This layout and the little blurb below appears on the Kaiser Blog at the moment.....with a fantastic post about journalling and some great ideas/ tips/ and stunning layouts from the DT girls.......
My layout was one I did about Noah using the Pack Your Bags Paper Collection.....I wrote a little bit about Noah and how I come to journal his layouts in particular. When I sent this information in, the very gorgeous Ali Wood (Kaiser) thanked me for sharing such a personal story....I smiled when I her little note as I guess I don't even really think about that side of things any more......When we first had Noah, I know I was very sensitive about talking about him and sharing personal details, but as time has progressed I think that sharing our story actually makes coping with his situation easier....and to be perfectly honest, for the most part I don't even really think about his disabilities, we just see NOAH! I guess it also help to raise a little awareness of people with disabilities.........Anyway....here's what I wrote....
As many of you might know...... Noah my now 6 year old (my how time flies) has Down Syndrome and Mild Autism. I love creating layouts of him and what is happening in his little world, but his layouts serve a dual purpose for me. While I wouldn't say I approach these layouts more thoughtfully than I do any other, I use my journaling here as a form of therapy I guess. It's my opportunity to reflect on they way I feel about what's happening in Noah's life and in our family life as a result and while I know he may not be able to read them himself, I love to go back and see where I was at that time and also one day, for Josh and Belle to better understand what was happening with Noah at the time. One of the characteristics of Noah having Downs is that he has had developmental delays right from birth and his biggest delay is a severe speech disorder. While we have worked particularly hard to help his development through a variety of therapies, his progress has been quite measured. I think that is probably why I celebrate day to day activities and achievements that may seem insignificant to many.
So how do I do this.......lots of ways.
In this layout of Noah I focused my journaling on how far he has come in the past year in particular and also the fact that he is entering a new chapter of his life. Next year he will be starting school and I really wanted to record my thoughts about that.
If we were to dissect my layout...here's how I've incorporate little written messages to explore my thoughts and feelings.
Title.........I used my cutting machine and some patterned paper to create a larger title. Having to wait so long for Noah to achieve different things really has helped us focus on the amazing journey he has undertaken and the many important steps along the way, which I think my title reflects perfectly.
KC Freebies / Die Cuts/Embellishments/Rubons.... Just by carefully choosing embellishments, you can add to the sentiment and express more of what you are feeling..... I loved how the fine print on the "Adventure Ticket" say "Admits ONE person to amazing journeys and priceless memories"......to the quote on the Freebies emblem and also my rubon frame around the photo of Noah.
Hidden Journaling.....I cut this shape from the patterned paper and used a punch to make the notebook edge. I decided to use this as a place to record my personal thoughts about Noah starting school. Not necessarily because I wanted them to remain private, but more so because I didn't want this journalling to be part of my layout.
a close up......
As I said earlier.....some of the other DT girls have created the most beautiful layouts featuring journalling and the tips are well worth a look.....
Take care xxxx