Getting to Know Elizabeth Dillow

About Elizabeth
Elizabeth Dillow is a professional photographer, author, scrapbooker, and blogger living in Cheyenne, Wyoming, with her husband, three daughters, and 7-year-old Australian Kelpie rescue dog. She's had a camera in her hand since 1974—there is photographic proof, even though she was holding the camera upside down—and can't remember a time where she wasn't documenting family, friends, and daily life. She takes a camera with her everywhere—right side up these days, fortunately—secretly believing it to be just as important as any attached appendage. Elizabeth is a frequent instructor at Big Picture Classes, the author of the print book The Scrapbooker's Almanac, and most recently the author of the eBook Meaningful Minis: How to make little scrapbook albums with lots of heart.

Her Favorite Quote
"Everything she learned became part of herself, to be used over and over in new adventures."
-Kate Seredy, author and illustrator (1899-1975)

Elizabeth Answers the Five W's
Actually there are ten W's and two H's, but who's counting?
Who are you? Wife, mama, daughter, sister, friend, music lover, avid reader, sports fan, dog-walker, indentured taxi driver, laundress (this is becoming decidedly less glamorous as the list goes on).
Who has inspired you to be who you are? My family, Judith Rohlf, Jim Henson, Mr. Tracy Clark (a former principal), Jill Hunt, Stacy Julian, Shelby Valadez, Angie Lucas, Wendy Smedley.
What do you believe with all of your heart? People matter.
What do you teach, write, blog, and talk incessantly about? How important it is to photograph and document your regular, ordinary life for your family and for future generations…and about stuff Apple makes.
When did you get your start? With a camera in 1974; with "scrapbooking" ephemera in 1978; with an SLR in 1990; with modern scrapbooking in 2003; with a DSLR in 2004; with a blog in 2005; with Big Picture Classes in 2006.
When did you know that this was your path? When I started collecting pens in elementary school.
Where is your favorite place on earth? With my family, on an adventure.
Where do you go to be inspired? Downtowns, independent bookstores, HOW magazine.
Why are you here at BPC? Because I believe wholeheartedly in the philosophy laid out by Stacy Julian in Simple Scrapbooks (the book) and Simple Scrapbooks (the magazine).
Why do you love your life? It's chaotic, creative, and stunningly practical all at the same time.
How do you do everything you do? Regularly failing to get the recommended 8 hours of sleep per night—and strategic use of laundry baskets as organization tools.
How can we learn more about you? Visit my blog, elizabethdillow.typepad.com.

A Favorite Photo

I thank my lucky stars I was quick enough to catch my daughter Gracie's reaction to the beauty of the cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin without disturbing her.

A Favorite Layout

While it's hard to pick a favorite layout, I really love the pages where I've documented what my girls are saying right then—you think you'll remember but unless you write it down, it's too easy for those little declarations to fade.