On My Desk

Love

On my desk right now is this little minibook.


It's one of those projects-in-progress. It's actually been sitting on my table for at least a month and has already lived a variety of lives. When I first started it I thought it would be a minibook about siblings.
It's current incarnation is as a minibook celebrating "love" in general, and more specifically a bit about the love I'm feeling for my family right now.


The pattern papers are adhered. All but one of the photos have been placed. The accent word-art tags have been printed and adhered. A few other embellishments are in place.


What's missing are the words.


More and more these days I don't want to make something unless I feel like it's meaningful. We each have our own definition of what's meaningful in our scrapbooks and paper crafting projects. I want the words I add to be of substance, to say something beyond "I love you." I'm finding myself waiting for the "right" words rather than just getting some simple words of love written down and adhered. 


The less I scrapbook, the more I feel this way. 


I think for this book I am going to write sentences for each person that begin with the phrase "I love you today because..." I want to capture the current things I love about each one of them: the quirks, the silly phrases, the inside jokes, the way they are approaching challenges, the foods they can't get enough of, their most immediate joys.


I want to say "I love you" in a more specific way; in a way that captures a bit of what I am loving about them right now.


I love having a path forward. Back to work.


Dottedline

The album I'm using for this project is a Pink Paislee 4x8 Natural Artisan Canvas Album and is available at both Two Peas and
Scrapbook.com.
Butterfly rub on is from Jenni Bowlin. Word art designed by me can be purchased through Designer Digitals.

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47 thoughts

  1. Jennifer Henson says…
    07/13/2010

    I like the way you scrapbook or tell stories with a purpose/direction instead of just taking photos to take them or making a book without the story in mind. You remind me to think about my purpose with my scrapbooks. Thank you. Also-love the yellows! :)

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  2. Leanne says…
    07/13/2010

    Oh, Ali, what a lovely lovely book. The whole idea of "I love you today because . . . " warms my heart, it's something I might have to do.
    I have been feeling the need to only do meaningful projects this year - and while it's what motivates me, it also leaves me a bit overwhelmed at the list of "to-scrapbook" items I have hanging over me. Ah, well...thanks for the inspiration you continue to provide!

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  3. dawn says…
    07/13/2010

    This idea is wonderful and thoughtful. I love how you wait to do a project and think it thru so it's just right for what your feeling. I love this idea and it would make your kids and family feel so special after reading it. Thank you again for your inspirations. Mini albums are a favorite of mine.

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  4. susan says…
    07/13/2010

    I love this idea! I too feel the need to make my journaling meaningful and sometimes I struggle with just the right words!

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  5. TatumW says…
    07/13/2010

    I so hear you...I have just been sitting at my desk pondering a similar thing about the whole pushing paper part being pointless without adding the meaningful stories behind it...thankyou so much for sharing your perspectve and meaning with us always! Tatum xx

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  6. Elizabeth Carls says…
    07/13/2010

    I really love the idea of mini books for capturing our stories, they're so tangible and easily shared.

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  7. Teresa says…
    07/13/2010

    So cute! Love the simplicity as always!

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  8. Allyson Meyer says…
    07/13/2010

    This is so beautiful! I can't wait to see the inside! :) What a great concept - I love this.

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  9. Katie Pegher says…
    07/13/2010

    Ali - I LOVE the look of this!! Can't wait to see the inside as well... How about that adorable button on top... Who makes that?

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  10. Molly Irwin says…
    07/13/2010

    pretty!
    I feel that way too. I thought it had to do with my age. I sense the importance of passing time more now than ever.

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  11. ale says…
    07/13/2010

    ali, reading your blog (and being your student at "yesterday & today") is making me see scrapbooking in a different way. i was always worried about not having the perfect embellishments to make my scrapbooks. but not anymore. thank you soooo much!!!
    =^ . ^=

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  12. Sarah says…
    07/13/2010

    That sounds lovely. One of these days... I hope to make a meaningful scrapbook like that, too.

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  13. Susan Bowers says…
    07/13/2010

    ohh lovely, I can't wait to see it. my own stories of summer album is coming along...keeping it up dated on my blog. thanks for sharing all that you do.

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  14. tara pakosta says…
    07/13/2010

    Ali, I seem to be having that same thought lately. I have barely scrapbooked anything in the past 9 months! In fact, I haven't even printed ONE SINGLE photo from 2010, and usually I have printed at least 1,000 or more by now! I find I just don't want to scrapbook anything unless it's telling a story or saying something, rather than what I used to do , which was make a pretty page.I think I have definately switched to making Life Journals rather than big pages too....but I will see where it goes once all my big pages are organized into albums, which could take years!
    thanks for inspiring! tara

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  15. TracyBzz says…
    07/13/2010

    Ali ~ I love each thing you do more than the last. I am right there with you on the journaling. I have gotten into 'story' mode more and more instead of 'caption' mode.

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  16. Karen G says…
    07/13/2010

    I can always tell which pages I journaled with intent and which ones I journaled to get done. And of course, my heart resides in the ones with intent. I like your idea of havnig a jumping off point for each page, particularly in a mini book.
    My own scrapping is changing and I'm just not sure where I'm going with it. So, in terms of docummenting my family & our journey, I suppose I am still looking for that path to move forward on. I can handle life's deviations, twists & turns, but its nice to have ground to place a foot on to start down the road with.

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  17. Debbie N says…
    07/13/2010

    You are becoming a writer more than a scrapbooker...I like the term Life Journals that Tara used.
    I think a lot of us are moving to writers who embellish the story with pictures and pretty things...and it is so much more rewarding than cranking out a 2 page spread with a title and bunch of cute meaningless pictures.
    I have noticed that I am moving to quality over quantity...and that is a good thing.

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  18. Danielle says…
    07/13/2010

    Beautiful! I love the "I love you today because..." what a beautiful sentiment

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  19. dawn says…
    07/13/2010

    I forgot to ask earlier Ali, how many pictures did you take on vacation? I'm thinking it was a lot because of the beautiful places you saw. Thanks

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  20. Ali Edwards says…
    07/13/2010

    Over a thousand :).

    Reply 0 Replies
  21. keri says…
    07/13/2010

    this is such a great project. and one i can hopefully do for myself. right now, we're going through a challenging time with my son. just the usual definance, testing his limits, seeing how much he can get away with, but day after day, week after week it's been getting very tiring and our patience is starting to wear thin. this project would be great to help me keep things in perspective. thank you for such a wonderful idea.

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  22. LisaZ says…
    07/13/2010

    Adorable mini-book! I'll have to put that one on my wish list!
    Thanks, Ali!!
    ~pino

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  23. Michele H. says…
    07/13/2010

    Beautiful cover! I can't wait to see the rest.
    I've been feeling this way too. I'm finding that i'm loving my photos more and more on their own with a few accents that compliment them.

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  24. Dori says…
    07/13/2010

    My 9-year-old granddaughter stayed with us for a week last month (between the end of the school year and the start of her summer camp) and I have a ton of photos that I want to turn into a special gift album for her mom. I've been really stumped about how to describe each photo to let her mom know just how precious our time together was - until I read your post today. All of the photos are sorted by date and I will begin each sentence with "I love you today because". How perfect for my album! Ali, it's times like these I feel like I should be sending you a tuition check, ha! Thank you so much for always providing the loving inspiration I need. And welcome home!

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  25. Lisa says…
    07/13/2010

    I couldn't agree more, Ali. Time is so precious. The more I appreciate this, the more selective I have become in choosing what to document, which stories to tell, and which projects to undertake. Thanks for sharing!

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