SEM's August Sketch Challenge

Hello my friends...  let's welcome a new week...

I know I know... this means, go back to work, or  school/college, or appointments... blah blah blah...  But it also a new beginning...  a new week of life...  let's thank God for that... and have the best attitude towards this new week...  Agree?

Remember I'm the guest designer for SEM this month?  Well, I made a layout for their August Sketch Challenge...  It is about a  neighborhood called "Pabellones" in Ponce, Puerto Rico and the house my husband grew up in.

You can see the sketch, my pick and others' friends versions HERE.  Besides, you might want to come up with your version and participate in this wonderful challenge.  Please visit SEM and take a look at this wonderful blog.

Here are some sneak peek pictures showing parts of my layout...

Below is the story behind my layout and you can see the completed page by clicking HERE.

Don't forget to leave your comment.  Have a great week!

Whenever my husband and I talk about our childhood or remember any stories from the past, it is about this place he talks the most.  Part of his childhood and younger years he lived at this place called "Pabellones" (pavilions), located in the center of Ponce (a municipality of Puerto Rico).  He always tells me about all the good, funny and even some bad things he lived and saw in that "barrio" (neighborhood), and he always talks about it with nostalgic feeling.  I have this picture of him in front of the house when he was a young boy (about 14 years old), and this other photo of the house the way it looks more recently.  I tried to show in the layout that there's a lot of history behind this house, so I stamped handwriting to use as background, and used vintage patterned papers as well as embellishments and letters that could support the look.  I punched holes around the layout and used twine to frame all the page and ended with two large eyelets to tie the twine several times.  My journaling is also handwritten so it supports the nostalgic, personal and vintage look of the layout.  The journaling says:  "I never lived in this "barrio" at Ponce, but have heard lots of stories from my husband John.  Most part of his childhood and youth he lived here, at house #9.  His stories help me know a little more from his past and roots, which is what make him be who he is today."