Leon County Courthouse!

I've had a busy last half of the month.  I didn't get a chance to scrap last week at all!  But I did get two layouts done today!  So Happy!

I love love the courthouse photos I take.  In July of 2012 I stumbled across Nuts About Sketches.  The first post I read was a design team call.  This was a layout I did using Sketch # 224 just before I made the team.  This is Leon County Courthouse before the restoration with a stock photo I found along with a photo I took after the restoration.  The link above will take you to Texas Courthouse for another view of the courthouse before it's restoration.

Then today I worked on the photos which lead me down the path to the undying passion I have for my state's courthouses!  Larry and I decided to take a different route to his mother's house in the winter of 2007.  As we drove into the square I was absolutely stunned at the courthouse.  It looked absolutely horrible.  Nothing like what I had seen the half dozen other times I had driven through Centerville.  I had the camera and asked Larry to stop.  I was a scrapper of six months when I took these photos!  When Larry and I got home I found Texas Courthouses.  As I started to read, then read some more as I looked at courthouses the passion began.  Texas Courthouses was the very first website dedicated to our state's county courthouses.  I think that is where the passion began on this website for so many who are now traveling Texas to capture the same photos I am.  And there is a huge push to renovate those that need it as many are historical buildings.  My love has grown as it's no longer just the courthouse that pulls me in as I visit them.  It's the history and people I learn about as I read the historical markers.  Each is a centerpiece of the county and each is a source of  pride for the county residents.  More so in rural counties in our state.

Tomorrow I'll get a better picture(s) and replace.

Unfortunately I didn't get it up in time to post it over at Counterfeit Kit Club Blog!  That's ok, this one is done and once again I turned to Nuts About sketches for the inspiration, Nuts About Sketches #288.  Used up more of my kit!!!

The next layout used the Bonus CHA kit.  Well sort of.....just the Glitz paper as the base.  Some of the items I pulled from the courthouse travel kit and some more items from special little goodies that arrived this month in my stash!

I started this layout two weeks ago and needed to fix it once my Art Anthology paint came it!  Now I love it!  It's a Misty Early May morning looking from the porch towards the road.  Our round hay is stored in my two acre lawn and the post behind the hay has one wet cold buzzard sitting on it.  We had one of those Central Texas Severe Thunderstorms accompanying a front around 2am.  This buzzard was just waiting for the sun to come out.  Of all the embellishments I have received lately I really love the Studio Calico Farm Animals.  There are at least four different breeds of horses.  I was so very thrilled they included the Arabian in the mix and actual cattle which don't look like Holsteins!  We have all three species of farm animals on this page:  Two Arabians, 200 head of beef cattle, 18 chickens and 4 guinea hens.

I think the thing I love the most about this layout is the Art Anthology Sorbet!  What total fun to play with!

I came into Blogger this evening to find I had made the FAB 5 at Counterfeit Kit Club Blog!!!  Wow, I'm thrilled!  Thank you so much!  I am humbled to be in such great company!  Congrats to the other recipients!

Until Next Time!

Documented

One of the most popular words in scrapping right now is "documented."  It is as scrapper what we are doing, documenting our lives and the lives of those who came before us in my case with the heritage photos I have!  Instead of buying just a photo album for my son I am documenting his life with his photos through my eyes, and giving the ongoing album(s) to him.  On occasion I put in one of the photos I've taken.  I was thrilled to participate in the Moore, OK Benefit Crop!  The one challenge which was an absolute must do was the Layering Challenge by Kimmie Robinson.  Most of the products on the page came from the Paper Bakery Kits March 2013 Scrapbooking Kit.

I drew my inspiration for my first layer from one of the Design Team Members at Split Coast Stampers over lunch when we took three classes together at Crop Paper Scissors in Waco.  And I'm terribly sorry I don't remember her name.  Her comment was, 'Since your analytically inclined why not use numbers on your layout.'  Took me 10 months to do so.  This is a photo of one of my son's best friends and a young man who is like a second son to me.

I loved this layout when I was done!  And I'm hooked.....just haven't done another layering layout since I did this one!  But I will!  It's a great way to use up the scraps.

Until next time!

Food Advertising

I must admit I'm NOT a huge Huffington Post fan.  On occasion I do find something I like.  I'd like to thank Jan Hoadley for passing this along to me.  Jan is a great agvocate who can be found on Facebook, Blogging and Twitter.  She is the owner of Slow Money Farm.  She understands agriculture and the why behind how producers choose the production systems they do.  She and I both support all forms of Agriculture production.

Chipotle Grill wants you to believe through their advertising that some food is better then others.  But in the background they also lead you to believe some farmers are bad people.  First I don't know a single bad farmer.  Are there some, yes, bad apples exist in every part of our economy.  I think what you choose to feed your family is a personal choice. Don't let advertising guilt you into changing your choices.  Here's their newest campaign bashing farmers by Chipotle Grill!  Farmers like me who give antibiotics....my cattle need them on occasion!  Insinuating I give steroids which I don't unless the vet authorizes me to do so for injuries or illness.  Insinuating my animals are in confinement which they are not unless they need to be for a number of reasons.  My customers have access to that knowledge if I sell beef from those individuals who do receive my vet's prescribed treatment.  The health and welfare of our cattle come before anything else in our lives, that is a good farmer/rancher!  So I find Chipotle's new app based game and 3 minute film very unappetizing!

Here's the link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUtnas5ScSE

Then my hats off to Carey Polis for writing a very good opinion on the parody.  Thank you.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/19/chipotle-scarecrow-parody_n_3953692.html

I also thought I would take this blog post one step further about advertising and so called ethical foods.  This piece by the New York Times Herald Tribune wrote this article.  Good read and food for thought!

http://health.heraldtribune.com/2012/07/09/how-certified-organic-went-corporate/

Do I eat a Chipotle?  Nope!  Has nothing to do with their advertising pitting one farmer against another or the consumer against a one group of hard working American Farmers.  I don't eat at Chipotle Grill because there is a restaurant that makes a better burrito, Freebirds!  Love me a Freebirds burrito!

Unfinished Projects

Challenge # 1 this month at Counterfeit Kit Club Blog is super great!  That makes no sense but it really is great!  I'll let you read it.  But I did post about what my two unfinished projects were out of many!  Well both done this past week.  One finishes up a project....the other well not so much as I still have 238 courthouses to still take photos of.  At least I have one layout down and completes most of what I want to photograph on the square in Huntsville, Texas.  I have already finished the courthouse photos.  The square is so much busier then when I was in school at SHSU.  I need a Sunday morning before the students return from their weekend away to get a photo of the Cafe Texan sign.....yes that sign was there in the late '70 early '80's when I was in college. The sign is still there and there long long before I started my Freshman year in Fall 1978.  But there is so much more to photograph around town that brings back many memories of my college days.  Not to mention there is the historical significance of Huntsville being the hometown of Sam Houston.  This is the layout of 11th Street on the north side of the square in Huntsville.  I used my Courthouse Travel Kit to do this layout.

My next layout that I have been wanting to do for about six months is finally done!  My mother took the photo of Lynn and James.  Mom was her typical self with point and click without even realizing how the picture would look.  Sigh.....but this Mom just loves it!

For this layout I used the CHA Bonus Kit and that wonderful Anna Griffin Barnwood Paper!  I also drew some inspiration from this months Shape Challenge over at A Cherry On Top.  Gotta love Triangles!  I'm not sure I could use products outside the kit to count as just a regular layout on the blog, but I can for the challenges.  I also used some products outside my Courthouse Travel Kit to do the layout above.  This completes that project I have wanted the perfect paper as the base and some fun embellishments!

I have so enjoyed working with my kits.  I can't wait to dive in this week with my kits!  I'll probably work mostly with the Courthouse Travel.

Stay tunned!

Winners of August Challenges

Amazing layouts for the Heritage Challenge and 4x4 Challenge I host at A Cherry on Top!

The winning layouts chosen randomly with the help of a random online generator!  Each has received a $5 A Cherry on Top Gift Certificate!  I hope you will join in these two challenges.

Heritage Challenge winner is Deanna13!

4x4 Challenge Winner is mgehrke!

Congrats to both ladies on beautiful layouts and winning the challenge!!  Come join in on the fun!

CHA Kit - Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog

I was inspired by Trisha for the CHA Bonus Challenge Kit!  She made up an amazing kit.  Then made some amazing projects with the kit.  This is a must see!  Just click the link above!

YAY!  This kit made it in with what I would call small!  I got through with the kit the day the bonus was announced.  Except I let it sit overnight.  As I looked at the kit I realized I needed two things.  A sheet of paper with pink...Done.  Then I needed the right type of fabric for the kit.  A few dozen clicks later and the right fabric is on the journey to my house!  I have sat for two months wanting Anna Griffin's paper Barn Wood.

I finally ordered it a two weeks ago from ACOT and I have just the photo for this paper.  I included everything that is under a year old.  I just have too much paper to buy anything new....it's the one thing that shuts me down from buying.  So here's the smaller kit I'll work with on other photos then the courthouses!

I wanted pieces of fabric in the kit....but didn't have the colors I wanted.  So I ordered some two days ago.  When it arrives I'll replace the correct colors with the one in this kit....or may just add to the kit.

Contents of kit:

Paper

Anna Griffin Gabbie Barnwood Paper

Lily Bee Design Destination Souvenier

Webster's Pages Composition & Color Chalk Prints

Studio Calico Classic Calico III Timesheet

Glitz Color Me Happy Hearts

Imaginisce Love You More Heart Attack

Embellishments

Elle's Studio Limited Addition August 2013 Kit

Paper Bakery Flairs - That's My Bike

Queen & Co. - Candy Shop

Paper Bakery Kit Club - Happened Stamps

Prima ~ Leeza Gibbons Wishes & Dreams - Washi Tape

Crate Paper Party Day - Ephemera Pack

Jillibean Soup - Alphabeans Newburg Navy

fabric - purchased from Moda

Honestly I like this kit better then the first!  But I have different uses for each.

Then on CKCB Blog today is Challenge #1!  Fits me for both kits.  It is all about Unfinished Projects.  I'll start with the CHA Bonus Kit.  I have the cutest picture of Lynn and James on their bikes or big wheels that I have been wanting to scrap for months.  That's challenge #1.  The next project will take albums upon albums to get done.  Years ago I found Texas Courthouses on the web.  I had always loved the Hill County Courthouse.  Gorgeous!  I cried when it burned but the replica stands in it's place.  I found this whole world opened up when I went through the Texas Courthouse site.  Now there are many more sites dedicated to our state's County Courthouses.  I have since 2007 taken photos of 16 of the 254 county courthouses in our state.  I started to just put them in the family albums.  Now I want them in albums of their own along with some of the other notable landmarks around the state.  I have a photo of me the first time I visited the Alamo!  That will go in these scrapbooks.  Some counties I have checks by that very short list to return and photo again because of renovations at the time I photographed them.  It's a walk through history of our state and the people who live in each county!  I have a very short doable bucket list and this sits at the very top to photograph each courthouse.  Total square miles of our state:  268,601 square miles.  That is a lot of traveling.  No end date in site for this project!  Of course I had to get a WRMK Buttercup (Yellow Album) for the Yellow Rose of Texas although our state flower is of course the one and only Bluebonnet!  Plenty of those photos to go in this scrapbook!

He he....these are only two unfinished projects!  I have a boat load of projects for Christmas this year to fit in as well as my Mother's Cruise album and her horse album!  Best get started...

Until next time!

My Saturday with Cattle!

One of my favorite places to be is at a show, with animals that is.  It can be rabbits, horses, cattle.....  This past weekend I attended the TJLA Down Under A,B,C,D show hosted by Southwest Lowline Angus Breeders Assoc. Youth Club.  My job to take photos!  It was a long hot Saturday at Brazoria County Fairgrounds but a great time watching the kids compete in four shows.  What fun to capture the photos.  If your wondering why you don't see faces of the kids....well I like to protect them.  Enjoy the album!

Lowline Heifers

I love me some floppy ears!

The Classic Study of the Class!

I'd like to thank the judge's for coming out and giving great consideration to the cattle presented!

Until next time.

Webster's Pages & October Afternoon Partnership

I was so excited to see the email I received this morning on the new partnership between Webster's Pages and October Afternoon!  I have missed October Afternoon so much this year!  I think this partnership is an amazing thing for both companies!  There is a terrific video out!  I'm not sure how to get this video on my blog so I'll just provide the link!

http://vimeo.com/73593055

Don't forget Webster's Pages September Sprinkles Craftbox is now available!  Great Purchase!  Love the Designer Polka Dots and had to have them....ahhh I'm such an embellishment hound!

Courthouse Travel Kit

After I wrote my post yesterday I dived in to make my first kit for Counterfeit Kit Challenge.  I wanted it small and it turned out large.  I'm going to definitely have to work on that item.  When I started pulling embellishments is where I really went overboard...I do for every layout, too.  But never seem to use all I pull.  I also wanted to make this first kit easy for me.  I started with one of my oldest Paper Bakery Kits almost used up.  Then picked out some scraps and one full sheet from Carta Bella So Noted.  Then came two full sheets and a Large Die Cut from MME Stella Rose.

I call it Courthouse Travel!  When I do a layouts of the courthouses in my state I don't use travel paper or embellishments.  I'm focusing on the courthouse and the inspiration it gives me.  My inspiration came from the type of items in the kit. I don't do near the traveling I did before I was married, and now the kids are grown I sometimes make a day trip to photo some of Texas' County Courthouses.  Other times Larry and I are off to attend a cattle event or visit a friend's ranch and we stop to see the courthouses along the way.  There is an amazing amount of history and architecture in Texas Courthouses. I think this will make a perfect kit for my day trip adventures. 

Here are the kits we had to counterfeit from Citrus Twist:

And this is my kit:

The only item not shown is Studio Calico Wonderland Fonts Mistables (alphas).  I think they are buried in my Studio Calico Atlantic Collection.

Here's the list of Paper:

Bazzill Cardstock:  Bazzill Celery & a Yellow I don't know the name

Studio Calico:  Abroad 12x12 Paper:  First Class & Somewhere

MME Stella Rose:  Gertie Friends Forever, Hazel Lovely, Memories Woven Paper (large diecut)

Basic Grey:  Sweet Threads Knotted Shirt; Out of Print Mish Mash;  PB&J scraps from Toasted, Sunny Days, Raspberry Jam

Carta Bella So Noted:  Script & Scribbles;  Scraps from Inked Numerals, Musical Score, Dear Jane

I am a bit Embellishment OCD and actually pulled twice what I settled on!  Here's the list!

Basic Grey:  Sweet Threads Office Tabs, Wheels, Pieces;  Out of Print:  Pops;  PB&J Cardstock Stickers, Miscellany

Carta Bella:  So Noted 12x12 Sticker Sheet

Jillibean Soup:  Bakers Twine Mustard & Olive

Washi Tape:  Queen & Co.  Trendy Musical Notes

Little Yellow Bicycle:  Naturals Burlap Tags

Tattered Angels:  True Blood; Chalk; Sun Sisters

Studio Calico Wood:  Speech Bubbles; Farm Animals

Prima:  Song Bird Collection Tickets; Shabby Chic Treasures Baroque;  Musical Notes Clips

MME Stella Rose:  2 Frames, 2 Tabs Sticker Sheets, 1 Title, 1 transparency, Stars Trinkets, Buttons, Trim, and Layered Cardstock Stickers

Bazzill:  Die Cut Numbers - White

Paper Bakery:  Vintage Milk Cap #1, May Arts Yellow Chevron Ribbon, Simple Stories Folder, Vintage Milk Cap, Vintage Inspired Bag, Yo-Yo Flower

Jenni Bowlin Studio:  True Vintage Labels

Alphas:  See Above

I'm so looking forward to creating with this kit and playing along at Counterfeit Kit Blog!

Now to upload some photos for me to pickup tomorrow or Tuesday.

Odds and Ends

Yay!  September is here and the heat will break sometime this month!  My favorite time of year is just around the corner.....FALL!

I just have not felt like blogging!  There is a new design team over at Nuts About Sketches.  I made the decision in July to not run for another term.  Yet, I'll still be using Shawn's sketches at times for my layouts!

I have gotten into PL style scrapping starting on my Mother and Grandmother's cruise in 1984.  How I wish I could have gone with them.  Neither one can take photos...but there are some good ones.  My choice of Pocket Pages is from We Are Memory Keepers Multi-pack.  Love them!

Of course I picked them up for A Cherry on Top!  Here's a couple of Layouts using the pages:

 

One of my favorite photos taken during their cruise as my grandmother celebrates her 80th birthday!

I offered to redo the album for Mom as the album is failing.  It will be her birthday present in exactly two months.  I'll probably share more this month and next.  I also will be working on four minis for my family as presents for Christmas.  Come to think of it I'm not sure I have even told anyone in my family I have a blog except for the kids and hubby.  May have to change that after the first of the year.

One of the ladies on the message board at ACOT mentioned the blog, Counterfeit Kit Challenge.  I made a mental note a couple of months ago but never looked for it.  Towards the middle of last month after making the decision to sadly drop Paper Bakery Kit Club from November through Feb.  I have made spent so much the last 4-5 months I just have to use what I have.  In my journey of scrapping I have moved from stressing over paper selection on a layout to working within manufacturer's lines, to a kit club.  Being apart of my first kit club has fully freed me from almost all of my boxes.  I just have one box I will always struggle with....that analytic mind that is more comfortable with science and math instead of creativity.  I truly think over the next 5-7 months I can reduce that stash while being inspired to make my own kits from within my stash.  So I searched for Counterfeit Kit Challenge last month.  I was totally confused and over the next two weeks I studied the blog!  Happy to say I'm ready to tackle the challenge and have some great fun!  Due to the cruise album and then the minis, I'm choosing to put together a small kit when I get bored with PL style scrapping this month. I'll post my kit tomorrow so stay tuned!