My Cup of Happy

I have been so excited this week. I am in the process of taking Shimelles Scrapbook Process class at Shimelle.com As a scrapbook artist,  I am really learning more about pulling my albums together with more purpose..Before my albums where filled with pretty pictures and some bits of journeling  However, all my albums felt choppy and lacked flow. With that in mind, I am going to start an album about our new upcoming adventure-The Next Chapter of our life together. I want to journal/scrapbook a album about buying 150 year old house in Kentucky and flipping it. We have been flipping houses for a while, however this is unlike all the others..

In my early adult years, I was into the country look back in the 80s. I always dreamt of a big white Victorian beauty, with rambling front porches suggesting a time of simplicity and beauty.  At the time, the dream seemed too far beyond grasp.

My husband and I have been talking for years about moving to Kentucky close to my family. Living in Texas has its ups and downs like anywhere. The heat is unbearable at times. One day a cousin put post on facebook about a house for sale.. It was so grand with elegance and details that you don't ever see on  new house.  We decided to go for it. We put a bid on the house and drove up to Kentucky.  When we got there, it was nothing like it was advertised and would need so much work.  The same cousin told us about another house that was a historical home. She knew the lady well that once lived there. Since she passed the family was going to part everything out and put it up for auction. This broke my cousins heart. So we agreed to go see it... We pulled up and first thing I saw was 2 really old Victorian style homes, one more finished looking- at least on the outside.. The one we looked at was a big white Victorian home. It was full of antiques and in very good condition considering it was 150 years old.  We decided almost within that day we were going to buy it..I didn't even know it had a Gazebo on the side.. I always wanted one of those...Now I have one. I have my dreams come true. I go outside and take my coffee and think about all the things I want to do when we retire and live there full time.  So here's to my cup of happy.. I feel very blessed.

Products used: Shimelle collections, Doodlebug rhinestones, Heidi Swapp Chipboard alpha stickers, Stickers, Stickles, Ranger Crackle accents (on cup and heart) and Distress ink for edges.  Older Heidi Swapp chipboard alphas are altered with stickles.

As I was thinking about my title and journal. I was remembering how I didn't even see the gazebo before we decided to buy it. The next day the owner allowed us to spend the night and get a feel for the place. The first thing I did the next morning was make a pot of coffee and go out to the gazebo and just soak in and dream.. That's how I came up with the title, "My Cup Of Happy", it references to more than the wonderful aroma of coffee.

I hope you enjoy this layout. Some of my favorite things to add to a layout are Translucent items such as Ranger glossy accents or Crackle accents, acetates, translucent acrylic items, stickles, rhinestones and anything shiny like epoxy. I love to take older items and jazz them up to fit my layout.  I would love to see how you mix up or  the items above or jazz up older product and mix with new product.  Let me know what you think.

Happy Scrapping
Lana Jo