Once upon a time, there was a month full of opportunities to brush up on scrapbook journaling known as the Sweet Talk Journaling Challenge. Scrapbookers came from far and wide to try their hand at telling their stories, first using lists, then attempting the alphabet, later sharing conversations, until finally, one day, the perfect solution presented itself.

In case you hadn’t guessed, fairy tales are the name of the game today …

Sweet Talk Journaling Challenge #4

For this challenge, tell your story through the use of a fairy tale. The traditional method would be “Once upon a time…”, but any third-person storytelling will do. The story can be funny or serious, sweet or sarcastic. There can be a happy ending and a moral to the story … or not. Anything goes, as long as your page is inspired in some way by the fairy tale genre.

To get your imagination fired up, check out these fun examples of fairy tale journaling at its best…

"Two Fairies" by eryn @ Log Your Memory

"Once Upon a Time" by Dawneephay @ Designer Digitals

"Fairy Tale" by Elena @ Designer Digitals

"The Emergency Band-Aid" by quilter422 @ Designer Digitals

The Rules:

1. Pick a topic and create a new scrapbook page that tells your story through the use of a fairy tale.
2. Post that page in this album in our Sweet Talk Journaling Challenge Gallery. The deadline for all Sweet Talk Challenge Layouts is midnight (MTN) on Wednesday, March 3, 2010.
3. Visit this thread in our Community Forum and link us up to your layout.
4. Once your link is verified, the above Sweet Talk award will appear in your profile and in your signature.
5. Keep an eye on this page to track our Log Your Memory Sweet Talkers!
6. Watch for the next Sweet Talk Journaling Challenge topic … make sure you don’t miss a post by subscribing to our Blog!

Subscribe in a Reader
Subscribe by Email
Subscribe by Kindle

Please share your comments through our community forum…

Lost jobs. Shattered dreams. Poor health. Self-doubt. The search for balance. Battles with depression. Weight issues. The unique challenges of parenting … or being unable to parent.

This week’s Logbook challenge question was a tough one: “What has been your biggest challenge or most frequent struggle?” But that didn’t stop our Book Club members from putting together a gallery full of insightful and powerful layouts, making it rather difficult to choose just one for our featured Layout of the Week.

But I did find myself repeatedly returning to one particular page because of it’s intensely honest journaling and beautiful design.

“It’s every girl’s dream,” writes alien21xx. “Why can’t it be mine?” Read on…

"Yes..." by alien21xx

It’s something I’ve constantly asked myself when I started having serious relationships: Am I really ready for this? Do I even want it? The honest answer is “I don’t know.”  And I know that Jay won’t be too happy with it. We’ve talked about it as if we’re fait accompli once his legal issues on his previous marriage are resolved, but honestly, I don’t know if I could get over myself enough to be able to say yes. Even though, technically, I have said yes. I feel that I have too many doubts about myself. And it’ll be hard to explain it to him when he finally pops the question. How do you say “It’s not you, it’s me” without turning the one you love away?

Tough stuff. It takes courage to admit to yourself when your feelings don’t match what most would expect of you, even more to not only put it on paper but share it so publicly. And as if the journaling wasn’t enough, this talented gal pulled it all together with a perfectly blended photo, elegantly personal handwriting and a touch of sparkle.

Congratulations to alien21xx for creating this week’s featured layout! She will receive 10 bonus points through our Real Deal Book Club Rewards Program. If you haven’t done so already, I encourage you to check out the other layouts in the Week #2 challenge gallery. There’s a whole lot of heart and soul there waiting for you.

After a couple of weeks of rather intense challenges, we’re all looking forward to our Week #3 challenge that’s on a much lighter “note”. We’ll kick it off Monday with a special guest post featuring a Q&A-style interview with this month’s Guest Designer, Julie Klaus of Julie Marie Designs. We’ll also reveal Julie’s full version of her fabulous “Color of Music” kit, with an opportunity for one lucky blog reader to win the entire kit absolutely free! You don’t want to miss it…

While you’re waiting, be sure to stop by tomorrow and check out the new additions to our on-site store! Let’s just say a couple wishes might have been granted this week…

Click on “comment” below to share your thoughts…

It’s here! 2010 has officially arrived … which means it’s now time to get busy using your Memory Logbook!!! It’s also time to welcome Calendar Girl Heather Guenther, our lead Creative Team member for the month of January!

But first, we have some celebrating to do …

New Year Traditions Giveaway

Thanks to everyone who shared their New Year traditions in response to yesterday’s post! As of midnight (MTN), comments had been shared by the following:

1. Claudi
2. Rosemary
3. shanduck
4. cole19
5. scrappysue
6. debzanne
7. gerich
8. kathy jo
9. zonemama
10. CaroB71
11. Jenna09
12. Lainey
13. Zoezmom
14. suemoyer
15. smcpheeters
16. crecia27
17. Heather Prins
18. nof007750
19. erink88
20. dadon
21. winkasheart
22. grannymike
23. paperprincess
24. shamrock
25. jsilman
26. sheilah
27. Ravenwood1950
28. Ida
29. Dianne
30. terry
31. nannette13
32. conniemiles

Our winner (chosen by random number generator) and recipient of any one download of your choice from the Log Your Memory on-site store is …

22. grannymike

Congratulations, grannymike!!! … Please contact me with your email address & your choice of download and I’ll set you up with a link as soon as possible!

Year-End 100 Things Layout Challenge

Coming up with a list of 100 things is not as easy as it seems! But we did have a few scrapbookers willing to accept the challenge… you can check out their amazing entries, as well as the examples provided by our amazing Calendar Girls, in our Challenge Gallery. Our contestants included:

1. Claudi
2. Zoezmom
3. rsk
4. Ida

Now for our winner … chosen by random number generator, the winner of our challenge and a free print copy of List My Life is …

2. Zoezmom

Congratulations Zoezmom!!! … Please send me your shipping address & I’ll have your book delivered right to your doorstep as soon as possible!

"100 Things Challenge" by Zoezmom

Check out her winning entry!!!

We had a TON of entries for our December Challenge contest. Thanks to all of you who participated and shared so many fun holiday-related comments throughout the month of December! And now … the name you’ve been waiting for and the winner of our $50 gift certificate good toward any item(s) available directly from our on-site store is…

Terry!

Congratulations, Terry! Information on how to redeem your gift certificate will be headed your way via email within the next few days…

Thanks again to everyone who participated in our challenges & contests! Be sure to come back tomorrow for information on a special year-long “real life” scrapbooking opportunity at Log Your Memory!

Click on “comment” below to share your thoughts…

It’s getting close … can you feel the excitement???

My inbox has been just exploding with exciting news these past several days… freebie kit previews, workshop registrations, contest entries, Book Club registrations, Creative Team member applications, new member registrations … so much so I can hardly sit still! I love all this creative energy that’s coming my direction … I hope it’s coming back out to you, too!!!

With just TWO days until our Grand Opening SPOOKtacular, here’s the official current schedule for our big event …

• Welcome Blog Post ~ right here, first thing in the morning!
• SPOOKtacular Poll of the Day ~ Community Forum
• Web of Friends Community Builder Game/Contest ~ PRIZE & FREEBIE ~ Location: Community Forum ~ Deadline: Saturday, Oct. 31st @ Noon (MTN)
• Mystery Chat ~ Be the first to guess the identity of our mystery guest & win a PRIZE ~ A FREEBIE for everyone who attends ~Location: Member Chat Room ~ Starting Time: 7 p.m. Pacific/8 p.m. Mountain/9 p.m. Central/10 p.m. Eastern

• Morning Blog Post ~ right here!
• SPOOKtacular Poll of the Day ~ Community Forum ~ With results of Thursday’s Poll
• “Count Me In” Game/Contest~ PRIZE & FREEBIE ~ Location: Community Forum ~ Deadline: Saturday, Oct. 31st @ Noon (MTN)
• Holiday Challenge Chat ~ Brainstorm more meaningful ways to scrapbook the holidays & participate in a special layout challenge. ~ A FREEBIE for everyone who attends & a PRIZE for a randomly selected challenge participant ~Location: Member Chat Room ~ Starting Time: 10 a.m. Pacific/11 a.m. Mountain/12 Noon Central/1 p.m. Eastern ~ Challenge Deadline: Saturday, Oct. 31st @ Noon (MTN)
• Log Your Memory Scavenger Hunt ~ Start here on our blog HOME page and get details on how to play the game ~ PRIZE & FREEBIE ~ Starts at 6 p.m. (MTN) ~ Deadline: Saturday, Oct. 31st @ Noon (MTN)

• Morning Blog Post ~ right here!
• SPOOKtacular Poll of the Day ~ Community Forum ~ With results of Friday’s Poll
• Caffeine Challenge Chat ~ Grab a cup of coffee & join us for a speed layout challenge using a FREEBIE you do NOT want to miss!  ~ A PRIZE for a randomly selected challenge participant ~ Location: Member Chat Room ~ Starting Time: 9 a.m. Pacific/10 a.m. Mountain/11 a.m. Central/12 Noon Eastern ~ Challenge Deadline: Saturday, Oct. 31st @ Noon (MTN) (That gives you TWO hours to complete the challenge…)
• Prize Drawings & Announcements … Stay tuned to our blog after 1 p.m. (MTN) for announcements of all of our Grand Opening SPOOKtacular prize winners, including • Web of Friends Community Builder Winner • Count Me In! Contest Winner • Holiday Challenge Chat Winner • Scavenger Hunt Winner • Caffeine Chat Challenge Winner • and finally, our Grand Opening Kickoff Challenge Winner!!!
• Trick-or-Treat! A final SPOOKtacular blog post Saturday evening to wrap up the festivities, including our final poll results and one more special FREEBIE for everyone who takes a peek. Don’t delay, though… the link for this final treat will expire just a few hours after the post is published. Start watching for this final update around 6 p.m. (MTN) … about the time my own kids will be heading out the door to go trick-or-treating!!

The fine print: You must be present at each activity to receive that activity’s FREEBIE. Download links will be active for a limited time only & are not to be shared.

Need help translating the times for your time zone? Try HERE.

My apologies to our international friends who are going to have a difficult time getting to our events because of the time difference. We will make a point of planning some early/late hour events in the future that hopefully will be a bit more convenient for you. I do appreciate your involvement in our community … 

A little pre-party prep…

–> Please be sure you are registered ahead of time on BOTH the Log Your Memory Home page (blog) AND the Community Forum so that you’ll have access to all of the Grand Opening activities. Sometimes it can take a while for your activation emails to be delivered … you don’t want to be sitting around waiting during an activity and miss out on the fun (and free stuff!). It is especially important that you are registered on the blog if you plan to participate in the chats, as only registered members will be able to enter the chat room. Need some help getting registered? Check out this wonderful video created by CT Heather.

–> Please take a few minutes to make sure your Grand Opening Kickoff Challenge entry is complete. There are three steps to having a complete entry that is eligible for our great prize – a free copy in your choice of format of the Scrapbooker’s All-In-One Memory Logbook. You need to have 1) submitted an entry form including email addresses of potential invites; 2) introduced yourself in the “Getting to Know You” forum thread; and 3) posted an “all about me” layout in the Kickoff Challenge gallery album. There is a list of all contest applicants in the contest thread HERE which is updated several times each day. Check it to see if your name is on the “completed entries” list. If it is not – or if it is on the incomplete list – you are not yet eligible for the prize. You have until 12 noon (MTN) on Saturday, October 31st to complete your entry and have a chance at winning a free Memory Logbook. If your name is not on the list and you believe it should be, feel free to send me a message via the Contact Us page.

–> Anxious to get a taste of the treats in store for you?? Visit the sites of our wonderful Site Sponsors by clicking on their banners in the upper portion of the sidebar on the left. You will be very pleased with the quality and variety of talent you will find …

See you tomorrow for this week’s Story Board … and then the next time we post, it will be time to celebrate!!! I sure hope you’re as excited as I am … if you are, please let me know by sharing a comment below!!!

With our Grand Opening SPOOKtacular coming up in just a few short days, I was inspired to share a few more details today about all of the fun in store for everyone who attends. This is just the beginning…

It’s a mystery…

… guest, that is. You definitely don’t want to miss our Mystery Chat at 7 p.m. Pacific Time on Thursday, October 29th in the Log Your Memory Member Chat Room. (Need help converting that to your time zone? Check HERE.) Participants will attempt to guess the secret identity of our mystery guest through a series of questions that can be answered with a simple YES, NO, or MAYBE. The first person to guess will win a fabulous PRIZE, plus there will be a special FREEBIE download for everyone who plays along. Mark your calendars now … you don’t want to miss this !!

Speaking of FREEBIES …

… What’s better than 225 LBs of chocolate? That’s right … more than 225 MBs of downloadable scrapbooking goodies will be given away during our three-day Grand Opening event to every single person who participates, not to mention the generous PRIZES that will be awarded to our various contest & challenge winners. You must be present and participate in each event to get access to the FREEBIE of the moment, so plan to come early, stay late & have lots of fun!!!

A special thanks…

… to our fabulous SPONSORS who have so generously provided all of those amazing FREEBIES I just mentioned. These folks have gone above and beyond the call to make our Grand Opening truly SPOOKtacular … I hope you will take a few minutes to visit each of them personally and show your support and appreciation. You’ll probably see most, if not all, of them hanging out with us during the big event. Be sure to help make them feel welcome, won’t you?!? Here’s the list:

Sweet Shoppe Designs

Peppermint Creative

Jen Allyson ~ The Project Girl

Julie It Is

Kris Meyers Designs

Shelleyrae Designs

Sahlin Studio

That’s just the beginning…

… of the fun in store, but you’ll have to wait just a bit longer for the rest of the details. After all, would you rather have me sitting here writing about it… or getting the final arrangements in order? Watch this BLOG for more juicy details as our big event approaches…

But before I go…

… just a couple quick reminders. First, if you haven’t done so already, be sure you enter our Grand Opening Kickoff Contest! The deadline is Saturday, October 31st. It’s a three-step entry process, so make sure you complete all of the requirements for your chance to win a free copy of the Scrapbooker’s All-In-One Memory Logbook in the format of your choice. Not sure if I have your completed entry? Check the list at the bottom of the post HERE.

Also, the deadline to submit an application to be on our 2010 Creative Team is quickly approaching. November 2nd is the cutoff date for the current call. Find out more about the opportunity & expectations, as well as how to apply, HERE.

Finally, be sure you take a look at our first online workshop - The Gift of the Year: 2010. During this workshop, you will create a very special calendar for a very special someone. This is the kind of gift that really makes an impression and will be appreciated long after the holidays are over. Plus, you’ll have tons of fun in the process … and it’ll get you busy scrapping “real life” style while we all wait for January and the chance to put our Memory Logbooks to good use! Find out more about the workshop and/or register HERE.

I am excited today to share a few details about our upcoming Grand Opening SPOOKtacular to take place October 29-31. I’ve got lots of fun, great freebies and lots of prize giveaways in store, so be sure to mark your calendars now so you can come and join in on the fun!

Here’s a little peek at what’s on the schedule …

“Question of the Day” Poll

Web of Friends Community Builder ~ All Day Long

Mystery Chat ~ Time to be Announced (evening)

“Question of the Day” Poll + Results of Thursday’s Poll

Count Me In! Game – All Day Long

Holiday Challenge Chat ~ 11 a.m.  (Mountain Time)

Scavenger Hunt (evening)

“Question of the Day” Poll + Results from Friday’s Poll

Caffeine Challenge Chat ~ 10 a.m. (Mountain Time)

Prize Drawings & Announcements (early afternoon)

Sweet Treat (No Tricks!) Wrap Up Post

Sweet Shoppe Designs

Peppermint Creative

Jen Allyson ~ The Project Girl

Julie It Is

Kris Meyers Designs

Shelleyrae Designs

Sahlin Studio

You won’t believe the amazing freebies these wonderful sponsors are providing!

Be sure to stay in touch for more details as the big weekend approaches!

(Grand Opening events, times & sponsors subject to change without notice.)