Cousins and In Laws

I loved these photos of TJ and S at S's baptism. One of the things we miss since moving is the relationship our girls had with their cousins. I'm happy to capture their moments together in some way - and I hope that they can always have a good relationship as they grow. This layout isn't doing anything for me. I really wanted to do something special for this photo about my sister-in-laws, and I had an idea in my head, but for some reason it just wouldn't come to fruition. I hate that. I wanted to incorporate the new challenge from the Goodie Box Girls, which was to use fabric on a layout. I have NEVER used fabric on a layout before, and I knew I had this great strip of fabric left over from the covered Cork board project I made weeks ago. I thought how my sister in laws are both gorgeous, fashionable, and fun - just how I think this fabric is. I love it! Well, I got to work trying to put my inspiration on paper, and this is what I arrived at:
Maybe I should have used a larger photo. Who knows. the balance just isn't right. But I guess these pages are just for me in the end. I actually used quite a bit of fabric on this page - the black and white fabric from the cork board, the white fabric mesh for the circles, and the scalloped ribbon.

I've never scrapbooked about my sisters-in-law before. Not sure why. I guess I focus too much on my kids - but I want to start focusing on other relationships in my life. I've felt closer to all my sisters-in-law since moving away. It's one of those things where you don't appreciate someone until they aren't right there all the time. I've felt that change of awareness with a lot of different people, not that I didn't like someone, but just that you get a new perspective and appreciate more and more about the person when they aren't right next door, so to speak. Anyway, I think it's great to reflect on every different relationship in my life, and I plan to do it more. This layout was to express how I'm grateful for my new sisters. They are my sisters, and not just in "law", but in my heart, too.

As for this layout, I'm not going to submit it to the Goodie Box Girls, but I'll keep it for myself. It's not really where I wanted it to be, darn it! I guess my mind has been on other things :)