Book of Me: Challenge Layout #1

Over at my favorite message board home ~ AMR ~ we are just starting a Book of Me challenge. It will be going on in the coming months, with periodic layout challenges by ABBY aka ScrapbookFrenzy.

The first challenge was “Stuff That Brings Me Joy.” Here was a sample layout Abby provided to give us some inspiration:

LAYOUT BY REVLIE

Here is Abby’s submission for the first layout. She liked the above layout so much, she chose to scraplift it. I love her take on it. It’s going to be so fun to learn more about my online friends through these Book of Me layouts, like this:

LAYOUT BY ABBY

Edited to add a layout by AMR girlie LISA aka LBOregon….

LAYOUT BY LISA

… and layout by AMR friend ANGIE aka mommiextwo

Here is my take on the first BOM challenge:

LAYOUT BY ME {ERIKA}

The base is Bazzill cardstock (is there any other kind?), and everything else is from the PINK PAISLEE GRAB BOX I just got. I think I’m going to try and do most of my BOM layouts with the PP stuff, so I will actually use it and not hoard it like I usually would cuz it’s SO cool. What could be more special to use it on than a book about moi, LOL!

So, “Stuff That Brings Me Joy” is AMR friends, summer rain, lazy Sundays, hugs & kisses, Bible study with my girlfriends, down time with a good book, vanilla lattes, good wine made by friends, and scrap mags. Wouldn’t this be a fun layout for YOU to do? {Hint, hint}. What stuff brings YOU joy? Don’t you think your family and friends would like to know? I had so much fun doing this layout that I went on to create another layout about my job. {The journaling is not done or I would post it}. The BOM challenge at AMR is very easy going; you can do the challenges presented, skip the ones you don’t like, add ones from other sources, whatever you want to do, in whatever way, size, or style you’d like. I love that, because this is a very personal book so I’m glad I can make it the way I want to and not feel pressured to work on it when I get busy and don’t have time.

I posted my layout at AMR asking for some CC (constructive criticism), asking if I should maybe replace the photos with black and white or sepia versions, because I almost feel like all the color looks too busy. But the consensus SO FAR seems to be that it’s fine the way it is. I love those girls over there….they are so encouraging and made me feel a lot better about it. {Can you tell I lack scrap confidence?}. I can scrap shop like nobody’s business, but when it comes to putting my layouts “out there,” I feel so inferior and talentless after seeing all the beautiful work ~ all the artistry ~ that is out there.

But I decided to take the plunge because I feel like doing a Book of Me is SUCH an important thing to do. For all the scrapping you have done, for all the birthday party and travel and Christmas layouts you’ve completed, what do your scrapbooks say about YOU? How many photos of YOU are in them? If you were to die tomorrow, how much of YOU would be left behind for your family?

When I think about this subject, ALEIDA FRANKLIN always comes to mind. Please think about doing a Book of Me for your family. There is a ton of inspiration online for doing one, and we would love to have you join us at the All Moments Remembered message board. It’s quick/easy to become a member and it’s just one big bunch of friendly and helpful ladies over there.

Have you or will you do a Book of Me scrapbook? If you have linkees, I’d love to see them :)