For me, scrapbooking is more an obsession than a hobby. In the past four years I have put together 20 albums, not including the ones I have made for friends and family.
My passion started when I met my husband in 1999, and most of my early books center on our travels and new life together.
Over time, as I learn more about the craft, my albums keep getting better.
One of my favorites tells the story of our honeymoon to Cape Cod and Boston. Included are the airline boarding pass, a receipt from the Sail Loft restaurant and brochures from the Freedom Trail.
Holiday and birthday memories always make the album. But so do everyday events that we might otherwise take for granted. I carry my camera wherever I go, as I never know when a photo opportunity will pop up.
When my husband shot a 78 on a golf course, I snapped a picture for posterity. I did the same on his first day back to college (he's 46). Thankfully, he never complains.
We recently took a golf trip to Jacksonville over the July Fourth weekend. On the way, we stopped in St. Augustine. We walked the cobblestone streets and took pictures of the landmark billed as Florida's oldest house.
That night, I spent four hours in the hotel room permanently preserving the memories on two pages in an album. I found that it works best to do the pages right away in order to capture the energy of the moment.
I spend anywhere from eight to 20 hours per week scrapbooking. Depending on the complexity, a two-page layout can take anywhere from one to eight hours.
Taking scrapbooking classes is one of the highlights. I usually attend two a week at the Scrapbook Shoppe in South Tampa. We learn how to make themed pages and how to incorporate different do-dads, such as wire, beads, eyelets and chalk onto the page.
The cost of saving memories can range from a few dollars per page on a simple layout to hundreds of dollars for a full album. The good news is a page that costs $5 can be as memorable as one that costs $20.
My scrapbooks serve as my diary. When my husband has a question about our past, I reach for my index card, which shows me which scrapbook covers which dates. Every golf trip, anniversary and spontaneous gift of flowers are forever marked in my heart and on a page.
I keep the books on a prominent shelf in my living room. I'm never shy about showing them off to visitors and take pleasure teaching others how to start one on their own.
A few months ago, a new friend saw my books and decided to take up the hobby, beginning with her wedding and honeymoon to Italy.
