Ginger Bunnies
So, I've got this new blog and I've been spending some time reviewing and archiving old blog posts that are sitting on the old BPC server (my blog lived there as well.) As I do this, I'm thinking a lot about the kind of content I want to either bring back or repurpose in some way. When I get caught up thinking like this, I often feel sort of paralyzed and I just hover, which is basically what I've been doing for the last month! But (I think) I'm ready to begin this process of reloading and refreshing this new stacyjulian.com. One thing I know for sure is that I'm excited to focus more on the family history side of my passion for storytelling. I don't think I'll ever stop scrapbooking, but I definitely want to focus even more on creating pages and projects and posts that illustrate and preserve family connections across generations. The Easter tradition that I'm sharing today is a great example of the kind of stories I'm after.
I'm certain that I have blogged about ginger bunnies before (I have yet to unearth a previous post) but I want to revisit this story, publish my fist-ever scrapbook page about these cookies, link to a recent post I contributed to familysearch.org and then share some more recent photos, along with additional ideas for preserving and sharing this kind of holiday tradition over time.
Easter 1998. Two little boys and one (much younger) mommy excited about carrying on a tradition started by my mother. You can read all about it here. When my friend Wendy asked if I could write about an Easter tradition that has spanned generations I thought, why yes, I can!
My parents drove over from Seattle last weekend to see my son, Trey in our high school musical and while Grandma was here—and since I had just written my story and culled through years of Easter photos—AND realized that I didn't have a single photo of my mom with a bunny cookie, I decided to do a little photo shoot with her and Miss Addie.
And you know what? I was reminded that it's all about interaction. Involve the people you love in meaningful activity and then step back with your camera and shoot. I am mostly a spontaneous everyday picture-taker, but in order to get more of these kinds of images, I need to do some deliberate scheduling and preparation. I hope that I will do this more often!
When I have years of similar photos (like annual and holiday traditions) I love to create simple photo collages that pair time-lapsed pictures. I save these images in my photo library and then share them in a photo stream that is easily viewed on our family iPad.
This is my first multi-page story that I have created with the Project Life App. I hope that once I get it printed, it will work (or be viewed) the way I envision it.
I'm planning on using a variety of page protectors (sizes) such that the narrow page will sit atop the next larger page and so that both will precede the full 12x12 page. I'm thinking I will select some pattern paper to cut and insert behind these pages in the protectors (not sure yet) and I perhaps I will add some additional journaling.
The cool thing about scrapbooking today is that there are so many ways to tell your photo stories. I'm super grateful for that, even as all the options sometimes overwhelm me.
Mostly I'm grateful for a mom who when I was a little girl, turned necessity into invention and planted the seed of a very fun tradition that is now observed on behalf of grandchildren in three different states.
It's these holiday and other family connections that I dearly cherish.
Happy Easter Everyone!
