It's a Wonderful Life

Thought I would share another layout today. This was from the December Book of Me Class. Obviously I have yet to add photos. LOL We tend not to do holiday themes in the BOM class (it's a book of ME class, after all - hee hee!) but I thought this was a way to add a little holiday flair to December's class... the whole "It's a Wonderful Life" thing. (Confession time: I've never actually seen the movie. People usually give a gasp of horror when hearing that. LOL) Anyway, I was pleased as punch with how this turned out. Lots of different tool and techniques that we played around with.

Layout ingredients are: Bazzill cardstock, Basic Grey Blitzen and Fruitcake patterned paper, Coluzzle ("wonderful life"), Quickutz ("it's a", brackets, paisleys), ribbon, staples, photo anchors, brads, photo corner punch, distress ink

Speaking of the BOM, the March class is tomorrow night. Now ask me if the sample layout is ready? Bwahahahaha! It's close, though. What's ridiculous is that I actually got an early start this month. I got about two-thirds done and then got side-tracked. And there it has sat on my work table. Guess what I'll be doing tonight... :-)

Essentials

Thought I would share a layout today. This is one I created for the Book of Me class (November 2006). The idea was to reflect what is "essential" to your day. Mine being: books (I never leave home without one), Black Cherry Vanilla Diet Coke, my raspberry glacee Clinique lipstick, and (of course) a dose of scrappy stuff. There is hidden journaling behind the top photo which chronicles why I chose what I did. One thing I really like about this one is the little butterly in the top right of the layout. It was made using a photo corner punch for the wings and buttons for the body. The antenna were just drawn on with a black Zig pen. Oh, and the stamps used for the title are from Ma Vinci. Awesome site for unmounted stamps!

Yeah... He's Mine

I haven't posted any layouts since January (what's the matter with me?!) so it's well past time to share another. This is one I did a couple weeks ago. It's actually for one of the Elsie Challenges (challenge #2) which was to enlarge a b&w photo and make it the focus of your page. This is what I came up with. I'm especially proud of heart, which I drew and cut myself. I'm usually too much of a freaking perfectionist for something like that but it seemed to work for this page. :)

Monster House

There is an article in this week's Jacksonville Business Journal titled Building a Monster House. The house, which should be completed this summer of fall, has been under constant construction for the past two years and has been mistaken for both a hotel and an apartment complex. The "super custom home" is 22,661-square-foot in size. Can you imagine?! Nine bedrooms, 11 bathrooms and a 14 car garage. The window coverings are operated by remote, the chandelier in the foyer can be lowered for cleaning, the master bedroom has a "morning kitchen", and the family room has 30-foot-high ceilings. Outside there is a children's swimming pool, an adult swimming pool, a crossing bridge, an half-court basketball court and a dolphin fountain. I mean, this sounds like something out of Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous. LOL I might have to drive by just to see it in person. It might have to be seen to be believed. Wow.

Buddies

I am so not one of those who oohs and ahhs at puppies and kitties and babies. I just don't turn to mush over kids and animals. But I do have to admit that this picture and the accompanying story are pretty darn cute. Reading it made me remember that as a little girl I desperately wanted a monkey . I wanted a little girl monkey to dress up and carry around. I had seen people on TV with monkeys and I always liked the way the monkeys clung to them. :) Anyway, this pic really makes me smile. Thought I would share.

Rules for Living in Jacksonville

So many of these float around for almost any city or state. A co-worker sent me these for Jacksonville (my home) and I got such a laugh from some of them. Thought I would share:

1. You are either a Gator or a Seminole. You have no choice. If you abstain, you will be assigned a team. There are no other schools. It's better to learn this sooner than later.
2. Forget the traffic rules you learned elsewhere. No one pays attention to them here. Merging, yielding, and right-of-way are completely foreign terms.
3. To find anything in Jacksonville it is required that you know where The Avenues Mall is. It is the Alpha and the Omega; the beginning and the end.
4. The morning rush hour is from 6am to 10am. The evening rush hour is from 3pm to 7pm. Friday's rush hour starts Thursday morning.
5. If you actually stop at a yellow light you will be rear-ended, cussed out and possibly shot.
6. East Rd. meets West Rd. on Beach Blvd., but they both run North and South.
7. Normandy Boulevard, State Road 228, Cecil Field Road, Maxville Road and Post Street are all the same road.
8. Construction is a permanent fixture in Jacksonville. The barrels are moved around in the middle of the night to make the next day's driving a bit more exciting.
9. The minimum acceptable speed on J. Turner Butler Blvd. is 75 mph. Anything less is considered downright sissy. This is Jacksonville's version of NASCAR.
10. Never honk at anyone. Ever. Seriously.
11. If you are in the left lane and only going 70 in a 55 zone, you are considered a road hazard and will be treated accordingly.
12. If it's 100 degrees, Thanksgiving must be next weekend.
13. There are really only two seasons here: Summer and January.
14. If you choose to live in Orange Park, or, God forbid, Middleburg, plan to leave for work at 4am and return home around 11pm. Otherwise you may get caught in what can only be described as "the world's longest left turn lane."
15. You can buy a million dollar condo downtown on the river but you have to drive 10 miles for a loaf of bread, and never after dark.
16. The Landing is an interesting place. Every time you visit there will be a whole new set of restaurants and fewer stores. And less parking.
17. North Phillips Highway. Don't go there. Ever. Unless, of course, you are looking for motels that charge by the hour.
18. Convenience stores are literally EVERYWHERE. Unless you live in a million dollar condo downtown on the river.

Gotta Love It

Florida weather, that is. Yesterday was sheer perfection. Temps in the mid 70's, sunny, breezy, blue skies. Felt positively delicious outside. Spring fever is starting to run rampant with this kind of weather. Hard to be cooped up at the office when it's so perfect outside. Makes me wish I was at home with the windows open, getting some fresh air in the house, and feeling that yummy breeze. Hopefully this taste of spring will last through the weekend!