Tons of photos.

I recently got a huge order from Shutterfly (where I get my snapshots printed). Because it had been months (five) since I’d had any photos printed I needed to re-organize my storage binders (based on the Library of Memories/Photo Freedom concept taught at Big Picture Classes).

These binders hold my printed photos by year (and further separated by season). When I want to/get to scrapbook I can pull photos out of these binders or from category drawers that hold various pictures of things that we do, people we love, places we go, etc. The idea is that after five years any photos left in a binder would be either tossed, filed into category drawers, or put in cold storage. I’m way over simplifying here and there are great classes/books about this topic (and recently a paper-clipping podcast). I really have loved using this system for the last four years, but the one thing I don’t like is the waste when I toss pictures. Now I keep the leftovers for a little scrapbook buddy who is not so picky about the pictures she works with so it’s not as much of an issue. When I was re-organizing the other thing that I was thinking about is the fact that Tuesday is only 2.5 years old. We have a lot of living with her and documenting her to go and what am I going to do with all of these photos/layouts?!?!?
Sarah and I recently had a scrapbook day (love them!) and I whipped out eight layouts. It was fun, and they were super simple. I got the stories down that I really want to remember. This blog helps a lot to remember details (and I have the date printed on the back of each photo to help me remember that). All my layouts were multi photo. I admit I love showcasing one photo and cool techniques, but I was feeling the space crunch and I wanted to use more photos.

Now there really isn’t much to this layout. It’s super simple, but it works. My car was one of the things I was thinking I wanted to remember but didn’t have a layout about it. Oh how I loved this car! Two photos didn’t make this layout (and I already had them printed) one got put into a category drawer under vehicles and the other one was tossed into a box for my glue stick happy two year old.
Think I can’t get simpler? Well this one took me all of 15 minutes.

I like remembering this crazy project because I don’t stay up until 3:45 AM to finish baby-shower gifts much any more.

Something I’ve been wanting to scrapbook for a while…

The journalling about driving through Portland on the way home from the airport and general thoughts on the city are tucked in this envelope.

I think it’s important to record big achievements and this sweater was one of mine. I debated cropping the bottom right photo, but I like seeing the little bits of my ubiquitous tote, the iron and blocking process, and the TiVo in the back. I’m sure those things will date this (in a good way).
I’ll continue with some of the (16!) layouts I’ve made this last week tomorrow, but I want to hear from you. What do you think about all the layouts you made or pictures you print. Are you worried about storing them? Are you staying mostly digital? I love the idea of Tuesday flipping through books but I am a little torn. What did your parents do? Do you wish they saved more or less? Let us know in the comments!

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23 Comments

  1. I confess I’m not really into the scrapbook thing, but it’s really fun to sit in front of an old basket filled with photos and remissness about old times… Sorry you won’t know any of these stories when you look at them but you can always imagine;)! However I love looking through your photos!

  2. I think of exactly the same thing! I started scrapping about 13 (when I was 42) years ago, when my kids were 6 and 11. I’ve never kept up perfectly but even so, we have SO.MANY.ALBUMS! What on earth are my kids going to do with them all? So in the past 4 or 5 years I’ve scaled back and am trying to do albums and layouts that have a story or special meaning. Even this way I am producing an album a year. For you young scrapbookers this could mean you’ll have 20 to 30 albums….even before grandchildren arrive. It is a difficult thing to figure out. I’m doing more digital layouts and making DVDs of the results, but even that has problems (age of DVDs, changing technology). As always, I love your layouts and the stories they tell Amber. Your little family is the most adorable, ever!

  3. I’ve been a slacker as of late, but Jake and Clara love pulling out the scrapbooks and looking through them. When they were younger, I helped, but now they just do it whenever they feel like it. I also print books from shutterfly, and those are what they take to school to share, or we give as gifts. I was doing 1-2 a year, but again, it’s been over a year since I’ve done any.
    But I guess since we’re adding to the family, I need to get into documenting mode again 😉 I should start by downloading the 3 plus months of pics saved on my camera….lol

  4. I realized after reading this post that perhaps I’m biased on saying – “print the photos, worry about storage later” because I have like NO photos of me growing up. We didn’t own a camera (film developing was too costly to my single mother who got little to no child support). I WISH I had photo books to look through. And so even if you don’t scrapbook them all (and please don’t – that’d be crazy) I think it’s important to have them printed and in a book for your family to look through.
    And…Mary, are you expecting?! I noticed your comment about adding to the family. EXCITING!!!

  5. Yep Sarah–due in January. And as of yesterday the little one will not show it’s parts. I guess I’m spoiled in that I can get an ultrasound almost any time I want, but I try not to take too much advantage 😉 We’re going to try to see again on Thursday or Friday to determine the gender…

  6. congratulations mary! how fun + exciting! 🙂 good luck later this week on the ultrasound. hopefully baby will stop being so shy 😉 what an awesome job perk!

  7. I wonder about this as well. I got into scrapbooking pretty much all of my photos, and I’m trying to be more selective now with what photos and stories I scrapbook. I’ve also been more selective in which photos I am printing as well. I’m just starting to wonder where I am going to keep all these scrapbooks!
    As for worrying what your kids will do with them, that’s only something you have to worry about if you are only scrapbooking for them, instead of scrapbooking for yourself or because you like the hobby. My mother is also a scrapbooker and has a ridiculous number of scrapbooks. She told me that someday when I have to figure out what to do with them, just pick out the pages I like and throw the rest away. She doesn’t care. 😉 She’s totally just scrapping because she really enjoys it. Why not?

  8. Karin,
    I really like your thoughts on this, they are similar to mine. I really don’t mind if the layouts get trashed down the road. Hopefully there will be some meaningful ones to Tuesday that she will want to keep. I personally love going back through them and I never see that getting old. I do have visions of some grand in home library someday to keep it all in!

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