Kiss and Tell Scrapbooking

Stacy Julian

I've been a fan of Stacy Julian's since I bought the book The Big Picture and read it on the airplane ride to visit my Grandma Grace, I think it was the summer of 2005.  It is now 2012 and I'm still a fan and I'm enrolled in her Twelve Class at Big Picture Classes and it is as awesome as I expected.

That's my screen on February 12th - Stacy does an online Chat with the Twelve students on the 12th day of each month.

I had been a fan of Simple Scrapbooks Magazine but wasn't very familiar with Stacy until I read her book.  I fell instantly in love with Stacy Julian and her philosophy.  I'm not alone, thousands of scrapbookers across the world share my love of Stacy.  I've been a fan and a follower of hers for seven years now, I've taken several classes with her at Big Picture Classes, and although we've never met in person, I can tell you, she is pure awesomeness in every way.

 

So when I wanted to get the word out on "Ice Cream for Breakfast Day (March 21)", I knew that one blog post from Stacy would make a huge difference in the number of people "going" to this celebration of life created by my friend Julie "Rosenstud's"  late husband Bruce C. Rosenberg.  At this time we are at 2,900 "going" and I have the goal of having 10,000 going by tomorrow - is it possible?  I think so! Here is the Link to Stacy Julian's Blog. 

Chances are if you are reading my blog, you are a scrapbooker and chances are you are a fan of Stacy too.  Here are twelve links to my blog posts all about Stacy Julian and Big Picture Classes and Library of Memories:

1. Stacy Julian's Twelve Class in 2012 at Big Picture Classes

2. 12 Scrapbook Layouts about "You" meaning "Me" for Stacy Julian's Twelve Class 

3. How I Organized 60 Layouts Using Stacy Julian's Library of Memories Album System

4. Custom Made Storage System for My Library of Memories Albums

5. Library of Memories Storage System "After"

6. What Makes a Scrapbook a "Simple Scrapbook"

7. Stacy Julian's Creative Crop Challenge 10+10+10

8. Stacy Julian Appreciation Week Layout

9. Stacy Julian's Freedom Friday Challenge

10. Stacy Julian's Library of Memories Community: 1st Challenge: Red, White & You

11. Stacy Julian's Have More Fun Class: "No Toe Dipper"

12. Stacy Julian's Free BPC Class "Cocoa, Daisies and Stacy"

So Thank You Stacy for the blog post to get the word out about "Ice Cream for Breakfast (March 21)" Day and thank you for years and years of inspiration and scrapbooking fun!

If you'd like to support this blog and get Stacy Julian scrapbooking goodies, please check out these affiliate links:

 

 

Old School & Modern Wedding Scrapbooking

This Scrapbooking Video is about my old school magnetic scrapbook wedding scrapbook and my modern scrapbook albums and photo books.  It is in response to Noell Hymann's Paperclipping Roundtable #103 "Too Precious to Scrapbook" and the connection between what kind of scrapbooker you are in relation to how you planned your wedding. 

 

Click here for a link to the Ella Publishing ezine article I wrote about scrapbooking your marriage and relationship based on Stacy Julian & Lain Ehmann's ebook Simple Secrets of Happy Scrapbookers and my adaptation of David Niven's book about Happy Relationships.

Click here for a link to Noel Hyman & Nancy Nally's podcast Paperclipping Roundtable PRT #103: Too Precious to Scrapbook relating wedding planning and scrapbooking.

If you wish to support this blog, check out these affiliate links which are related to products I mentioned in the video:

Making Scrapbooking Videos & Systems & Top Ten Ways to Systematize Your Creative Process.

This week's Paperclipping Roundtable Podcast is about SYSTEMS.  I love the concept of systems and creating systems to solve problems that come up again and again.  Lately I've been making scrapbooking videos and I definately need to work on my systems associated with that process and I'm working on that, for example, I need to work on my system of making them shorter!

Here are some great resources for creating systems for your creative process:

1. Creativity Tools - Start Here!

2. How To Plan and Manage Creative Teams.

3. The Dynamics of Creativity

4. How to Systematize Your Creative Writing

5. Systems are Great, But Systems Don't Solve Everything in the Creative Process

6. Why You Should Learn a Productivity System.

7. Zen To Done: The Ultimate Simple Productivity System

8. Why Creatives need a Productivity System.

9. Creatica: A Model to Systematize Creativity's Stimuli

10. Unlocking Your Creative Genius Potential with Mind Mapping

Want to read more and support this blog?  Check out these books about systems on Amazon:

 

 

Valentine's Day (bump out) Scrapbook Album in My Library of Memories Scrapbook Album Storage System

Here is how I use my Library of Memories scrapbook album storage system to "bump out" themed pages to make themed albums - like for Valentine's Day (which is tomorrow!):

 

Here are some links to scrapbook albums and other supplies that you could use for your Valentine's Day / Love  layouts:

Happy Valentine's Day!

How I Organized the 60 New Scrapbook Layouts I Made In The Last Month.

Wanted to share how I organize my recently made scrapbook layouts and Charlie offered to help me make a video:

I've had a burst of creativity and I made 60 scrapbook layouts in January.  What do I do with all those layouts?  I put them in my Stacy Julian Style Library of Memories System, check out the video:

P.S. Charlie filmed this video on the iPad2.

 

P.S. I saw this question on the YouTube comments (but I think there is something there preventing me from linking this post up), so I'm answering here:

YouTube Commenter:  "Great video! I've always wanted to take on LOM but I never got around to it! I really love how you organize your albums and would love a more in depth overview! Thanks in advance! :)"

The "official" Library of Memories album titles are "People We Love" "Places We Go" "Things We Do" and "All About Us".  An easy way to remember just think "nouns" which are people, places or things and then just remember to add in a "proper" noun for your own family.

My Library has been building for well over ten years and I have what I call "bump out" albums for specific things like Christmas, each of my children, and school.  Here is a list of the category names of albums that I have - what you should name your albums really depend upon how many layouts you have and then your specific categories - but the basic 4 official noun themed albums is a good place to start.  My List:

PEOPLE WE LOVE / bump out albums include Cousins; Friends; and Ancestry Albums

PLACES WE GO / bump out albums include Disney World, Home, 50 States, My College Travels Through Europe,                     

THINGS WE DO / bump out albums include School, Work, Celebrations, Holidays, Christmas, Valentines Day,

ALL ABOUT US  / bump out albums include one for each member of the family, family pets, favorite photos,

You can take Library of Memories / Photo Freedom with Stacy Julian at Big Picture Classes.  I think she is offering it every other year now - so when it is offered - sign up!  Then there is forever access.

Meantime, you can check out her books on amazon which explain the Library of Memories concepts in detail:

The Big Picture and PHOTO FREEDOM are the most relevant to the Library of Memories system, but the others are oldies but goodies - the products may be a bit dated but the theories about scrapbooking in a simple but meaningful and easy way are still there - still good stuff.

 

One Little Word: 2011 Year of Awesome in Review

Last year I did Ali Edwards' project "One Little Word" but didn't sign up for the class and didn't really incorporate my word into my life except that I did create a Book of Awesome Mini-Album and I did keep my word close to my heart and mind all year long.  I loved this word.  It was both sarcastic and sincere.  The year 2010 was a challenging year on many levels so it seemed like having an Awesome 2011 was in order and I must say that I think that the one little word helped.  At the end of 2011, I felt sad to let it go, but I'm not letting it go, I'm keeping the spirit of Awesome with me.   I never really defined the word, but looking back the meaning I gave it was: 

AWESOME:  The attitude of doing your best and making the best of things no matter what the situation and seeking out experiences and feelings of awesomeness. 

Supplies:  Cardstock, Pokemon Trading Card Box + QuicKutz Studio letter die cuts; 12 photos printed 4 to a 4x6 photo (so three photos), sewing machine stitching.

This year I am signed up for the Big Picture Classes One Little Word and I'm interested to see how doing a montly project will bond me to my word.

My 2011 word worked, even without any class, and we had an awesome year full of totally awesome experiences and attitude shifts and I got to notice it the entire time.  Not to be redundant, but it was AWESOME! 

Scrapbooking By Numbers: 6 Photos / Double Page Spread

This layout calls for six landscape 4x6 photos on a two page scrapbook spread.  Since I rarely do two page layouts anymore, I am trying to reintroduce them into my scrapbooks.  I think that sometimes two page layouts can be more complicated to put together, but this one was easy and I didn't even have to crop my photos and there is lots of "white" space so it feels easy to look at.  I think this will be a nice visual change in my scrapbooks since most of the pages are one page layouts.

Taking a photo of a two page layout is a bit more challenging - I had to get up on a step stool and I'm still not thrilled with the image quality and lighting - which might explain too why I tend to make more one page layouts.

My photos show before and after the room switch so I used different blue mat paper and I placed them on different pages of the two page spread to designate the before and after, and it is obvious to us which room is which so I skipped tagging the photos as before and after.  I also used some "Littlest Pet Shop" stickers from my daughter's art supplies since these will remind us of what she was playing with at the time of the room switch. 

I used two 12x12 patterned papers that matched but I put them so that one was right side up and the other was upside down - this also designated the upstairs/downstairs switch and the pink I used becasue we painted her new room pink.  The layout was simple to put together and I added some machine stitching to pull it together. 

While creating this blog post, I came across another page a while back (that I had forgotten all about) I made about the room switch - but this one showed  the after shots of both rooms:

LIBRARY OF MEMORIES:  The first layout will probably go into a scrapbook album All About Allison while the second one page layout will probably go into a Places We Go Album under the tab for HOME.

Show & Tell Time: Project Life & Twelve in 2012 Class

I made a couple u-stream videos about my Project Life Albums and my pre-class assignment for the BPC class 12:

PROJECT LIFE - HOME MADE ALBUM VS. BECKY HIGGINS KIT:

 

After making this video, I actually had my husband sign me up for the Amazon Affiliate Program,  I want to share what I love on this blog and if Amazon could reward me for that - great - but I will only recommend things I really love, sound good?  Good.

This is what I use and recommend for Project Life:

1. The Core Kit - the journaling cards are more than worth the price - I was reluctant to get them but I think they are awesome and I think that in 2012 will be successful at keeping up with Project Life because of these journaling cards.  I bought the Amber Core Kit, but I have been seriously tempted to get the Turquoise Core Kit; and I am excited about the Clementine Core Kit which should be available soon.  I think that if you love this system and can afford it, getting more than one kit would be fun since the cards could be used in other projects; however, if you are trying to be a bit more frugal like me, then I'd recommend just picking one - there will still be more than enough to use in this project and have some left over for other projects.

2. The Page Protectors - sure you could do Project Life without them, but the journaling cards and the page protectors make the whole system lightyears easier than trying to make them on your own - trust me I tried last year and I can now say that the Project Life system really works, even though I'm only a recent convert - I am really in love with how easy it is.  I bought the Page Protectors in Style A - the 60 pack and I also bought the multi Page Protector pack in 60; I'm tempted to buy another 60 of Style A since they often go out of stock and they are in stock right now.  I think that if you wanted the bare minimum, I'd recommend getting the 60 pack of Style A or the smaller pack if you just wanted to try them out to be sure you liked them before committing to 60 of them - although I love them and 60 pages will take you though the entire 2012 year, so I recommend the 60 pack.

If you want other page protector configurations, I have also bought these and like them very much - although for Project Life, I recommend starting with Design A and then branching out to these other types of page protectors - and I am including the standard 12x12 C-Lines that I've been buying for years and I think are the most economical:

3. A 3 ringed 12x12 scrapbook album - I have several different types and these are the ones I like and use:

One item from each of the above 1-3 should be sufficient to get you off to a successful start in 2012 with Project Life.  When I ordered my items they took less than a week to arrive, but I ordered before Christmas season so I don't know if the holidays effect shipping time.  I am seriously considering ordering another pack of the page protectors style A since the multi-pack page protectors are currently out of stock and the 60 set of style A is seriously useful.

PRE-CLASS ASSIGNMENT DIVIDER BIN FOR THE 12 CLASS BY STACY JULIAN AT BIG PICTURE CLASSES:

 

I bought a bin at the craft store for my pre-class assignment for Stacy Julian's 12 class at BPC, I couldn't find the exact one on Amazon but this locker style bin is very similar to the one I have and very cute - especially the little locker label thing:

 

Twelve in 2012

I am so excited to have signed up for Stacy Julian's Twelve Class at Big Picture Classes.  I can't wait for class to start!  Yes, I'm that nerd in the front row with two number 2 freshly sharpened pencils laid out neatly in front of me and my notebook opened and ready to take very detailed notes.  I love learning and I am always inspired by what Stacy Julian has to share. 

The pre-class project is to repurpose an open bin that you already have, I used a "Stacy Julian Green" metal locker style bin that I picked up at Joann's Crafts a few years ago.  It is about 10 inches deep, 10 inches front to back open at the top and 1o inches across at the top and about 7 inches at the bottom so I had to cut the divider sheets for the unique shape of the bin.  As per class instructions, I made 12 divider sheets with cardboard bases and colorful patterned paper and binder clips; I added the envelopes from Ditto.  I also sewing machine stiched the paper down to make the patterned paper stick down better; I am actually in the process of finishing the stitching on all of them.  The black and white checkerboard at the top is duct tape!

See you in class!

P.S. Stephanie - here's a link to the envelopes I used - they are Ditto by Hampton Arts, colorful binder clips from Office Depot, and the awesome patterened duct tape!

Did you see there is Hello Kitty Duck Tape??? And the Black Damask and Houndtooth look awesome too and the Candy Cane??!!  I love that they are making fashion colored duct tape, it is a happy, happy thing.

So Busy & Hibernation Mode

 
(friendly thumb war on the way to school)

Notes from Today: 

1. Charlie had court this afternoon so I picked up the kids and it took 45 mintues to get them - they were trying out something new with car circle / car riders - and it didn't work.  We then went to Walgreens to pick up school supplies and some pictures from the first day of school.  And then home to have  snack and right back out to karate and then home and then back out to get Mac.  And then my workout, dinner, laundry, dishes, baths, bedtime stories, bedtime.  And we don't even have homework yet and I outlawed tv in our house for the first week of school so we could get the routine down - but I'm thinking we're going to need an extra week of no tv - school days are so busy.  I can't believe its only Tuesday - it feels like its been three weeks between today and yesterday.

2. After all the hullabaloo, and the house quieted down, I worked on my School of Life Albums - I actually now have 6 - three in 12x12 and three in 8.5 x 11; Allison, Mac and the Family/Parents each have one size of each sized album.  I'm planning to do a ustream video showing the albums in their current state.  I also plan to do this same type of thing for my other types of albums.  I've been lazy with my Library of Memories Albums for the past couple of years so this project is long overdue.  I was inspired to do this project by  Noell Hyman's Paperclipping Post: Transforming Your Albums Into Unified Stories and by Shimelle Lain's You Tube Video: Design School: Maintaining Continuity in an Album. and I can't find it, but the Paperclipping Roundtable with Angie Lucas and Wendy Smedley about Scrapbooking Albums.

3. I'm in an organizing sort of mood and I've been closing down old files at work from 1997-2001; and my receptionist who I think is about 20 commented that 1997 seemed so long ago - I did the math and she would have been 6 at the time.  I was 27 - so that means I could totally be her mom and it wouldn't have even have had to be a teen pregnancy - I would have been drinking age.  Wow.  I'm old and time flies and organizing isn't my favorite thing to do, but its good to knock it out every so often and I'm in that mode right now.  I've been thinking about the other recent Paperclipping Roundtable: The Personality Episode (which was a topic of my suggestion btw - the other Roundtable inspired by one of my questions is Paperclipping Roundtable Episode #58: You Forget which is all about how you should write stuff down immediately like you take photos immediately - this is sort of what I'm trying to do with my 5 notes of the day on the blog btw - and if they do the one about ancestry.com and scrapbooking that will make three - p.s.  I'd love to be on a show and I could probably go buy my own microphone if thats an issue for having regular non industry scrapbookers getting on the show - I'm an avid listener as you can probably tell). 

Why am I thinking about the Personality Episode?  Because I'm an ENFP and I happen to know that Stacy Julian and Noell Hymann are also ENFPs and I've heard both of them comment about how while they are typically extroverted, that sometimes they like to hibernate - I am totally that way, and I think I'm in a bit of hibernation mode right now and I can actually forecast that I need to be in this mode for long enough to get some major organizational projects done while our family is going through the transition of going back to school and I expect that after Labor Day I'll go back into extrovert mode full throttle and I'll be super social.   When the organization bug hits I have to strike while the iron is hot or else it goes away for 6 months to a year.  We'll see if I keep up with this 5 notes of the day and if my prediction comes true.  One cool thing about getting older is that I'm getting to know myself better.  Do know your Meyers Briggs Personality Type?  If you do leave a comment telling me what it is and if you don't then Click Here for the Human Metrics Myers Briggs Test and THEN leave a comment telling me what your type is  - I'm really curious - especially if you are reading all this text!

4.  Another project I've started on is a t-shirt quilt made from my kids outgrown clothes - I made one with my tshirts from highschool and college - and I can't believe I haven't made a scrapbook about it but it is really a huge blanket that is basically a scrapbook since it brings back so many memories.  Mental Note to Self:  Take a picture & then do a scrapbook layout about the t-shirt quilt.

5.  After hibernation mode is over (see #3), I'm planning a Bikram Yoga party and maybe some other parties for this fall - we used to do a lot of parties and I can feel more parties in our future - maybe not the big gigantic ones we used to have - but smaller more intimate parties.  I miss parties.

 

Last Day of Summer 2011

Its not the official last day of summer but it was the last day of summer 2011 in the Scott household.  We had a hectic day of making sure school uniforms were ready and fit properly - I still have 3 more skorts to hem, but we are basically ready for 2nd and 4th grades and we plan to be up early tomorrow morning all bright eyed and bushy tailed! 

 
School Days Layout:  I chose 4 photos that represented routine to me and lined them up in an orderly grid.  Then I found two shots of me and my son to mat and place all wonky - representing that neither of us are particularly fond of routines or staying in the lines and following the rules - we are both rebels and don't like to be told what to do.   The journaling is about how Mac did not enjoy the family meeting about the reward system for good behavior during the coming school year and how he was generally unhappy about school starting tomorrow.  What makes matters worse is that until Friday we thought that school didn't start until Tuesday - major bummer there.  And my picture is on the diagonal too because I had to play the role of drill sergeant this weekend - a role I don't particularly enjoy but I know is necessary to get things rolling in the right direction.   I stitched on the layout since I had the sewing machine all ready out and threaded from hemming all of Allison's skorts.  The embellishments relate to the theme - "journey" "life" (Jillibean Soup) and "school days" as does the patterened paper which I'm guessing is Basic Grey but I"m not for sure on that.  I also used a sticker at the top left from the school uniforms from Target, it says "ultimate school uniform" and tied in well with the color scheme of this page.  I used the aqua blue and white checkered pattered paper in the middle of the page to represent a calendar or routine and I intentionally chose a paper that didn't match the grungyness or mood of the other patterned paper - I wanted to show a break in the routine - like the abrupt stop we had to our Summer 2011 - something jarring.  Overall I'm happy with this page and it didn't take too long to create - maybe about 35 minutes.

Journaling:  We had a hectic last day of Summer getting school uniforms and shoes and socks and underwear and back packs and school supplies ready.  It took us until 3 pm to get through the dress rehearsal for tomorrow and then Daddy took you two to Target for some last minute things while I squeezed in Bikram Yoga.  Mac was less than thrilled during the family meeting setting out the rewards system, Allison was totally on board with earning an allowance.  But Mac got hung up on the details.  We worked through it and I read you "Oh The Places You'll Go."  You're ready for 4th grade.  P.S. I know routines and getting up early aren't fun and I'm a rule breaker too - but we need order to have an awesome year.  Love Mom."

 
5 Notes from August 21, 2011:

1.  I took photos of Mac after his school dress rehearsal - check out the less than happy expressions on his "I wish summer could last forever" face, I didn't catch Allison in her uniform because we had hemming issues, I have to remember to get pictures of her tomorrow morning.  And I should probably get some happier ones of Mac.  I did find these awesome pictures of Allison when I was uploading my photos.  I put up the blocks in the kitchen and they spell out "Have an Awesome School Year 2011 to 2012 - Grades 2 + 4."

2. I've been in purge mode with the housekeeping and it is looking pretty organized around here in the common spaces and even in our rooms, but there are some closets and drawers that I know are hiding some clutter and I'm all about getting rid of it in the next few weeks.  A couple times a year I get like this - full on house cleaning and organizing mode - and I don't rest until its completely done.  

3. We had smorgashboard for lunch today - all the leftovers from the party we had for my mom yesterday - I am not a fan of "post party fridge" and I like for the fridge (fridges in our case) to be super organized so that I don't run out of healthy choices and enough to drink.  I am not the planner-est person in the world, but there are certain things and times that call for order and we're in that zone right now.

4. I created an Agenda for each of the kids so that they have the potential to earn an allowance of $55.00 each week; we will no longer be buying them any stuff that is not necessary; and a portion of the allowance is going into their savings accounts.  Allison was so excited about this opportunity but Mac focused on the fact that earning money required him to do things - lots of things - and in his opinion too many.  I'm hoping that he comes on board too, I made the first week's to do items fairly easy, I have my fingers crossed for him on this - and I'm hoping that some new changes will help him conquer 4th grade homework - because 3rd grade homework was a bit of a nightmare around here.

5. We filmed what was supposed to be a documentary-ish bit for the office but it turned out to be a regular old commercial (if you ask me) and Charlie played it for me this morning.  When I look in the mirror I see some wrinkles but mainly I see a cute young looking woman who has a couple of pounds still to lose; but when I see myself on the video I see someone who is in major need of botox and an eye-lid lift and to lose a whole lot more weight.  I made it to Bikram Yoga tonight and I know I'm getting stronger, and I also know that at 41 it is natural to have some wrinkles; but vanity makes me want to run to the plastic surgeon.  I'd like to hold out for a couple more years on that eye lift thing - but judging from my Mom's eyelids, I'm definately going to want it at some point.   Ahhhh, aging, I know it beats the alternative, but it would be cool if I looked like what my mental image of myself is - it is much cuter than the real life version - I think my mental image stopped somewhere around 15 or 16 years old; which also may explain why whenever I have anything to get dressed up for I instantly go for big hair - I was a teenager in the 80s - so I am hard core programed to make it big; and then I have to tame it down.  Its a weird process, I should probably photograph that whole routine one of these days.   

Here's to hoping we have an awesome first day of school!

Scrapworthy Lives August Blog Hop: Buy Some Happiness: Saturday Night Date Night!

Welcome Scrapbookers and Blog Hoppers!

You should have arrived here on the August Happiness Blog Hop sponsored by Stephanie Medley-Rath's Scrapworthy Lives: Because your Life Is Worth Scrapbooking Blog  {click here for the link to Scrapworthy Lives}.  More specifically, the stop before mine on the hop was { Tammy's Blog: Your Memory Connection }.

August's Theme is "Buy Some Happiness" inspired by Gretchen Rubin's book: "The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent A Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun."  On the subject of money buying happiness, Gretchen Rubin explains:  "money, spent wisely, can support happiness goals of strengthening relationships, promoting health, having fun, and all the rest." 

Can Money Buy You Love? - the Beatles didn't think so - and neither do I, but can money infuse a little happiness into your relationship?  I think so.  This layout was inspired by a recent "Modest Splurge" when my husband and I re-instituted our long standing tradition of Saturday Night Date Night.  We didn't go crazy, but we did go on a bit of a geek spree at Best Buy and then downtown to the restaurant of our choice and indulged in good food and quality time together - without the kids.

 

The Page:  The page I made for this blog hop seems simple enough, I didn't use any embellishments or even any letter stickers - just a piece of colored cardstock and a few strips of patterened paper.  To the casual observer, this is a frugal page.  But to me, it represents a splurge.  I try to keep my spending on scrapbooking supplies to a bare minimum - I try to limit my purchases to adhesives and page protectors because I have enough scrapbooking supplies to last a lifetime.  Most of the time, I am happy using older supplies and papers in my scrapbooking, but occasionally, I find myself in a rut and when that happens I allow myself to indulge in a "Modest Splurge" and that Basic Grey Lauderdale Paper represents just such a splurge that I recently made on a trip to my local scrapbooking shop Whim-So-Doodle in Downtown St. Pete.  I bought $30 of patterened papers that I didn't need but I really wanted - it was all impulse shopping - buying whatever I thought was attractive, but I kept a dollar limit for myself and paid in cash - not with a credit card.  I didn't know what I'd use this paper for when I bought it but it seemed perfect for the mood I wanted to create with this page.

Here's our story:  Charlie and I met in 1995 and quickly fell in love, we were both recent law school graduates with lots of potential and lots of law school loan debt.  We had a long courtship and it was four years before we got married, but during our dating years, we took a giant leap of faith by starting a law practice together in 1997.   In 1999, as newlyweds, we had lots of time and love - but not much money - just a lot of law school loan debt, a new business, and a home mortgage.  We worked hard to get to a financially OK place.  In 2002, we started a family and when the children were small, we indulged in a live-in nanny, babysitters, and a housekeeper.   We kept up our Saturday Date Night Tradition even when the kids were small and we were seriously busy. 

But somewhere around 2008 or 2009, when the bad economy hit, we decided to tighten up the bootstraps and stopped having a housekeeper and started cleaning our house ourselves again; and since the children were getting a little older, we no longer needed all the babysitting.  So our new-found frugality led to the End of our Saturday Date Night Tradition.  Looking back, I think our marriage suffered a little bit because we stopped taking this time out together, we lost a connection that we once had and our connection then centered only around the house, the kids and work - there was little to no time spent on just us. 

Until last week - we brought back Saturday Date Night and it was worth every penny!

 Journaling: "Saturday Night - July 23, 2011: The first night in our house alone since Mac was born in 2002 and we had a long over-due date night at Moon Under Water in Downtown St. Pete - Of course it rained!  With both kids at a friend's house overnight - we got a little preview of the next stage in life."

 

Ok, Scrapbookers and Happiness Seekers: Now go check out the last stop on the Blog Hop!  { Click Here for Melissa's Blog }

:) Katie.

 

Library of Memories Community Weekly Challenge: Favorite Daily Things

I am getting excited for Stacy Julian's Photo Freedom which starts up again tomorrow.  Tonight I checked out the Library of Memories Community and did this week's prompt / scrapbooking challenge which was "It's THINGS WE DO week. Start by photographing an object that each person in your home uses on a daily basis. Now, go to your things drawer and find something to scrapbook."  So I found a picture of each member of my family with each person's favorite daily thing:

 

Springtime Allison

It is April 1st and a completely beautiful spring day here, I decided to celebrate springtime by gathering a bunch of pictures of my daugther from several different years but all from the springtime.  I've been re-discovering the joy of the 2 page scrapbook layout.

 
I cut the flower embellishments from patterned paper; other supplies:  American Crafts, Moxxie, Scenic Route, Basic Grey, K&Company, DCWV, & Fancy Pants.

Ancestry.com & Scrapbooking: Proof We Are Irish

My father and grandfather were both geneology enthusiasts.   Both have passed on and I have most of their stuff at my office in file folder boxes.  I started building the family tree yesterday on ancestry.com after seeing Steve Buscemi on "Who Do You Think You Are" and I was able to find a lot of information.  What I'd like to do is to incorporate what my father researched with the photos and stories and instead of having them in boxes of files, I'm planning to put them in 3 ringed notebooks - mostly 8.5x11 sized and interspersing photos and scrapbook pages with the many pages of text that I already have.  I'd like to bring the pages to life and make them more interesting.  I'd like to tell the stories or at least, if the stories aren't there, incorporate my family's story into American and World history.  I started on this project when I was a senior at Eckerd College in 1992, I'm ready to pick up that project again.  But just a little at a time.  I've signed up for a year at Ancestry.com - it was $150 which seems a little pricey, but if I use it a little everyday for a year then it doesn't seem like that much.  I'm planning to print out most of what I do so that after the year I can get out of Ancestry's payment plan and just have my own scrapbook.  I also think it would be fun if some of my family got involved so that it was a family project kind of thing.

Yesterday, I was interested in tracing my materal grandmother's side of the family back to Ireland after a comment my daughter made on St. Patty's Day when she seriously questioned that we were actually Irish - now I've got proof - we are.

 
Here's the first couple of scrapbook pages - it is actually one page - that is a 12x12 scrapbook page that is two sided and one side is a pocket made with machine stitching full of printouts of census records and other random bits I found on my Grandma Grace Flavin Cunningham.  I was looking for our connection to Ireland after my daughter didn't believe me on St. Patrick's Day when I told her we were Irish - now we know exactly how we are Irish.  Too cool.

 
Here's the back pocket side:

 
I actually printed out the family tree from my daugther back to her great-great-great-great grandparents in Ireland and pasted that onto the outside of the pocket and highlighted the Irish born relatives with some Cherry Arte rub-ons.  Other supplies include:  Me and My Big Ideas, 7gypsies, Heidi Grace, K&Company, Crate Paper, Jenni Bowlin, and We R Memory Keepers.  Here are some more details:

 
I'm so excited about bringing our family history to the pages of my current scrapbooks and to document by scrapbooking all the family history photos documents I already have.  I'd like to do this in a way that makes the family history interesting to my kids by finding connections from now to the past.  For example, when I was in Ireland I went to Cork but had no idea thats where our family was from - now I can make a page about that; and my son loves building things and his great-grandfather actually built the building that is now Stetson Law School where Charlie and I both went to school.  I want the family history to be interesting and inviting and entertaining and fun. 

P.S. Of course I'm scrapbooking with scanned images and not putting big stickers over old photos!