Simplify

So I'm pretty sure some of my scrapbook friends think the word simplify should be four letters. In fact, some might stage an intervention for me after they read what I'm about to write. I may seem as crazy as Brittney-- and we all know what's happening to her.

I have this growing need inside me to simplify my scrapbook stash. It actually started in preparation for the girls vaca weekend pictured above. I had some mega anxiety about making sure I didn't forget to pack anything I would need. My scrapbook stuff (which once fit in a rubbermaid I stored under my bed) is not exactly portable. In fact, it has taken on a life of its own. Packing for a crop, I mean really packing not just throwing a bunch of crap together, can sometimes take longer than the time I actually spend cropping.

So when I was packing up my stuff for Galena, I started wishing everything I needed could fit into a rolling tote. I actually gave away my rolling tote a few years ago because I resigned myself to the fact that my stuff would never be mobile. Now that I have so much, I'm dreaming of going back to basics.

I see all the posts of the pretty scrapbook rooms, the "studios" stocked with more product than some scrapbook stores. I used to drool. I used to covet. Somehow in the last couple of weeks my view of all that changed. I look at it and think all that stuff will never get used. It's just not possible.

I think part of this new feeling is based on plans we're considering for the house. As it stands right now, I have a quarter of our lower level. It's all unfinished right now, wired for electricity but lacking drywall, flooring, etc. The more I think about the space that Karl and I share down there (his half has woodworking stuff), the more I want to eventually create an awesome office/photo studio/consulation room. We've already purchased the french doors for that space. I can totally see it.

But if we did that, I'd have to move my scrapbook stuff somewhere else. I don't especially want to clutter the guest room with my stuff. I want to have a guest room that's always ready for company. So really, to fulfill my dream of having a space in our home to meet with clients, I'd need to change the way I look at my scrapbooking stuff.

So that's what I'm thinking about right now. A part of me still wants to have a pretty room. A bright fresh place to go and create. But a larger part of me says I'd do more creating at the dining room table with Karl just a few feet away watching tv. Now I face the challenge of deciding *how* to simplify.