If you didn’t catch Ali Edwards’ post yesterday about “getting real,” I encourage you to check it out. It couldn’t have come at a better time for me …

If you’ve been hanging out me with for the past five months (yes, it’s already been five months!), you’ve probably noticed a recurring theme in my more personal posts … that never-ending struggle for balance. It’s a struggle I don’t ever really feel like I’m making headway on. Sure, I have days, even weeks sometimes, when I feel like I’ve got things on a pretty even keel. But for the most part, I generally feel like I’m doing way too much of one thing … and not enough of another. The only thing that really changes is just what is on each end of the scale … and as much as I do, I still feel like my list of what’s NOT getting done is growing so fast that I’ll never catch up.

The older I get, the more I notice a need to step back and see the big picture more often. I find that I get so focused on my current projects that I start to lose perspective. And it’s typically after I’ve been hitting the same wall over and over and over again that I finally pause and think … wait, I could probably change this if I just stopped for a few minutes to think about it. The trick is to actually take that time to stop and look.

So that’s why I find Ali’s post so helpful. In it, she shares a whole list of things to think about regarding facing the reality of your present life. It’s that focus, those specific questions, that I’ve been needing lately to force myself to step back for a bit and take a look at the bigger picture.

I could probably fill a whole journal with responses to those questions because Ali touches on so many different areas that apply to me. But for now, I thought I’d focus on the scrapbooking part of my life, since that is the area that I seem to have the strongest feelings about, both positive and otherwise. Plus, you probably don’t want to hear about all that other stuff…

I’ve narrowed the areas I most need to “get real” about down to the following three, which are so intertwined that I’ve lumped them all together…

1. My vision of what scrapbooking “should” be and what it actually “is” for me.
2. Expectations of myself.
3. Amount of projects on my To Do list.

I tend to feel like I’m supposed to scrapbook everything, because at one time that was my goal. I had visions of completely recording every important or memorable detail of my kids’ lives, not to mention my own, and have also had thoughts about going back in history and getting a bunch of the family “stuff” documented as well … you know, in my spare time.

The reality? I can’t even “keep up” with scrapping what happens right now, let alone go back the 14 years I’ve had kids or the 40 years I’ve been alive … or the centuries of my family history. I have boxes upon boxes of saved photos, letters, ticket stubs, programs … all waiting for that “someday” when I’ll get around to getting it all neatly organized and/or scrapbooked.

Um, reality check. It just ain’t gonna happen. And I realized that about a year ago, which is when I started to rethink my approach. I kind of let myself off the hook – or so I thought – and decided to try to focus more on the stories and less on trying to document every little thing my family does. But while I gave myself permission to let go of that need for chronological, uber-thorough record-keeping, I didn’t ever really let go of that vision or take the time to really think through a system that will work for me … and then put it into practice. I’ve been bouncing back and forth like a ping pong ball … and the result is feeling a lot of …

Guilt about all of the stories that I’ve already forgotten that I didn’t get around to recording in time. Guilt about the mess that keeps growing in my office. Guilt about the huge number of layouts focusing on my daughters in comparison to the handful I’ve done about the boys. Guilt about starting projects and not finishing them. Guilt about not spending enough time scrapbooking … and spending too much time scrapbooking. Guilt about wanting to scrapbook the stories more than wanting to experience them. You name it, I’ve probably felt guilty about it.

And guilt is not the feeling I want to have in connection with my scrapbooking. Nor do I like feeling like I’m not measuring up to my own impossibly high standards. And here’s the kicker … if I just stop, get off auto-pilot, and look at the big picture, it finally dawns on me… who am I doing this for? Do I even WANT to remember all those little details? Is trying to capture the past making it impossible to be in the present? What is this almost obsessive approach costing me in the process?

So my conclusion after thinking about this today is that I need to spend more time thinking about this. I need to step back and really define what role I want scrapbooking & memory-keeping to play in my life, clarify what I am trying to accomplish – and what I am not – and set some realistic goals & expectations to help make that vision a reality.

Once I get it figured out, of course I’ll share … but please don’t hold your breath.

I’ve got enough to feel guilty about already.

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Please share your thoughts in a comment below …

When scrapper’s are feeling uninspired, unmotivated or simply just don’t feel that special something that moves us to sit down and almost effortlessly put together a layout, we tend to say our “mojo” is missing.

I don’t know exactly what “mojo” is … and in this case, our friends at Dictionary.com weren’t much help…

None of these definitions really fit, do they? Leave it scrapbookers to be so creative that we come up with our own definition of a word.

But even though I can’t clearly define mojo, I definitely know when it’s lacking in my own creative life. It’s when I actually have time to scrap and sit down to my computer only to find myself … empty. No ideas, no inspiration, no desire even to start a page. And I know that all of us go through periods of time when that spark is missing.

Most of us have found that if we’re patient enough, that spark eventually finds its way back to us. But I’ve also found that there are a handful of activities that help me speed the process and get the creative energy flowing again. So I thought I’d share what helps me in hopes it might help you, too….

1. Browse the galleries. It takes about 2.5 seconds for me to find a scrapbook layout I like in the many galleries I enjoy visiting around the Web. There is just a never-ending supply of ideas and talent waiting there to inspire us and you have only to look to find something that speaks to you. I have lots of favorite places to visit, but lately I’ve found the galleries at Sweet Shoppe Designs, Designer Digitals, Scrap Orchard, Peppermint Creative and Scrap Matters to be especially inspiring sources of the kind of “real life” scrapbooking I most enjoy.

2. Go shopping. Sometimes my scrapbook purchases are driven by a page I am doing, but more often than not, my pages are inspired by a great new kit I’ve discovered. I am constantly amazed at how product designers can create kit after beautiful kit without ever seeming to run out of new ideas or fun color combinations. And as you might have guessed, many of my favorite designers live in the same places as the galleries listed above. Pretty convenient, eh?

3. Do a little blog hopping. There is just something about peeking into the studios, homes and lives of other scrapbookers that makes me want to follow their example. Sometimes it’s seeing a cool mini-album that gets me going, other times it’s reading about their memory-keeping philosophy or seeing a collection of albums all lined up just so. The best part about blog-hopping is there is always a new or unfamiliar one around the corner just waiting to be discovered, as well as a growing list of reliable favorites. Among those I return to again and again are the blogs of Ali Edwards, Cathy Zielske, Jennifer Wilson, and Lain Ehmann.

4. Look through old photos. My main goal in scrapbooking is telling stories – my own and those of my family. And it doesn’t take long to start thinking of stories I’ve yet to share once I start looking back at family photos I haven’t seen in a while. Oftentimes, a page idea comes to me while I’m actually taking the photo … and it usually doesn’t take long for those ideas to resurface when I go back through those photos later on. And once the idea is back and the photo is at my fingertips, it’s not a big leap to having an urge to get it scrapped.

5. Take some new photos. Just as looking at older photos can get the creative juices flowing, so can taking new photos. In fact, I rarely take a photo anymore without at least thinking about ways it might work in a scrapbook page or looking for new angles that might help tell a story. Thanks to digital photography, it’s become extremely easy to jump on those ideas as soon as they come, and quite often, I’ll be scrapping a page within mere minutes of taking the photo that inspired it.

6. Write out a non-scrapping To Do list. There’s nothing like being unable to scrapbook that makes you want to do it! I’ve found that the more non-scrapping related work I have to do, the greater the drive to shove it all aside and play with a layout. Sometimes creating a list and making a little scrapping time my reward for completing it is all it takes to set the gears in motion again.

7. Find a challenge. Nearly every scrapbooking site hosts a variety of challenges with just about every kind of theme you can imagine. An idea or focus, a deadline, a little friendly competition and oftentimes a prize … that’s about all it takes sometimes to get you scrapping. Plus, they’re usually a lot of fun!

8. Pick up a good book. Books have been a consistent source of inspiration for me for as long as I can remember, in all areas of my life. Whether it’s home decorating, marketing ideas, menu planning or scrapbooking, I can usually rely on a good book to get the ideas flowing again. Favorites on my scrapping bookshelf right now include Life Artist by Ali Edwards, Real.Life.Scrapbooking. by Rebecca Cooper, Get It Scrapped! by Debbie Hodge, That’s Life by Nic Howard, Encyclopedia of An Ordinary Life by Amy Rosenthal, and We Dare You by Kristina Contes, Meghan Heath Dymock, Genevieve Simmonds and Lisa Fiin.

9. Seek out new experiences. My husband teases me about this, but one of the easiest ways to make me want to scrapbook is to force me out of the house to try something new with the family. Since I always have a camera with me, it doesn’t take long for me to start capturing this new experience … and of course, the natural next step is to want to scrap it. The shutter gets to clicking, the ideas start flowing and pretty soon I’m just itching to get back home to get it on a page.

10. Take a break. If all else fails, sometimes the best way to get that creative energy back is to just quit trying so hard to be creative. Take a break, shift focus for a while, start a project completely unrelated to scrapbooking, or just get some rest. Sometimes the best remedy for me is simply a really good night’s sleep.

So now it’s your turn. What tips & tricks have you discovered to regain your mojo after it’s gone missing?

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Please share your thoughts in a comment below …

When it comes to scrapbooking, few things do more to keep the creative juices flowing than sharing our creations with others. After all, the reason most of us spend the time we do to create all of these pages and albums is to make sure our stories and experiences find an audience and a memory outside ourselves.

And one of the easiest and most fulfilling ways we share is by posting our layouts in our favorite online galleries.

Few things make me want to scrapbook more than the thought of sharing my layouts in the gallery. There’s just something about seeing that nice big image displayed alongside everyone else’s pages that makes me smile. And fueling that fire are the nice comments left by other scrapbookers in the hours and days that follow, validating me as a scrapbooker and helping me to feel that I have been seen, heard and maybe even understood.

As first a scrapbooker, and now also as the owner of an online scrapbook-related business, I have noticed there is an often unwritten etiquette to being a welcomed and valued member of the online scrapbooking community, particularly when it comes to site galleries. But I’ve also noticed that it sometimes takes a while before newcomers catch on to these commonly accepted and expected standards of gallery behavior.

So today I thought I’d take a few minutes to share what I’ve learned in hopes of helping fellow scrapbookers make the most of what the gallery experience has to offer.

When it comes to playing nice in our favorite online galleries, just think about the advice our mothers gave us …

1. Play by the rules. Every gallery has its own set of rules which you generally have to agree to in order to become a registered user with uploading and commenting privileges. The rules typically spell out what can and cannot be included in your image descriptions (such as whether you are allowed to link to outside stores and Web sites), file size requirements, daily upload limits, and whether you are allowed to post layouts created with products purchased outside that specific site’s store. Follow the rules out of respect for all of your fellow scrapbookers, as well as to avoid annoying the site administrator.

2. Give credit where credit is due. Product designers deserve to be acknowledged when you post a layout that includes their items, including templates as well as all papers, elements, alphas, fonts, etc.The same holds true when you “lift” the design of another scrapbooker or when your page is inspired by a particular book, Web challenge or other source. By providing such information you are not only showing your support and respect for these designers and authors, you are helping your fellow scrapbookers find new sources of inspiration and resources.

3. Do unto others… If you like to receive nice comments on the layouts you post (and who doesn’t?), then take a little time to return the favor in the galleries you frequent. It doesn’t take long for fellow scrapbookers to recognize “hit-and-run” posting, which nearly always means the layout is there just to sell a product or that the person is much more interested in receiving than in giving, neither of which will earn you much love from your fellow scrapbookers. This is especially true for galleries supported by specific stores, as opposed to the open galleries that are not connected with any one particular retailer.

4. If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. Most scrapbookers practice this art because they enjoy it, not because they’re looking to have their pages picked apart. Unless someone specifically asks for constructive criticism, it’s best to leave only positive, encouraging comments in the gallery. Even if they do suggest they are open to critiques, it’s wise to think twice before saying too much … and then only through a private message. The same holds true for typos and other little mistakes. No one likes to have their weaknesses pointed out in public.

5. Quality over quantity. When it comes to gallery comments, more is not necessarily better. If you’re going to take the time to leave a comment, say something that shows you actually looked at the layout and found something to appreciate. A handful of sincere messages is much more meaningful to the page artist than a big, long list of comments that look exactly the same as those on every other page in the gallery.

6. Do a little more than is expected. While you certainly are not required to include the text of your journaling in your layout description, it sure does make it easier for your friends to really appreciate and enjoy your page if you do. This is particularly true if your journaling is lengthy or in a size that is difficult to read on a computer monitor.

7. No trespassing. If you are posting a page in a gallery owned by a site that sells scrapbooking products, it is generally a good idea to limit your posting to pages that are created mostly, if not entirely, with products purchased from that site. Some sites require this, but this is a good rule of thumb even for those sites that do not. The exception is a gallery that is truly an “open” gallery, in which case this will usually be made known in the site’s policies. Remember, it is often product sales that make it possible for a site’s gallery to exist. It’s poor form to make a habit of posting pages using products sold by that site’s competitors unless such a practice is specifically allowed on that site.

8. Say thank you. One of the best ways to show your support and appreciation for your favorite product designers is to share the pages you create using their products in the galleries where they reside. This is particularly true if you happened to obtain those products through a freebie post or giveaway on a site outside the designer’s regular venue … let those designers know you appreciate their generosity by letting others see their products in action. A nice little thank you note never hurts, either.

Have your own tips or advice on how to be a true gallery standout? I’d love for you to share them in a comment below…

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Please share your thoughts in a comment below …

Log Your Memory is all about scrapping your “real” life. March Calendar Girl Lydia Tarbox shares her thoughts today on just what that means to her …

It’s All About the Relationships…

The more I think about the concept of “real life” scrapbooking, the more I realize that what I really want to capture in my layouts are the relationships that are so important to me.

Lydia Tarbox

I have been blessed with truly amazing parents, and my siblings are my best friends. I have a wonderful husband who is incredibly patient and supportive of me. And, to top it all off, I have three beautiful and healthy children. More than anything, I want my kids to build the kinds of relationships with each other that will carry them through the difficult times of their lives.

Life isn’t always sunny, but as we endure life’s challenges, we learn what is really important. It’s family. It’s love. And, to me, that’s “real life.”

I want my scrapbooking to document the relationships that I cherish most – so that my children will look back and see how much I loved being their mother even though it wasn’t always easy, how much I loved watching them grow and learn and develop their own special bonds, and how much love I had for so many other people who were influential in my life.

Because there’s nothing more “real” than that!

So, in the midst of the all the other events and special moments that we are all trying to capture with our scrapbooking, make sure you take some time to record your thoughts and memories of the people and relationships that really bring richness and vitality to your life.

Get the inside scoop, be the first to know about new product releases & get special discounts by subscribing to our new weekly newsletter, the Log Your Memory INSIDER. Delivered directly to your INBOX every Sunday afternoon.

Please share your thoughts in a comment below …

Taking the lead as our Calendar Girl of the Month is the lovely & talented Jen DeLorenzo (jend). Jen sets the stage for a month full of sweetness with her “real life” guest post below. Jen will also assist with choosing the Layout of the Week later in the month, plus compile a special edition of our weekly Story Board.

February has arrived and love is in the air.

As the song goes, all you need is love… … and within a family there is an abundance to capture. There are so many little glimpses into the power love holds.  When my children look back through my scrapbooks as adults I want them to feel the overwhelming love I have for them.  I want them to see my heart on each and every page.

There are so many little stories that would get missed and lost in the progress of time if they weren’t written down.  The sweet little everyday tidbits disappear and we are just left with a warm glow and fond memories, but none of them distinct.  It is so important to capture that love and get it down before it slips through your hands.

A human memory is so fleeting.  It is so easy to go about our normal day and think “oh that was such a cute/sweet/special moment” and do nothing about it. Love has no limits.  You can love people, animals and things.  I think recording it all is important.

If you just try to steal those moments back from time, I guarantee you won’t regret it.  Those pages will quickly become your favorites. I have posted some examples of pages that to me speak the language of love.  I hope you take this and go scrap your love story!

Introducing February Guest Designer Misty Cato

I am excited to introduce this month’s Guest Designer … the fabulous Misty Cato. Right in keeping with this month’s theme, Misty has created a beautiful kit especially for us, which one lucky Log Your Memory reader will win for free in a special giveaway later this month. For everyone following along with the Logbook Weekly Challenges, you’ll find that Misty’s creation … “Adoration” … is a perfect complement to Weekly Challenge #7: Who is your most favorite person in the world?

To give you a little taste of the goods, Misty has provided this wonderful freebie mini-kit just for you! Click on the image to download this little goodie … and be sure to leave a note in our comment section to let Misty know how much you appreciate her generosity!

Also be sure to check out Misty’s store at Sweet Shoppe Designs. To sweeten the deal, Misty’s even offered a special coupon just for Log Your Memory readers.

Note: Offer excludes scoops/dips and coupon must be used on a single purchase of Misty’s products. Fans are also invited to subscribe to Misty’s newsletter here.

Please share your comments through our community forum…

I’m always curious to hear the “why” behind why others have chosen to practice the art of scrapbooking. So when I received the following email in response to this post, I asked the author, Annette, if it would be okay if I shared her story with you, as well. I was thrilled when she accepted.

If this doesn’t motivate you to get busy documenting those memories, I’m not sure what will. Read on…

This is why I scrapbook … I had a LOT of backlogged pictures and memorabilia, but fortunately, not so much anymore. Like you, I went through a divorce and scrapbooking those times and pictures… not fun. It was only a short snippet of history, but to try and save those memories? I’d really rather not.

Guest Blogger Annette

A few years ago, right before my grandmother passed away and just before I became pregnant with my third and last baby, I learned that my family (on my father’s side) has a tendency toward Alzheimer’s.

My great aunt had it for many years before she passed away. I came face-to-ace with the disease during the time of my grandmother’s passing. While I knew her sister was in the final stages of the disease, barely recognizing her own sister… I witnessed my own grandmother not only fighting lung cancer, but the early-mid stages of Alzheimer’s. Fortunately for her, the memories stay mostly intact at the end, but it was so hard watching her move in and out of clarity and reality.

It renewed my urgency to scrapbook what my kids were living NOW. My childhood. My husband’s career. Blogging, even. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I fear that I will have Alzheimer’s and those memories that I cherish now will be like leaves in the wind.

So I scrapbook. Slowly. Oh so slowly. But I am working steadily through the pile. Sorting through what really IS worth scrapbooking and saving, versus bits and pieces of construction paper from a long forgotten project that even the child who made it doesn’t remember.

Last month, my mother told me that she believes my father is in the very early stages of Alzheimer’s. He’s in his 60s. For all of his life, he has been able to recall the tiniest detail of the most amazing events. And to hear that he can’t remember how to tie a tie? Devastates me. Because it again reinforces the “why” I scrapbook. “Why” I need to preserve those memories.

It may seem selfish to try to record my own memories in addition to my children’s and husband’s. So many of us find ourselves taking the pictures or focusing on other pages about other people. But for me to be able to save a small piece of my life for my family to help me should I fall ill? Worth every moment of trudging through endless photographs and writing the memories down while I know I still remember them.

Thank you, Annette, for sharing your story!

Click on “comment” below to share your thoughts…

My word for the year, my constant struggle, the thing which, when lacking, seems to cause otherwise wonderful projects to come crashing down around me because of burnout, fatigue and eventually even boredom.

Balance. Or more specifically, the lack thereof.

My scrapbooking is not immune to this struggle, particularly in my quest to tell life stories in a way that is authentic and truly representative of the “real thing.”

So even though I talk the talk, I’m not always so great at walking the walk. Why? Lots of reasons, I suppose.

For one, I’m a bit of a moody scrapper. By that, I mean I have to feel like scrapping in order to do it. If the mojo’s missing, forget it. And if I’m not feeling compelled to tell a specific story … or use a really great new kit I’ve acquired … then chances are pretty good the scrappin’s not gonna happen, particularly right now when I have about a million other things begging for my attention.

{This was one of those "real" moments I felt compelled to scrap, simply because it was so terrifying.}

But when it comes to scrapping the less-than-perfect parts of life, there’s more to it than mood swings and a busy schedule. I tend to have a bit of an internal struggle… while I want my scrapbooks to tell the story of my real life, both the good and the bad, I’m also a huge perfectionist. And to put all of that imperfection down on paper sometimes just makes it a bit too, well, real.

Take my continual struggle with weight, for example. Haven’t scrapped it. Probably should. Maybe it would help me in my pursuit of a healthier weight & lifestyle. But right now the most I’ve been able to accomplish is to take a photo of the scale with me standing on it. Great, eh? Yeah… except I couldn’t bring myself to turn to turn the scale ON for the photo! And forget putting that number on a scrapbook page if there is any chance at all my hubby would see it…

But my perfectionism isn’t the only thing that sometimes prevents me from scrapping the tough stuff, especially when the subject could 1) hurt someone’s feelings,  2) let someone in on information I would prefer they not have, or 3) provide proof that I’m not meeting someone’s expectations, usually my own.

Let’s start with #1.

I am a people-pleaser. Always have been, likely always will be. I don’t like rocking the boat; I don’t like telling people things they don’t want to hear; and heaven forbid, I don’t like letting people down. So I am the first to say what a “wonderful time this was” or how much “I just love this” whatever, when what I am really thinking and feeling is far different. It’s how I am in real life and so that translates to my scrapbooks, as well. So I guess in that respect, my pages are a reflection of the “real”me. But not in the way that I’d like.

And then there’s #2 – giving up information I might prefer to keep quiet. This tends to get into the area of sharing my real feelings when they aren’t particularly affectionate or flattering. Like when admitting to a particular feeling is going to make me look (at least in my mind) very ungrateful. Or mean. Or selfish. Or vulnerable. Or weak. Ironically, it’s because I’m not great at expressing my feelings out loud that I DO scrapbook and write and blog. Even though it’s more permanent, somehow these feel less threatening that forcing the same words out loud into the air. But I think the fact that I write rather than speak has more to do with control … and I rarely write (or scrap) anything that anyone else is going to see without being pretty careful about controlling just what I’m saying or how I think it will be perceived.

Yes, I should do a page about my control issues, as well. LOL.

Which brings me to #3, which is all about expectations. Living up to a certain standard. Being someone – or appearing to be someone – that I may or may not really be. I’d like to think I’m a good mom. A nice person. Generous. Supportive. Open-minded. Creative. A good wife. Well-liked. Respectful. Knowledgeable. Capable. Tolerant. That list could go one for quite a bit … and pretty much any scrapbook page with more than a hint of reality within it is going to challenge one of those notions, at least in my own mind. Not a reason not to scrap, but it does tend to be a deterrent.

{I find motherhood to be quite frustrating at times. This is probably the closest I've come so far to really documenting that side of being a mom.}

And finally, there’s one more big reason you’ll find a LOT more “happy” pages in my albums than not-so-happy. And while I can generally talk my way through the “reasons” I’ve mentioned earlier and rationalize a way that makes it okay for me to go ahead and scrap whatever it is, this next one is more of a barrier for me.

It’s that whole “positive attitude” thing. This is the one I have the hardest time striking a comfortable balance with … and here’s why. I have for as long as I can remember been a believer in all of those quotes about how you live what you think. About how you choose your attitude. About how you should focus on the positive. (I seriously was indoctrinated in grade school with that silly song …acc-cent…uate the positive, e- lim… inate the negative… )

So when choosing between portraying an event or telling a story in a way that might shed a negative light – or taking an angle that makes everything at least appear to be approached with a positive attitude – you can guess where I tend to land. Problem is, sometimes that’s just not the case, as much as I might like it to be, and the resulting page is just not, well, authentic. I can be a bit pessimistic and it takes conscious effort more often than I’d like to admit to see the positive side of things. So it feels a bit counterproductive, dangerous even, to focus on the negative in a scrapbook page – as if doing so will make it that much harder for me to stay positive myself. It’s going against the whole “act like it is true and believe it is true and it will become true” philosophy. And who wants to hang around a negative, cranky, glass-is-half-empty person?

For instance, I have a list of pet peeves a mile long. (Don’t believe me? Here’s just a tiny sample… ) And I’ve been wanting to scrap it for quite some time. Yet, I haven’t because of the whole positive versus negative attitude business. It feels risky, somehow, to document that side of myself. But believe me – it’s a very dominant part of who I am and a lot of those “pet peeves” influence my behavior and reactions on a daily basis. I’m not saying I like that about myself. It’s just the truth.

Or here’s another example: 1992 until about 2000.

During that time I met, married, had two kids with … and later divorced … my first husband. It wasn’t horrible, but it isn’t something I love to spend a lot of time thinking about either. And it creates this big dilemma whenever I think about scrapping stories from when my two boys were little.

{This is the extent of the scrapbooking I've done for the boys' early years ... for both of them combined. They are now 14 & 12. Pathetic, eh?}

It’s hard to generate a lot of feel-good pages from those years, even though there were many good memories, especially early on. And I want my two boys to remember their first years as happy ones, because for the most part, they were. (In fact, wanting all of my kids to remember their childhoods in a positive light plays a role in a lot of my scrapbooking decisions.) So I don’t feel real comfortable just yet scrapbooking a lot of the stories from that time period because I don’t feel like I can do them in a way that is genuine.

{This is the rest of the story ... just waiting.}

And that results in a lot of guilty feelings … guilt for not doing a very good job of preserving those memories in the first place, guilt for not finding the time & making the effort to go back now and get at least some of those years documented … and probably guilt for not making that whole first family work in the first place.

Okay… add “issues with guilt” to my list of things I should scrap.

So what do I do? Like all areas of my life right now, I am trying to make a conscious effort to find that balance. That list of tips I shared Monday for putting more “real life” in your scrapbooks is there as a reminder to ME as much as it is a resource for you. And when I’m feeling like I need a little added inspiration, I spend some time at a couple of my favorite real life scrapbooking blogs, or lately, take a closer look at our very own gallery here at Log Your Memory. Between the Calendar Girls and our ever-growing membership, we’ve got some amazing talent & wonderfully inspired pages right here just waiting for us to let them motivate us into action.

So how about you? What’s your story? If you think your own scrapbooking story could be an inspiration to someone else, please share it with me. Maybe you could be our next “real life” guest blogger …

Click on “comment” below to share your thoughts…

1. You want the world (and possibly yourself) to believe you’ve led a “perfect” life.
2. You prefer fairy tales and happily-ever-after to comedy, suspense & drama.
3. You have aspirations of being the next June Cleaver.
4. You secretly think the “real” you is just too boring.
5. You’re hoping you can rewrite history by scrapping just the highlights.
6. You’d prefer that after you’re gone, you’ll simply be forgotten.
7. “Ac-cent….uate the positive, e-lim…. inate the negative” was drilled into you in grade school.
8. You’re not one to rock the boat … ever.
9. You plan to run for public office someday and frankly, those family skeletons can just stay right where they are.
10. You just haven’t found the perfectly coordinating papers and embellies yet.

All kidding aside, there are a lot of reasons why we tend to avoid scrapbooking the not-so-pretty parts of life.

The frustrations. The disappointments. The failures. Our fears & dashed hopes. The things that keep us awake at night. That big ol’ list of pet peeves that seems to grow longer by the day. What we were really thinking when we opened that gift from Aunt Rose or sat around that stuffy living room pretending to enjoy yet another family get-together. Those moments when our adorable children didn’t quite match up to our expectations of them, or worse – embarrassed the heck out of us. The things we wish our parents had done differently … or would DO differently. That “wonderful family adventure” that really just stunk all the way around, though we tried to make the best of things. How we really feel about spending every summer vacation doing the same, exact thing.

There’s nothing wrong with highlighting only the good in our scrapbooks. There’s definitely value in trying to see the proverbial glass as half-full and to choose to approach life’s circumstances in a positive way. But if our goal is to tell the stories of our life … our real life … it’s pretty tough to do it in an authentic way without including at least a little exploration of those less-than-perfect thoughts, feelings & moments.

Just as in our daily life, it’s all about finding a balance. If you’ve been following along here lately, you know that’s not exactly my strong suit, even in my scrapbooking. I’ll share more about my own pursuit of scrapbooking balance later in the week. But for now, I have a few tips to help you get started if you’d like to add a little more reality to your scrapping…

1. Think about WHY you scrapbook. What motivates you to spend time creating those pages? If you scrapbook purely for fun (and there is nothing wrong with that), you may not want to bother with adding the negative stuff; whereas, if your goal is to leave a record of your life for future generations, you may have an entirely different approach.
2. Decide for WHOM you are scrapping. This is very likely influenced by #1 and your answer may vary from one project to another. Are you scrapping for your kids? Your spouse? Your parents? Your friends? Your co-workers? Your CT assignments? Gallery adoration? Future grandchildren? … Yourself?
3. Determine WHEN you anticipate your pages will be viewed. Do you envision sharing your album with the family at your next holiday gathering or posting every page in our gallery? Or will you be tucking your pages away for your children to read when they are grown? If you’re worried about hurting your mother-in-law’s feelings or sharing information your kids aren’t old enough to understand, knowing that you will be tucking those pages away – safe from sight – until a more appropriate time to let them be seen may help make it easier to actually get those pages scrapped.
4. QUIT taking yourself so seriously. Remember that no one’s life is perfect – even when it appears otherwise in the galleries – and scrapbooking is a great way to share the ways we are all so imperfectly alike. The sky is not going to fall if you admit on a scrapbook page that you really don’t like Great Aunt Edna’s cooking. Really … it won’t.
5. Remind yourself that you don’t necessarily have to share every layout in your online gallery, Facebook page … or even with your spouse or best friend. Real life scrapbooking can be extremely therapeutic – and it’s OKAY to scrapbook entirely for YOU. And who knows… maybe the process of scrapping some of that stuff you don’t necessarily want the world to know about will help you get to the point where you are ready to share – and move on.

Click on “comment” below to share your thoughts…

The good, the bad & the adorable “ugly” is what I enjoy capturing in my scrapbook pages about real life.

Guest Post by Calendar Girl Heather Guenther

Sometimes those photos which you would normally dismiss as being unflattering or a technical mess can be the ones which tell the story the best and should be embraced not deleted. They often contain the details which make the story truly sing. They often better capture the moments which are going to be memorable for many more years than the perfect photo which doesn’t truly capture the story of the memory. They may be fuzzy or bad lighting but they will still jog the memory the same and bring back the vividness of the moment in your mind the same as a technically good photo.

Do you remember days where everything went perfect … or do you remember the ones where something took an unexpected detour? Myself, I tend to remember the days where something didn’t go according to plan. They may have seemed to be bad days when it happened if it took an undesirable turn of events, but even those days often are the ones I look back on later and smile or laugh about.

It is those moments that I want to be sure to capture in my pages alongside the good ones as they all are part of what makes us who we are. The undesirable moments of my life have probably changed me more than any “perfect” moment has. Those moments are what make life truly real to me and so I try to preserve them so that I will be able to see how they have changed my life over the years.

This past December, I had the pleasure of photographing a friend’s daughter for their Christmas card photo. It was an afternoon full of both good and bad moments. Her daughter had a bit of a cold and thus a runny nose and was not always in the most accommodating mood. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t cooperating with the location where we had wanted to take her photo for weeks, so we were making due with a less than desirable situation as it was getting down to the wire for getting a photo for their card.

I took a lot of photos and in the end, we found THE one. The one which showed her as the adorable 21-month-old that she is normally. The one which was perfect for a Christmas card. However, the number of other photos which didn’t make the Christmas card photo cut told the real story of the day perfectly. The Christmas card photo didn’t tell the story of what we went through that afternoon in search of capturing the “perfect” card shot. The truly “perfect” shots from the afternoon to me were the ones which showed the good times, the bad times, the meltdowns, the candy bribing, the laughter, the tenderness… so those were the ones that I used along side the “perfect” card shot for my scrapbook page of the day for my 25 Days to Christmas album page.

"Decembe 14, 2009" by Heather Guenther

When I look at the page, sure I notice the “perfect” card shot, but more so, I am drawn to the meltdown face which is still adorable in its own way, the tender moment of a cuddle with her mother, her sweetly having a drink of milk, the real reaction to the big stuffed Santa doll… the moments which made getting that “perfect” card shot all more special and memorable. It was a good afternoon but if I just scrapped the “perfect” shot, in a couple of years, I likely wouldn’t remember the little details which made it truly good.

So next time you are going through your photos, I urge you to take a moment to stop at those fuzzy, blurry, unflattering ones and give them a second chance. You might just find that they truly are the perfect photo for your page in the end. They may not be technical perfect photos in photography terms but may be technical perfect photos in capturing real life terms.

Click on “comment” below to share your thoughts…

An exciting opportunity exists at Log Your Memory for a handful of special scrapbookers with a strong interest in documenting their “real” life in 2010.

YOU could be one of those scrappers …

the Vision:

Through the Real Life in 2010 Collab Project, a small group of scrapbookers will participate in the creation of a very special book. This book, to be published in December 2010, will feature full-color scrapbook pages that use photos and journaling to paint the picture of the everyday lives of our specially selected group of individuals from various backgrounds, experiences and locations around the world. The book will also provide guidance & inspiration for scrapbookers who would like to create similar scrapbook albums for themselves.

In addition to being a part of this project and contributing layouts for the book, participants will have the opportunity to develop new friendships with others involved in the project that will extend beyond 2010 and develop a deeper, more meaningful understanding of ourselves & our place in the world at this time in history.

Through this project, we will be documenting many phases of our “real” life in 2010, tentatively to include:

• the jobs we do
• the ways we shop & do business
• the tools & toys we use
• the ways we learn
• the foods we eat
• the styles we prefer, for ourselves & our surroundings
• the ways we get around
• the things we do to entertain ourselves
• the way we connect with others
• the challenges we face

the Process:

Those interested in participating are invited to download the information sheet explaining this project, after which you may submit an application. A limited number of participants will then be chosen based on their applications, with the goal of creating a group of scrapbookers with varied backgrounds and interests from a variety of locations. The whole group will be assembled by mid-January.

Click on “comment” below to share your thoughts…