Sweet Shoppe Designs – The Sweetest Digital Scrapbooking Site on the Web

Laura takes us on a little tour of the many online friends she’s made over the years

I think we have shown over this month that social media has taken over our lives. I mean, even my mother is on Facebook. I can remember a time when if I was asked how I met my best friend, I would be embarrassed to say, “Oh, we met online.” Now, I proudly say, “We met online!” and often even smile. Times they are a changin’, and it’s finally “acceptable” to say, “Oh, we met online!”

I have been digital scrapbooking for almost 8 years. I think it would be near impossible to not make friends over such a long period of time. Scrapbooking is a HUGE part of my life, and over the years, I have learned that a vast majority of the people I have met both online and in real life have a lot of the same priorities I do as well as share many of the same ideas that I do about many, many things. Along with scrapbooking comes scrapbook forums, as well as things like groups on facebook, chat rooms, etc., etc. As we get to know each other and learn more about each other, the natural progression in a relationship would be to spend time together.

Get out there. Make new friends and meet up with them! You never know, you could meet your soul mate and have a new friend for life!

So, come with me, on a tour of meeting my online friends over the years!

Over the years, I have become very good friends with our own Sara Schiller (kscwgirl). She was one of the very first online friends that I met. On the way down to stay with her the first time, we stopped to see Laurie Book (LibbysMommy) and her girls. We didn’t get to spend near enough time with them, but our girls (and we) definitely had fun at the park

The first time I met up with Sara, it was as if we were old friends. Our kids got along perfectly, and the weekend wasn’t long enough.

On the way home from the same trip, we met up with Sally Bouley (kyrainbow) and her daughter, Casey.

 

 

Another friend we met in the fall was LeeAndra Fouts and her daughter Eliana.

That same summer, we had a meet up at Brookfield Zoo with Ann Tamini, Kami Leonard, and Laura Banasiak (and kids)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking of Laura Banasiak . . . she and I have become very close over the years. We try to meet up once a month and will often text each other just to complain about day to day life. I often forget that we met online

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On our way home from Kansas City, we met up with Shannon Grover and Landon. I totally wish we could have stayed longer to chat. I love me some Shan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And last but not least, we have a scrapbook night once a month at Heather Greenwood’s house (sickies and weather permitting). These ladies (in the photo from left to right: Lisa Kane, Kim Walker, Jaimie Rivale, me, Laura Banasiak, Dalis Acevedo, and Heather Greenwood) have become some of my nearest and dearest friends . . . all because of the internet and a similar hobby.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We even give shoutouts to designers!

Now, I know that meeting people isn’t just restricted to love and scrapbooking. There is a group for anything you could imagine somewhere over the internet. Reading, knitting, hiking, geocaching, any hobby you could think of . . . there are others out there who feel the same as you. So, get out there. Make new friends and meet up with them! You never know, you could meet your soul mate and have a new friend for life!