Did you know that your life experiences, from simple to monumental, are worth gathering, curating and sharing with those that love you? Well, they are! Each week I share bits and bobs from my studio on how I'm working to make it easier for you to find the time, tools and motivation to preserve and share your family stories and photographs.
🗒️ Notes from the Studio - September 4, 2026 🌻
|
Hey there friends! Happy September. 🌻 Here in NWA we are still in the thick of a bizarre heat wave as I’m sure some of the rest of you are as well. Looks like at least 1 more week before a possible return to normal September temps. 🙏 I’ve got another family story thread pulling idea for you today. You might think it’s a bit of a reach, but you might just find some gems about your family there. Scroll on down to read more. In other news, I have entered into a whole new realm of story gathering and memory making. Over the last few weeks I’ve gotten to babysit my grandsons here and there, and let me tell you - the things they say and you experience without their parents around are pure gold! I’m definitely writing these nuggets down because they bring me so much joy. I’m still smiling about what my oldest grandson told me this week when I picked him up after school. Just 15 minutes from the school to his house but I learned so much about what’s going on in first grade. I know some of you are long-distance grandparents like I was for too many years. But I’m pretty sure that just like I did during those years - you are making the most of the time you have with those little ones. Take notes and write those memories down. 🩷 Happy thread pulling and happy almost Labor Day weekend. BEHIND THE SCENES THIS WEEK If you’ve read my ebook “The Big 5 - Family Stories You Need To Preserve For Future Generations” (free download) you know that writing the story of your faith is one of my 5. Many of us grew up in beautiful church communities that I’m sure at least once in your childhood created a photo church directory. Remember Olan Mills?! The first thing that comes to mind when you think of a church directory is the individual family photos. And, yes - those are certainly treasures. Your family probably also bought the prints of those. But if you still have one of these directories in your home, flip through it to see if there are also photos of church lay leadership, committees, boards, etc. Here you might discover a thread about your parents or grandparents time serving their church. Some directories also include group photos of the choir, youth group, etc. Are you in one of those photos in your family's church directory? 😀 When you are writing the story of your faith, you might also want to include a scanned photo from a church directory of a pastor that guided your early faith journey. Since I’m pretty sure my kids won’t hang onto the church directories from my childhood, I’m scanning important photos to save with my memories. Happy thread pulling! Note - the photos I used for these images were taken from Etsy listings for vintage church directories. If you have any interest in the Glenstone Baptist Church (Springfield, MO) directories pictured above, search Etsy for those. Take a photo. Write a little bit. Create a legacy story for your family. INTENTIONAL HOME - Decluttering & Curating Memories
FREE - CURATING YOUR READINGI finally got around to creating a Reading Log spreadsheet to keep track of what I’ve already read. I have a page in my Apple Notes where I started listing books years ago, but I haven’t kept up with it. I added the current audio book I’m listening to in my own copy so that you can get an idea of how it works. I’m giving away the Books I've Read - Reading Log until I get it set up in my shop, so please use this link to download a document that has instructions and links to both the Excel desktop version and the Google Sheets online version. Note: The document will say "purchase" because I'll be using it in the shop. But for you - this is totally FREE! Happy first day of Spring. 🌸 Reading Log Access Document.pdf SHOPRESOURCES FOR ART & HEALING Renée Fleming - “Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness” - Amazon Susan Magsamen - “Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us” - Amazon RESOURCES & SUPPORT
Help for using phone notes apps FREE DOWNLOADS
I'd love to have you follow my social feeds. I promise to not be boring but will most likely be cheesy now and again. 😉 |
Hello & welcome!
Did you know that your life experiences, from simple to monumental, are worth gathering, curating and sharing with those that love you? Well, they are! Each week I share bits and bobs from my studio on how I'm working to make it easier for you to find the time, tools and motivation to preserve and share your family stories and photographs.
Hey there friends! Happy Friday and happy Family History Month. I hope your week has been a pleasant one and you have been able to spend time doing something you enjoy. In a world where it seems like every day and month on the calendar we are celebrating something 😂 - it seems the month of October is when we celebrate Family History Month. I’m happy about this because it means that there is more of a focus on the resources we need to gather the history and stories of our own families. Today...
Hey there friends! What memories do you want to curate for your family about your time in a particular place? It’s not unusual for me to say to a friend or family member “Remember when....?” or “Do you remember that time…?” But this week, I’ve found myself saying that quite a few times. And each time, that question has been because we were talking about shared experiences in a place. Not the place we are currently living in, but one that we shared in the past. I’ve realized this week the...
Hey there friends! Well, hello October. 🍂 I’m so ready to fully embrace all things autumn that I made some pumpkin butter for the first time over the weekend. It's so good on toast! Farewell horrible dry hot spell. Welcome rainy, cooler days. I’ve just started work on a couple of booklets for my dear Presbyterian church client in Tennessee, so I’ve haven’t had much time this week to rustle up family story-gathering ideas. What I have been thinking about, though, is how the houses and...