2024: Cattle Baron’s Ball – Waco, TX
I don’t like to get very far behind on my scrapbooking, and I just realized that I’m about to head to the 2025 Cattle Baron’s Ball next Saturday—so it was definitely time to finish the spread from last year before I got a full year behind!
The Cattle Baron’s Ball is one of the largest fundraising events for the American Cancer Society, which supports cancer research, patient services, and community outreach programs across the country. Each city’s event has its own local flair, and here in Waco, it’s a lively celebration of Texas culture, western heritage, and generosity—all wrapped up in cowboy boots and good causes.
The 2024 event was held right here at the McLennan Community College Highlander Ranch, which made it extra special for me. The evening was full of good food, fun activities, live and silent auctions, and plenty of laughter. It all ended with an energetic concert by Neal McCoy, a Texas native and country music legend known for hits like “Wink” and “No Doubt About It.” Neal has such a great stage presence—he knows how to keep a crowd singing along and smiling.
For the design of this spread, I chose a paisley background in warm browns and yellows because it reminded me of the classic cowboy shirt designs you see at an event like this. On the left-hand page, I included the title block, which I cut directly from the event program, along with a photo of me standing next to a massive Longhorn steer—definitely a “Texas moment!” There’s also a picture of me standing inside a lasso that someone had tossed, which made for a fun and very western touch.
The right-hand page features some of the more playful parts of the night, including a few photos from the armadillo races—yes, armadillo races!—that some of my colleagues took part in. At the top are two pictures from Neal McCoy’s concert. The lighting made it tricky to capture clearly, but if you zoom in, you can still feel the energy of the show.
I added a few extra touches pulled straight from the evening itself: the date and time cut out from the program, and the gold “VIP” strip you see on the page came from my actual wristband that night.
If you’d like to see more about how this spread came together, click on the video below to watch the creative process from start to finish.
Categories: 2024
MASCrapping 