A late Start

By:By laffengyrl, Commerce, GA....Belton, MO...and Dallas, TX

A couple of years ago I thought scrapbooks were just books of thick dry paper with even drier mucilage glue holding sharp paper corners (maybe) that had scratched, creased, and torn remnants of photos from by gone days in the hopes that someone not allergic to mold spores would open them and want to peek at our bold-and-beautiful-but-never-smiling ancestors! I had a pair of paper scissors, a hole punch from the sixth grade, and the only thing acid brought to mind for me was "rain" or something metallic that had more to do with music than embellishments!

Then, my daughter was about to graduate from high school and I had no idea of what to get her for that "extra-special" gift a mom is supposed to give her child for such an occasion. A fellow worker suggested a scrapbook and I kind of cringed, remembering the afore-mentioned photo albums of my childhood. "no, thanks", my reply!

Thank goodness she had a scrapbook of her own to show me, and it was the start of a new love affair for me! I LOVE PAPER! I never had any great talent, but she opened up a whole new world where my imagination has been my only limit. Friends look forward to just cards from me and hope I may have take the time to make a special book or box or wallhanging for them. I am an artist! Who could have ever guessed that would happen?!

And yes, my daughter got her memory book. All 18 years of her life (and two straight months of every spare moment I had up to 30 minutes before graduation) lovingly assembled and journaled with every single important event right there to have and hold.

I use a "Journey" theme, and left room for a kind of sequel/next chapter for college, marriage, parenthood and any other major life event. I even tied it to my own life's journey.

I hope, despite a late start, that my "stories" are something my descendants hold dear...at least I know the photos will be in good shape and there won't be any mold!

Tomorrow at dMarie Daily: Scrapbooking - A Life Changing Hobby, by Teresa N.