It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us… (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities, 1859)
You might relate a bit more to Dickens’ opening lines today than on most warm spring days. We are living through a time of worsts and bests, light and darkness, and despair and hope. I find myself swinging back and forth on a pendulum…some days cherishing my family being at home all day and getting to have lunch with my husband each day (something we have never done during the work week in 35+ years of marriage)! But part of me wants everyone to get out so I can clean my house and clean out my basement. And, yes, go out to eat…the cover photo was our last “night out” before social distancing kicked in…Chinese food and a Duck Donut! I really miss vacation, too! Cancelling our much-needed fall vacation to SC and trip to IN to visit relatives was so painful, but NOTHING compared to what so many families are dealing with in terms of finance and health. We pray every day for those who are sick but also those who take care of them, AND we pray for all who are keeping the wheels turning in our world to create and deliver food and other essentials. So every day, I’m counting my blessings: We are safe, healthy, well-fed (TOO well-fed), and financially OK. My husband and I can both do our work from home. I pray that the same is true for all of you!
Making Lemons…
…into lemon meringue pie! I don’t like lemonade much, so I’ll make my lemons into a lovely pie! Have you used this unexpected window of time to take at least ONE step forward in preserving your memories? That could be sorting pictures, labeling groups of pictures with dates and locations, printing pictures, or even starting that album you keep meaning to get done. You don’t have to do it all at once, but even a bit of sorting can get you started. I start by sorting pictures into YEARS. If you have digital pictures, did you know that you can find out the date they were TAKEN (not the date you pulled them off your camera or phone and saved them. If you are using Windows, right click on a picture icon in your file folder, then click on the “Details” tag at the top of the menu box (see below). You will see a “date taken” date. For most pictures, that will be the date you took the picture. For older pics that have been duplicated several times, this may not be valid, but it really helps when you can’t remember if that was the 2017 or 2018 snowstorm picture!
How to get started? I have several blog posts below that can help…scroll down and see the titles. If you have specific questions, post a comment or ask on my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/MarshaScrap/). Also, check out the Creative Memories Everyday Photo Décor Kit below…you can take a single photo and make a beautiful display, complete with wooden stand, in 5 minutes!
What is new from Creative Memories?
I’m struggling to get info out on new products and resources these days…posting on Facebook AND creating email letters AND writing blog posts AND planning for virtual events is more than my schedule allows right now. So, I thought I’d share new product info as part of my blog to reach the most people without asking non-Facebookers to join Facebook! Full disclosure: I am a Creative Memories Advisor and, should you place an order through my page (listed below), I earn a percentage of the sale. However, I only recommend the products that I think are really wonderful and would and do use myself.
A Great Deal…Even without Steve Martin and John Candy!
Have you seen the new Planes, Trains, and Automobiles papers and embellishments? They are PERFECT for travel pictures (see slide show below)! And, for the next few days, you can order them as a bundle and get a FREE cover ($35+ value)! Click Planes, Trains and Automobiles collection for more details. Note…the cover will be included in the bundle as long as they have them…it is NOT a separate item. But, if you want this, do it SOON…these will not last long.
Mothers Day Specials!
CM rarely puts things on “sale” but for Mother’s Day, they put together some GREAT materials collections and then DISCOUNTED them! Check them out at https://www.creativememories.com/mothers-day-specials.html.
Here are some details:
- Blend and Bloom bundle with beautiful spring colors – PAPER PACK, STICKERS, FLOWER EMBELLISHMENTS, FOAM SQUARES AND NEW DOT PEN. All for $30
- Remember Rainbow Rush…those amazing colors? This bundle has Rainbow Rush Bold Paper Pack and Layered Title Embellishments, plus a coordinating 8×8 Jade Album Cover and 8×8 White Refill Pages…all for $46.
- Flourish bundle with COVER, FAST TO FAB PAGES, STICKERS, MAT PACK AND the Global Glow Recipe Template, clips and pen included! All for $69! ($86.50 value).
- As noted above, the Everyday Photo Décor Kit includes all you need to create three photo décor cards, including pre-cut and pre-packaged die cut photo frames, additional decorative pieces and stickers, three double-sided 8×6 card bases and three wooden stands for displaying your finished masterpieces. You can either follow the super-easy instructions or mix and match the pieces to make your own. You’ll love this kit for sending photo greeting cards, giving as gifts or decorating your home or office with special photos – just create your photo card and slide it into the wooden base to display! Great gift for kids, moms, grandmothers, anyone! All for $7.50 (original $20!).
Have I used these materials…yes! Blend and Bloom, Rainbow Rush and Flourish papers and stickers are all in my albums…but I just ordered all of these except the Rainbow Rush bundle (I still have some RR materials!). And I ordered the full pack of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. I am SET for vacay layouts!
And what does MY lemon pie look like?
I finished one album, did a partial power layout for another and have completed a number of pages for it. Not as much as I would like and certainly not as much fun working alone, but here are some samples!
As always, if you are interested in materials, tools, or supplies from Creative Memories, feel free to contact me with questions and/or place an order through my page.
Marsha's Scrappin' Circle 