There’s a great quote by Niels Bohr that says, “An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made, in a narrow field.” If that’s true, then I just might qualify as a scrapbooking expert—because I’ve definitely made my fair share of mistakes! I thought it would be fun (and maybe even helpful) to share a few of my early scrapbook pages to show how much we can learn simply by doing—and sometimes realizing years later that we would have done things differently. Even though I still love these pages for many reasons, I’m grateful for the lessons they’ve taught me over the years, which I hope have helped me grow into a better scrapbooker today.

Traveling isn’t always easy—whether it’s due to time constraints, financial considerations, or family responsibilities, sometimes a big trip just isn’t in the cards. That’s why exploring your own hometown can be such a fun and fulfilling option.

Getting to know your local area better not only helps you feel more connected to where you live, but it also brings a fresh perspective to your everyday surroundings. I find that I feel happier about where I live when I take the time to enjoy what there is around me! Here are some of my favorite tips and ideas for how to be a great hometown tourist.

We sure do need a fun holiday right now! I’m excited to spend the day scrapping and shopping for fun supplies. I’ll admit that I almost forgot about this holiday because of everything that has been going on with my health lately. I’m still not fully recovered from my January surgery, but I’m doing much better. I’m happy to have a weekend to think about how much I love scrapbooking and sharing my memories with those I love. Scrapbooking is my favorite creative outlet and has led to so many good things in my life like this blog, my design career, and lifelong friends. I hope you will celebrate your own creativity this weekend and take some time to shop for supplies and document your memories.

I’m going to share a few of my favorite resources, tutorials, and designs to get the party started.

Goodbye, May! Can you believe it's the last day of the month already? You know what that means—it's time for my monthly roundup!

If you're new to the idea, a roundup is a fun and simple way to reflect on your month. Just jot down your favorite moments, add a few photos, and ta-da! You've created a little snapshot of your life. It’s like pressing pause and capturing all the best bits before they blur into the next month. I’ve been doing this every month, and it honestly feels like flipping through a mini time machine. It helps me remember the little things that made me smile—and I promise, once you try it, you’ll be hooked too! The more you do it, the more you’ll notice and appreciate the everyday magic.

I’ve written about this before, but there really is just one trick that has helped me improve my photography the most, and that is daily practice. I’ve noticed that the time periods in my life where my photos look the best coincides with when I was actually taking pictures each and every day.

Did you know this is my 20th (yes, TWENTY!) year of blogging? It’s hard to believe how long I’ve been part of the blog world. I know I haven’t posted as much lately while recovering from surgery, but I’ve been around for a long time—long enough to see many of the blogs I once loved disappear, though a few have truly stood the test of time. I’ve never promoted my blog much, but I’d like to change that. So you can imagine my surprise (and delight!) when I discovered my blog was listed on Feedspot’s 60 Best Scrapbooking Blogs and Websites in 2025. What a lovely honor!

Goodbye March, hello roundup! It’s the last day of the month, and you know what that means—time for my monthly roundup! If you’re wondering what a roundup is, it’s a fun way to reflect on the past month and capture the highlights. Just jot down your standout moments, add a few pics, and voilà—you’ve got a glimpse of your life frozen in time!

I've been doing this every month, and it's like a little time capsule I can look back on. Trust me, you’ll love it too! The more you do this, the more you’ll cherish those everyday moments!

As soon as the Easter candy hits the grocery store shelves, I get the urge to make this pretty pastel spring bark. There’s just something about those soft colors and sweet treats that put me in a festive mood. Remember that reindeer bark I made back in 2009? I decided to give it a springtime twist a few years ago. This version features Golden Double Stuf Oreos, vanilla chocolate bark, and pastel candy corns—all swirled into a cheerful, colorful slab of goodness. I meant to add pretzels too, but forgot—note to self: don’t rely on memory alone when you’re improvising in the kitchen! It’s even better with the salty crunch of pretzels to balance the sweetness, but it still turned out delicious. Sweet, creamy, crunchy… what’s not to love?

The last day of February is here, which means it’s the perfect time to look back on the month and all the moments—big and small—that made it memorable. One of the biggest tricks we play on ourselves is thinking we’ll remember everything. No need to write it down, right? But let’s be real…