Everyone has that box of pictures either in a close or in a garage. Even worse yet in a magnetic album. Years go by and unless there is a date notation from the picture process, the dates and places fade into the recess of time.

Maybe we have inherited an album of faded photographs of people we either don't know or have any connection to. And we keep it because we feel not right just geeting rid of it.

A generation or two from now, will people ponder over what to do with your photos and memories?

It is so easy to take your photos and create a legacy for those that you love. In little time and with no artistic bend or experience, you can create a book that you will be proud to place on your coffee table!

Carefully preserved to last the generations, this treasure will be honored as much as the lives that are part of the history of who were all are.

The best way to start is to begin with current photos. Put some pictures together by category. Maybe a vacation, a season, an event, or an occassion. Just gather them together.

You will need an album and there are many to chose from. My perosnal favorite is the post album because it is easily expandable and will hold a great deal of pages. Plus, your pages will lay flat and look very "put together" There are many sizes to choose from. You amy want the 12" x 12" size to create a large story. The other most popular sizes are 9"x9" and the 6"x6" which is generally used as a gift or specialty album.

You will need memory protectors which are plastic pages that will hold your photos and keep them safe from destruction.You can select a matte or clear finish. I would suggest selecting a page that has an extra inch or so where you put the page into the album so that your pages lay flat.

Creating your pages need not take a lot of time or effort. There are many kits on the market that are basically simple to do with great results. Many have preformatted layouts and stickers that let you vertually glue the pictures on and then add the stickers or puchouts. These kits create a page in minutes with great results. Many kits some with page protectors and are a great value.

You can also create your own pages and layouts. With some paper, stickers, glue and embellsihments it is not all that hard to create something special. Start simple and remeber, you can always add on to your pages as time, experience and budget dictate.

Remember to journal or tell the story of your pictures. Some of this should be in your own writing, even if your handwriting would not impress a teacher.

Using the correct supplies will ensure a lasting memory. Remember always to use ligbin and acid free products. If it does not say that it is on the package, you can ssume it is not. Acid and lignin are the two elements that will cause you to lose those pictures that can never be recaptured.

Imagine the pride in your child's face when you pull out a book that is all about him ! Imagine the thrill to your parents as you sit down with them collecting those nuggets of gold about their lives. Consider the joy of presenting your child a scrapbook of their lives on a wedding day !

Consider the thrill of your grandchilren telling their grandchildren all about you through the books you created !

Money legacies will be spent, but scrapbook memories will live on long after! Consider turning your memories into legacies.

Linda White is a Supervisor and Independent Consultant for Close To My Heart. She is a scrapbook teacher and designer.She also teaches stamping and papercrafts. You can visit her website, http://www.stampnscraps.myctmh.com for more information.