Write My Life

Week #4 repeated the idea of repetition. Cathy applied it to making albums and mini-books and how much easier it is to do produce albums and unify them with repetition of style and elements.

We had a mini-book assignment that to be honest I just don’t feel the need to do. We were assigned two more layouts, though, and here they are:

Equine Show.

Journaling:

Jennifer wasn’t so sure. You could see it on her face as we entered the front gate. Who were these people? Why are they talking to me? Why did they treat us so strangely?
Our family attended the northern California Renaissance faire in October. Jackie has been to it several times but it was Jennifer’s first time.
Jennifer wasn’t too sure about it for the first hour. “Characters” would talk to her but she wasn’t so inclined to talk back. She felt like she was the little one in the family being picked on. She also was a little in awe of the strange things around her and wasn’t yet in a very adventurous mood. Two things changed all that – horses and getting to shoot things.
Her first enjoyable moments were the horses we saw in the Tournament of Horses Arena. The Royal Equine Guild presented Gypsy horses and three female riders. The riders did various activities with the horses including the riders taking rings out of hanging poles and catching rings thrown to them while riding.
These beautiful horses and their accomplished riders brought a welcome smile to Jennifer’s face.

Katie Pertiet: Soft Breeze green paper; Jouets red paper
Jesse Edwards: Clean and Serene Solids; Title Lines
Ali Edwards: Stacked Dates
Pattie Knox: Have a Heart Felt Vol. 02
All digital products: http://www.designerdigitals.com
Font: King Arthur, Century Gothic and Garamond

Choices.

Journaling: It’s a Gormish tradition. When a family member has a birthday, they choice a place to eat out for dinner. Jaclyn choose to eat out at a Mongolian BBQ restaurant. Mongolian barbecue is a restaurant style of stir frying meats and vegetables over a large, round, solid iron griddle that is as large as 2.5m in diameter and can cook at temperatures as high as 300C or 572F. Typically, diners choose various ingredients from a buffet of thinly sliced raw meats, vegetables and oils and assemble them in a large bowl or on a plate. These ingredients are given to the griddle operator transfers them to one section of the hot griddle. Water may be added to ease cooking and the ingredients are stirred occasionally. When cooking is complete, the finished dish is scooped into a bowl and handed to the diner.

Katie Pertiet: Simply Bloom paper (orange), My Country paper (blue) and Alandia Paix Glittery
Kellie Mize: Double Dates No. 1
Ali Edwards: Growing Up Hand-Drawn Brushes
All digital products: http://www.designerdigitals.com
Font: CK Cosmopolitan

Layout and concept provided by Cathy Zielske’s Design Your Life workshop at BigPictureScrapbooking.com

I have been forgetting to post these. Here are the last of the digital layouts from our June vacation! All supplies from Designer Digitals unless noted.

• Quack

Katie Pertiet: Traveler Brushes-n-Stamps
Jesse Edwards: Clean and Serene Solids
Mindy Terasawa: Flutter Butter Kit (Paper, ribbon, rub-on)
Ali Edwards: Travel Memory Title + Journal Photo Overlays
Pattie Knox: Brad Bonanza – Digital Fasteners
Kellie Mize: Tortuga Template No. 11
Font: Garamond

• Plimoth

Journaling: Driving south for one day, we visited Plimoth Plantation in Massachusetts. We visited several sections of the plantation including the Wampanoag homesite where we watched women cooking, spoke to native people and found shelter in a traditional wetu (house) when it started to rain. We also visited the 1627 English village where we met townspeople, saw the gardens and animals and stepped indoors into their timber-framed houses to escape the rain. A few “characters” performed well by passing along the gossip and ideas of the day.

Katie Pertiet: White Cabana paper
Katie Pertiet: Traveler Stamps
Katie Pertiet: Stacked PhotoClusters No.2 (altered)
Katie Pertiet: Basic Bare Chipboard Alpha (colored)
Fonts: Copperplate and Garamond

• Rain Delay

Journaling: Rain fell on us almost every day of our trip to Boston, New Hampshire and Vermont. We considered it a mixed blessing. It was wet and inconvenient, but it keep the typical heat and humidity at bay.

No where did the rain strike the most havoc for us than at the Plimoth Plantation. Our day started bright and sunny, but then thunder rolled in and it poured. We had previously had times of short showers but this time it rained and rained and rained. We were visiting the Wampanoag Homesite when it first rained. We ran for cover and hid inside a wetu house. After a while the rain dripped into the wetu and we were getting wet again. We ran for the English village. We found a house with no drips and a fire. We stayed there for a long time, talking with the “characters” in the house while the rained continued to pour.

Eventually it started raining much lighter and we were able to finish visiting the village. Later, we drove to the Mayflower and the Plymouth rock, where it also rained.

The rain certainly affected our day, but we persevered regardless.

Katie Pertiet: Cabana white paper
Ali Edwards: The Story Word Art + Hand-Drawn Brushes
Lynn Grieveson: Breezy Flowers
Font: Naked God, Garamond, Arial Black

• Plimoth 2

Journaling: Stepping back in time, experiencing life as people once lived it, learning about history and culture, feeling blessed that I live in modern day America – these are things that I love about visiting historical reenactments.

Katie Pertiet: Vintage Frames Large
Katie Pertiet: Hanging Tag Staple
Katie Pertiet: Embraced Sentiments
Jesse Edwards: Indigo Solids
Jesse Edwards: Fabric Overlays
Anna Aspnes:12X12 Distressed Edge Overlays No.3 (recolored)

• Under Construction

Journaling: We couldn’t see Plimoth Rock – the rock was truly underneath a pile of construction.

Katie Pertiet: Hydrangea Solid Blue
Katie Pertiet: Drop Shadow Styles
Katie Pertiet: Grunge Overlays No. 3
Katie Pertiet: Basic Bare Chipboard Alpha
Katie Pertiet: Ad Challenge 5/11/08
Kellie Mize: Double Dates No. 1
Ali Edwards: The Story Word Art
Ali Edwards: Layered Template No. 2 (circle)
Font: 1942 Report

• Battle Road

Journaling: From 17th century Massachusetts at Plimoth, we stepped forward in time to the Revolutionary war period with a trip to Lexington, the battle road and Concord. We started with an excellent introduction the the conflict at the Minute Man National Historic Park. The program, The Road to Revolution, tells the story of Paul Revere’s Ride and the battles at Lexington, along the Battle Road and at the North Bridge.

While we did visit the site of the first conflict at Lexington, we spent most of our time walking the Battle Road trail, which depicts historic sites and events along the road which the British soldiers were forced back down by the patriots. One nice site along the route is the Hartwell Tavern, a restored house and tavern along the battle road.

Jackie did not enjoy the walk along the battle road as she felt tired and uneasy at the thought of a bloody battle having occurred along the same route she walked. Jennifer, who would have enjoyed the walk, suffered from hunger as we hadn’t planned for lunch very well.

Katie Pertiet: From My Porch paper
Katie Pertiet: Traveler Stamps
Jesse Edwards: Clean and Serene Solids
Ali Edwards: Road Trip Memory Title And Journal
Font: Garamond and Century Gothic

• New Hampshire Lakes

Journaling: I dreamed of discovering peace and quiet on a lake in New Hampshire. I was not disappointed. Our short time in New Hampshire consisted of lake swimming at White Oak Pond, boating on Squam Lake and a visit to Squam Lakes Natural Science Center. Squam Lake and White Oak Pond were impressive – extremely beautiful and quiet. It gave me the peace and relaxation I had dreamed.

Jesse Edwards: Clean and Serene Solids
Katie Pertiet: Frame, Traveler Stamps, 2nd Hand Titles
Kellie Mize: Double Date No. 1
Fonts: Garamond

• Vermont Country

Journaling: We loaded the car and headed through on a tour of central Vermont. Driving through the back roads of Vermont we spotted numerous farms and covered bridges among the rolling hills. In the Green Mountains National Forest we walked the Robert Frost Trail, a 1.2 mile loop with Robert Frost poems posted along the trail. Our Vermont lodging consisted of the nice Churchill House Inn Bed and Breakfast outside Brandon, VT. We were served delicious omelets, croissants and fruit for breakfast. Near the Churchill house, we walked a beautiful path into the Green Mountains. We did not walk too far because of the dreaded mosquitoes which were descending on us.

Katie Pertiet: Fresh Botanicals No.2
Katie Pertiet: 2nd Hand Titles
Katie Pertiet: Traveler Stamps
Katie Pertiet: Postage Frames No.2
Pattie Knox: Brad Bonanza – Digital Fasteners
Lynn Grieveson: Breezy Flowers
Fonts: Plantagenet Cherokee and Garamond

• New England

Journaling: While the history and historic architecture of the northeast creates an appreciation for the “old days” there are many, many months when you can’t see it because it is covered with snow. I am reminded of the joy of being able to drive to the snow when I want it and to go back home sans snow.

Mosquitoes, black flies, “mud” season and snow? No thanks, I think I’ll stay here in sun drenched California.

It may be a part of the United States. It may It may even be filled with English speaking citizens. But visiting the New England states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont remind me of the differences in my California world.

While hiking trails abound in the northeast, mosquitoes abound as well. While in California you can take a hike 24/7/365 and not need insect repellent. Do I even need to explain how lovely it is not to have to pack insect repellent?

While the trees are green and lush in the northeast, the rain is also abundant and creates quite a mess during “mud season.” While California could use a little bit more rain, I am just as well pleased we do not have an entire season of mud.

Katie Pertiet: From My Porch paper, Stacked PhotoClusters No.2 and Strong Words Brushes and Stamps
Ali Edwards: The Story Word Art + Hand-Drawn Brushes
Fonts: Garamond

For week #3 the class considered repetition in a layout. That’s the idea of repeating the same concept on a layout. It could be a color, embellishment, photograph, shape, etc. It doesn’t have to be exactly the same but enough to give your eye the cue that these things go together.

One unexpected thing I learned from this class was that I really don’t feel comfortable working in 8.5X11. I keep taking every 8.5X11 sketch Cathy gives us and turning it into a 12X12 layout. Both of this week’s layout were suppose to be 8.5X11 but I couldn’t do it. I had to charge them to 12X12!

Knights of Avalon.

Journaling: In the Tournament of Horses Arena, we watched the Knights of Avalon compete in full contact jousting using lances. Our section of the audience rooted for the red knight. We were led in cheers by our animated squire “Johnny.” Our knight did not win but it was certainly fun to cheer anyway.

What is jousting? During the middle ages there were many types of jousting with special rules and items of armor. We witnessed the joust of peace. The main objective of the joust of peace was to “break a spear” on the opponent from the waist up. It is generally inappropriate to target the head. The opponents do not try to dismount the opposing rider because this could lead to real injuries to the horse or the rider. Points are awarded on how well your opponent is struck with maximum points being awarded for shattering the lance. A jousting match consists of a number of runs with the riders attempting to hit each other’s shields. Points are awarded for each run. The joust of peace became common from the 14th century onwards.

Jesse Edwards: Clean and Serene Solids, Christmas Traditions Solids

Katie Pertiet: Sea Salt Paper, Decorative Scissors Brushes-n-Stamps, Tied Fasteners

Kellie Mize: Double Dates No. 01 Brushes-n-Stamps

All designerdigitals.com

Fonts: King Arthur, Century Gothic, You Are Loved and Garamond

Layout and concept provided by Cathy Zielske’s Design Your Life workshop at BigPictureScrapbooking.com

Our second week of class focused on balance. Instead of symmetrical balance Cathy discussed asymmetrical balance. Asymmetrical balance has always been hard for me to really understand. I think I get it now but the question still lingers: what makes an assmetrical layout NOT work. I think that will become clearer in the following weeks.

Sunday: Applebee’s 🙂

Monday: Beef Stroganoff with noodles

Tuesday: Scrambled Eggs with Sausage and Cheddar

Wednesday: Tater Tot Casserole and Creamy Buttermilk Coleslaw

Thursday: Thrifty Casserole

Friday: 4-Cheese Fettucine

Saturday: Leftovers?

Our family attended the Renaissance faire yesterday. Jackie’s been to it several times but it was Jennifer’s first time. She wasn’t too sure about it for the first hour. She didn’t like anyone talking to her as the characters often do and she wasn’t in an adventurous mood. Two things changed all that:

Horses

and getting to shoot things!

In the end, everyone had a great time!

Another week of food at the Gormish household.

Sunday: Ravioli with Alfredo Sauce, corn on the cob, bread

Monday: Roast Turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes

Tuesday: Homemade Chicken and Dumplings, grapes

Wednesday: Church dinner

Thursday: Shrimp Tempura, Chicken Sausage, sauteed green beans, bread

Friday: Pizza

Saturday: Meat Fondue

Due to birthday parties, we couldn’t have fondue last week so it’s on the list again!

A few days before the deadline for signing up for the Design Your Life class by Cathy Zielske, I stumbled upon some information about it. Being a big fan of Cathy’s and haven taken a class from her previously, I decided on the whim to take the class. It’s a 12-week on-line class with videos, message boards, handouts, etc. The class covers topics related to design which I can always use some aide and inspiration. I’ll share my projects on my blog.

In week #1 we concentrated on symmetrical balance.

We were also given a challenge to use a certain color palette (orange, yellow, blue, brown in muted shades) and a sketch.

Journaling: While Back to School means some things to the girls, it means different things to me. It’s back to meetings, daily trips to school, volunteer hours and Girl Scouts. One event that starts it all is my Moms In Touch group meets for breakfast at Alana’s Cafe. Here in this cozy, intimate cafe, we discuss our summers, the upcoming school year and our group plans. After our initial breakfast meeting, we will meet every other week at one womnan’s house and prayer for the school and the students. Through the coarse of the year, we will pray for every student, administrator, staff, field trip and school event. We will prayer for our own children as they struggled with academics, homework, relationships, physical changes, and their influence on the school and other students. Every year we see wonderful answers to prayer.

Jesse Edwards: Clean and Serene Solids, Fabric Overlay
Anna Aspnes: Challenge Paper 7/27/08
Mindy Terasaqa: Flutter Butter Kit
Ali Edwards: School Words No. 1
Kellie Mize: Double Dates No. 3
Fonts: Ali’s Handwriting and Century Gothic

Sunday: Pasta Alla Amatriciana, Caesar Salad, Red Grapes

Monday: Toasted Sub Sandwiches with meats, cheeses, lettuce, tomato, etc., Chips
Tuesday: Beef Carbonnade, Mashed Potatoes, and Julianne Beets

Wednesday: Stir-Fried Noodles with Pork, Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry, White Rice and Fortune Cookies

Thursday: Cheese Ravioli with Alfredo Sauce, Green Salad, and Bread

Friday: Thai Chile Beef, White Rice, Pad Thai

Saturday: Fondue with beef, shrimp and dipping sauces

For “orange” day, I am featuring a favorite shirt of Mike’s. He wore this orange shirt a lot and these pictures show it during at least a three year period. I don’t scrap much with orange but I was always on the lookout for some orange paper to go with these types of photos.