the scrapbooking delima decided: i'm back in the saddle.

here's the thing. i love scrapbooking. i also think scrapbooking is super lame. since i have been using the blog as a kind of recorder of what we've been up to and such, i haven't scrapbooked nearly at all. but i miss playing with the paper, the paint, the goodies. i miss sitting down and being sentimental and artsy at the same time. but then, i think a book full of weird titles and trendy crap is really really dumb. but i love to read what i have written in the past about a picture i love. and i love pretty things. and my past scrapping books are cate's most treasured possessions. so that's pretty cool. but i hate cheesy pages and pages that are more about the crap the person bought at a store then the pictures and feelings that is so rampant in the scrapping world. but i realized recently just because i hate 99% of what is shown in scrapbook mags and what is sold in scrapbook stores doesn't mean i should stop doing something that is meaningful to me and my family. i am again totally excited to get all my pictures printed (there are 1000s more than i ever show on the blog waiting on my computer for someone to love them), slap them on a page, type my heartfelt feelings about said picture and add a little yummy to make me smile. that is my scrapbook style, that is what i love to look at, what i'll be grateful to read years later, and what i love to do to feel creative. i'm diving back in. i did this one yesterday. and i love it. and more important, cate really loved it. and even more important, in 20 years it will be pricelessly loved. amen.

Comments

[Kristi]

oh Kelly, I feel so the same way. I haven't scrapped in so long, and have had no desire. but you are so right. maybe I will get some pictures printed up and get busy this weekend. thanks for the inspiration!

[tara pakosta]

I LOVE this page! it's gorgeous! I have missed your work so much! I also have not been scrapbooking hardly at all lately> but I have been doing family art journals, where I take my fave photos and journal about them and slap a few fun things in there with it. i also add drawings/notes of the girls. they are becoming my prized posessions for sure!
so glad you are scrapping!
tara

[v and co]

WOAH!!! my jaw litterally just hit the floor. congrats to heather!!! and can i pay you oodles of money to not only take my pictures for me but to put them together in a non-lame scrapbooky way for me...that is why i have never once made even ONE scrapbook page yet...but i know my kids would love it.

[Casey]

very nice looking page :) and holy crap, six?? that's a lot of kids!

[Ashley Schultz]

I feel the same way you do about scrapbooking, which is why I am all about keeping it very simple. I try to focus on the photos and the story with little embellishments because that's what I want to remember, not the $5 flower that is on the page. BTW, love your page. And congrats to your sister.

[Asha]

I'm a huge scrapbooker, it's so funny, you think you're the only one struggling with these feelings and then bam, someone articulates it so well. You're right, the scrapbooking companies have a turn over rate that is staggering. They come out with too much darn stuff. You feel like you HAVE to have all the new stuff. I've def fallin victim to that. I'm obsessed. I've been scrapbooking late at night and these little thoughts of 'am I going over board?' creep into my head. I turn and look at all the crap and I get sick to my stomach sometimes. But for me, it's all about the story. I rarely have a page that doesn't have details of moments and experinces on them. But I love your simple pages. I've gone much more simple in the past year, even going from 12x12 to 8x11. I really love Jennifer Harrison's work, she's very simple and graphic (not too much written though) and she really inspired me to not spend so much time on decorating and then I always add my journaling, I love to journal.

[heathie]

i also am ready to get back to it. I am probably only 6 years behind or something. But I have thought the same things. it is my kids favorite to sit down with me and look at the scrapbooks.

[heathie]

oh yah, and when you get pregnant this month, than we will just spend the next nine months watching cozy movies and scrapping away.

[Jessica Higbee]

you took the words right out of my mouth! i havent scrapped at all for my second child because i feel it is too expensive and like you said its all about the "stuff" on the page and not the person or words you write! but you have me inspired!(again!) thank you, thank you!

[Bobbie]

I gave up on scrapbooking after staying with my sister in law and looking at sooooo many different coloured paper, stuff, crap etc and came home with like 4 pages done in like 2 days... my husband was like is that all?????

Then I turned to digital scrapping... which is great!! it is FREE (if you just download digital freebies of which there are HEAPS) you can leave a page half done (and dont have to think of somewhere safe to leave it)

no paper little bits to clean up..
you can use a favourite paper over and over and over again

and your kids cant touch it!!!

admittedly though I did about 50 layouts in a couple of months.. then I stopped... but I just got photoshop elements so I am thinking of starting up again...

and I have soooooo thought about the dorky factor.... do you remember covering journals in wadding, fabric and lace around the edges?? I think we consider stuff we created in the 80's pretty daggy now.... I just always wonder if that is going to happen to scrapbooking??

Oh and another note... a ladys I saw had so many dangly things and embellishments that she had this huge!!! thick folder of an album... an it was only the first year of her child!! I have 3 kids I dont have storage/space for 50 albums full of embellishments... plus eldest child is 7 I feel like I would never catch up with it all!!!

[Jill]

I'm glad you're scrapbooking again Kelly. I love this page and I totally agree with what you said. I'm in the process of paring down all my supplies to just a box. I never scrapbook right now unless I have to, and there are so many things that I want to remember that are going unwritten...

[Jaime S.]

So I'm pretty sure you're like the only person who makes scrapbooking look cool- not lame. I always like to see your creations and I'm stoked you're posting them again. yee haw!

[Holly]

Congratulations to your sister! What a lucky momma! :) And I SO know how you feel about the scrapbooks... I am finally getting back into mine and am so glad actually.. it makes me feel much better for my pictures to have a little home!! Good luck with yours as well, that page is beautiful!

[Diane Payne]

Wow! Gorgeous page, I love the simplicity of it. I look forward to seeing more of your work.

[melanie louette]

Now that is some kinda beautiful layout. I never post here, but I had to comment on this. Wow.

[Robyn Hutch]

My feelings exactly. You've got to be true to yourself and not to scrapbooking brick-a-brack.

Such a beautiful page!

[Amy]

The photo, the scrapbook-ing work, is beautiful. Seriously. And it makes me think you could create a business of making cards for people.

The photo itself has a timeless quality to it, that any girl could see and have fond memories of her dad.

Beautiful.

[robin]

totally relate...yep me too..love to take pictures but no scrappping in years.
MAybe since you posted this super looking LO I'll dive bACK IN TO..THANKS FOR THE INSPIRE

[kellie]

I began reading your blog because I loved your scrap pages. Then I just began to love your blog! I love that you are honest and funny, two of my favorite qualities. And even though I love your blog without the scrap goodness, I'm excited that it's back! Your creativity never ceases to inspire.

[Stefani]

What a wonderful simple page. I love simple pages and find that to be more my style. Actually compared to others I guess my style is more on the boring side. Even so, I find that I seem to spend more time looking thru all the years of stuff that I have than actually scrapping with it.

[tara]

kelly, these are my thoughts exactly. down to the words, picture, and one little thing to make me happy. thats all i want!
loooove that page.

[jendoop]

Amen sister!(except my sis isn't preggers, she'd be surprised to read that)

In the past I felt like the cutsie scrapbooking was a way for me to avoid the fear of failure I have about creating. Don't look at what others do- DO what you do.

[Kiasa]

You totally put my scrapbooking feelings into words. Now I understand! I love your idea and approach. I'm inspired.

[Lorinda]

I totally agree, I have a love/hate relationship with scrapping.

[Lisa]

love your page. love all your creative-ness. i feel the same way about scrapping. it's like everything else--it's a business to make money. but i still do it cuz i like it and it makes me happy. and i love putting fabric on my pages too!

[tanybug]

thanks you for reminding me whats important in a scrapbook or layout.

my motto has always been just do it, when it comes to craft or art, meaning not to worry about whats in or whats trendy, or what would make something look perfect, instead just do it!

[katie]

thanks for posting your thoughts here. I've been thinking about this issue a lot lately and my feelings are pretty close to yours . . i always feel conflicted even saying that "i scrabook." what a dumb verb! :)

love your style and your pages though. great story and simplicity.