SYW163 – Course Corrections to Find Ease

Jennifer Wilson 0:01

I wanted to do something different because I've really been kind of felt disconnected a little bit. I'm like, I just need to make something and I need to do it in a way that is a following along somebody else telling me what to do type of thing, so that I can feel kind of creative and productive. Knowing and honoring that my brain power really is being attached to something else right now.

Jennifer Wilson 0:25

Welcome to Scrapbook Your Way, the show that explores the breadth of ways to be a Memory Keeper today. I'm your host, Jennifer Wilson, owner of Simple Scrapper and author of The New Rules of Scrapbooking. This is episode 163. In this episode, I'm joined by Kim Edsen to reflect on the past month and explore what's new for April. This is our monthly peek behind the scenes at Simple Scrapper.

Jennifer Wilson 0:52

Hey, Kim, how are you?

Kim Edsen 0:54

I am doing well. We're, in my neck of the woods, heading into spring. I mean, we had snow this morning. But there's light at the end of the tunnel here. So should be good.

Jennifer Wilson 1:05

Yeah, I'm starting to get a little bit of that like spring fever, like ooh, the birds are chirping, the flowers are popping. Maybe we'll go outside again someday.

Kim Edsen 1:14

Speaking of birds, we got two new baby chickens. So we are expanding our flock. So for those of you that don't, have not followed my chicken journey with rapt attention. So in June of 2020, we became first time chicken keepers and got three hens, and they have done very well. And so we're just you know, they're actually like, surprisingly fun. They're like silly little things. They have like the funnest, little most fun little personality. So we added two new chickens to our flock. So basically, they're in a brooder, kind of like the chicken nursery, until they get big enough and have feathers, they can go outside and be with the adult hens, but we got a Golden Laced Wyandottes who is like a Wisconsin breed. So it should be hardy for my area here in Iowa. And then a Prairie Bluebell Egger, which will lay blue eggs, which my daughter and I are very excited about.

Jennifer Wilson 2:12

Ooh, that's so fun.

Kim Edsen 2:13

Yeah, they're doing well. So I mean, this is only our second time ever, like dealing with the baby chicks. And so actually, I feel like it's so far, so good.

Jennifer Wilson 2:22

So what kind of like daily care do baby chicks require.

Kim Edsen 2:27

So basically just food and water. And then we monitor them for, so they have a heat lamp. So each week as they get bigger and growing more feathers, you're supposed to drop the heat level by about five degrees. So you start at about 95 degrees and work your way down to about 70 is kind of what's recommended. And we're not very scientific with that we have this light, from varying like clips. And so we can just like clip it up. So it's kind of you go and observe and see like, okay, are they all huddled to the corners? Because it's super hot. And they're trying to get cooled, or are they cold. And so they're like, directly under the heat lamp. And so usually, I'm sure that they're kind of throughout the whole area. And they're, you know, eating and drinking. We do try to like pick them up regularly. So they get used to being handled, because, you know, in the future, they get out or whatever, and I need to be able to pick them up. And that just makes it a little more docile. I think so. Yeah, basically, it's just food and water. And then every so often I there's like wood chips, in their brooder is like kind of the bedding. So I'll scoop that out and put in fresh and pretty easy.

Jennifer Wilson 3:35

Very fun.

Kim Edsen 3:36

Yeah, they're good times.

Jennifer Wilson 3:38

So my update is not nearly as outdoorsy. I got a new phone. And this is like this is a bigger development because I switched back to iPhone after having two Android phones. So I'm, I'm so in love mode and I'm so happy with my decision.

Kim Edsen 4:04

Well good.

Jennifer Wilson 4:05

Yeah, like I don't like I just felt I just kind of multiple reasons. I felt a little bit, a little bit of FOMO like I was missing out on certain things. Just because I do feel like many, I know there's a lot of listeners out there that have Android phones, but I feel like many more have iPhones. And I wanted to have, I wanted to have portrait mode, which Android kind of has but it kind of stinks, it's not very good. And I just I wanted to have a more seamless experience because I did also recently switch back from PC to an Apple computer. So I'm just kind of all Apple again and it feels like a coming home type of experience. So...

Kim Edsen 4:55

Well that's good. When you had an iPhone for a long time prior. How do you feel, so you talked about portrait mode. Because I know that was one thing when you switched back in the day like, your priority was kind of looking for the best camera. So have you been happy with the new iPhone camera?

Jennifer Wilson 5:10

It's amazing. And yeah, I don't really, my phone is basically a pocket camera like I've, that's, that's the reviews I read. Yes, I like briefly look at other features, but really I care about, how am I going to use this camera? And is it going to meet my needs? And the Thursday3 photo that I'm going to post today I'm just like, wow, this is just a phone photo it like I mean, it looks as good as my DSLR. So I'm I'm just so happy with the quality and the way technology has improved on these phones. So and my, my previous camera on the Samsung Note 9 that I have it was really good as well. But I'm Yeah, I'm just so happy. Like texting is easier. There was always an issue with like, my, the spacebar on the Android keyboard was way too small. And I like it wouldn't, I couldn't add spaces. And so I just love how everything within the Apple ecosystem is just, it just works. And I Yeah, I'm just so happy about it.

Kim Edsen 6:17

What cameras do, or cameras, phones, do you, you're like husband, or does Emily have a phone? So that was kind of our thing. We do have iPhones. Because back in the day, my husband had a work phone and he had an iPhone and then it just seemed more seamless. Well back in the day, you could only like FaceTime with another Apple product. And so they've taken away some of that but dies like Steve have an Android or is he iPhone? Or how does that work?

Jennifer Wilson 6:48

He is devout Android. He did not get a new phone yet. Our previous phones are the same age and he, I think he's gonna wait another year. But he definitely wants to get another Android. He has no interest in an iPhone at all. And so like we talked, his first concern is like, but now we can't video messaging. I'm like, Do you realize how many video messaging services there are? Like it will all work out fine.

Kim Edsen 7:12

My understanding is that the most recent, like iOS 15 update or whatever, that you can video message with non Apple or non iPhones.

Jennifer Wilson 7:23

But we're gonna have to give that a try as well. But I told him we have like, we have Facebook, we have Google, we have Skype, like worst case scenario. Like there's lots of ways that we could video chat if we need to.

Kim Edsen 7:35

Yeah, my brother's said something, I want to say it's called Duo, D U O on my parents phones because they're not iPhone. And so he and he uses that for his work. He will do like remote troubleshooting for different locations through his work. And so he that's what he uses through work. And so I set it up on my parents' phone. So like you said, yeah, there's lots of other like options. Beyond the native ones, for sure.

Jennifer Wilson 8:01

You know, I haven't installed it yet. But we have to have that for our kind of two factor authentication for work. And Steve has accidentally called me on that a couple times.

Kim Edsen 8:11

Nice.

Jennifer Wilson 8:11

So he Yeah, we already have that. And that would work as well. So there's just there's so many options. I wasn't super concerned.

Kim Edsen 8:19

Yeah.

Jennifer Wilson 8:21

Yeah, I'm just I'm so happy I got the iPhone 13 Pro. I did not get the Max because I did not want a phone that was even larger than the one I already had. And I'm very happy with the decision because it just feels so like portable. Not so like, fragile. I don't feel nervous about it. I still got an Otter Box for it. But I yeah, I'm really, really happy with the size. So...

Kim Edsen 8:49

I have the Pro Max and I upgraded from a iPhone 6.

Jennifer Wilson 8:54

Oh, wow, that's really big. change.

Kim Edsen 8:56

It was, um, well, part of it obviously was been that it was updating. It wouldn't update any longer. And then I was having problems, getting texts and communicating like with my daughters, which is kind of like one of the main reasons you want to communicate with people. Though I, I had to say I do get frustrated with the Apple world. Like, in some ways, it seems like it's so exclusive for something so even if we are all Apple like if my daughter has iMessage on and I don't have iMessage on like sometimes, like things don't go through. And we don't, how our phone plans work, we don't leave our data on all the time. It's not unlimited data. I mean, it's reasonable, but whatever. So we didn't leave on all the time, a lot of times she'll do like Wi Fi or whatever. So like if she's not on if she's on iMessage and she doesn't have her data on she's not necessarily getting texts from me, which is a problem when she drives herself into speech competition and doesn't let me know that she made it and I hadn't set up and he's like the little tracking thing. So then I'm like I'm I'm gonna assume she's not like, dead in a ditch somewhere. And she wasn't. So you know. So I think no matter whether you're all iPhone or Android or mixed or whatever, there's, there's always going to be something that does not work as smoothly as you would like. So...

Jennifer Wilson 10:16

Well that's like the funny thing. As soon as I got the phone, I was like, well, now I need all of my Google stuff on there. So literally, I installed like seven Google Apps. Because for better or worse, I'm still very embedded. I mean, I use Gmail and I, we use like, Google Workspace for Simple Scrapper. So like, I still need all the Google stuff, and it works just as well. So, yes, it's good.

Kim Edsen 10:44

And I will say, like, on my phone, as far as like, for my photo organization, side of things that my business there. Like, I have, I mean, I have like all the phone apps because I've like worked at like iBook OneDrive, I have Google Drive. I have Google Photos, I have Amazon Photos, but like, I still have like iCloud, whatever. So like, just so I'm familiar with all those different apps. And yeah, they work just fine. So yeah.

Jennifer Wilson 11:07

What do you think about the size of the Max versus your iPhone 6?

Kim Edsen 11:12

It's obviously bigger. I do have a like, I did not get an OtterBox. But it is like a sturdy, like multi part case on it. Um, I don't, it's not bothersome to me. I guess the only thing is like, you know, if it's in my back pocket, you know, it can stick out a little bit. It's not It's like small as that. But honestly, it's like, if I'm digging through my purse for my phone like it's easier to find. Or right, like, yeah, it's not all like the same sizes, every family members. So if we're like looking at like the sea of phones and black cases, and like, Oh, that one's mine. So like, I don't know, like, it's fine. And like I said, like, my comparison was, you know, like, what, seven years old. So I'm good for like another six years. And we'll see what we come across then. So yeah...

Jennifer Wilson 12:03

And you mentioned OneDrive. And I wanted to briefly touch on that, because in this process, I decided I wanted basically like a third backup for my photos. Just in case, like something weird happens, I wanted something that would automatically slurp my photos. So I actually, because I do pay for Microsoft 365 to have Word and Excel and PowerPoint, you know, they give you one terabyte of storage. And like I'm just gonna go ahead and turn that on and have it slurp up my photos, just to have an extra backup. In case something crazy happens. So I'm not planning on really ever doing anything with it. I'll probably clear it out if it gets full someday. But it was just easy enough to just have there as an extra. An extra safeguard.

Kim Edsen 12:53

Well one terabyte holds a lot of photos. Like...

Jennifer Wilson 12:56

Yeah, for sure.

Kim Edsen 12:57

I think my entire photo library is like 300 gigabytes or 400 gigabytes.

Jennifer Wilson 13:03

That's about what mine is too. Yeah, yeah.

Kim Edsen 13:04

So like, yeah, that's, you can go for a long time. And I will say the one nice thing with OneDrive with iPhones, I don't think this does apply with Androids, is it will auto sort your images into your month folders for you. Like you don't have to do that. Yeah.

Jennifer Wilson 13:20

Very cool.

Kim Edsen 13:21

So if you do ever need to restore like, it's like pre sorted them for you, which is pretty stinking amazing. So...

Jennifer Wilson 13:30

I did notice that with my parents, because we set them my dad has the same thing. He pays for his business. And he actually has a family plan. So my mom can use it too. But she didn't know about it. And so we got everything set up with their new phones, their and their computers so that their photos are automatically transferring and being backed up to Onedrive. And they're all good now.

Kim Edsen 13:54

And they I mean they are not to the level of like Google Photos or iCloud or Amazon photos for like search capabilities. But last fall, they did do an update and they are improving that. So I think they're realizing like, Hey, this is a game we want to get in on. So I'm hopeful that that will just continue to improve.

Jennifer Wilson 14:12

For sure. Yeah, um, it's just amazing to think about how how much things have changed in the past decade.

Kim Edsen 14:19

Yes. For sure.

Jennifer Wilson 14:22

It's kind of crazy sometimes.

Kim Edsen 14:24

No, it's mind blowing. And, and not to like, whatever but like that's why photo management gets so confusing. Because it has changed so drastically. And I think if you're a person of a certain age like right, we have seen the gamut from picking up your photos at Walgreens or Walmart or wherever with your like doubles and your negatives or whatever to like the process of like, oh you back everything up on CDs. Or oh, you back every day like Right, like it was always changing. And so that's why my mom had 52 CDs, right? Like, I mean, that's how we got to that point. So Yeah, it's nuts. But...

Jennifer Wilson 15:02

Well and I think it shows that it's not like a, it's photo management is not a one time thing. It is a, it is an ongoing management process to make sure that your files are still in a place and format and location that's accessible.

Kim Edsen 15:18

Oh, yeah. Because then you get into like outdated storage sources, right? Like people with zip drives or...

Jennifer Wilson 15:25

That's what I was gonna say is zip drives. Like I really Zip drives, were gonna be the future. I put all my photos in college on a Zip drive. I had it like networked across the whole campus, I could access it from anywhere. And then like that disappeared pretty quickly.

Kim Edsen 15:38

That or like, Have you ever seen a, gosh, what are they, it's like a media storage card, it's like a SD camera card had a baby with a floppy disk. And so it was certain brands. So I did photos for someone locally, and like that's she had like, newborn baby photos on that. And you can get like special readers for it. Luckily, she actually still had the camera and all the cords and everything. And we were able to transfer them that way. But I was like, I don't even know what this thing is. Like I had to like Google, because, you know, I mean, there's all sorts of different storage devices that you know, are no longer in active use. So there you go.

Jennifer Wilson 16:18

Yeah.

Kim Edsen 16:19

All right, that just this is turning into like a photo topic. So maybe we need to get back on track.

Jennifer Wilson 16:25

Well, our you know, our Photos Journey will come up later this year. So I'm sure we will revisit this subject. But we do have organization at present and then storytelling next. But speaking of, you know, more scrapbooking topics, what's exciting to you right now?

Kim Edsen 16:42

Okay. So this is probably still very like a simple concept. But my mind was just kind of bluntly, kept going back to over and over. So sometime in the last year, Simple Stories released these products called like Page Templates. I think of everything is like Page Pieces. And it's kind of like a back to basics product where these page templates make it, there's different configurations to basically create like a collage, like base for your page. So it would maybe be like, several different iterations to combine like four by six and three by fours, or different size photos and different configurations. And then that would basically be the starting place for your page. So they have a physical product to kind of help you manage. And that's the other thing too, so that you're not necessarily having to like measure and cut everything because it'll like, it's like this product will help you like create a mat. And then from there, you can like create your background and add your elements or whatever. So I was so fascinated by this, and I scrapbook digitally now. And so I did not see that they have them available digitally. But it was pretty easy to like, use that kind of guide or like, okay, so I have four photos two four by sixes and two three by fours. Like, I will arrange them in the suggested configuration. And then I just created, you know, like, I did my background and some embellishments. And I do not know why like it was so fun. And just a very quick way to put together a page. So it's just like, I guess it gives you that starting point. And then the Page Pieces. It's like a concept where it's embellishments from their lines, but they've put them together and they show you examples of how you could embellish say, like a double, like a double page layout or like to single page layouts or something like that, I don't know. But it just kind of gives suggestions and guidance for like placement and they have like all sorts of themes. Like you have your basic like birthday and holidays. But then they have like very specific sports themes, which I would have appreciated because it's shocking when Carolyn she does volleyball when I was doing her school update last year, how few like volleyball embellishments are out in the world, at least for digital scrapbookers. So so to pair those two products together. I guess it kind of comes down to like what you're looking for, like if you want to get a lot of photos on a page and like an attractive way relatively quickly. Like I think these are amazing solution. And like I said, I actually did two pages kind of trialing some different configurations and really enjoyed the process doing it digitally. So like I said, very simple, very basic, but I don't know, I was just fascinated by them. I think the members are going to get tired of hearing me talk about it. But...

Jennifer Wilson 19:37

Now, am I remembering correctly that they have basically the same thing in a physical form?

Jennifer Wilson 19:42

They do like Yeah, well, they're not digital. Yeah, yeah. They're physical. Yeah.

Jennifer Wilson 19:49

And so is that is that what you're using? Are you using a digital version?

Kim Edsen 19:52

I created like my own digital version basically.

Jennifer Wilson 19:55

Okay.

Kim Edsen 19:55

Because they don't sell it digitally.

Jennifer Wilson 19:57

Okay, I get it. I get it.

Kim Edsen 19:59

Yes, yes. It's not, I didn't see that it was available to purchase digitally. So I just kind of like, okay, I have four, two by two photos. And then there's like a four by four spot. And I'm gonna put my journaling there. So it just like I said, gives me a starting point with my page. But if you were a physical scrapbooker, I think it's like a super amazing solution. Like I said to, I mean, it's just for your everyday scrap again, but especially if you wanted something that was kind of quick and easy. Because it takes out, if you use that product, to kind of guideline, you can like, do your cuts, I believe and stuff, based on that physical product.

Jennifer Wilson 20:37

Yes.

Kim Edsen 20:37

I think it's like a heavier duty, like plastic. And they also have those. And they've had those a long time where it's almost like a heavyweight, clear plastic. So you can like put it over your photo, see where you want position, and then just cut your photo around that clear plastic, so that you're not, it just eliminates all that extra, like measuring...

Jennifer Wilson 20:55

Measuring and exactly the size and all that.

Kim Edsen 20:58

Yes. So I think it just very efficient.

Jennifer Wilson 21:02

So similarly, on the topic of efficiency, I have, you know, I've watched a number of things that Shimelle has done over the years, but I didn't realize how much she uses scissors. And I was like, wow, that actually does take a lot of the kind of time and sometimes fussy precision out of scrapbooking by just saying, Okay, I'm just gonna cut this and glue it down, rather than measuring exactly how much the what size the paper should be to do it. And so I've been following along with one of her Best of Both Worlds kits. And I'm just, I've got everything pulled and getting ready to do my first layout. I was actually like a minute late to our recording today, because I was looking for photos in Lightroom for my daughter's like, Oh, that would have been her sixth birthday party that I'm going to scrapbook with. And so it's just been like a fun, I wanted to do something different. Because of the other thing that I want to mention here about what's exciting me right now, because I've really been kind of felt disconnected a little bit. I'm like, I just need to make something and I need to do it in a way that is a following along, somebody else telling me what to do type of thing. So that I can feel kind of creative and productive. Knowing and honoring that my brain power really is being attached to something else right now.

Kim Edsen 22:24

No, I agree totally about this kind of speed and efficiency of it. Because of Yeah, I will watch her videos occasionally. And yeah, she'll just like, throw her photo down on paper, hold it. And then she's like, Yeah, it's good enough. And that's I think one thing I like so much about Shimelle, too. It's like, yeah, it'll all work out. It's just paper. And sometimes I make things more complicated than they need to be. And she keeps it a little more perspective, which is nice.

Jennifer Wilson 22:51

Yeah, I really appreciate that. And so the thing that I've been really focused on is, it started late last year, I decided that it was time to kind of update the visuals for the Simple Scrapper brand. And so I went down this road of hiring a designer. And we are getting so close. And I'm just starting this process of taking all of the new designs and applying them to the website. And this has taken just a lot of my like, mental and physical energy to work on this over the past few months. And so I really haven't, I feel behind on my scrapbooking, but I know it's okay, I know, this is just a particular season of life. And so this this brand update is both you know, about the way you know, a new logo, updated colors that will still feel familiar. Some new patterns, but also really to underscore what Simple Scrapper has become. You know, we started as a blog in 2008. And really, we've become a home for scrapbookers. We are a community at the core. That's the heart of what we do and so that we're really come through in the updated branding. So yeah, that's, that's what's exciting me right now is taking a lot of my like, all my extra bits of time that I would probably normally spend on making things and moving forward on my scrapbooking. Because I still have to kind of keep all the other boats afloat in terms of work, but it's yeah, it's fun and exciting.

Kim Edsen 24:33

Oh, that's awesome. Plus I mean it is energy and time consuming to kind of do all those back end things. Because it's not like oh, I'll just update this one logo and I'm good to go like it, you know, it is across a wide variety of, you know, downloads and products and the net, the community and so yeah, it's it would be a big job, so I'm excited to see it all come together.

Jennifer Wilson 24:58

Yeah, it's funny. I started with one Trello card and then it went, turned it into like a list. And then I'm like, Oh, screw it, I just need a whole board for this. So I have a whole board now with all of my lists of all the things that they need to do between now and the end of April. So...

Kim Edsen 25:18

You're getting it done. That's a good,

Jennifer Wilson 25:20

Yes. So I'm so excited to share. And at the end of this episode, I will share an exact date of how you can participate in the excitement. But for now, let's talk about stories. What's on your Bucket List, Kim?

Kim Edsen 25:36

So this is one that I talked about in the past, like, within the membership about wanting to do, and it's this idea of my dad, and my and his mom, specifically. I feel like they have, they always have have, did or still do, have these phrases that are kind of like, the words of wisdom. And sometimes, like I kind of roll my eyes and you know, like, mock my dad a little bit for some of these things. But um, obviously they've they, they've stuck and because like my husband and I like if something comes up with one of them is like, he's always like, build a bridge and get over it. Right. So like, if something's not going well, like build a bridge and get over it. Or he would always say growing up like, well, at least you have all your limbs, which is true, because you know, there's a lot to be grateful for for like health. And my sister in law's mom had cancer as a girl and like, so she, they had to remove one of her hands. And so like, yeah, so she raised two kids and was a registered nurse. And you know, but I'm sure that brought a lot of challenges. So, so it's all those little phrases, or my grandma would always say, like, work's a four letter word, because, you know, she was retired. And, yeah, she got to do what she liked with her time. So it was all these little words of wisdom. So Peggy in our group had done a similar type layout a few years ago. And this is kind of where not that I hesitate. But we kind of had a discussion at the time about I'm sure, I will think of more as time, like, so if I create this layout digitally. And I think of more like, can I create it in such a way that I can add them in? Or like so do I maybe like leave a space and I handwrite in and leave space for future ones or just is what it is? And maybe I do like a volume two update? Or so that's what she had said, like, Oh, but I think she did hers on cards, I can't remember exactly. But her whole thing was like, yeah, be prepared, because you'll probably come up with more, as time goes on that you like think of. Or like, he'll probably have a new catchphrase, I don't know. So I think trying to figure out how I want to manage that, or if I don't manage it at all. So I think the point I'm at is I want to like do a brain dump of all these kinds of snippets and words of wisdom. And I'm just gonna create it as is. And then if I think of other ones So be it. Maybe down the road, there'll be like the next version. So...

Jennifer Wilson 28:07

That's so fun. And so yeah, just like an important memory that I think sometimes gets overlooked. Because there may not be a photo that jogs that memory.

Kim Edsen 28:17

Oh, yes.

Jennifer Wilson 28:18

You have to kind of come at it, you know, from around back. Trying to, to know that this is an important story. And we'll find the photos that that makes sense, because they're the people we love that said those things.

Kim Edsen 28:31

Or to do it without any photos.

Jennifer Wilson 28:33

True.

Kim Edsen 28:33

That's an option. I did one of my favorite layouts of all time, it was like, Edsen family dictionary. So it's when the girls were little. And they and I mean to this day, some of these things we have. So it's kind of like words and phrases that we say that other people maybe wouldn't translate. So when they were little, like they would call tortillas, like softshell tortillas, moons. Because I suppose I don't know if they call them that, like daycare or what, but they kind of do look like you could see a moon right. So yeah, so I would have like, so I formatted it. So it'd be kind of like a dictionary page for like the definitions and like examples. And they would always call my bathrobe like my Taggie because do you remember like Taggies are the little blankets. And then they had like all sorts of like textured tags, and it was like almost your child's like lovey or whatever.

Jennifer Wilson 29:21

Yeah.

Kim Edsen 29:22

And so like, I am a very committed bathrobe wearer. Like around the house at night, it's like my, it's my lovey, right, my comfort item. And so I think they saw that and translated it so like it'd be like Taggie or so they'd have all these phrases. So and that is photoless because I made it, like I said the formatted kind of like a dictionary page. So maybe I would do a similar take. I should pull that out and look at it for inspiration I guess, on for this layout. That's very much words focused.

Jennifer Wilson 29:53

Yes, very cool. I love that. I love the the tag the connection. I had to start thinking about those. That's not something that I've documented before. I've not, I don't even have like in Trello like a little, like weird phrase like whether it's, you know, the words of wisdom or weird words we have for things. Like I know, when my husband and I were dating at one point, which somebody tried to like text toodles to say goodbye. And had one O, and two Ds, and so it was toddles. And that just became our like, sign off. Our goodbye was toddles. So...

Kim Edsen 30:27

See, those are my favorite stories, because it's just so personal. Like nobody else has that right. Like, I mean, yeah, it's great to celebrate birthdays and holidays, wherever. But to me like, these are the really, I guess that's why they're the Bucket List Stories, right?

Jennifer Wilson 30:41

Yes, yes, yes.

Kim Edsen 30:43

And then like when the girls were little, and like all little kids, like they mispronounce things like for years. Like Carolyn would not say magazine, it was always maz-gazine, right? She got the Z mixed around. And so I, I think of those times fondly. So it's nice to have like a little reminder of them in my scrapbooks.

Jennifer Wilson 31:03

For sure. And I think this will jog a lot of people's memories with just little words and phrases that are unique to their family. And, you know, maybe that just becomes part of the next story you tell. So that's a really good one. Mine is less specific to one story, but it's a Bucket List Project. And that I really need to finish Emily's baby book. I would say at this point, it's like 90% done. And at this point, it is in two 12 by 12 albums. And I have decided that I need to pare it back. I've worked on this through various like Finishing Projects. I've added to it, I've really tried to get it closer to finished with like every year that passes. And I decided it doesn't need to be two volumes, I need to take out maybe some of the layouts that could perfectly belong somewhere else. And focus on the ones that were really specific to her growth and development are feelings about having a baby and all those things and, and fit it all into one album. So I'm going to be doing a little bit of reorganization. This is kind of part of a bigger layout reorganization project. But I think that will also help me kind of let go of some of the unfinished parts that maybe don't need to be finished and finish the ones that I know that I do want to finish. So I'm looking forward to that. It makes it kind of it's a it's a course correction, I'm choosing a path to make it more finishable.

Kim Edsen 32:40

Okay, so I had two thoughts on that. Is one, it sounds like a super fun project, like I would be all about that, man. It makes me think of the Shimelle where she has the story. What she'd call it, like Story Book. Kind of the concept that she wants her scrapbook to tell a story, kind of like beginning, middle, end.

Jennifer Wilson 33:02

Yeah.

Kim Edsen 33:03

And so I could see how kind of consolidating some of that and kind of taking out some of the excess helps you focus in on the story. And then also from that aspect, that it might make it easier for you to identify like, Okay, what is missing. Now that you've gotten kind of a bird's eye view of where you're at, and kind of noise and other distractions that actually might make it easier, like you said, for the course correction?

Jennifer Wilson 33:27

Yes, I think so too. I think one of the kind of story themes that I easily picked out was just Steve and Emily together. Those were a lot of the photos that I had, because those were the photos I was taking. And I think some of those can go in a separate album, and don't necessarily need to be part of her baby book. Because there's lots more stories beyond that first year of Steve and Emily together and I'd like kind of those to live together.

Kim Edsen 33:54

Oh, so it's a little theme. That is super interesting. Could you or would you consider and maybe you don't know the answer to this, like one layout. That's pictures of Steve and Emily together.

Jennifer Wilson 34:07

I believe I have done that. But not recently, like I maybe did it when she was like five or six. I even actually have some of the like photo collage frames we have around our house are kind of done that way. You know, here's, you know, four or five pictures of Steve and Emily over a period of time, they probably need to be updated at this point. But that's definitely something that I've, I've thought about and continued to focus on. And then and then in looking at my layouts, I realize I need to go a little bit more thematic less chronological. And just kind of let go of some of the control that I wanted to have over the past decade and and start a new course for you know, the future of my scrapbooking.

Kim Edsen 34:57

Well, I mean, you've evolved and grown as a scrapbooker You know, I mean, that's always changing. And even within the album, like if you take out say you have like seven layouts that are Steve and Emily together, you could just leave one in there as a representation. So my girls a few years ago, I went back and kind of redid, like, their quote unquote, like first year album. Which is convenient because they're born in January. So it kind of was like, a chronological like, this is the 2007 albums. And they do it is two volumes 12 by 12. But you know, there's two of them. So I guess, you know, it works out. But and within there, I had when I went back, it was similar to where I assessed, okay, this is what I have. And then kind of what photos do, I still want to include. So I went through and flagged those, and then a lot of them are more theme focus a little bit, maybe a double page. So I know, I do have a double page layout, I think that's like them just with their dad. And then there's like a spread, that's just them with me throughout the year. And then I think there's like, favorite toys or feeding time. And so rather than, like, you know, one individual bottle one and one with like, beginning food and like cereal, like it's just more of a summary, I guess.

Jennifer Wilson 36:09

Yeah, that's probably one of the things that's missing, is more of like a just like a looking back reflection. And, you know, I think I've done as much as I could to gather, like the in the moment. Thoughts from back then.

Kim Edsen 36:25

Yeah.

Jennifer Wilson 36:25

And now it's more like, let's just add, you know, some perspective.

Kim Edsen 36:31

And reflection. Yeah. And I think that's, it's nice to have both. So, yeah, that's definitely an advantage to go back and kind of take a look at it through new eyes.

Jennifer Wilson 36:41

Yes, yeah. So I'm excited about this, this is going to be my oh, gosh, it's really my focus, probably through this Organization Journey and the Storytelling Journey. I'm kind of things are kind of like bleeding into one into the next. I've, I knew at the start of this year, because of the brand updates that I would need to pare back a little bit. And I'm just trying to just keep puttering along and, and just keep going. And I feel good about the progress on multiple fronts. So...

Kim Edsen 37:10

Well, it, it's a big project. Plus it kind of, I mean, scrapbooking entails all sorts of different things, right. But it sounds like at this point, you're kind of in that assessing where you're at, like organizing, like restructuring, how you're storing these layouts, phase. And then I can see how when we go into the Storytelling Journey, maybe that's when you're focusing on like, Okay, I've identified these stories, and now I'm gonna, like execute them.

Jennifer Wilson 37:33

100% And I also think that, and I'm sure others are feeling this as well, is that, okay are, if we're crossing our fingers here and knocking on wood. That this, this pandemic is maybe edging out, and we're gonna be able to get back to normal, real normal of some sort. That we're all kind of looking for this, like fresh start. A reset, you know, taking everything we've learned and okay, what's, where do we want to go in the not just this year, but the years ahead? And so I just feel like this is that, that year of okay, let's just reset everything. And yeah, I don't know. Like, there's been so much disruption. Now, let's like, let's put the pieces back together, but in a new, better way.

Kim Edsen 38:20

So it's like, burn it all down and build it back up.

Jennifer Wilson 38:23

Yeah, and that's the most positive way.

Kim Edsen 38:27

Yes, yeah, that's always my thing. When things go wrong, just burn it down. Just burn it all down. We'll start over. Okay, transitioning to the Organization Journey, though, because this is my thought of how you were so smart when you set these up. Because I think, for example, with your baby album project is if you have some of that organization in place, which is what we're kind of looking at this two month journey that just sets you up to tell stories with more ease. Or to identify like you can organize, because that's the thing with organization, people aren't just organizing physical product. They're organizing photos and digital supplies and story ideas and like, or like. So we do like a Wednesday discussion kind of prompt in the group each week. And the one just this week was along the lines of like, what is one area that could benefit from some organization, whether it's in your scrap scrap space or not. And not surprisingly, like lots of people answered it was across the board. So even if it's organization in like your kitchen, because then that makes that less stressful. So then you know, you have more time and energy and focus for scrapbooking. Like it all ties together. It kind of gives you that. I don't know like that base point or whatever. I don't know what I'm looking trying to say but you could probably say it more eloquently.

Jennifer Wilson 39:52

No, I totally get what you mean.

Kim Edsen 39:54

It sets you up.

Jennifer Wilson 39:56

Yeah, I was in bed this morning thinking about okay, I, I really need to actually take a little bit of time to work on some of these things that frustrate me. And so as I was thinking about, okay, if I'm going to do this big, like, layout reorganization, I really need this space. I need to like, things need to go back to some of their homes, they need to have some new homes. And so my first thing, I'm going to do is clean out Emily's sock drawer. Because it's this giant drawer in her dresser that could hold lots of things. But right now is holding like 200 socks that don't fit. But I know as soon as I clean out that one drawer, that means things, other things can go in that drawer. And there'll be a cascade, it's kind of a snowball effect type of thing. And so you just have to start somewhere, even if it's on the other side of the house. I think that if you can start kind of going in the direction that you want to go, it starts to feel much easier to get there.

Kim Edsen 41:01

Yeah, so you said cascade. But my thought was like a domino, you push that first domino...

Jennifer Wilson 41:06

Yes.

Kim Edsen 41:06

And they all fall. And here's your like, monthly Gretchen Rubin reference. So she has that comment or anecdote where she talks about her friend that said, Hey, I cleaned out my refrigerator. And now I feel like I can change jobs. It was kind of like, this is one area out of control, stressing me out. And this, having this kind of clean slate in here makes me feel better prepared to make decisions elsewhere in my life. So on from the surface, like completely unrelated, or, you know, very tangentially. But for whatever reason, on our little psychological worlds, it definitely it does create that domino or that snowball for sure.

Jennifer Wilson 41:46

Yes, yes. No, I mean, that. I think that is so true. And I can probably, if I really thought about it, I could think of a million maybe not a million, but I could think of examples throughout my life where I had to like, burn it all down in order to like, see the clearing, see the path forward? And sometimes you just, you just need to do that and dive in, even if it doesn't totally make sense in the moment.

Kim Edsen 42:15

Yeah, I can see that. And can I also comment, I am really enjoying the four quadrant sheets that you created to kind of guide us through each journey this year. Where it's the create, the corral, the connect, the consume. And we have people have the option if they want to create either like a post or some other people take the pictures of this. And they basically post it kind of like create accountability for themselves within the journey. But I appreciate it. Because, obviously, organization very appropriately, I feel like it's a really clean and simple way to organize your thoughts and what you actually want to work on. And then it makes them visible. Because I guess for me, I printed it out and I have it hanging up in my scrap space. And then it's also great to see progress because I have them written out and I just go through and I can like checklists, or cross off the ones that I have completed. So it makes it really easy to see, you know, not only like what projects I'm working on, but like overall, like from all aspects of my hobby, where I'm at and what I love to do. And so I'm finding them very satisfying. I like them a lot. I'm glad that you added those.

Jennifer Wilson 43:31

Well, I'm so glad that you say that because I feel like that concept was kind of workshopped over many years and kind of just kind of fell together in the end as many things to do. And it will, it's going to become an even larger part of what we do. And part of this part of the brand update is to update the Focus Finder. And I'm going to update it using create, corral, connect, and consume. Because we do lots of things in scrapbooking, besides just scrapbooking. It has some really important and perhaps kind of even that's really the the core of what we do is to help you think about holistically how does this all fit together? And how do I want to organize my time? And what's, what's really a priority for me in the moment. And if we're only thinking about projects, like albums, pages, stories, then we never make progress on the big scanning box that we want to take care of. And we never make progress on reorganizing those albums. So we really need to kind of think more big picture about it. So I'm really excited about that little mini project as part of this bigger one.

Kim Edsen 44:47

Well, and it's funny that you mentioned scanning because I had started last fall scanning my husband's childhood photos. So I had done like one offs here and there for different stories to tell but I wanted to kind of do a little more in depth scanning. I started last fall. And then when I got into the whole Miss Freddy mentorship program, I realized I was going to be upgrading my scanner. So it didn't seem to make sense to continue with my old scanner. So that is actually on my corral section this month or this journey. So I'm thinking about working on that actually next. I also appreciate that there's finite spaces, at least on like the printable. Because, as I am writing out, you know, dozens and dozens of creative ideas, that's maybe a hint that this not very realistic, right. And it encourages myself, who tends to be like, you know, let's build up a giant plan that may or may not be executed, to be a little more realistic. And then also to realize like, okay, if I'm checking in, you know, we're coming up on, you know, the end of March, and we have a month left in the journey. Where am I on my progress? And if I haven't made as much progress, as great as I thought, great. It is what it is, but maybe it's an opportunity for a course correction. Because otherwise you get so in the weeds, you don't even you can't see that that's maybe what you need. You're just like plunging ahead blindly, right? And this is like a visible indicator, or reminder, like, oh, maybe I need to reassess that. So honestly, I mean, like, I don't want to brag, but like, this is working really well for me. And I was, I felt like successful with what I wanted to accomplish last journey. And I feel like I'm making good progress on this journey. So I think, like I said, organization goes beyond just like the physical products, for sure. And I think that has become very evident, you know, not just this journey, but also, you know, so far this year in general.

Jennifer Wilson 46:47

Oh, I love that. Thank you for sharing that feedback. I'm so glad that it's and I'm seeing that throughout the community as well, that this particular structure is really helped our members kind of think a little bit differently. And, yeah, and those who've been around for a long time, kind of even refine how they've been thinking even further.

Kim Edsen 47:06

Oh, yeah, cuz I've been here like eight years. So, still growing.

Jennifer Wilson 47:10

Blows my mind, sometimes.

Kim Edsen 47:12

Yeah. What are what are your thoughts on the Organization Journey so far?

Jennifer Wilson 47:17

You know, my thoughts are really not even much about, as much about organization. But I have had this increasing feeling, particularly maybe since late last year, but increasing over many years, that this is, this is not my community, it's our community. And I've always valued letting members shape our plans. I'm always doing like, tiny focus groups and surveys, and polls, and always adjusting things based on the conversations. But I'm just feeling so you know, happy and proud and honored to be a part of this, this bigger community that really has a life of its own. And so I, you know, I've pledged to continue to nurture that, and it's just exciting to see what happens next.

Kim Edsen 48:12

Kind of like you're the facilitator.

Jennifer Wilson 48:14

Yeah, yeah. And that, that role feels comfortable for me, I enjoy sharing my wisdom, when that's appropriate. And I also really enjoy just being part of the group and having that feeling of, you know, fitting in and being included. So I'm, you know, I'm a big geek, let's just be real. I'm a nerd. And, you know, I was vice president of math club, and this fitting into a community is something that has always been a struggle for me and feeling like I have a home here with our fellow members is, is as rewarding as as being, you know, a leader of it.

Kim Edsen 48:58

Well, and I think that ability to adapt, and you know, like, just like the Scrapbook, Your Way podcast, right? It's the same concept of like helping people. Like you always say, give them the buffet of choices so that they can like not just so they can create a hobby that fits them and their needs. And even within the group, there's, I mean, all sorts of like personalities and skill levels and whatnot. And so yeah, it's very much a community effort of, you know, finding your tribe and your niche and, like learning from each other. So...

Jennifer Wilson 49:31

Yeah, learning from each other is huge. I think, and being being inspired by how others are looking at something or yeah, it's just it's all just so good every day.

Kim Edsen 49:47

Okay, so I'm going to share a testimonial from member Maggie C. She starts out, saying that Jennifer and her team as well as the members make me feel safe and supported. This has been especially true during this very difficult year. I love the community and plan to continue to be a part of it. It helps me feel energized and gives me great ideas for ways to enjoy my hobby. Even on weeks that I don't find time to put it into practice. I also appreciate that we find other areas of common ground organization and decluttering, for example. So I think Maggie's statement clearly illustrates all the things that we've just talked about as far as like, everyone's got organization and clutter things that they want to deal with. And yeah, it's good to get inspired from others in the community. And that, and that works, because you, people can share vulnerable things in our community and you know, if you come in maybe you're a new member, I think it quickly is very evident, all the kindness and the encouragement that is just kind of our standard. And I can't say that we've ever had issues or concerns or problems with that not being the case. I think scrapbookers are just a great bunch of people.

Jennifer Wilson 50:57

That's, that's so true. Very, very true. Yeah, I love kind of the I mean, always they're seeing ups and downs in people's lives. But then add the pandemic on top of it, you know, we've all struggled a little bit more than usual. And it's been amazing to see the the genuine support and love that our members give one another.

Kim Edsen 51:21

Yeah, it's pretty inspiring.

Jennifer Wilson 51:24

So the month ahead, this is coming out on March 28. So we have all of April left in the Organization Journey. Up immediately next is our discussion for book club. On the book Work Clean by Dan Charnas. I think it's how you say his name. And this one is also called Everything in Its Place in paperback. So they had a different title for paperback versus Work Clean, which is the hardcover title. I haven't started it yet. I don't know if you have. I have heard a lot of really great feedback in the community though. And people kind of already experimenting with the techniques. So I'm excited to dive in this weekend.

Kim Edsen 52:07

So I have started it. I'm reading in bits and pieces because I got myself into a situation where books are coming up on hold. And then I read, my husband and I, I've actually done a layout about this, we call it like book club, where it's just he and I read a book together. It's like the same book we like literally sit side by side on the couch and read. And so we had a book that we're reading together. So I had like three books going on at one time. And I'm usually like a two book kind of girl. So I guess I haven't made as much progress. But I am probably like halfway through. And I am really enjoying it. I know I feel like I'm always like, super like Susie sunshine about our book club books. This one, I had to purchase it because I did not find it locally. And I didn't bother to figure out like interlibrary loan for this one. But I had seen enough positive reviews from our group, I was able to I purchased it online from like a used bookstore. So I will say like two points so far, this is like a little like, sneak peek of things that I thought was kind of like blew my mind. So very, like this tiny little like two sentence section where he talks about the idea of decide being from the same root word as homicide and suicide. So it's this idea of to kill something, which sounds really like dark. But so if you're deciding you're essentially killing off one of the options. So I have never thought about decide from like that spin on it. It was always kinda like, oh, well, what am I going to choose? I think I, which is, you know, I guess the positive side of it is like I'm choosing this thing, but to realize that in doing so, you're not choosing the other option, right, or you're kind of executing. And that he said that chefs have to be good at making those decisions, to be efficient. And to quote unquote, like work clean. Right. So that was I think just like a new way of looking at decision making that had never crossed my mind before. So I thought that was...

Jennifer Wilson 54:11

Wow!

Kim Edsen 54:11

Very interesting. Yeah, yeah.

Jennifer Wilson 54:12

I certainly never thought, way. It's almost a little heavy, but I'm like...

Kim Edsen 54:16

It is.

Jennifer Wilson 54:16

You know, there's, there's there's some there's some value there.

Kim Edsen 54:19

Yeah, my daughter was like, Whoa, I had to tell her about it. And then obviously, the second thing that I was really kind of taken by, was he talks about the idea of mise point. And it comes with a long line of like Mise-En-Place with everything and it's place. But you basically to determine a point in time when you're planning like this is my mise point. This is like the most I can consistently get done. And so like this is like where I start with as far as like planning. So like say my mise point is five. So in any given day, like I consistently get five tasks done, whether they're five minute tasks or longer tasks or whatever. So when I'm planning to like consider that But I think that transitions very, very well into our hobby where it's like, okay, my mise point is, say one layout, like no matter what's going on, like I almost always, always, always can get like one layout done. So maybe when we do try to layouts, and then you do that for a few weeks, I'm like, Well, yeah, that really works, I can get two layouts done. So then maybe you go up to three, and then that's not so consistent. So then you realize like, okay, my mise point is two. So in any given week, I'll plan to create like two layouts. So I think that's just like one other example of something that transitions? Well, because that's the whole point of the book is it takes this kind of perspective, or attitude or approach to working that is common within professional kitchens. And he's kind of transitioning it to like an office environment. But in our case, we'll transition it to our hobby environment, or do you have to, can do it to your office environment. And then, you know, if that frees up time and mental space and energy or whatever to for your hobby. But directly comparing it to the hobby, I think that is one that again, I was like, Oh my gosh, like, I think for me, two, is my mise point. Like in any given week, I very consistently can create two layouts. So there's like a double page spread or two singles or whatever. And sometimes it's more, but two is kind of like, it's been my default for a long, long time. So I think when I sit down to plan my week, maybe that's where I'm looking at, like, okay, what are my two layouts this week? And again, it kind of comes back to that organization and planning side of things. So then I'm actually like, successful at that.

Jennifer Wilson 56:32

I love that. I think that this concept and this this conversation, in general be really helpful for those who maybe feel a little more, like erratic, and even they experienced the ups and downs, and how can we make, add a little bit of stability and consistency? By thinking, thinking about it differently. So yeah, I'm so excited to get started. Because I love, I love cooking, I'm such a foodie. So I think this is gonna be a good like, connection of worlds for me. So I just haven't had a chance yet

Kim Edsen 57:04

Well you've been buy. But that's always just like the mental attitude stuff, because then there's the whole concept of like, physically setting your space. Which, when I think about my own path, like that's what I was always familiar with it as is like your supplies, and like executing like the physical side of things, not so much the, like mental approach to it. So I think, like, that's like a whole 'nother like side of things that would definitely apply to our hobbies. So yeah.

Jennifer Wilson 57:31

We had this interesting conversation in the community about whether or not you're right handed or left handed, and where you keep your tools. And I'm right handed, but I keep my tools on the left. And so I was, you know, being asked like, so do you pick it up with your left and then transfer it to your right? I'm like, No, I turn all the way around, grab it with my right and then use it on my right in the blank space. Because I've had my tools on the right before, but I always felt like they were in the way. And I like to have as much like clear space as possible for what I'm working on. And the the you know, the actual supplies versus the tools. So I like to keep my tools more still within reach, but not in the space I'm creating in.

Kim Edsen 58:14

Oh, see and then you're crossing over your body. And within the whole little Mise-En-Place world, they would probably say that, that's less efficient. But at some point, right, you make it work for you. Or maybe it's a matter of looking for other solutions. Like maybe you're like, I don't know how you're supposed to set up, but like maybe your like, supplies are in a cart to the right of like your working space. So they're still not on your working space, but you can have them to the right or maybe it's you go with like vertical storage, or like the wall in front of you. Or you know, I think it just kind of opens up the possibilities and maybe makes you consider options that you might not have otherwise.

Jennifer Wilson 58:53

Oh, totally. Yeah. And I think that it's these kind of the micro conversations that are becoming the most beneficial. Like when we go beyond talking about how to get organized and talk about where exactly do you place your scissors to make it efficient. And so that you can always know where they are like that's when I think the real juicy helpful conversations happen is when we get to that yeah, this the smaller micro points.

Kim Edsen 59:21

I know in our group, Heather had requested if people are comfortable please share like a bird's eye photo of your workspace because that was the exact same thing like how was that laid out?

Jennifer Wilson 59:29

Yeah, yeah. Well and our members can find the discussion guide prepared by Lauri Abruscato, our guest host this month, inside of Spark magazine. As well as in the community. So I'm so happy we have our guest hosts this time around, so that we can like start discussing these discussing the book from a scrapbooking perspective earlier on in the journey. Just because I am a bit of a slower reader so I appreciate having the support in that, in that manner.

Kim Edsen 1:00:03

Well, and then it's just nice to get another person's take on it because we all read these things through our own personal life's experiences. And so I talked about that whole decide concept. Cause there was a feed, posts within the feed and comments. And I think a lot of people are like, I didn't even like, notice that, right? Where as to me, I'm like, Oh, my goodness, this is like, what a new way to look at this. So like, whatever somebody takes away from, it's gonna be very different. So it's always, I think valuable to have different perspectives.

Jennifer Wilson 1:00:37

Yes, yes, for sure. And so later that week, we have on Saturday, April 9, we have our next Finishing Day. So this is Finishing Day number two. We did it for the first time, last month in February, and it was so well, it was such a fun, fun time. And I'm looking forward to jumping back in again, with our members to finish one or more projects. Just to really focus, spend the time, let everything else go and just work on getting something done.

Kim Edsen 1:01:08

Well, I think, I mean, we touched on I think, on the last episode was a success that was all around for a lot of different people no matter what they were working on finishing. So I think it will be a delight to have our second Finishing Day.

Jennifer Wilson 1:01:22

Yes, yes. And then one more thing that I would like to have you add to your calendar as a save the date. This is new to the calendar on Thursday, April 28, at 7pm Central. I'm hosting a special event called Start Fresh. And there will be some giveaways and some fun and all the newness. I'm not going to share much more right now, but just mark it on your calendar because you're gonna want to be there.

Kim Edsen 1:01:54

All right. Enough said.

Jennifer Wilson 1:01:56

Yeah. Well, thanks, Kim. This is as always very fun. I think we kind of warmed up a bit as we went along the beginning was a little less caffeinated. So...

Kim Edsen 1:02:08

Well, you know, you got to wait for it to kick in. So...

Jennifer Wilson 1:02:12

Well, I hope you have a good week. And to all of our listeners please remember that you have permission to Scrapbook Your Way. Are you ready to start implementing the great ideas you hear on the podcast? The Simple Scrapper membership offers a welcoming space to connect with fellow Memory Keepers and find that creative accountability you've been craving. Visit simple scrapper.com/membership to learn more and join our community. It's the best it's ever been.