Coming Back to Scrapbooking (And Doing It Differently This Time)

For years, I told myself I'd get back to scrapbooking, when I had time.

Time, it turns out, was never the real issue.

Like many people, I scrapbooked when my kids were little--when photos were printed, memories felt urgent, and the story was unfolding in real time. Albums were created by hand with great care, every inch thoughtfully embellished with stickers, handwritten notes, and the quiet satisfaction of something finished.

And then life moved on.

Photos went digital. Memorabilia piled up. The tools changed. The expectations changed. And somewhere along the way, scrapbooking became one more thing I felt I was behind on instead of something I enjoyed doing. So I stopped. Not intentionally. Just slowly.

What I didn't stop doing though was saving things--photos in way too many places (in boxes, on hard drives and so many different places online, in the cloud and on my devices), ticket stubs in drawers, every piece of art my kids created, maps, cards, wristbands and more. I kept the memories. I just stopped telling the story. Now, I'm starting again--but differently.

This time, I'm not trying to recreate the scrapbooking I used to do. I'm way past catching up. What I'm interested in is modernizing it--blending the tangible pieces that matter with the digital tools that actually fit how we live now. And being able to finally toss what no longer needs keeping.

That means:

• Learning new apps and workflows

• Letting go of the idea that everything needs a page or spread

• Scanning, printing, and curating instead of hoarding

• Making albums that feel meaningful--not performative (I used to teach classes on it)

It also means being honest about where I'm starting; surrounded by years of photos and memorabilia, unsure of the "right" system, and choosing progress over perfection.

This blog is my way of documenting that process.

Not as an expert.

Not as a how-to authority.

But as someone returning to something she once loved--with better tools, clearer values, and a lot more life experience.

If you're someone in a similar place--curious, overwhelmed, nostalgic, or simply ready to do something with the memories you've been carrying--I hope you'll follow along.

We'll figure this out together.

In my next post, I'll share what I'm keeping, what I'm letting go of, and the first tools I'm testing to bridge the old and the new.