After passing on my brilliant wisdom a few days ago about studying for the NCLEX, it occurred to me that I left out one very important piece of advice: Don't forget to play!
What I mean by that is don't forget to give yourself a break now and then, and take some time off from the grueling studying. My oldest brother was very quick to point out the importance of giving yourself time off. He was quite wise to recognize the importance of taking breaks. Of course, I have been doing that all along now, (probably too many breaks, to be perfectly honest), but I failed to mention that in my last blog, so I wanted to get to it now, or "strike now while the iron is hot". Jeez, what is with me and these silly metaphors? I don't know, but I do know my son wrote a college paper entirely on the subject of metaphors, and got an A, so they can't be all bad.
So now that I have mentioned the importance of taking some time off when studying for The Beast, I would like to talk for a moment about one of my most favorite hobbies, scrapbooking. For those not familiar, it is a creative endeavor in which the hobbyist spends inordinate amounts of time gluing photographs to pages. Okay, perhaps that is a bit oversimplified, but as I mentioned in my last blog, I like to summarize. However, since a pathetic little summary such as that does no justice to a fabulous hobby such as scrapbooking, allow me the opportunity to reveal just a few more details. And by "a few" I mean more details than there are grains of sand on the average beach.
If you haven't heard of this hobby, or have heard of it but know nothing about it, this is your lucky day. For I am about to enlighten you, thrill you, entertain you, and otherwise turn your creative soul inside out with joy as I describe the wonders of scrapbooking.
Are photographs involved? Yes. Are they glued to pages in a scrapbook album? Yes. But that is just the beginning, my dear reader. Sure, it could end there, if you wanted your pictures slapped into a book in haphazard fashion just so you could brag to your co-workers that your photos are no longer collecting dust in old shoe boxes. But that type of scrapbooking is, well, basic at best, rank amateur at worst. Allow me to explain.
You've heard the phrase, "Less is more". Well in the great hobby of scrapbooking, "More is more". Literally. These scrapbooks are not mere keepers of memories, oh no! They are creative works of genius. There are more arts and craft supplies glued, tacked, stapled, taped, tied, sewed, and hammered (yes, you read that right, hammered) inside one scrapbook than in one aisle at your local craft store. And I haven't even begun to describe the paper that is used for this hobby. Each scrapper (that's how we scrapbookers sometimes refer to ourselves) takes a private, solemn vow to own more solid colored paper, prints and patterned paper, textured paper, glossy paper, glittery paper, vellum paper, etc. than they can possible use in their lifetime. And the stickers? Don't even get me started on those stickers! The scrapbook albums themselves range from cheap little books, all the way to gorgeous leather-bound photographic albums that require the crazed scrapper to take out a small loan from the bank just to be able to purchase them.
You may be wondering if the hobby is really that expensive, and if you are an actual scrapbooker, you may be saying to yourself, "this chick is nuts, I don't have that much junk, and I've never had to borrow money to scrapbook....well, except for that one time, but don't tell my husband.....")
Okay, fair enough. The truth is, and I think the real beauty of this hobby is, it is only as expensive as you want it to be. You can spend a little, or you can spend obscene amounts. It doesn't have to be as involved as the above insanely long paragraph would suggest, but it can become so addictive that you no longer control the hobby. The hobby controls you. The paper is delivered on Sunday, and you dive into the Michael's or Joanne's Crafts advertisements, searching for the latest "gotta have" scrapbook gadgets. And/or the 40% coupons to clip out to soothe your conscious as you plop down inordinate amounts of cashola on scrapbook supplies you may never see again for months or years....
Then there are the scrapbook stores. Having the opportunity to step inside a store devoted solely to scrapbooking is enough to set your heart into a near-fatal dysrhythmia. And I haven't even mentioned the direct-sale businesses. They actually bring the drugs (I mean supplies) to your home! It's insane. It's heaven. It's scrapbook Nirvana! Cha-ching, cha-ching!
Have I painted a negative picture on this wonderful hobby? I certainly hope not. I was just trying to be silly and entertaining and such. You know, the idiot blogger that you've all come to know and love.
I suppose I should wrap this up. My final thoughts about this hobby are: No matter how much you do or do not spend on scrapbooking, the end result is the same. You are preserving cherished memories for future generations to enjoy. And having a blast while doing so.
Not too shabby for me when I consider the alternative right now; studying for The Beast. Now....has anyone seen my hammer?
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