Someone once said, “Getting an inch of snow is like winning 10 cents in the lottery.” But, in Alabama, getting an inch of snow is much more than that. It is a major event. Upon hearing the forecast for even the possibility of snow, you must immediately make at least one trip to the local store and purchase a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk. I’m not completely sure, but it might be a state law. And it doesn’t matter if you need these things or not, you should get them anyway. After all, you could be snowed in for weeks and these two items might, theoretically, save your life. At least that is what our grandparents always said.

Then you go home and wait. Most times, the anticipation turns to disappointment. But, when it actually does snow in Alabama, it’s a magical thing. There is a quote by J.B. Priestley that sums it up perfectly: “You go to bed in one kind of world and wake up in another quite different, and if that is not enchantment then where is it to be found?” And that’s exactly what it is, enchanting. It seems like the world is asleep, covered in a blanket of white. Ok, more like a thin sheet here, but covered nevertheless. Everything is still and quiet and beautiful. You can’t help but feel that the whole world is at peace.

That is, until the kids wake up and realize there is snow. They are home, of course, because all of the schools, half of the businesses, and even a few of the roads will most definitely be closed. The whole family rushes outside to play. There are snowball fights and giant snowmen towering at least two feet tall. Then the sun comes out and the fun melts away. And that’s ok because you feel lucky to have had the magic for just a little while. And because you know you will get to relive it through the 5:00 news coverage for at least a week.

I know some of you might get more than you want or need this winter. But, speaking for my little corner of the world, LET IT SNOW!!

Let it Snow by Lori Burdeshaw

Supplies: Papers, Ribbon: Fancy Pants Designs, Alphabet, Brads: Making Memories, Other: clip, snowflake brad, Design Template: Pages by Design (Deluxe Designs), Font: Studio (QuicKutz).

Design Notes: I used the Pages by Design system from Deluxe Designs to create my layout. They are an easy way to add layers and fun shapes to your pages.

Journaling: February, 2009 It SNOWED! We all went out and played in it. Noah took our picture by the chestnut tree. I even built a snowman!

Patterns in the Snow by Janice Badger

Supplies: Papers: Crate Paper, KI Memories, Cardstock: Core'dinations, Alphabet Stickers: Pink Paislee, Sweetwater, Buttons: Jesse James, Ink: Clearsnap, Adhesive: Scotch, Glue Dots, Tool: Corner Rounder (Creative Memories), Font: Enviro.

Design Notes: Who says you have to use blue, wintery papers for snow layouts? OK, I was looking for one that worked. But one sheet, blue on one side and a warm golden yellow on the other, flipped over when I was testing out different papers with my photos. And those photos just POPPED off the yellow and looked fabulous, while against the blue papers I had out they just grayed out and became drab-looking. So I went with golden yellow, lime green and black for this snowy layout. The warmth nicely balances the cold evoked by the pictures.

Journaling: More than an inch of snow in a single winter is a lot of snow in central NC. In the winter of '09, we got two pretty good snowfalls, with about 6" in each of them. I took all the standard pictures of the boys playing in the snow, snowmen, the yard with it's covered trees, that sort of thing. But I really loved the patterns in ordinary objects that the snow revealed, patterns I often take for granted. The fluid and curving lines of natural objects, and the structured repetition of man-made objects. The covering of snow revealed the beauty of the everyday, and I gladly captured it through my camera lens.

Enjoy by Stacey Michaud

Supplies: Papers: KI Memories, BasicGrey, K & Company, Pink Paislee, Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper, Felt, Chipboard: K & Company, Journaling Label: Luxe Designs, Other: ribbon.

Design Notes: I used bright pops of color to offset the sheerness of the KI Memories paper. The color scheme came from matching my daughter's winter hat. I love winter photos that capture action and wanted to use a sequence to show all her different emotions.

Journaling: We had so much snow this winter and you absolutely loved it. You touched, explored and played--pajamas under your coat and all!