SCRAPBOOKING - THE MILLENIUM DE-STRESSER!

By:ROSA M. GONZALEZ

YES, I AM A REAL ESTATE ACCOUNTANT, ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT WORK LONG HOURS, STRESSED OUT ALL DAY WITH TEN THINGS GOING ON DURING THE DAY AND BY THE TIME I GET HOME, I NEED SOMETHING TO UNWIND. WELL, SCRAPBOOKING IS THE WINNER. I'M AN EMBROIDERER, CRAFTER, DOLL MAKER, SEWER, COLLECTOR, YOU NAME IT, BUT WHAT SCRAPBOOKING DOES TO MY NERVES NONE OF MY OTHER HOBBIES HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH.

THANKS TO A CO-WORKER FRIEND OF MINE, (YES,SHE'S THE CULPRIT) I HAVE STARTED TO GET OUT ALL OF MY OLD ALBUMS AND AM GOING TO RE-DO THEM ALL. I STARTED WITH MY VACATION ALBUM FROM 1996. THIS TRIP TOOK ME TO GEORGIA AND NORTH CAROLINA, TO SEE OLD FRIENDS. BOY, HAVE I HAD FUN RE-DOING THIS ALBUM. THIS TASK IS GOING TO TAKE ME A WHILE, BUT I'M WILLING TO LET IT LAST SO I CAN CONTINUE TO DE-STRESS MYSELF. I ALSO LIKE THAT YOU SEE THE OUTCOME OF YOUR WORK QUICKLY AND THAT IS VERY SATISFYING.

YOUR EXPERIENCES AND MEMORIES TAKE ON A HIGHER MEANING BY ADDING ALL THESE LITTLE THINGS THAT COME TO MIND FROM JUST THE MEMORIES ONE FELT DURING THOSE EVENTS.

MY MOM WATCHES ME SOMETIMES WHEN I'M SCRAPBOOKING AND SHE TELLS ME SHE RELAXES JUST WATCHING ME DO THIS. IT IS AMAZING THE EFFECTS OF DOING SOMETHING YOU ENJOY AND HOW IT MAKES YOUR LIFE BETTER.

OF COURSE, DMARIE HAS A LOT TO CONTRIBUTE TO MY STATE OF ELATION. I HAVE SHOPPED AT OTHER SCRAPBOOK STORES WHETHER IN PERSON OR ON-LINE, BUT THE VARIETY THAT DMARIE HAS, CANNOT BE BEAT. PRICES, LET'S NOT FORGET THOSE, THEY ARE THE BEST ANYWHERE. TOO BAD I MOVED FROM CALIFORNIA, OR ELSE I'D BE THERE IN PERSON EVERY WEEKEND. YES, YOU ARE MAKING ME GO BANKRUPT (JUST KIDDING), BUT I'M ENJOYING IT SO WHO CARES!!

ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS, WHOEVER HASN'T TRIED THIS HOBBY, IS MISSING OUT ON A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE. IT BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN PEOPLE, CREATIVELY AND EMOTIONALLY.

THANK GOD FOR SCRAPBOOKING!!

Tomorrow at dMarie Daily: The dMarie Picture Talk Board, by Tracy Beard