*wish*

Just one more page from J's 5th birthday.I love this picture of him. That smile is priceless!

I was reading Ali Edwards' blog this morning...she is one of the most inspiring people I "know". She really has a way with words. She said something that really got me thinking. She said to take a look at your work, scrapbook layouts or whatever it is that you create, and see whats missing. Not the little material things on any given page, but as a whole what is missing. For me it's definitely the words. I tell myself that the layout doesn't need them or I finish and there just isn't enough room. I'm pretty sure it's just an excuse. I have never felt like I'm particularly good with words. And when I get right down to it I don't really have that much to say. You're thinking "yea right". It's not just with my layouts that I feel I have nothing to say, it's with people too. I'm always the one listening. Not that that is a bad thing but I want to have more to say to contribute to a conversation or to a layout. I'll have to work on that. Maybe I'll figure out where to put the journaling first on my pages before I even place the pictures. Maybe I'll go through my pictures and tell the story before I even get to scrapping them..maybe then it will be easier to get those words on paper. I' think I'll start looking for quotes that inspire me. I guess it doesn't always have to be my words as long as it conveys my feelings on the layout. Ya know I've been searching for my "One Little Word" for this year, nothing has really jumped out at me and I wasn't going to force the issue. It seems that it may have just hit me over the head! My word for this year will be words. I'm going to find more words, use more words, choose my words wisely ...get my words down on paper so that my children grow up they will know what made me tick, how I felt about them in particular and my take on our lives. That is why I'm doing this after all. I mean in the short run I just really love scrapbooking but in the long run the words are what really matters.

have a great evening! and check back tomorrow for the EIS challenge. Tomorrow it will be a sketch challenge, but check back every week because we will be mixing it up over there with the challenges.

julie