Two Favorite Words

The next installment of my A to Z Album includes two of my favorite words:  G is for Grandparents, and H is for Home.

The first page focuses on our new role as Grandparents, and the joy that it is bringing to our lives.  Could anything be sweeter than holding that new bundle, wrapped up like a dolly but ever so much alive and breathing and full of sweetness?  We are getting ready for a visit next month from our living doll and are buying out the stores in preparation for her coming. Saturday we went to Target and restricted ourselves to three things, a play pen, a high chair, and a really fun toy.  Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait.

The next page is a tribute to our home, one of my favorite places in the world.  I can't explain how much peace I feel in this lovely place that has been my home for the past fifteen years, easily the one place I have lived the very longest compared to anywhere.  My children love this place too.  I'm so glad.  It holds so many special family memories.  How blessed we are to have a sanctuary from the world.

Looking at the outdoor picture is prompting me to start planting flowers.  I think the frost threat is over so I am going to begin adding some annual color.  I know the azaleas, dogwoods, and rhododendrons will soon be putting on a show, but I think they need a little help from me.

Extended Family and Friends

More A to Z pages.  The Letter E is for my Extended Family.

I wonder why this part of my family is considered the extended part.  Weren't they the FIRST part?  These are the lovely people I spent the first 20 years of my life with.  Chronologically then, shouldn't my IMMEDIATE family really then be considered the EXTENSION of my first family?  Or am I over thinking this...

The Letter F represents my dear friends.  The scan doesn't show the title well.  But it spells out "Friends" with a variety of letter tiles, followed by a metal tag with the word "Forever". 

Do you know how difficult it was for me to round up pictures of my friends?  Harder than it should have been.  Lesson learned.  Take my camera with me more often.  I remember when I was young how important pictures of my friends were to me, especially as I would usually move away and never see them again.  They became treasured memories.

This page is a tribute to all of my friends throughout the years, not just those I see regularly and do silly things with.  By the way, if you couldn't tell, Fred and Wilma Flintstone should look a little familiar...

Cars and Daughters

Continuing my plan to share my A-Z Album, here are the next two pages.  I have included two scans of each to uncover the pull-out journaling.  I challenged myself in this album to find unique ways to incorporate interactive journaling.  Enjoy!

"C" is for Car!  In the summer of 2004, I surprised my whole family with choosing a silver Mustang Convertible to become my new run-around-town vehicle.  I was so tired of the old mini-van days, and rarely had more than one kid with me as I drove back and forth to school or for other errands.  So I figured, Why not?  I loved that car.  I never grew tired of it.  It finally gave way to a little more practical sedan in January 2009, which I affectionately refer to as my "Grandma" car.  The old Mustang will always hold a special place in my heart.

"D", of course, represents my three lovely daughters.  I had such a wonderful weekend visit from my darlings.  My prayers are with them today as they travel back to Idaho.  Love you, Girls!

A through Z: All about Me!

A few years ago I started a scrapbook album based on an idea I had heard from a friend.  In twenty-six pages, following the alphabet, the idea is to make a page representing each letter and how it describes something about you.

This project presented several  unique challenges.  Coming up with ideas for each letter that told something about who I am and what I value wasn't always easy.  Employing numerous techniques stretched my creativity.  Finding pictures to represent different facets of my life was a fun quest.  Limiting myself to one page per category required some careful editing.  Hunting for and creating unique embellishments was delightful.

So I have decided to share this album with you for a couple of reasons.  First, it is a compact way of revealing the different facets of my life.  Secondly, it will push me to fill in the few gaps that remain in my album.  Each week I will put together a post with a few of the pages, and we will make our way to the end of the alphabet together.  Enjoy!

I got lucky with the title page, the Letter "A":  All About Ardith.  Too easy...

The letter "B" allowed me to share my love of Broadway shows.  By scanning some of the Playbills I have collected over the years, then printing them in small version enabled me to include several.  I decided to only show the plays I have actually seen in New York City.  Luckily for me, the touring show companies often come to Portland, Oregon, so I don't always have to fly to the East Coast to get my fix.  This page was put together in 2005 so it doesn't include all the great shows I have seen since then.  I am spoiled, I know it...