Monday, October 7, 2013

I STILL LOVE TO SCRAPBOOK.... and here is why!


 
  Scrapbooking is still my favorite hobby for so many reasons.   Although I may not scrapbook as much as I used to ,  I still scrapbook and celebrate the small things!   I have never been one to “have to scrapbook” a certain way or in a certain order.  This makes it easier for me to just sit down and scrapbook (without the overwhelming feeling of being behind).  I am thankful for each and every layout I am able to complete for our family.

Here are just a few of the reasons I scrapbook:

1.       Preserving Memories – I think scrapbooking is an amazing way to preserve our memories.  Life is going by so fast that sometimes it is hard to remember details and facts.  I love looking through my scrapbooks with my children and remembering special memories.   The journaling  helps us remember some of the details that we may forget over time.

2.       It is fun  There is nothing better than sitting down and playing with paper, embellishments and photos!  It is so fun to make each layout unique.  I don’t get hung up on it being perfect.  It will never be perfect.  With digital pictures, it makes it so much easier  for people to “cut” pictures.  I do love digital books but it doesn’t have the creative and personal touch that a scrapbook does.  I love that my kids will see my handwriting and special notes, even after I am gone someday.

3.     Therapeutic – I think scrapbooking can be very therapeutic.  Especially when you have lost a loved one.  I remember when we lost my uncle unexpectedly.  We decided to have a scrapbook at his memorial.  The great part is that his family all came together with photos and together we made that scrapbook.  It was a great time to remember him, laugh and cry together and put together a beautiful book.  I also think it is therapeutic for anyone going through a tough situation.  It takes your mind off of the stress and onto something fun and meaningful.

4.      Healthy We can spend hours in front of the TV and computer.  It may be have been fun for awhile but we have nothing to show.  When we sit down to scrapbook and create memories, it is a healthy way to use our time and preserve memories.  At the end we have something to show for our time and energy.

5.      The Most amazing gifts – You can’t beat a scrapbook for a gift for someone else.  A scrapbook is a very personal way to share memories with others.  You can also make a blank book (recipe book, pre-made scrapbook, etc.).  Just taking the time to make a personal gift will touch someone’s heart.   I recently had a customer share a story with me.  A friend of hers was going to an Amy Grant concert and wanted to give her something.  My customer helped her create an amazing scrapbook documenting the impact Amy Grant had made on her life.  Through different connections she was able to personally had that scrapbook to Amy Grant.  Amy Grant was touched and looked at every single page.  It was one of the best gifts she had ever received from a fan.

6.       Joy – Scrapbooking brings me joy and joy to my family.  Every year when my boys have birthdays we usually get out their hospital scrapbooks and go through them together.  As we take special trips and document school years, it is so fun to see how they have grown over the years. 

I have learned over the years, that even when others look at my scrapbooks, they are not concerned with whether I put the embellishment in the right spot but rather the memory itself being documented.

I LOVE SCRAPBOOKING and I have no plans on switching to digital!

Please share with me what you love about scrapbooking  (even if you no longer do it or have never done it).  I would love to hear your comments!  Are there reasons you scrapbook that I forgot to mention?  I will be randomly giving a prize to one of the comments :)
 
 
 

4 comments:

Tana said...

I'm so with you, I absolutely, passionately, intensely love scrapbooking. It is a great hobby and social activity, but it is so much more than a hobby because it allows me to preserving memories of wonderful moments that are flying by all too quickly!

Anonymous said...

Erica, you have taught the love of scrapbooking to all of our family! And especially when it was needed most! I have to say, it was very therapeutic for all of us to sport through pictures (memories) & remember the good times we had with dad, rather than focusing in the hole in our hearts from losing him. Since then, I have recommended it to many others......even Brayden's girlfriend.......her sister just left for college and they are really close and she is so sad for her to go. You would be proud......Brayden.......yes, Brayden...... put together a scrapbook for her, I believe it was for Christmas last year.

Wendy said...

I agree with everything you said! I would like to add that it is also a great social activity. My friends and I get away at least two weekends a year to have fun, share techniques/stuff, and work on our albums. Those weekends are priceless in so many ways. I have made new friends along the way too!

L. said...

I have no plans of switching to digital, either!! Erica, you gave great reasons why we should scrapbook! If I were to add one, it would be that scrapbooking gives me the chance to creatively express myself. I attend a local swap each month and my family enjoys the challenge of trying to figure out who made what. They are pretty good at it because they recognize an individual's "style". Everyone has their own style, their own way of expressing themselves and that makes scrapping all the more fun!