Hi lovelies... today I want to share a little bit about the most meaningful scrapbook I've ever made. In the last few months I've been working on my xoxo mini album and it's finally done. As I skim through the pages of this mini album, as I look at the photos of the people I so dearly love, and as I read the journaling I am struck by the overwhelming feeling that THIS is the most meaningful scrapbook I've ever made.
Seriously! I honestly believe this is the most meaningful scrapbook and this is the most meaningful journaling I have ever done. This album started with an idea - make a scrapbook all about the people you love and write them a letter telling them why you love them - and then it turned into something more than I expected.
I made a list of the people in my life I really love and care about - my family, best friends, my puppy, my grandparents. I searched high and low and printed off my favourite pictures of them. To be honest this was so much fun... I printed off photos that reminded me of some of my favourite memories, photos that reminded me of their personality, photos that spoke a thousand words of love.
Then I started crafting and creating pages full of love for each of these people. I included my favourite photos and wrote each person a letter - dear....xoxo Tori style. I poured out words of love, affection, and admiration on the page.
And somewhere along the line, I realized this was life changing scrapbooking for me. I know that sounds crazy but I stand back in awe.
- I realized I had NEVER scrapbooked about my best friend - seriously how did I miss that.
- I realized I had NEVER written down all the things I loved about my dad.
- I realized I my grandma who has Alzheimers would never write the words I penned and it broke my heart because I don't think I had ever told her how much I loved her and why.
- I realized I had NEVER written a love letter to these precious, incredible people who I care so deeply for.
That is life changing! It changes my perspective on scrapbooking and changes my perspective on journaling and sharing my projects. It changes the way I scrapbook and want to scrapbook in the future. It changes the way I communicate with my loved ones too - because it reminds me to share my heart with them.
But the most important lesson came when I worked on the last page of the album - my grandpa's letter. When I started this album I printed off photos, of all the people I wanted to document and write letters to... 3 weeks later my grandpa passed away.
When I wrote his letter it brought tears to my eyes - he would never read these words, he would never see this page and I would never have the opportunity to tell him I loved him one more time. My grandpa was healthy and active - he passed away suddenly. I never had the opportunity to say goodbye, I never had the opportunity to tell him I loved him one more time. And my grandpa has made one of the biggest impacts on my life and faith and I never told him, I never thanked him, I never documented it. I wish so desperately that I could go back and tell him, hug him and just say the words I love you - one more time. I wish I could, but I can't.
THIS is why this album is the most meaningful scrapbook I've ever made. My grandpa's letter, which he will never read and which I can't share with him, reminds me to ...
- document the people I love and not just events;
- write love letters the people I care about more often;
- tell the people I love that I love them as often as I can;
- tell the people who have impacted my life that they have made a difference in my life;
- share my pages and letters and love with the people I care about; and
- write good journaling - not just generic details but GOOD journaling full of heart, love and the emotions.
I am so glad I did this mini book and I know this is the kind of mini album/scrapbooking I want to do more of.
I hope you'll consider making your own xoxo mini album to document the people you love. I hope you'll tell the people you love how much you care about them and I desperately hope it changes the way you scrapbook too.
xoxo,
Tori.
P.S. If you want to check out the album walk through, you can find that here: