Get Organized Now! Weblog

Easter Treat Bags

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My 5-year old daughter, Amanda, loves when we spend time making cute, little gifts for her classmates. Since Easter is around the corner, I wanted an idea for a simple project that both of us could do together.

So, last week, I attended a Stampin' Up class being given by my good friend, Jane. In addition to the other class projects, she came up with the perfect solution. A little jelly bean treat bag.

To make it, I used a Stampin' Up die (Top Note Big Shot Bigz Die). I don't have the Big Shot tool, but I used my Cuddlebug--and that worked fine. Once cut, I folded it in half. I stamped the one half with an Easter stamp that Jane loaned me.

Then, Amanda and I colored each of stamped images with chalk using Q-tips--Amanda loved doing this!

Amanda then wrote her name on the other half of the folded die cut.

Finally, we put some jelly beans in small, resealable plastic bags, folded the die cut over the bag and stapled it to attach.

Amanda handed out the treats today, and the kids were thrilled. The best thing was, it only took us about an hour to make 20 of these Easter Treat Bags.

Falling Behind on My Scrapbooking

I was all caught up with my scrapbooking. That is, until we took our 10-day Disneyworld trip this past December. Since then, of course, we've taken lots more photos. So, I'm quite a few events behind...the Disney trip isn't even completely scrapbooked yet.

Ok, so I can't live with that. I made a date at a Wisconsin Archiver's store for a Scrap Mania event. Basically, that means I get to scrap my stuff for 5 hours at Archiver's, dinner included, with absolutely no interruptions, and access to all the paper, embellishments, etc. I could possibily need.

To make the evening extra fun, my girlfriend Sue is joining me. I'm looking forward to this and I know I'll at least be able to finish my Disney scrapbook pages while I'm there.

Anytime you find yourself falling behind, whether it's scrapbooking, reading, writing, etc., make an appointment for at least a few hours of uninterrupted time. Even if you have to get someone to babysit your kids (if applicable) or if you need to stay at work after hours or if you need to DVR your favorite programs instead of watching them live, quiet, focused time can help you catch up.

One House, 18 Ladies, Mega-Scrapbooking and Lots of Fun!

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This past weekend was so wonderful. I went on a ladies only scrapbooking retreat at the Magnolia Ridge Hideaway Crafter's Retreat House in the Wisconsin Dells.

Eighteen of us got together for a weekend of scrapbooking, food and fun. The weather was gorgeous, the views were beautiful and, being an avid scrapbooker, I got tons of layouts done!

My biggest challenge actually was in preparation of the trip. Normally, you just bring your clothes and toiletries and you're done. This time, I also needed to bring food (we all brought food to cook and share), my scrapbooking tools and all the layouts I planned to work on.

Since I haven't done this before, this took a little bit of extra thinking. Luckily, I started planning early enough to avoid any last-minute stress.

For my clothes and toiletries, I simply used my regular travel packing list--so I knew nothing would be forgotten. To make my suitcase light, I determined exactly what I would be wearing each day and only packed those items. Since we were in the Dells, which is a popular tourist spot, I figured if something spilled on the clothes I had and it was bad enough, I could always stop at a store and pick up an extra T-shirt if necessary. It wasn't necessary, and I wore everything I brought.

Instead of my regular slippers, which are a bit heavy, I just tossed in slipper socks.

Of course, instead of large bottles of shampoo, deodorant and the like, I just brought along travel-sized products.

For the weekend, I was able to put these things, including my camera, into one small, rolling suitcase.

For the food I needed to bring, I grabbed our rolling cooler and put everything inside. I even included a can opener and small strainer right in the cooler.

As far as scrapbooking tools went, I only brought the essentials--a trimmer, a pair of scissors, a tape runner, Glue Dots, and a hole punch/eyelet setter.

The pages I worked on took the most preparation of everything. I actually digitally formatted all my layouts in Publisher exactly how I wanted them to look when I scrapbooked them. I then printed out the layout in black and white so I would have a guide to follow.

I then printed all the photos, and my journaling, using my color printer. I gathered appropriate paper and cardstock for each layout. As far as my embellishments, I have one Crop N'Style zippered case filled with them, so I brought them along to pick and choose as needed. All the layout projects went into a 13 inch x 13 inch box. separated by a piece of cardboard.

Whew! It was a lot, but I had it all organized a few days before the weekend. Because of this, my mini-vacation was not only fun, but super productive!

Just goes to prove that a little bit of planning can go a long way!

My Son Doesn't Want My Scrapbooks!

READER QUESTION:

Maria, I'm so glad your daughter loves your scrapbooks. Your 'Little Gym' layout is so cute!

I need your advice. I have made quite a few scrapbooks over the years. Probably two shelves on one large bookcase are housing scrapbooks.

Now my 12-year-old son, my only child, says he really doesn't want to haul scrapbooks around after I'm gone and 'couldn't you just put all the photos on a thumb drive and hand it to me, Mom?'

Well, needless to say, that sort of took the wind out of my scrapbooking sails!

I don't know what to do. Try electronic scrapbooking? Just give it up and save the photos on CDs? I really enjoyed this hobby for years, but it is taking up a LOT of room.

Your thoughts? Thanks!

Kathy

RESPONSE:

Kathy, Don't give up! There are precious memories in both the photos AND the scrapbooks you put together with your own hands and creative imagination. These are an important part of your heritage.

You can certainly take photos of your scrapbook layouts, or the actual photos alone, and put those on an electronic storage device for your son if he wishes. But, as you likely already know, kids change their minds all the time. What your son feels now at the age of 12, could be completely different by the time he's 20 or even 30. He may decide he wants those scrapbooks later.

If he marries when he's older, it is highly likely his wife, kids or grandkids would love the actual scrapbooks. Oh, if I could only have more photos of my parents and grandparents, how overjoyed I would be...and my husband feels the same way about his family members (guy perspective)!

I know they take up lots of room, but if you hold your scrapbooks dear to your heart, I would recommend you keep them forever...or until one of your loved ones requests them. These are treasures you can never replace.

Do you try digital scrapbooking now? Why not? Then, you'll have a great collection of both hard copy, and digital!

Scrapbook Layout: The Little Gym

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If you're one of the people who has been asking if I'm still scrapbooking, the answer is a big YES! I generally do one to two layouts each weekend. It's so relaxing for me, and helps me unwind after a long week.

My latest layout is one of my daughter, Amanda, and her friends at a nearby dance and gym studio. It's one of my busier layouts, but I'm so happy with the results. It illustrates lots of movement, which is exactly what the mood of these weekly dance and gym sessions have been.

Think: Mega-Energy!

Last night, Amanda asked if she could go through my scrapbooks. To say the least, I was thrilled. We spent over an hour browsing through layouts and she had so many questions and comments about each photo. Really makes this hobby so worthwhile when you have family members and friends who truly appreciate what you do!

Want to Know More About Your Family and Friends? Interview Them!

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As an avid scrapbooker, I'm constantly on the lookout for ideas to use in my scrapbooking layouts. I recently came across a magazine article on Interview Layouts that I enjoyed. Basically, you come up with a list of 10 questions to ask a family member or friend, and you include that interview on a scrapbook layout.

Even if you don't scrapbook, having a folder full of family and friend interviews can act both as a historical and educational reference--and as a dose of laughter and inspiration whenever you need it.

While you can come up with a list of questions for any age, I loved interviewing my 3 year old. Here were my questions and her responses . . .

How old are you?
3

How old is mommy?
I think pretty old.

How old is daddy?
As old as mommy.

What do you like to do with daddy?
Sing songs.

What do you like to do with mommy?
Scrapbook.

When you toss a penny in the fountain, what do you wish for?
I always wish for pretzels.

What is your favorite color?
I like pink, like my pants.

What is your favorite ice cream?
My favorite ice cream is pink! Just pink! Not vanilla (pronounced da-nella)

Who is your best friend?
Anna.

What is your favorite food in the whole world?
Hot dogs, and capers! Can I have some capers?

What is your favorite junk food?
Nilla Wafers . . . No, I think tootsie rolls. Next time we go to the post office, can Mister Brian give me a tootsie roll?

What is your favorite fruit?
Watermelon.

What is your favorite vegetable?
Broccoli. With ranch dressing.

What is your favorite song?
Hot Potato. Can you tape The Wiggles for Me? Pleeeeassseeee? Oh, please mommy.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
When I grow up, I just want to take pictures with mommy . . . when I get bigger, so I can scrapbook them!

Are you going to be a photographer?
What?! You're silly mommy!

How do you bake a cake?
You put everything in a bowl. And then you put frosting on it. Can we make cupcakes? Pink, with sprinkles! Pleeeeassseeee? Oh, please mommy.

What are you going to buy with your piggy bank money?
I'll buy you a new favorite book. Daddy too. And a new toy for me.

Who do you love?
Mommy, Daddy . . . and Anna and Grace.

How about your grandparents, brothers, aunts, uncles and cousins?
Them too.

How I Organize My Scrapbooking Albums

This past week, I received the below note from a reader. Since scrapbooking is getting to be a popular hobby for many people, I thought I'd just answer her question in my blog. This way, others with similar questions could see the response.

LETTER FROM MICHELLE

Maria, I just read your most recent article about scrapbooking. I am so impressed by the organization of your supplies in the photo. I love scrapbooking too!

I am trying to decide how to organize my family albums. Do you use different colored albums or stay with one color? I use Creative Memories albums. I have albums for vacations, Christmas, and a continuous chronological family album.

I'm running out of colors and am trying to decide what to do. I would most appreciate any help you can offer. I love receiving your newsletter every week. It is extremely motivational. Michelle

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MY RESPONSE

Michelle,

Thanks so much for your note. It's always wonderful to chat with a fellow scrapbook enthusiast and I truly appreciate your compliments on my newsletter!

As you probably saw in my photo in the last article, I too use Creative Memories albums, exclusively.

Here is the organization system I use with my albums:

1) Blue: Trips, Vacations and Outings (We do one 2-page layout for most day trips, and as many 2-page layouts as it takes for more involved vacations.)

2) Purple: Amanda (exclusively photos of our daughter, Joe and me. Each album covers one year at this point.)

3) Green: Family and Friends (photos of family members besides us--grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.--and friends.)

4) Red: Christmas (I started with our first Christmas in our new home and add on every year.)

5) Purple (Light): I also have a purple album in a lighter shade for Halloween. (I started with Amanda's first costume ever, and add onto it every year.)

I always try to use colors that don't go out of style, so I can continue to use this system I've created into the future. I also have all of my albums imprinted on the cover and spine for identification using Persona Imprinting--the printing company that is affiliated with Creative Memories.

Hope this helps. Happy scrapbooking!

Organizing Paper for Scrapbooking

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As an avid scrapbooker, I like having a variety of patterned paper on hand. In doing so, I can pick and choose the appropriate paper for my project depending on my photos, theme and so on.

I recently discovered these awesome storage boxes made by Karen Foster. They're 13 x 13 inches in size and are called Snap N' Scrap. These are the perfect size for typical 12 x 12 inch scrapbooking paper.

They're the purple and red boxes displayed in the photo. I believe they also come in a few different colors, and sizes.

Each box has an easily changeable label area where you're able to indicate what's in the box.

As you can see, I purchased quite a few of these stylish boxes and use them for my patterned paper storage. I have categories such as Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall, Holiday, Love, Specialty and a few others.

Now, when I want to scrapbook, I just think of the type of scrapbook page I want, and I know exactly where to look.

Say Cheese!

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My husband, Joe, and I have had a digital camera since 2002. When we take photos, we immediately burn them to CDs, which are stored in a CD organizer. We have one CD for photos of our daughter, another for Family and Friends, another for Vacations and so on. (Of course, I have backup CDs stored at another location, just in case.)

I only print the photos that I really love, and I scrapbook them. I have many scrapbooks, all organized by theme. One of my scrapbooks is entitled 'Our House,' another is called 'Amanda's First Year,' a third is called 'Halloween,' and I have about seven more at this point. (One of my recent scrapbooking layouts can be seen above.)

As far as our older photos (which I may scrapbook later, or not), we have them stored in photo albums. Some of our photo albums contain all photos of a particular theme, such as an album of shots taken in Italy. Many of our other albums are simply chronological, meaning as we took our photos, they were inserted into our albums directly after our previous photo taking session. These older albums are stored on bookshelves.

One lady I know organizes all of her photos (taken with a 35mm camera) in photo boxes. She says this is a much easier method for her and one that she will definitely do. If she had to get the photos into albums, she said the task would never get done. She could easily find what she's looking for. Each photo box (which holds about 2000 photos) is divided by category cards, so it's very easy to jump to the photos she's looking for.

When she wants to scrapbook, she scans the printed photo and reprints a new copy for her scrapbook. This way, she doesn't chance the original photo getting ruined from an accidental cut while cropping.

A man I know, who uses a digital camera, stores all of his photos online. The service he uses gives him a fairly large amount of storage space for free, but then charges him a nominal amount if he goes over that limit. He likes the service because it doesn't require him to organize his own CDs or print each shot, plus it allows him to easily share photos with friends and family members who have Internet access.

All of these methods work beautifully, but I've also seen systems that are just atrocious.

For instance, one person tosses all her photos into old shoe boxes. The photos are torn, bent, ripped and turning yellow. Another person leaves all the photos in the envelopes the photo developer provided, and just throws them into a junk drawer. Yet, another person has an entire container full of undeveloped rolls of film--likely these photos will never be seen.

Of course, the system you use depends on your needs, personality, level of commitment and how sentimental you are. I consider my photos and my scrapbooks very precious. I want to ensure they can be enjoyed now, and that they're able to be seen by future generations.

If your photos are important to you, be sure they're 1) being preserved well, 2) organized in a fashion that allows you to easily find what you're looking for and 3) arranged to make it easy for you and your loved ones to browse and enjoy them.

Having a Get Together

Every once in awhile, I like to get together with my girlfriends (without the kids) so we could chat and catch up on what everyone has been up to. We usually have a theme to keep our get togethers interesting. This coming weekend, I'm holding a Scrapbooking Sunday event in my house. I hired a babysitter to watch my daughter upstairs, while my girlfriends and I enjoy 3 whole hours of creative crafting downstairs. Boy, am I looking forward to it!

A nice bonus about getting together with my girlfriends is that everyone is always more than happy to bring along a treat. I simply have to provide beverages and one dish. With this "bring a dish to pass" concept, we'll have plenty of snacks to keep us going and nobody will have tons of work to do prior to the party.

There was some minimal planning involved on my part.

I booked a speaker to give a demonstration for the first hour on scrapbooking techniques.

I sent out invitations and noted the event in the newsletter of the local social club I belong to.

I kept track of who is coming, this way the speaker will know how much complimentary material to have on hand, and I'll know the approximate amount of beverages and paper products to have available.

Everyone in attendance (about 8 ladies in this case) has been asked to bring three photographs for a project we'll all be doing together. I've already mentioned this to everyone who RSVP'd and I'll send them one email reminder the day before the event.

My last minute planning, to be thought through this afternoon, will involve the treat I'll be making, the beverages being served and a possible door prize. I'll also be setting up the seating arrangements so everyone has room for her scrapbooking projects.

At any rate, even small get togethers require a bit of thinking and planning ahead to ensure everyone has a nice, relaxing time. Major effort is definitely not required, however, to have a fun, relaxing afternoon with friends-- even if the event is going to be held at your house.