Rules (or lack thereof) of Social Engagement

I’ve had something on my mind. Social media and expectations, as well as social media and judgement. You know why I signed up for Facebook back in… 2009 (I think)? My friend Jennafer said I should. That was it. LOL No expectations. No demands. Same for Instagram, though two years later. A friend signed me up as we stood in line, waiting to order some of Nashville’s best BBQ. (Thanks, April!)

Today, both games have changed, haven’t they? It’s almost like there are unspoken rules of engagement. For starters, I’m told you should be brief. We all know I suck at this one. This post actually started life as a FB post, but I realized it was a little out of control, and moved it here. Shall we continue?

The funny thing about rules of engagement is people seem to be of two very different mindsets. Where do I sit? Honestly? I didn’t know.

This question has rattled around in my head a bunch lately, mostly due to a few recent interactions. One came in the form of private FB message from a college friend. It was a nice note, wishing me a happy birthday that concluded with this: “I just wanted to say that your posts are really refreshing, I always like folks that feel like they can be an open book […]. The good, the bad, and the frustrating. Always be real!”

Just before receiving this note, another expressed concern over my ability to continue working in this industry I do if I continue to share as I have. This was not meant to be harsh. More as advice from another who works in the same industry and wants me to succeed.

These aren’t isolated incidents. I’ve received unsolicited feedback like this many times over the years. Sometimes saying it’s best to say less. Other times, thanking me for saying as much as I do. No wonder I find myself a bit confused.

Then there’s the fake vs. real in what we portray. This one applies more to Instagram. Some say it’s best to be real. Others are all about going to great lengths to stage the image they’re presenting. I like to think I’m somewhere in the middle on this one, sharing looks at my home life with family and friends, as well as staged shots of the creative work I do. Yes, it is a hobby. A hobby I love. But it’s also how I bring home the bacon bits.

A while back, a friend was saddened when someone posted about how we shouldn’t use photo filters. It really left her feeling unsure. Shamed, even. I see both sides of the coin. Filters are just another layer between reality and what we portray as reality. They’re artificial, in a way. On the other hand, isn’t that the point? If I can add a little Valencia to make my tired mama eyes look a little less tired, is there anything wrong with doing so? If it gives me a slight boost of confidence in a world where my confidence is slipping at a rapid pace, isn’t that a good thing?

No filter. Chin chub. Sleeping bags beneath the eyes. Oh, did I say this already? No filter!

Filtered, both to soften the rough and also to support the story I was telling with this particular image. A funny tale about a night gone VERY wrong that I shared on FB.

What about the photos that I really deck out? You know, like some of my outdoor shots where I’ve enhanced the blue of the sky to appear almost turquoise and added a sun flair or light burst to, ahem, lighten the mood? Is that a no-no or is it art?

I love the creative expression photography offers, but I also understand how when I look back on that trip to the water tower years from now, the sky as it truly was will be a forgotten memory. Is that bad? Does it somehow cheapen my experience and my capture of it?

Last night, as I was reading Essentials: Essays by The Minimalists (I know, I know—obsess much?—but they are SO good), I came to this, which really resonated with me.

“It’s a matter of congruency. For the longest time, I lead two separate lives. Corporate me was prim and proper—extensively flawless. Then there was creative me. Flawed and beautiful. Beautiful because of the flaws, perhaps. I kept the two separated. Over time, this took its toll. Living two separate lives was exhausting. Even disingenuous. Instead of hiding one half from the other, I decided to change my activity to align both halves… Your online persona should be a mirror of you and nothing to be ashamed of. For me, there isn’t an online self and a real life self, just my self. Whether I speak to a crowd of people, write something online, or have a private conversation with a friend, my life is congruent.”

Joshua Fields Millburn continued. I was messing with the iPad at the time, so I jotted the notes down for this part. Hope you can read my chicken scratch.

In the chance you can’t read that last bit, it’s worth restating:

“Deciding what’s private and what’s public is a personal matter. Share whatever you like. Just don’t be ashamed of who you are. Shame is ugly and you’re FAR TOO BEAUTIFUL FOR THAT!”

Isn’t that it, right there?

We ARE far too beautiful to feel shame over items shared. Post a pic of your messy house? Good for you! Post a pic of the one small corner of your home that ISN’T messy? I’m right there with ya! Write on FB about your crummy day? I hope you find some comfort in the replies. Write a FB post about your awesome day? Excellent! Enjoy celebrating with others!

As far as I’m concerned, rules shouldn’t apply as long as the messages and images abide by basic rules of public decency. It is a public space, after all. No shoes? No shirt? No service! Okay, okay, shoeless may enter. As much as I dislike feet (especially my own), I’m not about to block another for their cute pedi pic. And I’m not going to hit the “report” button at the first site of a topless Dean Cain. But it is a public domain, and I shouldn’t have to fear my daughter seeing bare bosoms if she happens to enter with me. And no perpetuating hate or hurt. Period. That business gets blocked and breaks my “rules” quickly.

Of course, saying all of this, I can still think of a post or two I regret. One in particular. It was about Cory's choice to work over the holidays. That's his story, his decision, and his to share or not. Hurt, I made it my own and said more than I should have. I guess it's all about finding a comfortable balance, which is something I still work at.

Why? Is that what you’re asking at this point? Why this post? I don’t know. I guess because these thoughts have been rolling round ’n’ round in my head for weeks, and I wanted to put a stop to the spin cycle. Thanks for visiting this here washateria (Mom's way of saying "laundromat.") No shaming. Just enjoy your beautiful self doing your beautiful thang!

Cheers!

As Seen on TV: Bullet Journaling + My New Planner Class!

If you love creative planners -- day planners with a scrapbooking twist -- you may already be aware of bullet journals. It's time to take a shot. Get it? Bullet... shot. Yeah, weak. Let's move on! ;)

Bullet journals are basically list-oriented journals that you can use to capture any details of your life that appeal to you. It can be more task driven or more favorites focused. Or, as with many journals (including mine), a combination of both!

Bullet Journal Supplies

First, let's talk supplies. Doesn't get much easier than this, friends. A journal, a pen, a pencil, a solid eraser, and a ruler. If you want to add some color to the mix, colored pencils are an easy option.

I highly recommend a fine-tipped pen, like the Micron .01. I also use the Micron Brush Tip and the Micron Color Tips. I don't work for Micron or anything. This is just a great pen and worth checking out!

My journal is the new (and awesome!!!) travel journal from Freckled Fawn (the white with the hearts)! Heidi Swapp has also just launched a planner specifically with bullet journaling in mind (the black one) that is pretty fab! The travel journal is actually the heart cover, and the inserts snap in with the attached band. The kraft booklet below is the insert for the journal. I like this one because the paper is thicker and I could dress it up without much bleed-through.

If you want to step your supplies up a little, you can introduce washi tape, stickers, clips, and other decorative extras. Totally your call! Clips are great for hold the journal pages open, both for photo-taking and working in your journal. These AWESOME jumbo paperclips are part of my planner class kit for March. Yay! (More on that below.)

Once you have your supplies, it's a matter of deciding on a preferred purpose for your journal. For me, this meant searching bullet journals on Instagram (#bulletjournal) and Instagram, screenshotting the images that made me happy, and then going back over those images to help identify my style preferences. I quickly realized I was into capturing details creatively using doodles. But first, a key...

Key

If you're going to use your journal to track tasks, a key is useful. Again, decide on a system that works for you. For me, it was as simple as this:

KEY COMPONENTS
open box = task
box with diagonal line = task in progress
box filled in with diagonal lines = task complete
box with line across middle = task cancelled
box with arrow in it = task migrated (moved or changed)
exclamation point next to a box = task priority
circle = event
clock = appointment
heart = special

Now, time to get creative with some doodled list making. Fun!

Home Goals List

I have so many things I want to do around my home. The list grows with each passing year. Until now, that list has all been in my head for the most part. Now it has a place to live and feel organized. LOVE! I simply doodled a house, including boxes for each of the spaces in our home. From there, I listed goals for each space, using my to-do coding seen in my Key.

Gratitude List

When I'm looking for a little sunshine on those cloudy days (and the sunny ones, actually), I like to think of things I'm grateful for. This gives me a space to capture those happy thoughts. I drew a circle in the center of the page, which I colored using colored pencils. The sun rays are made from various strips of gold washi tape. Skinny tape works well, leaving you more room to write.

Habit Tracker + Spending

Not as fun, but still important. Many use bullet journals in this way nearly exclusively. It's a great way to track days, weeks, months, habits, spending, goals, etc.

This one took a bit more work to sketch out, but some journals come with lines and boxes that would make it easier. I drew mine. Not perfect, but that's okay. It doesn't have to be. If you find yourself without a ruler at 3:00 AM, washi tape works in a pinch. ;)

My journal grows by the day. It's SO MUCH FUN! I'll be sure to bring it to my next planner class so you can have a closer look, take pics, ask questions, etc. Speaking of the class...

Forget the hammer, it's PLANNER time! (Upcoming planner class in Lehi, Utah!)

I can't begin to describe how wonderful it was to teach at Paper Crush this month. Those who attended the class came strangers and left friends. Many asked if we could do it again. Twist my arm. ;) Of course!

A Date to Create Planner Class
Where: Paper Crush in Lehi, Utah
Date: Friday, March 24
Time: 7-9 PM
Sign Up: Visit the Paper Crush website to sign up.
Open to all, whether you took the first class or not. I'll make sure everyone is up to speed and ready to play. :) Space is limited.

I sure hope you can join us. A good time will be had by all. I know that's a bold prediction, but it's hard to not have fun when visiting one of Utah's cutest stores (seriously!), enjoying discounted shopping, playing with paper, meeting new friends, and devouring tasty snacks.

DIY Planner/Journal Inserts Made with We R Memory Keepers Tools

One technique we'll cover in class is how to make your own planner and journal inserts using an awesome tool by We R Memory Keepers--the Tab Punch Board. In the meantime, here's a sneak peek of a brand new We R product, The Planner Punch, which is out in May.

It punches holes to fit MANY different planner types and sizes. So great! The We R Memory Keepers Tab Punch Board will be used in class so you can get a better feel for customizing options. It's a great way to put patterned paper to use and make your planners and journals more unique to you.

I cut the page below from watercolor paper, punched it with both punches, and added watercolor paint to create a bullet journal Create List. I'll bring paint to my planner class so you can play, too. Or not. Totally your call on how you choose to customize! The idea with a Create List is to put projects to make on it. I'll fill in each of my painted bubbles with my many crafting goals. If seeing the 'after' interests you, keep an eye on my Instagram. I'll share it there soon.

Finally, if you're interested in seeing all of this in action, you can check out my Studio 5 segment today at 11. It's like a happy Show & Tell of bullet journaling. I hope it leaves you feeling inspired!

Cheers!

 

Scrapbooking a Full Month on a Single Layout (as seen in SCT magazine)

Hi there! If you’re here from the Winter 2016 issue of Scrapbook & Cards Today, welcome! If not, this technique comes from that issue. It’s all about phone-booking. Not the Yellow Pages variety. The make-a-scrapbook-on-your-phone variety! I created a great portion of this layout using apps on my phone.

The apps I used were:
Project Life
Collect App

The idea of this layout is simple—capture a full month on a single scrapbook page. It’s an awesome solution for a busy person. And, really, who isn’t busy?

But I couldn’t let me paper passion go, so I also added in some paper pieces from the absolutely divine Snow & Cocoa collection from Crate Paper. This kind of digital-meets-paper project is known as hybrid.

Here’s how to do it to it:

Step 1: Create a Calendar

At each month’s end, I create a calendar highlight reel of my month using the Collect App. To my knowledge, this app is still only on Apple. If anyone knows for sure or knows of an Android calendar app that’s comparable, please let me know.

 

Step 2: Create a Photo Collage

I used the Project Life app to create this collage.

I also created a second collage for the left side of my two-page spread. I used the same Project Life page spread and just dropped in extra photos in the slots I wasn't going to use on this layout. Photos I knew I could use to scrapbook elsewhere.

This is how the pages looked when the excess was removed and what was left was put together.

I used the following Project Life kits to create this page: Dreamy Edition, Hello December, and ABC Themed Cards (White and Gray). There are so many kits to choose from. Coming up with combos is half the fun! Or you can stick with a single theme/kit.

Once I had these components together, It was simply a matter of printing. I printed smaller than 12x12 (added a white border to size it down). I did this so I had some wiggle room to dress it up with traditional paper products.

This hybrid approach is one I take often when scrapbooking. The on-the-phone portion allows me to quickly capture details as life is happening. And the tactile potion feeds my paper addiction and allows me to have fun being creative with my supplies. It's a nice balance for a busy mama.

I had so much fun writing this article. To see how others captured their month at a glance, I invite you to check out our Winter 2016 issue of Scrapbook & Cards Today magazine, available now. There are some super cute ideas waiting for you. :)

No matter how you document it, I hope your month is a glorious one. Cheers!