All About You in 52

This layout was done for Week #12. The question being "Who Was Your Very First Love?", which made me reel because I didn't want to scrap it. But then I found this picture, (I had no idea I had this, honestly, my mother must have snuck it in one of my albums,) and I thought, what a nice looking young man he was. I also thought what a great layout it would make with this fabulous Graphic 45 paper. Yep, that was my first love, my father. He was also the first man to break my heart.



Week 15 - Did You Have a Pet as a Child?
Yes.



Week 17 - Who Was Your Best Friend as a Child?
The first friend I ever had was Gloria, who lived a few doors down the street. I was always at her house or she was at mine. I have pictures of her in her first communion dress, pictures of her with my family. She was always there...until they moved to the suburbs, but I would never forget her...Gloria Sinatra....and her brother Frank. (honest to God, that was his name. see? life is funny).




Week 18 - Who Was Your Best Friend in High School?

I already scrapped this pic just a few weeks ago but I wasn't particularly happy with it. I'm trying to get Maryann to find a copy of her high school picture since I can't locate mine. Some friend, huh? I LOST her damn picture!! But I think she knows I always loved her, and I still do. Her friendship was THE most important thing in my life.


Definitely playing catch up!

You in 52 - Week 8

Question for week 8:

What is one moment of Faith for You?

This time I knew immediately what the journaling would be. The layout was a bit more difficult. I have a couple pictures of the person I write about, but they didn't seem to fit into the whole scheme of things.

Journaling reads as follows:

"Oh, so many years ago I worked with a young man, (a very young man) whose Christian belief and values were like none I’d ever witnessed before in someone so young. He was new to the corporate world, and very naive, but he was confident that his faith in God would carry him through.

I loved Patrick like he was my own son. He was so helpless in the office that I immediately took to mothering him, and he immediately accepted my help, (which, in hind sight, he really didn’t need). Then one day he invited me for a drink after work and told me the sad news that he was leaving the company. I was losing my friend, How sad!

As we talked more we shared stories and I told him about the dreams that I’d had since I was a very young girl. I would wake up in the middle of the night screaming as I dreamt that someone, or something, was after me. I was in my 30’s and these dreams still plagued me. Patrick listened intently and then told me he would pray for me…in fact, he decided we would pray right then and there…and we did.

As we bowed our heads, and held each other’s hands, I was totally aware of the fact that we were sitting in the middle of a bar with our heads bowed in prayer. The irony of the situation was the only thing that kept me from total embarrassment….that, and the fact that there weren’t too many people imbibing that evening.

I was raised as a Christian, but I’m not particularly religious, nor do I believe that all prayers are answered. But I always believed in Patrick and his faith in God, and I haven’t had one of those dreams since that night."

You in 52 - Week 7

I haven't been able to pin point this one yet. I will though, because I really want to finish with 52 layouts. I'll just have to come back to it later.

You in 52 - Week 6

You in 52 - Week 5

Question for week 5:

Whose Life Have You Influenced Outside Your Immediate Family?

Wow, Debby’s Dares are a lot of work! My poor old brain can’t handle all this contemplation. I don’t even know where to start with this one. If anyone ever told me that I had an influence on their life….I’ve probably forgotten. I mean, I didn’t keep a list or anything like that, and I probably wasn’t a very good influence on anyone. I wasn’t even a good influence on myself.

But if I did, I hope I was there to lend a helping hand when you needed it. I hope I encouraged you to achieve your dreams, or just listened when you needed someone to listen. Maybe I made you laugh when you wanted to cry, or I just sat with you in silence. If I touched your life in some small way, I’m thankful. For my life has certainly been touched by you.

You in 52 - Week 4

The question: What 7 decisions changed the course of your life?

I thought about this all week long and actually came up with 7 decisions. Decisions like moving to California, taking this job instead of that job, etc., nothing really life altering....my life continued on in the same fashion. And then it hit me...those two decisions made in my youth, not marrying and not going to college, changed the direction of my life forever.

I can't wait to see what Debby has in store for us this week.

You in 52 - Week 3

I can't believe I'm on week 3. I didn't think I'd get past week 1!

The question....."If you could have changed one thing about yourself what would it be?"

I'm 5' 1". You figure it out. LOL!

Journaling reads...
"I suppose when I was young, I wanted to change a lot of things about myself. Now that I'm on the down swing, it doesn't seem so important anymore. I am who I am. I just wish I had been a little bit taller...not much...just about 2" - 3".

Then my 5'8" friends wouldn't hover over me. My 6'4" fiance wouldn't have dwarfed me. I'd be able to reach the top shelf without standing on my toes, or pulling out a chair. I wouldn't have had to roll my sleeves up or hem my pants. I wouldn't have worn 4" heels...or would I?

Yes, I would, because the world looks a little less daunting when you're a little bit taller."

All About You in 52 - Week 2

When I grow up, I wanna be an old woman.

Hidden journaling reads: "I loved to read and I loved movies. I wanted to be any of the heroines in the books I read, but mostly I wanted to be Ginger Rogers in Fred Astaire's arms. I never found my Fred, but I can still dance...so when I grow up, I wanna be an old woman."

Inspiration for my layout came from this great ad...I wish I could attach it to the layout!

All About You in 52 - Week 1

The first week's assignment was to create a layout about the most influential person in your life. Well, there she is.....and I've been scrapping books about her for a long time. Books with little or no journaling. Books with pictures of her before I was even born. She had such a hard life that I think I like the old pictures best, because she was happy then. As the journaling says, I wish I could tell her that I now understand....just as she always told me I would.