In this episode I’m catching up with Alissa Williams from the parking lot of the volleyball club where both of our daughters play. We reflect on our faves and fails from 2025 and share our tentative plans for scrapbooking and planning in 2026. Our conversation also touches on embracing what fills us up, letting go of projects that no longer serve us, and finding joy in both our creative routines and the unexpected changes life brings.
Links Mentioned
- Alissa on Instagram: @alissarecommends
- Let’s Create Together kits from Scrapbook & Cards Today
- Shimelle’s Best of Both Worlds Kit *
- Echo Park *
- Doodlebug *
- Simple Stories Remember collection *
- Crop and Create
- Tim Holtz Tonic trimmer *
- Creative Memories trimmer *
- Rotatrim *
- Sterling Ink Planner N1 Size
- Cocoa Daisy
- Bella Blvd Meow and Bow Wow collections *
- Paige Evans *
- Scrapbook.com *
- Ali Edwards Swap & Shop Facebook Group
- Stamp Joy
- World Card Making Day *
- Tailored Expressions
- Hobonichi Cousin A6 *
- Ali Edwards One Little Word
- Ali Edwards December Daily
- Stacey Julian
- Dave Ramsey
- Erin Condren *
- Leuchtturm *
- Project Life
- Chatbook
- Ali Edwards Week in the Life
- Linda Loves Creating YouTube
*Affiliate links help to support the work we do, at no additional cost to you.
Jennifer Wilson: [00:00:00] I think we don't necessarily have to capture everything. It's capturing the things that are most important to you. And this is a tradition that is really part of your heart. We all have to figure out what is the right suite of things that fills our plate just enough. I always say what fills you up and fits your life.
Jennifer Wilson:Welcome to Scrapbook Your Way, the show that explores the breadth of ways to be a memory keeper today. I’m your host, Jennifer Wilson, owner of Simple Scrapper and author of The New Rules of Scrapbooking. This is episode 317. In this episode I’m catching up with Alissa Williams in a parking lot. Our conversation focuses on our faves and fails from 2025 and how we’re letting go of what no longer serves us.
Jennifer Wilson: Hey, Alissa
Alissa Williams: Hey Jennifer.
Jennifer Wilson: We are here in the parking lot of our daughter's respective volleyball club, um, while they are doing some tryout [00:01:00] preparation, uh, to do a catch up at the end of 2025.
Alissa Williams: Yes, we are.
Jennifer Wilson: So for those who haven't listened to an episode with the two of us before, can you just share a little bit about yourself?
Alissa Williams: Sure. Um, I have two daughters, one who is very big into volleyball clearly. And, uh, the other one who is very big into archery and the theater and is in eighth grade. And I am a librarian and my husband and my daughters and my dog all live in central Illinois.
Jennifer Wilson: Yes. So we're about like 90 minutes apart and we often meet, it's not quite in between, but this is relatively in between the two of us. How did we meet? We met in 2014. No, you became a member.
Alissa Williams: Yes.
Jennifer Wilson: And then, but we met shortly thereafter on National Scrapbook day.
Alissa Williams: Was it 2012 or 2013?
Jennifer Wilson: It was somewhere in there.
Alissa Williams: It was one of those, because Abby was a baby and I had Abby with me.
Jennifer Wilson: Yes.
Alissa Williams: So I think it was like, I think it was actually 2012. We looked this up before.
Jennifer Wilson: [00:02:00] But we were, it was National Scrapbook Day and we ran into each other at a scrapbook store. Um, my husband was kind of like taking me around. Emily was also a baby and we drove all around central Illinois going to the local scrapbook stores, which have now all since closed.
Alissa Williams: Yeah. That's very sad.
Jennifer Wilson: It is. Unfortunately very sad. But in, okay. So in this episode, we're gonna skip all the other icebreaker stuff because we're gonna focus on our faves and fails for 2025. And some of our plans for 2026. Both in the planner domain, 'cause that's something we always talk about when we get together on these shows.
And then of course, our scrapbook plans for the new year. And when this episode goes live, we're gonna be actually be, it'll be after the Planning Party. But, I think we will have, even by that time, we'll each respectively even have more clarity than we do at this point because we were recording before the Planning Party.
Alissa Williams: Okay. I mean, I have a lot of clarity.
Jennifer Wilson: You do?
Alissa Williams: Well, I mean, as much [00:03:00] clarity as I can have, not knowing how I'm spending the first month of 2026.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay. So yeah, let's give that some context here. Then we'll jump into our faves and fails. So our daughters are both gonna try out for national teams again. They were both on national teams last year, Emily in eighth grade, and Lucy in ninth grade. Which your schedule was super intense.
Alissa Williams: Pretty much every weekend we were volleyballing somewhere in, in the Midwest. Um, yes.
Jennifer Wilson: And so what teams they make will determine how much time we have for scrapbooking in the next nine months ish.
Alissa Williams: Yeah. I mean, I'd say really more like six months because they'll make their teams in no, end of November. They'll practice December. We don't start traveling till January.
Jennifer Wilson: January. Yeah.
Alissa Williams: So, but I mean the first couple months are like, you get one weekend off maybe.
Jennifer Wilson: Yeah.
Alissa Williams: And I've got some my own personal travel, like I'm going hopefully going to Washington, DC with my daughter's class trip in [00:04:00] March, and then I'm going to a conference.
You know, in between the volleyball, the weekends I would have off from volleyball, I'll be doing some personal traveling.
Jennifer Wilson: Wow. That's, yeah, that's gonna be a lot. So I think that aligns well though with our idea of leaving space for the, both the positive and and negative unknowns. Mm-hmm. That if we're leaving space, then we can adjust.
We can always add more. Uh, but it's hard to take away from commitments. Yes. So, okay, let's, let's, before we get further into 2026, let's talk about what we loved from 2025. Before we get into any scrapbook things, do you have any personal faves from this past year?
Alissa Williams: Okay, so this fall I have really gotten into high school football.
So my friend's son has been playing high school football. And I, I've always, like, the last couple years, my mom and I have this NFL pool and I've talked about that before on the podcast. And so I really just like football as a sport. [00:05:00] And so then I started going to high school football games and I love it even more in person and knowing kids on the field.
And so yesterday I spent my afternoon at a high school playoff football game. The other thing that has really changed for me this year, kind of, um, talking about what we did in our introductions, is because we were going to volleyball every weekend, I watched a lot of volleyball. And I really, um, I had been a reluctant sports mom.
Mm-hmm. Like I never, I ran track with the closest I came to sports. And so I didn't, when Lucy started playing volleyball in fifth grade, I didn't understand what was happening. Um, and so, I've learned a little bit about volleyball. And then I learned you learn a lot when you're spending every weekend at a volleyball tournament.
Jennifer Wilson: Um, no doubt.
Alissa Williams: I mean, she had played local club, but that's just not as intense. And it was just, it's a different level of play. And so being around experienced parents who could explain things, um, and then having gone through, uh, school season [00:06:00] and watching the varsity play where you're, um, so when I would watch varsity play, I could watch the game more than just concentrating on what my child was doing on the court.
So just having that experience of really becoming a fan of volleyball, that has really happened for me in 2025 as well.
Jennifer Wilson: Yeah, it's been really cool to see like, like any particular niche, including scrapbooking. When you start to get into that, you see the same people over and over again.
Alissa Williams: Mm-hmm.
Jennifer Wilson: Um, so we're actually, the, the two of us are going to the Illinois, uh, volleyball game this afternoon. And the last game that our family was at, there were so many people that we knew we could just look out into the stands. They were like, oh, there's so and so, and there's so and so, and it's both from, you know, uh, school and various coaches and, and of course, um, club as well. And it's just been, I don't know, really fun to be a part of a different community, I guess.
Alissa Williams: Yeah. I guess I'm in my sports ball era.
Jennifer Wilson: Nice. Well, and I don't even wanna, I don't even like saying [00:07:00] that anymore. I think I've become so, uh, to see like the pride that these girls, these, women have in their sport. It makes me not ever wanna say sports ball anymore. Like, I think it's important to recognize the value of like, oh, the athleticism and the commitment that, that that players of, you know, uh, that all players put into their.
Alissa Williams: And I meant it more as like covering both my love of football.
Jennifer Wilson: Oh, there you go.
Alissa Williams: And volleyball.
Jennifer Wilson: Nice.
Alissa Williams: Like sports ball.
Jennifer Wilson: Good job.
Alissa Williams: So that's, I mean, I did not mean it in derogatory way.
Jennifer Wilson: Get I it more I get it, but I know, but I'm the one who's always said that though.
Alissa Williams: Yes, you are.
Jennifer Wilson: Um, because I still don't care that much about football.
Alissa Williams: Oh, you're missing out.
Jennifer Wilson: And I'm so excited. We are getting a new recliner and we're putting it next to the TV so that I can, I can read, I can look at my phone. I can take a nap while the football is going on, on the tv. And, um, yeah, I'm excited about that. Okay. That was random. Do I have any faves from 2025 that are [00:08:00] not scrapbook related? Okay. I, here's one. This is kind of not important, but I feel like I have, I developed my style more.
Alissa Williams: Okay.
Jennifer Wilson: I have come to accept that I work from home. I leave the house to pick up my daughter from school, uh, to maybe go to a volleyball game or a volleyball practice, or a volleyball transportation activity, and that I am going to have, you know, athleisure clothing is the predominant, you know, theme in my wardrobe, and that's okay. Because that is realistic. And so I try to make it put together. I feel like I've tried that today here. Uh, I try to make it put together so that I feel confident, but I don't need like, work wear.
Alissa Williams: Mm-hmm.
Jennifer Wilson: Except for, you know, very rare occasions when I have to go to campus for a meeting or we go to a conference or something. So I, I guess I felt even more confident. And we've talked about outfit formulas and the various things we've done over the [00:09:00] years with that. But this year I felt like I've become even kind of more settled into what I care about and, and how I feel. So.
Alissa Williams: I think that's a good, I don't think that's a minor thing at all.
I think, you know, what you wear reflects how you feel and can have a big impact.
Jennifer Wilson: That's true.
Alissa Williams: Yeah. I think that's good.
Jennifer Wilson: Nice. All right. Scrapbook stuff. Do you have any faves from this year?
Alissa Williams: Um, yes. I think my two faves, uh, that I came up with, one is I really like the Let's Create Together kits from Scrapbook And Cards Today.
Really hope they continue those in 2026. This was my second full year doing all of them. Megan Andrews puts them together. And then does you get the kit and then you get two, two designs plus a bonus page, plus a guest designer. So you can get four layouts from these kits. And you know, I've said before on different episodes, uh, for a while I was [00:10:00] super into Shimelle's Best of Both Worlds.
Jennifer Wilson: Mm-hmm.
Alissa Williams: Which I still, I did a few of those over the summer. I took a break in the, well in the winter spring, in the early months of 2025. Because, of all the traveling. And also because Shimelle's kits, which I, I still love. You know, you get eight to nine pages and that's a lot. And, um, the four pages plus, usually I can do one more with scraps, is like the right amount. And it's quarterly, so it's not every month.
Jennifer Wilson: So can you tell me like what's the, what do you get in the kit? Is it really just like a collection kit from one line or is it more mixed things like.
Alissa Williams: Yeah.
Jennifer Wilson: What's included?
Alissa Williams: So sometimes you get a collection or you get most of a collection and then she pulls in other stuff as well.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay.
Alissa Williams: So like the summer one, you got one of the Echo Park summer kits. And then she pulled in some bright Doodle Bug pops.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay.
Alissa Williams: And stuff. So, and then it's easy, especially 'cause she's using newer product. If you wanted to do more on that, like [00:11:00] for example, uh, the November kit from 2024 was the Remembrance collection from Simple Stories.
Jennifer Wilson: Mm-hmm.
Alissa Williams: Um, or is that what it's called? Remembrance? I don't know. The one that's like loved ones.
Jennifer Wilson: Very deathly.
Alissa Williams: Yes. I wasn't gonna say.
Jennifer Wilson: I really do love that collection though. I think the color, the colors and the patterns are gorgeous, but you have to kind of either work with or work around the sentiments depending on what you're scrapbooking.
Alissa Williams: Yeah. So anyway, um, there was a layout in there I really liked, I think it was by the guest designer. That worked perfectly for like, doing a summary page of our Alaska trip that we had taken. And so I just bought, um, I actually gotten that in a Crop and Create box as well. So I had extra, but I didn't have exactly. Anyway, I was able to buy like one more piece of paper.
Jennifer Wilson: Oh, nice.
Alissa Williams: To make it so I could make identical layouts for each girl's album.
Jennifer Wilson: That's cool.
Alissa Williams: As our Alaska overview pages for them. So, you know, I've been able to, I've reused some of the designs, you know, as [00:12:00] like sketches and I usually get a couple layouts out of them. Like the summer one, I've done kind of like three layouts in the same kind of basic, but with some different colored pattern paper.
Jennifer Wilson: Were the, the vibes of each kit kind of seasonal oriented or, or not so much?
Alissa Williams: Um, so last year, with the exception of the fall kit, they were seasonally oriented. This year they do seem to be more seasonally oriented, which is fine. The other thing I really like is she always has one double page spread.
Jennifer Wilson: Mm-hmm.
Alissa Williams: Since I usually have at least one story that requires like a lot of pictures.
Jennifer Wilson: Yeah.
Alissa Williams: Um, I like, I like having that option. So I like having that done for me.
Jennifer Wilson: And then you said this is the one where she sends her leftovers to the guest designer?
Alissa Williams: Yes.
Jennifer Wilson: I think that's really cool.
Alissa Williams: It is really cool. So you're, she's really trying to get you to use everything, you know, use it up. And, I mean, I do have leftovers sometimes. But she, she really does. You get a lot out of that kit.
Jennifer Wilson: And [00:13:00] as of this recording, they haven't announced if they're doing it next year yet.
Alissa Williams: No, they have not.
Mm.
I know. I'm, I, I, yeah, I know there's a lot of changes at SCT this year, but I'm really hoping 'cause they just announced they're gonna do their stamp kit monthly now instead of quarterly.
Jennifer Wilson: Correct.
Alissa Williams: So, I, I not sure. I'm curious what if, what they're changing. Someone posted in the group, but no one official has replied yet.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay. Yeah. I'm curious and it, it makes me more intrigued to see if I would like it because I've enjoyed the Crop and Create boxes so much. But there is such a huge quantity of product. It sounds like, you know, a similar format, but on a much smaller, doable scale.
Alissa Williams: Yes. And that's what I like about it. And I will be talking about Crop and Create later. Oh wait, I just checked and they said yes, they're, they are continuing in 2026.
Jennifer Wilson: So what does it say?
Alissa Williams: It said yes, absolutely. It says pre-order. Yes. Our Let's Create Scrapbooking kits are, will continue in 2026. Quarterly layout kit packed with handpicked selection of products. So they are [00:14:00] doing it quarterly again there. Oh, the other thing I should say is it does include an exclusive SCT signature product. Which, so like one time it was like, um, stencils and blending and I like, I'm, I'm just not into that. And I did not do those pieces on my page.
Jennifer Wilson: Sure.
Alissa Williams: But one time it was stitching, which I did do that although, and it was small enough stitching that it didn't super annoy me. Um, and then it's been, there have been some exclusive stamps that we've gotten, so that's kind of fun too. Um, but yeah, so the, so it's, they come out in March, June, September and December.
Oh, I'm excited that they're doing again.
Jennifer Wilson: Yeah. That's exciting. It's for sure.
Alissa Williams: Because I, that'll definitely be on my plan for 2026. Okay. Um, my other favorite was I finally, I finally did an album. So, uh, Crop and Create, uh, we started doing in 21, 22.
Jennifer Wilson: 21 sounds right.
Alissa Williams: We did it together.
Jennifer Wilson: Yeah.
Alissa Williams: And that [00:15:00] first box we got in April of 21 was it had a, a mini album from Vicki Boutin.
Jennifer Wilson: Yes.
Alissa Williams: And I was like, I don't know what I'm gonna do with this. And so I, most of the Crop and Create boxes have always included a mini album. And I have usually waited. Yeah. It was April of 2021. 'Cause here's our picture.
Jennifer Wilson: I can't believe that that's been that long.
Alissa Williams: Yep. Here we're just drop that in the show notes.
Jennifer Wilson: We can do that.
Alissa Williams: So anyway, we had this album project and I was like, I, I just put it to the side and I was like. An idea will come to me someday and I will use this album. So that was in 2021 and it is 2025. And at my last in-person crop, I put the bones of that album together. I have a story idea for the album, so I just, I need to do the pictures, which I will do hopefully sometime this month. Um.
Jennifer Wilson: What's the story idea?
Alissa Williams: Oh, so the story idea is about, it's like, it's called like in this house or it's pictures of my grandparents' house from when I was growing up.
Jennifer Wilson: [00:16:00] Oh, that's really cool.
Alissa Williams: That was like, my mom and I moved a lot when I was a child. So both my grandparents' houses, but this, particularly my paternal grandparents' house, I spent a lot of time there.
Jennifer Wilson: Mm-hmm.
Alissa Williams: We had family holidays there and when, um, when they moved out of this house when I was in college, I took pictures of all the rooms. So I have like empty, I have empty room shots, but then I also have will fill in with pictures of us, you know, in those spaces through the years.
Jennifer Wilson: That's really cool. I can think of doing like a, I probably wouldn't do a mini album, but I can think of doing like a series of layouts about different homes like that. My grandparents, my own parents' house, my own homes. But really thinking about like, what do I most remember from those different spaces and what things do we do there? And.
Alissa Williams: Yeah, so I'm gonna do, like, I've gotta plot it out and think about it, but I, I'm gonna do like a spread or a couple pages on like, I mean, the bigger spaces, like the dining room and the kitchen and the living room and the basement.
Jennifer Wilson: Mm-hmm.
Alissa Williams: The four, and the [00:17:00] backyard. Like five places we spend the most amount of times. But I'll do, I'll do pictures. I have pictures of every single room, even the bathrooms. Um, because like there were, like, there was a bathroom with only a shower in it, and you didn't really want that bathroom. And then here's the bathroom with the tub where we all took like communal baths with the cousins and, you know, I probably have pictures of that.
So just all those childhood memories. And I might, I didn't realize how many pages this album was, so my grandparents lived in this one house until I was in college. And I went through a big grief process. When they moved. It was hard for me. And then they lived in this other house basically for, until they had to go into the assisted living house.
So, I mean, they were in both places for like 20, 15, 20 years. And, um, I mean, they were in their other house for longer before me, but obviously. Anyway, my point being is this album's big enough that I might do the first section about the house from when I was child, and then the second section might just be a little bit of memories of their second house. I haven't quite figured that out.
Jennifer Wilson: Sure, sure.
Alissa Williams: But it's gonna be all about that.
Jennifer Wilson: [00:18:00] Very cool.
Alissa Williams: So I did all the base, I put all, I put it all together, and now I need to like, do all the, the planning and the photos stuff. So that'll get finished before the end of the year.
Jennifer Wilson: I put together the foundation for that album, I think in 2022. And it obviously it's home themed, so that's a natural kind of story connection. And I was gonna do it about like all the different changes we made in our own home, except we haven't done anything.
Alissa Williams: Yeah, I remember that. Mm-hmm.
Jennifer Wilson: Um, we have paint, we haven't painted, we have plans. We've implemented very few.
So, um, other than my husband bought a really giant TV and then we got a cabinet to go underneath it, so I don't know what else. Eventually it'll happen.
Alissa Williams: But, but you have done some stuff outside, you've done a lot of landscaping out front.
Jennifer Wilson: Correct. Steve did a ton of landscaping and I have actually scrapbook almost all that.
Alissa Williams: Okay.
Jennifer Wilson: On layouts, so.
Alissa Williams: Okay.
Jennifer Wilson: Just, you know, different seasons of life. Yeah. We'll see.
Alissa Williams: Yeah. So those are my two faves. What, what have you got?
Jennifer Wilson: Okay, I have three. Um, the first one is very simple and it is, I [00:19:00] bought a new trimmer. Because, you know, and I have.
Alissa Williams: You've been through the trimmer mill.
Jennifer Wilson: I have been through the trimmer mill. It is kind of crazy. My most recent one was the Tim Holtz Tonic Trimmer. And I think it's kind of known now that this one has had some issues with basically the blade grinding up the cutting surface so that it doesn't cut straight anymore and that particular cutting surface is not replaceable.
So I bought the Creative Memories trimmer. I did some research. Everyone kept saying, this is a really great trimmer and it has replacement blades that just kind of really pop in. There's like, it is super easy. The portion that holds your paper down does lock into place, which I like. 'Cause on that Tonic one, it did not at all. It just flapped in the wind all the time. And you know, the cutting line is replaceable. You can use the one that it comes with four different times. Like, not, not four times total, but like you turn the bar four journeys through [00:20:00] it where you turn it, you know, reverse it and then you can even flip it upside down.
and it's just, it's, it's worked really well. Um, I love my Rotatrim guillotine at home. It's actually, it's not a guillotine, it's a, what is it? It's a rotary trimmer. But it's like, it is commercial, but I can't take that to crops.
Alissa Williams: Yeah.
Jennifer Wilson: And I can't actually even put it on my desk. So I use it when I'm at home a little bit, but when I'm actually making layouts, I need something that's gonna be portable and sit in front of me.
Um, and so I'm, I'm pretty happy with this trimmer. My biggest realization though, came after I bought refills for the blades that you can actually buy both the blades and the trimmer on Amazon. And I, for some reason, I just didn't even think to look because I think of Creative Memories as very, like, proprietary, you know, in their own little bubble.
Um, and so I bought some more tools and things to try to get closer to free shipping. And then I found out that the free shipping threshold was really high for a of, you know, a a [00:21:00] a B2C consumer endeavor. But, so I, I'm gonna buy those refills on Amazon now. Um, number two is more of a concept, and that is when I go to in-person crops, I bulk prepare a lot of layouts, like 20, 25, 30 layouts.
I print the photos. I usually have some sort of sketch, or at least a design plan of some sort. I know the story direction. Sometimes I even do journaling in advance. And I get so much done and it feels so easy. Why don't I do that at home? Why don't I do that kind of batch preparation? And I wanna do, I wanna do more of that in the future. And that's just, it really worked well for me.
Alissa Williams: But what would that look like? Because I think the difference is, or at least what I find the difference being for me, is that I know I'm gonna have time to do these layouts. So like, you know, you know you're gonna have three days to lock in.
Jennifer Wilson: [00:22:00] Correct.
Alissa Williams: So if you were to prep stuff, what I'm afraid of is that you would, these are my two concerns, if you tried this at home.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay.
Alissa Williams: Not that I don't think you should try it at home. But just that you would be like, I don't wanna do these layouts now because I'm at home and I have everything available to me and I have this idea. So you'd wanna have more follow your bliss. Or two, you would be like, well, I prepped all these layouts and it's three months later and I am not into this anymore.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay. I feel like those are fair concerns. Um, to the first point, I would feel like I would have a choice of, am I making this layout now because I want to, there's a particular challenge. There's something that I'm doing for Simple Scrapper and I'm doing this now. And that's what I wanna do. Or I want another option. And that's when I would pick from my, my little pile. But I think I would also have to give myself limits.
Alissa Williams: Yeah. I really think you'd have to.
Jennifer Wilson: Like, of like five. Yeah. I think, um, in the queue. And that I have to make those before I move on. Because you [00:23:00] can get to the point, and I have had this even with crops where that number 24 and 25, maybe they were kind of like the leftovers.
Alissa Williams: Mm-hmm.
Jennifer Wilson: Um, in your mental preparation, you don't really care as much about those. Or maybe it was even number one and number two are the ones you didn't care about. And by the time you get to 24 and 25, you're like, oh, these are the ones that I really am excited about. So there is a risk of dilution, I guess, of, of excitement.
And I found that with maybe with Story kit prepped too. Yeah. I have prepped like nine or 10 pages from a Story kit and then realize I don't care about half of these. You know, once I get a couple, uh, made. So I do feel like you made some, some fair points and that's, that's kind of, that is how I would approach it differently at home.
And then my final fave is planner related. And we will talk more about this when we get to 2026. But I have been using an N1 size Sterling Ink Planner since July, end of June, beginning of July. [00:24:00] And I've been really consistent with it and I really enjoy this format. And so I have, we, we won't dwell on the fails I've had prior to that, but I'm feeling really good in this particular size and format at the moment.
Alissa Williams: Okay, so they're not failures 'cause they're first attempts at learning. You know, you have to, you have to use a planner in order to understand that it doesn't work for you. But what is it about this format that you enjoy? Is it the size? Is it the way you can, is it sort of the Bujo style? What is it that you like about it so much?
Jennifer Wilson: I like the size because I tried briefly their N2, which is Hobonichi Week size, which I found too small for me.
Alissa Williams: So what is this like, these Ns mean nothing to me. Tell the people what size it is. I mean, it's like skinny, it's like traveler's notebook size.
Jennifer Wilson: It is like, is this full traveler's notebook size? It might be. I think this is like the standard traveler's notebook size.
Alissa Williams: To me it looks traveler's notebook size.
Jennifer Wilson: But it's, it's, it's thick. It has enough [00:25:00] pages to do daily pages in it If you were to want to.
Alissa Williams: Yeah, but it's not too thick.
Jennifer Wilson: No, it's not.
Alissa Williams: Like it's portable.
Jennifer Wilson: And it has all, it has, uh, monthly pages. You know, and of course like the, you know, the, the annual calendar and the quarterly planning in the front. And I haven't really played with that much.
Alissa Williams: Oh, but it's got all the monthlies at the front.
Jennifer Wilson: It has all the monthlies at the front.
Alissa Williams: Oh, I don't like that.
Jennifer Wilson: And I use that for tracking my workouts. Um, and then it has weekly pages and I use that for just listing out my appointments for the week. And sometimes I use that for making a list for the week. And sometimes I use it for other things. And then it has full blank pages in the back. And so I have that more organized, um, bullet journal style with the, the blank pages in the whole kind of second two thirds of the planner.
Alissa Williams: Cool.
Jennifer Wilson: And it is Tomoe River paper. I don't know if it's old or new. But um, I do, when I was using other planner papers, I missed the [00:26:00] thinness of it. Yeah. And I'm still using the Cocoa Daisy stickers and I don't anticipate changing on that. I use the, is it the journaling kit? It's the one that has all like transparent stickers. 'Cause I like those.
Alissa Williams: Are those, is that still a subscription you have or is those new?
Jennifer Wilson: It is a subscription and I only, it's the only, I think it's the only subscription I have at the moment in scrapbooking.
Alissa Williams: Oh wow. Look at you.
Jennifer Wilson: And in crafting. Yeah.
Alissa Williams: That's pretty good.
Jennifer Wilson: I did, I did cut back on some things.
Alissa Williams: Good for you.
Okay. We're talking fails now?
Jennifer Wilson: Unfortunately.
Alissa Williams: Well, you know.
Jennifer Wilson: We gotta be honest.
Alissa Williams: First attempt in learning.
Jennifer Wilson: Yes. I, I agree.
Alissa Williams: Okay, so I'm gonna go back to Crop and Create. Because we, I talked about my success being that I finally did this album. And so we started doing Crop and Create in 2021. So it's been four years.
Jennifer Wilson: Yes. And have you bought all of the paper crafting ones since then?
Alissa Williams: I'm pretty sure I bought all the paper. Yep. I'm pretty sure I'm like a complete.
Jennifer Wilson: Have you done any of the card ones in them?
Alissa Williams: I did [00:27:00] one card one and I have made one class from the card one.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay.
Alissa Williams: We're gonna talk about that though.
Jennifer Wilson: Continue.
Alissa Williams: Thank you. So I have enjoyed, again, I like to just copy a layout. I want you to give me instructions.
Jennifer Wilson: Mm-hmm.
Alissa Williams: I, I like the creative, I find the creative joy being in fitting my stories to the product and the layout. And I have feel like I do this very successfully. I will always hat tip my friend Melissa for encourage me, me, even if it has, you know, maybe four or two, four by six photos. I can make those four photos, you know, with some.
Jennifer Wilson: You can.
Alissa Williams: Collages. So, you know, she's also helped me up my game on making these layouts fit for what I have storywise. But, the last two Crop and Create boxes, I just, I haven't been into it. Like, I don't like the layouts, I don't like the products.
Jennifer Wilson: Is the difference you or the stuff?
Alissa Williams: I think it's both.
Jennifer Wilson: [00:28:00] Okay.
Alissa Williams: So like, I really like Virginia's layouts.
Jennifer Wilson: Mm-hmm.
Alissa Williams: And in fact, I purchased, oh, I should have put this as a fave. This is a fave. I have three faves. I purchased her, she had, again, I like give me the product and the layout design. And she had this class and it was just, you had to purchase the product separately, which was actually kind of nice because I did sub in some of my own pattern paper that I had.
Um, but they were, it was a fundraiser for animal shelters. And it was puppy, it was dog and cat pages using the Bella Blvd Meow and Wolf collections.
Jennifer Wilson: Those are really cute.
Alissa Williams: And I loved them. I, I, I bought both because I used it, my printed photos of my cats. At one time I had three cats. Um, and then I also bought the dog one since we now have a three-year-old Australian Shepherd.
So, um, I made those layouts. And I love them. And they're super cute. But that's the kind of stuff I like to do. Anyway. I like Virginia's layouts, but the ones she did for Crop and Create like, I like this folding or like, they were too [00:29:00] complicated. I did not wanna spend my time on that. I don't.
Jennifer Wilson: That's fair.
Alissa Williams: I, you know, when Paige Evans does stuff, they're super cute. But I am not selling on pages anymore. Like, I've tried it, but I'm not, I'm not in with that. So I think it's a little of both. I also think the fact that there is less product on the market.
Jennifer Wilson: Yeah.
Alissa Williams: Makes it hard. Because what, what has also happened to me is because I'm getting the Let's Create Together kits and the SCT boxes, there's overlap in the product.
Like, I'll get the same collection kit.
Jennifer Wilson: That's hard.
Alissa Williams: And I'm like, ah.
Jennifer Wilson: Hmm.
Alissa Williams: So. I am breaking up with Crop and Create in 2026. I'm not gonna, because I think out of the six classes in the last box, I think there were only like three that I did in in their entirety. And the rest I did not do. So I'll tell you what I did with the rest though. It's not like I'm letting this product just sit around in my house.
Jennifer Wilson: That's good.
Alissa Williams: So my first favorite thing to do, these are tips.
Jennifer Wilson: Sounds good. Okay, let's hear it.
Alissa Williams: My first [00:30:00] thing that I do is I look at scrapbook.com and I look up the paper and I look to see if there's designs that other people made that I want to copy with that paper.
Jennifer Wilson: That's cool.
Alissa Williams: That's my first thing. My second thing was I, since this is newer product, I got lucky and one of the collection kits, actually two of them I think. Shimelle used pieces of in her summer Best of Both Worlds kits. And so I just used those and made those layouts. So I'm not just letting it sit around and do nothing. And then one of them I, Megan used and Let's Create Together, and then I made extra pages of that.
Jennifer Wilson: I'm curious, Why not just pick a sketch?
Alissa Williams: Because I don't, I, because that still requires too many decisions for me.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay.
Alissa Williams: I like that they tell me how many pictures I need.
Jennifer Wilson: Yeah.
Alissa Williams: I like using the exact product. Because if I pick a sketch, I still have to pick product. So I can pick a sketch. I just like using the, I just like.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay, that's fair. Yeah. I'm just, you know.
Alissa Williams: No, it's, it's a valid [00:31:00] question. And I have used sketches. I mean, I used to be way into sketches. But I just, I want less decisions. So I want you to tell me what product I need and how to cut the paper. I sometimes sketches, now I've become less like this because of Shimelle's influence on me over the last couple years.
But like, I wanna know, is it, is that four inches? Is it three inches? 'Cause I can't tell and you didn't gimme the measurement. And that kind of annoys me. I don't wanna guess.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay.
Alissa Williams: And I'm not good at math. So I'm gonna call Crop and Create this year a fail for me because I'm gonna call it a medium fail. Because they're just no longer working for me the way they used to.
Jennifer Wilson: I think that's totally fair. It's, it's good to understand how maybe you've evolved. Because something that may have worked well in the past doesn't always continue to work well.
Alissa Williams: Yeah. And I, they have a, like they'll send you the entire collection kit and then.
Jennifer Wilson: Use two papers from it.
Alissa Williams: Yeah. And so I have a lot of papers.
Jennifer Wilson: And it's hard sometimes.
Alissa Williams: And I don't love that.
Jennifer Wilson: I, I do love the value that you get.
Alissa Williams: Oh yeah. The value is unmatched. And I think I, I will say [00:32:00] that, and I think I said this in the last podcast I was on. Like, I think Catherine and her company are. I want to support them and I will support them through Let's Create Together kits. Also, their white card, stock paper is fire. But I haven't bought any because of tariffs.
Well I bought some before they went into effect. But anyway. The other fail that is not a fail for me, but might have been a fail for you. It, it was more of a pivot. So I had decided I was gonna do One Little Word.
Jennifer Wilson: Mm-hmm.
Alissa Williams: I always pick a word. Some years I pick a word and I go all in. Some years I just pick a word. And maybe I do a layout about my word. Um, I bought the kit, I bought the album. I was like, gonna do it. And then partly I think because I did all this before I realized we were making the travel team.
Jennifer Wilson: Mm-hmm.
Alissa Williams: That's part of it. And then we traveled all of January and February and I was like, I don't wanna.
Jennifer Wilson: But you did do some scrapbooking while you were traveling, right?
Alissa Williams: Well, yes, but that's.
Jennifer Wilson: That's an, that's another point. Okay.
Alissa Williams: That's a different point.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay.
Alissa Williams: But I was like, I don't wanna do this. [00:33:00] I don't wanna do this project at all. It doesn't resonate with me. I'm not, I don't, I don't wanna talk about my feelings. We're not doing this. So I just decided I wasn't doing it. And I, but the good thing was, is I was able to sell my kit on the Ali Edwards buy, sell, trade. And so it's out of my house. It's not just sitting around taunting me.
Jennifer Wilson: Do you feel like that there are like changes in your personal life that influenced the fact that you didn't feel the need to do One Little Word?
Alissa Williams: Maybe.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay.
Alissa Williams: Perhaps. I just, there's a lot of good content on there, don't get me wrong. And I find it fascinating, but I just, it just wasn't resonating for some reason this year.
Jennifer Wilson: Well, and I think that's, having done it for so many years, like you. That some years are, you know, you connect more with those conversations and that need to explore the word and hold onto it tighter.
Alissa Williams: Yeah.
Jennifer Wilson: Um, and similarly this year I, I didn't buy product, but I bought the class. And [00:34:00] I really have had several times where I'm like, what was my word again?
Alissa Williams: Do you know your word?
Jennifer Wilson: I'm pretty sure it was build but that also could have been last year's word.
Alissa Williams: I feel like I should know this, but I don't know either.
Jennifer Wilson: So it just, it hasn't been, I feel like I've been able to grow individually in other ways. And I, I just haven't need that particular vehicle , to do it this year.
Alissa Williams: That's fair.
Jennifer Wilson: Yeah.
Alissa Williams: Okay. So my real fail of 2025, the one I will admit is a fail. Is that last fall I went to Stamp Joy and I was like, I'm gonna be a card maker, you guys, I'm gonna be the next Cathy Zielske. Well, no, I'm mean, I'm gonna be like Cathy Zielske in that her children got older and she transitioned from, uh, paper crafting to card making.
Jennifer Wilson: It's still paper crafting.
Alissa Williams: I know.
Jennifer Wilson: Scrapbooking.
Alissa Williams: I meant scrapbooking.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay.
Alissa Williams: But then I said, paper crafting. I was like, that's wrong, whatever. Anyway, she, transitioned to card making. I was like, this is, this is what I'm gonna do. It's gonna be so fun. [00:35:00] Nope.
Jennifer Wilson: I have this fantasy as well.
Alissa Williams: It's not happening for me. I mean, I will say, so.
Jennifer Wilson: What's the difference though? And maybe this is gonna jump the gun. What's the difference between making a one-off card versus making multiples of the same?
Alissa Williams: Well. Okay, this is not jumping the gun. This is a valid point. So I will say the first time I attempted, this was March at a retreat. And I was gonna make these 10 birthday cards. There was this layout, this card that I really liked from Stamp Joy, and I bought all the supplies to make it on my own, and I was gonna make 10 of them.
I was gonna send them as birthday cards. I've sent one, by the way. Sorry to all my friends. I forget to send you cards, I text you. Um, and I did not like it because I felt like it needed to be perfect. And I'm not super into perfection. Like I am not a perfectionist.
Jennifer Wilson: You're not. And that's, I think that's a one of your strengths.
Alissa Williams: Thank you.
Jennifer Wilson: Is that you do finish things in part because you're not a perfectionist. And you have that ability to like, understand what is good enough and move on.
Alissa Williams: Yeah. Well, with card making, first of all, the card I picked was maybe too [00:36:00] detailed. I don't know, maybe I didn't pick the right card. What evs I did not enjoy the process. Then this last craft retreat I was on. It happened to be World Card Making Day, and I, okay, so I bought all this stuff from Tailored Expressions, which I do love Tailored Expressions as a company.
They make great stuff. I buy my ink from them now. But, um, then my friends convinced me to buy the Crop and Create card making box. Because that was a great way to get started with a bunch of different techniques and figure out what I liked.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay.
Alissa Williams: Well, here's what I like. I like simple people. Because do you know whose card I've made? The one card class that I've made from that box?
Jennifer Wilson: Cathy's.
Alissa Williams: Cathy's. Because it's simple.
Jennifer Wilson: Yes.
Alissa Williams: And it was super cute and super fun, and I made all the cards from her kit. Um, with shout out to Laura. We made them together and it was really fun. Um, also we could batch die cut because we each had the dies and we could just, we had to die cut a couple things or a lot of things actually. I just like, I, I liked it and I liked maybe making the [00:37:00] one offs. But I, I just don't, it doesn't hit for me the way I thought it would.
Jennifer Wilson: Was there a difference in experience in doing it at Stamp Joy versus doing it on your own?
Alissa Williams: Well, at Stamp Joy, they have a ton of stuff prepped for you.
Jennifer Wilson: Really?
Alissa Williams: Oh yeah. Like they have the little die cut, you know, you're more assembling than.
Jennifer Wilson: Mm-hmm.
Alissa Williams: You're doing maybe one of the five die cuts. You're doing a little ink blending. They have the ink blending, like all set up on frames for you.
Jennifer Wilson: Oh, nice.
Alissa Williams: Like they make it super easy for you.
Jennifer Wilson: Yeah.
Alissa Williams: And I mean, I did learn new techniques. And I went, originally when I said I would go with these friends. I went because I thought I wanna stamp more on my layouts and maybe this will help me, which I think it has, and did.
Jennifer Wilson: That's good.
Alissa Williams: Because I got some more tools and learn some other techniques. But I am not a card maker. Will I finish this Crop and Create box? Probably. Because I'm a finisher.
Jennifer Wilson: Yes.
Alissa Williams: But card making.
Jennifer Wilson: I, I have some curiosities around it 'cause I've bought, I've bought a various just random supplies over the years. We've also gotten some and maybe Crop and Create holiday [00:38:00] boxes.
Alissa Williams: Yeah.
Jennifer Wilson: But I felt like I, I didn't necessarily have, like without directions, I don't really know what to do to make a finished card that looks done and polished.
Alissa Williams: Mm-hmm.
Jennifer Wilson: When I try to do it on my own, it's like it's missing something.
Alissa Williams: Interesting.
Jennifer Wilson: So I'm, I have a curiosity around it, but I also have a lot of fears that I may be like, oh, this really isn't for me. I'm perhaps more of a perfectionist than you. But I also get really, it makes me really frustrated.
Alissa Williams: Mm-hmm.
Jennifer Wilson: If I can't achieve that level of perfection. And that's when I give up and walk away.
Alissa Williams: Well, and so I even got the Tailored Expressions Advent calendar. And that was super fun and I really liked it. Like each week you made, you got a thing to make.
Jennifer Wilson: Mm-hmm.
Alissa Williams: And I've made one of those things. And I am gonna make the rest. Um, but yeah, I am not a card maker. And that is Okay.
Jennifer Wilson: I, I was looking at one of their, um, they have card making kits and then they have like a bundle which has the kit and some other things. Which clearly you're gonna [00:39:00] want because it can help you make even more cards.
Alissa Williams: Yes.
Jennifer Wilson: With that same item. But I'm like, this is expensive.
Alissa Williams: Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Jennifer Wilson: Compared to what you can buy for the same amount of scrapbook supplies.
Alissa Williams: Yes. It is expensive. 'Cause you need inks and you need blending brushes and you need a different blending brush for every ink color.
Jennifer Wilson: And well, and stamp and die sets on its own. Those are just.
Alissa Williams: Yeah, those are expensive.
Jennifer Wilson: Those are very expensive. Yeah. And so, yes, you can make a variety of different cards. The whole collection I was looking at was, was snails. They were really, really cute. But how many snail cards am I really gonna make in the end?
Alissa Williams: Right.
Jennifer Wilson: So that's what's holding holds me back.
Alissa Williams: Yeah.
Jennifer Wilson: But I do think it's really cute and I might ask for it for a gift. I don't know. Let's see.
Alissa Williams: Well, that's not a bad way to get into it.
Jennifer Wilson: Yes.
Alissa Williams: Okay. Those were my fails.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay. Well, we already talked about my One Little Word related. It's like, it didn't even come up until you mentioned it.
Alissa Williams: Mm-hmm.
Jennifer Wilson: Uh, because I'd really just kind of forgotten about it.
I get the email and I was like, oh, maybe I should look at that content. And I do sometimes, like listen to various, um, to the conversations like when I'm on the [00:40:00] treadmill or when I'm working. But I haven't been focused on it at all. Uh, my biggest fail, uh, is the A6 sized Hobonichi Cousin that I intended to do daily documentation in.
I did it pretty seriously through March. And maybe dabbled a little bit after that. But then I just, I started to get so resentful of it. And I'm like, why am I doing this? Something that I just, that I'm hating. And, and it had nothing to do with the aesthetics of it. I would allow myself to like have complete chicken scratch. But for something that I just don't feel as much attachment to facts, as I do to feelings. And every time I would start to write these facts of what was going on and the things that I wanted to remember, it would very quickly devolve into how I felt about it. And I'm like, well, it's not, there's nothing wrong with that. But that wasn't the point. The point was to have more facts that I could use to mine for scrapbooking later.
Alissa Williams: Mm-hmm.
Jennifer Wilson: And so I haven't [00:41:00] quite figured out how I wanna approach this in the future. I think I have to do it within whatever planner I'm using. If I feel like I wanna write something down, then I write it down. And, but to do it as its own thing, I, I've had multiple fails in this department. And this was really perhaps the most epic public, grandiose one. So. It is what it is. It is what it's, I did learn from it.
Alissa Williams: That's good.
Jennifer Wilson: And then kind of more conceptually, I, and I've mentioned this on the show before, I am very much transitioning away from projects and into layouts. It might be a, it might be a series of layouts that are on a theme. Or, um, I'm so excited about what I'm doing for December Daily this year.
I am not doing an album. I am going to do a two page layout. That might be like two plus some flips on the side, so it's kind of four. But my idea, my vision for this is kind of like a December Daily advent calendar layout. So I have little pockets or envelopes or [00:42:00] little boxes, one through 25. That I can document 25 different little stories. All on one layout.
Alissa Williams: Impressive.
Jennifer Wilson: I have this vision, I've started kind of mocking up what I want to do. Uh, my supplies are supposed to arrive this coming week. I only bought just a couple things. And so if I can, if I can make something that's even close to this vision, I can, I see a path forward in, in doing this every year.
Alissa Williams: Well. See this is, this dovetails nicely into what I wanted to discuss, or one of my 2026 plans. Maybe I'm jumping ahead too much, is figuring out how to document Christmas.
Jennifer Wilson: Mm-hmm.
Alissa Williams: Because I'm not, like, I'm, I think I'm pretty much done doing December Daily. Like that does not appeal to me. We do not have the volume of activities. I don't want 25 daily stories. I know, like, you know, Ali's like any story from the day. I, like I, I'm not into that. I do that with Week In The Life. That's fine. [00:43:00] So yeah, I don't know what I'm gonna do about holiday documenting in the coming years. And maybe it's just so, like last year we, we maybe started a new tradition of going to the local dinner theater and watching a show and eating delicious food and whatnot. And so I did a page about that. And that was our, you know, I don't necessarily need document the pictures from Christmas Day and Christmas Eve. I don't know. I mean, none of us look our best anyway, you know. So the girls don't like their pictures being taken. Maybe I'll do a compilation, layout. You know, in three years. It's like Christmas, the teenage years. Where you get two small, expensive gifts.
Jennifer Wilson: Yes.
Alissa Williams: So.
Jennifer Wilson: It is a lot different than when they were little.
Alissa Williams: It is very different. Now, I will say, I don't feel, one of the biggest things Stacey Julian has taught me is just to wait.
Jennifer Wilson: Yes.
Alissa Williams: You know, like we talked on the last time I was on the show, I think about, like, I haven't figured out how I'm documenting all this volleyball stuff yet.[00:44:00]
I just wait to see. So anyway. The reason also I don't think I feel a ton of pressure is because I have my girls' ornament albums. Which are very simple. And they, they do at least document Christmas each year.
Jennifer Wilson: Yeah.
Alissa Williams: Now when they turn 18, I'm done with those and they're going with them. So maybe after that I'll feel the need to do something. But for now, I do at least have a chronological record of Christmas in those albums.
Jennifer Wilson: And I love that. I think we don't necessarily have to capture everything. It's capturing the things that are most important to you. And this is a tradition that, that is really like part of your heart, um, even when you say you don't have feelings.
I know you do. Um, so I think that's, yeah, I think that's really cool. We all have to figure out what is the, the right suite of things that fills our plate just enough. I always say like, what, you know, what fills you up and fits your life.
Alissa Williams: Yeah.
Jennifer Wilson: And that's gonna be different every year and through the years.
Alissa Williams: [00:45:00] Very true. Now back to what you were saying.
Jennifer Wilson: Oh, um, yeah, no, just my biggest fail is that I, as part of this desire to transition to layouts, I wanted to kind of like finish my outstanding projects and I have not done that.
Alissa Williams: Mm-hmm.
Jennifer Wilson: Um, I've say I've made attempts, but.
Alissa Williams: How many would you say you have? Like are we talking 10 or are we talking four?
Jennifer Wilson: Somewhere in between there.
Alissa Williams: Oh, okay. And so you six seven.
Jennifer Wilson: Oh, I feel like I was led into that. Uh, yeah, it was please, collectively all groan with that right now. Um, you did ask me though to rate their like, level of finished ness.
Alissa Williams: Oh, I did do that. Because I am a good accountability partner.
Jennifer Wilson: I added that to my Creative Hub and so I do kind of know what is closest to finished. And that's one way to tackle finished projects is to, you know, use kind of Dave Ramsey method. Of what is.
Alissa Williams: Snowball.
Jennifer Wilson: The [00:46:00] smallest that you have and closest to finished. Um, versus.
Alissa Williams: That's, that's an episode we should do is Dave Ramsey's 10 rules as they apply to scrapbook.
Jennifer Wilson: I dunno, his 10 rules. So you would have to guide that.
Alissa Williams: But I, yeah, that could be an interesting lens. Um, okay. I'm wishing you would check.
Jennifer Wilson: Wouldn't we not buy any scrapbook supplies though then?
Alissa Williams: Um, I don't know. I'll figure that out. Um, I'm issu issuing you, I apparently cannot say that word. A challenge in that I think the next time you go to a crop.
Jennifer Wilson: But I like to do layouts at the crops.
Alissa Williams: I always bring one project and one and then layouts. When I.
Jennifer Wilson: And to be fair, I have finished a number of projects at those.
Alissa Williams: Um, I think that's what you need to do.
Jennifer Wilson: I have to prep them similarly in that, basically the same way that I prep layouts. 'cause otherwise I feel like I don't, I don't have all my.
Alissa Williams: Well, that's fair.
Jennifer Wilson: Stuff.
Alissa Williams: And then you get 'em done.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay.
Alissa Williams: Just one.
Jennifer Wilson: Or I have to finish it before.
Alissa Williams: Yeah.[00:47:00]
Jennifer Wilson: That, that is another kind of like a motivational factor of I have to work on it at this in-person retreat unless I finish it beforehand.
Alissa Williams: Yeah. I like that.
Jennifer Wilson: So.
Alissa Williams: That's like a step bet challenge.
Jennifer Wilson: It is.
Alissa Williams: I like it.
Jennifer Wilson: I may be doing one of those right now.
Alissa Williams: Maybe. Okay. What else?
Jennifer Wilson: Which, uh, I only have 977 steps today so far. So.
Alissa Williams: Well after we finish recording, we can walk around the parking lot.
Jennifer Wilson: I think that's a good idea. Okay.
Alissa Williams: Might be time for lunch though.
Jennifer Wilson: It's gonna be time to talk about 2026.
Alissa Williams: Okay.
Jennifer Wilson: So what are your plans for 2026 when it comes to planners?
Alissa Williams: None.
Jennifer Wilson: Meaning you're doing everything exactly how you have been doing it or you're not doing anything.
Alissa Williams: So some of this will, I think, some of this depends on quite frankly, what is happening for six months of 2026. If she makes the national team. I think I'm just gonna do a bullet journal. Because.
Jennifer Wilson: And would that be both personal and work together?
Alissa Williams: No, work is, work has its own rhythm.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay.
Alissa Williams: Work does its own thing. This is just personal.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay. Fair.
Alissa Williams: Um, so [00:48:00] I did use my Erin Condron for. Oh, hi Lauren. All the kids for the 10 o'clock session are arriving now.
Jennifer Wilson: Yes. Is that the one who's like my cousin?
Alissa Williams: No.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay. Yeah. Just for context, we did realize recently that Steve's like second cousin's daughter was on Alissa's daughter's team last year.
Alissa Williams: It's a small world.
Jennifer Wilson: It is a very small world in central Illinois.
Alissa Williams: That's Logan.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay.
Alissa Williams: That was Lauren.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay.
Alissa Williams: Lauren lives by me.
Jennifer Wilson: The L I guess was what made me think maybe it was.
Alissa Williams: Okay.
Jennifer Wilson: So please continue.
Alissa Williams: I feel like we're doing like car karaoke.
Jennifer Wilson: It's nice.
Alissa Williams: Okay.
Jennifer Wilson: I hope our audience enjoys our banter.
Alissa Williams: So in 2025, because my Get to Work Book was no more, I used an Erin Condron planner. And I have enjoyed it for the most part. It's fine. It works.
Jennifer Wilson: Was it a monthly or a weekly?
Alissa Williams: It was a monthly.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay.
Alissa Williams: And then it has the pages where I can just make lists. Because I still wanted that calendar. Well, as I'm on the road more and as I'm more and more leaning [00:49:00] into my digital tools, and quite frankly during the week.
Like, I don't look at my planner that much at home. Unless I have a quieter. Like I really just, I use it to kind of write it out. So I kind of know if, like, if I have free evenings and if there's anything I wanna do on those evenings. But sometimes I'm so tired that all I wanna do is watch Only Murders in the Building.
Jennifer Wilson: That's fair.
Alissa Williams: Or the Diplomat. Or.
Jennifer Wilson: Oh my God, the current season of the Diplomat. You have to watch that 'cause I need to talk about it.
Alissa Williams: Well, I have to finish Only Murders in the Building. I can only watch one show at a time. And then last night I had to watch Castle with my daughter. ' Cause she and I are watching Castle, but we didn't watch for like all of October because of volleyball.
And so anyway, my point being, I don't think I really need, like to spend $45 plus shipping on a planner. I think I can just get a Leuchtturm book.
Jennifer Wilson: Mm-hmm.
Alissa Williams: Which actually I started using at work as a, a note supplement for me that's working really well. So I have my planner at work that I do need with the month and the weeks, and I write stuff out.
Jennifer Wilson: As you're sitting here, I'm gonna make you touch this. This is [00:50:00] my Sterling Ink and I just love.
Alissa Williams: That is very soft.
Jennifer Wilson: It is very soft. And they have just plain, plain notebooks.
Alissa Williams: But do you know how many blank note, because also I'm like, why do you even need to buy Leuchtturm. Do you know how many blank pretty notebooks I have at home that I could just start a Bullet journal in. so many. And I don't need all these things. So.
Jennifer Wilson: But it's so pretty and soft.
Alissa Williams: It is pretty and soft. But I have things that I need to use.
Jennifer Wilson: I understand. So I respect that.
Alissa Williams: So it really, if we, if we do not if for, if she makes only a local club team, um, because if really we're still playing volleyball, it's just how much volleyball are we playing.
Jennifer Wilson: Yes. And how far we have to drive to play it.
Alissa Williams: Yes. So I, yeah, that's kind of where I'm at, is that I don't think I need an actual planner at home, right now in this season. I think I just need a notebook to make lists in.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay, I like that. So we will have to like reconvene to settle your plans in the second half of November. So in like 19 days.
Alissa Williams: [00:51:00] Okay.
Jennifer Wilson: I think we find out the 19th.
Alissa Williams: 17th, the night of the 17th.
Jennifer Wilson: Same day as tryouts?
Alissa Williams: Mm-hmm.
Jennifer Wilson: Oh, I thought it was the next, within 24 hours.
Alissa Williams: We got our letter that night.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay. Oh my gosh. I'm not ready for this.
Alissa Williams: Because like the meeting is the 19th.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay.
Alissa Williams: Okay.
Jennifer Wilson: Wow.
Alissa Williams: Yeah.
Jennifer Wilson: So yeah, my planner plan is to stay the course.
This, I bought this midyear, so I am going to finish this through June. I am, every time I look at a planner, I'm like, no, you are finishing this one through June. There is nothing wrong with it. You love this. You should explore, you know, more parts of it. Um, and so I'm really trying to embrace if there's something I need to write down, there's plenty of room here.
Uh, I do have an index in the back, so it doesn't matter what page it falls on, I can just add it to the index and say what page it's on. And so I'm really enjoying that. And at this point I do anticipate just buying another and continuing. And to really let go of all of the planner fomo.
Alissa Williams: Hmm.
Jennifer Wilson: [00:52:00] There are lots of cool planners out there that do different things and have different, um, that are structured differently, both kind of by the pages and their physical structure.
But I know like soft bound really works for me. I don't like to be able to not write close to the center of the page, which happens to all the spiral bounds, no matter how well they're made. So, uh, yeah, I just, I just have to kind of stay the course and focus on other things too. And keep pulling myself off the ledge, which you often help me with.
Alissa Williams: Yes. That sounds good.
Jennifer Wilson: Yeah.
Alissa Williams: Okay.
Jennifer Wilson: All right. What about scrapbooking in 2026?
Alissa Williams: Well, as, as mentioned earlier in the episode, I will be continuing my Let's Create Together kits. I really.
Jennifer Wilson: Should I do those?
Alissa Williams: You won't like them?
Jennifer Wilson: Oh.
Alissa Williams: Well, I mean, they're really.
Jennifer Wilson: I do like Megan's layouts.
Alissa Williams: They're super cute. She does, she's got such a great design eye and her videos are really, because there's a video that comes with it too.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay.
Alissa Williams: Where she creates it live and gives you like tips and [00:53:00] Yeah, design thoughts.
Jennifer Wilson: But I do have like kind of a very particular like preferences and those types of products that I like.
Alissa Williams: Yes. And you don't like.
Jennifer Wilson: Bright colors.
Alissa Williams: Yes. Or super seasonal things.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay. Fair. Unless it's fall. Like I really do love fall layouts, but.
Alissa Williams: Right.
Jennifer Wilson: So I'll have to check out yours in more detail because they don't really like show the kits. They make it kind of a surprise. Yes. And part of that, as I'm sure is for their own flexibility.
Alissa Williams: Yes.
Jennifer Wilson: Um, I perhaps wanna look at what you've made and what you've received in a little more detail to see if that might be something.
Alissa Williams: So as I think I mentioned before, I feel like my scrapbooking is slowing down in terms of what I have to a catch up on, which I'm not super obsessed with. And I did a big push on that in 24. But just in terms of how many pictures I'm taking and who lets me take pictures of them and what stories we have.
And so this is two pronged in that I don't, so like even this year when I was [00:54:00] thinking about my plans for 25, I had one album project which ended up being the one I talked about earlier. I wanted to use my Story kits up, which I have not really done. Um, I wanted to make my Alaska album. I wanted to become a card maker and My Let's Create Together kits. I only had like five things and it was kind of reaching to get to five.
Jennifer Wilson: Sure.
Alissa Williams: Of my big rocks. I also have done Project Life monthly this year and nine by 12. And I have some, I have three kind of ongoing projects. My Ornament album, my Halloween album, and, my girls, Chatbook, which right now I'm only down. In 2026
I'll have Abby's eighth grade year, and that's my last Chatbooks. 'Cause as we talked about last time, that all changed. And I'm only, and I still haven't figured out what I'm gonna do for Lucy's High School album. We talked about maybe I'm doing a 10 by eight album.
Jennifer Wilson: Hmm.
Alissa Williams: Remember the pocket idea?
Jennifer Wilson: Yeah. I think that's really cool.
Alissa Williams: But I haven't, I mean, we're only in our sophomore year. Again, I've learned to [00:55:00] wait. So the only things I know for sure that I want to do in 2026. Or my own, my conceptual thoughts right now is that inspired by the recent Planning Party episodes. I think I'm going to, I really wanna use up my Story kits. And I was taking this, I'd started this one approach this fall that has not been super successful.
And I know when I was most successful in using those was when I did what Sue Triggs-Rhuda told us many years ago is just put those things in pockets and tell stories. So I'm gonna, I, and also my Project Life is not as satisfying anymore. Again, I think it's just with the volume of stories or the lack of volume of stories or the same stories like how many pictures of volleyball do I need in Project Life?
Jennifer Wilson: But do you include, like, we send each other a lot of funny things. Do you include any of that in your Project Life?
Alissa Williams: No.
Jennifer Wilson: Do you have a desire to? I guess not. See, that's one of the things that makes me want to do Project Life, is to remember some of the funny things that, that are [00:56:00] shared via text message.
Alissa Williams: Huh. Yeah, no.
Jennifer Wilson: Interesting.
Alissa Williams: So right now my tentative plan is that I would do a six by eight Project Life stories album. That would just be.
Jennifer Wilson: Is that pockets or pages?
Alissa Williams: Pockets.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay.
Alissa Williams: Maybe a page if I feel so, because there is, there is paper
Jennifer Wilson: Yeah.
Alissa Williams: The, the newer kits had the six by outside the page protector paper. So, because again, with these kits, I like to copy. So, you know, I did this whole layout on how I became a fan of volleyball. That was pretty much straight list lift from Tracey Fox's layout in the classroom.
Jennifer Wilson: Mm-hmm.
Alissa Williams: You know, so I wanna do, I, I really wanna focus in 26 on using, burning through these Story kits and getting them, make those the focus of what my scrapbooking is.
Jennifer Wilson: Yeah.
Alissa Williams: And I think the way to do that is twofold. So the, the method that I've been using, [00:57:00] which literally I'm still on my first Story kit, but I'm almost done. 'Cause kinda like you were saying, you prep nine and then you're like, I don't really care.
But and I think this also goes back to what I was saying earlier was, unless I'm totally lifting it, I need to like figure out the design for a nine by 12 album. You know, or a, not a nine by 12 album, but a 12 by 12 page. Like, if I'm gonna do a page with the product, I need to figure out what that design looks like. And that is hard for me and I have to like really.
Jennifer Wilson: Yeah.
Alissa Williams: That process takes me a very long time.
Jennifer Wilson: Just to pause you for a second, inside of the Simple Scrapper classrooms area, we have a new addition to the Square One series where we have selected, and, and Peggy did most of this. Uh, some of our best sketches that use three by four cards.
Alissa Williams: Oh.
Jennifer Wilson: Or that have three by four slots that we can use for cards. So that we can use up our Project Life and Story kit supplies.
Alissa Williams: Well, I'll need to check that out. Because I have been going back to the collab I led in 24 that was [00:58:00] all about Story kits. Anyway, I really wanna focus on, I think my big focus for 26 is gonna be these Story kits.
And I think I'm gonna do that through. So the method I was using was I would pick a story kit through my random spinner that I created. I put all my Story kits that I had in a spreadsheet and then. I, it makes a spinner and I just spin it and tells me which one to use. Because again, decision fatigue.
Jennifer Wilson: Sure.
Alissa Williams: So the first one that came up was fan. And so then I watched the classroom stuff. I made my, I had four story ideas. I'm on my last one, which I had to make a page for. And I figured out how to want it. And then I'm very excited because when I got this pocket idea based on the podcast, the last podcast episode that I was listening to, I've come up with. So then there's the extras and I was torn about.
Jennifer Wilson: Mm-hmm.
Alissa Williams: Am I gonna break 'em apart? Am I gonna keep 'em together? What am I gonna do with these? How, where, where am I gonna store this stuff? Especially that six by eight paper. I don't know, how am I gonna do this? And I think what I'm gonna do, if I'm gonna try this stories first approach to Project Life in a six by eight album for [00:59:00] 26. Is I'm gonna do the stories. And I'm either gonna package those up as kits and then break everything else apart so that they're together, so that they're in.
Like I have a stadium organizer and I'll just put everything together. Mm-hmm. So that when I'm ready to sit down and do stories for the month, I can see options I have available for me.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay. That works.
Alissa Williams: So like I had these two cards. For example, I'm doing the fan story kit. I had these two cards. One is not a fan of and one is fan.
And I'm like, oh, I know what I'm gonna do for that. Now I'm gonna just slip those two cards into pockets. I'm gonna print two pictures of me. I know exactly what pictures I'm gonna print. And I'm gonna just make a list of things I'm a fan of right now and things I'm not a fan of right now.
Jennifer Wilson: I like that.
Alissa Williams: And then it's just a slice of life from.
Jennifer Wilson: Yeah.
Alissa Williams: You know, it's like a current, it's a different version of a currently page.
Jennifer Wilson: It is.
Alissa Williams: So I really wanna focus next year on the Story kit projects. And then the other, the project I'm gonna do. 'Cause I usually have one album project, but [01:00:00] again, I'm not doing as many of those and, but I did do Week in the Life this year. I documented Week in the Life this year.
Jennifer Wilson: Mm-hmm.
Alissa Williams: And I, I really wanna do that album. Okay. And that album was not on my plans for 2025, so I didn't work into my schedule this year. So that, that's probably gonna be a first quarter 26 project for me.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay. Is to take what you've documented and actually make that album.
Alissa Williams: Yes. Because I do really like what I documented and how I documented. I got super inspired by, um, Linda. Linda Loves Craft Creating.
Jennifer Wilson: That's Linda Jordan, right?
Alissa Williams: Yeah. Yeah. So I really wanna put that album together.
Jennifer Wilson: Nice, nice. That's also on my list of albums to finish.
Alissa Williams: Well, maybe we could have a Weekend Finishing Party.
Jennifer Wilson: That could be fun. That could be fun. I, one thing that I wanna underscore is the idea of a project to use something. Like that's different from an album project.
Alissa Williams: Mm.
Jennifer Wilson: So when we say like, no projects, or I'm trying to lean away from projects, it really means [01:01:00] specific albums or like mini books.
Alissa Williams: Right.
Jennifer Wilson: That are, that are, you know, have, have beginnings and ends and do work well for a lot of people. They just become one more thing for me.
Alissa Williams: Mm-hmm.
Jennifer Wilson: And so I work better with much smaller projects like a layout or maybe a small number of layouts based on one kit. Um, so I love this idea of projects to use something, uh, whether it's a supply that you've acquired a lot of, to use more of your older stash.
We do that, a lot of that in Stash Bash. I think those are, you know, very, very similar to the idea of a step bet. It's like a short term, like a short term goal to do something and then you can, you get to change course afterwards.
Alissa Williams: Yes.
Jennifer Wilson: Whether like there's no finish, there's no real finishing. Because it's just, did I use some of this? Yay I succeeded. Now I can move on.
Alissa Williams: I love that. Well, and I just, I hesitate to break the kits up 'cause I'm like, what if I'd wanna go back? But I'm like, if you've watched the videos you've done, what stories you think you can do with this product, [01:02:00] break it up. And even if some of it is super themey like says big fan, maybe there'll be a layout someday where that will work if you put it in your triangles.
Jennifer Wilson: And are there pieces maybe that you could even get rid of?
Alissa Williams: Yes, I've done that before.
Jennifer Wilson: Yeah. Do you usually, do you put them in your, like here's the free stuff for other people pile? Or do you put them in the trash?
Alissa Williams: It depends on what it is.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay.
Alissa Williams: Like, I like cards. I would just put in the recycle pile probably.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay.
Alissa Williams: But like if it's embellishments or stuff, I might be more inclined to put that in a, my free box.
Jennifer Wilson: Sure.
Alissa Williams: My donate box.
Jennifer Wilson: That's cool. . Anything else for 2026?
Alissa Williams: No, I'm keeping it minimal. Also because if we really are gonna do travel again, there are six months where I don't have weekends at home to scrapbook. And I work 40 hours a week and I don't do a lot of weeknight. Maybe Friday nights I'll do a little bit, but I.
Jennifer Wilson: Yeah.
Alissa Williams: Sunday afternoons are really my prime crafty time. Now I will say there, so there are a couple of tournaments where [01:03:00] they do what's called team travel. Otherwise we are responsible for shepherding our child, chauffeuring them to the venue.
Jennifer Wilson: Either get them there at 7:00 AM or to stay with them till 9:00 PM.
Alissa Williams: Yes. So, you know, we have to drive to Chicago. And be in the hotel and then we have to get up at 5:00 AM so we can be on, so we can be there. So they can be there on court for warmups at seven. Or they need to be there at seven 30 because they're roughing at eight. Those are the worst because when they're roughing, I'm not watching them rough.
Anyway, I'm reading a book in my car with my car blanket. Anyway, there was a tournament, um, that was a three day tournament, uh, where they team traveled and I did go to watch them play, but I did not have to do all the stuff like I was by myself otherwise.
Jennifer Wilson: Yeah, you were a spectator, you didn't have to do the parenting aspect of it.
Alissa Williams: Yeah, I mean, I did a little bit, but.
Jennifer Wilson: Sure. Not like buy her food in, in a very expensive hoodie.
Alissa Williams: Exactly. So I did [01:04:00] bring one of my, Let's Create Together kits and Friday night had a croppy time in my hotel room and that was super fun. I got two pages done and felt very, it was very satisfying.
Jennifer Wilson: Yeah, I love that.
Alissa Williams: I did have to do more prep than I usually do 'cause I printed photos ahead of time and stuff. 'Cause I wasn't gonna lug my printer and everything.
Jennifer Wilson: No, I don't blame you.
Alissa Williams: But yeah, it was fun.
Jennifer Wilson: Cool. Yeah. It'll be, it's gonna be so interesting to see what happens.
Alissa Williams: Yeah. I hate the unknown. I, the these, these next three weeks just to like, okay, what's happening? You know.
Jennifer Wilson: Now we mentioned, we talked earlier before we started recording that Emily doesn't really get stressed about this kind of stuff, does Lucy?
Alissa Williams: No.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay. So yeah, our kids are more, far more chill than we are.
Alissa Williams: Well, and I'm not stressed. I, the only stress for me is I just wanna know. Are we in, are we out?
Jennifer Wilson: Yeah. I wanna know the plans.
Alissa Williams: Yeah.
Jennifer Wilson: Because it affects if we're taking any vacations and actually doing fun things for ourselves.
Alissa Williams: Yes.
Jennifer Wilson: Um, I feel like my plan is not much of a plan at this point. I don't, I'm definitely not starting any new projects.
Alissa Williams: Hmm.[01:05:00]
Jennifer Wilson: I do want to finish my older projects.
Alissa Williams: I think you need to pick like three that you're gonna commit to finishing in 26 or two.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay. That's fair. I will do that by the end of the year.
Alissa Williams: Yes.
Jennifer Wilson: I'll do that during the Planning Party at least.
Alissa Williams: Yes. I think you need to do that during the Planning Party.
Jennifer Wilson: Um, I wanna focus on just making layouts. Like just the, the joy, the process of it. Adding to my collection of stories. I wanna do layout that prep and batches of no more than five for working at home. Can do more if I'm going to a, a retreat.
I am curious to work on some supply oriented projects. I think particularly kind of figuring out what I'm doing with all the Crop and Create leftovers.
Alissa Williams: Hmm.
Jennifer Wilson: And either making kits make, like doing something with them and then getting them into my stash because they are not in my stash. They're in their own little universe still.
One thing that I am struggling with a place for are those like little funny things, whether it's, it's, you know, just a mem, graphic, [01:06:00] news things. You know, quotes from family members, like screenshots of text messages. And then with that like very attractive landscape photos that I take that don't really have a purpose.
Alissa Williams: So why don't you do a monthly roundup?
Jennifer Wilson: I don't know.
Alissa Williams: I think you should experiment with monthly roundup.
Jennifer Wilson: Would that be a layout?
Alissa Williams: Yeah.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay.
Alissa Williams: Like.
Jennifer Wilson: I thought about doing something digital. Like trying to use my iPad for scrapbooking.
Alissa Williams: Sure. Well, you could still do it as in a digital, I mean like Bre don't, Bre and Peggy and.
Jennifer Wilson: A lot of people do.
Alissa Williams: Yeah. I think you need a monthly roundup of like pretty pictures and funny things.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay. I can.
Alissa Williams: And it can just be a layout.
Jennifer Wilson: I'll have to maybe just try that for one month and see what happens.
Alissa Williams: I want you to write it down.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay.
Alissa Williams: Because otherwise we're gonna forget till we listen to the podcast again.
Jennifer Wilson: Monthly roundups. Question mark. Try for October 25. I'm gonna try to do last month and see what that might look like.
Alissa Williams: And how it feels.
Jennifer Wilson: [01:07:00] Yes, that's fair.
Alissa Williams: Okay, cool.
Jennifer Wilson: And then overall, like, kind of my last thing is that I need to give myself more permission to relax or chill the F out. Um, this is not a skill of mine.
And, you know, obviously there's so much of scrapbooking that's attached to work. And so when I go in my office, my inclination is, you should be working, you should be getting something done that supports the business. Or getting, you know, other work done that allows me to have more time for the business. And not, you deserve a chance to just relax and do something for the fun of it.
So I am trying to enjoy things. So here's an example. We went out for Halloween. We had a, we had this wedding reception to go to, which is of course is an odd event in itself. And then we went out to a bar afterwards. And I had never been out as an adult on Halloween in costume before. Like I'd never been out on Halloween as an adult and I'd never been out in costume [01:08:00] before. And I had fun.
Alissa Williams: I didn't, I did not hear about this.
Jennifer Wilson: Yeah. And I like, I enjoyed it and maybe I'd like to do it again. Like, not often, but I had fun. And I'm like, oh, maybe I, I just like you say like, oh, I don't have feelings. I know you do. Yeah. Like, I, I say that like, I'm just not fun and I don't have fun and I can't relax enough to have fun. And it's, it is possible.
Alissa Williams: Yeah.
Jennifer Wilson: Um, but I also kind of have to give myself permission to do it. So that's something that I want to work on more. Um, and I do experience that when we go to in-person retreats like so much and like, oh, this is why I love scrapbooking. And I actually do love the comradery of talking to others about scrapbooking. And, but when I'm in, you know, Simple Scrapper mode, it very much becomes work. And so there's a, there's a boundary there that I need to work on.
Alissa Williams: Hmm. I'm like.
Jennifer Wilson: It seems like you're amused by this.
Alissa Williams: No, I'm not amused. I'm just like trying to figure out how I can support you in this. Like, I feel like you [01:09:00] almost need to like, set up a table in the guest room and like craft in there.
Jennifer Wilson: I've thought about that. I've also thought about having, like, I need more of like an island in my office.
Alissa Williams: It won't fit.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay.
Alissa Williams: But I like that.
Jennifer Wilson: Yeah. So I don't know. And maybe that also using the iPad for a monthly roundup.
Alissa Williams: Mm-hmm.
Jennifer Wilson: Was an idea of I can then do this.
Alissa Williams: In the recliner next to the TV.
Jennifer Wilson: In the recliner. I could do it when I'm waiting in the car for volleyball. So it's an idea. I don't, I don't love the, the, it lacks the tactileness that I really enjoy in scrapbooking.
Alissa Williams: Right.
Jennifer Wilson: But I do appreciate it, and it is fun when I am away from home to be doing something related to it. So. Just kind of experimenting. I did do a two page spread, uh, when we were traveling this past month. And I did enjoy it. Um, I did it in, I think I did six by eight pages. So, and that's something I'd never done before, is to do digital six by eight pages. So.
Alissa Williams: Just you in what, Lightroom, or.
Jennifer Wilson: I did [01:10:00] it on my iPad. I sent you a picture.
Alissa Williams: Huh.
Jennifer Wilson: It was after we went for a hike.
Alissa Williams: Oh, yeah, yeah, that's right.
Jennifer Wilson: So we did this hike where we had taken Emily there like 11 years ago, and we took this picture in front of this waterfall. And so we're like, oh, when we're trying to figure out what to do in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Like let's go on that hike again and then try to find the same picture and guess what nature changes.
Um, but we were able to get some cute pictures and I was able to, to document that. And it was just, it was just a fun, like little thing. But I loved kind of coming back from that day and being able to document it immediately.
Alissa Williams: Yes.
Jennifer Wilson: That's in a way that it wasn't resentful like it would if I had to like, oh, well now I need to journal this and write down the facts of the day in my, oh, in my planner. So.
Alissa Williams: Interesting.
Jennifer Wilson: Because I could talk about the feelings and what it meant to me.
Alissa Williams: Well, that's good.
Jennifer Wilson: So. Yeah, I feel, I feel good overall. I feel excited. Um, I'm not subscribed to anything right now, as I said, except my monthly stickers from Cocoa Daisy. So [01:11:00] that, that always gives me freedom to, to not ever to not feel as behind, like I don't have like a pile up of things coming in.
Alissa Williams: Sure.
Jennifer Wilson: I have plenty of old stuff that, that I can use.
Alissa Williams: Yeah. I'll, I'll have to, I did subscribe the last half of the year here to the Elle Studio kits for my Project Life. And I'll have to cancel that.
Jennifer Wilson: So you are going to.
Alissa Williams: Yeah.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay.
Alissa Williams: Because I have enough monthly, like I have leftovers.
Jennifer Wilson: Mm-hmm.
Alissa Williams: Um, I have my, I have stamps from my, yeah. When I did the monthly kits from Ali Edwards. So like, I have plenty where I, if I wanted to do like this 26 project stories idea is. Maybe I'll do a month in review. Maybe I'll have one month, like, maybe one spread will be like, random stuff from the month.
Jennifer Wilson: Okay.
Alissa Williams: But maybe it'll just be a story, like, I'm just gonna follow my bliss with it.
Jennifer Wilson: I enjoy that and I can't wait to catch up on to see how it goes.
Alissa Williams: Yeah. We'll see. It'll be interesting.
Jennifer Wilson: It will as, as, as things always the case. I don't know.
Alissa Williams: Well, it's fun to try [01:12:00] different things, you know, when you've been doing this 20 years. I mean, I enjoy layouts, but I do enjoy doing projects. But I also, I only do like one project at a time now.
Jennifer Wilson: And you're very focused on finishing.
Alissa Williams: Oh yeah. I'm a finisher. I don't have unfinished projects. I mean, I guess that should have been one of my big wins was I, I had tried this.
Jennifer Wilson: Did you let yourself have an unfinished project?
Alissa Williams: No. Um, no, but I had all these random bits that I had stashed in this organizer thing when I was, doing this Ali Edwards class and it just had become super cluttered and I cleaned that out this year.
Jennifer Wilson: Oh, nice.
Alissa Williams: And like finished. I did finish, like, I think I had, like, I had some ultrasound pictures for the baby book I needed to put in and you know.
Jennifer Wilson: Wow.
Alissa Williams: Even though mentally I was finished with that project.
Jennifer Wilson: Yeah.
Alissa Williams: Like, you know.
Jennifer Wilson: There's always random stuff you find that like, oh, this belongs with something else. I need to either do something with it or, or get rid of it. So.
Alissa Williams: Yes, so I've cleaned out that organizer thing and did a little bit of finishing, like I figured out what to do with all my playbills and all that.
Jennifer Wilson: Nice.
Alissa Williams: [01:13:00] So, yeah.
Jennifer Wilson: Very cool. All right, as always, I enjoyed this conversation with you.
Alissa Williams: Yeah. Car chats, this might be a new thing in 2026, like when we volleyball tournaments.
Jennifer Wilson: It might be, it might be.
Alissa Williams: Car chat volume one.
Jennifer Wilson: We do hope that our daughters both make national teams because that will make thing, we will be spending a lot more time together.
Alissa Williams: In person.
Jennifer Wilson: In person for sure.
Alissa Williams: Yes.
Jennifer Wilson: Um, because we will be going likely to the same tournaments.
Alissa Williams: Yes.
Jennifer Wilson: So we shall see what happens.
Alissa Williams: Three weeks and we'll know.
Jennifer Wilson: Yep. And you know, all you listeners, thank you for putting up with us for an hour and 20 minutes. We really appreciate it. And, uh, hope you gained something new and some new insight for your own scrapbooking in 2026. Thanks, Alissa.
Alissa Williams: Thanks Jennifer.
Jennifer Wilson: And as always, please remember that you have permission to Scrapbook Your Way.
Sign up to receive email updates
Enter your name and email address below and I'll send you periodic updates about the podcast.
How to Subscribe
The best way to listen to Scrapbook Your Way is with a podcast player on your mobile device or with iTunes on your computer. You can subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or by searching for “Scrapbook Your Way” in your favorite podcast app.
I love every podcast but this one was really fun.I enjoyed the spontaneity.
Also, your season of life reminds me very much of when my son played competitive hockey. It dominated our schedule.