scrapbook | Uniquely Yours Craft Journal

Making a Memory Journal

15 Mar 2017 Comments Off on Making a Memory Journal

by uniquelyyourscraftjournal in Memory Journal Tags: memories, scrapbook

Dear Fellow Journals,

Unlike a regular journal, the Memory Journal relies on the material you must gather – the photos, documents etc. The key to this is to keep it simple. Designate a box or file folder for each memory “category” you are going to write about. The categories can be childhood memories, school, parents etc. I would use plastic page protectors for the documents.

There are plenty of planners out in the market that you can use along with scrapbooks to document your memories. Once I started doing this, it became addictive and I found lots of post-it notes with memory prompts that I added to each box. The trick is to begin with one category at a time. Some page layouts will follow in the next post.

‘Til then,

~Sallie

The Perfect Gift

05 Dec 2014 Comments Off on The Perfect Gift

by uniquelyyourscraftjournal in Perspectives Tags: Christmas, scrapbook, The Perfect Gift

Dear Fellow Journalers,

The following is a post from Mary Beth. She has promised to write more in the new year. Enjoy!

~Sallie

The Perfect Gift

“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times”. The year of unemployment started out with the news that we were expecting a baby girl later that year. The year ended with my husband’s job being downsized.

Upon reflection, I discovered that the human spirit is more resilient than we give it credit for. We adjusted our lives to welcome our new daughter and hoped and prayed for a new opportunity. I knew then, as I know now, that God only gives us problems that we can handle and when we can’t stand the”heat” any longer, He sends us laughter and warmth of friends, beauty to behold and the love of family.

That fall, we had an inkling that things weren’t going so well for the company so we analyzed our financials and decided that we’d have an old-fashioned Christmas. Our children caught the idea and ran with it! “T” and my husband found dollar-store battery-powered tea lights which we used for our windows to save our electricity bills. My Mom and Dad came for a visit and while providing much-needed rest for me, shared their culinary and construction talents with the rest of the clan. My girls learned how to make Gingerbread houses and little Gingerbread men while my boys made a doll house for their sisters.

While picking up the house one Saturday early in December, I chanced to hear a fleeting, whispered conversation among my children. “That would be the perfect gift!” one of them exclaimed. “How much money do you have?” another one asked. I almost walked in on them, until I heard “we’re trying to save money, remember? We’ll have to make it ourselves.” There was silence for a beat of a second and then one of them said the magic words “I bet Grandpa will help>” Hmmmmm.

The mystery of the Perfect Gift was whispered about for some days and then silence. My husband and I decided to wait and see what they had in mind. Anticipation grew until Christmas finally arrived on a snowy Wednesday morning.

Our usual custom was to wake everyone (although usually everyone was awake already), up at 8 am and exchange one present before breakfast, get dressed and go to Church. But that year, we bundled everyone up and went to Midnight Mass. We were impressed that all of the children were reverent and well-behaved. They did sing along with the choir though, even if a little off-key. Afterwards, we traveled through our town and admired the brightly lit houses and office buildings and of course, the town tree. It was a peaceful and joyous start to our Christmas.

The next morning, our children surprised us with breakfast in bed along with a tape of their singing various holiday songs. The Perfect Gift turned out to be a scrapbook nestled in its own decorated wooden box. The children had contacted all our relatives and received pictures of our childhood Christmas’ which they had put on sticker laden-ed pages.

The best part of that Christmas was the love and caring and sharing of our family members. While we have had several Christmas celebrations since, the cherished memory of the Perfect Gift Christmas remains as the best Christmas ever.

May the love and joy of the season be yours! Thanks for all your kind words.

~Mary Beth

Daydreams – Summer is over

17 Sep 2014 Comments Off on Daydreams – Summer is over

by uniquelyyourscraftjournal in Paper Daydreams Tags: photos, scrapbook, summer

Dear Fellow Journalers,

Summer is over and it is time to take all those photos and put them in scrapbooks, rather than the most convenient box you can find. I know you are wondering why I am talking about scrapbooking and not journaling, well, scrapbook journaling is actually a memory book of pictures. Why not write about the feelings and emotions of the pictures?

Remember the 5 w’s you learned in school? Who, what, when, where why and how?

So, if I had a picture of a birthday party, my scrapbook journal would state:

“L”, Grandpappy, Grandma, “D” and “A” are celebrating “L” 2nd birthday on________ . “J”, “L’s” Godmother took the picture. We at ______ and we are laughing because “L” liked the box our gift came in!

Or how about the day you graduated from college? Your parents were so proud of you. Your father had just said _____

Or how about that camping trip to ____ You actually liked sleeping in a tent!

Or that fish you caught really was ____long!

Try this and see if your memories are triggered by the pictures, long after the event.

~Sallie

Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given

To Sallie and uniquelyyourscraftjournal with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

You may reach Sallie at uniquelyyourscraftjournal@outlook.com