38 and Holding...

I'm not ready to lie about my age...yet.

That time may come though.

One of my self-portraits this year. (SOOC--straight out of camera, no post-processing). Happy Birthday to me!

ALBM Next Steps: Lift-the-Flap Technique

This next section is a place for you to talk about what you are passionate about. Do you have a cause that dear to your heart? Can you even go a day without scrapbooking? Would you be lost if you could no longer sing? As before, Ink the edges of your title section. I also used my Crafter's Workshop templates on this page. I like those templates because you get a lot of mileage out of them, and with just a pen and some patterned paper, you can get a lot of unique looks.

Cut 4 squares out of your patterned paper (mine are roughly two inches square) and score them 1/2 inch from (whatever you designate as) the top. Glue just this half inch section to your page so that your flap can lift up. I used Making Memories Tiny Type stickers on mine to define each of my top four passions.

Under each flap, I journaled a bit about each one.

Questions? Just leave a comment!

Some Questions about the Choices I Didn't Make

There was a question about what I meant by "The Choices I Didn't Make." My feeling is that if one person has a question, probably someone else has it as well but just didn't ask. So here goes:

The idea behind this prompt is to think about your forks in the road. Did you not marry the person you first thought you would marry? Did you have a specific thought about your career when you were in High School that just didn't happen? It's not meant to be a big downer, but rather an affirmation of the choices you did make. And a specific list of the things that at one time were on your smorgasbord of life.

In my book I have these ideas:

1. I didn't marry my high school boyfriend. We dated a long time, and talked about it some--it was always something that I felt hung in the air around us. We stayed in touch for a few years after high school (We wrote regularly during our first year of college at different schools, and for two more years while he served a church mission in South Korea, but didn't end up together. When he came home from his mission, I had just started dating my husband. I could have pursued that relationship when he got back to the states, but I didn't. That for me was a choice I Didn't make.
2. I didn't pursue a career singing on Broadway or in Opera. At one time, I really wanted this. I wanted to have a family more. Another choice I Didn't Make.
3. In High School, I had decided that I was going to become a Research Scientist in the field of Genetics. After finishing my B.S in Biology w/a genetics emphasis, and working in a couple of on-campus Genetics Research Labs as a lab grunt, I realized that was not the life for me. This was another choice I Didn't Make.

I also wrote that I wished I had traveled more when I was single, and given myself a chance to study abroad or something like that, and that I'd wished I'd avoided all the credit cards that are thrown at college students.

Does that help? Please leave me a comment and let me know.

More ALBM: Accordion Techniques

For the next pages in your ALBM book we'll be making two accordian booklets to put inside. You can keep the pages closed with a brad and a photo turn. Again (it probably goes without saying by now) cut out the title and ink the edges. I used my Crafter's Workshop template to make the big circle of dots. I used a 7 Gypsies 97% complete stamp for the smaller circles on the Accordian booklets.

Now: to make the booklet, cut a 3.5 inch by 12 inch strip of cardstock. Fold it in half. Crease the fold smooth and tight with a bone folder. Then take the end of the strip and fold it back towards the fold you just made (essentially folding it in half again). You will now have a 4-panel accordian. Glue the bottom panel to your book. Secure with the brad/photo turn combination. TIP: Write on your accordian first. Also, be aware of the direction your accordian opens. In my book, the accordian opens to the outside of my book. This means that they are put in the book in a sort of opposite fashion from each other. Trust me, this will make sense when you are manipulating your own papers. Also, BE VERY AWARE of where your brad is going if you are using double sided papers. You don't want to put a brad through the window of your mode of transportation on the other side.

Questions? Leave a comment and let me know.

What are your Big Rocks?

I blog-surfed into Pink Chalk Studio's blog (who does gorgeous patchwork and other fabric-y stuff) and found the link to a story that talked about Stephen Covey's lecture on first things first and Rocks. This got me thinking: What are the things in my life that are my Big Rocks? I'll list mine here when I've got it figured out. I am pretty sure what my sand and gravel things are. (Hello! I just spent two hours blog surfing!) I'm really into defining things in my life right now. I'm working through some stuff in my head. I'd share, but it's messy in there. Let me first figure out what my Big Rocks are.

What are yours?

Three things for Charity

The 2peas blogger challenge for Thursday was "What 3 three things would you donate to charity right now?" and this is right up my alley as I get ready for a major home purge and decluttering!

Mine would be:

1. Clothes from my closet. It's been said that we wear 20% of our wardrobe 80% of the time. I've been trying for the past few years to change those numbers and only have pieces in my wardrobe that I actually wear. If I've worn it even once the past year, it has a chance of staying around. I have a bunch of things that I know I haven't worn, or don't make me feel happy or good when I wear them. They are OUT!
2. Old scrapbook supplies. I look at my stuff (and while it's not as much as some, it is more than others) and I'm kinda disgusted with all the things I have around here that I haven't used or don't use. I've purged twice this year already, but I'd do it again. Trying to follow the same principle as number 2.
3. I'd go through my boys clothes and do another purge. C is our last child, so it doesn't make sense to keep any of his outgrown stuff.

I'd like to add that the 5 years we've lived here are the longest I've had an address my entire life. Usually we've been forced to purge. Now I have stuff that we've moved in to this house that we haven't touched the entire time we've lived here, or that is still packed from a couple of moves earlier. Those need to go as well.

Good prompt! Now to pass it on to you! Leave a comment and tell me what you would donate to charity.

New Photos in the 30/30 photo challenge

17/30: What we do grow well. Good thing I like 'em. (Please note: as of the 19th of April, this particular dandelion plant is gone, thanks to my DH's hard work in the yard. Don't cry for me; I'm sure there will be others in some part of the yard before the summer's end)

18/30: Another thing growing in our yard. This tree is huge, so I don't think we can really take any credit for it.

19/30: What might be my most favorite picture of the whole series.

unless you count this one:

20/30: And a shot of some of my favorite inspirations

ALBM--Two More Pages

This page is pretty self-explanatory. Write about the people important to you. Cut out the graphic from your Typography pdf, ink the edges, and journal. You are "good-to-go" at this point.

This page is about your modes of transportation. Have fun! (I chose to write about my time as a College Co-Ed "Scooter Chick." It was a time I have fond memories of. TIP: The other side of this page (if you are using single sheets of double-sided papers) will have a brad going through it. You might want to wait until you have the brad in place before you put your picture down, so you can cover it up with a small cardstock circle or your picture or your journaling about your modes of transportation, or whatever you are writing about.

Keep it up! We're in the home stretch! Does anyone have pics of their book to share? (I've seen some of Lida's book). I'd love to see them if you do. Leave a comment and a link!

One More Picture

16/30 DD getting ready to throw the discus at her first track meet. She came in second. I like this one better with a little post-processing. I like how the picture is now all about textures rather than the contrast in color. What do you think?

More ALBM tomorrow. Enjoy!

More 30/30 photos

10/30

11/3012/30

13/30
14/30

15/30