Keeping Things Simple

I think I've resolved myself to the fact that I will probably always be behind on my scrapbooking. As much as I would love to...I cannot scrap all day long. Plus I collect way too many photos and memorabilia that I feel "must be documented" and not put away in a box. I'm realizing though, that I really do NOT need to spend such a ridiculous amount of time embellishing and perfecting all my layouts. For example, each of my kids have one entire album dedicated to their first birthday parties. That is a milestone, and I want everything preserved...even cards given to them. But do I really need to spend hours creating a layout of a birthday card? Not really. Santiago and Paolina will be turning 5 and 3 real soon here, and I have yet to complete either of their "First Birthday" albums. So my plan is to use simple sketches & layouts for any cards I scrap. This is probably easier said than done, as I am obsessed with adding "just one more" flower or other embellishment to my layouts. I'm hoping that with a little stamping, painting, misting and/or distressing I can give these pages visual interest without all the time (and money) spent on more elaborate layouts. My first attempt at "keeping it simple" uses a sketch from the My Scraps & More Sketches blog.

It's the perfect sketch, as it has very clean lines and virtually no embellishments, which helped alleviate much temptation on my part to start piling them on!  I also love that it encouraged me to use lots of scraps...always a bonus in my book!  And here's the finished product...

I'm pleasantly surprised by the fact that I am ok with this layout. It's not my favorite, but I certainly don't hate it. It has lots of texture and the card creates a cute focal point. It's good to know that in a pinch I can create a simple layout.