Scrap Girls Digital Scrapbooking Adventures

Color Inspiration

Inspiration comes in the most unexpected places at the most unexpected times. I don't expect to find color inspiration when cleaning the house, but jumbled bits of this and that can sometimes ignite a creative spark. I had neglected to put away some jewelry, some necklaces specifically, which were hanging from the switch of the lamp in the bathroom.

For several days I thought about putting them away, but was struck by the accidental mix of colors. Hues of aqua, copper, gold and silver made a beautiful display. Of course I took a photo to capture the color scheme. Did I finally put the necklaces away? No, they are once again hanging on the switch of the lamp and providing a bit of gorgeous color in an otherwise drab room.

Life Lessons Learned While Gardening

Our front flower beds were a mess. I hadn't taken any time over the summer to tend them, and it showed. The spring plants were either overgrown or dead, and there were weeds, wild grass and vines encroaching on everything. It was time to get in there and put it back in order.

Pulling weeds and cutting overgrown plants isn't something that takes a lot of brain power, so I found my mind wandering as I worked. The thoughts that came and went through my mind focused on how like our lives a garden can be, and I realized there were some great life lessons being presented to me with each weed I pulled. Let me share some of my thoughts with you:

• When weeds take over our lives, it's hard to see the truly beautiful bits that lay hidden underneath.
• The longer you let a weed grow, the deeper its roots and the harder it is to pull out.
• Some weeds grow up straight and tall and aren't afraid to be seen for what they are. Others will twine themselves in and around the good parts, masquerading as beautiful garden plants themselves. But they are still just weeds and need to be uprooted, before they destroy the beautiful life hidden below.
• You need to remove the big weeds first, before you can see the smaller weeds that are hiding beneath them.
• The sense of accomplishment one feels after removing weeds is worth all of the hard work, and can be celebrated every time one look at one's weed free garden.
• It's easier to get rid of weeds if you do it early and often, rather than waiting till the end of the season to do it all.
• Gardening is a great way to catch up with one's neighbors!

Two hours and four wheelbarrows-full later, my flower beds looked much better. They still were a bit parched and sad-looking, but at least they were no longer weed-infested! Now, if I can just remember these life lessons next year when gardening season rolls around!

Not for Granted

This past Saturday, my husband and I decided to venture to the beach with our 16-month-old son. We've been to the beach before with him, but he was too small at the time to appreciate the experience. We were treated to the opposite reaction this time, his laughter and enthusiastic splashing were infectious.

Even though we live just a mere ten miles from the beach, we rarely make the excursion. Why is that? I think its merely a comfort to have the sandy beaches and rolling waves nearby. I lived in the Chicago suburbs for quite a few years of my life and yearned to live near the ocean again.

So why is it now I'm so close to the ocean, I deny myself the regular routine of going there? Now that my son has found the joy of standing in sand while the waves rush in and out, we'll have to make it a regular destination. We can't take these gifts in life for granted.

The following products were used in this layout: Dynamic Brush Set: Spray Paint 5401, and ScrapSimple Tools - Actions: Photos That Pop PSE 1801.

Organizing Photos

I have to admit that I have not been digital scrapbooking very long. I was a designer for paper scrapbooking materials and cards for 12 years, and occasionally put my photos into albums but most of my photos have either  stayed in a drawer or sat in the computer for years.

Since coming to Scrap Girls a year ago, I love creating my own layouts and experimenting with all the wonderful features of digital scrapbooking. For a recent layout, I needed some photos that I knew were in my "photo drawer". So I set out to organize the photos "stuffed" in the desk in the bedroom. As many of you can imagine, it can be a daunting task. Especially since sometimes I wasn't sure which one of my sons was in the picture, much less the date.

It is almost embarrassing to show how disorganized my photos had become. (until my sister admitted she had big boxes of photos in the attic, not just one drawer) The picture shows my piles and how I started sorting by "Thanksgivings" and "Halloweens" and then more specific dates. They covered the entire floor of my office and it took me two days, but it was worth it.

The layout shows some great photos I found along the way. These are pictures of me in 1955 when I was a year old. I now have an envelope of "classic photos" that are readily available to scan and do future layouts and two organized boxes with labeled envelopes!

I made this page using these digital scrapbooking supplies: Watercolor Baby Girl Collection & Brush Set Doilies.