So many lovely images “spring” to mind as April rolls around each year: plants blooming and budding. Sparkling clean homes (from all that spring cleaning). Sheets billowing on the clothesline. Hyacinths, daffodils, and tulips.

And of course, spring green, in all its fresh, inviting hues. There’s just something about spring green that makes the world seem fresh and new again. But did you know that the color green can also make you more creative? It’s true. Read more »

What are your scrapbooking-related New Year’s resolutions? This year I want to commit to putting more of myself down on my pages and telling stories on my layouts that really capture more of my personality. Won’t you join me in doing the same?

To give you a bit of a kick start, I’ve come up with a few scrapbooking layout ideas that will inspire you to share yourself more on your pages Read more »

As the end of the year approaches (wow—that went fast!), do you find yourself reflecting on the celebrations, challenges, and memories your family has experienced over the last 365 days? Whether you've created a few or a few dozen layouts over the past 12 months, I hope you've captured details of your everyday life, relationships, and family values in addition to the major holidays and events. But if you haven't, this time of reflection is the perfect opportunity to do just that!
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In 2004, my cousin, Julie Watson Smith, invited me to contribute to a book she was writing titled Mommyhood Diaries. The assignment was simple: keep track of what I did for a day, from the time I woke up until the time I went to bed. It was an easy enough assignment, and I faithfully kept notes on my assigned day, Read more »

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Some of our devoted Ella fans out there may have noticed that this month’s eZine is a wee bit late. But we have an excuse—a 6 lb. 11 oz. excuse, to be precise. As the co-founder and primary editor at Ella Publishing Co., much of the wordsmithing and uploading falls to me. (And I wouldn’t have it any other way.) But the 11-days-early arrival of my new bundle of joy threw a little pink wrench into my plans. Read more »

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As a writing teacher, I tell my students that a blank sheet of paper can be the most terrifying thing in the world,and the most exciting. A blank page is full of possibilities for stories, thoughts, images, and emotions. But if you are experiencing a journaling writer's block, that blank page can be frightening!

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Girls like pink. Boys like blue. Girls like crafting. Boys like sports. Girls are neat, clean, and like to dress up. Boys are slobs. Oh, the world is filled with these little nuggets of half-truth. If you know any kids (of either sex), then you know that some girls hate pink (I do), Read more »

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We’ve all heard the legendary tales of boys and their stinky socks, broken windows, snakes, and other outdoors-only wildlife loose in the house… And believe me, we mamas-of-just-girls know how good we have it. In our world, we have tea parties! Shopping partners! Pretty hair to fix! Read more »

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When you think of all the wonderful things your father has done for you over the years—or that your husband has done for your children—it can be difficult to know where to start when you’d like to pay tribute to him on a scrapbook page. And with Father’s Day on the way, it’s a perfect time Read more »

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Okay, let’s admit it; we’re all guilty! We snap away at our loved ones while remaining hidden behind the camera. If we do show up in a picture, the photo is usually posed or a group shot. Candid or interactive photos of us, the family photographers/historians, are rare—