Thursdays with Ali

Thursdays have become my new favorite day.

Thursday is the day for my online scrapbooking class, Yesterday and Today, with Ali Edwards.

It's no secret I LOVE scrapbooking. It's my passion. It's my hobby. It keeps me sane. It brings me joy. But as much as I love scrapbooking, and for as long as I've loved scrapbooking, I needed a change from scrapbooking the way I've always scrapbooked. For 18 years, I scrapbooked chronologically thinking that was the best way to tell the story of my life. In order.

But once my life changed (divorce, being single, remarried, stepmom) - chronologically didn't work anymore for me. I feel as if I have two lives - one with my children and grandchildren (who live in another state), and one with my husband and stepchildren, who live right here in my house! Legally, we're a blended family, but realistically, we seem separate. There's the separation in miles, the separation in age.

And so, I've looked for ways to blend my scrapbooking style as I'm trying to blend my family. Last year I did the Becky Higgins' Project Life (which began as Project 365). A picture a day with the journaling and/or ephemera to do along with it. Love the concept, but just taking the picture, writing about it (or writing about something totally random like I usually did), then plopping it into a photo pocket page - just didn't fulfill my need for creativity. Oh, sure I was 'caught up,' sorta. But I wasn't happy with the process...so, I continue searching.

Yesterday and Today with Ali Edwards may not actually be my new scrapbook style - I think that will be Stacy Julian's Library of Memories. But Ali Edwards is one of my favorite scrapbook artists, and has always inspired me with her heartfelt ... and very real storytelling.

So right now, when life is a little more challenging than usual - with forces from within and forces from without causing a lot of chaos...it's nice to steal away for an hour with my laptop and be inspired by Ali to reflect on all of life - the good and the bad, the yesterdays, todays, and maybe even some tomorrows... to feel the creative juices being stirred. Stories... my story, bubbling to the surface.

Thursdays are the best day of the week right now.