In the Storm

summer manifesto 2012

at the beginning of summer ali edwards planned a summer manifesto album that inspired me to put our own manifesto together. she shared her mini album this past october. i posted several stories over the summer as we 'fulfilled' our manifesto here. i finally buckled down
and put the album together.

i printed all my pages 6 x 6 on both photo paper or thick cardstock that i had on hand. then i affixed each page to a piece of 6 x 6 chipboard, which is part of a chipboard album i found in my stash by 7 gypsies which i've probably had for 5 years or so.

yeah me! for using my stash.

the front of the album is super simple. i love the arialic hollow font. i've been using that same font for elizabeth's road to alaska album. it really has become a favorite for titles.

the album really isn't very thick since i've used absolutely no embellishments - just pictures and words.

although i only had 1-inch rings on hand (they came with the album) because i couldn't find my stash of rings in my - stash - hidden somewhere.

the two page spreads look like this with the summer manifesto title on a picture and then the story underneath another photo.

i finished the album with ten of the summer manifesto actually completed. no worries for not finishing the list because we (or the boys, or the boys and jeff) did so much more.

i'll definitly be doing another summer manifesto next summer. and very much looking forward to creating the memories as well as the creative endeavor of putting an album together.

even if it took me three months to finalize a book.

summer manifesto l summer story number six

summer story number six   l   low country boil

we enjoyed an amazing sunday afternoon and evening with our small group for our annual summer low country boil. everyone chipped in for part of the boil and the guys put it together in double pots. we shared lots of talks and laughter, good food, and fellowship. it made for a very nice evening. we'll come back together this week for our normal small group grathering of fellowship, snack, and bible study.

summer manifesto l summer story #5

although we regularly go to the library we wanted to make sure that the library this summer was on our regular to do list, apart of our summer. i gave the boys a summer reading list full of classics like the three musketeers, and the great gatsby, the prince and the pauper and tom sawyer. this visit jarrod checked out the three musketeers and john is reading the prince and the pauper. we also grabbed the great gatsby and some movies and old television shows like Magnum P.I. We watched a couple episodes the other night and the boys loved it - and i still love it. it is still very watchable! must be tom selleck.

i added a little embellishment 'love stories' created by ali edwards for designer digitals. i might actually go back and add some sort of flag or banner to each story photo as a little something. this process putting this together is pretty simple now. i use my own templates and insert photos, journal, and it's good to go. can't wait to print and put together.

speaking of printing: i'm done with my 31 Things album and will be uploading the 12 x 12 pages to persnickity prints this week. i just may create a 12 x 12 template to upload my 6 x 6 summer manifesto album then upload those pages too and get started on binding the album mini-together.

summer manifesto l the subway art

lee made a piece of subway art for her family's upcoming summer activities. sounded like a good idea for a visual of our summer manifesto for 2012. i took our manifesto, about five different fonts, and three different colors and created my own subway art. i love the blue and various shades of grey to white. i really need to upload those subway pieces and have them printed and framed. i made this piece into an 8x10 size for ease (in case i wanted to print it here at home) + an 8x10 can sit in a table frame neatly.

i'm very keen about subway art. especially the use of different fonts. so clever. i can't hope to use fonts together like some can put together but i have fun nonetheless.

so much fun to be had. we've already put quite a dent into our summer.

summer manifesto l summer stories # 3 & #4

last friday we 'unplugged'. not television, no x-box, no computer. the boys worked on merit badges, school work, and reading, and i busied myself with stuff like bible study, reading, bills, my class for next fall (wish i'd had the computer). hoosier man and i had a date night and the boys succumbed to temptation and watched a movie while we were out.

our unplugging meant time for games too.

on our summer manifesto is go to the beach. because i found out i wasn't working on father's day and jeff and the boys no longer work traffic at church i jumped on the opportunity to head to the beach. our cost: gas and parking. we took a bunch of water and our selves off to the beach for a great morning of beautiful weather and fun morning.

it is Jeff and the boys' tradition to build a sandcastle.

summer manifesto l the album

i am putting together a mini-album for our summer manifesto activities. they aren't in any type of order just documented as they happen. i'm probably gonna' make an insert for a hello summer, and the original manifesto, and then the last page will be a goodbye summer. of course the idea for the mini album came for none other than my scrapbooking hero, ali edwards. i'm just making it my own instead buying her templates for it.

the front cover of the album (a 6 x 6 album). i'll punch holes in the sides for 1 inch rings. i may or may not mat the front and back pages (probably will though now that i think about it.

each double page spread (again these are 6 x 6) will have a title page like this with the summer story number plus the summer manifesto

the right side of the double page spread will have another picture (4 x 6 photo with white border) plus the story. each story will begin with summer story

using a photo behind the stories title page allows me to include two photos from the story rather than just one. i guess i could turn the 4 x 6 on the next page into small photos if i need to but this is a mini album, photos + story

my plan is to complete a double page spread for each summer manifesto activitiy rather than each time we do something (for instance, we made homemade ice cream; we hope to make homemade ice cream each month this summer; i'll only include one double page spread even thought the activity might happen more than once.

i want to allow the opportunity for additional summer activities that aren't in the original manifesto. i have no problem including them even thought they weren't on the manifesto, like if we go to splash in the boro, or go bowling, or do something else summerish.

a couple more pages

ian's birthday was yesterday and ash and brad got him a cake and celebrated ian's four years at home. the cake looks like a root beer float - yum!

we made homemade ice cream as part of our summer manifesto. i'm sure we'll do this again. i'll make a summer book this year with those things of our 'summer manifesto'. in the meantime i made a page...

love this simple page with lots of pictures. this will go in the boys' boy scouts album.

 

summer manifesto

it's drawing near to summer and time to identify our intentions for the summer. this year i've kept it short and sweet in the hopes that by the end of the summer i can check off each one as having done. while being purposeful about something doesn't always mean success it does mean that it is more likely.

there are somethings about this summer's list that are so simple, but i find i'm really going to need them in order to not relapse into procrastination and laziness but see progress (with anything) and accomplishment. one of those is 'go outside daily'. seems simple right. but it's hot and i'll sweat. but i must. swim is a must also. i have to find that place where taking 3 hours out of my day to go to the pool, swim, shower, come home does not seem like torture but - just part of my day...and go to the pool to swim!

i'm really looking forward to the 'unplugged' days. books will be read, games will be played, walks will be taken, fun will be had. even those very simple acts: make homemade lemonade, ice cream will feel like summer and bring joy.