This week I managed to get my hands on one of Becky Higgins’ books, Family History Scrapbooking.  Becky is a Scrapbooker Extraordinaire as well as a writer, instructor, mother and Contributing Editor for Creating Keepsakes Magazine.  Family History Scrapbooking is just one of the many inspirational books she has written.

I read it from cover to cover in one night and went through it again the following day to bookmark every other page.  I recently started delving into genealogy and learning all about my family history as well as my husband’s.  It wasn’t long before I became overwhelmed with how to organize the information.  A family tree becomes a family forest before you can say great, great, great grandmother!  With all the information I was discovering, I quickly found myself in desperate need of some guidance.  And when it came to actually putting the information together in a way that told the stories?  Well,  I wasn’t entirely sure how to get started.

When I started reading through Becky’s book, I knew I had found the perfect tool to keep me organized, keep me inspired and to make my goals attainable.  I learned how to separate the information into manageable piles and discovered the best way for me to organize the info that I had, was to create a binder for each family surname and give each person or couple their own divider.  In each person’s section I was able to place historical documents such as land records, naturalization papers or just notes that I had typed and printed off.
I also learned how to interview family members to get the best stories, not just the timetable facts.  When I called my grandmother to ask her a few questions, I ended up with some terrific tales as well as new tidbits to add to my research hunt.

The most fabulous aspect of all for me were the  wonderful scrapbook layouts featured on every page. Classic and simple designs, perfect for showcasing historical pictures and stories.  I have definite plans in mind for scrapbooking the histories that I collect.  I’m thrilled to have such beautiful inspiration at my fingertips.

If you have a pile of old family history collecting dust somewhere, I strongly encourage you to pull it out and create a way to showcase it.  Family History Scrapbooking can help keep you from getting overwhelmed in the process.  If you don’t have any clue about your family history, but your curiosity is piqued, a couple of quick emails or phone calls to your family and you’ll be surprised at how quickly it comes out!  Just make sure you have this handy reference tool ready to help you keep track of it all. 

Family History Scrapbooking by Becky Higgins can be purchased at the Creating Keepsakes website.

Happy history hunting!