Sometimes, when I’m looking at other people’s scrapbooking projects on Pinterest I think- Man! That’s a great story to tell! Their Week in the Life, December Daily- even Travelers notebooks- all seem full of such terrific content- that it kind of gets me star struck and blinded to the own stories that I have just waiting to be printed out and told.

And when I thought about it, it’s not that admiring the work of others that puts my creativity in park. It’s the comparison. I don’t think I can ever stop pinning beautiful layouts, watching process videos or taking technique classes. Even story prompts are a great tool. And I love trying out new tricks I’ve learned. But- once I start comparing the depth of my stories to another crafter- that’s my danger zone.

So- I have learned to tune out a little and turn off Pinterest when I start to scrap. Looking back and forth at a layout format or style I am hoping to emulate prevents me from using my own voice.

I have also learned that some of the best stories are the little ones. The school drop off or sideline cheers or even lunchbox packing of today will one day just be a memory. The normals of today are constantly readjusting and each season seems to bring a new normal.  I look back at a week in the life project I did about 7 years ago, and things as simple as my little guys favorite snacks, TV shows pajamas, the way the front of our house looked and even the groceries lined up on the supermarket conveyor belt- these landscapes of our life have all changed.  And the thing is, you don’t really see the change as it’s happening.  It’s slow and gradual and often times gentle- and then, you glance over your shoulder at yesterday and realize how very different life was back then.

These days, our dryer is broken.  We will have to wait a few weeks before we get a new one because it seems as if every. single. bill. has come due all at once.  And so our new normal these past few weeks has been clothes drying on racks in the tub and trips to the laundromat. The little guy loves it because the dollar store and pizza parlor are right next door- so it’s like a field trip. I’m living in a grumpy rain cloud and he’s delighting in the silver lining.  That’s a story I want to tell.  And the whole “laugh so you don’t cry and the hot mess of it all” was the inspiration for my Loads of Fun design.  

I mean really, here at the onset of Spring- there are glorious stories to be told- so why in the world would I focus on laundry of all things? Because- it’s an everyday story- and there are good memories wrapped up in the drudgery of it all. The awesome feeling of a warm pile of clothes-  the tiny socks that all too quickly grow bigger and bigger, the quiet sunny sundays spent sorting and folding- the sheer blessing of having such a mountain of clothes in the first place.  It’s all good.

Take a look at some of the layouts that have been made with the design I think you’ll agree- a good story can seriously be found anywhere 🙂