In the meantime, I'm trying to make sure my memories are still at my fingertips when I do get an opportunity to scrapbook. How? With these little beauties:
Each Christmas, my darling husband buys me new one. And I absolutely love them. How could I fail to love them...they're red! But, of course, my love is based on more than looks alone. I have come to depend on these little red diaries. They are the keepers of memories. This is my place to jot down the little things I want to remember. It might be a conversation with one of the kids. It might be a list of, well, a list of anything. It might be notes on a quirky personality trait on of the kids has developed. It might me a full blown idea for a layout, sketch and journaling. But I don't even need to carry my handy little memory keeper with me. I'll write down notes on scrap of paper I might find handy, and then just stick that slip of paper into the diary.
I fully admit there are periods of time when I don't do a great job at writing down these memories. I may occasionally go for months without adding anything. And this makes me sad. But it's not worth dwelling on. Instead, I choose to be happy about everything I did take the time to capture.
This layout was completed yesterday, but the seeds for it were sown more than two years ago. When I got the idea to record our breakfast traditions back then, I simply jotted down 10 random facts on a scrap of paper. I also saved a packet from the kids' favorite oatmeal. I stuck both of those things in the old diary for safe keeping. Then I snapped a few photos that might come in handy for the future layout.
Fast-forward 2+ years, and here you go:
Maybe it's sort of a silly topic. But it's a slice of our family picture. And I'm so glad I captured it.
The layout itself was really a pretty quick one to throw together. Just cut the photos to fit. Added the oatmeal packet to serve as my pocket for the little tag booklet. Added the title using my ever-trusty Dymo label maker (what would I do without that thing?!!). I had originally wanted to make the journaling on the tags fancier. Mix up my handwriting with rub-ons and letter stamps, etc. But with so little time, I finally decided it was more important to just get the memory preserved.
6 comments:
You sound so much like me, Debi. For a long time I was almost obsessed with journalling and scrapbooking and preserving special little memories that were silly for anyone else but me. I haven't done it in a while, though, because it was becoming overwhelming - it was turning into an obsession with memory and forgetfulness that did little but make me anxious.
But you have the right attitude! It's about being happy about what you preserved, not sad about what you didn't. I have come to realize this myself, and I'm ready to start again. I saved all kinds of silly things for a scrapbook about my months in England. Now I just need some time to get it all organized.
Nymeth,
Oh, I hope you'll share your scrapbook, or at least parts of it, when you start putting it together. I love hearing about everything you did. And an experience like that definitely deserves a special place to "keep" its stories.
What a great idea! And I think that is a cool idea for a layout. We often don't think to scrap the everyday type things that shape our days and lives! I love it!
I really enjoyed reading this, Debi! And I think you've done a great job in your scrapbooking projects! I'm awed by everything... I just wish I've the time to do all these!
Thanks for sharing, and looking forward for more. :)
I think your red diaries are priceless! You'll be so glad to have all that written down, or just things stuck inside for safekeeping as you said....makes it all easier later! Great pictures.
I wish I'd done something like this too.
i love the breakfast traditions!
and hooray for the new blog!
i used to have scrap books up until recently, but then i'd put stuff everything in them, and a part of this everything was stuff my then girlfriends gave me. when my wife came along she wasn't happy about these things at all and so that has soured scrapbooking for me somewhat.
but i do miss it. maybe i'll start again.
its definitely a good outlet for people like us who have ideas and thoughts all the time and need to get them out. and its more than that too... i guess, at its heart its about taking our experiences in the world and making them tangible. be it pasting pictures, programs, jotting ideas or just newspaper clippings. or whatever!
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