Project Life

I've been a long-time scrapbooker, for lack of a better term, and have spent countless hours creating albums and "scrapbooks" for my family. Baby books, school years, holiday celebrations,vacations, everyday living....I just love taking photos of the people and memories that make up my life. I take so many pictures, though, that it can be quite a challenge to stay organized and current with all my albums.

Last year, I decided to change from traditional scrapbooking (which requires a good bit of time, effort, and creativity) to a faster, simplified way of organizing my memories. I purchased 12"X12" 3-ring scrapbook albums and filled them with divided sheet protectors that hold either vertical or horizontal 4"X6" pictures. There is place to slip in a journaling card which makes the process quick and easy.

Now, Becky Higgins, a fabulous scrapbooker from Creating Keepsakes magazine, has created a beautiful kit called Project Life. Everything, and I mean everything, is done for you. All you do is add your pictures and jot down your details. It is most definitely on my gift-giving list this Christmas for all my friends and family members who have lamented that they just don't have the time or desire to get involved with traditional scrapbooking but love organized family photos and memories. (Naturally, I'm getting one for myself, as well.) You can visit Becky Higgins at her blog by clicking here.

The Creative Life

I believe in living the creative life. Whether I am choosing books to read, blogging, decorating my home, preparing for the holidays, or just simply planning everyday activities with my family and friends, I thoroughly enjoy going the extra mile to make things special. While I am not an artist and couldn't draw a decent picture if my life depended on it, I do think of myself as being creative. I love to choose colors and textures and accents around my home to make it cozy and inviting, and you'll always be greeted with the scent of a candle burning to welcome you with fragrance. (Yankee candles are my choice --autumn wreath, a spicy apple/cinnamon flavor, is year-round in my kitchen. Check out their yummy seasonal scents here.) I enjoy scrapbooking as a hobby, as well, and love to create home decor with the some of my favorite photos. For example, here is a scrapbook page that I made for my daughter's album, and I loved it so much I decided not to store it away in an album. I framed it and it now hangs in my scrapbook office so I can enjoy her sweetness every single day. (The caption on the page reads,"You're Always in my Heart.") You can click on the photo images for greater details.



My son brought home this painting that he had done in art class, and I was tempted to place it with all his other school memorabilia. On second thought, I decided to frame it so we could all enjoy it, and it now hangs in my office for all to see.



My most recent creative project was completed right before I left for the beach last week. Every summer, a group of my friends head to the beach for a week of fun and relaxation. We each bring a gift bag of goodies, and we open our presents on the first night. Here are the beach scrapbooks I made for each person, and inside were a few photos from last year's trip. When we get our latest photos developed, they can add those photos as well.



Some of my favorite books and magazines on creative living are:
Martha Stewart Living magazine
Veranda magazine
Southern Living magazine
Creating a Beautiful Home by Alexandra Stoddard
Simple Abundance by Sara Ban Breathnach
Living a Beautiful Life by Alexandra Stoddard

What do you do to make life interesting and creative? Please feel free to share!

A Simple Pleasure

Nothing relaxes me more than leisurely flipping through one of my favorite magazines. One of my newer subscriptions has been the Martha Stewart Living magazine, and I must say I am pleasantly surprised. The content is varied and focuses on many things I enjoy from decorating, organizing, easy cooking, healthy living (yeah, right), gardening, and fashion. The photography is inspirational to me as a scrapbook designer and wanna-be photographer. And where does one relax to soak in all this inspirational goodness? Right on my shady porch.

"I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all." Laura Ingalls Wilder