Well I talked to my cousin Ginny last night. She is the one who did all the work for me with Carmeloni's headstone. Yesterday she went to see the stone. It is now complete. They will be laying it the first week of December and are just waiting on the date from me when we can be there. She and her sister and my father are Carmeloni's only living grandchildren (Carmeloni has one son still alive but at 88 and senile he has no idea what is going on anymore).

So I talked to Ginny for a while last night. Some more bad news. She and her husband of 22 years are getting divorced. He is leaving the day after Thanksgiving. Anyway, she would love the company and has invited my dad and I to stay with her in Connecticut when we go to NY for the stone. She is an amazing woman and will be ok, but I think she will be lonely during the holidays. Ok....so my point is......

I would like to make her some kind of special gift. She has been very involved in this genealogy thing even years before me. She loves and appreciates all that I do (there's a shocker ) I'd like to make her some kind of scrapbook or rememberance thing or something. I don't usually have time for this sort of thing so I really don't have much in ideas. I am hoping you can all help me choose something. Just as an aside...someone gave me a really nice scrapbook for my birthday with acid free paper and black and white photo corners and family tree paper. Can I start with that?

P.S. I'd love to hear some happy news? ANyone pregnant or getting married or anything???

Good news, huh? Well...I got all my laundry done. Does that count?

Seriously though, I understand you feel a bit down right now. That's understandable under the circumstances but you can't let it get to you for too long. You will need to move forward..

The scraping booking idea is beautiful. Jen and I got into that last winter and there's so much you can do. There's even things you can download from the Internet to help you with ideas (and even one linked to genealogy). I'll try to find the link again so you can see it. Maybe design it like you would a website???? Speaking of which..you NEVER did tell everyone how your site is coming or provide a link to it..

I'm sorry for your cousin but it's probably better this way. Everything happens for a reason so be there, support her and trust that she will get through it. Basically, just listen and let her take the lead. And don't let her problem become your problem too much or you won't be able to support her emotionally or function.

Life is so funny sometimes, isn't it?

Start cranking out a book on ancestrypress.com! LOL. I have been doing this nonstop for the past 2 weeks so join my misery. Seriously, you can scrap this traditionally but it can get expensive and time consumming. If you don't have the time, get a heritage themed kit at a craft store like Michael's or check out www.creativememories.com for coordinated papers, embellishments, etc...in one kit. It saves time.

I didn't know you had Micheal's in the US! Thats where Jen and I went. They actually had workshops (some where free) and they supplied a lot of the things you would need. You just bring the pictures..It was great.

I really need to check out this ancestry press more careful. You seem to be really enjoying it.

Lori, ancestry press is the first thing I thought of. But I wouldn't get it in time to take with me. We are going the first week of December so I guess I'll have to do it traditionally. I'm just not sure I have the creativity right now. And I've never done it before. So Nuccia, I'll take that link if you could find it. I don't need it to be a big project - just a nice one.

You can still use ancestry press but print out each page on nice photo paper and stick the pages in an 8 1/2 x 11 scrapbook or mount the pages on nice paper to fit into a 12 x 12 book. I pritned out several of my pages on photopaper and mailed them to my cousin in Italy. It still looks nice even if it is not professionally printed.

P.S. check this product out too: www.creativememories.c...-Album-Kit

I bought this to make a heritage album of my grandma's stuff. The papers say nice things like Cherish, Love, Inspire, Hope. They have coordinating stickers and journal boxes to write down information about the pics you put on the page. All of these are available either through a consultant or you can buy the products on line too.

Check out the digital layout gallery too. There are some ideas there too for Heritage Albums (that would be the keyword to google):
www.creativememories.c...Team-Ideas

Gina, I made a scrapbook for my dad 8 years ago or so with all the information I had collected and told what I knew of the family story in words and pictures. He cried he was so touched. (I only saw him cry once before that when my mom had major surgery). I think most people would appreciate the time you take for them. I made a lot of my own embellishments with pictures I downloaded on the internet. I also added store bought embellishments. They have a lot of cool stuff for scrapbooking. I added lots of pictures from the towns in Italy. If you need help finding cool graphics let me know.

I have a suggestion. I don't know how good it is but....... maybe since her marriage is ending you can contact her kids (assuming they know their dad is leaving) and have the kids scan some nice pictures of just themselves and them and their mother (no father in them) and have them email them to you. Include pictures of your family etc. Put a nice book together for her. Just so she knows she's not alone just because he's leaving. She'll always have her kids and her family. Sort of a current day genealogy.

Ouch, Elizabeth. They have no kids. Sorry...but it was a good idea anyway. However on that note, she has a sister and also a brother that died and they have kids so maybe I can still do that. Just gotta find the time. I have so much going on I must be crazy. At least the website is done for now. Just gotta work on the scrapbook. I have undertaken a whole new HUGE project and I don't know how I am going to fit it all in. I will leave you all in suspense for a few days as to what it is. I promised Nuccia that I would tell her on Friday and I want to keep my word (otherwise I'll get the slipper!)

Can I borrow some of your energy PLEASEEEEEEE!!!!!

I really don't have the energy or the time. What I have is a serious deficiency in my brain. I don't know what makes me do this???? Anyway, I have started on the scrapbook. Turns out that I have a whole bunch of pictures of her mother and her brothers and sisters. So it should turn out good. Especially since today I took an 8 hour class on Photoshop. My boss knows nothing about computers so I told her I needed this class for work and she signed me up for it. HA!

I love scrapbooking.....and the nice thing is, you can keep it simple and it still looks great......YES Nuccia......we have Michaels, one of my favorite stores, and the hubbies least favorite!!!

As for good news, we had a new addition to the family the last of September......Anthony, or little man as I call him....and found out we will have another one in March, sono says it's a girl who according to my son will be called Bella.....although "Grandma" has some other names in mind......

Lee

Michael's is nice - Hobby Lobby is bigger & better. I have at least 1 aisle worth of stuff in my closet!

We have a Hobby Lobby to, and Jeffrey Allens....my husband would love it if I were to forget where all three are located.....but I love to do arts and crafts, especially painting!!

Scrapbooking was something I could do with the grandkids, and there really isn't any wrong way to do it....yet they can be as creative as they want to be........and the choice of papers and embellishments is outstanding.

Now if only creating a website were as easy!!!!!!!
Lee