A few years ago when I turned 39, I decided it was time for a big, self-absorbed scrapbooking project. I usually scrapbook about my kids, our family or the things we do, but this baby was going to be all about me. I bought a special album in a color I loved
I worked on it diligently for a few months, slipping photos in the big pockets and writing stories on 3 x 4 inch cards
A few weekends ago I decided to pick it back up though and I thought I would share what I’ve added recently.
Up at the top, you’ll see:
- a photo of me and Augie playing in snow that was carted in to a parking lot here in Berkeley.
- a pair of pinhole glasses my dad made me after I broke my real glasses at a B52’s concert in high school
- a note about how much I loved the Encyclopedia Brown
- some cool Wonder Woman art — I love Wonder Woman.
- a photo Wyatt took of me trying on a Thor helmet at Target. My maiden name is Thorpe, so I’ve always had a soft spot for Thor — even before I saw Mr. Hubba Hubba in the movies!
- a note I wrote to my friend Cathy in high school, folded in the classic style. I’m not sure why I have the note and Cathy doesn’t, but I’m guessing I didn’t have an opportunity to pass it to her without getting busted by the teacher. It is full of talk about being bored in class, boy craziness, my upcoming 16th birthday party and a few mean comments about kids in my class.
- proof that I was a card-carrying thespian in high school
- a photo of me post-college with one of my Mills College besties, Alexis. Note the baby doll dress and thick-soled mary janes I’m wearing!
The next page is probably the first scrapbook page I ever made. The photo above shows the front and back sides. I made it during the height of the Cabbage Patch Kids frenzy and it included the papers that came in one of my doll’s boxes, cute stickers and articles about Cabbage Patch Kids that I clipped from the newspaper. I also slipped in a photo I took of my beloved dolls who’s names were Ian something and Aimee Meghan. Amy Meghan was the first one I got and she is the doll that is dear to me. I got her the year people were stampedingĂ‚Â and slugging each other for them because my Grandma was a manager at K-Mart and she nabbed one of the four dolls that came in to their store for me as soon as the shipment arrived.
The next page shows:
- a napkin and a story about my high school visit to the Hard Rock Cafe in New Orleans. Richard Marx came in while we were eating and I was so excited.
- a blurry photo of my girlfriends at a jr. high party.
- a picture I drew of my iPhone.
- a photo of me flashing the peace sign my junior year of high school
- another photo of me with my friend Sara in high school. We took it in a photo booth and chopped it up to share it.
- another photo of me with braids on vacation.
- a Poloroid of Zach and I at Burning Man in 1999. You can’t really see it in the photo above but his hair is green and mine is pink.
I have to share a bigger version of that photo booth photo too because I think we look super cool in it. Those round glasses and the Heisenberg hat are just amazing and the height of 1990 alterna-girl fashion!
Next up:
- a photo of Zach looking super hot from just before or just after we were married.
- a post card from a dive bar near our house.
- a couple tickets from friends and family screenings of Pixar movies. One of my family members works there and we love it when he invites us to see the movies in the Pixar theater.
- a picture of a typewriter that I made on my typewriter
- a photo of me with a cactus. I took this in the airport parking lot on a trip to Tucson because I was so excited to see a saguaro cactus in real life.
Next is a page I made with some school awards. There is one from 4th grade when I won the “Most Creative” award for my Island of the Blue Dolphins
Last but not least is this page of ticket stubs I’ve saved through the years. Some highlights include: Duran Duran, the St. Louis arch, Les Miserables, and a ton of high school plays.
I’m so excited to have come back to this project! It’s fun to take a little time to focus on myself and my own memories instead of constantly devoting all my attention to my kids.
How do you record memories from your life?
Interested in seeing more of this project? Check out these other posts:
- My 40th Year Project
- Update: 40th Year Project
- 40th Year Project: Part 3
- 40th Year Project: Part 4
- 40th Year Project: Part 5
