When The TITLE Says The Memory

Sometimes a title says it all. No journaling, just a very specific speaking title. Hard to find? No, not really. You just have to think" Outside the Scrapbook box"! I have mentioned SONG LYRICS for journaling, well, how about the title of the song for the title of your scrapbook layout?

"Make Memories With Me"
I named my daughters "Life" scrapbook after a song that Lee Anne Womack sings - "Make Memories With Me". It is a scrapbook of her life from birth to marriage. One of the titles to the layout was "when I think about where I've been, I can see how far I've come". This was the "title" on a double page layout showing photos of her at different stages of her life ending with her wedding photo. That phrase said it all -I didn't need any other journaling! (I did date the photos) Not only did that song phrase make for a beautiful layout title - no journaling needed - but now that song is "my babys" song. I think of her everytime I hear that song! A double memory!

Other Than Songs?

However, songs are not the only place to find a title or journaling replacement. There are BIBLE versus'. Popular sayings. Current sayings. Now, I'm not up on today's current sayings, but in my day it would be "GROOVEY" and a photo of me in my "best" jeans outfit or shortest skirt! ! (no laughing here!)

So when I was cleaning out my scrap room, I found the notebook that I'd been using to collect layout titles/journaling titles. I don't remember where I found them all, just that I'd jot down a good phrase when I'd hear it. So I thought I'd share the list with you. Use them as titles or in place of journaling. It isn't that hard or complicated or time consuming, either!Block TitleIf you want to, you can cut each letter (use die cuts) OR you don't have to cut individual letters for the phrase - Just make a "title block" and write the phrase on the block. I use the computer for this. Just choose your font, make it large in size, choose the color and print it out! Then matte it and use it! A title on a 6x4" paper block. How easy is that, and how fantastic it looks!

This is a scrapbook layout of my daughter and her daughter at the same age - 20 years apart! Its one of those that I didn't realize that i was taking the same posse of each child - 20 years apart!So quick and easy and yet FANTASTIC and a WONDERFUL MEMORY!!


All I did was print out the title, matte it on red then a print paper. I used punchies for embellishment. Then I double-matted the photos on white, then red and then used eyelets and jute to "hang" the photos from the title block.

Here's My List....

Love is the thread that binds us
Old friends are the beste antiques
Babies touch the world with love
Memories are stitched with love
Walk forever by my side
Home for the holidays
FOrever - is as far - as I'll go!
Through the years
Somewhere in time (used this as the title for a 4 page layout of my families generation photos - clear back to great great great great grandpa!)
Together is the best place to be
You're my soul and my inspiration (Righteous Brothers song)
Home is where you hang your heart
Friendship warms the heart
Friends are the best collectibles
Grandmas are special
Grandpas are great
Forever in Blue jeans (Neil Diamond song)
Simple pleasures are lifes treasures
Looking back at where I've been, I can see how far I've come (Lee Anne Womack song)
Make Memories with me (Lee Anne Womack song)
Mama's Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys - (Waylong Jennings song)
Keeper of my heart
Mama's got magic
He's our little cowboy till fences won't hold him and he'll ride away
The Cowboy Way
Raised on Country sunshine
There's no place like home - - except Grandmas!
Create tomorrow by what you dream today
The Best place to be when you are sad is in Grandma's lap
Papa's Little Sidekick
You may HOld my Hand today, but you hold my heart forever
A Time To Remember
P.S. I Love You
Guess it's Just The Cowboy In Me (Kenny Chesney or Brad Paisley?)
It is never ending, a blessing from above, Listen to the whispers of a child's love.
Create tomorrow, what you dream today
Don't Make me Call Grandma!
The only man a girl can trust is her Daddy!
My family is like fudge - mostley sweet with a few nuts!
If we Live to be 103, Bset friends we still shall be!
If I'm a stay at home mom - how come I never get to stay at home?

Keep your ears open for more than you can use - even every day comments can often be great. A a good way to remember today in the future is to use TODAY's word's and phrases. Trust me, 30 years from now you won't remember these little things, but when you look at that scrapbook layout, you will say "Oh, I remember that! You mean we actually SAID that?" What a treat that will be!

Using Song Lyrics as Journaling:One Page, One Layout, Multiple Memories

Song lyrics are a great way to preserve a memory. Not only are you complimenting the photo memory with the song lyrics, but you are also remembering the song itself and what it meant to you! I have to compliment country and western song lyrics as some of the most meaningful things to say.

What Was Your Favorite Song?
Did (or do) you have a favorite song? Use some of the lyrics instead of journaling. Sometimes the photos just don't have something specific to remember, but just the "being" there part- The beautiful face of your little grand daughter - granted there is alot to say, but sometimes it just gets to be just that - alot to say - with no particular meaning. However, if you were to use a particular song lyric - just one verse - or even just the title of the song - it says so much about that precious little face, and then you also have that memory every time you hear that song!

My Wedding Page
Now, George Straite's song "In All The World, You'll Never Find A Love As True As Mine" came out long time AFTER I was married and I wasn't scrapping back then either. However, when I did start scrapping, my wedding was the event I started with, that song was popular then and I loved it so that was the "journaling" I used for the page. Do I remember my wedding? Yes, to a point. But 29 years ago, I admit I dont' remember all the details. But this song, just says it all. I can see where I started and know how far I have come! (by the way, those are lyrcis from a LeeAnn Womack song that is great and I titled my daughters scrapbook album with that title!)



I was also a beginner and didn't have any money to spend on "scrapping materials and supplies" when I did this (and the following) layouts so I didn't have much in the way of supplies. Amazing what a matte behind each photo will do for the appearence of the layout!

Other layout suggestions and pictures .......One Page, One Layout = Multiple stories and memories!

One page, One Layout = multiple stories and memories!

My Little Cowboy

My son was a cowboy from the start. Well, he ended up migrating to County Sheriff, but hey - there can be only one Wyatt Earp! But Waylon Jennings version of "Mama, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys" was just that "journaling" I needed to accomodate all his "cowboy want-a-be" days!

This is also a good way to include pictures of the same "topic"but across several years. One page, one layout - multiple stories and memories!

Born To Ride


Again, it is a great way to capture the times "on wheels" for my family. My son, daughter and husband and their favorite "wheels". To make a layout for each person was just not worth the cost of supplies, muchless the time to do it. However, I inlcuded ALL 3 of them on their personal "favorite wheels" and it made a wonderful layout! Titled "Born To Ride" - captioned it all. I then added the years and my layout has years of memories - and only 3 words were used to "discuss" it all!

So don't think that you have to make one layout for each and every memory. Often, seeing them all together will make even more memories!