Birthday Girls - A SMASH Journal Page

I used to share a lot about paper crafts in this space, because I used to do a lot of scrapbooking and card making: I used to be on a design team and back when I first started this blog, I designed and shared a new greeting card every week. But over the years, the amount of paper crafts I do has decreased dramatically, and as I type this right now, I can not remember the last time I made a scrapbook layout or a card.

For a while I felt quite sad that I was not scrapbooking and card making as much, but the truth is simply that it does not fit so well in my life anymore at the same level and intensity as it used to. And that is okay. I've come to believe that hobbies ebb and flow over our lives; they are something that we can be intense about for a while and then they can become less front and center as our lives change and/or as we go off to explore and learn something else, not disappearing entirely, but simmering in the background for when we come back to them. That is where paper crafting is for me right now. I do not have the time to scrapbook every little moment of my life like I used to, and again, that is okay. What I am doing is documenting our family holidays - like I did with our Eastern Canada road trip - and also, when the mood strikes, adding a few pages to my SMASH journal. I'm basically doing what I can, at a level that feels right for me, and I am enjoying it.

My latest SMASH journal page came together rather effortlessly using photos of my girls from their last birthdays. I enjoyed layering the paper and the embellishments - my favorite thing to do with paper - and documenting a beautiful moment in time. Listening to a little Jason Aldean while I worked was also fun!

So here's to paper crafts, doing what works, layering pretty papers, SMASH journals, ebbs and flows, country music, and enjoying it all!

Have a wonderful day, friends!

That was Then, This is Now...

Some projects take a long time to happen....this was one of them...

I had the idea months ago to go through the box of memorabilia I had collected and saved from when Steve and I were dating and add it all to my SMASH journal. Well finally last week, when I was off work, I had the time to take a trip down memory lane and play around with paper, pockets, and pretty embellishments to create a few pages in my journal.

Starting opposite the page which suitably reads "That was Then" I added a pocket into which I slipped some handwritten notes and the score card from when we went mini golfing on our first date (in finding this score card again we finally settled the debate over who won...it was Steve).

On the next page I added a favorite photo and two pockets with ticket stubs from all the concerts we went to together...so many fun memories. We also went to a lot of movies when we were dating but rather than keep all the ticket stubs - especially since some were fading and were barely legible - I wrote a list of all the movies we saw (bottom right). Believe it or not, Star Wars is on the list; Star Wars is evidently a permanent fixture in my life, then and now.

There were a lot of happy tears as I went through the things I had kept from our dating days, but nothing tugged at my heart more than what is in the large pocket (in the photo above): five pieces of paper each listing five reasons why Steve loves me. I remember vividly finding these papers tucked into my school bag or in my car over the course of a week or so one fall semester so many years ago. It was so sweet and even funny to reread these reasons so many years later and we had a great time one evening last week reliving our happy memories of falling in love.

I finished up the "dating history" section of my journal with a photo taken of us last year on our twelfth wedding anniversary opposite the page that reads "This is Now"....

After so many years together, after so much has happened, after so many changes, after so much growth, I am so proud of us and what we have accomplished, from where we started to where we are now...

Snippets of Me

Every once in a while I get out my SMASH book and add a few things. I'm not sure how popular these books are anymore - I got mine at a scrapbooking show several years ago where they were being flaunted and demonstrated everywhere you turned - but that is not really important, is it? For me, I love how this book is casual and quirky, how the whole philosophy behind it is to just put stuff inside - stuff that you love, words that inspire you, pictures that makes you smile, mementos that make you happy - what is not to love about that?

This time around I added a few pictures I took when I was deep in making my Cozy Stripe Blanket, and talked a little about why I love to crochet:

I also wrote down some of my favorite quotes:

And finally, this page, featuring a smiling horse and a gorgeous photo I took of a Dahlia when we were in Halifax last summer.

The pages are random, there is really no rhyme or reason to things other than that this is a place where I can record snippets of me. I made an "about me" page last year and really enjoyed reading it again now as I flipped through my book; so happy for a glimpse into who I was and what I was feeling then.

I have a few other page ideas for this book, mainly one with all the memorabilia I saved from when Steve and I were dating. I think it would be fun to get it all out of the shoe box and arrange it whimsically on these pages...not to mention, what a trip down memory lane that would be.

It feels so good to take this time for myself, to sip a cup of tea and record what I am feeling, who I am, my favorite memories, my deep and silly thoughts,....to get my story down on the page, even if that page also has a smiling horse on it.....

My SMASH Journal - An About Me Page

Since completing my list journal last month, I have kept on journaling - making more lists, getting my thoughts and feelings down on paper - and it has felt great. I feel like I know myself a little better. Like I notice the little things around me more. Like my head is clearer because all these thoughts are written down and not competing with each other for memory space. Journaling is definitely a good thing for me and I am really enjoying it.

For my journal, I am using my SMASH book.  I wanted to get my story and thoughts down on paper and make it look pretty at the same time, and so far this book has worked well for that.

Using some of the writing prompts found here, as well as others I saw and loved while reading about journaling and looking at other peoples’ gorgeous books, I built my first page: writing lists; adding pictures and die cuts; writing smaller lists on journaling cards; placing flowers and word stickers. I used my favorite colors, my favorite papers...this is a page all about me.

In the end I had a page full of journaling – my thoughts and feelings, my story – surrounded by pretty papers and details. The perfect merging of scrapbooking and journaling.

To say that I am happy with how my page turned out would be an understatement. I am thrilled. I absolutely love the random look of the page (a huge departure from my clean and simple style). Also, I am happy to have used some of the bits and bobs that have been in my scrapbooking supply pile for a long time. 

But most of all I am happy that I have my words down on paper. So happy. 

I have a few other pages that I would like to do in my book and as I finish them up I’ll share. My plan is to add to this book over the months and years to create a personal anthology.

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It has been a goal of mine for some time now to record more about myself. I spend a great deal of time and effort recording the happenings in my family, yet more often than not, I am left out. I really think that journaling is great solution, an excellent way for me to inject a bit more of myself into my memory keeping, both for my own benefit and for the benefit of others around me. Imagine what my girls will think when they read this down the road? And I am truly amazed by how much calmer and at peace I feel after I have had a chance to journal....which is truly a benefit to everyone in my family.

This Week

Spring break could not have come at a better time...gosh did I ever need a break from work and the girls certainly needed a break from the school routine.

It has been a great week....nothing too adventurous, just some much needed and deserved down time to relax and recharge. We did venture out a few days to some appointments and to do a few errands that had been put off far too long, but for the most part we stayed in and around the house. And it was lovely. I was a little concerned going into the week that the girls would bicker and fight, but instead their imaginations seemed to kick into overdrive and they were happy to play make believe games such as 'baboons' and 'mountain goats', most likely influenced by the Planet Earth series that they are watching.  

While the girls were keeping themselves occupied, I was able to sit on the sofa with a cup of tea and crochet. I have set a mini goal for myself to reach the mid point of my cozy stripe blanket. Once I am at that point, I will do a post showing you how it looks half way done. I am almost there so stay tuned. 

I also did some journaling...in my SMASH book which has sat untouched in my drawer for three years. This was my first attempt at art journaling and I really enjoyed it. Definitely a departure from my usual clean and simple style, but so fun. 

I have also really enjoyed watching the snow slowly disappear and reveal the garden below. It is a relief to see less and less snow in the yard everyday. It is still cold, but spring is definitely in the air.

Today we are off to see Frozen on Ice. The girls are incredibly excited.

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend.