When I converted from creating 12x12 layouts, I was trying to simplify. I was too overwhelmed by the large space that needed to be filled. All that whiteness scared me. 8.5x11 feels a lot more comfortable to me. Its easier to envision something that I'd like to create, and the amount of space isn't so vast that it winds up feeling lost or daunting.
I suppose the next step in my personal simplification process is returning to my roots, and starting with the basics. At the beginning, in a way. What are the basics? To me, its your main photo mat, a space for journalling, space for your photo, and a few supporting embellishments to help tell your story. As I grow more confident within myself, more and more embellishing and more difficult page concepts, etc., will naturally follow.
Isn't that green card stock in the background delicious?! Its some new Recollections (Michaels brand) card stock that I picked up on our last trip into the city. Its from the Spice Market collection. So pretty! I love this shade of green! When I was thinking of what color scheme I wanted to use, I originally had out a piece of pink card stock, to pick up the color of Addisons' skirt. I wasn't liking it, though. Once again, pink was the color of choice, and I was tired of it. I've never really been all that fond of pink, anyways. It kind of irks me that the color of choice- and that everyone has just accepted it as so- for girls is pink. Why? (Personal rant.)
When I pulled out the green card stock, I knew right away that I wanted to use up the last little bit of scrap paper left over from a 12x12 sheet of Jillibean patterned paper, from the Country Pumpkin collection. (Its the striped paper that the journalling is located on). Near perfect fit! The patterned paper that its matted on appears to be yellowish in this picture, but its also another shade of green (though very yellow in nature). Add some blue in there for a nice accent color, and pink to pick up the color of the subject in my photo, and the color scheme was borne!
There's a story behind this skirt. I marvel at the fact that a two year old is already developing her own sense of fashion. Who would have thought?! But, I suppose since they are little people, with their own likes and dislikes and things they are naturally drawn to, it shouldn't surprise me. I just find it awesome that at such a young age, they find something like that interesting! Addison spotted this skirt at Walmart one day, and she begged for her mama to buy it. I thought it was super cute, and had no issue with buying it for her, but I told her to wait. Christmas was coming, and mama needed to talk with daddy about it, first. Surprisingly, she let the matter drop. And, when Christmas rolled around, she became the proud new owner of a pretty, twirly, ballerina skirt. Her sister became the owner of a pretty, twirly, black ballerina skirt. And, even though they've already outgrown those skirts, they are still favorites. (They still wear them, though only around the house).