50 States Blog Hop

Welcome to the 50 States Blog Hop!!

Welcome to the 50 States Blog Hop! Most of us would love to travel but are having staycations this year. What better way to travel but through a blog hop. This hop was inspired by our host Shawnee's journey across the United States as she traveled with her family to their new home. The United States is truly beautiful with many wonderful places to visit and see.

If you've hopped along from NEVADA, then you are in the right place!! If you are just joining me from your dashboard or happened along from somewhere else, please be sure to CLICK HERE to start with the first state in the union, Delaware, because you won't want to miss out on any of the fun (or any of the blog candy!!)...

There is an AMAZING Grand Prize Package for one LUCKY hopper (winner chosen by Rafflecopter)!!  To be entered to win, please do the following:

• Visit each state and leave a comment on each project (simply follow the links provided below)




• Like Blessed on the Bright Side and Handmade By Lisa FB Pages.

So what's the Grand Prize???

Cricut Cartridge - Destinations, beautiful handmade flowers from Shannon at Creative Chaos Flowers, and a $20 Gift Certificate to Scraptastical Kreations.



Now on to Nebraska!!

If you are looking for All About Fall Blog Hop, please click FALL.

If you are looking for my Frosted Designs metal punch project, click HERE.





I am Lori and was born and raised in Nebraska!  This project grew from a 2-page layout to a mini research project converted into a mini album!! 




I originally planned a 2-page layout that was going to cover the flooding in Nebraska along the Missouri River. But then I did not want that to be the only thing you really heard about. So I thought about doing the Top 10 things I like, but there was more than 10 and I also wanted to include the myths (dislikes). So, I decided to make a mini album in the shape of Nebraska. I used 50 States to make my pages. I cut out the pages first in watercolor paper.





I put 3 Nebraskas on my mat at 11.17w x 17.55h (it seems big but if you were to use the Real Size it would be 10.51w x 5.22h) to fit the 12x18 piece of paper.  I used the rotate button from the advanced menu to turn the third state 90 degrees.




Because the watercolor paper is thick, I used Multi-cut 2.  This will cut out the paper twice around each shape.



Here is what is left!  I then switched my mat size to 12 x 12 so I could cut the paper two at a time.  I flipped over one of the states so I would cut out a front and back of the same paper.  This way, when you open the book both pages are the same color.  I think that is more pleasing to the eye!



Here is my cover and some of my pages.  I used my Bind-It-All to bind the book together.  I cut out my titles from my Gypsy and printed out some of my journaling/facts on cardstock from my computer.  I inked the edges of everything with Tim Holtz Vintage Photo ink.

Here is my welcome page.  I highlighted Welcome because a lot of people (who are not from here) say they feel welcome here.




This page has the necessary facts about our state as well as a photo showing the flooding here.  This photo was taken in June before our flood levels crested.  We still have houses, parks, farmland and roads under water.





This page here highlights lake life for us.  We have a cabin on a lake that has been in our family since I was a baby.  I grew up in the lake, in the boat and full of sand!!

Our Zoo is amazing!  If you have never seen or heard of it, check it out HERE.  There is even a web cam on our penguins in the aquarium!  My son Tanner loves the zoo.





This page here highlights our schools.  We have 5 Universities in our State and several State Colleges.  Our public schools are pretty good too!!  Many people come to Omaha to study at Creighton University.

Offutt Airforce Base is very close to our house.  On 9/11, I saw President Bush's plane fly over my house.  The magnitude of that day really hit me at that moment.  On a brighter note, we have an awesome air show every August!


This page highlights some of our landmarks.


And next to it we have Famous Nebraskans and one very famous visitor....


Lady Ga Ga has been here several times.  Her (sometimes) boyfriend grew up one town away from mine.  She has been spotted at our local bowling alley two different times.  She was last here over the summer filming her latest video for You and I.  She and her crew used the elementary school (where my nieces go to school) to eat lunch every day during filming.



Of course I had to highlight the Huskers.  I am a Husker fan by marriage :)  My oldest son attends UNL.


The College World Series is here every year.  This year was the first year at the new ball park TD Ameritrade Park.  Some of us still like Rosenblatt Field and all of the tradition that went with it.



Nebraska City, NE is the home of Arbor Day.  They have an Apple Jack Festival every September.



Omaha is the home of Boystown.  I grew up about 15 minutes away.  They do amazing things with children who really need a stable family environment!







We have some good food here, some home grown, some local restaurants, and some is cooked locally.




We have some general misunderstandings.....we do not all live on farms, we do not all wear overalls, we do not have low taxes (in fact we are called "The Tax Me State") it costs a TON to license your car here!!, and it is not boring here (at least all the time)!  President Clinton almost went his entire presidency without visiting us, but stopped by Kearney for a very short visit shortly before his term ended.  We were the last state that he visited.

We do have two legends here locally:  The Hatchet House (a one-room school house where the teacher went crazy during a blizzard and killed the children with a hatchet) and Heartbeat Bridge (in front of Hatchet House ~ it sounds like a heart beating as you go over Hell's Creek).  It was a fun place to go on a dark night with a car full of friends!  The school building has been moved next to the library in Papillion (where I live) so the land it was on could be developed commercially.

The day after I finished my album, there was an article in the paper about 2011 Nebraska Passport Attractions.  I put a copy of it on the back of the album.  There are 32 cities with an attraction listed.

Here is the front of my album all finished!  And now are you ready for the test???  I feel like a history teacher ~ he he.  Seriously, there is no test!!  I would love to know one thing that you learned today about Nebraska that you did not already know!!  If you leave me a comment including what you learned, you will be eligible for my blog candy:

I added a little Husker goodie and some of my favorites!!  Thank you for stopping by!!!




Now you can hop to the NEXT STATE IN THE UNION -- COLORADO!!  Remember to leave a comment on each state to be eligible for the GRAND PRIZE!!









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