Just heard that Aiden has gone to bed three nights in a row with no fights, no complaints and no movie. He went to bed wide awake, said good night to his mom and stayed in bed. Yay for Mandy!! I carpooled into work with the other Mandy in my life. (it's so confusing to have two Mandys)  A perfect way to start and end the day by laughing with each other (or at each other) and makes the drive go a lot quicker.  I entered a contest today. Check out the old picture that was part of my dad's collection taken during WWII, then vote. http://promoshq.wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/187360/voteable_entries/43037867 

Five Keys to Building the Perfect Layout

Five Keys to Building the Perfect Layout

1.  Identify the subject matter of your page. What story do you want to tell? A layout can be playful, serious, humorous or touching.

2. Choose one or more strong photographs. What photos will best convey your story? What emotions will they evoke?

3.  Journaling is an exercise in history – you are the author of your life’s story for future generations. Ask yourself, “In 100 years, will by family know what this page was about?” Personally, I feel that the most important part of a scrapbook page is the story.  Although words and photos can imply the same thing, the effect they produce can be quite different. Yes, images provoke emotions, but the journaling becomes synonymous with the photos and further tells the story. In other words, with solid journaling, your photos have no choice but to tag along.

4.  Choose your papers and embellishments. Do they communicate the mood of your photos and story?

5.  Create.

Bad news...my sinus infection is back and I want to tear my head right off my shoulders. Good news...I got to talk to my upline consultant tonight for a long, long time. We haven't been able to connect for quite a while. Shari is such an upbeat, positive person, she always makes me feel better about myself and life in general. Thank you Shari. Learned some new tricks for my blog and I'm going to try them out. Click here to view all the artwork that Heritage Maker's offers in their template gallery. Do you see all the artwork? If the answer is yes...I did it correctly. Yay for me!

Still Time to Order Valentines

It's not too late to order those valentines for you child's class and the ones you love. Check out all the different templates in the Heritage Maker's template gallery. I made this deck of cards for my grandson in a matter of minutes with a template. I just had to drag his picture in place and add his name. This sample was made with a deck of 54 playing cards so there are enough valentines for the entire class and teacher. http://www.memoriesin.com/

I am a follower of a Facebook website - Oshkosh: A Remembrance of Both Past and Present http://www.facebook.com/groups/164593700289205/.On this website I came across articles and pictures of the southside of Oshkosh, especially what they called the hi-holder district, which is where my father, grandparents and great-grandparents lived. Most of these pictures were from the early 1900s. I found facts about Schroeder family members and spent the day researching my heritage with these new leads. I love reading about things that were going on in the city during that time and I try to imagine what life must have been like for my ancestors.

Advice for Beginning and Seasoned Scrapbookers

Advice for the beginner and seasoned scrapbooker

1. Be patient with yourself.  Give yourself time to find your style. Don't compare to the magazine.
2. Don't put pressure on yourself. We all start in the same place...with paper and photos. It's about preserving memories, not winning a layout contest.
3. You don't have to use all pictures, just a small handful. Find a photo to use as a prompt for telling your story. Maybe start with a small album.
4. Don't scrapbook chronologically.  Instead, start with a favorite picture and write about it. Just have fun and share your life.

How to Save Time, Take better Pictures and Shop Wisely

Save Time:

• Don't mat every picture
• Designate a time to scrap
• Buy coordinating paper and embellishments
• Organize First

Photography:

• Get closer – when you think you're close enough...step forward one more step

Shopping:

• When shopping have in mind what you want to do – buy supplies for exactly what you're working on
• Invest in tools that will go the distance for you.  Things you use many ways.

I love Saturdays. Slept in late. Got to take my time eating breakfast. Talked to my sisters in Wisconsin. Worked on Heritage Maker projects (can't say what they are because they will be gifts). Just spent the entire day getting things done that needed to be done. Time to relax and watch the Edward Sissorhands movie. Haven't watched that in years and any night watching Johnny Depp before I fall asleep is a good night.

What Memories in Bits and Pieces Can Do For You

A small sample of what Memories in Bits and Pieces LLC is all about.To view copy and paste this link: http://www.heritagemakers.com/projectBrowserStandAlone.cfm?projectID=1701261&productId=62&sponsorID=430581

On my way to work this morning I was listening to the Arizona NPR station and heard a couple talking about the book they wrote after their son's death. I know this sounds depressing but the final message was very positive.The book is Life After the Death of My Son: What I'm Learning by Dennis L. Apple. They were very honest about their feelings and how they are dealing with it. I think their interview meant so much to me because yesterday was the 4 year anniversary of my mother's death. I know losing a child isn't the same as losing a parent but no matter who the loved one is that you lose, people still go through many levels of depression, anger, hurt and loneliness. Miss you mom.
I've been on a Nutrisystem meal plan all week and tonight I had my first meal that I didn't like.I have been pleasantly surprised (until tonight) on how good the food has been.
Had a quiet day at work. Spent some time designing a new flier for my summer online scrapbooking classes at Northland Pioneer College. I'm changing the way I teach the classes this summer but I can't tell you about it yet.....stay tuned for more information.

Take my Scrapbookers Quiz

Some scrapbookers love white space, others can’t leave a page until every space is filled.  Where do you fall in this spectrum?

1. Others would describe my pages as:
1. too bare, but hey, less is more
2. just right
3. way overdone, but that’s how I like it

2. I usually:
1. mat my photos and add a few words
2. mat my photos, journal and add two types of embellishments but never more than three
3. mat my photos, journal, add embellishments and then add more and more until all empty space is filled.

3. After I finish a page, I usually think:
1. it’s sparse, I like a clean look
2. it’s jut right nothing too distracting
3. I will probably add one more thing I don’t like negative space

4. I consider my scrap booking style to be:
1. clean and simple with lots of negative space
2. well-rounded, everything has a purpose
3. very busy and cluttered, I love lots of color and pattern

5. In a typical scrapbook layout of mine, you might find:
1. solid colors with a lot of white
2. a few well-mixed patterns and solid colors
3. multiple patterns, lots of colors and a variety of shapes

6. When I look at my pages, my eye:
1. sees a lot of white space
2. flows through a good balance of details
3. jumps around, there is so much to look at

7. When I work on my scrapbook my work space is usually:
1. clean and neat, I can’t work in clutter
2. well-organized, I do keep some inspirational items around me
3. a lively collage of tools, ideas supplies and photos

What a great day today. Carpooled into work with two of my friends. Celebrated a co-worker's birthday. Was treated to lunch at Licanos Mexican Restaurant in Show Low, Arizona. And now spending time on the new website Pinterest. I love my life!

Do you have loads of photos?

·          Heritage Makers is an on-line storybook and scrap page publishing company. It is so fun and easy. With this fun company and their HM club plan you can do so many fun things that will be a lasting heritage for your family.

First, do you have lots of photos hanging around in boxes or stored on your computer just sitting there where your family can’t see and enjoy them? I offer a high resolution scanning service to change your hard copy photographs into digital photos. And I can show you a fun way to get them into storybooks and other projects where your family and future generations can look at and enjoy them.

With Heritage Makers you can make cards for any occasion, storybooks, beautiful canvases, fun playing cards with kids games on them, invitations, calendars and even lots of business supplies.

Is your time and money valuable to you? I can help you save money with Club HM. It’s so much fun doing things for your family that your time is well spent when you create something of lasting value for them with Heritage Makers.

Please take a look at my website, send me an email or call:

www.memoriesin.com
info@memoriesin.com

928-240-0432

Welcome to my blog

Hello Everyone,
Welcome to my Memories in Bits and Pieces blog. I thought I'd start this year out right and create a new scrapbooking blog for you to enjoy. Whether you like to scrapbook in the traditional way or digitally I will be here regularly with new ideas and maybe review some old ideas for you to try out. Coming soon I will be making some demonstration videos for you.
Since my family is a big part of my life, I will be sharing some stories and pictures of my family both present and past. You will hear how I remember growing up in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. You will hear about my German, Irish and Scottish heritage as told to me by my parents, aunts and uncles. There will be loads of pictures of my only grandchild...Aiden. I will talk about old and new family traditions in my life.And much, much more.