Simple Inspiration

   Have you ever looked at a layout in a magazine, thinking, "I wanna do this?"  Well, that's exactly what I did when I saw this 1-page layout in Scrapbooks, Etc. Volume 8, Issue 1 (Jan. 2006).  I was recently given many scrapbook magazines from the past 12 years.  While many were pretty outdated, I was able to get some great ideas from them.  I decided that I would pull all of the January magazines and mark the pages that contained a layout, element or saying that I liked and then I would scrap-lift it.  This layout was one of those that I marked. 

   I had originally intended to scrap-lift the ribbon idea and do the layout very similar to what you see.  I found a random photo of each of the boys (I typically scrapbook events and didn't want to pull photos from another future page) and started looking for the perfect papers.  I ended up finding a cute sheet with stars in the background.  I took a good look at the photos and sat back to think.  Levi has cake on his face and a cheesy grin.  Elijah has a kool-aid mustache and a little smirk.  These are not portrait quality photos of my boys, but they do show exactly what the boys are like on a regular basis.  These are my boys!  This is EXACTLY what I want to remember when my kids are grown.  To a mom, there is nothing sweeter than a kiss from her child covered in sweets.  Okay, maybe we aren't thinking that while we are busy trying to clean the cake off of our clothes but when we look back, that's exactly what we feel. 

   I loved the stars on the paper and know these boys are stars to me.  They are like no other little boys.  They are my boys.  They bring joy and delight to me.  They often provide entertainment for those around us in restaurants and stores.  They make people smile, laugh and remember what their own boys were like at that age.  This layout says a lot about LOVE because of the photos and the simple line of journaling.  Nothing else was needed!  I spent maybe 20 minutes on both pages and I love the result.  No, it isn't my greatest work.  It isn't a beautiful masterpiece.  It's simply a small layout to show what my boys are like all the time.  They are truly stars!

Ingredients:  Designer Prints patterned paper- Creative Memories All-Star collection; Textured cardstock- Close to My Heart Outdoor Denim and Sunflower; Star design- CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge; My Acrylix Alphabet Stamps- CTMH Chocolate Alphabet Large; Journaling Pen- CM Twilight.