Pictures of the Week

Congratulations to Michele from Timeless Daydreams. She won a prize for commenting on Lain Ehmann's post. Now on to my pictures of the week.

NYC Skyline...the lighting was just right.

San Gennaro...San Gennaro Festival in Little Italy - Great street food!

Guest Post by Lain Ehmann

Lain Ehmann from the Layout a Day site has graciously agreed to do a guest post on my blog. HOW EXCITING.  When she asked me what I'd like her to write about, I knew right away - scrapping boys and men in a world of pink and cutsie. Thank you Lain for your response and for agreeing to be a guest on my blog.

Don't forget to leave a comment and be entered into a random drawing for a fabulous prize!

Imagine you're sitting down at your craft table, just minding your own business, when all of the sudden, a genie appears in front of you. He is wearing the typical garb of MC Hammer pants and bare chest, and once you get over your shock at seeing this large half-naked being in front of you, putting footprints on your Tim Holtz stamp pads, he issues you a challenge. You are to use pink, polka dots, rhinestones, and flowers on a layout… for BOYS.

If you can do it and like the results, he'll give you a week on a desert island with Hugh Jackman. If you can't, you must forfeit your entire stock of Cosmo Cricket papers and embellishments. Can you do it? Do you dare try?

C'mon, woman! Hugh is at risk here – of COURSE you do it!

After all, you're a scrapbooker. You can do anything!

Now, granted, you probably won't face a situation like this (if you do, I want you to call me – or your doctor -- IMMEDIATELY.) But still, we often face similar challenges. In a world that seems to be overrun with pink, frilly, cutesy, princess-themed scrapbook supplies, we need to eke out a space for our X-Y chromosomed offspring and relations. It IS possible to use "girl" stuff on "boy" pages.

Here are a few tips to help you out:

1. Choose your pinks carefully. You're better off with a bubblegum (i.e., stronger) pink than a really soft, baby one.
2. Use hard lines. You're going for a more masculine look, so opt for straight lines and edges, and a more linear approach to your page. This will counteract the other "feminine" elements.
3. Select embellishments in "man" or "neutral" colors. Notice the flowers on my layout? They're brown. Cool, huh?
4. Contrast is great. The strips of patterned paper and the brown background balance the pink and the polka dots.
5. Don't worry so much. Sure, you probably wouldn't put your son in pink polka dots, but if you put his picture on a pink page? No biggie. He'll get over it – and so will you.

Remember that what is "boy" and "girl" is often a matter of interpretation and not an absolute. And if a week with Hugh hangs in the balance? I'm sure you'll do just fine. J

About the author: Lain Ehmann inspires, entertains, and educates her readers (and drools over Hugh) at www.layoutaday.com. Stop by to learn how to make your scrapbooking fun, fast, and fabulous!


Here's my take on Lain's post.

Back to the Grind

What a week! September has got to be the craziest month on record for the world. Between the temperature changes (at least in the north east), back to school and increased traffic (yellow school buses everywhere), the days are getting busier and shorter at the same time. Have you noticed it's getting darker earlier already? My life is no different. I work at a college so of course August through September is very busy. This year is no different. It's perhaps one of the busiest and most stressful on record - my records anyway! My son starts a full day PreK program at a local parochial school. I mean, he's been in daycare for a while, but there is a different feel to this. It's actually a school with children from preK to 8th grade - TEAR. But it provides plenty of photo ops and I can't wait to scrap the memories to come.

On that note, don't forget to check out Memory Works latest life documented line - El.e.men.tary! Such a great collection. Interested? Let me, your friendly neighborhood Memory Works Consultant, know!

But back to the stresses of life. Thankfully, I'm a scrapper. It makes me happy. It helps me relieve stress. It relaxes me. In spite of how busy I've been, I've managed to scrap by buns off. Like I said, it relaxes me. Or maybe I'm just subconsciously getting ready for Lain Ehmann's Layout a Day in October.

Speaking of Lain, she is going to be a guest blogger on Brooklyn Girl Next Door next week. Stop by to read her post on Monday. Don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a cool prize. I haven't decided what that prize is going to be, but I'll make a decision by the time her post is live. See you then.

These layouts were inspired by Big Picture Scrapbooking's Big Idea Festival. Karen Grunberg's contribution really inspired me. I loved how she use small photos (1x1.5) in a grid format to show the happiness of her family right now. I chose to document Summer 2010.

  

Here I finally made some time to scrap some of this summer's birthday parties, using Memory Works Simple Stories line. Love it!

  

These next few layouts finally got me to use my stash. I've had most of these papers for quite some time and rediscovered them. The newer products are on the "Red Carpet Shower" layout are from My Mindy's Eye So Sophie Line.

    

I made it my business to do lots of journaling in these layouts; beyond the date, place and event! It was certainly therapeutic and I'm happy to add thoughtful words to my layouts.

Did someone say Holidays?

I'm definitely not ready for Christmas, but this is the Labor Day holiday weekend and next month IS Halloween. So I thought I'd get my holiday mojo started with some Halloween Cards that will be donated to the troops. Check out the Card Making crop over at Serenity in Him.

I had a lot of fun making these. I don't usually send out Halloween cards, but like I said, they are going to the troops. Hopefully, they'll enjoy receiving them as much as I enjoyed making them.

 

This last one was my favorite. The front says, Witch Way...

The inside says, to the TREATS? Loving the Wizard of Oz witchy boots rub-on.