Crafting Tip of the Week#162- Write That Down!

Hello & Happy New Year Crafty Friends, Followers & Newcomers!

I hope your holidays were joyous.

Thanks for tuning in today.

For today's tip I wanted to share a few  ideas on how you can help jump start your memories in order to document your life stories, memorable moments & to capture the special occasions in print. 

You already probably take lots of photos but sometimes there may be so many that you can lose track of the who, what, when, where & why's.

So here are a few ways to help you keep your stories straight:

1- Keep a memory jar if you have a specific project in mind. For instance, if you know a wedding is coming up.  Start with an empty jar, a pad of paper & a pen/pencil. Decorate your jar. Label your jar with the year and the occasion & have it at the ready to add special quotes, memorabilia, pics, samples, swatches & written snip its of memories made when getting ready for the wedding. From the bridal shower, shopping for the bride's dress, daddy/daughter dance, etc... As you collect items & make the memories you can simply grab a sheet of paper inside your empty jar and jot down the date, time, place & details. Once you have the jar full and are getting ready to assemble a scrapbook mini, page or entire wedding album- you will have lots of written details to go along with your masterpiece. No more struggling to remember the 5 W's.

2- Use a recipe box with the inserts to jot down special moments, dates, funny things your kids say. You can simply assign one divider per family member. Then you can add the recipe blanks inside the box and have a pen handy in or on the box. Embellish your box & keep it handy, that's key! If you have it close by it will serve as a reminder for you to write down the memories as they are made so you don't forget the details. Isn't it all in the details?
The funny things your kids say & do, your corky mishaps, senior moments, dares, accidental mishaps that turn into fortunate situations. You want to capture it all. 

3- Use a rolodex. They come in all varieties. Make it your own & set it in a place where you will always see it and have access to it. Keep a pen handy. Use the alphabetical dividers for different purposes. You can recover them  and title them birthdays, anniversaries, one per holiday, one per family member,  everyday , etc...You can easily go to that subject matter & write down whatever memory you want to keep & document including those special little details that will coincide with a photo or just be something worth writing about.

4- Keep a journal or notebook w/ pen at the ready. In a kitchen drawer, on your desk or your bedside table. A place where if you need to quickly access it you can & write your stories.

5- Use a calendar! These are inexpensive and you can easily write in the squares. They come in a myriad of sizes so if you need a big one you can buy a big one. The desktop version is fabulous b/c of its' size but also because you have the month, day & year already available. You simply just write your special memories in the corresponding box and you will have it there to reference when you finally get around to scrapbooking those memories. I think this last one is my favorite.

The pictures are fantastic but let's face it, there are times when we can & do and probably will again forget some of the details. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have your journaling coincide with the pics? I am certain that when you, your loved ones & friends look at your scrapbooks and layouts they will appreciate the stories behind the photo and understand it so much more. It will make a complete memory of your photos. Pictures are worth a million words but sometimes you need just only a few to convey more than the photo alone can say.

Isn't it all in the details?
The funny things your kids say & do, your corky mishaps, senior moments, dares, accidental mishaps that turn into fortunate situations. You want to capture it all.


It's definitely in the details! By writing it down- your preserving those details.

Well there you have it, some clever ways to nudge your noggin.

Hope you enjoyed the post.
Have a great week!