More Layouts ...

Doing LOAD is definitely keeping me productive. When I did Journal your Christmas in December I managed to do a layout almost every day, but they were a few times I had to play catch up and would be working on two or three days at at time. This month, I'm staying on top of things and finishing up well before the 12 p.m. PST upload deadline.

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For this page, we were suppose to take a photo and then free write about it for 10 minutes.

I loved this prompt. I'm all about the free writing. I did struggle with the page itself. This is the third of three very different versions.  I'm okay with the layout, but I love the journaling.

Journaling reads:

I remember when I was 18 years old and jumped out of an airplane. The first plane I was ever on was to Basic Training. The second plane I boarded, I jumped out of. 

I remember when I was 18 years old and failing all of my classes at Antelope Valley Community College. It wasn’t because I didn’t do my work or the course material was hard. I just didn’t go to class. I had a job. I had a boyfriend. I had a life. Everything else was more important.

I remember when my brother Mark joined the Army. I thought he was nuts. But for a second, I thought, maybe that’s not such a bad idea. And maybe I could do it too. I must have said the last part out loud, because Mark challenged me. “You’d never last in the Army. You’d never make it. You’re a wimp.”

I remember feeling angry. How dare he think I couldn’t do something? So I went and saw a recruiter. I remember thinking “I’ll show him.” But I also figured I’d just go in, get some information and then tell my brother it wasn’t my thing.

I remember telling the Army recruiter I’d only join the Army if I could go to language school. I’d heard about the Defense Language Institute (DLI) in Monterey, California and thought it would be a cool place to go.  So un-military, I thought. The recruiter laughed at me. “You might be smart, but to go to DLI you have to be really smart. There’s this test you have to take and no one ever passes it.” What, another challenge? “I want to take the test.” They gave me the test. I passed. And suddenly I was sitting in a room about to sign a paper to join the Army.

I remember thinking, “Why not?” School really wasn’t going well for me. I’m was so over living with my parents. I’d never even been on an airplane or out of the United States. I’d spent my entire life in Southern California … with a few visits to states that touched Cali. Utah. Arizona. Nevada. But all of the sudden the Army and all the adventure it held sounded pretty cool.

I remember the recruiter telling me if I wanted to go to language school then I’d also have to go to Airborne school. Airborne school, what’s that? You want me to jump of a plane? I’d never been on an airplane, remember? But I remember wanting a chance to see the world, so I signed.

I remember walking out of the recruiter’s office a little dazed. What had I done?

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For this page I wanted to use some different colors than I've been using. So I went with pink and purple, since it was a page about my Shelby. The prompt that went with this layout challenged us to use five specific products (cardstock doesn't count) and nothing more. I went a smidgen over five, bur not much. I've been keeping track of some of the funny things she's said this week and here they all are!

Journaling reads:

*  "I'd date him … if it wasn't illegal," said after we were all commenting on how handsome Cooper was post-haircut.

*  "You better go Mom ... before he yells his nuts off," said to me as Mike is calling to me and I'm ignoring him.

*  Looking at a picture of me when I was 18 and in Army Basic Training … she said, "Mom were you bald? You look like a boy. "

*  "I may not listen to my mom, but I listen to my body when it tells me to go poop," she said as she tossed her scooter down and ran into the bathroom.

*  "Look how happy he is. Cooper got to experience the joy of Target," she said as we left Target.

*  "Bubba won't let me poop in peace," yelled at the top of her lungs from the bathroom.

*  "I think I might just work at the drive-thru or maybe Dominos," she said after I told her long it would take to become a doctor.

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This is the VERY first digi two-page spread I've ever done. I had to Google the best way to do a two page spread in Photoshop, so I learned something new with this prompt (we were given a two-page sketch that we were suppose to use as inspiration). I'm not really a two-page spread kind of girl. I like single pages. But it's always good to try something different, right? It was definitely challenging for me.

Journaling reads:

It was a Saturday night. Aunite Amy called. They were driving to California, which we already knew, but they had a surprise for us. They were gonna change  their route and make a quick, surprise visit to Tucson. That was of course if we were game. Game? Us ... game? Of course we were game. Shelby loves any chance to spend time with her cousins.

 The cousins rolled into town at 5 a.m. in the morning. Aunite forgot to factor in the time change.  But no one cared. All five cousins started playing like they'd never been separated. We all went to breakfast together. And while Coop, Auntie and Uncle Patrick
 napped ... Mike took the big kiddos to McDonalds and the zoo. He got them ice cream at both places and all before noon. What a fabulous surprise ... you guys can surprise us any time.   

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For this page, we were suppose to use buttons. I see buttons on other people's page and think they look cute ... but for some reason, I don't like them on my pages. So, I used them sparingly. I was crunched for time for this layout, so I went with easy. These are all my Project 365 photos for week 5. And do you know what that means? I'm caught up with all my P365 layouts and I've been keeping up with the photos! Whoo-hoo for me. 

Journaling reads:

Week 5

Jan. 29: Silly faces to send to Papa via text.
Jan. 30: Shelby spread out a towel in the living room and declared she was on vacation.
Jan. 31: One of my quirky hotel habits: I put a towel at the door to block out light.
Feb. 1: I was so cold at work today I put on my gloves and jacket.
Feb. 2: Scrapbooking while on the road.
Feb 3: Today's treat. Hot chocolate and a cookie.
Feb. 4: Diet Coke, with a bendy straw, for breakfast.