The Memory Bee

February 6 A Tour of Treasures

Last week I shared photos on Facebook of my knickknacks and treasures all out at one time as I cleaned and sorted and ended up giving a trunk load of things to Goodwill. I thought I'd share some of the process and thoughts in case it inspires someone to do the same thing!

Here's a wide view of the finished living room and dining room. It's small and cozy and, believe it or not, I got rid of a lot! (For minimalists, this still looks like too much, I'm sure!)

Here's one of the before/in process photos... I got out all the stuff I had in cupboards, on shelves in the basement, etc. and put it all out where I could see it at one time...

I've been a collector all my life - I love pretty things and used to go to garage sales, flea markets, and auctions regularly. I've collected tea pots and cups and saucers, pink and other pastel pottery, German, French, and English porcelain, alarm clocks...

Sunglow pottery and Hull pottery...

Cute baskets, globes, old letters and papers...

Buttons, dishes, sewing supplies...

And tons of old books and little Bibles... (I put a lot of the old books that were here and there around the house in a big pile and then separated them by color and size.)

I fussed and fixed things around for a day or two and then settled on this arrangement below for the shelves. I tried to find a photo of the "before" but couldn't find one but there is a lot less on the shelves than there was! I love making little vignettes and strive for the right balance in the overall look. For example, I used to have plates lined up all along the second row of shelves but now there are just two plates on the left side, so there aren't too many circle shapes in a row. There are several circles with the plates, the globe, and the little round suitcase, so I tried to get a balance of those. There are also a few things with black, so I spread those out, so no shelf looks too "heavy." My goal is that your eye would go from the top left and flow down to the bottom.

The things I love most about my treasures is that most of them have special meaning and memories of where I was or who I was with. Nothing is terribly valuable, so as things have gotten broken over the years, I was able to let it go.

On the shelf below I've got books, a little glass French bulldog, and a squirrel from the Paris flea market, hydrangeas from my yard, and one of the collection of baby paintings that I actually put away for now except this one.

This is the tacky travel souvenir shelf... I love my tiny snow globes and all... the tiny tea cup is from a flea market in Oslo, Norway - such a fun memory! Another favorite is the green plastic Statue of Liberty that I found in the bottom of a bin at the Bargain Barn.

I've never been able to find out if there is a name for this pottery - it only says Made in USA on the bottom or side, but I've collected several pieces of it over the years. I got these paintings at the Paris flea market, also. I've had the black sewing box for loads of years - I can't remember where I got it now - at a flea market somewhere!

I love having family photos on display... my Grandma always had that little glass pitcher on her side table and I played with it every time I went there when I was little, so I love having it now.

I've also collected pictures that have poems on them - two of them hang here along with the painting I got at the Paris flea market the last time I was there. They are all hanging with hot glue since they are very lightweight. The books are mine from when I was little and the Army guy Legos are from when Brandon was a medic in Iraq.

I treasure the little round suitcase that I got at Vignettes in Ocean Beach near San Diego... "There was an old woman who lived in a shoe"... and the little glass shoe that I found somewhere - probably at the Bargain Barn in Florida. I treasure my collection of old little Bibles - the oldest is signed from 1864 from a father to his daughter.

I always find the mantle a challenge... it's easy to have everything look like it's marching in a row. I think I need something taller at the left end - maybe some kind of topiary. I used to have one but can't find it now, so it must have been donated in another purge! LOL (Beau is sleeping on this chair which is unusual because his spot is on the couch!)

I finally put the little oil paint canvas in a frame that I got at the flea market in Rome, and now it's one of my favorite things. The turquoise basket had an old dried flower arrangement in it which I threw away and scrubbed the basket and now I love it on display.

I've had this long pink pottery vase/dish for a long time and never did anything with it, but now I've filled it with some cute stuffed things and added a delicate pink doily. I used to have stuffed things on display and had put them all away since they seemed too childish, but I decided to get them out since I have a granddaughter that will hopefully be coming to visit someday!

I have my grandparent's piano that I am keeping for my son to take someday when he has a home, but for now it's a place for me to have more stuff! I consolidated all the little vintage sewing supplies into a soup tureen that doesn't have a lid, but I've kept because I love the birds on the front. Sometimes a collection can have more impact when it's all in one place like this instead of scattered here and there. One of my favorite things is the spool of thread that still has a bit of tatting still attached - a very old work in progress!

I always have fun rearranging the scene inside the birdcage from Melrose Vintage - this time all treasures from Paris, except the flowers and the bird...

I put some Hull pottery on the china cupboard...

And I rearranged the doodads in the old glass front cupboard that hangs in the dining room.

I treasure the set of leather books on the top row and my little books from many countries on the bottom shelf...

The corner cupboard stayed pretty much the same - I got rid of most of the Japanese tea pieces that didn't have any meaning to me and kept the French, German, and Austrian pieces with pretty flowers that I like best. The cow creamer on the top shelf was my great-grandmother's and the bee plate was a sweet gift from friends on a NYC trip.

I love my tea cups and saucers and the books from the book shop in Galerie Viviene in Paris and the shell found in the sand out in the water in Florida...

Whew! That's a lot of stuff to love! I enjoy seeing other people's collections and how they display them, so I hope you've enjoyed this little tour. (By the way, the old suitcases at the end of the couch hold scrapbook papers and stickers that I'm saving for kids to play with someday. I love using vintage pieces like that for storage.)

Enjoy your weekend! We're in for the weekend, I think, since we're getting a lot of snow! Stay warm! Love, Debby xoxo

February 3 New Classes

I'm so excited to announce a new hand's on iPhone technique class that I'll be teaching live on Zoom on Saturday and Sunday, March 6 and 7. You can read all about it and sign up for the session that you prefer in my online shop HERE. This is my second iPhone technique class - you can also get the recording of the live Zoom class learning how to use photo apps to make collages and small size photos, etc. in the shop, too, if you missed that class, but it is not a prerequisite to this new class.

In this new class I'll be sharing what I've learned over the years to help me take better photos with my phone - they say that the best camera is the one that you have with you, and since we always have our phones with us, I want to take the best photos I can to capture the memories and beauty around me. The better photo that I take means the less editing I need to do to the photo, so better original photos are the goal, but almost every photo can use a little tweaking to make it the best that it can be. I'll be sharing the simple editing techniques that I use, and then also share some fun editing apps to use to mix in with your more traditional photos. I will be demonstrating all my tips and techniques on an iPhone, and while some of the basic principles will apply to any phone you might have, I won't be talking about editing on an Android phone.

About two weeks before class, you'll be sent a list of apps to have downloaded to your iPhone so that you can work alongside me and try each technique for yourself. If you can't attend the live Zoom class, you can still sign up for either day and receive the recording of the class for you to enjoy anytime. The place to sign up is HERE.

I also listed a brand new class that I recorded a Zoom class for - this is the album I taught in Greece on my retreat there last year. I had class kits set aside for my next retreat there, but since I don't know when that will happen again, I decided to record the step by step class and offer the kits to everyone. There are only six kits, so if you are interested, don't delay! The kit is huge for this beautiful album. There isn't anything that is specifically for Greece in the album, so you can change the title to anything you'd like. It's perfect for beach, tropical, or summer photos and mementos.

This week I also recorded the class session for two older kits - Sunkissed Memories and A Corner of My Heart. There are 6 kits for each of those classes also. Those kits are discounted but still come with the recording of the Keynote presentation showing each step to make the albums. You can find all this good stuff in my online shop... The Memory Bee. The link is always at the top of the right hand column if you want to come back to it later.

I've ordered all the new products for 5 new Zoom classes that will debut this spring after products arrive and the classes are designed. A new class with the Maggie Holmes collection Garden Party arrives in March - I ordered a huge amount of that collection to use in a beautiful new album. Another new class with the Simple Stories Safe Travel collection is arriving later this month, and the other new classes have products that arrive in April.

I hope you are staying safe and well and warm! Thank you for your friendship and support! Love, Debby xoxo

January 19 Around here

Somehow this photo represents my life right now... "I ironed my sweatpants today." LOL Whoever dreamed that would be the event of my day!

I'm at home this month for the first time in 20+ years, but usually I'm off to the craft and hobby trade show where I choose the scrapbook products for my new classes for the year. But sadly this year, the show is canceled, and I'm home, pouring through catalogs online. It just isn't the same, and I miss seeing things in person and catching up with friends in the industry.

My days begin at my desk in my office... I'm thankful every day for this cozy spot to start the day. (You can see the ring light and bracket for my phone hanging over my desk for Zoom classes. I've got three or four classes that I'm going to be recording soon. More info coming as soon as I have them recorded. Only one is a new class with just nine kits available!)

The easiest way to share what's been going on is through my January Little Book pages (which is still bringing me so much joy!) As I wrote before, I've started walking between three and four miles a day. I can't believe it!

The most exciting thing around here are the Buffalo Bills! We love our Bills and have had so much fun seeing them do so well this year!

I taught the last of my scheduled live Zoom classes to two lovely groups of friends. About half of those who signed up for class take it live and the other half watch the recording later instead - it's all good, but I love seeing everyone in person and catching up!

Below are more photos of my days walking, some inspirational quotes, and a photo of Brandon with his Bills t-shirt from ages ago when we went to four Super Bowls in a row, losing each time. We're ready for a win!!

I've placed the orders for my new classes for the spring (and even one that I'm saving for next fall.) I'll have lots more info on them soon, but one of the biggest orders I placed was for the new Maggie Holmes Garden Party collection. It's the only collection from Crate Paper this season, so I'm excited to get it in a month or so and make the album for class. I've also ordered product for a travel album class and a little boy or little girl album class.

Over the weekend we took a walk at Forest Lawn Cemetery, a huge cemetery in the city. I love cemeteries - they are usually peaceful and pretty. My favorite cemetery is the Protestant cemetery in Rome near the pyramid, and then my second favorite is a tie between Pere Lachaise in Paris and the cemetery at San Mineato al Monte in Florence.

We cheered the Bills to the victory in this weekend's playoff game. Allentown is a neighborhood in Buffalo, and our quarterback's name is Josh Allen, so we walked on Allen St. to take pictures of the signs that have been changed to cheer Josh on.

On Sunday, we took our walk at the Buffalo Zoo. The buildings were closed due to Covid, but there were a few animals outside for us to see. We also walked a big loop around Delaware Park to get our miles in.

Yesterday we commemorated the life of Martin Luther King Jr. and I included it on my little page. Lots more thoughts about his life and words this year than I ever have had. He preached in Buffalo at the church pictured below not long before he was assassinated.

That catches us up to today! I've listed the iPhone techniques class that I taught on Zoom in my online store HERE, if you missed it and would like to learn how I make the collages and all that are on these little pages. I'll also be listing two other classes that I taught on Zoom in the fall that I have a couple extra kits for (This is Family and Joy in the Journey.)

I hope you're staying home and staying well! Love, Debby xoxo

January 14 Photo Organization Part 2

I love getting emails and messages from all of you were inspired by my first post about organizing my photos (Part 1 is here) to tackle your own! We're in it together! When I wrote my last post, this was the situation with my photos... I had gotten out every loose photo from whatever storage box or drawer it was in and put them in categories on the table. When I was done, it was completely overwhelming and left me with no where to work on further sorting.

Sooo, I moved the piles to the shelf on the wall near the table and labeled each pile...

I've also sorted some of the biggest piles further to photos of just my husband, just me, and family occasion photos...

I've also got two huge piles that are photos of just Brandon and just Jeremy, and then also piles of the four of us as a family, ones with just Jeremy and Brandon, ones with one of the boys with Dave or I, and a pile of the photos of just Dave and I, rather than having them separated by occasion. I'm not sure that this is the right way to organize them, but this is a start before the next step...

Ugh... the next step. I brought every scrapbook into the room and the next task is to somehow see which photos are already in scrapbooks. I have years of fabulous scrapbooks done for each year, for vacations, etc. I'll have to share some of the layouts sometime. Because I taught a 2 page layout every week for seven years, I have a lot of super cute layouts that perfectly tell the story of those days. Do I really need the doubles of those photos? I'm thinking, no, but I might like to save the very best of the doubles since no one looks at the scrapbooks anymore. I'll let you know how this step goes...

I found this girl who teaches a class on organizing old photos, so I'm thinking of watching that class for hints. I don't know her and can't vouch for the class, but here is the link to her classes: missfreddy.com. I'll take any guidance I can get at this point! For something like $2,500+, she would organize my photos! LOL I'll keep plugging away and figure that I'm not under a time crunch to get it done. I have some other work I need to get done right now with planning and ordering products for new classes and getting a couple other classes filmed on Zoom, so I'm not working on it too much these days. ****Update: I purchased and watched her photo organization and I'm sorry to say that I don't really recommend it for the price. The session video on actually organizing your photos is 3 minutes long, as are the other videos in the class for a total of about 15 minutes of instruction.

Do you have any hints for me? Enjoy today! Love, Debby xoxo

January 11 Walking and Podcasts

If I showed you my list of goals for this year and my to-do for the year, you would not find anything about starting to walk or exercise on any of my lists. I love to walk in cities for miles and look up at the buildings, notice details, watch people, and have somewhere to go, but I have never enjoyed walking in my neighborhood. It is so boring to me. I live in a good neighborhood to walk in because the streets are relatively flat, there isn't a lot of traffic, and with no sidewalks, walking in the street is expected. (During the pandemic I've even seen people park on our street, get out of their cars, and go for a walk here. That's funny to me!)

I don't know what's come over me but, all of a sudden, I'm looking forward to walking every day! I've walked 3-4 miles for the last four days for the first time in my life, except when I'm traveling somewhere. Four days isn't that much but it's the start of something new for me!

I'm not sure what it was - maybe the prospect of being home every single day for the next few months or the fact that the sky is gray here day after day, and I can either let it make me miserable or get out and get some fresh air.

I think the number one thing that has made a difference for me is that it occurred to me that I could listen to podcasts while I'm walking with my earbuds and my phone and that might help pass the time. My husband and I have discovered that podcasts have made a huge difference in helping the time pass more quickly on our road trips to visit family. (I know I'm late to the podcast thing!) Since it passes the time on a trip, maybe it would help my walks pass more quickly and give me something to look forward to. A lot of podcasts are about an hour long, which is a good amount of time for a walk.

Yesterday, we went to a park in Buffalo to walk, but I told my husband I needed to listen to my podcast in order to be able to do it that's how much I really don't like to walk. I like somewhere quickly, as those who have traveled with me can attest, and walking just seems so slow. It's another reason I love riding a bike!

My husband agreed that I could listen and this time he even put one of my earbuds in his ear so he could listen to the podcast, too.

So what were we listening to? I'm listening to Your Own Backyard, the story of missing student Kristin Smart, who disappeared in 1995 from her college campus in California. The case has never been solved. I've learned from our road trips that I enjoy a podcast with a story and lots of details and some mystery.

On our road trips, we've listened to Serial, seasons 1 and 2; we've tried Crime Junkie but the girl's voice is too irritating to us; we listened to most of the Slowburn episodes about Watergate and Nixon; and have tried a couple others that we just couldn't get into.

I made a list of podcasts to try, so I've got them in my podcast library, ready to try when I need something new. I'm going to try Living Proof with Beth Moore, That Sounds Fun, The Bible Recap, The Bible Binge, Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast, Cold, Culpable, and The Catch and Kill. This is quite a diverse list, LOL, and I'm quickly able to tell if I want to continue to listen to something - so I'm not recommending any of these yet since I haven't listened myself, but these were the ones that sound interesting enough to try. You'll notice that there aren't any pop culture or scrapbooking podcasts listed. I really don't enjoy listening to people just talk about their thoughts - I like a story, I think. We'll see as time goes by and I'll let you know!

Do you have any podcasts to recommend? I appreciate any suggestions! Love, Debby xoxo