Why do we scrapbook?  Why should we scrapbook? 

There are many reasons to scrapbook, but I would think that the most important reason would be to preserve those once in a lifetime memories, such as children growing up, trips, activities, and weddings to name a few.  It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and that may be true to certain extent.  Sometimes though, pictures alone are not enough.  They need help to express themselves, and scrapbooking comes in very handy.  

Anyone who scrapbooks, does it in their own way and in their own time and focuses on different occasions.  I personally enjoy scrapbooking my vacations.  My downfall is that I have to create them as soon as I get home from the trip, because I'm a great procrastinator and I will tend to forget details.  If I put it off till tomorrow, that will turn  into a week, which in turn becomes a month and before I know it a year has passed right on by.  I cherish the memories, but have lost interest in putting them down on paper to share with friends and family.

When did the scrapbooking bug bite me?  Well...it all started after our dream vacation to   Alaska.  I am almost embarrassed to say that I took a lot of pictures.  Thirty-six rolls to be exact.  (This was before I decided to invest in a digital camera.)  Anyways, the reason for my copious amount of filmage was due to my philosophy (which is and always will be), I don't want to miss anything.  There's nothing worse than getting home and looking through your pictures and realizing that you didn't capture that "perfect shot".  Anyhow, you might be thinking to yourself, if she took that many pictures, how in the world did she decide which ones to use in the scrapbook?  Good question.  The answer is I didn't use any of them.  Seeing as to how this was my very first scrapbook attempt, I thought that I would be smart and use paraphernalia from the trip instead.  You know, like airplane tickets, receipts to those special restaurants, maps and postcards.  As I said, it was my first one.  So, what did I do with all those pictures?  They wound up going in a picture album with little short comments written out to the side.  It wasn't anything fancy or special.  A while after the trip I pulled the scrapbook out to look through it so I could reminisce all those wonderful times we had.  What a big disappointment. It did absolutely nothing for me.  It was to say the least boring, drab, dull, dreary etc, etc, etc...You get the picture.  Now those of you who are veteran scrapbookers are probably thinking, "Duh!"

That is when I realized just how important it is to insert my personal items and creativity into making a scrapbook exciting and unique.  I promised myself that my next scrapbook was going to be different, and it was.  I made it personal, funny, entertaining, filled it with pictures, personal items and quotes.  The scrapbook was able to speak for itself.  I didn't have to lean over anyone's shoulder and provide a page-by-page narration.  I gained the most satisfaction out of watching the expressions on people's faces as they turned the pages, and hearing their laughter, as they were able to briefly enjoy and experience glimpses of my trips.