Better Than Fabulous

The two ladies in this layout have been friends since 1931 during their University days. I consider them National Treasures, and only wish that everyone had the chance to know them. What presents they have been ... what presence they have shown. Remarkable. Truly remarkable. We can learn so much from those who have paved the way.

This layout was made with the March Fabulously mini-kit I made for the DSO Color Challenge, hosted by the fabulous KimB. I've posted the download links below if you're interested in using the kit yourself..

Have a great weekend.

Melanie

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Tee Hee

Although I don't want anyone to invade my personal body space -- either by getting too close to me when I'm checking out at the grocery store or by trying to read a logo on my sweatshirt -- I enjoy reading the tee shirt art that others are wearing. Granted, some of it is not appropriate AT ALL, and I applaud the airlines who address the matter directly when someone tries to board with offensive, vulgar language or graphics visible among other passengers. However, there are some that are just too witty or too personally appropriate to ignore.

I admit that I will buy some of the funny G-rated ones for my husband to wear around the house because it amuses me, plain and simple. To me, they celebrate our sense of humor.

You're bound to have some photos of friends and family wearing some of those clever designs, right? What's the funnies you've seen?

This seemed like a good laidback Friday sort of word art to contribute.

Until later,

Melanie

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Snapshot Moments

You already know that photography is one of my passions. I have so many that I know I'll never get them all "scrapped" but want to stop the world long enough to make a good effort. But, then, I would miss so many more snapshot moments in the lives of people I care about.

I loved this quotation the moment I read it. I can already tell it's going to require multiple photographs to use it in a layout because this quote applies to a multitude of snapshots!

Blessings,

Melanie

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Pancakes & Alligators

Don't you just love what they can do with birthday cakes now? It's extraordinary all the choices, designs, sizes, concepts, etc.

I tried something different this weekend. We had an impromptu 2nd birthday breakfast Saturday for my youngest great-nephew for those of us who couldn't get to his real birthday party the next day.

Since I was the one who pulled the party together, I took the responsibility for getting the decorations and cake. I ordered an alligator cupcake-cake to go along with the "Go, Diego, Go" theme -- which the little guy watches incessantly now as "Day-go" is his favorite cartoon. He took a stab at eating one of the cupcakes from the alligator's tail because he's mastered eating with a fork -- but, as these things go, got more on his face and fingers than in his tummy. Plus, he was so full of pancakes (his favorite breakfast) that he just slouched back into the high chair looking like an old man ready to loosen his trousers to watch a sports game on television -- and his eyes started to droop.

So, the party was over ... or was it?!!! Once they returned home, the birthday boy and his two older brothers stuffed themselves all the rest of the day with the alligator cupcakes and they loved to be told that their lips and tongues had turned to green.

Well, the next day the two older boys (ages 6 and 4) made a startling discovery. Our "poop is green!" they shrieked to their mom. They started peeking into the birthday boy's diaper to check on him, and, alas, his poop, too, was an alarming shade of bright green.

"Why did Aunt Melanie put alligator poisoning in the cake?" they asked. Once my niece explained about the concept of food coloring and its inevitable effects on things besides their tongues, they nodded wisely, absolutely satisfied that it was okay to have even more alligator cupcakes.

You'll see I've included a photo of the "toxic" cake.

Naturally, I had to do a childlike wordart today. Hope you can use it.

Happy Wednesday!

Melanie

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Last Glimpses of Winter

It got to 80 degrees (F) here yesterday, but of course, is much cooler today. My British husband is still amazed at the weather/temperature fluctuations in our Texas weather. He had thought it was a myth.

I loved the gentle tasks requested in this quotation ... and maybe ... just maybe ... I'll get around to some of them this year.

Wishing you well,

Melanie

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Me, to a T

There are fewer than a handful of people that I know who understand how out-of-sync I feel with the rest of the world. This isn't a constant thing, just occasionally when I realize that I just can't get a handle on how others are thinking or acting or that I feel as if everyone else is speaking a foreign language that I just can't get. It even happens at family gatherings sometimes (and I have a great relationship with my family) -- I just feel out of place for some unknown reason.

Having made that confession to you guys, I'm sharing a quotation I found yesterday that helps describe that feeling. And I bet you have someone in your circle of friends and family to whom this would apply as well. I thought it would be scrap-able, too, for some of those teen-angst type layouts, when you're describing the uncertainties and confusion that abounds at those times in our lives.

Just a thought. :)

Melanie

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And So It Is

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Time for your Veggies

Just being a bit silly today. Enjoy the diet hints!!

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Helen Keller Still Inspires

One of the first biographies that I read when I was in elementary school was about Helen Keller. Her teacher, Annie Sullivan, was just as inspirational in many ways. Back in my day, reading biographies and preparing reports for English classes was a big thing. Do they even do that anymore? I worry that so much history is not being passed along, and certainly history of courageous individuals.

Hope you find courage today to do something felt from the heart.

Blessings,
Melanie
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A "Hit and Run" Posting

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Some People Just Oughta Come With a Warning Label

My mom is so dependent on caffeine that you can set your watch by it. Growing up with that, I vowed to never get that dependent on anything! Most of the time, I stick to it, but sometimes -- if I'm not paying attention -- I suddenly have a day full of caffeinated beverages. It's not so bad until you start coming down off of it. Whoooosh ... that's a killer!!

Have a great Friday,

Melanie

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Disclaimer: Designer is NOT responsible for any caffeine headaches or outbursts!

Another Love Lines

I have to confess that I'm not big on Valentine's Day. I've always thought it odd that people had to be told to be romantic or thoughtful, and I didn't like the pressure it puts on anyone. It also makes those who are unlucky in love have one more day that makes them feel like a freak. And, of course, there's the whole idea of it just being invented by a greeting card conglomerate (like "Sweetest Day," whatever THAT is!). My husband and I both tend to do things for each other spontaneously throughout the year, so don't feel particularly motivated to celebrate it in the same way as many do.

Having said all that, I'm NOT trashing anyone who gets into the spirit of the Cupid-inspired day. It's all in the spirit of fun anyway. And a whole day of people being in high spirits in anticipation of their favorite meal at their favorite restaurant with their favorite guy/gal is a good thing for all of us.

Hear's another part of the Love Lines series. Hope you can use them. As you can see, these, too, were inspired by lyrics of familiar love songs.

Have a good one!

Melanie

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I Wanna Dance With Somebody, and other songs

On the way to work this morning, I heard an old Whitney Houston song ... and it made me think that some of the phrases from her songs would work for Valentine's Day/Love/Wedding Anniversary word art thingies. If you think so, too, then today's your lucky day. :)

Love Lines 3 includes the two word art phrases shown in the preview -- only one version for each this time around.

Hope you have a great Wednesday. I'm still getting over the flu, so apologies for seeming to be a bit skimpy on the word art the past few days.

Melanie

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Gezundheit!

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Too true for words ...

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Inspired by a Quotation

I found this quotation to be particularly powerful. I like the ones that are succinctly stated with a POW. It says so much about perseverance.

My thoughts when I was working on this were a combination of a scratch-off card of some sort, with a bit of graffiti-looking sort of thing. Don't know why in particular, but that's why it's a tiny bit edgier than I usually do. At least it seems that way to me.

Regardless of how you look at it, this simple answer to an age-old question is a life imperative. And one I'm going to try to do better on applying in my own life.

Until.

Blessings,

Melanie

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The Ride

In the middle of writing/designing the annual report and an invitation to a baby shower, I remembered a few things I had intended to add to the MMDC Sassy February kit (see yesterday's post) -- for those of you who may be interested in using it for Valentine-ish layouts. It includes word art, as you see. These colors coordinate with KimB's color challenge mentioned in yesterday's post also.

I have to relay a story about yesterday, just after I posted the new kit and layout. My older sister, Marsha (the subject of yesterday's Sassy layout) called me. She was on the way back with my mom; they had attended the funeral of one of our cousins who had been killed in a car accident on Friday. I was unable to attend the funeral. My cousin -- like Marsha -- was also the oldest of three sisters, so it really hit home with her as she visited with the family after the services.

Marsha called me just to tell me that she loved me.

It seems that every month I'm losing someone ... that is the way life goes, and we all experience it. Out of tragedies, we're always reminded of how precious time is -- with our families, friends and others we hold dear. LOVE IS WHAT MAKES THE RIDE WORTHWHILE, don't you agree?

Those of you who have requested past word art, don't worry -- I will get it to you. I've still got a few long-standing requests that I haven't forgotten either. Bear with me, please!!

I'm much more in the mood to do scrapbooking stuff today, so don't be surprised if I'm back on later to add at least a new WA. I need the distraction and healing that creativity brings.

And to all of you who are so thoughtful? Thanks for the extremely kind, enthusiastic and encouraging comments you've been leaving. It means a lot!!

Happy Tuesday,
Melanie
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Sassy February

Just a new mini-kit made in reponse to KimB's oh-so-fun-as-usual color challenge in the DSO forum. You should try it sometime, if you haven't already!

Using this Sassy February mini-kit, I've also included a layout made of one of my sisters, during a glamour shoot we were doing just for fun at my house a few months ago.

I need to enter more of the challenges presented by all the different digi-sites ... they're really fun and help you spread your wings a bit.

I forgot to mention that the shadows on the preview are merely to distinguish elements, and not on the .png files themselves.

Hope you find this useful in some way.

Until later,
Melanie
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Teenagers Unleashed

Last December 12th, a new teen driver was unleashed on the world.

Shudder.

My assistant's daughter got her driver's license. [Actually, she's done quite well, but it was because she was taught well.]

Most of today's drivers make me cringe, though -- and I'm not usually a 'fraidy cat in the car. People just do the most inSANE things in their cars, with little care for their safety, much less the countless others on the road who suffer from their recklessness. Particularly crazy moves of recent years are those people who think it's fun to speedily cross five lanes of traffic on the expressway to take their exit. They do this routinely. It happens so often now that we don't even blink. That's NUTTY!!!

And the young lady I mentioned? Doesn't understand why her mother's car keys aren't instantaneously available to her upon her every whim. Welcome to the real world, your ladyship. :) [As often as I lament being my current age, I wouldn't trade that for being a teenager again for ANYTHING!!!]

Have a great Monday,

Melanie

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Priceless Investments

For someone who was not blessed with children of my own -- not even through adoption -- I seem to have a lot to say about them. That's because I adore children and it's tough not to say something when I observe a parent not understanding, for example, that not listening to their child, they miss a world of opportunity to help the child grow into a responsible adult. I could get on my soapbox ... but I won't! Besides, I think that this would be like preaching to the choir, so to speak, because I think that scrappers in general are probably the best kind of parents.


Have a blessed Sunday,
Melanie

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Miss Piggy's Guide to Eating

It was so good to hear from those of you who left comments, particularly for those of you for whom yesterday's word art was meaningful. I, too, am inspired by these life reminders as they come along ... and I don't believe in coincidences. We find them when we need them most ... or we pass them along to others at times they need them, unknowingly.

Just a touch of humor for today. Bless her heart, "Miss Piggy" has heart even if it's a bit misguided. :)

Blessings on your day,

Melanie

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Reach Higher

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