REVIEW:  The Book of Me

Is it time for you to get off the technique-driven, event-oriented scrapbook merry-go-round and get a fresh perspective?  If you are ready, all you need to do is

1. step out from behind the camera
2. get a copy of Angie Pedersen’s The Book of Me

In this book, Angie has put together a definitive guide to scrapbooking about yourself.  The book is beautifully designed and highlights fifteen different roles women play with inspiration on how to scrapbook them.

Rounding out the book, there is in an introduction to the BOM concept and how to incorporate the ideas into your scrapbooks, even if you don’t do a whole BOM album.  She also notes how to use the BOM concept for a tribute album.  She further discusses how to organize for a BOM project, how to deal with little or no photos of a topic, and painting the scene with words.

Each chapter/role includes the following

• definition of the role
• introduction and discussion of the role
• “In My Scrapbook” – Angie’s experiences doing this role in her albums
• prompts to trigger journaling
• photo op ideas
• ideas for memorabilia
• quotes
• related web links
• layout samples by Angie and other talented scrapbook artists

Some of the roles Angie has chosen are fairly obvious like “childhood” and “nurturer” but she doesn’t stop there – she has also chosen some other more nebulous but important topics such as “dreamer” and “spiritual being”.  And far from being just a list of role ideas, there is ample material for each and every role to provide inspiration to even the most reluctant scrapbooker to get started highlighting herself, her life, and her perspective.  She encourages readers to look at what is special and distinct about themselves.  For her, it was a way to look at her gifts and appreciate herself and her life in a way that had been difficult previously.

This book belongs on every scrapbooker’s bookshelf as a resource and reminder for how important it is to treat yourself and others to experience a totally unique point of view – yours.  And yes, this includes those who feel they have trouble journaling or don’t know how to deal on a scrapbook page with some of the difficult issues they have gone through.  Further, the ideas presented in this book are timeless and can be incorporated into any style of layout from the simple to the complex.  I don’t think you can truly read through this book and come out unchanged as Angie’s passion for her topic is truly contagious!

ISBN 1-93050-008-4

Published by EFG Inc

And available at www.onescrappysite.com

US Retail - $16.99