Journal.

I was given this book by my husband's aunt a while ago. I love that it is old and worn, and you can tell by the pages and the way in which the photos were arranged, someone took great care in putting this together.Older family members have told me about my husband's grandfather and his love for photography. They were even kind enough to give me an old camera of his, and I cherish it. You can see from the photos in the book, his favorite subject was his wife.
Notice anything missing? I did immediately.

There isn't a single word or date anywhere.

I get a lot of feedback from people at classes and crops, and through email. Many people have expressed that journaling is the one thing that trips them up during their process--especially those who scrapbook events. This concept is foreign to me--and I'll get to that in a minute.

I want you to take a look at your own scrapbooks and look through them. If a stranger read your books, would they know who made the pages? Would they know the subject of your layout? And is the date noted? Someday, hopefully a long time from now, someone will appreciate your efforts in doing so.

If this concept is completely overwhelming to you, I'd highly recommend Stacy Julian's Library of Memories workshop. It will change the way you scrapbook, and make you evaluate your process. It did that for me years ago. For me, I have learned that it is about the story--what I want to say--and the photos supplement that for me. That is my process. If I have a great photo or photos to compliment that story, all the better. It isn't holidays and birthday parties alone. It really is about the everyday.

I know for many of you, I'm preaching to the choir. But if this helps one person dig out their old photos and ask questions, or if it helps you to think about your approach to scrapping your next layout differently, that is cool too.

The service for my husband's grandma was this morning. It was a wonderful tribute to her colorful life, and she will truly be missed. Some wise soul once said that every time an older person dies, it is equivilent to a library burning. I am thankful that there are older relatives to call upon for assistance, and hopefully I will be able to have them help me through the stories in this book. I feel like it is such a treasure, and yet without the words, something is just lost...

Thanks for indulging me. I'll climb off that soapbox now.

I'll also be back a little later with the winner of the give away. I extended the deadline for those who access the blog while they're at work--:).

Have a great afternoon!