Last night, I read the following suggestion in a book:
“Make gift tags out of used birthday and Christmas cards that you have saved.” I thought, “Huh–that’s a good idea. I think I have some cards.” I pulled out a shoebox of old (high school) graduation cards and got to work.
My finished product was this:
When I graduated from high school five years ago, I invited my guests to write me notes on colored paper. I intended to scrapbook them together with the photos from the party. Five years later, the pictures, notes, and graduation cards were still sitting in a shoebox on my shelf. That is, until last night. I intended to make some gift tags (and in my defense, I did get half a dozen or so made)–but the real accomplishment of the night was beginning and completing my high school graduation scrapbook.
It isn’t amazing. The archival quality police would be appalled by my use of leftover printed paper that had only been printed on one side (I folded it in half so the printed side faced inward and pasted my “scraps” to the “clean side”). They’d probably also get worked up over how I used corrugated cardboard from work, covered with paper, as the album’s cover. I thought about buying some metal rings to hold it all together, but decided I’d rather finish the whole thing in the same night–so I used some of my Raggedy Anne “hair” that I hadn’t thrown away yet to tie the album closed.
It won’t win any awards, but I’m willing to bet that I’ll derive a lot more pleasure out of this simplistic little album than I would have the alternative–shuffling the shoebox around from one place to another, always waiting for the perfect time to do the album justice, and eventually, tossing it in the trash as a hopeless case. It’s nice to be artistic and fancy and perfectionist sometimes–but it’s a whole lot nicer to just get stuff done.
On 06.30.08 – 9:14 pm
Joshua said:
That would be like working on a book for 4 years and finally getting toward the end of it. The finishing of a task just makes the time spent on it more rewarding and seemingly worthwhile. What’s hard, though, is when you’re so close to finishing you can smell the rope stretched across the finish line (or the fresh ink from a laser printer) and yet you’re stuck on an important passage that the last 330 pages have been building to. It’s nice to see you were doing something productive when you decided not to go for a walk last night.
JA Menter
On 06.30.08 – 10:14 pm
Rebekah said:
Of course I was doing something productive! When am I not doing something productive? For instance, just now I am folding my laundry, checking my website, and practicing my posture. I just finished watching a documentary on natural disasters while doing my jaw exercises and–practicing my posture.
Good luck on getting that last big passage of your book done. It’s probably about time that I read it!
On 07.01.08 – 8:13 am
Casandra said:
I like the scrapbook. :-)
I have to admit, it made me feel really though. Seeing how little everyone was and where everyone is now… bittersweet.
On 07.01.08 – 5:42 pm
Joshua said:
Cassandra, I’m guessing there is the word “old” missing there somewhere. Just a guess. I’ll have to go see it.
JA Menter
Attitude reflects maturity!
On 07.02.08 – 7:59 am
Casandra said:
Oops, you’re right, Josh. “It made me feel really old”. Classic case of my brain being faster than my fingers.
But I’m going to call it even since you misspelled my name. :-p
On 07.03.08 – 7:01 am
Joshua said:
There is absolutely no excuse for that misspelling. It was right under my nose. Man, I dilike it when that happens.
JA Menter
Attitude reflects matrurity and humility is its foundation.