sweet pea photography » central illinois children and family photographer

I’m so thankful to have the opportunity to have a career that is separate from my full-time job as a mom… not that I don’t love being a mom (because I do!), but it is so nice to be able to use the talents that God has given me to influence other peoples’ lives as well! Plus, it’s always nice to have relationships and conversations that are not focused on learning how to use the potty or reciting the ABC’s… So, just to do something different here on the Sweet Pea Photography blog each month, I’ve decided to highlight the non-family side of some of my clients — partly as a way to support other small businesses in our community, but also because I think it’s interesting to see the various talents that God gives us. So, without further ado… I’d like to introduce Andrea Avery, owner of TLJ Scrapbooks in Mahomet IL!

1) Tell us a little about yourself and your family…

I am a single mom to three very active little boys. I am a teacher by trade, but I am currently staying home raising my sons. Recently, I took in a former student of mine who needed a helping hand.

2) What first inspired you to start scrapbooking?

I saw my first scrapbook my senior year of high school. I was hooked immediately. Having always loved photos and journaling, this seemed like the perfect hobby for me to be able to combine both. My very first scrapbook was my own Senior Year Yearbook. I carried a camera in my back pack daily and took pictures of my friends, my teachers and my daily life. That was 12 years ago, and I am still going strong…having completed over 35 books for myself as well as many more for gifts and through my business.

3) What do you enjoy most about having your own business and/or working out of your home?

I love this business because it allows me to share a love and passion of mine with others and it is something that they can look at again and again and relive the memories. At the end of the day with my family, it is fun to escape into someone else’s family and experience their joys right along with them.

4) What do you enjoy most about being a mom?

I love being a mom because it is a job that matters. My boys keep me laughing with their never ending energy, smiles, and kisses. I am blessed to have had the opportunity to be with them daily as they learn and grow.

5) You must be organized to keep track of all your scrapbooking stuff, and pictures too. Can you share some organization tips with us?

To organize my photos and scrapbooking supplies, I have found it helpful to print out pictures on a monthly basis, because this helps me to remember what was important during that time period. Once I get the photos, I organize them into regular, slide in photo albums, in the order in which I plan on scrapbooking them. Then, when the time comes to work with the pictures, I have them in order and ready to go- with the bonus of being able to flip several pictures ahead to see what is coming. This keeps me very organized and helps me scrapbook very quickly.

6) Describe a day in your life – how do you balance kids and work?

My daily life is working from Son up to Son down! Usually, every day we are out of the house by 8:30 for school, Bible study, exercise class, or play groups. I am home in the afternoon to allow my youngest kids to nap while I catch up on house work and e-mail. It is after the kids go to bed, that I devote my time to my business.

7) I know your faith is important to you. What Bible verse is your favorite, and why?

I have several favorite Bible verses, so to name a few… Hebrews 11:1- “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” and James 1:2- 4 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Thank you, Andrea for sharing your thoughts with us — and a special give-away as well!!  Here’s the deal… Andrea is giving away a gift certificate for two free 2-page scrapbook spreads (that’s worth about $75 people…)!  How can you win this, you ask?  Well… for one entry in the drawing, just leave a comment here on the Sweet Pea blog with an encouraging word for Andrea… for a second entry in the drawing, post “I love http://tljscrapbooks.wordpress.com ” as your Facebook status, and then leave a comment here on the blog with a link back to your FB page to let me know you did it… and for a third (or fourth or fifth… we’ll cut it off at 5 per person) entry in the drawing, post a link to sweet-pea-photography.com on your Facebook wall or Twitter account or become a fan of Sweet Pea Photography on Facebook or even mention me on your own personal blog — whatever!  — and then leave comments (and links) here on the blog to let me know… then I’ll randomly choose a winner from all the entry comments on the blog received by February 8, 2010 at 11:59pm!!  Let the fun begin!