Evolution of a Layout

Ok, so a while back (maybe 1.5 years ago) I was working on a layout for a contest. I really liked it, but something was off. So, my buddy Klo was online that night, and I asked her opinion. She made a couple of suggestions...and I would work on it, and send a picture...this went on for several hours. In the end, I had a 'diary' of how the layout evolved. I thought it was kinda cool to see. So, I thought I'd share it with ya'll (no laughing at the one with the blue and red highlights...that one was justaweful!) Here is the journaling in case you are into reading that kinda stuff :) Pictures: Space Pictures Courtesy of NASA, Gulf LogoJournaling:From the Earth to the Moon.(label under picture in center)First American in Space – “ I must admit, maybe I am a piece of history after all.” Alan Shepard (lower right hand corner) Houston, We have a good Luck Charm My grandfather, Toke Kobayashi, owned and operated a Gulf filling station on NASA Road 1 in Webster, Texas…just down the road from Johnson Space Center. Throughout the years of being at the station, Toke serviced vehicles for many of our country’s space heroes. As the story goes…On March 23, 1965, John Young went on his first flight, Gemini 3, the first manned Gemini mission. Prior to leaving earth, Young decided to leave his most cherished 1957 Chevrolet at Toke’s Gulf station to be serviced while he was in flight. Young wanted to be sure that everyone knew he was coming back to get his vehicle upon his safe arrival back to earth, but informed Toke that if he did not return, he could keep the valued vehicle. As Gemini 3 was a successful mission, returning safely…the good luck tradition continued throughout all of the missions Young was involved in. Including: Gemini 10, July 18-21, 1966 Apollo 10, May 18-26, 1969 “The Dress Rehearsal” Apollo 16, April 16-27, 1972 “Explore the Highlands” Later Toke was featured in an article in Gulf’s national industry magazine as having a customer base that is “out of this world.” Including people like John Young, General Tom Stafford, Alan Shepard, John Glen, and Neil Armstrong among many others. It was even a common scene to see Alan Shepard, the first American to journey into space, cleaning windshields or pumping gas at the full service bay when the station was very busy. Although Toke was not a typical member of the space program by history book standards, all the astronauts considered him part of the "space family,” and most would say that he was the space programs good luck charm, and even asked Toke to care for their families during missions. As young children, Samy & I played at the station and I have fond memories of being there. We often stomped on the hose that made a “dinging noise” inside to let Toke know that a car was waiting in the full service bay. We convinced Toke to give us loose change for the vending machines so that we could eat orange crackers with peanut butter & drink Delaware Punch… Of course, we had no idea of the importance of this little gas station my grandfather ran and how it contributed to the successful missions of our country’s space program.