Monday, January 28, 2008

about a girl


here's a layout i did awhile back for a page call. it didn't get picked up, so here it is. :) there is a lot of journaling... i posted it since it's kind of hard to read on the layout. thanks for looking! :)

journaling:
my smile is weird. yes, weird! why you ask? because i have my terrible buck teeth nearly tucked behind my bottom teeth just so they won’t look like they stick out so much. i was a shy kid... the kind of kid that always wished they could figure out how “those people” - like her sister - could just walk right up and talk to anyone. around people i was comfortable with i was silly and spunky but whenever i was around bigger groups or new people, i was a wall flower. so much so that in 9th grade a girl who i had gone to school with since kindergarten asked if i was a new student. why did she ask me that? i have my theories... something happened in me... i’m not exactly sure of the date, but it happened sometime during seventh grade. i decided i was not going to be shy anymore. seems now like a funny decision for a kid to make, but i did. and from that day forward i made conscious efforts to be outgoing and friendly around anyone. now, this does NOT come naturally to some... and i was one of those “some”! since i was not naturally outgoing, i did not naturally self-regulate my outgoing-ness. i was over the top... way over... and to their credit my parents did not send me to a far away land during this time. it took a few years to come back to reality from “over the top,” but i did make the trip back. over time i learned how to be me, in front of others, not someone else. slowly those little voices that shouted out to me to sit back in the corner with your big buck teeth grew quieter. i’m sure the braces had a little something to do with that, but i know quite well that sometimes those voices are louder than reality. i still wear my heart on my sleeves a lot of the time, and my stomach gets butterflies when i walk into a room full of strangers, but i’ve managed to learn how to manage those feelings, and to let me shine through the curtain of self-doubt i hid behind for so many years. and i am a happier me.



Supplies: Blue patterned paper: Keri Schueller, Legacy Kit, scrapgirls.com; Black patterned paper and frame: Rhonna Farrer, Black Eyed Peas Kit and Snap Shot Frames Kit, twopeasinabucket.com; “Really” and edging brush: Katie Pertiet, Prompted Journalers Kit and Stamped Blocks Kit, designerdigitals.com; Fonts: Occidnetal and Nasty, downloaded from the internet, Garamond, Microsoft

18 comments:

Stan said...

So that's the process one goes through to achieve perfection!

~ Kim ~ said...

They are all gorgeous, as usual, but I absolutely love the About A Girl one!! I NEVER would have guessed you were EVER shy! lol But then again, as an adult looking back I think we realize EVERYONE felt that way on the inside....inspite of what was going on outside. That journaling really touched my heart. And the old pic is fun! lol And the new one is FABULOUS!!! You GO GIRL!!!!

TFS...the layout and the piece of yourself!!

And OMG I just came over to leave this comment and see Stan's comment and OMG is he the sweetest guy ever or what?!!! WOW!!! Well said Stan!!! Can you give my husband a lesson or three?!!!! :)

Ljonezy said...

i would have never thought you would be the shy girl. I loved the whole journaling of it - so many of us can understand. Love the pics and the soy los too. So glad you are feeling better. it was nice chatting with you the other nite.

Kelli said...

Great layout Noel! I had that same situation happen to me, someone I was friends with in elementary actually came up to me and introduced themself to me years later. It was so bizarre, I never did become friends (again) with them after that. Too "out there".

Unknown said...

I adore this Noel. You are beautiful inside and out.

angie worthington said...

noel, this is a great layout! i, too, had my shy spell, still do sometimes...i am alot more comfortable in my "own skin" these days...i have just decided to be me...

cherished_wife said...

Noel, this is absolutely beautiful. I'm still battling the shyness, especially since I work with middle schoolers and it feels like middle school all over again! Thanks for posting this wonderful layout!

butterflyem4

Eileen said...

I'm glad you're back! Missed your warm personality here and on the message board.

Cindy said...

Lovely... just lovely!
:) Cindy (aka scrappycindy)

Anonymous said...

yay! u r back. glad to hear u r back in the saddle. sorry to hear about the 'puter crash. well i just loved all of your layouts. i enjoyed the teapot one and emma's lo with the hand gestures..too cute...
i just lucked out and popped over here...

lynda in calif

Anonymous said...

you are so talented...good luck with HOF !! i've no doubt you'll be in!!! michelle (shmoop from j sprague site)

Unknown said...

I love looking at your LOs Noel! You are just a super gal & I've enjoyed getting to know you & your mom better at JSprague! Good luck with the HOF! Great journaling on this LO!

luvzenkm2 (Leea) said...

Hey Girl
Great to see you "back in the saddle" so understand the crash business ....mine was caused my MS Office...all the pages are great!

Allison Davis said...

I never in a million years would have had you pegged as a shy gal! Love the layout!! :)

Stephanie said...

What wonderful journaling! I love pages like this. TFS and love the other SOY layouts as well. Glad to see you feeling more up to par!

Wendee Pease said...

What does SOY stand for?

I love the journaling and this lo in general. I really connected with it because in 8th grade I made that same decision. I remember setting a goal to look into 5 different people's eye and say hi each day. It was really hard at first, but it got more and more easy. Now I talk to total strangers in the store and everywhere. It's much more fun than being shy. :)

noel joy said...

hi wendee! :)

SOY stands for Scrapbooker of the Year. (which the wonderful elizabeth kartchner won! you can see her blog on my links.) It's a contest put on my creating keepsakes. :) i was lucky enough to be one of the finalists this past year.

Anonymous said...

I am just so impressed by your work here. Gorgeous girls and a beautiful mother. Your folks and I have been friends since 1967 when we were sophomores at Escondido High, in fact I am on the phone with her right now. In fact, I am the girl that your dad dated when he broke up with your mom! She says you know this story!! So great to see your pics - your dad obviously made that right choice!!!

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