I began my scrapbooking career just after the birth of my daughter almost 5 years ago. It was something I instantly fell in love with and have learned a great deal about myself from. I have always loved when you go to a person's house and they have memories in an album. As you look at each picture, though you may not know the people in them, you are being told a story and granted permission into a person's life. I always wanted to have that but found that there were things, momentos, that I also wanted to preserve for a lifetime. Scrapbooking was the perfect way to do that. I often refer to my scrapbooks as upgraded photo albums. They have the functionality of the albums with the added bonus of little accents, trinkets and embellishments. I initially set out to just create an album of my daughter that she could keep forever. A way of showing her things from my side and giving her a part of her history in a book. What I learned was that not only could I do this for other people as well as myself, but I was also so calm and relxed while doing it. My mind cleared out life's stress and everyday tasks and it allowed me time to sink into memories that meant the world to me. I have seen and heard so many refer to it as therapy and that is so right on. It is the best way to get back to what is important....a great way to ground yourself and remind you of what life it about. I have a love and passion for writing, photography, poetry and scrapbooking and they are all a part of who I am. I have learned what a creative person I am - something I never knew before.

Over the last few years my life was re-born and I was blessed with a fresh start on life. I was given the opportunity to have the life I wanted, to live as I wanted to live. While it scared me, I embraced it with open arms because there are so many who don't have the chance and live their lives wishing they were able to do things differently. So many don't have that door opened for them and live with a vast amount of regret. I have always been determined to not regret a single thing in my life. Good or bad, every choice I have made has shaped who I am today and had it not been for those things, I wouldn't be as knowledgable and strong as I am today. Pain isn't something you can excape from or avoid, it comes with life and I have learned to appreciate the pain. Without it, love and happiness would not be as wonderful. Scrapbooking is the best way to embrace the pain, love, happiness and growth of life.....oh, and it's also a great "me time" thing I can have all to myself LOL