project life weeks 7 & 8

i just finished reading a brilliant book: The Happiness Project. reading that book was like taking a much needed deep breath. it reaffirmed so many things that i know, intellectually, but have forgotten mentally. she takes on almost all aspects of her life in one year through monthly resolutions (not goals, resolutions. difference? a goal is something you hit. a resolution is something you continue to strive for).
why am i telling you this? other than the fact that you really should put this book on your reading list. it's worth it. i mention it because i have felt the first pangs of "this project life thing is getting to be quite the project". hence the reason i am cramming two weeks in one post. it really bothers me that i am losing steam. after reading this book i felt renewed resolution. if she could conquer so many resolutions, surely i can do this ONE thing! that's what i will use to push/guilt/bribe/shame myself with. whatever works, right?

week 7 found me taking very few photos. but i like the visual simplicity.

week 8, i had the opposite problem. i used an additional insert to accommodate some of the extra photos. it's a lot to look at, but i wanted to use the photos to tell the story of the week.

project life week 6

i am a little late posting week 6, and still need to crank out week 7. but i'm still on course!
week 6's standout event was Valentines Day. i cannot stress how much i love this holiday. the pink of it all. love is everywhere. and, i would never fail to mention, chocolate. being that i am a romantic gal, how could i not love a day when romance is forced on the world?

quotes are another thing that i love so. poetic, or sometimes plain and simple words can do so much. language is a powerful tool to the human psyche. i downloaded the quote below from ali edwards blog. she has such lovely handwriting.

i never want to forget the sweet things my little boys do (while they are still little). taping a lego guy to a nerf dart, and propelling him as far into the open sky as possible, all while wearing carefully stylized gear - that warrants serious documentation for future generations.
sticking out his tongue while carefully crafting valentines for each member of his preschool class - though the moment may be burned in my memory, it still must be recorded for all time, no?

steph and i went to an italian restaurant called The Bent Noodle. it is a theme-ridden, sappily romantic eatery complete with dusty plastic grapevines strung along the ceiling. i eat that junk up! dinner itself was forgettable, but the experience was sweet and will live in my heart.
steph didn't buy me roses or any such flower that will die in a week or two. he knows flowers aren't my thing (plants, on the other hand...buy me a plant and i'm yours!). but as i mentioned before, words, language - that is what speaks to me. he wrote me a beautiful letter and included a poem that he penned for me when we were dating.

project life week 5

my apologies on the extra crappy photo above. :(  though it's a bit blurry, you get the idea of the layout as a whole.

this was a fairly "normal" week in our life. the standout event was ben's 19th birthday!! despite the normality of the week it was not dull. i felt like i was always running a child here or there...exhausting. 

for my "week" title card i would like to point out that the word week is a stamp, which i carved. it's my handwriting. it was a pain! i had grand illusions of making lots of word and phrase stamps in my handwriting. now, more like basic shapes. maybe enough time will pass and i will forget how tedious it was to carve and i will make another word. that is the more likely scenario.

i "word-processed" (is that a thing anymore??) my journaling again. i love the juxtaposition of typed and handwritten journaling.

i would recap the week, but it's all in the typed journal block above.

project life week four

i find this process is getting easier and super satisfying! there is so much i can say about really documenting your life. documenting in a detailed,  and intensive way. even looking back a few weeks is fun and seeing the everyday moments highlighted makes me appreciate my life so much. i am blessed. so very blessed!

there is a velum gold polka dot insert that you can see through in the picture (distracting and not intended). but in real life it's much more impressive. trust me. :)

one of my christmas presents was a vintage typewriter. it's not still not working. my husband is going to take it apart and give it a thorough cleaning. and it needs ribbon. but it is sitting by my sewing machine. looking at me longingly whenever i go downstairs. beckoning me to fix and use it again. once it's working i will be using it like crazy in my layouts, cards, lots of things!!
there is something so romantic about using things from the past. another reason why i surround myself with old books. they are tucked into every corner of my home.
but i digress...
until i get my real typewriter up and working i have typed out some of the journaling on my computer.

highlights from this week:
* noah participated in battle of the books
* family haircuts from yours truly
* dinner downtown
* read two books
* went to the gym 6 days
* mindful eating and cooking
* crazy weather. snow then a few days in the high 60's. typical colorado.

project life week three

clearly i am still figuring out the best way to photograph my completed layouts. exhibit a: the dorky cropping job in the first picture, which i gave up trying to fix. last week i used my cell phone to photograph it. i wasn't impressed with the results. then again, i haven't been too impressed with my camera's results either. geesh.
plugging right along, we are in week three. i haven't lost steam on this endeavor, but, admittedly, it is a lot of work. i have to change my mindset and CAPTURE moments with my cell phone. ideally it would be with my camera, but baby steps.
putting it all together in the final layout is a snap. but the photo lab tech at sams club is going to get really familiar with me and my family!
i haven't figured out if i like more pics and less "filler/cute stuff". i guess if i am being true to the spirit of really documenting my life, than more pictures are appropriate.

this week ashton turned 5. i should have lots of cute professional looking pictures of him opening beautifully wrapped gifts, and getting ready to blow out five waiting candles on a gorgeous birthday cake.
full disclosure: he was sick this week. we took him to a restaurant where they brought him a tiny dessert, and the bored wait staff sang a lifeless version of happy birthday. the day after his birthday i took him to target and let him pick out his presents. fortunately he is five, and didn't feel slighted at all. not one of my shining parenting moments, but hey, we pulled it together in the end.

i have discovered the joy of gold thread! you will probably be seeing a lot of it. i made that simple little card with the sequins. i love how it adds some much needed blank space to the layout.

on the opposite page, a clear heidi swapp insert (think happy thoughts) adds a break to all the pictures and information happening there.

i found it necessary to sew an add-on insert to tell a story i wanted to include. i love the somewhat hidden journaling. 

project life week two

 i'm still trying to nail down a good system for constant project life-ing. i want to document my life without that process taking me away from LIVING my life. it's a delicate balance, for sure.
my main problem is my horrible memory. so i write down as much as possible during the week. and my cell phone has saved me. 100% of this weeks photos are from my phone.

i have a major stash of project life kits, but i have also found some great printables that i used this week too. (i will try to be better about remembering where those came from so i can post a link!! - one thing at a time)
i am always so inspired by ali edwards. she has some fantastic digital overlays that i use as well. plus i find her clean style more conducive to the kind of story telling i want to portray.

this week i had some extra journaling that i wanted to be sure to get in there so i sewed on a little flap. i cut an insert from a baseball card sheet (i have lots of those and didn't feel like i was ruining a valuable pl insert).

looking back on past albums i find it so interesting to look at the seemingly insignificant details of my life...receipts and such.

Project life week one

i am indeed a resolution maker. i think the act of bettering oneself through goals and aspirations is always in order.
life documentation is a passion of mine. i wouldn't say i have one system i am faithful to, but project life is one i love.
i have dabbled.
but i wouldn't say i have taken it on to the full extent. like, serious life documentation.
so here we go...one of my resolutions is to take on all 52 weeks of the year with my camera, pen, a few supplies and an album to house it all.


here it is....week one (well, the title page, then week one)

oh, and for the record, it feels good to be back in the "blogging saddle" again!

December Daily 2014

 i have been documenting like crazy these days and thought i would share. yes, it's been years, literally, years since i have done a thing on this blog. but in an effort to motivate myself to keep up with my new goals i will be updating the blog weekly.

 i have done december daily albums in the past, and each one is a bit different. i decided to use a small project life system. this worked so well i think i just might stick to it!

i love adding bits and pieces from daily life that add interest. so if it doesn't fit in an insert i just punch holes in it and plop it in.

these are some of my favorite albums to look back on. there is nothing better than watching you kids (and husband) look through it, remember, reminisce and smile! instant payoff.