Beautiful Oops!

Beautiful Oops! Book

I fell quickly in love with this fun new book that was sent to me. Written by Barney Saltzberg, Beautiful Oops! has a cheerful message that everyday mistakes can be turned into something wonderful with a little creative thinking. For all us want-to-be Supermoms, it is a fabulous reminder to stay positive and make the best of whatever comes our way. Let’s face it, when dealing with kids, perfection just isn’t an option!

A Torn Piece of Paper

Alligator

I’m not sure whether it should be classified as a children’s pop-up board book or a motivational gift book — really it’s both. The fun illustrations and interactions will make kids smile, but the message will strike a chord with older readers. My girls and I read it three times in a row the day we got it.

Looky Here

We still can’t agree on who the book belongs too. (The kids were ready to confiscate it as soon as they saw this pull-out kaleidoscope that is a tribute to unplanned holes in paper.) So for just $9 at amazon.com, I’m thinking of buying our family an extra copy and perhaps stockpiling to have on hand for graduation, hostess, birthday, you-name-it gifts.

You know who else would love this book? Renowned scrapbooker Stacy Julian. As I read it I was reminded of one of the little tricks I learned from Stacy. When you make a mistake on a scrapbook layout (whether it be a misspelling in the caption, a stray splotch from the stamp, etc.), don’t start over because scrapbooking is NOT about perfection, it’s about preserving memories. Instead find a creative way to make it work. A common, easy solution, and one I used on my Christmas layout below, is to cut out a piece of matching or coordinating paper to cover the oops!

Christmas 2007

Closeuponoops2

When I was writing in the caption for the photo on the upper-right, I messed up one of the words. I quickly covered it with a scrap of paper and then did the caption in the lower-left over again on a paper strip to match. I have become so comfortable with this trick (I mess up a lot!) that I’m no longer afraid to hand write, and the extra texture the paper scraps add is a fun bonus. Sometimes I will do it just for looks, which is great because as I’m flipping through my scrapbooks now I’ve forgotten which were purely aesthetics and which are actually covering boo-boos.

Crinkled-Up Paper

Another of my favorite pages from Beautiful Oops! Guess what is made out of this crunched up piece of paper? Get the book to find out!

Bettijo Bridges

Administrator at Paging Supermom
Bettijo is the founder and designer of Paging Supermom where she shares creative ideas for family fun. Known for practical and kid-friendly activities, free printables and holiday entertainment. Bettijo was a guest on the Martha Stewart Show and has frequently appeared on local TV. Her work has also been featured in national magazines including Real Simple, O, Redbook, Parents, Family Circle, and Health. She enjoys art, retro-modern design, photography and making new things. Mom of 4 kids.

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