Guest Post | Make Everyday A Scrapbooking Adventure | Shimelle Laine
I’m going to start this entire post with a bit of a risky statement: I love grammar. It’s a risk for two reasons. First, you may have just written off the rest of this entire post because it’s going to be roughly as exciting as a junior high English lesson. And second, if I make a single grammar mistake in this post, I’m going to look like a total idiot. But I’m going to go with it anyway: I love grammar.
I love grammar because something really small can make a big difference. Like how including or excluding a space between two words can totally change their meanings. For example, everyday means ordinary, commonplace and nothing special. Add that space and every day means the days themselves, like each and every day. So the big question: do we let every day be everyday?
Ali’s Week in the Life project is all about finding something far more exciting than everyday in every day of your week. I love this project and have documented a week each year since 2006. It makes you look at each day that week in detail and long after that particular week, you may find you want to include more of your day to day life in your scrapbooks. But, you know, without it feeling ordinary, commonplace or everyday at all.
There are so many ways you can make every day much more than everyday, but all I can really focus on is the scrapbooking aspect. I don’t just love grammar. I also love scrapbooking, and specifically how it can give back to your life. I love how scrapbooking can make every day a bit of an adventure. Not the type of adventure that requires sunscreen and bug spray and rock-climbing equipment, but the kind that puts a little something exciting in each and every day. So I turned on the camera at the table where I scrapbook and tried to put that into words and concrete ideas to share with you.
And I probably made some grammatical errors along the way.
Whether you’re scrapbooking your day to day life specifically for Week in the Life or for more general pages in your albums, I hope the scrapbooking adventure is something that’s still alive for you. There are plenty more ways to keep the fun in this hobby and I’d love for you to share your favourites. But more than anything, I’d love for each of us to remember that this hobby that we enjoy also gives a lot back to us, to our families and our friends. I’d love for us to be proud to say we are scrapbookers.
Even though spellcheck doesn’t want to accept scrapbookers as grammatically correct.
Shimelle Laine was the first instructor to bring online classes to the scrapbooking community, and teaches a variety of classes throughout the year at her website, shimelle.com. She is a Garden Girl at Two Peas in a Bucket, designs for Jenni Bowlin Studio and served as an editor for the UK’s Scrapbook Inspirations books and magazines. You can read more of her work on her blog, Pretty Paper. True Stories.
Shimelle’s latest class, Explore, focuses on making every day a scrapbooking adventure. It starts Monday the 18th of July, but you can join at any time, and it’s designed so you can use it right alongside Week in the Life, should you wish. Sign up here.
This was incredible. The video was spot on and a great rallying cry. Thank you!
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I like this philosopher side of you. Yes, we must be more reflexive about our everyday experiences and enjoy them and scrapbooking is a way to do this. Thank you, Ali!
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Simply wonderful.
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Awesomesauce!
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lovely video. just what the creative soul needed to hear. thank you.
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Wow - what an inspirational post. Thanks, Shimelle ... and Ali!
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Loving your new class Shimelle your passion and talent for scrapbooking is truly inspirational!!!!
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thank you, shimelle and ali!
great post, amazing video - love it!
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I always enjoy Shimelle's creative approach to scrapbooking and this video came at the right time for me. We are moving from one area of the world to another and my space will be much smaller but no less valuable to me. Thank you Ali and Shimelle for always encouraging us to use what we have and what speaks to us to tell the stories of our hearts.
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Yay, I am a grammar nut too, so I particularly like your use of the colon in your first paragraph ... spaces, punctuation: they can all add so much meaning and drama to our expression.
Thanks always for your great ideas and your dedication Ali.
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This was a thoroughly inspiring post. Thank you so much, Shimelle.
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[...] Edwards has this guest post up on her blog, written by Shimelle Laine, a noted professional scrapbooker. I LOVE her take on [...]
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I so loved this. Thank you, Shimelle, for sharing your thoughts and encouragement. And thank you, Ali, for providing the avenue.
I'm feeling so inspired and cannot wait to start A Week in the Life!
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Finally got a chance to watch that! Thank you Shimelle!
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I puffy heart Shimelle! Great video :)
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I loved this video.
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very inspiring video by Shimelle!
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Hi, that was a real boost to see this morning. Shimelle is so right in what she says. I have a lovely husband and a mad cat but there is so much more to scrapbook and journal about than that.
I find people fascinating and love chatting to strangers or helping them out when I can. Everyone has a fascinating story to tell and so many people never listen to those that much older than them. Standing in a long queue: chat to the people next to you. You won't regret it and you may find you have an interesting link, such as you were both born in the same area.
All the electronic equipment we use is just changing so fast that I can sit at my current computer and not only think about the previous ones I used but also see them around me... Just thinking about the first printer I had, a daisy-wheel if anyone can remember those, and the far quieter desk-jet printer I use now would make interesting reading. Such a pity I never took a photograph of that ginormous monstrosity!!!
Quite frankly I spend so much time journalling and taking photographs that I never get around to scrapbooking them. I will be adding these photographs to my journals though and so making a hybrid of art journalling/scrapbooking. Plus with all my writing I can make 'proper' scrapbook pages when I get the time.
Thanks for the inspiration Shimelle. Better be off now to have some fun playing with 'Explore' - the online class I am doing with Shimelle. Her classes rock!
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Wow! Loved the video!
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I am trying ot leave a comment for the word of live 2011. Love you video and something about me is I LOVE to scrapbook.
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I loved this week! What an inspiration and I am getting more excited for week in the life! Thank you!
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I loved this week! What an inspiration! Thank you
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Loved this week! What an inspiration! Thank you
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Thanks for sharing Shimelle.
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[...] watching Shimelle’s video in this guest post, I was inspired to think outside the box. I have met people who have scrapbooked their entire [...]
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