Digital Scrapbook Layouts

I haven't done any scrapbooking in a long time, but I actually managed to complete two layouts last month while we were vacationing in Colorado. The first layout is from our trip to New England in October, 2013:

Journaling reads: 

"This bridge, built in 1872, is named the Artist's Bridge because of its reputation as being the most photographed and painted of the venerable covered bridges in Maine.

"The bridge, an 87 foot Paddleford truss, was closed to traffic in 1958 when a new bridge was built downstream. It is located about four miles northwest of North Bethel. 

"We stopped to see the bridge and I sketched it from the car, since the temperature was in the 50's. We were glad we took the short detour." 

Credits:
LaurenBavin_CustomColorChipboardAlpha 
MichelleShefveland_AutumnEmbrace
PeppermintCreative_CinnamonTea 
ksharonkdesigns_FarawayFreebie 
ksharonkdesigns_ScruffyFreebie
SBartolini_AutumnGrunge 
ChristlyLyle_GirlNextDoorStitches 
ChristlyLyle_GirlNextDoorStitches2
EveRecinella_BrickhouseTrendyTrousers 
EveRecinella_TrendyTrousersSolids 

And the second layout is from our trip to Estes Park, Colorado, in July, 2014:

Journaling reads: 

"Mom wanted her ashes taken to Bear Lake, the same location she placed Daddy’s ashes years earlier. We met Charlie and Pat in Estes Park in order to carry out her wishes. The top right photo is Bear Lake; the other photos were taken later the same day during our drive."

Credits:
ShabbyPrincess_ShabbySmiles
SamaraGugler_PaintedWoodAlpha
EveRecinella_BoyishGrunge
EveRecinella_Collingwood
EveRecinella_StrummingTheBlues
EveRecinella_Rugged
HeatherRoselli_DayPlanner
LaurenGrier_PunkyMom
FeeJardineDesigns_KeepinItReal

Pixel Scrapper Digital Scrapbooking

I recently joined Pixel Scrapper Digital Scrapbooking, where you can get free downloads every day. I haven't done much scrapbooking lately and I'm trying to get back into it, so I thought this might help. There are some really nice scrapbook kits and elements there, and I've already downloaded some cool stuff. I'll post some layouts as soon as I get some done (I'm WAY behind - I have tons of photos to scrap!).

Middlemarch by George Eliot

I read Middlemarch for the Very Long Classic Novel category for my Back to the Classics Challenge this year, and it certainly was that (762 pages of story plus introduction, afterword, notes, and bibliography). I enjoyed it; I wouldn't call it one of my favorites, but it was still good. It was pretty much of a character study, and I found myself caring about what happened to the characters. I wouldn't have minded if it had been a bit shorter, but I never really got bored with it. It did take reading a hundred pages or more before I knew that I was going to like it though. I rated it 3 out of 5.