THIS is why I scrapbook

So, I've been a little scrap happy this weekend

[despite all the STUFF
-- Christmas, still - travel - return from college -everyday living clutter --
that still needs putting away around the house.]
And it's been FUN.
It's been a while since I've REALLY scrapped
[Although, I DID complete my daily December album.]
Friday night as I was preparing for the crop on Saturday I actually pulled out "the albums*" and sorted layouts from 2009
[and yes, some lingering 2008] into their place.
[I tend to have my layouts stacked in a pile or hanging in my scrap space, hanging in the play room, and yes, even on easels in other parts of the house.]
Then I was ready to really prepare for the crop time I had set aside with friends - I pulled out some page kits [some monthly kits, some class kits from past events, and some theme kits from Hobby Lobby, etc.] and started to to pull photos to take with me, when I decided to live dangerously and just
take my entire collection of printed photos -
AND SCRAP THEM.[Some Auburn snow photos taken from facebook &
fish photos self taken by the fisherman with his phone.
Photo of layouts is not great - but you get the idea-]
Nothing fancy here - the goal was to get as many pages completed as possible -
[my actual goal was 18 completed layouts, but I ran out of steam after 6 hours...]
Here's my strategy [a la Stacy Julian's finish-line scrapbooking techniques-]
1. Gather the photos together closely on the layout[- placing them in a pleasing, to my eye anyway, format - to me that means having things facing inward instead of outward and having colors evenly distributed via a visual triangle.]
2. Fill in under and over with coordinating patterned [or solid, it that's your choice] paper to complete the 'look' you're going for [so much easier when using a page kit since the coordination has already been done for you!] - and
3. Add embellishments - she advocates limiting your choices to 50 or so - I gave myself permission to use anything and everything in that page kit [no saving it for another, more worthy page or time] and I also had my embellishment case with me to use as well.
There is FREEDOM in giving yourself permission to USE YOUR STUFF.
And I completed the 13 layouts you see above.
Keeping my space tidy and cleaning up was much simpler because I put all the leftover kit pieces back in the kit - to , possibly use again ** or to pass on in the OMGiveaway.
Again, nothing fancy - but my reasons for scrapbooking were accomplished: highlighting the photos I love while telling our story
- and having a little artsy fun along the way.
This is why I scrapbook [see Shimelle's project here.]
So THEN, Sunday afternoon turned into a rainy cold, stay inside and cook a 'desperation dinner' kind of day - and I completed 7 more layouts![The photos of that precious baby boy, our nephew's son, were taken by our niece,
- his aunt- photographer-extraordinaire, Kat Gorney.
Photo of Mk in her crib - taken by her parents.]
[**You'll notice that some of the layouts use the same papers - no worries - they're going in different albums. Remember I have the following *albums on-going: [1] chronological for me and [2 & 3] each of the boys as well as [4] All About Us - random layouts about our family, [5] People We Love - extended family, and
[6] Just Because.
So you see, I have lots of choices.
And since today's a holiday, I'm starting up again, although I may have to set a timer so I can have time to at least straighten up the house a bit...
Next week is a busy - busy work week.