enJOY it

an archived personal and craft blog from Elise Blaha Cripe.

IMG_7856
IMG_7858

I finally got started on a physical journal to hold my monthly "she & he" musings and photos.

It's laughably simple and that is completely the point. I wanted an album that I can update a few times a year forever and ever. And by forever and ever, I really hope I am right.

95% of the scrapbook projects I do are just for fun. I really don't think about the "future Elise" or our kids reading/looking through them. But this is totally different.

This album is our story. Elise & Paul. She & he.

IMG_7845
IMG_7846
IMG_7847
IMG_7848
IMG_7849
IMG_7850

I am including in this album the essentials : the text from my monthly blog posts, the life events, and for now, our weekly photobooth strips. 

Everything has a format.

IMG_7852

Monthly "she & he" posts are printed on kraft cardstock in black 9pt helvetica font. And then on goes a photo from the month that was printed at home with a thin white border. And around the whole thing is a machine stitched line in white thread.

IMG_7853

Life events get a page with a photo from the event and a blurb. I make big and mini albums for all sorts of events. This album is not to provide detail. This is to provide a time line. Again, it's our story in a simple form. These pages are printed on semi-gloss photo paper at home and then a machine stitched black line is added.

IMG_7851

For the photobooth strips, I want to see how many I end up with over the next few months. I will probably sew them into place by stitching right on the plastic page protectors.

Supplies : album from Target, page protectors by American Crafts, kraft cardstock from Kraft Outlet, letter stickers & photo paper from Office Depot.

I'm excited to try and keep this up. A photo a month of our family (obviously future little ones would get added in) + a quick write up of what happened to us kept for years? That would be awesome.

Posted in , , ,

67 responses to “the she & he book.”

  1. robyn Avatar

    i’ve been married for just under 2 years, and i’m going to go back and do this for my marriage, for sure! i’m just going to pick events to start with, and do the “white pages” first, and then as i come up with month style shots i’ll do those as well.
    brilliant, and totally do-able in retrospect!

    Like

  2. kristen Avatar

    i am in love with this!! the machine stitching is awesome!

    Like

  3. KissMyTulle Avatar

    Lovely. Simple is always more beautiful (and managable) IMO. And that binder from Target? I bought 4 of them this weekend to organize my office!
    Great minds and all that…

    Like

  4. elise blaha Avatar

    Love the cost of the binders compared to regular albums. πŸ™‚

    Like

  5. Mandy Dake Avatar
    Mandy Dake

    Totally INSPIRED by this!! As a mother, and a wife of going on 9 years next month.. This is ON for me. Knock off He and She is a GO!! Thanks, Love!!

    Like

  6. Molly Avatar
    Molly

    this looks so fabulous! very inspiring.

    Like

  7. Evasleva Avatar

    it’s a wounderful idea. And easy!

    Like

  8. Bluebelle Avatar

    That’s really lovely. I made a mini book each year around our anniversary of the last year. I love the idea that in ten years we’ll have ten little books and a record of our journey.

    Like

  9. Amy Lapi Avatar

    gorrrrrrgeous. fantastic. fabulous.

    Like

  10. jodi Avatar

    i LOVE this! what a great idea!
    i’ve been married for 11 years, but i think i’m going to go ahead and do this anyway! =)

    Like

  11. Anne Avatar

    Great great album, I love it! Maybe I’ll try to do something similar once my current minibook-in-progress is finished… although I’m not sure my husband would be such a good sport with the photo sessions πŸ˜‰

    Like

  12. chris Avatar

    I never thought about using Harry’s emails. Brilliant! And this is why I absolutely love your thinking and your blog!

    Like

  13. Erin Avatar
    Erin

    awesome! love the design format.

    Like

  14. Funnelcloud Rachel Avatar

    I love love love this and I hope you’ll keep posting updates as you add more pages. And I’d love more tips as to how you keep this simple and decide what events make the cut. I always get overwhelmed with these projects and try to add too much and then end up giving up on the whole thing.

    Like

  15. elise blaha Avatar

    I will definitely post updates when I make progress on this book. And will talk more about the process. But for now – the only events that make the cut are LIFE CHANGERS. Right now thats wedding, moves, graduation honeymoon. I wont add regular vacations. Just honeymoon. I will add, future moves, when we get pregnant, when we have babies, etc. Thats it for LIFE EVENTS. I dont anticipate there being a lot. Maybe 25 over a lifetime? Hope that helps!!

    Like

  16. elisa Avatar

    itΒ΄s a lovely idea πŸ™‚
    love the album
    mua mua

    Like

  17. Deirdre Avatar
    Deirdre

    Somehow missed this post, and this is now my favorite-est project of yours ever. I’m 41 & have been married 17 yrs and would give anything to have a simple album like this. I know you’ll eventually have a ton of “kid” projects/mini-albums down the years, but I hope you keep this focused on “she & him”—because that is how it begins and ends, and it is so great to see that strong center from the beginning.

    Like

Leave a comment