Hey Friends,

What I’m Passionate About

• I’m passionate about Jesus and sharing the awesome things he’s done for me! God blessed me with children, He gave me more time with my Dad when he was dying from cancer, He saved my Mom after having a stroke. They are big things but God is also about the little everyday things too. You just have to be a willing vessel to see them!

• My children and the connections I have with them. As a mother I feel that it’s my responsibility to instill in them the importance of family and unity. I love doing things with my kids and my nephews and niece. We are all planning our “Do Over” trip to Disney since my nephew ended up sick with Covid while we there last year.

• Sharing my love of scrapbooking. Scrapbooking for me is about preserving memories in a creative way. It’s why I started Redheaded StoryKeeper and why I’m always taking photos. Years from now I want my children to be able to look at their albums and remember all the precious memories we had as a family. You can check out my gallery here to see a sample of my pages.

So, I hope this short post gives you a little more insight into me and why I do what I do.

Thanks for stopping by! I would love to know what your passions are so leave them in the comments! Are you interested in learning more about scrapbooking? Check out my Youtube channel here

Hello Friends,

My favorite book from my childhood was called, “Bedtime for Francis.” I absolutely adored this book and bought copies for my oldest daughter when she was little. It’s about a little badger named Francis who doesn’t want to go to bed and the antics that ensued to avoid going to bed. Frances also has other books and while I haven’t collected them all, the ones I have are charming as well. I also loved “Bread and Jam for Frances.” You can check the *link below to find it on amazon.

* affiliate link. I make a small commission when you purchase things through my links. Affiliate links cost you nothing and are a way to support me. Thanks!

Do I Practice Religion?

Yes, I’m a Christian and Jesus is the center of my life and of my business but I don’t call it being religious but rather having a relationship with God. He’s not concerned with the pomp and circumstance that man places on religion, It’s about the relationship you form with Him. It’s as simple as that.

I spent my younger years growing up in the Catholic Church. My grandmother was a strict Irish Roman Catholic who went to Mass every Sunday. My brother and I use to spend the weekends with her and she would take us to church. She laid the foundation of my faith. I didn’t understand the importance of those Sundays back then but as I got older, I surely did. It wasn’t until she passed away and I had my own “come to Jesus moment” when my life fell apart did I feel the real need to give my life back to Christ.

Today, I go to a Nondenominational Church called Redeeming Love Christian Fellowship in Galloway, NJ where I serve as Media Ministry Leader, Deaconess, and Praise Team Member. I know my Grandmother is smiling down on me knowing that I have a relationship with Jesus!

Life Before the Internet

Gasp. Yes, I’m that old to remember life without the internet and cell phones. LOL

My perspective on this topic is different than most Gen X’ers because my Dad was a computer programmer who built mainframes for the Air Force, had the first home computer, and we had “internet” before anyone else due to his job. The early “dial-up” internet was a pain and disrupted anyone who wanted to use the phone because it tapped into the phone line to work. Heaven help you if you accidentally picked up the phone while he was working and dialed the phone, he wouldn’t be happy.

Simple Days

Life before the internet was simpler. As kids we weren’t tied to a screen, we were outside playing and exploring. The knowledge we gained was from books which we had to ride our bikes to the library to get. I spent countless hours in the library researching for school assignments or just reading for pleasure. Before the internet, we actually talked to people! There were no dating apps that you swiped right or left. You actually met people first and if there was a connection, you moved on from there. Dating today is very impersonal, if someone loses interest they “ghost” you without explanation.

Too Much Information

The internet has also fed the world’s need to know everything, especially when it comes to celebrities. Back in the day, we didn’t know anything until it was either reported on the 5 or 6 o’clock news or the radio. Nothing is held sacred, not even autopsy reports. Why do people believe they have the right to know how a famous person died?

Life without the internet was much calmer and less stressful than it is now. There wasn’t a need to always be connected to work. When you clocked out at the end of the day, you left work at the door. There was plenty of time to recharge because there wasn’t this constant need to check emails, texts, or social media. Today, it’s harder to get away from all the stress caused by the sensory overload that being plugged in 24/7 causes.

The internet has done some great things too. It allows people to stay connected in a way we could never be before. It was our lifeline during Covid when the world stopped and isolation was a necessity. Going back to college was a dream I always had and was attainable because of the internet. After 6 long years and all the hardships, I graduated with a BFA in Graphic Design and an MFA in Media Design, a feat I would have never been able to do without the internet.

Check out my NEW Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@RedheadedStoryKeeper/videos

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/redheadedstorykeeper

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redheadstorykeeper/

Thanks for stopping by!

Hello Friends,

Having it all means to me that all my needs are met, my bills are paid, and I have love and joy in my life which I think are attainable goals. I’m a pretty simple girl, a Christian who knows the power of prayer! Our family motto is Philippians 4:13, I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me.

My life is a walking testimony of the Goodness of God, even in the hard times. God has always shown me He was there walking with me. He will help me provide for my family, I’m a divorced mom of 3 who’s dream is to be able to provide for my family from the profits of this business. I want to be able to take them to Disney and do all the things that we didn’t get to do because of Covid. I want to fix my Mom’s house so that it’s better accessible for her. I want to grow a nest egg for the future.

A Real Moment

Can I be real with you for a moment? I didn’t always think it was attainable. To have the life I wanted. For so many years I lived in lack, barely getting by, then my now ex-husband walked out and left me with a newborn son, and my 2 girls, penniless, homeless, and with no way to get home from WV where we were living to NJ to my parents. It was God who filled my needs those weeks until I was able to get home with the help of my youngest daughter’s school. They took a collection up for me so that I could make the 350-mile journey back to NJ.

What Goes Down, Must Come Back Up!

So, you see I’ve been at the bottom and there’s no way to go but up. It’s been 10 years now, 3 years divorced with lots of twists and turns along the way but a wonderful thing happened that I think defines whether our goals and dreams are attainable. To realize that I am worth more, I deserve to be loved, protected and feel secure in a loving relationship. I am who God says I am, not all the lies my ex has told about me. I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me! Everything I set my mind to IS attainable! That right there my friend is key. For me, with God, hard work, and perseverance I will make all the things happen!!

Hello Friends,

First off let me say that I’m enjoying journaling the daily writing prompt. I hope it gives you a little peek into what makes me tick!

You can probably already guess what I’m going to say about this question….My photos and scrapbooks are what I hold dear.

I am my family’s StoryKeeper. My philosophy is photos lost are memories lost and when we are gone from this Earth the memories that live in others are the only thing that remains. Scrapbooking records and preserves our memories for future generations to sweetly reminisce.

My Aunt Charlotte passed a few years ago and I, along with my Mother were tasked with cleaning out her house to be sold. She had a fairly large house that she lived in for nearly 60 years. Her and my Uncle Howard, my Mother’s brother, never threw anything out unless it was broken. So, needless to say it was a walk through history going through their belongings. What amazed me is she wrote everything down. Notes to herself about kitchen appliances worked, notes about her garden, notes about recipes, and journals which she started writing in high school way back in 1950! She also made scrapbooks complete with journaling about my Uncle’s travels overseas while he was in the Army.

I have learned more about my Aunt and Uncle in their younger years by looking through her journals and scrapbooks than I had ever known while they were here. I cherish all the photos and memories. It’s my hope when I’m gone that my life is remembered fondly when my family looks through my scrapbooks.

Until next time,

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RedheadedStoryKeeper/videos

My gallery: https://redheadedstorykeeper.com/gallery/

Hey Friends,

Collections – A little-known fact about me is that I have a HUGE collection of Teddy Bears. I started collecting bears when I was 10 and continued until I was 30 or so. I collected Cherished Teddies, Boyds Bears, Annette Funicello, Steiff Bears, and many more. I especially liked collecting Christmas bears. My house used to be totally transformed into a wonderland filled with Holiday themed bears. My bears are tucked away in storage but I can remember all the times that brought me joy looking at them.

As a scrapbooker and StoryKeeper, I also collect memories and anything related to that memory that I can safely tuck inside a scrapbook page. Memorabilia such as ticket stubs, cards, and trip Itineraries are important items to include as they add to your story. They also tell the when and where of the story, important details for me as a StoryKeeper.

You can find me on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@RedheadedStoryKeeper/videos

You can also find my gallery of Scrapbook layouts here

Hello Friends,

Today I was prompted to write about my legacy and what I want to leave behind.

My legacy is my children and grandchildren. More importantly, their relationship with Jesus has been planted within them. My job as their mother is to plant the seed and water it so that it grows. My Grandmother was the one who planted the seed for me and I am truly grateful that she did.

My legacy is also the reason I started Redheaded StoryKeeper. My legacy is also the memories found in all the scrapbooks that line the shelves of my studio. Each book contains so many pages filled with precious memories that would have been forgotten if not for scrapbooking. Everyone who knows me knows how important documenting memories are to me. Memories captured are never forgotten. My hope is that when I’m gone my memory and the life I lived will continue to live on in the hearts of my children. They can look at their scrapbooks and see the love and care that went into recording every memory we shared together.