Vox

In my mind, your Mom's gifts to you are a paradox. I find this interesting because my wife and I have the same disagreement.

You are clearly a technically adept person capable of web magic. I think the web (or computer) the perfect media to keep / arrange family memories. We have digitized all of the old photos and constructing computer files both allows us to share our creations with family and friends and ensure that they never wither from age.

Yet, you ask your mother for scrapbook paraphernalia. Though Hiedi rarely gets the time, she enjoys putting together scrapbooks for our family. She goes out an buys the supplies, prints pictures and arranges a book that only visitors to our house can enjoy. In my opinion, they are incomplete and fall apart easily (she needs to start using a stronger glue to keep the photos on the page).

I see hers and mine as a duplicate effort. I would much prefer that she learned web design and PhotoShop for both the fun we could have in working together and the lasting sharable result of our product.

Do you see the same contradiction in scrapbooks vs. electronic memory keepsakes? How do you separate / affirm your two overlapping hobbies?

In this age of constant technology bombardment, using your hands, a few simple supplies, and your creativity, you can create a scrapbook that you can look at and hold while remembering the memories. I spend most of my workday in front of a computer screen. Coming home and doing crafts is a great way to get away from that.

Our wedding scrapbook contains not only photos, but also all the cards from the weekly bouquets of flowers Bill gave to me while we were dating, ticket stubs, small pieces of my veil (made for me), all the amazing cards we received from all over the world, etc etc. A computer screen could not hold such items. Our only other scrapbook is Thomas's baby book which will help chronicle his life until age 5. With the archival supplies now available, I hope to share this and bond with his future partner over a glass of wine, much like Bill's mom and I did over Bill's baby book.

From Hiedi and I -

Merry Christmas, Vox!!

One more point. Being the youngest of 5 with 2 working parents, I am missing the school papers, lots of photos, and memorabilia that other adults have from their childhood. As a parent, I want to be able to look back at Thomas's growing up and remember and see those items.

Merry Christmas and happy new year!!

I definitely agree with Hiedi's point about the tactile aspect. There is something much different about thumbing through a book of photos and journaling, with all the extra bits and bobs. Even those who scrapbook digitally and print the pages add some embellishments to make the page more interesting and textural.

It is much the same, although to a larger degree, as the difference between a hand written letter and and email. They both get the message across, but the former is so much more personal.

Computer scrapbooks are great for storage, and it is very easy, and cheap, to duplicate the contents. On the other hand, traditional, low-tech books have a much better UI.

(I don't share in Vox's scrapbooking hobby, but I understand it completely.)

Some other thoughts (this is intriguing).
A digital scrapbook is more like an archive; it is available, but you must want to find it, and seek it out. A physical scrapbook is more likely to be stored in a prominent place, where it will be seen and opened on impulse.

Digital scrapbooks allow returning to the memories, physical scrapbooks encourage reliving them.

(I hit Post, when I meant Preview; I hate when that happens.) Continuing:

Digital scrapbooks are better for sharing, and the advantage grows with distance.

(Does this mean that digital scrapbooking is more social in intention, and physical scrapbooking is more personal?)

Happy, when your family celebrate Xmas! :-)

I wish my parents looked at my wishlist it would have prevented them buying me things I already had or things I didn't care much about. Not that I am bitter, I had a very nice xmas with my family. It just seems silly that I have a list of things I'd really like and they ignore it.

Apparently, my mother didn't know I had the wish list until my sister told her about it.

I really started it just for that reason, because it is hard to know what people want and this is sort of a grown up letter to Santa. I try to keep things in all price ranges, and some obvious themes, so that people will know what I am into but not feel the need to spend big $$$.

I wish more of my friends and family would do it :-)

By "I wish more of my friends and family would do it" I mean set up a wish list of their own, not buy me things off mine....

Sure, rrrriiiight I am sure that's what you meant, it would be horrible if everyone bought everything you had on your wish list ;-)

Well, no, that wouldn't exactly be horrible, but I am pretty freakin' spoiled already.