The Winner?

I still didn't love any of those ones. I had to play with it more. I love b/w photos and think I tend to use them way too much so I wanted to stay with the color but I also didn't love the color block. This is what I came up with (Erin gave me a good photoshop tip to get the photo lighter): I had also planned to put this as a two page spread in a 11 x 8.5 mypublisher book, but now I'm thinking that I will do the paper back option and it's measures 7.75 x 5.75... it's lots cheaper and I will be able to give it to the little guys and not have to worry if they trash the thing. I can always get a new one and it won't break the bank to do it.

One more thing... I thought that you could click on the page to see it larger and be able to read the journaling, but I've since realized that isn't true. So, here it is (sorry about the bullets. Somehow I've gotten into double spacing if I hit enter so I had to use the bullets to keep it all together):

• made a coloring book
• designed and built
• very cool paper airplane
• created a menu of
• things you can cook
• and opened the
• “yummy:food:restaurant”
• wrestled with Ammon
• bent the paper airplane
• came unglued and
• destroyed paper airplane
• proceeded to recreate
• said paper airplane
• played in the sink until chased
• from the bathroom
• played outside
• played t-ball

It was a very eventful day and he was totally cracking me up the whole time. Please note the way "yummy:food:restaurant" is written. He has trouble remembering to leave space between his words and has started to put the colon's there instead. I think it is very cute.

Enjoy the Journey!

What I Did This Summer

I'm thinking about doing a book about summer for *I* and probably one for *A* too. Here is a sample page:

I'm not sure how much I love the orange. I think I do like the layout though and that's a huge step for me. I'm also not sure if I'll leave the picture in color or change it to b/w:

and here's a full-bleed option:

Anyway, this was basically our day. I may have to add some stuff to the list (since the day isn't quite over) but I wanted to give it a go. What is your vote? Enjoy the Journey

The Greatest...

Husband in the world! We have been blessed with a hand me down van that has had a little shimmy/shake problem since before we got it. *B*'s brother-in-law tried everything he could to fix it and we have since tried a few things but to no avail. Two weekends ago the guys took the van up the mountain to the fathers and sons campout... we have had a very scary shake since then. To the point that we've been racking our brains trying to figure out how we could afford a car payment or afford to drive the Big Gas Hog (the Blazer). In desperation *B* put the car up on jacks and took the wheels off. I "drove" while he watched... he came up with a theory and tonight his theory proved to be true. Thus, our van is fixed (with the exception of needing a new radiator)! He is the hero of the hour. Which is true most days in my opinion, but honestly, I've never been more grateful that he isn't afraid to take things apart and have a go at it. In that same spirit, *I* dropped our cell phone and killed the screen so we couldn't see who we wanted to call, etc. I guess he was feeling pretty confident, because *B* took the phone apart and fixed it too. He rocks! On a different note...

The photo is from Shimelle's blog she has a photo fact sheet, emphasis on awareness that you can check out if you want to be more aware behind the lens (it's on her May 23rd post). I'm definitely going to try to document my day. We'll see how it goes.

Enjoy the Journey!

Testing...

So, I've been doing a little playing while *B* is at class. I'm trying to decide how to get the results I'm looking for in my saving/storing of information that I think is fun in one way or another. This is what I did tonight. This is a test. This is only a test. What do you think?

Notice that I used the Shimelle prompt from a couple of posts ago. 9+1 (nine things you love + one you hate). I also just used a picture I already had while keeping in mind that I would have to list nine things I loved about the subject. Anyway... let me know!

Enjoy the Journey!

What's Up?

I realize it's been a while. I've been wandering. I went to PTA convention... it was boring, but the company was fun and the key-note speaker was a riot. Shannon Hale (author of Goose Girl and a few other books on my list). Definately a highlight of the trip. Glad to be home, having a hard time getting back into the swing. *B* had my house torn apart when I got here. He had good intentions, but... well, my house is torn apart. Sadly, all of the things that need homes are mine and it's stuff I'm not ready to deal with right now. Put it back in the storage room! There is no longer a storage room. It has become the food storage room. The once was craft room is now the baby room and I have no place to hide my junk. It's really very sad. Something good of it all... I found the notebooks I made for the boys and can start transcribing all of the scraps of paper I have around with funny things they say and do. I've actually gotten started on that. Last night I copied all of the, "took first step" type notes from the five calendars that have been on my book shelf and I tossed the calendars. Just need to keep going. Someday I will also do something bigger and better. I will make a book for them to look at and enjoy. I will. I found this for those of you that want to join in the twenty-five project. That's this Sunday you know. If you need a little more direction/focus you could choose a color and just shoot things of that color. Hula-Seventy did it for a week. You could just choose your favorite. Here are some examples from her Pink/Red Thursday:

If you'd like to! If you do it make sure you document what it is and why it's important. You know, it's the story too! Let me know so I can be proud of you!

Enjoy the Journey!

Here's an Idea...

In my 20 min. surfing (that has "suprisingly"/consistently gone longer than originally planned) I found this idea... "Starting this Friday, the 25th of April, our masterplan is to photograph the day in full, then document that day in a scrapbook. And the same on the 25th of May, the 25th of June and so on…for an entire year. By then, we will have captured an entire year of life as we live it, with the changes, celebrations and obstacles that come our way. I would love for you to join us." Shimelle has designated the 25th of every month to scrap your day. Yes, I realize that I am no longer a scrapbooker, but am still having issues about getting my stories told in a way that is fun and non-obsessive and non-stressful and non-mess creating. I've still not found it. Blogging helps, but I like to look at and touch things. HMM. Anyways, I thought this might be fun to try. If you want to try it with me... Do you love that I keep changing my mind? The 365 project, though a very cool idea, isn't happening. I've not been able to find myself blogging and telling the stories I'd really like to keep. I have problems with follow-through... have you noticed? The link above will take you to Shimelle's Scrap Your Day introductory page. She gives a lot more details about it and some instructions you can choose to follow (or not) as well as a supplies list if you want to do what they are doing (it has something to do with a 15x7 spiral bound calendar by Making Memories). They started April 25th, but I don't think that really matters! So, the BIG QUESTION: Can I committ to carrying my camera all day on the 25th and write about it? Well, we'll just see. I think it might be fun. Come and play with me! Enjoy the Journey! PS: Shimelle has my number today I guess, I've added a link (under Check It Out) to a series she did in February called "Write it down". They are just journaling prompts (one for every day in Feb.)to tell stories and get you thinking about things past and present. It would only link up the main page so you'll have to scroll down to her 1/31/08 post to get to the begining of the exercise. It must be idea day.