Welcome to my blog and the Pre-LOAD {Layout A Day} Blog Hop! LOAD is a challenge hosted by Lain Ehmann for scrapbookers. It is just like it sounds. A bunch of us scrapbookers commit to producing a LAYOUT A DAY for one whole month. We post our layouts every day (by midnight PST) in our Flickr group gallery, cheer each other on and offer encouragement. Lain sends us daily emails with prompts, and this month she's got 29 videos to inspire our creativity! There are even prizes.
This blog hop is meant to offer ideas and encouragement for newbies and alumni alike on how to prepare for the month ahead. Some of us are seasoned alums with lots of wisdom to share, others of us are brand new and sharing our goals and plans and some possible fears for the month ahead.
Before I tell you about my LOAD experience, I have to begin by telling you about the layout at the top of this blog post. I made that layout in 2002. Guess how long it took me to make it?
GUESS?
It sat on my dining room table for ONE WHOLE MONTH before I finally finished it. I wanted so badly to design a layout like the ones I saw in the magazines. I had Becky Higgins' 
See the border of blue rectangles at the bottom of the page? I had originally made an entire background using those rectangles, but it didn't look right to me, so after a MONTH of arranging and rearranging the parts and pieces, I finally came up with that finished layout.
Now it is a nice layout and in all honesty, it doesn't look too dated. It is a pretty classic design and tells a nice story and does a good job of highlighting the photos. BUT IT TOOK ME A MONTH! That is just way too long.
I would hear about people with shelves bursting with albums filled to overflowing with scrapbook pages and all I had was a handful of painstakingly made layouts. At this rate, by the time I died, each of my 3 kids would be lucky to have two layouts each! I needed a different strategy.
Fast forward a few years...
Along came LOAD.
I signed up for the very first one. It was January of 2007, lead by Lain. January wasn't a good month for me (too close to the holidays with a birthday towards the end). I only finished one page that first time!
The following year it was going to happen in February. I was so excited because I was committed and raring to go. I loved the idea of a challenge and I knew if I had the right mindset, I could do it. And guess what? Much to my amazement, I did it! I completed one page every single day in February of 2008. It was so much fun!
We did it again in May and October. And I am proud to say I completed 31 days in May and again in October.
Now it is 2012, and I have participated in two or three LOADS every year and have completed countless layouts. I now have shelves bursting with albums overflowing with pages. I've been published, I'm a BPC Library of Memories coach and I was asked to join the Ella Publishing Take Twelve Design team. I even have some wonderful new "internet friends" since joining LOAD back 2007.
I credit my regular participation in LOAD (among a few other habits, like following Stacy Julian's Library of Memories system) to be a large reason I was able to make all of these scrapbooking goals come true.
You could say I am a seasoned LOAD veteran.
So how can you be successful at LOAD?
*Besides having some basic supplies at your disposal (i.e., for paper & hybrid scrappers: lots of your favorite adhesive, plenty of cardstock & patterned paper, printed photos, etc), most of the preparation for me is the mindset of being comitted to a layout a day.
*Plan the page into your day. Decide the night before or first thing in the morning the photos you will work on, the story you want to tell. Think about it throughout the day so you have a basic idea of what you want to do when you sit down to work.
*Refer to your favorite inspiration: sketches, magazines, your photos
*Mine your blog for stories. I have a category on mine for Future Scrapbook Pages - couldn't be easier to find something to scrap about.
*Finish up any online classes that aren't complete - LOAD is the prefect time to do it.
*Finish up any incomplete albums (vacation albums, mini albums, Xmas gifts undelivered).
*Catch up with Project Life - this year or even last year! I always do a few spreads each time.
*Make quick decisions while making a page. Trust your gut. Glue it down and move on.
*Get the story told.
*Leave perfectionism behind. LOAD helped me get over that and learn to trust my gut.
DONE IS BETTER THAN PERFECT!!!
In Layout A Day DONE is the most important thing.
If you messed up one day, you can do better tomorrow.
KEEP CALM and SCRAPBOOK ON!
LOAD starts on February 1st. If you are not already signed up, it's not too late to join us! It's the nicest group of scrapbookers on the internet!
Now on to the other inspiring blogs... But before you go... Leave me a comment - SEASONED VETRANS: your best word of LOAD advice; NEWBIES: your biggest LOAD fear.
Then on with the blog hop to KELLI. (Please return here if you get lost along the way, to make sure you visit all of the blogs on the hop today.)
To see everything LOAD on my blog, including all my posted layouts and the last blog hop, click here. To see everything scrapbook related on my blog, go here.
Pre-LOAD Blog Hop Partcipants.
Margie http://xnomads.typepad.com <--- You are HERE.
Love your old page! I think we should do a blog hop about how our styles have evolved as we've done more scrapbooking (Thanks to LOAD!!!!) Some of my old stuff is awful. But I still love it.
Posted by: heather d | January 27, 2012 at 07:37
Great idea! Maybe that is what we can do to celebrate in March. I still love my old stuff too. I've been looking at a lot of it lately. How quickly it looks dated!
Posted by: Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie | January 27, 2012 at 08:08
Wow Margie - reading your thoughts about how you felt before participating in your first LOAD is almost like reading what I wrote for the blog hop today. It's so crazy that we get so caught up in some idealized view of perfection - when honestly, perfection is the preservation of the story, not the right color combination or embellishment.
I look forward to reading more about your experiences with LOAD. I think my biggest fear about LOAD right now is being able to let go of that perfectionist trait. It's so ingrained, but some times, time constraints are the best thing to quiet that nagging voice inside.
Posted by: Gina | January 27, 2012 at 08:08
Margie - it is always fun to visit your blog - even when it is not our special time with Lain and the LOAD community - thank you for organising the Blog Hop - - and let's get our LOAD on! Jennifer @atthebluebarn
Posted by: Jennifer McIntyre | January 27, 2012 at 08:18
Thats awesome, Gina. Im so glad it resonated with you. Even now a days, I get stuck and cant produce a page, though with each LOAD (Im on my 5th year - YIKES!) it really does get easier and easier (even to produce non-LOAD) pages. If you are determined, you can do it. Excited to see you on the LOAD Flickr group next month!
Posted by: Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie | January 27, 2012 at 08:19
As a perfectionist, I've always found it hard to just finish a page and let it go. And then I did LOAD. And that all changed. Some pages I love, some I don't. And it really doesn't matter if I obsess over them and spend days working on them. So it's much better to just let it go and move onto the next story, the next page.
Somexcited to see you and everyone else next week for LOAD.
Posted by: Kimberly K. | January 27, 2012 at 09:13
That first page you made really doesn't look dated! Go you! I looked at my first page recently and boy, have I moved on!!! But really? A month???!!! He he! I thought I was a slow scrapper! LOL! But I remember that first LOAD back in January over at BPC and I loved every minute of it even though it took me a while to come back to the LOAD family! I think I missed a year. My main tip is all about the community and the fun. So, so important. But the idea of finishing off projects and classes is also great. Thanks for organising the blog hop - off to have a look around :-)
Posted by: Lisa | January 27, 2012 at 09:27
I did LOAD with Lain at BPC last year. While I didn't complete a layout each day, I did have quite a stack of layouts completed by the end of the month. I'm not doing LOAD this time since I'm in Twelve, which is full of inspiration. Have fun - I'm looking forward to seeing your layouts.
Posted by: Melissa | January 27, 2012 at 09:36
I'm a newbie to LOAD and to the hop. I don't really haveany fears because even though I've got a clear goal, I'm notgoing to be rigid.
Posted by: Eileen | January 27, 2012 at 09:50
Love your page and your perspective on the challenge. I've participated for many years, but have yet to complete the challenge.
My downfall isn't perfectionism so much as being easily distracted by the daily chaos, not starting my page early enough in the day and running out of gas. I suspect my key to success will be getting enough exercise so I still have energy to scrap at the end of the day. Hmmm, maybe I should try a dance break before scrapping! ;)
Posted by: Lydia | January 27, 2012 at 10:23
Love the encouragement in your post! Newbie here, afraid of how slow I'll be at the beginning, but trusting the process, and believing that I'll get faster and better every day!
Posted by: Amy Paegel | January 27, 2012 at 10:32
Margie - my only advice and thoughts are to HAVE FUN! (and personally, well, I'm going to really DO IT...THIS TIME...no really...lol. *as I start crossing things* ha) Thanks for starting off what looks to be a lovely hop! Heidi in Ontario (aka move4life)
Posted by: Heidi | January 27, 2012 at 11:51
Love your tips...especially at the end where you say to Keep Calm and Scrapbook On...what a great take on the Depression Era motto. Can't wait to see what you create next month! As a seasoned alum, my best advice would be to get done what you can without stressing too much--easier said than done, though :-)
Posted by: Janet | January 27, 2012 at 12:36
What a great story. I'm totally inspired by it, thanks for sharing. I'm a newbie to LOAD, and while I'm fairly quick with my pages, I'm really looking forward to the inspiration and focus of committing to 29 pages (or even 20... that's ok too)!
Posted by: Marya | January 27, 2012 at 12:39
Margie, thanks so much for organizing us! Such great advice! I love that you compare doing one layout in one month to doing 29 layouts in a month! A perfect post! My advice is JUST DO IT! Sometimes we get so caught up in how am I ever going to a layout every day, when the truth is you just have to do it! Thanks again!
Kelli (aka scrapbookgirl71)
Posted by: Kelli P. | January 27, 2012 at 13:00
"Keep calm and scrapbook on!" Love it! Margie, thanks again for coordinating the LOAD Blog Hop!
Posted by: Kristie Sloan | January 27, 2012 at 14:14
Thanks so much for sharing your story! I can totally relate to the beginner (read: slow) scrapbooker you once were. I've loved the hobby for a couple of years now and am still SO SLOW! I can dedicate an entire Saturday, go to a crop for 12 hours, and come home with as little as two layouts. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE those layouts, but eeek, not a great way to spend those very few and precious let-me-craft-and-not-worry-about-the-kids-and-hubby hours.
Not a total LOAD newbie, as I participated in my first (Mother) LOAD September 2011 through BPC, but only completed 7 LO's. Not bad, but not good. Hoping to get my groove on this time and get lots more stories told. So, my fear: making only a few LO's and not getting a good momentum and system in place. I've never ever scrapbooked at home, so I'm taking this round as a way to find the time and space in my every day life. I'd love to accomplish the 29 layouts, at the very least I'd be happy with a layout every other day :)
Looking forward to a fantastic month! Thanks again for sharing and getting me fired up!
Connie H. in San Diego
Posted by: Connie Hanks | January 27, 2012 at 15:45
So true, Kimberly! So true! See you next week!
Posted by: Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie | January 27, 2012 at 19:58
Yes, amonth! It is true. It wasnt my first page, though. My first pages do look dated, that one just got a little lucky! I will post some of the other ones eventually. It is so fun to look back. When I was home I took a bunch of quick photos so I could have fun looking at them since they dont live with me while I live abroad. Cant wait for Feb 1!! Thanks for stopping by.
Posted by: Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie | January 27, 2012 at 20:02
So true, Kimberly! So true! See you next week!
Posted by: Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie | January 27, 2012 at 20:02
Great attitude, Eileen! You will do well. Cant wait to see your pages. :)
Posted by: Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie | January 27, 2012 at 20:07
Thank you Margie for this post and setting this whole thing up. I love your post. I guess my tip as a veteran would be to make a list of stories, pull out pictures you like and have supplies you're itching to use handy. The combination of these three things will guarantee inspiration to be forthcoming. Can't wait to LOAD with you.
Posted by: Pam | January 27, 2012 at 20:09
Youtotally will, Amy. Though dont be surprised if you hit some lulls and days with no creative juice. The trick is to make a page anyway and dont get down if you dont like it. Your juice will come back and you will go on to create pages you love! Cant wait to see your pages!
Posted by: Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie | January 27, 2012 at 20:11
Thanks, Heidi! Glad you stopped by. I cant wait to see your pages and make it to the end (fingers crossed for both of us) with you!! :)
Posted by: Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie | January 27, 2012 at 20:13
Great! If you are quick then you will really shine in LOAD. I bet you will make some amazing pages and will really get to challenge your creativity and try all kinds of new things you have been wanting to try. Cant wait to see what you make.
Posted by: Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie | January 27, 2012 at 20:15