It's also the sort of thing you could do while watching TV, or while visiting with friends, or something.

Do you have a time in your day when you sit down for a little bit? Could you keep the project near there, so you could do a page or two while you're sitting?

One nice thing about modern scrapbooks, w/ their removable pages, is that you can reorder them later. So you wouldn't need to plan THAT far ahead--just make a page of similar things, and then group them later.

(this would not work for me--I do not sit down, generally, and if I do, the cat gets pretty insistent)

or on a long car trip, if you are normally not the driver? or even on a series of short-ish car trips?

I wrote the 70 thank-you notes for baby gifts on the 20-minute subway ride (I got on at a stop that nearly always meant I had a seat), over the course of several days. I couldn't have done a scrapbook project there, but I could in the front seat of the car, perhaps.

My cat eats paper! Everything of value on paper must be protected. So, this precludes leaving things out on a table in the basement. Sneaky cat knows just what you DON'T want her to eat.
I did buy the kind of book with moveable pages. You're right maybe I don't have to wait to get everything together. With the removeable adhesive I can also rearrange.
Going downstairs to get my school/art work and get started!

Scrapbooking Tip: Don't redo it. Just do it and get it done. If you start redoing, you may may find yourself in the middle of another unfinished project. The important thing is to have it all together in one place where you can can enjoy it and protect it.

Oh Adellabedaella, I am laughing. Yesterday I started slapping things on pages in some reasonable order. No borders or blurbs ( my mom had labelled everything. Thanks MOM), just get the pages done. My mantra was "Better done than perfect". But, thinking about rearranging things this a.m. in a more pleasing (and complicated) manner. I'll take your advice and just keep going. Proudly, I believe I am into my highschool/ college years. Not many things to attach to pages. It should go very quickly. I also found a small shoe box with several things I can add to my book. Another box gone!!!!

tre, that's great you've found a way to organize your mementos. You have me thinking about a few hanging files I have with stuff like that. I'll have to weed through them first. I'll add mememtos to the master list as a culling topic.

I don't know if you have photographs you've accumulated, but the method you're using for your scrapbook project is similar to how I did almost all my old family photos. I got the albums with acid-free paper and clear pocket sleeves and used the clear stick-down corners to attach the photos, but my goal was to just get them down in a somewhat orderly and pleasing manner without taking a whole lot of time. I had four different family subsets that I separated the photos into before I started and they each got their own album. I still have a little bit left to go, but not much. My husband did his family photos, too. Keeping the process simple made it easier to stay motivated, and it wasn't as hard to put down and pick up.

Tina

Tina funny you should mention family photos. This has been on my mind for many months and probably lurking in a nagging way for years. Of course this is one of the reasons it is on the "FORBIDDEN, don't ask me to do that" list over in the other post on culling! Still I've been glancing at the two large boxes of photos in my sewing room. I've also collected shoe boxes for the initial sorting. I may even have come up with categories or time frames to use for the sorting. Still....
First the scrapbook and yes, look at those hanging files. It reminds me to check mine too! Perhaps after the success of the basement, the scrapbook and the garage I'll have the courage to tackle photos!

Oops! Forgot that was a taboo topic! Just put that suggestion in Circular File 13.

Tina

DONE! Yes, that is DONE, complete, finished, DONE!!!!!
Doing the happy dance because not only did I get rid of two boxes of stuff lurking in two different places, I finished a project and I have a beautiful linen covered book full of mementos important to me. Yes, once again, DONE!!!!!

That's fantastic!

Thanks Tina! I appreciate everyone's encouragement. It seems like such a small thing but on this sometimes seeemingly relentless journey to gaining order and control, its one more thing to cross off the list.

Remember how you were telling us how easy and relaxing entertaining was? My bonus was that I was able to make a special note containing a copy of an old family picture and send it off. Something I'd always wanted and felt I should do. Now with supplies thinned down and less on my mental list, I had the time and energy to get it done.

Rain schedule for this a.m. I'll be back in the sewing room tackling mounds of napkins, etc that need pressing. Too exciting but at least another pile gone!

isn't it amazing how fast it went? *I* am amazed, even if you aren't.

i'm content w/ my mementoes in a file drawer for now (and some in a box somewhere).

But maybe one day I'll tackle them.

i bet photos could go at as fast a pace--it would take me more time just bcs there are more photos.

with...less on my mental list, I had the time and energy

Ooh, ooh, did everybody see that? What an encouraging thing to read!

congrats, tre3!

(In my day job, I am an editor. I don't actually write anything, and don't create anything. I just try hard to make everybody ELSE's creations, and great ideas, look good. Sometimes I think that's what I do here--see all the great ideas people have, and point them out so other people can benefit)

Well Talley Sue, you must be an amazing editior during the day! Your comments and clarifications are universally well regarded and even treasured on this forum.

Yes, I was amazed at how quickly it went. One of the keys was to stop second guessing myself or attempting to make it the best scrapbook ever!

I think you are right about photos. Photos seem to be a "winter" activity-when you are forced to be inside. What I had forgotten about summer is that there are many rain, stormy days and many days that are so hot and muggy. Perhaps photos are something that can be a "summer" activity.

Before I open that Pandora's Box, I need to work on getting other things done that can support my immersion in photos. Still working on sewing room. The ironing pile is getting smaller. One less thing cluttering up the room!