Challenge #4 for the retreat

Our challenge this week was to use up your stash of alpha's.  Who doesn't have a ton of partly used sets laying around?  I've learned that I can color letters with markers, cover them with glitter, paint, or emboss them to make them match layouts.  I've learned you can use the negative space left by a letter you need...in short, I try to use them all up.  You can even take some letters, and with a little cutting, make them into letters you can use.  Here's the layout I did using mix and match alpha's, and I'll follow up with my second layout of the Grinch Christmas party.

We take turns as a family, planning and putting on the Christmas Eve party.  Last year, 2010, it was my family's turn.  Dave had this great idea to do the "Grinch" christmas.  He got a mask, and bought fur to make a costume, and we spent a whole Saturday working on it.  I swear that I was vaccumming up green fur for a month.  I think I emptied my vaccum about three times that day.  But, it was a ball.  We had a candy shop (everyone brought some) and a dinner, and took photos, it was super fun.  And I love my family.  They are always so willing to step it up and plan and carry out these things.  I couldn't ask for better kids and grandkids.
And even my extended family...they were great.  They're always willing to get in and have fun too!