Home Sweet Home with Groovy Deb♥

Hey Everyone! It is my turn to show off my hometown! Well, I grew up in Colonial Heights, located in VA. It is there that you will find the headquarters of Robert E. Lee also known as Violet Bank. It is a beautiful landscape that has been maintained for a great many years. In fact, once upon a time when Colonial Heights was not even on a map Violet Bank was our city library. Now it is just used as a museum. The kids heading to school dances can often be found posing on the steps and one of the most fascinating facts about this piece of land is that is is the home of the most enormous tree called the Cucumber Tree! Here are a few pics and my lo :) TFL!
Deb♥

Home Sweet Home with Tammy

I love where I live, the locals are nice, the tourists can be annoying, but it's all worth it! I live in Huntington Beach, California. We are the next beach north of Newport Beach...the beach city in the television series The O.C. My pictues show some of my favorite places: the middle two are the pier at sunset, and the Newland House...a historical home/museum...which is where I got married. Then, clockwise from the top: part of the boardwalk at the beach; the water tower house (yes, they made a house from an old water tower, it's right near where Sandra Bullock lived when she was still married to Jesse James); our famous naked surfer statue (people always try to dress him!); the harbor; the view under the pier; the wetlands (couldn't find pelicans this day, pelicans are my favorite); the main lifeguard tower on the pier; and a couple of lifeguard towers on the beach. When I took a picture of my layout, it looked flat, so I took another of it laying down to try and show the dimension. I had the idea to do it like those dimensional collage frames, have you seen those? I like the way they look :) I used Bella Blvd. paper (Sunny Happy Skies) TFL, Tammy

Home Sweet Home with Heather

It's funny that when I first received this challenge from Groovy Deb, I hadn't a clue why people would want to come to the town that I live in. Though it's much bigger then the town I grew up in (and much more shopping options), it just doesn't seem like there is much to do.

So I decided to change it up a bit and do a layout on my hometown . . . the town that I was born and raised in. The town that I visit often (only 20 minutes away). The town that I hold many dear memories of. That town is Fairmount, Indiana. Never heard of it? I am not surprised! However, I bet you have heard of the actor, James Dean. Yup, he was born and raised (just like me except several years difference) and buried in Fairmount, IN. Oh yes, and of course you know Garfield, everyone's favorite lasagna eating cat! Jim Davis, the creator of Garfield, is also from Indiana. So, I took the 2 things that most people know Fairmount for and used that as my pic. This Garfield dressed as James Dean actually stands outside the Fairmount Historical Museum.

But of course I have many other reasons for loving this town, besides the Annual James Dean Run festival and car show that is held every year the last weekend of September - the same weekend that James Byron Dean died back in 1955. In fact, I decided to do my journaling on the reasons I visit Fairmount. A few of the reasons: the Madison-Grant Argylls (a scottish warrior); a town where you can still let your kids ride their bikes all over town without having to worry about them . . . as long as they are still in by dark or call from a friends house to check in; where your friends from elementary school are still your best friends 30 years later; where everybody knows your name . . . and everything about you whether you want them to or not! haha; but most importantly, because that is where a lot of my family still reside.

Bet you didn't know that when you opened up IIG today that you would also get a history lesson! haha!! Hope you enjoyed my short little walk back through time and why I will always call this my hometown, even if I don't currently live there!

Home Sweet Home with Viji

I had a lot of fun making this layout. Chennai is my home town back in India! It is a colorful place with lots of traditions, festivals, foods, beaches! This layout reminds me of home ! So many fond memories!! Chennai is gateway to the South, and its culture is distinctly different from that of any other city in India. Tamil tradition and culture is essentially the celebration of the beauty, which is exemplified through dance, clothing, and sculptures.

I started out with a white cardstock. Stuck the photo. Then I decided to use my water color pencils and used a good old toothbrush to spray the color on the paper. I covered my photo with a scrap piece of cardstock. You can see the close up picture to see the result. I like the soft colors of the water color pencils. It came out pretty cool. I made tabs of different colors for writing down what's special about my home town! The different colors signify my colorful hometown! Then just stamped on the layout for the title,accent and the border. All the stamps are by Fiskars. Love these ones! Very simple and quick layout. Hope you like it!

Home Sweet Home with Michelle

We were given the challenge to expose some details about our hometown. Well, my hometown is actually Jen's (IIG's Design Team Member) hometown too! Only thing is I only had some pictures from a winter walk in the woods behind the house I grew up in. But, since I moved recently out of the United States. I have been researching a bit about my new hometown in Canada. I have been researching since my first visit to Bay Bulls, Newfoundland. It is the hometown of my husband who was born in the US but raised in Bay Bulls since he was about 2 years old. I had a good sarcastic laugh one day when my husband and I were driving back in from "out the road." Bay Bulls is located about 30 minutes from the Capital of Newfoundland, which is St. John's. "Out The Road" is a saying in our area for explaining that your going into St. John's. Since there is one major road that goes "out the road" or in the other direction "Up the Shore."

I have to explain for you to get the sarcastic part of my little chuckle of that day. I have to first say there is a bunch of history here!
So, on our way back from out the road. We come to the welcome sign for Bay Bulls, since this challenge was fresh in my mind. I took more notice of another detail on the sign. The slogan or motto....our history runs deep! So, I turn to my husband and say, "Bay Bulls - our history runs deep....So deep it's buried!"
Please any locals take this with a grain of salt! I have visited Bay Bulls since 2004 and I am amazed at the history that is here...it's just that you will find it if your willing to dig it up!
With that said...The history/story/life of Bay Bulls allowed me to create 3 pages and there is still more I wanted to include!
Here are the details that you will not be able to see from the pictures and my journaling.
Bay Bulls is one of the oldest communities in North America and the earliest know English place name in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Appearing on a map drawn by Thomas Hood in 1592.
Bay Bulls harbor was first used by European fisherman in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. By 1635 Englishmen were spending the winter in Bay Bulls.
In a 150 year span, Bay Bulls was the site of numerous conflicts between European nations. Raids, looting, pillaging, burning of structures and immediate rebuilding was the way in that time period.
After these battles some now historical landmarks were left. A British frigate, The HMS Sapphire, now can be seen in the harbor during low tide and in the logo of the town. Also, declared as the 1st Newfoundland and Labrador underwater marine historic site.
Roman Catholics and Protestants were the majority faiths. Both churches were burned in the 1700's. The Roman Catholic church was rebuilt immediately by 1820's a priest visited regularly but not until 1890 was a church built and still stands today. At the gates stands pieces of those historical landmarks left from battles. Cannons left over from battles with the French serve as pedestals for statues of the Saints, which gave way to the famed "Canonized Saints of Bay Bulls."
The harbor is a very busy place; between boat tours for whale watching and a ecological bird preserve, fishermen coming and going to the rich fishing grounds of the Grand Banks and fleets of ships coming in for servicing the oil rigs.
Bay Bulls is the beginning of a scenic drive called, The Irish Loop and part of a 540 km coastal hiking experience called the East Coast Trail. The trail links 32 communities together and leads to two more landmarks in Bay Bulls; the Bay Head Lighthouse and The Spout, a natural wave-driven geyser. Lastly, is a memorial that was erected for fishermen who were lost at sea during the same storm that was made in a movie, "The Perfect Storm." Bay Bulls was the departure point and return port for their boat.
Thanks for reading and look forward to my 1st trip out to The Spout hopefully coming this winter!

Home Sweet Home with Sheena

When I thought about what I would do for this challenge, the image came to mind of traveling from place to place collecting postcards. I used google to find pictures of the various places I wanted to feature and I printed them out. I used an old city map that I had to create the background. I tore the edges and used distress inks to age it a bit more. Doing this project reminded me of the fun things we have to do around our town. I think I need to plan some outings and take advantage of them. What fun things are there to do in your home town?

Home Sweet Home with Jen T

Lacey twp., NJ is the town I call home sweet home or a.k.a. my hometown. I love living here for all the reasons listed on my page and for many others too like the schools are great and our town events are so fun! Glad you got a glimpse of my town! Let’s see yours.

October Challenge Coming Tomorrow!

Hi Groovy Girls and Guys!

Tomorrow will start our October challenge. Are you ready? The Groovy Chicks and I will be showing you all about our homes and we would love to have you join in! Now this is not about your home as in your house, but instead it is all about your hometown. I am a fan of travel so it is always cool to see what makes your hometown a special place. History of your town is so important! Perhaps you will be inspired and start scrapbooking as the town historian. Ask your library about it...they may need you!!!

See you at 12am where we will begin this challenge. If you would like to enter. Send yours to groovydeb@yahoo.com to be enter for a prize donated by me!!!
Deb♥