Week In The Life Featured In Real Simple Magazine
A few months back I received an email from a writer who was working on a story for the April issue of Real Simple magazine about things readers can do to improve their lives that are actually worth their time. She was interested in the Week In The Life project and why it was a good idea.
I was really, really excited to get this email and even more excited to see it in print.
As many of you know this project has been a favorite of mine since I captured my first full week back in 2004-2005. The original project was for my album class at Creating Keepsakes University. I remember being so, so nervous before that first class. Since that time my love for this project has grown. These albums are awesome peeks into my life and the lives of my family at a particular point in time.
I love that anyone can do this project. Anyone can commit to one week of personal storytelling, of capturing what their life is all about at a particular moment in time...and then let the rest go. Documentation like this is made even easier these days with all the technology at our fingertips. No one needs to lug around a fancy camera - you can do the whole project with your smart phone. Snap photos with your camera and use a notes/document feature to jot down the details of the days. Pair that with one envelope per day for capturing receipts, handwritten notes, bits of life, etc. and that's really all you need for the gathering phase.
I am getting really excited to do it again in just a couple of weeks.
You're invited to play along from April 19th through the 25th. During
the week I will post my daily photos, stories, and comments on the
process of documenting and gathering. The week after (April 26th through
the 20th) I'll showcase how the album comes together.
This year why not invite someone else to document a week in their life as well? Introduce a friend, family member (maybe a parent) or maybe one or more of your kids to the project. Consider creating a support network to encourage and share with each other over the seven days and then make a date to get together to organize your content into an album. Or just share stories and photos and bits of life you collected.
Thanks Real
Simple for helping spread the message that documenting everyday life is definitely worth the time.
Congrats! I am really going to try this year to follow along...
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Ali, how exciting that Week in the Life was featured in Real Simple. You rock it. And I've already spread the word to my online scrappin' group. Several us are going to join you for April. REALLY looking forward to it!
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Ali,
A Week in the Life is a great way for all of us to document our "real lives," the lives that include the everyday stuff.
I saw the article when I picked up the latest edition of Real Simple and just hadn't gotten around to sending you an email with congrats! Congrats on the great PR!
Steph
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Ali, Thanks for the post and I will put it on my blog. I have already taken a weeks work of pictures because I had a week that it was convenient as opposed the the real week. But I am worried about getting it altogether and having some unity, Will you be posting about that?
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Congrats Ali, I saw this last week when I got my issue. It sounds like a great idea. I'd love to figure out a way to do it once a month for a year. That would be great.
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Wonderful. I am so on board. I loved doing this for the first time in Sept. 2008 and more than ever before I was motivated, inspired, and excited to finish that album and I cherish it immensely today (so much in our life has already changed!). Thank you for your continued inspiration for this fantastic project. I am so excited to do this in April right along with you and I feel like it's been just the right amount of time since the last one. I'm inspired and motivated once again. Congrats on this really cool article in a mag outside the scrapbooking industry---love it!
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Congratulations! I can't wait to see the article. I subscribe to the mag so I can't wait until you show up in my mailbox! I am still missing you in CK. I discovered your blog in Dec so I am looking forward to my first WITL.
Thanks for sharing the Maui pics. Your children looked so sweet and in the aloha spirit.
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I participated in WIL in Oct. 2008 and found it very fulfilling. I am getting ready to start again this month. I just ordered my We R Memory Keepers page protectors that hold 9--4x4 photos/papers/pieces of life. This is the link to page protectors: http://www.joann.com:80/joann/catalog/productdetail.jsp?pageName=search&flag=true&PRODID=zprd_02378867a
I think it will be a quick and fun way to document the week.
Thanks for your leadership and inspiration!
Erin
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My week in a life album is my very favorite album I have ever created...ever...
thanks for your brilliance...
kiss kiss
m
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Oh neat! I just purchased the magazine earleir today and had not read it yet. I read your blog and then got my Real Simple magazine out and found where you and your project were mentioned. I am excited to try this project this year. Congratulations to you.
Mary
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This looks really interesting and many people are excited about it, from reading the posts above. But an entire album for 1 week? Ack! Not sure I can do/fit that, I already have so many albums...
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C*O*N*G*R*A*T*S on being in the magazine (is it the april issue?)...i know you enjoy that mag, you have mentioned it on your blog before. it was be so cool to now see your own article in it! i may even try this week in the life...
xoxo
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must not was...oops
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I should really do this. I'm terrible with scrapbooking, but documenting a week would be interesting (wish I had done it before my son was born, too, though). That week won't be exactly normal, but what week is?
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Real Simple and Ali Edwards- What a great combo! You inspire me daily and Real Simple inspires me monthly. So excited to read the article! Congrats!
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Congrats - that is awesome
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I am planning to participate this year for the first time. So very, very, very excited! Congrats on being featured in such a great magazine! :)
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Congratulations! Originally saw this on the Real Simple blog and was so pleased for you! Glad the concept is now spread more widely - yay!
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That's great news! Can't wait to see it in Real Simple. I was in one of your WITL album classes in Stanford, CT. It's my very favorite album ... so fun to look back and see how things have changed, but also how things stay the same. That class was extra fun because your Mom was a student, too. So looking forward to seeing your album this year. They never fail to insprire me!
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after much thought ... I'm ALL in.
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Great news! Congratulations!! I've never done this project before but it sounds great. I'll have to get my girlfriends to play along too!
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I love this magazine and was so pleased to see you in it! I'm all in for the week in the life in a few weeks.
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I am so eager for this project to start!!!
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Love this idea, and trying to think of a way to integrate it into my first grade classroom!
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CONGRATS!
Would you have ever thought back when you were nervously teaching that first class that you would have SO many fans of this project AND that it would end up inspiring thousands more by being in Real Simple Magazine??
Amazing!
I'm really hoping my best friend (who lives 950 miles away) and I can keep each other motivated and complete A Week In the Life together. Our first long distance project!
Thanks Ali.
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