy, our 6-year-old Lab mix, at the vet; Lucy, our 8-year-old Lab, at the vet; A rainbow in Williamsburg, Virginia; Me and Tori; Eating at The Counter, a hamburger joint in Roseville, with family. Here's to more picture taking and filter fun! Summer 2011

In addition to this template, Cathy also created two 12 x 12 layered templates specifically designed for camera phone photos. Both would work well for documenting a day in your life or a week in your life.

Speaking of week in the life...are any of you planning to participate in Ali Edwards' Week in the Life project beginning on July 25?

I participated last year, and while I enjoyed taking pictures and documenting my life through words, putting together the album was quite time-consuming. My plan this year is to take photographs and write down what's going on in our lives, but instead of housing the documentation in an album, I'm going to post the pictures and journaling here on my blog.

J

Yosemite Layout

In June 2009, I wrote a blog post about our trip to Yosemite with Brian's family.

Because it was such a memorable weekend, I decided to create a hybrid scrapbook layout.


As I've done several times before, I used a sketch from Scrapbooks Etc. Page Planner to help me get started.


The journaling is straight from my blog post. I had so many words to include that I had to split the journaling in half, displaying part of it on the left page and the rest on the right page.

The layered chipboard stickers--which I sprinkled over the entire layout--are from Colorbok.






As you can see in the journaling, I increased the size of a few words (like Mariposa Grove and Ansel Adams Gallery) to bring more attention to them.


For me, gazing at this scrapbook layout brings about dichotomous emotions.

I am happy that we had such a wonderful time with family in Yosemite.

But looking at pictures of Brian's grandfather makes me sad.

Grandpa Harless (pictured above in the striped blue shirt) passed away five months ago and he is greatly missed.

J

Notre Dame Layout

In November 2010, I wrote a blog post about our Notre Dame football game experience.

Then, a few months ago, I decided to create a hybrid scrapbook layout using pictures and words from that post.

Here's the finished layout:



This sentiment is from Ali Edwards's Loving Words stamp set.


The journaling reads: In celebration of Brian's 32nd birthday, we journeyed to Notre Dame to see the Fighting Irish take on the Utah Utes. Experiencing a Notre Dame football game was so much fun, and I'm not a fan of football. Notre Dame wasn't favored to win, but they beat the Utes, 28-3. While at Notre Dame, we also attended the Brian Kelly Radio Show, toured the beautiful campus, walked the practice fields, and cheered on the Notre Dame men's basketball team (who handily beat Georgia Southen, 98-60). Visiting Notre Dame (and seeing the Fighting Irish play) was a dream come true for my husband. He could have easily visited the university with friends, but I'm really glad I had the opportunity to accompany him on this special trip. It was a whirlwind adventure (Brian's Disneyland as I like to call it), but I'm glad we packed as much as we could into our days there. We came, we saw, and the Irish won...twice! What more could we ask for?! November 2010

For added visual interest, I highlighted a few of the words by printing them on pieces of blue card stock and adhering them on top of the cream card stock.


In addition, I wanted to document some of the words and phrases we chanted throughout the game, so I typed them up in Word and printed them out on blue card stock.

I'll be back tomorrow with another layout to share!

Hugs,
J

Yesterday & Today: One More Layout

A few weeks ago, right before we left on vacation, I finished this layout for Ali Edwards' Yesterday & Today class.

This was one of the more time-consuming layouts in the class (because I had to track down old family photographs, scan, and print them), but it is also one of my favorites.


Because many of my blog readers are family members, I want to take a moment to identify the people in the photographs above.

Top row (left to right): My maternal great-great grandmother; my paternal grandmother + her daughter, Kathy; my maternal grandfather (who was captain of the football team at the University of Maine); my dad and his siblings (my dad is the tall one in the middle); my mom and her siblings (my mom is on the left).

Middle row (left to right): My paternal grandmother (flanked by her parents); my maternal great-grandmother; my mom and dad on their wedding day; my paternal great-great grandmothers; my maternal great-grandfather.

Bottom row (left to right): My dad at age 2 (so adorable); my mom and dad (before I came along).


Here is a close-up shot of the left page, filled mostly with older family photographs...


...and a close-up of the right page, which contains newer pictures--all of which are in color. Check out the picture of my mom and aunt Susie sporting bikini tops and cut-off jean shorts in the top left corner. Every time I see that picture, I smile!


And last, but not least, here is the journaling:

As I gaze at this collection of family photographs, I stop to admire the facial expressions, the physical traits, the clothing of the people. We are related by blood and marriage; their stories are woven into my story. I know some of these people very well. Others, I have heard stories about, but never met personally. I am grateful to all of my ancestors, for I am alive today because of the choices they made. As I stare into the eyes of these people, I try to imagine what life was like for them. My mind is flooded with questions like: What were their dreams? What struggles did they endure? Whom did they love? Studying old photographs forces me to think about the passage of time. How time never stops. How life goes on. How we are only on this earth for a short period of time. Reflecting on the past helps me cherish the present all the more.

Hope you had a great weekend.

J

Yesterday & Today: Three More Layouts

Today was a great day for scrapbooking.

It was rainy outside, so I decided to stay in and finish up three layouts from Ali Edwards' Yesterday & Today class.

Hope you don't mind if I take a moment to share them with you. (To view the other layouts I've done for this class, click here and here and here.)


Layout #1: One Day in My Life
As the title suggests, for one day in late March, I documented nearly everything that happened in my life. I remember driving into work that Tuesday hoping that my day wouldn't be too boring because I wanted to have plenty to write about. Well, God must have been listening because not even an hour into my day, two of my students got into a fight at P.E. and one of them came running into my room with a bloody face, screaming and crying. I spent most of my P.E. prep time questioning the boys about the incident and writing a referral. As it turned out, both boys were suspended. If you're interested in reading more about my day, click on the photo above. Bear in mind that I've blurred some of the names to protect my students' identities.

Oh, and one note about the layout itself. I pulled out my sewing machine specifically for this layout and loved sewing pink thread around the text + photo boxes. In fact, my sewing machine is now staying out in my scrapbooking room, just in case I feel the need to sew on another layout or card.


Layout #2: Seeing Me
For this layout, I snapped a photograph of me every day for a week in April. (Two were taken with my iPhone; the others were shot with my Canon or Nikon.) I love the way this spread turned out, but let's be real: I'm kind of over myself. :-) I haven't taken this many pictures of me in a LONG time. (But I guess that's the point of this class, huh?!)


My favorite picture is the one above of Tyler, Brian and me, taken right after Tyler's t-ball game.

To the right of the photograph is my journaling: April 2011: Age 32, Walking on the treadmill. Reading The Happiness Project. Giving the STAR test at school. Perusing an e-book on how to draw a self-portrait. Looking forward to spring break. Visiting the doctor for a sinus infection. Popping Sudafed and Tylenol. Organizing my closet by color. Switching from AT&T to Verizon. Purchasing a new phone: iPhone 4. Sending text messages to family. Watching Tyler play t-ball. Proofreading mission brochures.


Layout #3: I Have Learned
I love that this layout is purely words and paper. Oftentimes, I think that scrapbook layouts have to include photos, but that's simply not true.

This layout really made me think: What have I learned in my 32 years on this earth? Which tidbits of wisdom do I want to share with others?

Over the past few weeks, I jotted down thoughts as they came to me. Some ended up in a "note" on my iPhone; others I typed up in a Word document.

I tried to be really honest and open about what I've learned thus far in my life.


I think it would be really valuable to do another layout just like this one 10 years from now.

I have four remaining layouts in Ali Edwards' Yesterday & Today class. In July, my plan is to tackle them as well as create a scrapbook layout about our family trip to Yosemite in 2009 and our day in Chicago in 2010.

I {heart} scrapbooking.

J

McKayla's Visit--February 2011

My niece, McKayla, lives in Southern California with her dad. Every month or so, she flies up to visit her mom (my sister), my parents, and Brian and me. I always look forward to spending time with her.

Late last month, McKayla spent the weekend up in Northern California with our family. As we all hung out with McKayla at my parent's house, I paid close attention to what she said, the games she played, the clothing she was wearing, etc.--mindful that such information would prove to be valuable when creating a layout. I also snapped some photos (of course!) and quickly jotted down a few notes.


After rereading my notes, I hand wrote some of McKayla's current interests/likes/favorites on the green, pink, and white paper circles. For instance, McKayla's been struck by Bieber fever; she loves wearing her Day of the Week socks (but only on the correct day!); and she's excited that her teacher is back at school after being out with a broken arm for many months.

In terms of the layout itself, I wanted the viewer's eye to be drawn first to the b + w photo of McKayla and then rove over the page perusing the circles and reading the text.

The flower ribbon helped frame the collection of white boxes.


I had so much fun pulling together this layout about McKayla. It came together quickly and best of all, I didn't rely on a sketch.

J

P.S. Happy birthday to my dear friend, Noah!

Pig Bowl 2010 Layout

In 2010, I wrote this blog post about the Pig Bowl, where the Dogs defeated the Hogs.


In addition to the blog post, I decided to create this scrapbook layout, highlighting four of my favorite pictures from game day.


It was such an exciting game, and I wanted to celebrate the victory, the ensuing joy, and the supportive friendships.


And given that this will likely be the last time Brian plays in the Pig Bowl, I thought documenting it--both on my blog and in my scrapbook--was important.

J

Yesterday & Today: Six Childhood Memories

I just completed my second layout in Ali Edwards' Yesterday & Today class. (Click here to see my introductory layout.)

It's been a work-in-progress for several weeks now; little-by-little it came together.


Choosing six photos was the easy part. In fact, as I sifted through boxes of pictures, I pulled out at least a dozen photos I wanted to write about. But I had to narrow it down to just six. (It's very likely that I'll do another six stories this summer.)

The six photos I ended up including in this layout were pictures that instantly brought memories, feelings, and thoughts to mind. They were also the ones that made me laugh or smile.


Crafting stories to go along with the six photos proved to be more difficult. I had no problem jotting down notes; the details that I could remember off the top of my head.

I also showed the photos to my mom and sister, eliciting their recollections of the events and time periods.

But actually taking those phrases and stringing them into sentences and then organizing them into a coherent story (six times over) became a challenge.

Writing is tough.

But for me, it's important; it's worthwhile.

That doesn't mean I don't procrastinate every now and again, though.

I'd like to share one of the six memories from this layout: Childhood Memory #5.


Nichole and I loved to sing and dance. It didn't matter if we were inside or outside; whether we were in shorts, pink silk pajamas or leotards and leg warmers. On this particular day, the tunes came from our silver boom box sitting on the driveway. We'd pop in a tape, push play, and sing away. Sometimes, we'd have to hold down the fast forward button to get to our favorite song. Other times, we'd rewind the tape, so we could listen to a song once more. Some of our favorite songs included: I Think We're Alone Now (by Tiffany), I Wanna Dance With Somebody (by Whitney Houston), and Papa Don't Preach (by Madonna). And as you can see, taper candles worked perfectly as microphones.

I'm so glad these photos + stories now have a home. No doubt, this will be a layout I enjoy for years to come. I think my sisters and parents will like reading the vignettes and looking at the pictures, too.

For me, that's what scrapbooking is all about--telling the stories of your life and those you love.

J

Kids Again Layout

Happy Friday!

I know all I've been sharing lately is layouts and more layouts, but it's what I'm passionate about right now, and what brings my heart {joy}. So, I hope you don't mind if I share another one of my creations...




Journaling: Chomp. Whoosh. Pop. Snap. Click. These sounds, accompanied by peals of laughter, filled our Honda Pilot last Sunday as we drove home from church. After Mass, we purchased four packs of Hubba Bubba bubble gum at Bel-Air, with the intent of using them in an upcoming writing lesson. Luckily, I only needed 35 pieces, leaving a few for us to enjoy. It's been years since either one of us blew bubbles with real bubble gum. We really felt like kids again! January 2011

Have a great weekend!

J

San Diego Layout

Recently, I discovered an old binder with a clear page protector inside stuffed full of photos, handwritten notes, brochures and other ephemera from our trip to San Diego in 2000.

Yep, you read that right: 2000.

It's clear I had every intention of scrapbooking this trip years ago, but for one reason or another, never followed through.

Surely, now is as good a time as any--even if it is eleven years later.


For this layout, I relied on a Cathy Zielske digital template as the basis for the design. In other words, while this is NOT a digital layout--it's a traditional scrapbook page--I used one of CZ's templates to help me arrange the photos and text on an 11" x 8.5" piece of white cardstock.


I've also found that magazines such as Real Simple and Martha Stewart Living often provide me with inspiration for scrapbooking layouts.


Journaling: In July 2000, Brian and I ventured down to San Diego for a week. While there, we experienced all of the touristy attractions...Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, and the Wild Animal Park. Brian loved attending a Padres game and visiting Kansas City BBQ (the spot where a scene from Top Gun was filmed). I adored dining at George's in La Jolla and then watching a wedding take place on the beach. It was seven days of being together--having fun and growing in love.

J

December Daily Album, Days 21-25

It's the remaining day of 2010.

And the last Notre Dame football game of the year. (Go Irish!)

And the final day I'll be sharing pages from my December Daily album.




For these two pages, I interviewed my niece McKayla and took some close-up shots (which I converted to black + white in PSE) while she was up visiting us for a few days.

Day 21 Journaling: McKayla, age 8 1/2, 3rd grader
Favorite television show: SpongeBob
Favorite food: Macaroni and cheese
Favorite movie: Home Alone
Favorite place to shop: Justice
Favorite future professions: Teacher, vet or nurse (not a doctor because she doesn't want to do surgery; blood scares her!)
Favorite singer: Taylor Swift
Favorite subject in school: Art
Least favorite subject in school: Math (she says it's getting too hard!)

Outside of school, McKayla loves gymnastics, church on Wednesday nights, and watching television. She enjoys her Dell laptop, cell phone, and Nintendo DS. Technology helps us stay in touch with McKayla since she lives down south. My, oh my, she's growing up so fast!




Day 22 Journaling: We saw the movie, Tangled, today in 3-D. McKayla loved the movie; I thought it was a cute flick. I completely forgot to wear my contact lenses, though, so I wore two pairs of glasses during the movie. Seeing movies on the big screen is fun, especially with family.




Day 23 Journaling: While I baked pumpkin bread in the kitchen, Brian constructed wood toys in the garage.




Day 24 Journaling: Celebrating Christmas and Grandpa's 77th birthday with the Harless Family






Day 25 Journaling: Merry Christmas! Here we are enjoying our big gifts: my Wii Fit Plus, Brian's new 3-D television, and rawhides for Lucy and Rudy.

As I was finishing this December Daily album, I took a few moments to reflect on this project: what I liked about it, what I disliked, and what I might do differently next year.

For starters, I loved that this project pushed me to pick up my camera and put pen to paper. This undertaking also gave me a wonderful gift: the opportunity to document the activities and projects occurring at school--something I rarely do.

As I was typing my journaling into these blog posts, I found myself wishing I could go back and move a sentence here or delete a word there. But I'm trying to embrace the imperfectness of my writing and throw revising to the wind.

Next year, I hope to create another December Daily album, but I think I'll document just the 10 days leading up to Christmas. In addition, I found that filling up the templates with vertical shots proved difficult. I take far more horizontal shots than vertical ones, so next year, I may opt for horizontal pages.

Many thanks to you, my blog readers, for allowing me to share this album with you!

Happy (almost) New Year!

Best,
J