SYW273 – My Way with Desiree Lamar

[00:00:17] Jennifer Wilson: 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 273. In this episode I'm interviewing Desiree Lamar for the My Way series. My Way is all about celebrating the unique ways memory keepers get things done. We're excited to have Desiree as the August featured artist at Simple Scrapper.

[00:00:50] Jennifer Wilson: Hello, Desiree. I am so excited to chat with you today. How are you doing?

[00:00:54] Desiree Lamar: Hi, Jennifer. I'm really happy to be here. Um, I listen to your podcast. I have been listening for a while. So, and I'm, I'm used to hearing your voice and I'm really happy to be here with you today.

[00:01:07] Jennifer Wilson: Oh, that's so wonderful to hear. Can you share a little bit about yourself, um, so that our audience can understand, you know, who you are and have some context to the scrapbooking stories that we're going to be talking about?

[00:01:21] Desiree Lamar: Sure. Okay. So my name is Desiree. I live in Atlanta, Georgia with my family, my husband and my daughter. Um, she's 10. We have been married over a decade and we have been together probably almost 20 years. We met in college. Um, and my background is in business. I have a master's degree, um, a bachelor's and a master's both in business.

[00:01:49] Desiree Lamar: My dream was to actually help people with their business, which I used to do. Um, but currently I just love scrapbooking, crafting, and in the past I have had several businesses. My most, or should I say my best one, um, was I had a jewelry collection and it was actually in stores. I made the jewelry myself.

[00:02:13] Desiree Lamar: Um, I learned to make rings from scratch, everything. But yeah, so that, that was my business that did the best. but currently I am, I'm taking a break from being self employed and I love to spend my time scrapbooking, crafting, and I love trying all types of crafts.

[00:02:31] Jennifer Wilson: Having a business is definitely not for the faint of heart. So yeah, that sounds, it sounds fun, particularly, you know, right now it's summertime. I'm sure it's nice to spend time with your daughter. Mine is 12 going on 13. So she, she doesn't always want necessarily to do with me, but, uh, it's, it's always fun for sure.

[00:02:52] My daughter and I are definitely getting to the age where she is coming into being her own little person and she is having less and less to do with me also, so I totally understand that.

[00:03:03] Jennifer Wilson: Yes. So Desiree, what is exciting you right now, both inside of your scrapbooking hobby as well as in your everyday life?

[00:03:13] Desiree Lamar: Hmm, what's exciting me right now in my everyday life is traveling to see family. It's been a while since I've Um, been to see them. and I will be going hopefully in August or September making a rounds on visiting, um, lots of my family. So I'm excited about that. And within scrapbooking. I love fall. And I love Christmas too. Fall scrapbooking the fall collections and I really get excited about what products we're going to have to work with in the fall. So I guess you could say I'm really overall excited about the holiday season and holiday scrapbooking and seasonal scrapbooking.

[00:03:53] Jennifer Wilson: Yes, there is something definitely super special about that that I think gets everyone jazzed up again.

[00:03:59] Desiree Lamar: Yes, definitely.

[00:04:00] Jennifer Wilson: So I like to also ask our guests about their memory keeping bucket list. So this is a list of stories that feel important for you to scrapbook in one way or another, but for some reason you haven't yet. Do you have one story on your memory keeping bucket list that you'd like to share?

[00:04:18] Desiree Lamar: Yes, I guess it's, it's probably a familiar story with many people. Um, I want to scrapbook my wedding or record my wedding. I haven't done that yet, even though it was over a decade ago. I have made smaller mini albums. But I would love to do an in depth album. I also want to do one for my daughter. I don't have like an in depth personal birthing album or like from her being an infant to maybe in the toddler age.

[00:04:49] Desiree Lamar: I have recorded tons of memories and pictures of her, but I would love to just do a specific infant or baby album. So those are my two bucket lists. That I would love to do that I guess plenty of people have no problem doing but it's just taking me a while to get there.

[00:05:06] Jennifer Wilson: Oh, there's so many of us that still have those on our lists. Uh, my daughter's first year album is not yet complete. Uh, and I think a lot of us have some sort of photo book or photo album, whether you made it yourself or, you know, your photographer did from your wedding. but that's different from having a scrapbook that tells more of the story behind it. So I definitely want to do that. And it's on my bucket list as well. Okay, so let's jump in. This is a My Way episode because you are our featured artist for August. Um, before we go into all the behind the scenes of your history as a scrapbooker and the things you enjoy now. I'd like to just give a little teaser because right now at Simple Scrapper, we're talking about photos. So what has been successful for you in developing habits around photography or photo management?

[00:06:02] Desiree Lamar: For photo management, I have been most successful when I keep printed photos. These are photos that I already printed that I was going to use for another project, But just didn't use. Or sometimes I do print ahead photos. I usually don't But what I'll do is once I have those printed photos, I have the smaller around, uh, I think the size is four by six, the smaller plastic photo cases, and I keep them categorized by year. So when I need a, photo quick that allows me just to not think twice about it. I grab one of those photo containers and like I said, I keep them separated by year. So 2021, 2022, 2023. Or if I'm looking for a picture from Christmas, 2023, I can go right to that small four by six photo, um, photo container and pull the picture out.

[00:06:55] Desiree Lamar: That is the best for me when it comes to pre printed photos. Now for my photos that are just in the cloud, the best thing for me is to make sure I have easy access from all my devices. So by them going to the cloud and syncing on all devices, whether that be in OneDrive or Apple Cloud. That allows me fast, easy access when I am ready to print a photo. I know right where to go. I know I can find it whether it's on my iPad or my desktop or my phone. And I can go right and print it. I can even print from my phone. And that, I do print from my phone when I'm just looking for a fun photo. I don't need a specific size and I can just do a quick edit and print it from my phone. But that keeps me organized, really being able to access my photos from any device.

[00:07:50] Jennifer Wilson: Yes. It sounds like you have some good systems there. Um, both for digital photos and already printed photos. I think those, those photo cases are so handy for not just prints, but even scrapbook supplies. And they're just a really easy way to, to keep things organized and also separated by whatever categories you need.

[00:08:10] Desiree Lamar: Yes, it really keeps me from overthinking it when I just want to jump in and do a project for fun and not think twice and not overthinking and get crafty in the moment. I can just grab one of those containers and I have pictures ready to go.

[00:08:22] Jennifer Wilson: Yes. Yes. So can you tell us more about how you got started scrapbooking and how your hobby has changed since that time?

[00:08:30] Desiree Lamar: Well, when I think back about how I got started, I often think back to 2018. when I got really big into planning. And of course I saw all the IG inspiration, all the Instagram inspiration. So I said, Hey, I'm going to set up an Instagram account. And as I Instagram, um, rabbit hole, I started to find and discover scrapbooking. And from the moment I saw that and tried it, I was in love. I had always been a sticker slash stationary girl from childhood. And once I started collecting the supplies and started scrapbooking, I was, I was hooked. However, I do recall that in 2009, I, it's hard for me to remember this because it was a short dabble in scrapbooking. I had a large family vacation. Um, where my whole family, we went to the beach and I wanted to record it. So I went to Michael's and I got like a eight by eight scrapbook and a purple and green and brown scrapbooking kit. And I scrapbooked those photos and I never thought twice about scrapbooking. I guess the product just, or the, it just wasn't as interesting. So when I discovered it again in 2018, it was, it had advanced to a place where, um, or maybe I just didn't know enough about it back in 2009, 2008.

[00:10:08] Jennifer Wilson: Mm hmm.

[00:10:08] Desiree Lamar: To really have fun. But once I rediscovered it in 2018, I was hooked and it felt like this was missing my whole life. And today it still just bring me so much joy. When I don't do a project in a while, or, um, when I don't make anything, it just feels like, okay, I need to do something. And once I actually sit down to make, I feel so much better. It's like therapy. It's just like relaxation. It's everything. I love it.

[00:10:37] Jennifer Wilson: Yes. I think so many of us who are, you know, around a certain age have the similar trajectory of stickers and stationery and then kind of seeing what, you know, as we became adults, seeing what other older adults were doing and having curiosity. But then once we really came into our own, started finding our way in this hobby. And yeah, those addictions that start early kind of continue throughout our lives. Desiree, what sizes or formats are you typically creating in today and why do they really work well for you?

[00:11:15] Desiree Lamar: I am a 12 by 12 scrapper. I have been from the beginning and that hasn't changed. I also started in Traveler's Notebooks when I started scrapbooking. And that hasn't changed. However, I like to be able to stick them into an album. So I use a Life Crafted album for my TN size projects.

[00:11:40] Desiree Lamar: And I also do six by eight. Before I just kind of did it. but now I think I'm falling in love with 6x8 a little more. And also I'm on design teams. So 6x8 is something that I was required to do. So I did it and, and it was fun, but I think I'm really starting to like having a different size page. And I guess that's something that comes along with any creative activity. You do it for a while and you want to change it up. So now I'm starting to like six by eight a little more. Um, I do mini albums. Those are fun. It can be challenging when it comes to binding. But now I do them more and more. And I find those fun. It's like a little short burst of a small project that you can do whatever you want and move on to the next one.

[00:12:29] Desiree Lamar: So I find mini albums fun. And I'm trying to make sure, I think those are mostly what I do. But I don't have a problem just doing something one time. And I don't feel the need or urge to keep on going. You know, I don't have to make a big deal out deal about it. I can do something once or twice and then move on to the next thing. And I don't stress myself out about trying to continuously finish something or keep something going if I'm not feeling it.

[00:12:54] Jennifer Wilson: That's wonderful. I think that's a, uh, a skill that either you have naturally or, uh, some of us do struggle with. But I love that idea of just being able to, to pick up something because it interests you and get that one done and then move on. There'll always be more stories to tell in different ways and I love that we have so many different fun

[00:13:15] Jennifer Wilson: formats. And of course, always new products. So as long as we're playing, we're, we're staying connected to our hobby.

[00:13:21] Desiree Lamar: So true. I think that's important part of our hobby is remember to play and have fun and not overthink it and not compare. So I think that's really important. Like I said, I try not to put stress on myself, especially over the years. And being on design teams, I have really learned to just say, Hey, this is me. This is what I like. And hopefully you like it too. Hopefully you're inspired. But in the end I did this because I love it. And this is what I was feeling at the moment. And I have really just learned to take the pressure off of myself and just do what I want because it's fun. And it, when it's no longer fun, then it becomes not the hobby that I fell in love with.

[00:14:05] Jennifer Wilson: Yes, that's so true. So Desiree, whose products are you completely obsessed with? Where can we find you shopping? Whose teams do you love to be on? Cause you, you find their products just amazing.

[00:14:17] Desiree Lamar: As time goes on I realize

[00:14:19] Desiree Lamar: that I like different things, uh, different styles, different designs at different times. And what I really, the, the company I really missed that was probably my style in a nutshell and spoke to my soul. Like when I discovered that when I first started scrapbooking and discovered Felicity Jane, um, I just love the softness and the patterns and the colors. They were usually, um, it was me in a nutshell. So I really do miss Felicity Jane. but I love, I love Citrus Twist kits. That was how I found, um, the Life Crafted album. And, and, uh, I love Pinkfresh Studio.

[00:15:01] Desiree Lamar: I love florals and they generally have tons of florals. I love Pinkfresh Studio. I love Simple Stories. Um, I am an embellishment girl. I love to layer. I love all types of, um, enamel dots and stickers and foam stickers. So I love Simple Stories. They also do floral, uh, floral bits and pieces. And I love being able to just throw those florals on and layer them on. So I love Simple Stories and their design. I love that you can see a Simple Stories design and know, hey, that's Simple Stories. Um, because their style is unique. I love so many places. I love Pretty Little Studios ever since I started scrapbooking, I have been following them and using their stuff.

[00:15:42] Desiree Lamar: And I'm also on their team. Um, I love, uh, it's not anything that I don't love. It's just a collection here and there that it may not be my style. Yeah, I'm one of those scrapbookers. I'm equal opportunity. I love dipping and dabbling in many things. you know, American Crafts, they have so many designers, Maggie Holmes, and I love Paige and Vicki, and I dip and dabble in everything, so, yeah, everything excites me.

[00:16:13] Jennifer Wilson: When you said that you miss Felicity Jane, I knew you were going to mention Pinkfresh because I feel like there's, it's certainly not the same, but they use a similar kind of the white backgrounds, the, the lighter fresh colors. Um, I think Pinkfresh doesn't use quite as much black or any at all. but still there's like that same kind of feminine freshness to it that I think a lot of people enjoyed with Felicity Jane.

[00:16:39] Desiree Lamar: Yes, they definitely have that similarity. When I first started scrapbooking, I was a white cardstock type of girl. Um, now I love using pattern papers and making them work together. But being, when I first started, I loved white card stock and that fell right in with, you know, Felicity Jane and Pinkfresh Studio.

[00:16:58] Desiree Lamar: And I still love that softness. Sometimes when I make a page, my goal is to just keep it light and airy. And other times I just want to use patterns and layer those different patterns on top of each other. And I love that about our hobby. We don't have to be constricted into doing one thing. And if we want to try something new we can try it. Whether it's, I also love to splatter ink on a page. And I don't know maybe I have too many different styles. So one might not even be able to look at my scrapbooking and say, Hey, that's Desiree or that's Desiree because I love so many different things.

[00:17:37] Desiree Lamar: But once again, I try not to let that hinder me. If I want to put ink on a page that day, or if I just want to have a light and airy look, I just go with what I'm feeling at that moment.

[00:17:46] Jennifer Wilson: So, so that said, is there something that you use or do on most of your pages that we could kind of pick out as, as Desiree's signature element?

[00:17:57] Desiree Lamar: Okay. So with that said, I would definitely say florals. If you see florals, then you, If the collection has florals, I'm definitely going to use up every floral I can in my spread or layout. And I love splatters. Uh, so you'll probably, if you scroll through my Instagram account, you'll probably see a good amount of splatters. And sometimes I am just I'm just feeling a little, um, sometimes I feel like I want even more color and I'll just go in with my paintbrush and layer. This is once the layout is fully done. I will still go in with my water color paint and layer in paint behind the different clusters. So if you see splatters or a splash of paint, um, and florals, then that's probably mine.

[00:18:45] Jennifer Wilson: For sure. Yes. Yes. Definitely the layers there too. We use that as our inspiration for our member style challenge, um, during July and August based on your pages as well.

[00:18:58] Desiree Lamar: Fun.

[00:18:58] Jennifer Wilson: Yes, yes. Desiree, when do you typically find the time and energy for scrapbooking?

[00:19:03] Desiree Lamar: I have to fit it in when I can. Um, I, when I was, when I first started, I used to be more of a nighttime scrapbooker. And I love staying up to, to 1, 12, 1, sometimes 2 scrapbooking. But now I find I don't enjoy it as late. But I still will scrapbook sometimes at 7 or 8. Or sometimes once I pick my daughter up from school and I'm free for the day. I'll go ahead and get a quick project in. So I don't have like a set time. But I love to fit it in and fitting it in is important for me. So like I said, it's a stress reliever or it's therapeutic. So when I don't create, I start to feel weird. So I just have to make sure I fit it in.

[00:19:49] Jennifer Wilson: Yes, I hear that a lot for sure from so many of my podcast guests. Are there any strategies that you use to stay motivated, particularly when maybe something's going on in your life or, you know, you're just not feeling as energetic? Um, how do you stay excited to create?

[00:20:08] Desiree Lamar: I stay excited to create by remembering why I do it. Especially being on design teams and having deadlines that could be overwhelming at times. But what I've learned to do is remember that, I am, It's a chance to do this. I have, like, I was chosen to get to do this and I do it for fun. So I try to remember that, um, when I am working on particular projects.

[00:20:39] Jennifer Wilson: So I'm curious. We've talked a lot about the things that you love in scrapbooking and, and how you've really found what works for you, which includes a bit of variety. Are there things in scrapbooking that you've decided are just not for you?

[00:20:54] Desiree Lamar: Yes. And I hope I don't offend anyone, but I have decided December Daily is not for me. Now, I love holiday scrapbooking, as I mentioned before. I love Christmas layouts, Christmas 6x8 pages. However, I just cannot hold myself accountable for completing a December Daily album, so I've decided to not hold myself accountable.

[00:21:21] Desiree Lamar: Um, so what I do do is, I do participate in the making, I make, the pages. However, I just stick them into my current album for the year. But I decided just to take the stress off of myself and, and I think my first December Daily was, It's 2019. And I, like I said, I never completed it. And I'm not going to go back and complete any of my albums.

[00:21:50] Desiree Lamar: I know that I don't want to. Um, however, I do go back and make holiday pages, Christmas pages, but any pages that I make, um, I will add them into my current six by eight or my current Life Crafted album. I will even do a cover page. So that way I know this part of the album starts December. But I just will incorporate it into my album for the year.

[00:22:15] Desiree Lamar: And I just take the stress of, take the stress off of trying to complete a daily album or just a December album where I'm recording so many things that make, make it harder and not as fun.

[00:22:29] Jennifer Wilson: One of the jokes we have, it's kind of a running thing here in our community, is that scrapbookers are experts at taking something that should be simple and making it so incredibly complicated. And that works for so many and also works for, does not work for just as many. Um, the one example of that is particularly is, is Project Life.

[00:22:48] Jennifer Wilson: You know, we took something very, very simple of cards and pockets and, then we decided we're going to embellishment and have design flow and all these things. And, and different kits. And, um, I think I love December Daily. I also have trouble finishing like so many. Um, and we have to really make intentional decisions about what's going to work best for us in given all of our personality, time, life constraints, for sure.

[00:23:20] Jennifer Wilson: So I'm sure you're not alone in that choice. So I don't think it's controversial.

[00:23:24] Desiree Lamar: That's good to hear.

[00:23:27] Jennifer Wilson: So do you have any favorite organizing tips or solutions either related to your scrapbooking or even just in your home?

[00:23:34] Desiree Lamar: Hmm. I am not that great of a, of an organizer, but I do have tips. I am also not a clutter person because clutter clutters my mind. So I like to keep my items out of sight. However, my main tips I would say is, put the things that make you happy, that you love to use, do organize those. So you can get to them easily. When you're in the process, you know where to find them. You don't have to go, hey, is it in the pantry, is it in the, wherever you have cabinets at, wherever you might store things at, I don't know, because I store things in several places myself.

[00:24:13] Desiree Lamar: Um, so I don't have to think, is that in my closet? Is that, uh, under my bed? I have the large 12 by 12 containers under my bed. But yeah, put the things that you love and want to use most or that you want to use, um, in your next project, put those close by. Put those in a container where you can see them. If you have a open storage in your craft space, just make sure you keep those things easy to get to so you can keep the process fun and stress free. And so you can make sure you're getting in your creative, creative time that like I said is so important to me. So if it's as important to you, make sure you keep your items that you want to use next, or your favorite items, in easy storage containers. That you know where they are, that you can see them. And that makes you remember that, hey, I wanted to use that, or hey, I can't wait to use that.

[00:25:09] Desiree Lamar: So just make sure you keep your items where you can find them. So you'll be excited and know where to find them next time you're ready to use them.

[00:25:16] Jennifer Wilson: Yes. Yes. The thread that I keep hearing running through all of your responses today is about reducing the stress. And I think that's where if we can really pay attention to that point, um, at each decision point. Of taking on this project or doing it this way or that way. Um, anything we can do to reduce stress, um, is usually something our future selves thank us for.

[00:25:42] Desiree Lamar: Yes, definitely. And me and it might just, it might just be a by product of me being on design teams. I started on design teams back in 2020. And I was just asked to join several, like at once or I applied. I, I was, I was invited to join and I applied. And it actually became not so fun because I was

[00:26:06] Desiree Lamar: doing what I was instructed to do. And I didn't have time to make the projects that I really wanted to do that were fun for me. So I actually stepped back off of some teams back then. And now I try to limit the amount that the amount of teams that I'm on at one time. To make sure that I'm really doing the things that keep this hobby fun for me. And that let my creativity shine and keep the pressure off and keep the comparison away. I just focus on remembering that, Hey, I was invited to join or I was selected to join because they liked what I did. And I just try to make sure I'm keeping this hobby true to myself and continuing doing what I like to do.

[00:26:48] Jennifer Wilson: I love that. I love that, uh, sense of creative self that you have. So kind of carrying that into the future, um, we both have, you know, daughters that are school age, um, and in 10 years they are going to be out of the house. Where would you like your scrapbooking to be a decade from now?

[00:27:08] Desiree Lamar: I think that's hard to say. I definitely hope to still be scrapbooking. Of course, I don't know what will be going on in my life at that time. But I hope that I scrapbooking at that time. But I think it's hard to say because things change so often. Especially in the creative industry. Um, I'm excited to see where we are at in 10 years.

[00:27:30] Desiree Lamar: Um, I definitely, I guess the least I could ask for is that I hope I'm still scrapbooking and I'm excited to see where this, where this hobby is in 10 years. And I just hope it's still strong and I hope we have new people that are just as excited and love it just as much that's moving it forward. And that's pushing creative limits. Um, yeah, that's all I can hope for in 10 years. I want to definitely still be scrapbooking and who knows? Um, I would love to do classes in the future. Um, so hopefully by 10 years from now, hopefully I have been in the community long enough to teach and inspire. And yeah, I just love, I just can't wait to see where this, where the scrapbooking will be in 10 years.

[00:28:22] Jennifer Wilson: Yeah, I definitely agree with that, uh, particularly in this time of change with technology. Um, and, and also our love for the tangible paper things that we want to keep buying well into the future.

[00:28:38] Desiree Lamar: Yes, yes.

[00:28:40] Jennifer Wilson: So Desiree, if you had to think about it, what has being a scrapbooker taught you?

[00:28:46] Desiree Lamar: Being a scrapbooker has really told me to enjoy the moment. When I have a photo and I look back at that memory, I think about what was going on in that time.

[00:28:58] Desiree Lamar: So scrapbooking has reminded me to enjoy those little moments that are going to be in the photo. It has also inspired me to create even more moments that I can record and hopefully record for my family that they can look back on. So scrapbooking has really inspired me to be in the moment. Try to create as many of those moments that I am going to want to scrapbook in the future. And to just enjoy what is going on at that time. And to get out there and make more and more moments to scrapbook.

[00:29:28] Jennifer Wilson: Yes. Yes. I think if I had to talk to any people out there who aren't scrapbookers, that how much it informs and motivates your memory making is just, huge. Um, and so having that kind of circular effect just keeps it all going and getting even better. So can you share where our guests can find you online and anything you might have new or coming up in the second half of 2024?

[00:29:57] Desiree Lamar: Okay, I can be found at DarlingDesiStudio for um, Instagram. And that is the main social media forum that I use. So darling at Darling Desi Studio, I also have a blog, um, DarlingDesistudio.blogspot.com. I don't update it as often as I used to. But yeah, the main place I can be found is Instagram. Um, and I don't really have anything coming up right now. I'm just looking forward to the holiday season and holiday scrapbooking.

[00:30:29] Jennifer Wilson: Sounds wonderful. We'll include all those links in the show notes of our episode. Again, thank you so much for spending time with me.

[00:30:37] Desiree Lamar: Thank you so much for having me. I love being here and talking about this hobby that we love so much.

[00:30:44] Jennifer Wilson: Oh, of course, me too. And to all of our listeners, please remember that you have permission to scrapbook your way.