Six Word Fridays ~ Fly

Today's the day we fly away.
There's another summer wedding this weekend...
in the middle of Wisconsin's cornfields.
Then it's off to beautiful Oregon.

Today's the day we fly away.
For two whole, long, wonderful weeks.

And I've made a big decision.
The laptop is not joining me.
That's right. Not. Bringing. The. Computer.

In the {almost} five years since
I started this blog, I've not
taken a break. So it's time.
I'll be back for six words
and black and white Wednesdays the
first week of August. Until then
you'll find me on Instagram @scrapbookmom17...

...or with a book, or at
the lake, or taking a nap.

Don't worry....You'll see all the
Oregon loveliness when we get home!



 
Join me here today
and share your story ~
Six Words at a Time!

a little about me...

OUR MEMORIES

LIKE OUR

Dreams

ARE OURS ALONE

AND TELL

Our

STORY

{Flavia}

Today I am participating in a blog tour ~ I've been asked to answer four questions and then invite some of my blogging friends to do the same. I have found these questions very thought provoking and have enjoyed reading the answers of so many of my blog friends! I was officially tagged by Tamar, a fellow Bostonian, Sox Fan and inspiring young woman. She blogs at Random-osity and hosts my favorite Monday link up! A few days after Tamar tagged me, May from Achieving Clarity tagged me as well! She's my favorite Kansan and, I sometimes think, my alter ego! We've seen kids leave the nest and find comfort in each other's words. Her answers are up on her blog today too.

On to the questions:

One: What are you working on? In my heart, I believe that I am a storyteller. Whether I am scrapbooking, blogging, taking photographs or writing, at the heart of all of it, I am thinking about the story. I love the notion that each of us has a story - is living a story. And I value the telling and passing on of each narrative. This summer I am focusing on launching a business which would {hopefully} connect me to people who want to tell their stories through scrapbooking....with any luck they will entrust their photos to me and I will create for them a keepsake to hold their stories. It is my fervent hope that this space will always be filled with stories...as, to me, it is a living scrapbook.

Two: How does your work differ from others in the same genre? As a scrapbooker, I do my best to let the photos do the talking. I try to highlight the photos, do what I can to enhance them...and not distract from them. I would say that my style is fairly simple - clean lines and clear themes. When I began this blog, I thought it would be all about scrapbooking...and, in fact, it rarely is! It has become more about finding my voice and sharing my heart and my little corner of the world. Through blogging I've discovered a love of nature and rekindled a love of photography...two things I'm learning about as I share...a trial and error kinda thing! I find with myself, as with others I enjoy visiting, that our work is as unique as we are - the more we stay true to ourselves, the better it is.

Three: Why do I write/create what I do? For me, to write is to process. To create is to work through what's happening in my life. Or what has happened. It has always been my pathway to clarity. I can't seem to hold on to what's inside ~ I have to work with it until it finds expression. 

Four: How does your writing/creative process work? I am a synthesizer. I like finding a beautiful piece of paper and combining it with a photograph...or taking a prompt and using it as a vehicle for my story...or discovering a quotation that brings meaning to a picture I've taken. I am, like all of us, I suppose, a collector of tid-bits. Of ideas. And images. It is the weaving together of all these morsels from my life that brings me the most joy and feeds my creative process.

Thanks, also to Jill from Daily Bread for inviting me to share ~ visit her next Monday, discover her blog and her creative process! I've sent an invitation to Deborah from Learning as I Go, Ayala from A Sun Kissed Life, Brandi from Picking Peonies,  and Deb at It's All About Purple to share with us their answers to these questions! Hope you all visit their lovely blogs ~ they all bring me so much inspiration to my life.

And today,

as every Monday.

I'm linking with Tamar!

These random questions were good for me to think through.

And I hope you had fun reading my answers!

Link up is HERE

Black and White Wednesday: Breathe

....oh, how I wish I could!

I'm medicating, sleeping, praying and hoping. Willing myself to not get really super sick!
{the menthol cough drops are spectacularly soothing at the moment}

I wish I had inspiring words about new dreams and powerful choices for 2013...
but I don't make big decisions when I'm tired. With family still in town. With the Christmas tree still standing. Or when I feel like this.

Those words will come...well, decisions will come ~ I hope they'll be inspiring!

For today, I leave you with shots of a place that was a big part of my 2012...and I will surely wander here often during the coming year. Mardee, if you're reading, that's the bench where I sit when I call you...might have to wait a few months for the snow to melt before I can call from there next!

What I do know is that this blog, and all who visit here, have become very important to me. Thanks to all of you who stop by and share a few minutes of your day with me. I look forward to another year of learning from you and sharing with you!

And, if you have some black and white photos to share on Wednesdays ~ well, link up with us here!

Snail Mail...

....is my favorite kind of mail! So, imagine my enthusiasm when I learned of a 

postcard exchange

between bloggers ~ bloggers from all over the country and all over the world! We each prepared postcards with our original art or photography and sent copies of them to Kat {a creative and energetic and very organized Oregonian} who randomly sorted them and mailed them to all the participants. Her goal was 

to help us send our art out into the world! So I joined in!

The most amazing piece of this story, is that my first postcard arrived and it was from 

Deb {Simplify Daily Life} 

who is one of my favorite blog friends! It was on her blog I first learned of the swap, and I 

visit her daily to see her beautiful photos!!

Thanks Kat!

Hop on over HERE

to meet her and see all the art!

NEW Friends...

Before I look ahead to the new year, and share my thoughts about forging ahead, I wanted to say thank you to some of the women who have enriched my life this year through our blogging friendships. I have been spiritually and emotionally supported and encouraged. I have been inspired to create, write, dream and try new things. I have laughed and cried with these women...prayed for them and rejoiced with them. I'd like to share one or two things that I have learned from each of them.

Diana from These Days of Mine has taught me to look to the sky.
                                                           And to love family history enough to write it down.

Debbie from It's All About Purple reminds me to see beauty everywhere.
                                                                    And to embrace adventure.

Ayala from A Sun Kissed Life shows me how to tell my truth. Poetically.

Heidi from Me As A Mother tells it like it is, with a sense of humor and magical photos.

Melissa from Melissa Camara Wilkins says more with a few words than I ever will.
                                                                                  ...even if I write a whole book.
                                                                                  ...six words at a time ;-)  

Tabitha from Fresh Mommy lives fully, faithfully.
                                             She reminds me to see the rich blessings in my day to day.

Kristi from Breath...Shine...Love wrestles honestly, writes beautifully.
                                                       And loves Parenthood - the TV show and the role!

Nessa from Moments & Impressions is a gentle soul.
                                                        She helps me want to be true to me.

Deb from simplify.daily.life challenges my creativity.
                          And {without knowing it at the time} gave me a wonderful birthday present!

Barbara from Footprints in the Sand reminds me of a time in my life that I cherish.
                                                                                                            I love her stories!
                                                                           
Melanie from Whimsical Creations inspires me to invest in my craft, to develop it!
                                                                            And reminds me to be a fun, generous mom.

MJ at Emjayandthem's Blog wows me with her wisdom.
                                           And in her understanding I find courage.

Rachel and Grace from and then, she {snapped} and grace loves the beatles
                                                               have a love for photography that's contagious.
                                                                             And they're a mother and daughter who blog.
                                                                                                  That, in and of itself, is inspiring!

I feel very grateful to everyone who takes the time to make a pretty space in this blog world. To share their hearts, their thoughts, their kids cute faces and antics, and their creativity. I have learned so much from all of you!

Most of all, I'd like to thank Claire from Beaktweets ...without her I don't think I'd have ever had the courage to really go for it and develop this blog. Hers is still the first blog I hope to see each day. And it's not ONLY cause of the photos of her sweet girl...she's a young woman, wise beyond her years, who always lifts my spirits.

Ringing in the NEW!

New Look!

Thanks to some time with my daughter, I have reworked my blog a bit.

I hope you like the changes!

It was important to me to keep the photo...

it's a picture I took in Mexico last December.
{and my time in Mexico meant a lot to me}

Plus...

I have a tendency to start things

and not push myself to follow through unless some one's holding me accountable.

But I've written 185 posts since February of this year.

Because I've wanted to.

And I'm feeling pretty happy about that.

Therefore,

I wanted to save the photo and the colors...for the good mojo...

and make some changes for your viewing pleasure!

Would love your feedback!

New Toy!

I got a new toy for Christmas.

It's called Flip Pal.

Santa might have ordered it here.

I was afraid it might be too good to be true...but, no.

It's beyond good.

Take a 12x12 scrapbook page.

{or any magazine article, poster, photo etc.}

Let the little scanner take a bunch of small scans of the page that overlap.

Take the SD memory card out of the scanner, put it into your computer.

Touch a few keys.

And seconds later you get this:

or this:

Just some scrapbook pages that I can now fully

SCAN.

And save.

And share!!

New Year!

Ready or not, here it comes.

This year, I feel more ready than not.

Stay tuned.

You might be part of what's inspiring some of my 

new choices

for 2012.

Richly Rewarded!

Last week two friends of mine honored me with some bloggy love! They named me as one of their favorite blogs and passed on the Kreativ Blogger Award! Twice in the same week ~ a girl could blush! It really encouraged me to know they enjoy visiting my blogspot...cause I sure love visiting theirs!

Please stop by and say hi to Debbie at It's All About Purple and Barbara at Footprints in the Sand. Their friendship is reward enough for me!


Before I pass the love along to five of my favorite and creative bloggers, I've been asked to share a few things about myself you might not know...here goes:

I love museums.

I enjoy card games,

and word games,

and crossword puzzles.

My thanksgiving dinner is my favorite thing to cook.

And eat.

I'm turning 51 on Thursday!

And to spread the love ~ Please go visit these wonderful women....all 'kreativ' in their own way:

Dianna @ These Days of Mine 
Kristi @ Breathe...Shine...Love... 
Nessa @ Moments & Impressions
Melanie @ Whimsical Creations
Adrienne @ AdrienneEats
{now it's their turn to share a few things about themselves, and pass the award along}

I hadn't ventured into this blogging community last year when I turned 50 ~ The friendships and discoveries that you've brought into my life this year are a continual, daily source of encouragement to me!!

Some Blog Love!

Over the weekend I was surprised to have

two blog awards sent my way!

Amy passed it on to Debbie

who passed it on to me!

Ellie passed it on to Dianna

who passed it on to me!

The "Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award" asked me to share a few things about myself and pass the award along to some blogs that I love ~ So, here goes!

1. I'm 50!  2. A bit of a TV junkie...  3. Love cranberry juice, food made with cranberries, decorations made with cranberries...and the color cranberry.  4. I adore being a MOM!  5. I want to run a craft studio some day  6. Love to camp.  7. I really like actual mail...the kind that comes to the box and has a stamp.

Here are some Irresistibly Sweet Blogs:

   Breeze Creations 

She and I "wish" together on Wednesdays! You should join us!

Footprints in the Sand

She and I connected cause she's an American living in France

just like I was for years!

Fresh Mommy

Love her photography. Love her philosophy

Love linking up with Sunday Citar.

Me as a Mother

More amazing photography.

Poignant. Silly. Real. Wonderful.

The Liebster (German for friend or love) Blog award is meant to bring more attention to blogs with fewer than 200 followers ~ here are some more of my favorite blog friends:

Beaktweets

Real life friend, and my blogging inspiration.

a sun kissed life

Could read her poetry every day.

Melissa Camara Wilkins

Can't really tell from her blog how many followers she has....

so hopefully this won't insult her.

Her Six Word Fridays linky and the group that writes with

her are wonderful. I've LOVED getting to know her!

Postcards from a Peaceful Divorce

This is an important blog.

(don't really know how many followers she has either)

For all of us ~ divorced or not.

The writing and relationship principles discussed

are both profound and challenging.

My Cozy Nook

One of my newest discoveries ~ she writes with

tenderness and honesty. She's drawn me in!

ENJOY!!

I love my blogging community(ies).  Maybe you'll discover a new space that you'd like to visit. On any given day (as you all know) some of us are "up" and others are struggling. Births are celebrated, milestones shared, and illness and death are prayed for and mourned. I'm reminded daily how wide open and wonderful the world is, and how much good is out there. I'm called higher ~ my thinking is challenged and I'm inspired to keep writing. I'm grateful to those who "drop in" and those who settle in and read almost everything I put out there!

Most of all,

Thanks to Debbie and Dianna 

for their lovely blogs

and all their encouragement!

Feel free to take your award and pass it on!

Telling our Story

Where are your photos?

Ten years ago, mine were in plastic tubs and shoe boxes.

My daugter and I went away for three days to sort and file them.

Then I started to make scrapbooks!

When I started to make books, I was in search of a hobby. 

A "me time" thing.

And I desperately wanted to get all of our photos sorted and in a safe place. 

What I discovered through this activity was a passion for

story telling.

A passion for the history that ties generations of a family together

or the lives of good friends together.

A passion to discover what is unique about my story

and live it and record it.

In case you think I'm finished with our story, don't worry

I still have plenty of photos that aren't in books stored here:

and here:

Blogging is another great way to tell our story!

I fell in love with blogging thanks to a good friend

who records the story of her life

with her (almost) one year old munchkin as she blogs. 

I feel like I journey through the pages of a scrapbook

as I read her blog.

You can visit her here.

It's not the HOW that matters! I've discovered so many great blogs, seen photo albums

and digital books...even watched home movies!

What I think is so important is telling our story.

How are you telling yours?