Tuesday, May 10, 2011

My Tia Lupe

Here's my first "Houston Memory Card," based on Sian's idea called "Captured in a Card." and made with my May Counterfeit Kit.  Inside it reads, " My Tia Lupe was a talented seamstress, and she often made matching outfits for us."  As you may recall, my plan is to make a set of cards from the counterfeit kit to record random memories from the summers I spent in Houston, Texas visiting extended family.  As a way to finally work on my heritage/ genealogy album, I am also trying to complete a scrapbook layout every time I do a memory card.  Here's the scrapbook layout I made with the few pictures I have of my Tia Lupe (you can click on it to enlarge it and see the details):
The journaling reads:  "Guadalupe Ontiveros. [I hope to insert birth and death dates] Guadalupe and Pete Ontiveros, circa 1925 (left). Below, Guadalupe and Pete, with friends [I left room hoping that I'll be able to find a date or explanation for the photos - my sense is that it was about 1941].  Lupe attended Elliott Elementary School, but only continued through third grade.  She worked at Lone Star Bag & Bagging Co. from age 14-19.  During World War II, she went to school to learn welding and then worked as a welder at Brown Shipyard Co. for 2.5 years. Following the war, Lupe worked as a pantry girl at the Lamar Hotel and as an upholsterer at Shelby Dinette.  She operated her own restaurant, Ontiveros' Mexican Food (on Lyons Avenue) from 1963-1966.  She began working at Coney Island off the Square the next year as executive chef.  She became manager in 1970.  She never married and lived with her mother in the house on Wylie Street.  She came to stay with us a few times to help out when my brother Pete was born and again when my brother Carlos arrived.  She was a wonderful seamstress and often made matching outfits for me and my sister(s)."
I had so much fun making my first Houston Memory Card that I made this second one:
The memory on the inside reads "I knew that Tia Lupe worked at a restaurant called Coney Island.  I envisioned a place that made hot dogs on a boardwalk, so I was always confused when she brought home Mexican food from the restaurant. But I didn't  mind because it was some of the best food I ever tasted!" 
On the right hand side of my scrapbook layout, I have pictures from 1958, 1969 and 1974.  I've identified my family members and Grandmother in most of them. The 1958 picture (on the top left) is from Disneyland, and I'm not sure who is with my dad and my Tia Lupe.  It's either my Aunt Alice or my Aunt Pauline; I need to ask my cousin Irene for some help on that one. 
I'm really happy to finally be working on this album.  For some reason, I have previously found it too intimidating to work on, either because I want each layout to be beautiful and perfect or because I feel like I don't have enough information.  I'm trying really hard to quiet those doubts and just get the photos out of the box and onto pages with whatever information I have.  As you can see, the layout is nice but not particularly fancy.  I'll probably stick with this format.  For those who have asked before, I am scrapping the original pictures I have (I copy the ones I use in my altered art work and collage). I'm using photo corners, instead of adhesive to preserve their longevity and so that I can get to them if I need them.  I would love to hear about other people's experience with creating heritage/genealogy scrapbooks. Have you done it yourself?  Did you find it hard?  Any tips to share?

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