More Than Just a Fort

For my 40th birthday, my parents and Jim and I went to Pittsburgh for a Pirate's game. On Sunday as we left the city, my birthday wish was to visit Fort Necessity. My parents think they either took me there as a child or I went as part of a school trip but I don't really remember going. So, we made a stop! We were in time to see a living history presentation on the life of a soldier at the fort with musket firing demonstration.

For this layout I tried a little creativity and I think I mostly pulled it off. On the left page I used a plain brown border strip and crossed it with the theme paper from the Eastern National pack. Since that paper is 8 1/2 x 11, I must have layered 2 segments but with plain tan blocks holding stickers, it isn't noticeable. This may be a Fast Formula from Creative Memories as the design is very similar to the one I used on the Virgin Island pages.

On the right page the brown border strip is decorated with NPS logos punched from another sheet from the EN pack. I used the Creative Memories Place and Punch with a postage stamp edge so that I could get quite a few blocks to fill the border. A smaller punch was used on the pine cones which is from the same paper. I added a small filler box with some leftover stickers. Brown mats complete the page nicely.

What I didn't know before my visit was that along with the historic aspect of the Fort, the site also commemorates the original highway called the National Road. Stage coaches would regularly stop at a tavern nearby and it has been restored to its original looks.

This layout was a little tricky because there were 2 information sheets I wanted to incorporate and they took up quite a bit of room. I used some of the 8 1/2 x 11 card stock from the EN kit and mounted them sideways. The 1" gap left and right is filled with another set of borders I made with the Creative Memories travel paper and stickers. That left a small gap for journaling next to photos of the building and wagon.

Inside the tavern we listened to a Ranger explain the journey and the purpose of the rooms.

For this layout I again wanted a heritage feel to the pages. I had a sheet of decorative card stock (trimmed as a frame) and cut that in half. I also cut a sheet of floral paper that reminded me of old wall paper in half and sandwiched it on the middle of the pages. A few of my stickers with an "old travel theme" gave a little authenticity to the layout.