This week’s Story Board includes a little bit of everything in the way of real life scrapbooking inspiration, ranging from the personal and poetic to just plain adorable. Check out our fun finds this week from our neighboring galleries…

"4 Eyes" by junebug

The captivating photo and cool titlework in “4 Eyes” by junebug caught my attention as soon as I saw it. Love the soft color scheme and fun little details, not to mention the shared history about this little slice of one scrapbooker’s life.

"Now and Then '09" by Darcy Baldwin

Price comparisons from different time periods always fascinate me, so I immediately fell in love with “Now and Then ‘09″ by Darcy Baldwin. In addition to all of the fun price differences (25 cents for a loaf of bread!), there are a ton of other little details packed into this journaling. Definitely among my favorite recent examples of “real life” scrapbooking and sure to be of even greater interest several years down the road!

"Crocodile Tears" by Aggie Aviso

My first thought upon finding “Crocodile Tears” by Aggie Aviso was “I have SO been there!” Love this little peek into the daily routine and those pathetically adorable teary-eyed photos. Have to chuckle at the final comment, too.

"Playing Telephone" by becca1976

“Playing Telephone” by becca1976 is just plain fun. Great photos, cute embellishments, playful colors and a fun memory of a very “everyday” type activity. My favorite kind of scrapbooking.

"February 11" by sigmakap95

If your goal is to document your real life, it’s hard NOT to scrapbook about the weather these days. It’s definitely been a season for the record books for many this year. I just loved the color scheme & playful design of “February 11″ by sigmakap95. The perfectly placed embellishments, highlighted words in the journaling, even the realistic looking snowballs all add up to a fantastic winter page.

"Blah" by dancingscrapper

The comment says it’s a “page about nothing” but I can definitely relate to having days like the one shared in “Blah” by dancingscrapper. Love the artsy feel to the whole layout, and the design with the journal and the paragraph about “nothing” are so reminiscent of diaries from my younger days.

"Imagination" by TrishB

It’s the quirky behaviors and little observations that I most want to remember about my kids’ early years, yet that is sometimes the toughest thing to capture on a scrapbook page. TrishB does this wonderfully in “Imagination.” Love the interesting palette and photo treatment, as well as the way she highlighted various pieces of her journaling.

"Blue Jean Baby" by rainydays

There is just something so completely adorable about a little tiny dude in jeans, which is exactly what rainydays highlights in “Blue Jean Baby.” Love the clustered embellishments, the splashes of red and of course, the cute patootie in these photos.

"Best Friends" by beckyandjames

The off-kilter orientation of the papers and the title caught my attention in “Best Friends” by beckyandjames … and then all the fun little details drew me in further. Interesting photo treatment, cool date cluster, scattered hearts, sweet memory … it all just comes together to make a page that’s very easy to appreciate.

"Tale of a Midnight Scrapper" by Maria W

I’ll bet I’m not alone in feeling like “Tale of a Midnight Scrapper” by Maria W was created especially for me. This clever poem describes my habit to perfection and the simple design is a perfect complement to the story. Love the artsy graphic, the jumbled title, the water-stained, heart-doodled paper and the very authentic-looking typesetting. So cute… I am very tempted to get this one printed for myself just to use as a wallhanging in my office!

That’s it for this week’s Story Board! Check back every Wednesday for more “real life” scrapbooking inspiration!

And the winner is …

A big thanks to everyone who shared their feelings of adoration in response to Monday’s post and interview with February Guest Designer Misty Cato.

"Adoration" Kit by Misty Cato

And now as promised, one lucky commenter will receive a free download of Misty’s brand new kit, Adoration. Selected by random number generator, that lucky winner is …

38.Jill says:

I’d say I really adore 3 boys in my life: my boyfriend, my little brother, and my evil little nephew. LOL They make my life more fun!

Congratulations to Jill! Please contact me with your full name & email address so I can hook you up with your free download! A big thanks to Misty, as well, for your wonderful kit and generous contribution!

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 …

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!

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Please share your comments through our community forum…

February is the month of love … and you’re going to LOVE all the great stuff we have in store for you!

Sweet Talk Journaling Challenge

Today we kick off a special month-long scrapbooking challenge at Log Your Memory focused entirely on journaling your real life stories. Through the Sweet Talk Journaling Challenge, we will explore 14 great journaling methods guaranteed to get the creative juices flowing and your favorite stories told, plus inspiring examples of those methods being used in layouts from our own gallery as well as throughout the online scrapbooking community.

To add to the fun and excitement, those who play along and create, then post, a scrapbook page using the journaling methods presented will earn a special “Sweet Talker” award heart for each method used, which will appear in your profile and signature.

There will be 14 awards/points in all (plus the Bonus Award already earned by those who participated in our BlogCast). And for those who really make that extra effort and earn all 14 points … the title “Sweet Talker” and this very special prize.

Wouldn’t it be fun to dress up your Memory Logbook with this fun set of gel pens bearing the Log Your Memory logo? Our BlogCasters have already earned their first point (which means they could earn the prize even if they miss one of the layout pages) … but it’s not too late to take part in the BlogCast yourself. Simply visit this page today and help spread the word. But hurry … this opportunity won’t last much longer!

A special thanks to designer Terry Maruca, creator of the conversation hearts used to create the Sweet Talker awards. Speaking of those hearts, you can get a set for yourself to use in your personal scrapbooking from Terry’s store at Scrapbook Bytes. She’s even provided a special coupon code to give Log Your Memory readers 40% off on either the Conversation Hearts set (coupon code: TM-VHEART-WORDS) or the Alpha & Numbers Heart set (coupon code: TM-VHEART-ALPHA). Both coupons expire February 28, 2010.

Okay … are you ready to earn a Sweet Talk award? Here’s your first challenge …

Sweet Talk Journaling Challenge #1

Perhaps one of the most basic of journaling techniques, the list is also one of the easiest and most versatile. The concept is simple – create a list that provides the details of the story you are trying to tell. The presentation, however, is limited only by your imagination. Lists can be linear or scattered; numbered, bulleted, or arranged alphabetically or chronologically; short, long, or somewhere in between. A list can even be just a series of single words.

To get you thinking, here are some examples of great scrapbooking pages using the list style of journaling…

elena.right.now by Elena @ Designer Digitals

"2010 Inspiration" by sbg3396 @ My Scrapbook Art

"Me Facts" by zakirahzakaria @ Sweet Shoppe Designs

The Rules:

1. Pick a topic and create a new scrapbook page that incorporates the use of a list to tell your story.
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 31, 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!

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A Big Thanks …

… to Calendar Girl Heather Guenther & Guest Designer Julie Klaus! With the end of January, we must say thank you to lead Calendar Girl Heather Guenther and bid a fond farewell and thanks to January Guest Designer Julie Klaus of Julie Marie Designs. Both have enriched our site greatly over the past month and we appreciate their effort and contributions!

Be sure to visit tomorrow, where we’ll share a special guest post from February Calendar Girl Jen DeLorenzo, plus introduce Misty Cato, our February Guest Designer … and give you a little free taste of her sweet designs!

Please share your comments through our community forum…

It seems like we all have fond memories of at least one childhood game. Sometimes we don’t recall how the game started, and as adults, the rules may seem a bit strange. But something about that early experience sticks with us and creates a story we want to share with others and if possible, replicate for our own children.

Such is the story behind today’s Layout of the Week. “How to Play” by Jackie Doremus, aka tettletop20, tells the story of “The Thimble Game” played by Jackie and her two sisters. I chose to feature this layout for a couple reasons – first, I like the way Jackie modeled her design after a typical board game’s rules. But even more, I love that she told the story of the game’s past, as well as her hopes for its future. Read her journaling for yourself…

"How to Play" by tettletop20

Growing up I remember playing this game with my sisters in the “front room” of our home. It’s the only place Mom and Dad would let us play indoors. I think because it wasn’t the main living area of the house. On warm days I remember sitting outside and playing it. It’s a game that Dad taught us. He played it when he was growing up. It’s funny looking back on it now because there is no way I’d play it today. I’m not into getting wet just for guessing a color correctly! Although, I do have to say that I will be teaching it to my boys in hope that they will grow up with fond memories of it too.

Congratulations to Jackie on having the Layout of the Week for Logbook Challenge Week #4. She will receive 10 bonus points through our Real Deal Book Club Rewards Program. Be sure to check out the other layouts in the Week #4 challenge gallery … there are lots of wonderful memories of favorite family activities shared there!

Be sure to check our Blog tomorrow for information on the Sweet Talk Journaling Challenge, our new month-long challenge that will begin Monday, February 1st! Included in tomorrow’s post will be information on how you can get a jump-start on the challenge and earn bonus points simply for helping to spread the word about this fun event. See you then!

Please share your comments through our community forum…

You’re in for a special treat in this week’s Story Board, brought to you courtesy of our lead Calendar Girl of the month, Heather Guenther! Get ready to be inspired with these fantastic examples of “real life” scrapbooking and commentary by Heather …

"Love Letter" by taracotta7

Love the heartfelt journaling and the appearance of a handwritten letter. These days, we often so many more emails than letters that there is something extra special about the look of a handwritten letter to me.

"Eating Dirt" by ahillo5

Love the pops of teal with the neutral color palette. A little dirt never hurt, but oh my, finding a brown recluse would definitely be the last time I went near that area too.

"Happiness" by kaleandkiara

I really love the monotone coloring to this layout with just a tiny bit of color. The black and white photo against the gray page is very striking and soothing at the same time. I love the documenting of such an everyday moment and how it touches her heart so dearly.

"Snow Play" by hondachicc

I wish I had documentation of these types of days as a child as the memories are so faded at my age now. I really like how the photos are laid out with the framing and touch of metallic look in the circles to give it that touch of texture, cold weather touch.

"Seven Random Thoughts" by nininano

Wonderful list of 7 random thoughts and I love the clean color palette and design. The blended image with it is very powerful. A great page for looking back on later and remembering the random thoughts we have everyday.

"Nini's Spotlight" by schneeflocke

Another in the 7 random thoughts challenge. Again, I adore the simple use of a single color to bring a page alive. Seeing these pages, I think it would be wonderful to add a seven random thoughts page monthly to my projects to see how a year of random thoughts would look at the end of it.

"All About Me" by saintamara

I love the reflective journaling of this page, as well the blending and coordinating images. The effect is a very soothing, reflective feel to the page.

"Chaos Theory" by Mindy Hanson

How can you not be drawn in by that photo and want to read the journaling? The journaling is great and hopefully was very therapeutic for her dealing with everything that she is dealing with. I love her sense of humor in the photo and can see myself feeling that way at times, too.

"Emerson" by digikiwichick

I adore the colors of this page as well as the simple yet striking design styling. The questions and answers are a great way to capture how your kids are feeling at this particular moment in their lives. I especially adore how she added in the “runs off to check” in her journaling as to whether her room was messy or clean. It gives it that touch more personality and memory to smile about years from now.

"Together We Stand" by ANJnMDS

The design of this page drew me in and then reading it, I was deeply affected. Beautiful journaling about the unfortunate events that have happened, but also a cheerful, hopeful page in the personal way that their lives were touched.

"Secret Recipe" by chengie

Beautiful photo and love the journaling to go with the empty recipe card. There is no doubt from this that it is a wonderful, treasured family recipe which is to remain secret.

Thanks, Heather, for sharing these great finds from around the Web! Check back next Wednesday for even more inspiration … and until then, happy scrapping!
Today’s Story Board brought to you by …

Interested in seeing YOUR business, store, Web site or favorite designer promoted here? Sponsorship opportunities are available … to find out more, inquire through the Contact Us page.

Comments regarding this post are welcome via the Log Your Memory forum.

Thinking about doing something a little extra special for Valentine’s Day? There’s still time, if you get started right away.

Personalized hybrid mini-albums are among my favorite items to give, particularly the ones I put together last year for my husband, two boys and oldest daughter. Each album, called “10 Things I Love About You,” features 10 photos of the person for whom the album was created, plus brief journaling on each page describing one of those 10 things.

For instance, my oldest son’s 10 things were…

1. You’re a lot of fun to play games with!
2. You have a great laugh that’s really contagious!
3. You have lots of talents that you’re putting to good use!
4. You love a good set of Legos (just like me!)
5. You are just so creative!
6. You are a great big brother to all of your siblings!
7. You’re a great friend!
8. You’re not afraid to show your enthusiasm!
9. You’re such a great sport with all your little girl cousins!
10. There’s no one else in all the world exactly like you!

At the very end of each album, I also included a little picture of myself and a handwritten message to the recipient. I could hardly wait to give these to my family last year, but it was well worth the wait. They LOVED them.

They loved seeing 10 great photos of themselves. They loved reading the 10 reasons I think they’re awesome. They loved that the entire book is all about them. And I think they found it pretty cool that I took the time to focus on them that way.

It’s the best Valentine gift I’ve given so far … and believe me, I’ve tried to be creative with this holiday on more than one occasion.

I had so much fun doing these albums that I created a downloadable quick-page kit so others could do the same. As of today, you’ll find the complete kit in our on-site store.

Just purchase & download the kit, choose your recipient, come up with 10 things you love about them, choose 10 photos to go with it, drop the photos into the openings using your favorite scrapbooking software & add your journaling. Print the pages and the included covers, adhere to CDs or a round chipboard album kit, bind it all together … and you’re done!

To get you started & give you a little taste of the colors & patterns of the album, I’ve even got a free mini-kit to share with you right here. Simply click on the image below to download this digital scrapbooking freebie! (File size: 21.1 MB)

Click on “comment” below to share your thoughts…

My husband likes to tease me that my mode of home improvement is along the styles of “While You Were Out.”

In other words, I like to keep big room makeovers and other such projects a total secret, doing lots of prep and planning behind the scenes, and then complete the whole project in one intense work period while the rest of my family is gone, later to spring them with a final “ta-da” once the project is complete.

So when it comes to making significant improvements to the Log Your Memory site, my first tendency is to take the same approach. Unfortunately, that’s not particularly realistic when trying to work around an online biz and it’s 24/7/52 way of functioning.

My list of things I’d like to revamp on our site has been growing nearly since the first day we launched just over three months ago. And after doing lots of testing & tweaking & playing around with some “stuff” behind the scenes, I have a handful of initial changes I’d like to implement that will hopefully make your time on our site even more enjoyable … but it’s going to require a little time this weekend behind proverbial “locked doors” to get it done smoothly.

So, as of this post, our Layout Gallery & Community Forum are closed for just a bit. I’m hoping for everything to work out as planned, but as anyone who has messed around with Web sites & coding & all that “fun” stuff knows, things don’t always go just as planned.

Cross your fingers the Web is our friend this weekend … and check back first thing Monday to see {hopefully} the new improvements to our site. It won’t be a total overhaul, but I think you’ll notice some significant changes – with more to come down the road.

It’s not quite “While You Were Out” … but it’ll be pretty close!

Click on “comment” below to share your thoughts…

In keeping with the subject of Monday’s blog post, I decided to focus today’s Story Board on inspirational layouts that tell a story that isn’t entirely bright and cheery. Little did I know (well, I suspected…) that I would need to go through more than 3 times the number of pages I normally visit in order to find these 10 pages.

Hopefully these will inspire you to scrap a little more of your “real” …and somewhat imperfect… life!

"What Hurts the Most" by scrapperjade

Every one of us has someone in our life who has disappointed us. Hopefully through the process of creating “What Hurts the Most,” artist scrapperjade was able to work through some of that hurt. Nothing like a little scrap-therapy to help us move forward…

"Created a Monster" by Bush Girl

Teens and pre-teens can be tough to scrapbook about, especially their not-so-wonderful sides. “Created a Monster” by Bush Girl is a good example of combining a description of life “right now” with this gal, as well as giving some insight into mom’s thoughts about it, including her admission that she helped create the situation.

"To Move On" by snaggletooth75

“To Move On” by snaggletooth75 is not only cool to look at, but it’s a good example of how putting something in writing can be a great way to reinforce the ideas in your mind. This will be neat for her to look back on in 10 years and see if she feels any differently.

"The Penny Plan" by JenJ

As a parent, I don’t especially like to admit I don’t have all the answers. I enjoyed “The Penny Plan” by JenJ for a couple reasons – first, because I can totally relate to what this mom is going through, and second, because I may just have to copy her idea with my own kids!

"Right Now" by NikkiE

To read “Right Now” is like taking a journey into NikkiE’s mind, right where all her fears and insecurities live. But it’s also an example of how she chooses to focus on the positive, despite her worries, and is trying to make a conscious choice to live in the moment. Powerful stuff.

"Is This Really My Life?" by Tracy107

“Is This Really My Life?” by Tracy107 made me chuckle, not because it’s particularly humorous but because I think my family must have visited her house! I could SO do a page like this … only it would be a real struggle to limit it to four examples. I like how she documented these particular frustrations but in a somewhat humorous manner. I get the feeling she doesn’t really get too bent out of shape over these things.

"Eye of the Beholder" by gypsystar

I know more than one scrapbooker who prefers to be behind, rather in front of, the camera. In “Eye of the Beholder,” gypsystar admits to feelings many of us probably have shared at one time or another. Not the easiest thing to scrap … and then share with all of us. I’m glad she did.

"Broken" by Cristina

Scrapping the less-than-perfect doesn’t always mean deep soul-searching and admissions of inadequacy. A great example of taking time to document life’s mishaps is “Broken” by Christina. Hopefully mom will be on the mend soon…

"A New Me" by chia

Moms are supposed to be brave for their kids … not the other way around, right? I like how chia let us hear her thoughts in “A New Me” as she grappled with a fear I share with her … and then turn it around into a promise to herself to “be bolder and braver” in the New Year.

"Worst Buy of 2009" by melanier

Oops! We’ve all done it … bought something that turned out to be a dud. At least something good came of melanier’s “Worst Buy of 2009″ … a fun scrapbook page to inspire us to document our real lives!

That’s it for another week! Hopefully you are now inspired to get busy scrapping all aspects of your everyday life!

Curious about how Story Board layouts are selected? Check out the end of this Story Board blog post.

Today’s Story Board brought to you by …

Interested in seeing YOUR business, store, Web site or favorite designer promoted here? Sponsorship opportunities are available … to find out more, inquire through the Contact Us page.

Click on “comments” below to share your thoughts…

While cruising some of my favorite neighboring forums recently, I came upon a very interesting thread highlighting how one particular scrapbooker was using her Memory Logbook in a very creative way. So I asked her to share with us just what she’s doing …

Guest Blogger Stacy Hamby

When I was a teenager (back in the 80s), I liked to carry a small calendar in my purse and in it, I would keep track of not just the things I HAD to do, but also things I had DONE. I didn’t need a planner, I didn’t even have a job, but I really liked to keep track of birthdays and events and I also started making notes about places I had gone and who I had gone with. (There was quite a quick rotation of boyfriends in that thing, ah-hem!) I decorated it with stickers and photos and magazine cut-outs and even some colored paper clips, just for fun.

Thanks to Kristin and Log Your Memory, I now have the ability to do the exact same kind of memory-keeping, on a grander scale. I use my book to jot down To-Do lists and silly things my toddler does and says. My book already has an amazing amount of information in it after only 10 days. When I find an interesting ad in my paper or print out something I find online, now I have a place to put those items.

Click on image for close-up view

What is really amazing to me is how little time making these entries takes. I usually just sit down with my Memory Log at bedtime and fill in some thoughts and activities from the day.When I upload and review the photos I’ve taken every couple of days, I quickly print out a few on my photo printer and just add them onto my pages.

Click on image for close-up view

By the end of the year, I will have a time capsule of my family’s daily life in 2010.

"One Way Ticket" for Weekly Challenge #1

Stacy Hamby is a mom of four in Phoenix, Arizona, who has been scrapbooking for 10 years. “I love taking photos,” she says, “which I’m not very good at and playing Rock Band with my boys, which I am pretty great at!”

Are YOU using your Logbook in a unique or interesting way that might be inspiring for others to see? Tell me what you are doing and you could be our next 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…