Scrapping Beyond the Photos - Now.

Hi, guys! :)

It's Michelle Clement here with a little random scrapbook/sassafras inspiration!

I'm sharing a peek into the real life behind my photos, today, in an exercise to remind myself to journal my memories beyond the photos outright on my pages more often (I need to remind myself, sometimes to write more!).

I'll be doing this post in two parts (aptly titled 'now' and 'then'), so you can see how I applied this journalling exercise to pictures both old and new - so stay tuned for the second half later this week.

Anyhoo - the idea behind this personal journalling reminder is that I keep noticing that the first thing I think of when I pick up some photos to put on a page is rarely the obvious subject matter - instead of 'we're at the park', I'll think 'oh, we took this picture in the park right after I tripped on the tree stump and was laughing', for example. I know I'm not alone - that's the whole fun of pictures, right?

However, sometimes journalling is not my favorite thing and I sometimes rush it (bad, I know!), which means I don't always take the time to reflect and remember and get the thoughts behind the photos down. I need to make an effort to do this for my scrapbooks and for myself, and remember that it's not that tough to do all the time - it can be very simply done, or I could tell the whole story behind the photo on it's own, but it's worth the few extra minutes:

"Us = Behind The Photos'' by Michelle Clement

(Made using the lovely new Apple Jack & Cherry Delicious collections)

I wanted this page to reflect how we're always taking great candid shots with a ton of fun memories behind them, so I used photos from a few different occasions together. My journalling says: (top) 'Looks like a ride - but you're goofy-posing after I yelp all the way up the hill. Happy and at home.' & (bottom) 'Looks like NY - but I see sleepy, cold, busy, fun, early, & you see my true self'.

Simple, but when I read it now, I know that I was screaming all the way up the hill behind hubby while doubling on the moped and he just laughed my ride-nerves off and had fun posing for goofy 'racing' photos (he's so at home on bikes!), and that the photo of me in NY was taken after days of over-booked busy-ness, and, half-asleep, we were always up way too early and searching for coffee and breakfast. I remember it being very cold, and thinking that hubby always gets the best random shots of me, me as he must see me, somehow.

That's much better then just 'me & hubby on the ferry', 'me, in NY', or 'hubby on the motorbike', no?

I'm totally reminded after doing this lil exercise that I need to get 'back to my scrapbooking roots' and do it all the time, and I hope you take a moment to jot down more than just the obvious for your photos, too - it'll be so fun to look back on the silly things that happened behind the photos in a few years, and you'll relive those moments all over again flipping through your pages. :)

Happy scrapbooking!

Comments

[RachelM]

Thanks so much for this post! I really struggle with journaling. I'm looking forward to part 2! :)

[Erin]

So true! I am guilty of just describing the photos rather than really telling my thoughts or feelings about what was going on when I took the photo. Thanks for the inspiration!

[Kathleen Glossop]

Gorgeous! Love all the texture and layers :)

I don't journal much, but my titles usually reflect a feeling or thought about a photo, rather than the location or whose in it, so I guess my titles are a form of journalling on my pages...

Anyways, just finished this one (sentiment in title ;) ), LOVING the new ranges :D

http://kathleenglossop.blogspot.com/2010/02/new-sass.html

TFL!

xx

[Charity]

I'm always inspired by Michelle's je ne sais quoi! She is a cut above the rest.

Thanx Michelle, you always make journaling look fun and breezy!

[Michelle Clement]

Thanks for the sweet words, ladies! :) Its been fun to pay more attention to journalling to share it with you, too!!

[Michelle Clement]

Oh, cute page Kathleen! I love your title, too. :) Thanks for the sweet words!

[milkcan]

Love this post. Great page, but the advice about journaling is so excellent!

[dani]

Love this post. Really inspiring!