In May we pay tribute to memory making and memory preserving ALL OVER THE WORLD. I missed publishing this on May 5th, National Scrapbook Day, but scrapbooking is too big and too important to relegate to one day anyway, so WHY NOT keep the party going?! A few weeks ago, in this post I explained the origins of the very first product I'm creating in partnership with Close To My Heart, and TODAY I'm showing you STORY STARTER !! 

The little video is a peek into my Story Starter album that I created for my son, Taft. I have ALWAYS loved little or what I call snack-sized mini album projects because they are non-intimidating and EASY to finish. Finishing for me is kind of a big deal, so I'm a fan of finish-able things. But more important than it's size or the ease in which you can create this project is the PROCESS that I teach which invites you to access the kinds of detailed memories that make stories truly personal, interesting and (more) meaningful. I want to walk you through this process. 

Let's say I have a friend that I absolutely adore that I want to create a Story Starter book for ... oh wait, I do have such a friend and she is featured in the hero shot above ...

This is Kerry. When I moved to Spokane back in 2000 and went to church on the first Sunday, I met her. I assumed she had lived here for awhile, which is exactly what she assumed about me. But after a few minutes of chatting, we learned that we were both experiencing our first Sunday in a new place. We had both just moved to town and we lived within (easy) walking distance of each other. I was instantly drawn to this beautiful, light-filled woman and as they say, the rest is history—a history that I now want to unpack and document.  

The first thing we tend to do is go to our pictures. I did that. I located a handful of Kerry pics on my computer and printed them. Then I opened the Story Starter workbook and used the process outlined to help me generate ALL kinds of detailed memories that I had forgotten—or more accurately lost sight of—as they have been packed away for a very long time. As these details surfaced, I re-looked at my photos and decided how I would use them in my little book. I also realized that I would need some additional photos to illustrate my 18 years of friendship with Kerry. 

As you click on the above image and flip through the pages of this Story Starter, you'll see how I've used the pictures I selected initially, but LOOK for the pictures that I've added. Because this is where it gets really good!

When we start with pictures (which we generally do) we tend to automatically note or journal the details captured in the photo. As scrapbookers, that is our modus operandi and it works, BUT there is more. When we document the who, what, when, and where of a picture, we're generally only scratching the surface of past experiences, so there is MORE to tell, MORE to explore and MORE to celebrate—especially when we're honoring the people, places and things we cherish the most. Over time, as memories grow and connections are created, we gather and catalog all kinds of sensory memories. IF we learn how to START WITH THE STORY, ie, go to our amazing brains and ask a few key questions, we can invite those very unique details to the surface and we'll then remember with clarity specific relational bits and pieces that enrich our ability to document personal stories. Once we have the story details we can use our photos to illustrate them. In other words, Story Starter helps you start a unique personal story, by starting with the story thats already inside of YOU. 

I'm so excited for you to get your hands on a Story Starter kit, which you can do by clicking HERE or by contacting your Close To My Heart consultant.