Tigers, lions, and bears..Oh my!

Weekends for us is usually spent with family. We manage to fill in all hours with eventful visits, whether it be with cousins or hanging solo with grandma and grandpa. Either way, getting out on the weekends is a good thing for the both of us. I'm not one to sit still very long. I enjoy getting out often and keeping busy. In no way shape or form am I a homebody. Having to spend all day at home would send me to the madhouse. So this weekend, we made a routine trip to the city zoo, Como Park, and we also spent a full day with all three of Ethan's younger male cousins. He had an absolute blast!

While at the zoo, he made a mess of himself with a big'ol lollypop and visited with the animals. Ethan's favorite was by far the ducks. There had to be at least a hundred of them hanging out in the duck pond. He kept trying to talk to them..it was hysterical! He couldn't figure out why they weren't responding to his stream of baby babble. I had a good laugh while watching him communicate with the ducks. I think if the fence hadn't of been there to hold him back, he would of found himself straight away into the water. He wanted so badly to hang out with them up close and personal. It's amazing that out of all the animals on display at the zoo, Ethan fell in love with the ducks. Always the little things that capture his attention...not the lions or bears. Laugh.

On Sunday, I brought Ethan to my parent's house after finding out that both my nephews were there for the day. Ethan played with both J.J. (my brother's son- 2 years old) and Myles (my sister's son - 4 years old) for a few hours. They're finally at an age where they can interact with each other and enjoy each other's company. Together, they played basketball, hung out around grandpa's pond, and chased each other around the yard. They kept laughing and giggling. Some how, I got all three of them together on a small bench in front of my parent's place and took a photo. Can't wait to share it with them when they're older. It's always fun to look back at old photos from childhood...especially those photos taken with cousins and friends.

Yum. Yum. Yum. Finally, they've been released, the new Basic Grey Chocolate/Dark Chocolate Chipboard Albums. I think the concept of "chocolate" and "dark chocolate" is brilliant. The name alone is enough to get my attention because I have a debilitating weakness for chocolate. Besides the name, the albums themselves are beautiful. These albums don't require a lot of work to feel "finished". In a way, some of the work has already been done, in that you don't have to paint or cover them with paper. I chose one of these albums to use in my "Golden Harvest" class. I will be using my standard amount of product on these, including lots of paper. This is still an option though for those scrapbookers interested in creating a "simple" less-is-more kind of album. They're available in a variety of shapes..and if you don't want to use a whole album "as is", switch out pages or use a single page for a project or on a layout.

This page sat on my desk for three days. It haunted me in my sleep...laugh. Am I allowed to say that? Laugh. Seriously, after finishing half the layout, I lost direction and wasn't sure where to go with it. The original concept was to build layers utilizing the circles on the KI Memories Sheer Delight vinyl. I backed the sheer vinyl with white Basic Grey distressed pattern paper. I then adhered orange circles to the white paper to coincide with the circles printed on the sheer vinyl. It had been my plan to further embellish the circles with other items, though it never really happened. I started focusing my attention on the photo and the layers sitting on top of the sheer vinyl instead. I quickly became overwhelmed by what was going on around the photo vs. below the photo. I ended up sacrificing the original idea just to get the project done. This is the end result.

Before starting a layout, my first plan of action is to come up with a new technique or "concept" I want to use on a layout. I typically refer to my subject matter and materials when deciding on a new technique. Sometimes, if my creative drive is running high, the technique is obvious. Usually, when this is the case, the entire layout comes together quickly. I'm able to finish the layout within a short period of time. If I have to search for a technique idea over a period of a few days, the layout takes me quite a bit of time to complete. I struggle to get through the creative process for those layouts that take me longer. Sometimes, I don't feel "up" to creating a layout, though I do it anyway. I will take a break on occasion. I'll open a home decor magazine or search the web for inspiration and new ideas. The downtime gives me an opportunity to relax and reboot. Once I've rebooted, I'm back at my desk..with a whole new set of ideas.

For those of you wondering how I start a project, I focus my energy on technique and concept first. The remainder of the process is unplanned and spontaneous. I'm never totally sure how a layout will look until it's finished.