Planning Outings around your Scrap Stash

Just after I got my first real job, I moved into my first real apartment. It was a second floor walk-up in a historic building in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston. Like most historic apartments, it was falling apart. However, it had beautiful historic details such as moldings, built-in bookcases, and a fireplace. I had access to a shared deck on the roof with a spectacular view of the Charles River. I loved living in that apartment, and I loved walking through the cobblestone streets of Beacon Hill to my home. I lived there on Beacon Hill until I got married and moved away from Boston.

Recently, Daisy D's came out with their Beacon Hill collection, a wonderful collection of papers named after streets and landmarks in my old neighborhood. As I looked through the paper collection, I thought about my old neighborhood and realized that it was time for a visit. I thought I could buy this paper and then plan a family weekend in Boston. After all, my youngest child has never seen this city that was so important to me. We could visit all my favorite places (most of which have a paper named after them) and then maybe go to a Red Sox game.

This wouldn't be the first time I planned an outing around my scrapbook stash. The first time I did this was several years ago on Mother's Day. I had just purchased a wonderful collection of beach-themed papers. My husband told me that I got to pick the outing for my day. I thought about those papers just waiting to be used and suggested that we go to the beach. Back then, we didn't go to the beach very often and not in the off-season, but we had a wonderful time visiting the aquarium, going on the rides, and playing in the sand. I also got to reminisce with my children about the special ice cream we ate during my childhood visits to Asbury Park. (The boardwalk at Asbury Park is not what is used to be, but the one we visited is quite similar and has the same ice cream.) Even though the outing was inspired by something as irrelevant as scrapbook paper, it turned out to be a wonderful outing for the entire family.

Next time you are shopping for scrapbook supplies, don't just think about the layouts; think about what you can do and where you can go. A scrapbook magazine can inspire your imagination to travel and explore as easily as a travel magazine. Just as your inspiration for scrapbooking may come from your entire world, you can let your love of scrapbooking inspire you in new ways to live your life.