Home Sweet Home!

I have a wooden sign that hangs near the front door of my house and reads, “Home is Where Your Story Begins”. It is one of my favorites. Its handwritten message speaks volumes, reminding the reader to cherish those tales that are unique to that house and the family who lives there. As we enter the month of July, home means so much. It is a celebration of the country we inhabit, the state or town we spend our time in and the structure where we choose to spend our days. July seems like the perfect time to record your thoughts or recollections of the place you call home.

Creating a layout about “home” requires only a picture or two and lots of your memories. Will you be compelled to share a story about one of the rooms you grew up in, or tell about how much you love planting the spring garden in your front yard? Your topics are truly endless as you can describe the style of your house and what drew you to it in the first place. Will you write about a previous home that had a scary attic or talk about family gatherings that occurred in the dining room? If you think about it, you could put together an entire album of layouts about a current or former residence. We recently moved and my children are missing their first home. What better way to help them remember than to put it down on paper for them?

The layouts below describe why home is so special. The journaling is vivid and exact, helping the reader remember the sensory details. It really is as important as making a layout about family and friends. Home is at the center of all things.

Our First Home by Suzanne Baird

Digital Supplies: Kit: Metro by Amanda Taylor, Amy Wolff, Meredith Fenwick, Janet Phillips (Songbird Avenue), Software: Adobe CS3, Fonts: Century Gothic, Mrs. Blackfort.

Editor's Notes: I love how Suzanne placed a monochromatic detail behind her photographs. It adds enough texture without overwhelming the design. The title work makes the layout pop as well.

Journaling: Our Address: 3814 Jancie, Rd., Fx. Glen lived in this home since the early years, around 1989. We purchased this home together from his dad in 1991 when we got married. We lived in this home, where Alysa was born, till Jan. 1996 when we, Chadd and Cristine Micheals who also moved along with us to our new neighboor, Shirley Gate Park. We also had a neighborhood Peacock who visited frequently and is on top of our house in the photo. These photos were taken July, 1992

No place like Home by Deanna Kroll

Digital Supplies: Papers, Word Art: Tutti Frutti by Paislee Press (Oscraps), Stitches: Mere Modesty by Taylor Made Designs, Hearts, Butterflies: Indefinately by Taylor Made Designs, Overlay: Nicks World by Nina Scraps (all at Oscraps), Alphabet: Winter Wrap by Marks Paper Company (Two Peas in a Bucket), Software: Adobe CS3, Fonts: Splendid 66, 2Peas Sleigh Ride.

Editor's Notes: Deanna not only included a photograph of the house, but also pictures of those who live there. It gives the layout a real homey feel and makes it come to life. Her journaling is honest and open, expressing gratitude that makes the reader emotionally react.

Journaling: I am proud of this place that I call my home. I have been able to make a lot of memories here and really am proud of the fact that I was able to buy this house when times were extremely rough for me, both emotionally and financially. Gavin and I have created a place that we can be proud of, because it's been made with a lot of love. We added Isaac to our household in February of 2009 and he has added so much to the house that we were missing. I was always told that you make your house what it is. Through all of the memories we have created together in this house, it is truly a big part of who we are. It is a house that has been a labor of love, as Gavin and I have both grown a lot from what we have done and what will be done in the future with each other. A house is more than just a shelter, it is where one's heart is and where one's heart grows.

Home is Where the Navy Sends Us by Joscelyne Cutchens

Digital Supplies: Paper: Chocolate Bunny Post-board, Stressed Out Neutral 3, Stickers: Scalloped Square, Stitches: Chocolate Bunny, Tape: Techno Geek (all by Miss Mint at Peppermint Creative), Software: Adobe Photoshop CS4, Fonts: Wendy Medium, American Typewriter, karabinE.

Design Notes: I like to recolor one letter or one word out of the title for an interest point. I also like to mix fonts in the title. For the background, I added a picture from one of our moves and used it as an overlay on a cardboard patterned paper.

Journaling: Since getting married in 1996, Troy and I have moved with the Navy 12 times. There was the condo, Hale Moku, Moanalua Terrace, the lake, Birmingham, the Holiday Inn, Andrea's place, my mom's place, Moanalua Terrace, Radford Terrace, and two places in Halsey Terrace. We've made friends that are now scattered across the globe, and it's hard. But, we've made friends who are now scattered across the globe. As long as we can be together, home can be wherever we are.