enJOY it

an archived personal and craft blog from Elise Blaha Cripe.

Homecollage

This "HOME" book idea has been percolating for a few months but once we found out we'd for sure be moving I decided to get a little more active and start documenting. I put together a mini book to remember our first apartment together. I love the idea of just adding to this book as we move (because P's military there are a lot of moves on the horizon). I think it would be cool to just have a small tab separating the zipcodes and new houses.

Last week I went around my house while the light was good and took the 32 photos in the above collage. I keep my camera oriented vertically because I new the book pages would be portrait photos. I didn't do any cleaning up before hand, I just carefully "edited" what was seen through the viewfinder. I paid special attention to the colors of our home, the art on the walls and all the little details that are so easy to forget (including the inside of the refrigerator).

Cover
Inside
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I gocco printed the cover and US map and then pulled together a few
patterned papers. I also stamped some frame stamps on cardstock which
make perfect spaces for text or small photos. The book is 4×6 and the pages are just photos and papers adhered back to back.

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Zippage
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In addition to photos, I included text about our house. Small things
like what we pay for rent and utilities. I listed my LOVES and HATES
with our current living situation. I added a thought from me and a
thought from P about what makes our house a home (years from now, I
would love to ask my little ones the same question). I also added little details like a scanned image of our door key (blurred for safety) and a receipt from the grocery store (actually, in the photo it's a PS receipt. We need to get to the store). For our next home, I'll be sure to save things like paint chips and furniture tags – but for now, this works well.

This is our first home together. It's my first apartment outside of college, and while I have fabulous intentions – it looks nothing like the homes on my favorite decor blogs. But I think it is still important to document. I love that I'll have a little book to remind me how we lived from August 2007-March 2010. Plus, in ten years, I might be a little closer to making it on Apartment Therapy and then I will know just how far we've come.

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There are some HOME minibook kits available in the shop.

Posted in ,

55 responses to “home sweet.”

  1. helena Avatar

    I wish I had done this for the places that I have lived – it is the small details that I have forgotten and do not have photos of

    Like

  2. sonya audrey Avatar

    This is such a wonderful idea! I wish I had thought to do this when we were first married. So far we’ve lived in 5 different places together, in two different duty stations, so I think I’m too late. It’s definitely SUCH a great idea to document all the different moves. Love it!

    Like

  3. Janna Avatar

    That is such a great idea!! My husband and I are moving soon and we will be leaving our first home together and I would love to do the same kind of thing. My husband is a RCMP officer and we will be movings lot’s as well in our lives!!!

    Like

  4. Rachael Avatar

    I’d love to know more about the stamps you used for your writing. Were they just acrylic stamps?

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  5. Melissa Gruber Avatar

    really cute book…i love it! good scrapbooking idea for me…do to our home too…thanks!

    Like

  6. Mae Avatar
    Mae

    Another fun book…I just love looking at your mini books.

    Like

  7. Tanya Avatar

    Your home book is a super FAB idea! I love how you capture the essence of life! Thanks for sharing!

    Like

  8. indigorchid Avatar

    Oh, I love love love this idea! For my first apartment with my boy, I just have pictures I took to show my far-away friends and family what it looked like where we were living. For this apartment(by far the favorite), I will do this. Inspired!

    Like

  9. Molly Irwin Avatar

    this makes me want to shoot my house again. right now!

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  10. lauren Avatar

    i love this mini book!! totally inspiring me to put something together before/shortly after we move [yet again!!] this weekend!! 🙂 and 😦
    *

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  11. Nikki Avatar

    Wow, this is an amazing idea. My husband and I are still living in our first home and I would love to do this! My husband is in the military too so it will be great to have a big fat book by the end of his career.
    Thanks for the inspiration.

    Like

  12. Nadia Avatar

    great idea elise! I so need to do this! we are hoping to move this year and I would love a beautiful book full of pics and thoughts about our current home where we have lived for over 15 years. thank you! happy monday! ciao!

    Like

  13. Bluebelle Avatar

    I love this idea. I’ve been itching creatively to make a mini book for the last week or so but haven’t come up with a theme yet. I might start a home sweet home book now, thanks!

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  14. leah eggers Avatar

    oh I love this! great way to document all the little things.

    Like

  15. Melanie K. Avatar

    There is a free class at Get It Scrapped for scrapbooking your home … I bought your home book kit to use for it (it will be a year long project). Wonderful timing!

    Like

  16. sarah Avatar

    great book elise! i keep a copy of my house key from each place i’ve lived in a cute little vintage jar – unfortunately i never tagged them as to what the address was so i really like the idea of you scanning the key for the book!

    Like

  17. Elise Blaha Avatar

    hi Rachael, the single frame is by Anna Griffin and I think I bought it at archivers. The multi frame one is from Great Impressions and Im not sure where it came from. Hope that helps!

    Like

  18. Emma Avatar

    hi! i am a new reader and this book is fabulous! such a great idea to record where you’ve lived. i did a couple of scrapbook pages here and there of my dorm rooms and apartment in college–this is much more detailed, thanks for sharing!

    Like

  19. shannon Avatar
    shannon

    This project is exquisite –great idea and beautiful execution!

    Like

  20. Kristen Fischer Avatar

    so LOVELY, as usual!

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  21. Tiffany Avatar

    Love it, I actually created a scrapbook of before/after when we moved into our condo – ahh the memories.

    Like

  22. Joanne Avatar
    Joanne

    love, love, love this book. YOU are always coming up with the best ideas ever. I never think to shoot the ordinary stuff….it always looks so bland. THEN you shoot ordinary stuff and it looks fab! I’m trying to remember what our first apartment looked like some 32 years ago…ahem, a book like this would definitely help the ol memory! Thanks for sharing.

    Like

  23. jodi Avatar

    i wish i had done this with my other apartments/houses. i will definitely be documenting my current place, though.
    i am sure you will treasure this one for a long, long time.

    Like

  24. Caroline Avatar

    I just wanted to say that I absolutely love your blog!!! I read/looked through it last night and love your mini books and everything else that you create!!!

    Like

  25. elizabeth Avatar

    oh I love this book! looks like I just snatched up the last one. 🙂 yay for me. I’m going to start taking my pics this weekend.

    Like

  26. HeatherB Avatar

    Loooooving this book… this is my favorite of yours by far (not that I don’t love them!) Seriously made me feel the love between you two! Excited for what’s to come in your married world! Xoxo

    Like

  27. Tori Avatar
    Tori

    This is so cute and special! I love your mini books, they’re so inspiring and creative. I have a few in progress that I keep adding myself, but I can’t ever seem to just sit down and do a whole book.

    Like

  28. Michelle Clement Avatar

    Oh! Cute idea! 🙂 And all of your photos are lovely!!

    Like

  29. Sara B. Avatar
    Sara B.

    I love this idea! Looks like the books are all sold out. I’d be interested in getting one should you make more. 🙂

    Like

  30. summer Avatar

    how wonderful is this? am loving the fridge and closet and bed photos. and just the whole book. it’s so clever and sweet, elise! truly. i wish i had done this with our li’l apartment when we moved in the fall. you’re going to be so glad you nabbed all the little details!

    Like

  31. jon + jlyn Avatar

    as another almost-residency-bound med student (with a currently deployed husband…), i SO wish i would have done this for our last home. i’m still going to put together a layout or just SOMETHING about our little abode during med school to hold onto.
    but for now, i got this idea from Becky Higgins & adapted it to our (many) living situation(s)–the Army does that do you! i think we’ll treasure it for awhile…& the best thing is that we’ll keep adding to it!
    http://dailypieces.blogspot.com/2009/06/project-1-guest-book.html

    Like

  32. Jessica McDougall Avatar

    this is brilliant! Any plans to make more kits?

    Like

  33. Amy Tan Avatar

    this is soo inspiring. i just love it.

    Like

  34. Lanne Avatar

    INSPIRED! I have always taken photos of every home – often i do it for insurance (burn to disc and leave off site).. i could do this from every house we have lived in together (seven!). I am sure my son would appreciate it one day.

    Like

  35. Tanya W Avatar
    Tanya W

    i wish i had done this, when i was younger i moved so much my daughter is 10 and in her shot life we have lived in a good 12-15 houses, i might do something like this for now though, and even in the same house just add to it yearly

    Like

  36. Stephanie B Avatar

    What a wonderful way to remember! The first’s are the best.

    Like

  37. Elise Blaha Avatar

    hi Jessica, Its on my list — Im excited they were so well received. elise

    Like

  38. krystyn Avatar

    What a great idea and a beautiful little mini book. You always have the best ideas!!

    Like

  39. Jessica Fulkerson O'Brien Avatar

    so cool! i still love your wall colors and now your bathroom hand towels too! i love that you captured all the little bits you may forget later. so very cool.

    Like

  40. christa Avatar
    christa

    awesome. awesome. awesome. awesome!
    TOTALLY stealing your idea. At a time in my life where I need to start documenting this exact thing! Thank you for your inspiring idea!!!

    Like

  41. Sandy Avatar

    I love how you made the book. I’m sad I missed out. Myabe I can get oen if you make more of them. Great job.

    Like

  42. Laura Avatar

    While I was reading this post suddenly my mind jumped to the fact that after you move your work will be photographed on a different background, not the planks of your deck which I have grown so accustomed to! A little thing but one that will be quite noticeable (I think).

    Like

  43. rose Avatar

    great idea. love that you are recording all the little details that make a space your own.

    Like

  44. christina Avatar

    I love this album! My husband and I are in our first home together, and with a baby on the way, it seems like a perfect time to start a mini-album like this (especially since we’re cleaning up overall and doing up the nursery!). What a great idea and a great album for you. I foresee you needing larger binder rings. 🙂

    Like

  45. christina Avatar

    Oh and I TOTALLY love your doormat. 🙂

    Like

  46. Ali Edwards Avatar

    I so love this idea.

    Like

  47. Nikki M Avatar
    Nikki M

    What a fantastic idea! Best wishes to you and all of the changes that your life holds for the next year! Exciting times ahead for you!

    Like

  48. Fletch Avatar

    I love it too. We just bought our retirement home in Bend, Oregon and we will be adding to it and making it a home over time. I will document this home that we live in now and the transformation of the Oregon house into a home. Great idea. I would be interested in a kit if you make more!

    Like

  49. Lara Avatar

    love it!!! 🙂

    Like

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