scrapbooks, photo albums, or both?

I'm getting ready to start scrapbooking. Do you have a scrapbook and photo album? Or just a scrapbook? I'd like to do just a scrapbook but I have so many pictures? What does everyone else do???

I Actually have both. I put my photos into my photo albums. When I'm ready to scrap, I go thru my photo albums and pull out the ones I am going to scrap book.

I don't scrap all my photos. I pick the ones I like the best for my layouts and the rest up in the great beyond. I've tryed putting my leftover photos in those small albums (1 photo per page that holds about 100 photos) I really liked it, but I tend to lose interst in my photos I have now or find a new reason to scrap old photos so I end up going through the books and taking out the pics I want. It got to the point there were more blank spots than pictures. I know I could just fill in the blanks, but then everything would be totally out of order and all messed up and it takes a long time to rearange all those books (I currently have 10 small albums about 1/2 full)

All that said. I usually keep my extra pics in one of those photo boxes and I use the inserts to sort the photos by subject. It works for me for right now.

I have both too. When I pick up my photos, I date the backs, choose those that I want to scrap and put them in a page protector. I attach a post-it note to the inside of the protector that lists any pertinent information and feelings about the event. I'll ask my kids for their input too, if they're not too busy. I put the page protector in a binder, so we can still enjoy this "sensible scrapbook" (until I get to the actual scrapbooking).

I put the rest of the photos into photo albums for the family to enjoy right now.

I actually only do a scrapbook, and my pictures that I don't use go in a photo box. I use to put them in a photo album, but when people look at my pictures, they always prefer to look at the scrapbook. I am one of those that scraps just about any photo...so the photos in the box are boarder line garbage anyway.

Most of my photos are currently sitting on the floor waiting to be seperated. If they aren't on the floor they are in ziploc bags seperated by subject waiting to be scrapped.

Someone on this board (sorry can't remember who) has a photo album where people can take pics that they like. I'm thinking of doing that. I'd rather my photos tell the story of our life, so I don't think I'll have photo albums, just scrapbooks.

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Megan:
A person who always strives to do her best-

Well, I'm just the odd-ball here. Before scrapbooking, my life was being taken over by photographs. I had piles of them all over the place.

When I started scrapbooking, I sorted out the pictures and the ones that I want to scrap are "filed" together. The ones that are not "scrapworthy" I THREW AWAY.

I feel very free now. I don't want any pictures unless they are in a scrapbook. I am taking control of my life again!

JenKirk: I LOVE your mentally healthy approach to the problem.

Jen,
This is exactly what I just started doing. I have tons and tons of pictures in albums, in boxes and all over the place. To make matters worse, my MIL brought me 2 huge boxes of my husbands pictures in no order or album, just kind of tossed in the box. I have now gone through 2001 though 1997 and created filing sections for each of my current scrapbooks by year(one for each of my sons, famliy, Christmas, Granparents, brothers, etc.). I tossed the pictures that were not scrapworthy and the rest I have in piles to give away to grandparents, my sisters, sister in law, my friends in California and anyone else who bugs me for pic's of my boys that I never get to send. By the time I was done, I had 4 empty photo albums and 5 empty photo boxes. I cannot tell you how good it feels to have them all sorted and gone! Now I just have the first 33 years to do.

Now that I have empty photo albums, I may use Jill's idea for putting them in page protectors until they are scrapped. Good idea Jill.

FORTUNATELY, I feel like I'm ahead of the game. I'm only 23 (24 next week - I'm getting so old) and only have 2 years of married life to scrap. My mom is responsible for the other 21 years. HA!

UNFORTUNATELY, I am way camera happy and still feel like I am buried in projects. The rule is - No kids until I'm caught up scrapping my own life.