National Scrapbooking Day!

Saturday is National Scrapbooking Day! I will be posting that day for some delicious scrapbook goodies!

High School

I graduated from high school in 1986. The 80s decade was a fun time to grow up. What I remember most about high school were the teachers who made a difference in my life and inspired me to be more than I could be. Mrs. Thurman, now deceased, was one of those teachers. Mrs. Thurman taught English and French; I studied French when I was in the 9th grade under her. In the 10th grade, I became her personal assistant, or teacher's aide. That was a fun and exciting time. I graded papers, made copies, and ran errands. Sometimes I just did my own homework. Mrs. Thurman always made learning fun and exciting. There is not a day goes by that I don't think of her in some small way. She really influenced me. This Smilebox creation was made with her in mind and the wonderful memories she has filled my heart and soul with. Wherever you may be Mrs. Thurman, thank you.

Journaling

Most people who scrapbook today, especially the "scrapbook professionals" who have designer degrees will tell you that journaling is the most important part of a scrapbook layout. For me, journaling about myself has always been difficult. But what I tell my scrapbook students is to remember to at least state something about the layout from the heart. Just telling dates and whose in the photos means a lot to future generations of people who will look at your work. But, this is the year for me to include more of myself in my scrapbook pages. I do a lot of digital scrapbooking, but I want it easy and fuss-free. I like scrapbook programs but I do not like anything difficult to learn. I use Smilebox when I am in a hurry to make something. Sometimes I use PhotoShop Elements 4.0 or I use Scrapbook Flair (www.scrapbookflair.com). They have lots of background papers, embellishments and lots of other cool stuff to add to your pages. Next time you want fuss-free, easy and quick pages, check out some of what Scrapbook Flair or other websites have to offer. Lots of sites offer free kits. If you have any questions or comments or want to learn something new, send me a message and I will get back to you. Happy Scrappin! Don't forget to journal!

A Cute Video for Scrapbook Obsessionists

My Friend Sonja

I met a dear friend last year at church, Sonja. She and I developed a great friendship that has lasted for over a year. Recently, she left our church to pursue other areas of interest concerning her spirituality, but we are still friends regardless of where we attend church services. Sonja has been there for me through a lot and we have shared some happy times together. When I received my digital camera for Christmas, I began taking photos of things in my life that were important to me. While Sonja was teaching class, this photo was taken of her and the students. Thank you Sonja for your friendship. I hope it continues to grow and mature, to bloom into something very special for the both of us: true and lasting friendship.
Smilebox Creation: Spring Chick

Precious Moments

Okay, so you've seen all the commercials about all these women losing weight and managing somehow to keep it off. Well, the time has come for me to reveal the fact that I too have lost a few pounds. Unlike most of the ladies on television who are sane, I lost my mind as well. I was so ecstatic over losing just a few pounds that I had to clown around for my pictures. I could not remain calm and convince the entire world that what I did would somehow work for them too. I just wanted to shout out that I did it. Now, remember, it isn't everyday that I post layouts about myself. Feel honored. This was created in
Smilebox with the Circle of Love template.

My Sweet Baby

One of the reasons I got into scrapbooking was for the fun of it. But as I began doing this addictive hobby, I realized there was another reason to love it. I get to tell my story in the way I want to tell it. I have my own style, use my own words and pictures to convey what I want my future grandchildren to know about me. Another reason I scrapbook is for the here and now and to document important moments when they occur. I began scrapbooking because my daughter will want to know about me as well as events that happened in her life that she may forget about or not realize ever happened. Here is another design from Smilebox I created. When my daughter Elizabeth was little (she is now 12) she loved her pacifier. A cute story I tell her is when she was old enough to do without it I casually tossed it to the bottom of her toybox one day when she wasn't looking. Mommy told her it was lost but we would get another one. Well, that worked but she totally forgot about it. When she was about three, we decided to clean out the toybox and get rid of some toys she no longer played with. Much to my dismay and surprise, at the bottom of the toybox was the pacifier. "My paccey! she shouted. And with that, she plopped it into her mouth! Thank you Elizabeth for those joyous mommy moments!