I’ve always been a big fan of scrapbooking, or happy booking as my friends and I call it. Taking pictures, which are a window into a moment in time and embellishing them, gives them a personality, any personality you want. It is a way to make a memory more special, to reference all the things that you may not have captured within the photo.
I used to save every little bit of happiness I came across; wrapping paper, movie tickets, empty seed packets, anything that reminded me of something special. Then I would take my free time and surround myself with these bits of treasure.
Miles of tape later each page would reflect everything I wanted to remember about that moment. Sometimes even without a photo if somehow a photo was not taken. It always ended up consuming lots of time, not to mention space and funds. Well worth it when I had those things to spare, but I don’t anymore.
As a new and full time mom, trying to squeeze a few hours of work into nap times, I can tell you that none of my hobbies have seen the light of day in many months. I still photograph pretty much nonstop, but I consider that part of being a good mom. Just about any parent will tell you that the most attractive words on any box are “No Assembly Required” for the same time challenged reason. I was recently ordering some prints online when I discovered the equivalent for happy booking.
I know all about digital albums, utilize them quite a bit actually, especially for the out of town relatives. However, to discover digital scrapbooking templates that you just drag and drop your photos into made my day. No tape required, or anything else. You don’t even have to print them; you can just share them online. And if you want to fill a scrapbook, just print them and drop them in. Then there are the gorgeous collages available in photo paper or pictures on canvas for easy display. The possibilities are endless.
Now of course, you are going to lose a bit of the personal element, but it’s like buying a blanket instead of knitting one. You would knit it if you had the time, but who has the time. That being said, if you have the time, great. Keep up the good work! I look forward to rejoining your ranks one day. Right now, time with my son outranks being surrounded with bits of paper and tape. For me the reward of a smile or a kiss full of drool drives thoughts of time hungry hobbies out the window. Dive into time with your loved ones right now. If you have more photos than time together, make the most of those memories until you can make more.
Don’t forget to capture each precious moment. Even if you have forgotten your camera, grab a pen before the memory passes you by.
Christy
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