Every Teen Has a Story to Tell.

I have two teenagers. I also have 2 Elementary aged kids, a toddler and a baby. I have lots to scrapbook. One of my middles is a girl, it is really easy to scrapbook girls, there are so many lovely kits available for girls. Gorgeous colour combos! Inspiration everywhere!
I have one girl, but I have 5 boys. Each of those boys has a story, many stories to tell. Stories that deserve to be preserved and celebrated. I actually prefer to scrapbook for them, and I have some very favourite colour combos I like to use. Teal, brown and orange with baby blue and some green mixed in is most likely my very fave!
I usually have no problem finding some great stuff to use on my boys' pages, as well as ideas for layout and content, but I am really finding it a stretch to scrap for my teens. So much of what is out their is precious and babyish. Don't get me wrong, their are some teen themes out there. Skateboarding, sports and rock 'n' roll make up the bulk of what I find. Which is great. But most of it is still a bit precious for my teen boys. And they don't skateboard. So I pick from here and there and piece stuff together and try to do their stories justice.
But what really stumps me is that when I search online, I can't find many other people who are actually scrapbooking their teens. Why not? Do you have teenagers? Would you like to feature them in your pages and books, but find it difficult to find inspiration? Maybe you don't know where to begin. Maybe you think they will cringe at your efforts and the idea of scrapbooking? Are you unsure of what stories to tell?
I can tell you from experience. They do want you to tell their stories. And in many ways, I think it may be even more important to do this for our teens than for our littles (which I think is super-important!). They need to be reminded of their value, of where they come from, who they are and who they are becoming. And they need to know how much we care about them and what they think and believe.

I really want to know. Do you scrapbook your teens? and Why or Why not?

Some teen inspiration. Make your own at www.Mamasmemories.ca

More Yellow Love

Some 18 inch, square, deep, gallery wrapped cavases.

Love this one!

To make your own, go to MamasMemories.ca

An 18 x 18 inch, deep, gallery-wrapped canvas. I imagine it with a gorgeous wedding photo...

www.heritagemakers.com/283163

A 5 x 7 birthday card. Click to see the full preview.

Sunshine!

I am gaga for yellow this week. Over the moon! or would that be sun?
There was a challenge on Club HM this week to use the Love You to Bits kit and it is gorgeous yellow and blue. I was so inspired by the kit that I stayed up until 2 last night putting together this template for a Poetry Anthology. We were reading Fancy Nancy's Poet Extraordinaire last night and I thought it would be fun for us to do our own Poetry book. My kids love when they get to share poems they have discovered, during our tea times. And they can write a mean poem too.
Anyhoo... here is my book:


Here are some gorgeous Wedding Templates I found, in lovely yellow and blue:

Invitation


Album (which could really be used for anything, not just weddings.)


Here are the winning submissions to the Club HM contest, Tara Jones, Karrie Watson-Fowler and Lisa Delange

And here is some other yellow inspiration. By the way, come get inspired with me on Pinterest.com, I am MamasMemories. If you don't have and invite, message me your email and I will invite you, it is so much fun!

Custom Post-Bound Albums

Our Custom Post-Bound Albums are 10% off this month, as are our playing card decks. If you love scrapbooking, you can't pass up the opportunity to have a one of a kind, completely custom post-bound album to hold your gorgeous layouts! There are amazing templates in the Gallery or you can try your hand at doing one from scratch.

Here are a couple that I have created recently.

Come on over and make one for yourself or someone you love! MamasMemories.ca
 

Birthday Party from Outer Space

Planning a birthday party for a special kid? How about an outer-space theme?
Check out these out-of-this-world invitations, cards and thank yous!







Need some cake inspiration? Check out these cakes!

Mother's Day

Hope your Mother's Day was lovely. I had a pretty blessed day. I woke up with only one wee babe in my bed and listened to the hurried preparations downstairs. Cards were being crafted, pancakes flipped, milk was being steamed. While my 13 year old slept, the Boy (16) was busy cooking my breakfast while my husband coordinated and made my yummy latte. I am so thankful that my husband was home this year, and that he took it upon himself to make my day special. I love Mother's day morning, there is nothing like that joyful expectation as I await the appearance of all those smiling faces and giddy gift giving.

But not all Mother's Days are joyful, and if yours was not, please know that I empathize with you and I am so sorry. Some years, we are sad because our own Mothers are sick or have passed away. Some of us do not have mothers worthy of celebration. (I am so thankful that I do, my Mother is amazing!) And sometimes, we are aching to be mothers, but our arms are empty.

I will never forget the first Mother's Day after we had our sweet, stillborn baby, Kalila. She was born on April 26, so only a few weeks before Mother's day. As Mother's day approached, I only wanted one thing - my Mother. So I went home to my Mom and was able to just let all my pain hang out with her. She was my rock, she just wept with me. It was a bit hard to be around my sisters who were also pregnant, but mostly because I really didn't want them to feel badly. I wanted their happiness with all my heart, but I wanted mine back too.

That was the hardest Mother's day I have ever had, even though I had two amazing living children, I so wanted my missing daughter, to hold her in my arms. The only way I survived that time was to picture myself in God's arms, big enough for all my sorrow, pain and anger, and to picture Him rocking me as I rocked my baby girl. He was my Mother and my Father through all that time and is still today.

I hope you had an amazing Mother's day, filled with the people you love. Know that you are not alone.

If you or someone you know is going through the loss of an infant, I would like to share an amazing organization with you. Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep offers remembrance photography to families going through terrible loss. Their service is free, these amazing photographers donate their time and they are specially trained in this sensitive area of their craft.  Heritage Makers is priviledged to partner with NILMDTS in offering a free 8 x 8 photobook to each of their clients. Please feel free to contact me for more information.


crossposted at Mighty Morphin' Mama and My Daughter Lives

Need Some Teacher's Gift Inspiration?

Come by for an inspiring class with Linda Angelastro and learn how to whip up some lovely Teacher's gift, Grad gifts and School Memories books. At 7pm MTN, tonight, Thursday, April 28. Then contact me so that I can help you turns those ideas into reality!
\Click on the link to register. 
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/825195401

Kristen/Mighty Mama

Create with me at www.mamasmemories.ca