Banners? I Don't Need No Stinkin' Banners!!

When I first saw banners on scrapbook pages, I knew I'd never do a page with them. I remember remarking to my friend, "Why would anyone put a BANNER on a scrapbook page?" I might have even scoffed, though I can't be entirely certain of that. Time went on and I continued to see pages adorned with banners, and would shake my head, secure in my banner snobbishness. Eventually I decided that maybe, just maybe, they'd be OK on a celebration page. Perhaps a birthday page. So the next time some birthday pictures rolled my way, I pulled out a banner, and behold--I was somehow magically converted. Banners have slowly worked their way on my pages, just in time for them to be going out of fashion. It's all good, though--I don' t generally care if what I'm doing is "trendy" or not. Heck, every once in awhile, I'll even pull out some decorative edge scissors or an old Doodlebug Charm. So, until I get tired of them, I'm going to keep using them, by golly. So I added them into this page, all Simple Stories stuff for the most part. I think I've already proclaimed my love for Simple Stories. In some ways, they're actually pretty hard to work with, but in other ways, it's nice to have stuff that works well together and that you don't have to do a lot with to still have it look nice. I added a few little gems to the banner and partook of some of my beloved ric rac and obviously, a button. I had to use a flash this morning because it's a gray and gloomy day, so that's not a ghostly apparition in the bottom picture, just a flash glare. These are pretty old pictures from 1990. And if you were able to deduce that it was Thanksgiving from the "Count Your Blessings" and "November" items on the page, you're doing well. I bounce all around in my scrapbooking (and boy it's starting to hurt my forehead and elbows). I might do pictures from last week one day , then photos from 1987 and my frizzy, scary poodle perm the next. I do put them away chronologically though. Otherwise, it'd be just wrong.

Family Pose

I sort of really love Simple Stories. I like the embelllishments and I particularly like how most of their papers are embellishments of sorts that you just cut out and use--like the cool "Family" Bingo card. I'm sort of stuck in the vintage look, though I like my bright colored pages as well. Just thought this paper line, "Generations" worked well with these photos, taken at my niece's wedding. It's unfortunate about the poor lighting in the photos, but at least we're all in there. Not too many family photos with all of us floating around. I also like how my brother Gary is trying to suck the energy from Kevin's head using only his hand. My family is talented that way. Anyway, the day was a big deal--the first of my niece/nephews getting married and these pictures were taken at the end of a long night of dancing and debauchery. I think there was definitely more dancing, though. Anyway, I used Simple Stories for pretty much everything except the ribbon, lace, button and the screw brad that I happily pulled from my stash. I bought them absolutely eons ago and I swear that this was the first time I've used one. There's a first time for everything they say. Duly noted.