Weekly Challenge #10 - Top 10 List

The idea behind this page challenge theme is to create a Top 10 List on a specific topic. Could be a list of anything, including:

• how you like to spend your down time


• favorite treats


• favorite books


• favorite songs or artists


• places you frequently shop


• things that make you smile/laugh/cry


• favorite people in your life


• restaurants or vacation spots


• things you'd like to do this year


• favorite movies or television shows

The page below is a digital backdrop (meaning, I plan to add 3-dimensional elements to it once it's been printed).

If you have any other Top 10 ideas, I'd love to hear them! To share, just add a comment to this post.

Weekly Challenge #9 - Stream of Consciousness

I paired up this belated weekly scrapbooking challenge with THIS former faithbooking lesson at the crop on Saturday. This page idea reminds me very much of Twitter. Or Facebook. The idea being to create a scrapbook page that features stream of consciousness writing/thinking.

Sooooooo, what's going on in your head? Kind of a scary thought. What's even scarier is NOT taking a moment to think about what you're thinking about. If you've never examined your self-talk, creating this scrapbooking page about it would be a wonderful exercise. (Examining my thoughts/self-talk was a life-changing experience for me AND the basis of my eating disorder treatment many years ago - that story is HERE.) You'll find a wonderful article on the topic by Les and Leslie Parrott HERE, in addition to this INCREDIBLE BOOK by Jennifer Rothschild HERE. Jennifer has also authored a bible study along the same lines (Me, Myself & Lies) which I have yet to check out.

Thinking about my thoughts is an on-going practice, a deliberate daily choice. Journaling is one of the tools I use to help me recognize faulty thinking (in addition to God's Word, which I'll share more about in a later post).

Okay, back to the scrapbooking page :) Unlike the rest in the weekly series, this page is fully digital. Not a hybrid, nor ever going to be a hybrid. I'll be back soon with Weekly Challenge #10!!!

Weekly Challenge #8 - Favorite Day of the Week

Here's the digital backdrop for this week's scrapbooking challenge:

The theme for this week's challenge is your favorite day of the week. When you journal, take time to reflect on why it's your favorite day... is there anything in particular that sets it apart from the rest of the week?

As with the other hybrid pages, I'll share the completed page in a future B&A post. (You will be able to view all of the "before" and "after" pages by click on the tab entitled "Hybrid Scrapbooking" on the left-hand side of the page.)

Weekly Challenge #7 - Love/Hate Relationship

Here's the digital backdrop for this week's scrapbooking challenge:

For those of you using the weekly challenges given in the 2011 Memory Logbook, you'll notice I branched out on my own both this week and last. My mind was on other things and I decided to take advantage of the self-inspired ideas. I'm not quite sure what I'll do for added embellishments, but that's the joy of a hybrid page... I don't have to worry about that part right now! The theme for this week's challenge is a love/hate relationship in your life. Could be a person. Could be a thing. Focus in on that relationship and journal your feelings.

As with the other hybrid pages, I'll share the completed page in a future B&A post. (You will be able to view all of the "before" and "after" pages by click on the tab entitled "Hybrid Scrapbooking" on the left-hand side of the page.)

If you have any questions, let me know!

Weekly Challenge #6 - My Dream Job

Above is the digital backdrop for Weekly Scrapbooking Challenge #6 (a two-page spread). I'll be adding three-dimensional elements to the right page and will post "before" and "after" pictures once the layout is complete. The idea behind it this theme is to create a page about your dream job... and by dream job, I mean dream. Dream BIG.

Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be. - Karen Ravn

Weekly Challenge #5 - Fairy Tale

While the journaling for this challenge is central to the page, I wanted to keep the heart of my story private... thus the faded appearance. This was a difficult concept, journaling in the form of a fairy tale but one that suited the story behind these images. It begins with, "Once upon a time..." and predictably ends with, "and they lived happily ever after." You could use this concept to share the story of how you and your spouse met, becoming a mother for the first time, or you could do what I did and focus on an object or two. I'm getting a little behind on my B&A posts but hope to have some fresh material for you soon! (For those of you just stopping by, this is only the start of a digital hybrid page. I'll post the completed page once the three-dimensional elements have been added.)

Weekly Challenge #4 - Projects

I just have to say, I am SO TOTALLY STOKED about this page... specifically the image of our house. The point of the challenge was to create a list of "things" (i.e. projects) I want taken care of in and around our home this year. After coming off of last week's challenge which already featured an image of our home, I wasn't quite sure what to do for this one.

Then it hit me.

I photographed our blueprints. Waaaaaay brightened it up. Then used my Storybook Creator software (Creative Memories) to create a rubber stamp of the image.

LOVE IT.

As in my previous weekly challenge posts, this is a partially completed hybrid page. Once completed, I'll post the "before" and "after" shots of the page. Hope you're finding some inspiration along the way as well :)

Weekly Challenge #3 - Dream

Another partially completed hybrid page (I'll continue to share the before and after pages as I have HERE and HERE).

The idea behind this page is to capture a dream you have on paper. If the process seems a little daunting, click HERE and HERE for a bit of inspiration. You'll also find a great assortment of related quotes HERE.

Weekly Challenge #2 - One Little Word

Okay, another partially completed hybrid page (I hope to share the completed pages later this week). I'll be adding my images and word of the year on top of the grid paper - in addition to a few other fun elements :)

Ali Edwards is the gal who started it all; the idea... choose a single word as your focal point for the year. Click HERE and HERE for additional information and inspiration.

How about you? What is your word for 2011?

Weekly Challenge #1 - Get Focused

My goal this week is to put together a focus list of sorts for 2011. A list of goals that are important to me (many, I struggled with for most of 2010), things I'd really like to accomplish - or at the minimum, make a real effort at moving in that direction. Here's what I've come up with so far:

1. Learn to speak Spanish. There are all sorts of reasons for this.

2. Resolve my love/hate issues with the kitchen. I love good food and am inspired by not only eating but taking pictures of it as well. I'd really like to make regular CREATIVE yet simple meals for my family, without an abundance of leftovers (my family HATES leftovers). In an attempt to inspire myself in the kitchen, I picked up this set of dishes for a steal at Pier One this week.

To coordinate with what I already have (replacing broken and chipped pieces). Here's the current pattern:

We picked up a handful of small flower plates in all sorts of colors to pull the look together:

At worst, it will make whatever I serve at least look good.

3. I really, really, REALLY need to get my 10-year old's room put together. Paint, furniture, stuff on the walls - pretty much everything.

4. Resolve my love/hate issues with scrapbooking. I'm going to start by getting organized. If you haven't had a chance yet, be sure to check out the new sketch site launched today. Just click on the button below (or on the right side of the screen).

5. I really want to get back to carving out special time with my boys - little escapes here and there, reading books together, and special activities. It's been far too long.

6. I really want to get back to carving out special time with my husband. It's been a crazy holiday season and I am so looking forward to life getting back to normal.

7. Allow time and freedom for creativity. Journaling, snapping pictures for fun (not work), and working on handmade projects.

8. Declutter.

9. Reduce my CM inventory by having a giant sale.

10. More bonfires this summer.

It's just a start but helpful nonetheless. Sorta like my scrapbook page:

This will be a starting point for my hybrid page. I'll be tearing my handwritten list out of a notebook and adding it to the center of the page (along with a few other three-dimensional elements).

How about you? What are some of your goals for the coming months? What kinds of things do you want to do this year? Carve a little time out for yourself this week and create your own focus list for 2011.