Challenge # 12-2013 MMDT The Alphabet Challenge

Our Hearts are at Home

I’m not sure if I’ve managed to capture the concept behind the Alphabet Challenge with my layout, but it has been enjoyable putting together. We had some guidelines to get us started and they were:

Take pictures that include Alphabet letters - think of a message or a word you’d like to share - let it inspire the photos you take. 

Example: You can take pictures that include signs, scrabble tiles, sidewalk chalk, chalk boards – or create your own letters using non-traditional materials.

I had an idea to do something with chalkboards, because it suited my theme, except I hate the touch of chalk! So I decided on using write-on boards… my bargain of the week was finding the perfect board with school paper ruling on it for $1.00 each!!  How much better could it be for a school themed page?

Maybe it was because it was just Flag Day, and Memorial Day in May with Independence Day just around the corner, but I’ve gone with a classic Red, White and Blue scheme with Navy Mosaic Moments Grid Paper for the base, MM Paper Tiles in Brick, White and Huckleberry Pie. That Huckleberry Pie is my new favorite tile color!

In addition I’ve created my own house & heart blocks for the centers, and additional write-on board blocks as a part of the theme, and for the title and journal blocks. (Bazzill Basics paper)

My Message is my title:"Our Hearts Are At Home". The  photos I took were of families that homeschool and why.

For thirty years, I’ve been a home educating Mom. I began at a time when families choosing this path were still being arrested. Now the ranks of home educated children have increased phenomenally. There are all types of home schooling. There are all types of families who make this choice. Our reasons are wide and varied and as many ways to accomplish the task.  I set about speaking to some of our friends to participate as my kids begged to not be the sole focus. One thing about Home Schoolers, they like to be adventurous. 

I asked several questions and required a one-word answer that they wrote on the boards. These are a few of the questions I asked:

1.       What did you want to be when you grow/grew up?

2.       What is your favorite subject?

3.       Why do you home educate?

4.       Character qualities you’ve developed?

5.       Blessing God has given because you’ve home schooled?

6.       What do you Love about Home Schooling?

It was a challenge to reduce those answers into one word answers.

Page 1

My Family’s Photo includes on the Top row: Nathan and Hannah.  Second row: Andrew and Libby (wife to Tony), Bottom Row: Sheri with Isabella and David.

For the individual shots what they want to be when they grow up…Hannah: Baker, Andrew: Landscaper, Libby: Mommy, Jillian: Missionary and Olivia: Author.

Nate and Moryiah shared their favorite subjects, accounting and The Constitution (I thinks Moryiah would like to be a Constitutional Lawyer one day!)  Being a Mentor is the blessing Mom Michele enjoys. 

Their family actually created a list with words for each letter of the alphabet…coming up with 'Zippy-do-dah-zippy-a' for the letter “Z” showing that we can be creative and have a sense of humor…so I had to include that as their family shot! Like many home educating families, Darren is an involved Dad...for many families it's not just mom who bears the load.

On this block I used a technique I first saw done by Linda Holmes of our 2012 Design Team, cutting around an object in a photo to extend beyond the borders. It was the best way I could think of to get the whole sign and all the pretty faces!

The other families were bringing their girls to Bright Lights, a discipleship group for young girls that my daughter and her friend have been involved with developing in our area for the past two years, and stopped for a moment to take part. I appreciate each family’s willingness to help me out.

Top row: The Fishers; The Deptowicz; The Sobies.

Bottom row: The Bloughs; The Ketlers; The Cowgers.

 Page 2

I love Olivia’s answer to “What do you love about HS?”…Socialization! How often we laugh at people who somehow think our kids miss out by not being confined to a class of their peers…all the while being exposed to many people, many ages, many walks of life…we’re a head of that game! Her sister Jillian wants to be a missionary…how much more proof is needed that far from cutting out the world we have a heart for the world?

Scott is a missionary/Pastor in the Ukraine. As a homeschool graduate, He and wife Oksana continue with their six children. For them Influence at home in the lives of their children and the country that they live and minister to is very important. And Yes, that sign is in Russian!

Crystal and her husband raise their four girls on their farm. Flexibility makes integrating the responsibility of operating a farm and the chores that go along with it and lessons a part of each days learning.

The Ketlers find Consistency to be the factor in home education most valued.  Every member of the family is on the same page, regardless of their ages.

My journaling:

Additional words were included on individual blocks they are: Called, Creativity, HIStory, Shepherd, Vision, Integrity, Adventure, and Nurture. The blocks were made by taking a shot of the boards and cropping to fit the block. For the Journaling block I created a 4" text block to print on top of the photo of the ruled whiteboard.

Thanks so much for stopping in. I hope you’ll leave a cheer or a note for each of the designers in the Challenge. There’s still time to play along on the Challenge be sure to see more info here in the Newsletter. 

Andrea