Tuesday tutorial: Don't forget you!

If you're anything like me, when your kit arrives all beautiful and new, your first thought is to grab those kiddy, pet or family pics. The ones that you're not in because - surprise! - you're behind the camera. I know I tend to reach for pictures of my daughter (especially when she was tiny) because those are the pictures I like looking at.

But we need to remember to get ourselves in our layouts too: we're an important part of our family's stories and our faces need to be in those albums. But of course, most of us don't love, a. having our pictures taken or b. how we look when we do force ourselves to pose! 

So here are a couple of tips to ensure that that gorgeously unique face of yours makes it onto at least a few of your pages...

1. Pose in front of your mirror whenever you feel even vaguely good about how you look... if you've blow-dried your hair or put on some make-up - get snapping. You can crop out your camera later on.

2. Work out how your camera's timer setting works and see what result you get that way. For this bike shot, I'm posing outside our local takeaway which has lovely white walls!

3. Ask someone to take a shot of you whenever you like your outfit. This shot was taken outside a supermarket, but I was wearing my very favourite mint-coloured cardi.

4. Don't be afraid to pose with a prop. Yes, I felt silly posing away in my husband's glasses for these shots, but I love the resulting photos and they have already graced a few projects (going into black and white is also a top tip if you happen to suffer from rosacea like me).

So come on, girls: let's get ourselves on those pages! God gave us these faces and our families love them, so we should celebrate them too.

Make a page about your favourite outfit, your favourite song lyrics, your hobby or drink... just get yourself in your album and don't feel shy about it. Let's really 'enjoy ourselves'!