"Introduction"
excerpt from Full of Love

I have a secret. OK, well it's not really a deep, dark secret that I keep hidden. (To tell the truth, it's a part of my life of which I'm really proud!) It's just something that a lot of people don't know about me.

And it's something that, when folks find out... Well, I think my dear friend Holly Robinson Peete's reaction summed it up best.

"Girl, you got time for what?!"

You see, I'm a scrapbooker.

Now, to some people, "scrapbooking" means spending hours cutting out shapes from construction paper and messing with smelly paste. And it scares the tar out of them. So I guess I should be clear. I use the word "scrapbook." And, to me, the books I make are absolutely beautiful. But the heart of my photo albums will always be pictures and stories, not bells and whistles.

For that reason, one of my scrapbooking heroes has always been Rhonda Anderson – one of the co-founders of Creative Memories. She's kind of been scrapbooking's version of a rock star for the last 25 years with her no-frills message of "simple pages … completed albums." (Just like Mom used to make 'em!)

So when I got the chance to talk with Rhonda, I was excited. And as I talked with everyone at Creative Memories, I could feel a partnership coming on. And it has! We're developing products that are beautiful – but that offer easy options to keep from overwhelming the busy parents of this world. The first batch is my Hummingbird Series. It's available now and it's something I feel passionate about! I truly believe that albums have the power to change lives.

And then it hit me. The last time I felt this passionately about something, I ended up writing a book about it: Full of Life – Mom-to-Mom Tips I Wish Someone Had Told Me When I Was Pregnant.

I was blessed with a mother who knew how important albums can be in making children feel loved, valued and confident. So photo albums have always been part of my life. And over the course of my career, I've become an expert at finding ways to fit album-making into the cracks of a busy life.

I realized I have to share that. So this book includes my tips, my stories, my advice and my recommendations. But it's more than that. Because, over the years, I've stumbled onto a surprisingly simple formula:

Better Stories + Better Photos = Better Albums

You have great stories in you. (Trust me. Everyone does!) I'll share some of the techniques I've learned from interviewing on the red carpet that have carried over into my albums and made the stories I tell in them come to life. For the other half of the equation, I'll turn to professional lifestyle photographer Ulrica Wihlborg to get the scoop on all the simple little things we can do to kick our photos up a notch.

And, since the reporter in me always wondered if the albums I cherished as a little girl truly were as influential in my upbringing as I always believed they were, I'll quiz noted child psychologist Dr. Kenneth Condrell to find out. I think his answers will amaze you.

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