Project Life: on getting behind and catching up (part 1)

I am sitting here in the corner raising my hand with the other Project Lifers that have fallen behind.  At the onset of this project I told myself I wouldn't get behind, I wouldn't stress about it, and I would effortlessly document my family's life for 2012.  Then reality set in.  Sure I love to scrapbook but honestly, I can't say when the last time was that I have actually sat down and created more than one page in well...a month.  So who was I kidding that I would be able to pull off a spread a week?  Well actually I did quite well up until week 5...WHAT?  and we are now entering week 43...yikes!

But all is not lost...

Even though I wasn't finishing a spread a week, I was still taking pictures, still collecting bits and pieces of our daily life, still recording the little moments, I just wasn't getting those pictures off the computer or those bits and pieces in the pockets.  I was thinking like a Project Lifer I just wasn't acting like one.  But then my son asked me where the rest of our weeks were.  And my daughter came home and handed me a movie stub from her first movie alone with friends and told me it was great for Project Life, if I was still doing it. 

and that got me thinking....

All 5 weeks of our lives that I have recorded and documented and finished were the most favorite part of any album that I have ever done.  All 5 weeks of my Project Life album are the only album pages that anyone in my family has ever taken upon themselves to look at, marvel at, comment on, laugh about, reminisce about.  This was something that I loved.  This was something that they loved.  This was scrapbooking in its simplest form.  This was documenting and recording our lives as we lived it.  This was capturing those moments that I would otherwise not create a layout about.  This was getting out into view those pictures that would otherwise take a back seat to my typical scrapbook and live forever in their chronological place in my photo boxes.

So what on earth was holding me back....

I could make so many excuses for what was holding me back...I didn't take enough photos that week, I didn't have time to edit my photos, my pictures looked boring, my kids wouldn't cooperate with the camera, my pages don't look like so and so, I don't have time to make my pages the way I want, I had too many options...  In reality?  The only thing holding me back was me..so what if I don't have enough photos for the week to fill 2 pages?  Who says I can't combine 2 (or 3) weeks?  Why do my photos have to be perfectly edited...life isn't perfectly edited...a quick tweaking session each week is just fine.  My pictures are boring to whose standard?  Who was I trying to please?  When I look back on it and how much I love what I did and my family loves what I did...obviously I am pleasing the right people...so, the answer is ME! I am the only one holding myself back from moving on and documenting our lives.  My need for perfection and my self doubt about my work are the only real reasons that up until 2 weeks ago my family only lived through February 5, 2012...at least according to Project Life.

so I jumped back on the bandwagon....

Although I guess I never was fully off the bandwagon.  My workspace was filled with receipts, ticket stubs, labels, post it notes, etc. etc. My PL album sat open waiting to be filled.  I still visited my favorite inspirational blogs, I still wrote "catch up on PL" on my to do list.  But a few weeks ago, I made the conscious decision to do just that.  Today I am finishing up week 14, I have photos in the pockets up through week 32 and I am getting ready to place an order for weeks 33 - 43 which will make me current in photos.  The weeks that I have already completed have gone by quickly because I stuck to the premise of project life...photos & words, easy and simple.  I have relied heavily on working the Clementine Core Kit and one Studio Calico Kit at a time; and while I have added a few personal touches here and there I haven't gotten caught up on fussing over every single detail and I have to say I LOVE the result.

If you are still with me...thank you!  I plan to share some full pages and my process on how I got caught up in the next few days.  My hope is that it will help someone else out there that is as far behind as I am/was to document your life and not give up.   The more I work on my pages, the more I love this system, the more I love my album and the more I am so happy that I wouldn't let myself quit.

Project Life Week 4: Jan 23 - 29, 2012

head on over to The Mom Creative for more PL inspiration every week

Hello Tuesday and hello another week of sharing Project Life.  After a slight glitch this morning with my camera and its stubborness in connecting with the computer (which may or may not have resulted in a few tears and a slight panic attack) I am ready to share Project Life Week 4.  Yes, I am behind but in my book that is ok...I am trucking along and should be caught up in no time.

Week 4 full page with insert:

 Full page with backside of insert:

We had a full weekend this week and I took lots of pictures of our event on Saturday that I wanted to include either in PL or a traditional page.  I decided to do a baseball card protector insert in my PL album because there were far too many photos that I wanted to include even for a traditional page.  I resized the pics to 3x4 in Photoshop using the free template I downloaded from Paislee Press and printed them at CVS.  I just trimmed them to fit and slide them into the protectors.  Not that Liz reads my blog or anything...but I really can't thank her enough for these templates.  I use them all.the.time!

Left side:

Pictures:  my new lover - the kitchen aide mixer, cupcakes, warm weather & melting snow = flooded driveways, and hanging out in the box with dad.

Little bits of life:  an orthodontist referral for the kids

Used:  PL Clementine, cardstock from my stash, silhouette cuts for the title page and really old letter stickers.

Right side:

Pictured:  The kids with Auntie Danielle after her plunge, Danielle's plunge, hot cocoa on a 50 degree day, and pics from the cardboard box race.

Used:  my computer to print the journaling card to talk about the week and the little handcut flag.  The brad is CTMH.

Front of insert:

I had to laugh when I went back into my inspiration file to link back to the post where I first saw this idea.  Jenni Hufford (whose PL rocks!) had used it in her week 4 insert...I didn't realize that I had used the same exact paper, until I went back to grab the shortcut for you all to look at...I really, really, really love her work. (and no...she doesn't read my blog either...but if she did, I would really want her to know how much she inspires me).  The paper is from the Dear Lizzy Neapolitan Line that came in my February Studio Calico kit Daydream Believer.  The "Love this Life" & that big bracket were cut on my Sihouette.  I layered them with matching green cardstock. The floral paper was also in the SC kit...I love that I don't have to guess about coordinating papers.

 I didn't have any little banners so I hand cut one after printing the "January what???" using the Old Typewriter font on my computer.  I traced it with a black fine tip sharpie (which I now use for all of my hand written journaling) and attached it with a Splendor Designer Brad for CTMH (they are now retired).  I have come to love the look of little bits here and there.

This week:  I plan on putting the finishing touches on Week 5 & start to tackle week 6 - 8.  I am heading back to the gym, working on filing the mountains of paperwork in the office and getting ready for a fairly busy weekend...although relishing the fairly slow week. 

Thanks for stopping by!  I would love for you to say hello.

Project Life Weeks 2 & 3

I am linking up once again this week with Jessica over at The Mom Creative for Project Life Tuesday.  So much inspiration over there each week.

This week I have weeks 2 & 3 to share.  I got behind a bit, mostly because I was striving for perfection and loosing touch with my creativity...but I think I have my groove back and these 2 weeks came together quickly and I am so happy with the finished pages.  I am really loving capturing the everyday stuff...the things I wouldn't put on a layout, the things I probably would never take a picture of....but these are the things I want to remember.

Week 2:  January 9 - 16

Full page spread with an insert.  JT was in a play and I inserted the program.  I used a 8 1/2 x 11 page protector, cut down to size and stitched up the side.

Left page close up:  Everyday things, homework, the first snowfall and our Thursday routine.  I also was able to capture one of my husbands little quirks.  I love the colors in the Clementine Kit as they match with so many things I have in my stash.  I love using up bits and pieces that I have had around forever.

 
Right page close up:  Kelsey had a project so I documented the making of and the finished project.  I also included pics from JT's play.  More everyday life with my Friday routine (the littles are sound asleep and so cute...but I needed to block their faces for privacy as they don't belong to me) & pics of our skiis outside the lodge as we finally got enough snow to spend the weekend on the mountain.

Week 3 January 16 - 22

Full page with insert:  This was such a busy week and I had a hard time choosing which pictures to include although I think I did a good job of showcasing our week.  I included an insert here again of Bob's ticket to the AFC Playoff game.  Again I used a 8 1/2 x 11 page protector trimmed and sewn.  The bottom contains confetti that was blown into the stands after the Patriots won a trip to the Super Bowl...I love how Bob thought to bring that home for our PL book...even in its infant stages...he gets it.


Full page with backside of insert:

Left side close up:  Cub scout trips, basketball games and a iphone pic of my friend and I doing meal prep (her face is blocked for privacy). I needed a filler so I used a quote I found on pinterest and made a 3 x 4 block in Microsoft Word, added the text and printed it out...perfect.  Sorry about the wonky pictures...I haven't found the perfect non-glare photo taking spot/time just yet.

Right side close up:  Our first snowman and significant snow of the year, more playoff game pics and a little treat for me after a Colleen meeting.  Instead of putting journaling in my 3 x 4 spots this week, I choose to combine it all on one 4 x 6 card.  I used the number stickers that came with the Clementine kit to put on the pictures I was highlighting on the card and corresponded the numbers in the text.  I made the journaling card in Microsoft Word and just printed it out and cut to size.

Those little badge buttons I am using to protect everyones identity are from Marcy Penner.  I think they are currently out of stock but she has some wonderful things in her shop perfect for PL.

Thanks for stopping by!  If you have time I would love your feedback.  If you have any questions on items I used...please just ask.

Project life is a system created by Becky Higgins. It can be as simple or artistic as you want it to be. It is designed to get back to the basics and record your everyday life. For more information read this post. Project life elements can be purchased here.

Project Life Week 1 : 1/1/2012 - 1/8/ 2012

I do realize that I should be posting week 5 this week, but I am not.  There is a very good reason behind that and a very good lesson I have learned about Project Life. 

First let me say that I LOVE Project Life.  The feeling I had when I finally finished my first week (and I keep looking at it) was what it is all about.  I LOVE that my children like to look at it. I LOVE that my husband likes to look at it.  I LOVE that my step daughter (who is grown, married and just came home for a visit) thinks it is so cool.  I LOVE that my children keep finding little things and handing them to me for Project Life.  All of these reasons, and so many more, are why I will continue with Project Life. 

Now let me tell you why I almost gave up...one week in.  I am a comparer and a perfectionist.  Two really bad traits that I must let go of.  Project Life isn't meant to be perfect, it isn't meant to be someone elses album, it isn't meant to be stressful, it isn't meant to be something you are not. But I made it that way.  It is meant to represent you, your style, your family.  I got caught up in all the inspiration in blog land.  I got bogged down with wanting to do this, and this, and that and that.  In the meantime I didn't really do anything. I tried desperatly to incorporate 50 different styles from other PL layouts I have seen but didn't really embrace my style.  I got behind, I got frustrated and I almost gave up.  But then I read this post by Jenny Meyerson and I felt as if she was speaking directly to me.  I gained a new perspective on Project Life, I took the inspiration that I had found online, I sat down and I created and I didn't stop until week 1 was done. 

I am happy to say, week 1 is mine.  Week 1 is done.  I LOVE my week 1.  Although I created it in my scrapbooking style, I did incorporate the ideas of others.  I love the title blocks used by Nichol Magouirk.  I love incorporating a week in review insert like Michelle Wooderson and I love the idea of writing a note to my kids like Jenny Meyerson.  If it hadn't been for the inspriation I have found, I wouldn't have learned to use my silhouette (which contributed to the insane amount of time it took to finish week 1).  I am now on week 2, with pictures inserted into weeks 3-4.  They are coming along nicely and much quicker now that I have decided to look, get inspired, but then just create without getting bogged down and trying to make my Project Life look like someone elses.

So...if you are still with me...here is Project Life Week 1:

Both pages

 Close up of left page:

 Close up of right page:

Supplies used:

Project Life Core Kit Clementie Edition; Project Life Design A Page Protectors; Washi Tape from Studio Calico; Happy face badge CTMH (ret); Play tab CTMH (ret); Typewriter stamp Unity Stamp Co.

I hope to have Week 2 up this weekend and Week 3 soon to follow. 

Linking up this week with Jessica at the Mom Creative. 

Project life is a system created by Becky Higgins.  It can be as simple or artistic as you want it to be.  It is designed to get back to the basics and record your everyday life.  For more information read this post.  Project life elements can be purchased here.