2012 Summer Manifesto Album

Finally found some time this past week to finish up my 6x6 Summer Manifesto album.

I first posted about the concept of a Summer Manifesto here and posted initial images of the album here: Bringing The Summer Manifesto To Life.

Here's what I loved in the beginning: setting intentions for the summer and printing out all the pages in advance.

I didn't end up jotting things down throughout the summer as I initially planned which was totally okay. It allowed me to set intentions and then go out and experience life.

Here's what I loved in the end: the reflection & the perspective.

I loved going back through the intentions and my photos from the last few months and thinking about all the things I did do (even if they weren't exactly what I had intended). It took me a little bit longer to finish it up because at first I was trying to think through how I would address the things/intentions that I didn't follow-through with. Those ended up being some of my favorites as I reflected on why some of those things didn't happen and what other things happened instead. Hello life, right?

This is totally something you could still do now - go back through your photos from the summer and pick out the themes and activities that were most meaningful to you.

Here's a look at the completed album:















A few details:


  • All the foundation pages were printed out in advance on Epson Matte Presentation Paper and are available as PDF (and PSD) files in this set: Summer Manifesto Album.

  • I printed out all the photos with a white border.

  • I attached the first hand-written manifesto I did to the back page using an arrow clip.

  • There's one page that's not finished yet. I can't for the life of me remember what Simon wished for (#8) and I'm planning to ask him when he gets home from school.


I love memory keeping.

SUPPLIES | SUMMER MANIFESTO ALBUM


Click on the images to link to the products.























































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37 thoughts

  1. Brooke says…
    10/01/2012

    This is completely awesome Ali!! Your reflection is awesome. What great memories. Trying to read your writing (feels like snooping but you write so well) - my favourite line (which I think reads) A summer of coming home to myself. I think we all need to do that every day!

    Reply 0 Replies
  2. patty says…
    10/01/2012

    L*O*V*E this!
    i wrote out a summer manifesto too... (got a lot of it accomplished, but not all & that is o.k.!)
    i should create a cool mini like you did for it!
    tfs!

    Reply 0 Replies
  3. patty says…
    10/01/2012

    p.s. so happy this time was AWESOME for you...you are beaming!

    Reply 0 Replies
  4. Dori says…
    10/01/2012

    Beautiful, beautiful!

    So glad there was no time for pickles! :-)

    Reply 0 Replies
  5. Marie says…
    10/01/2012

    I love your album and the way you "gathered" your summer! I'm a fan!

    Reply 0 Replies
  6. Monika Wright says…
    10/01/2012

    Sometimes it's the projects that are all about the story and a photo that I love even more than a layout with the cute paper and embellishments. And something about a smaller size just appeals to me, too. Yet another awesome life capture from you, Ali!

    Reply 0 Replies
  7. Annette says…
    10/01/2012

    love this album. I finished mine this past week and was so happy I did it. It really captured our summer and I love it. Love that it helped me pick out certain items that I would not have normally celebrated and helped inspire us to live more fully even in a stressful year. Thanks for all your inspiration Ali! So happy you had a wonderful summer!!

    Reply 0 Replies
  8. Denise Sanner says…
    10/01/2012

    i absolutely love number seven. not having time to make pickles and being just fine with how you spent that time instead is priceless. so happy for you. yes...you really are beaming.

    Reply 0 Replies
  9. Paula says…
    10/01/2012

    Outstanding! Love your Summer Manifesto...may be something I take up for New Years Resolutions once the December Daily season comes and goes :)

    (I am chuckling as I just termed the upcoming holidays "December Daily season" - guess it's a subseason of Christmas!)

    Reply 0 Replies
  10. Jenny Meyerson says…
    10/01/2012

    Who needs flipping pickles anyway? I'll take that smile anytime over pickles. Terrific album and I really like the size of the album. Perfect.

    Reply 0 Replies
  11. Patti L says…
    10/01/2012

    I really like your reflection! I often write about what didn't go exactly right and I love it! All about embracing imperfection. It's a sign of a life well lived!

    Reply 0 Replies
  12. Susan says…
    10/01/2012

    so awesome; love this simple album; i've finished quite a few pages in our summer manifesto album but haven't finished. now on my to-do list to finish this week. thanks for the spur...we too didn't complete some of the items on our list. glad to see a way to 'confront' those i can incorporate in.

    Reply 0 Replies
  13. Randa says…
    10/01/2012

    I love the style and layout of this album. Thank you so much for sharing it in full!

    Reply 0 Replies
  14. Trina says…
    10/01/2012

    This album is so awesome!! I love the perspective of looking back over the summer and writing about what did happen & what didn't. Such a cool idea! Thanks for sharing your wonderful summer!

    Reply 0 Replies
  15. amberca says…
    10/01/2012

    Can I just tell you how much I love this!!! I am so happy for you and all these wonderful summer memories.

    Reply 0 Replies
  16. Yvonne S. says…
    10/01/2012

    You have always made wonderful memory albums but this one is the best so far - it's about YOU! Your life, you dreams, your happiness....it's all there. You shine in this album and that's great!

    Reply 0 Replies
  17. Sue says…
    10/01/2012

    Looks like a very happy summer! My hubby and I did a Summer Bucket List inspired by your earlier blog. We didn't get to all the items, but we did many of them. I should follow up with a scapbook page or two on our adventures. One was a weekly BBQ and while we didn't do them weekly, we did have LOTS of people over this summer ... and of course, I would think of photos after the busy evening! (That's a good sign of "being in the moment" - right?) One question: would Katie share that fabulous looking pie recipe? Pie + crisp?? Best of both worlds!

    Reply 3 Replies
    1. Ali says…
      10/01/2012

      Hey again - she said they used this recipe for the top: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Blackberry-Crisp. They used a ready-made pie crust from Marie Calendar's (from the grocery store).

    2. Ali says…
      10/01/2012

      I'll ask her!

    3. Sue says…
      10/02/2012

      Thank you, Ali and Katie! This looks so fantastic. I appreciate you taking the time and sharing the recipe!!

  18. Carolyn HP says…
    10/01/2012

    Wow Ali, this is awesome :)
    Love how happy you seem, hope blessings keep coming to you & your family. Thanks for sharing such a beautiful reflection of your summer! Looks so great!

    Reply 0 Replies
  19. Kathy says…
    10/01/2012

    I totally love this album in that it's simple, effective, and lots of memories....I will definitely do one of these in the December school holidays which over laps with December Daily here in Australia. I also love the fact that having a plan gives you something to focus on but if something better comes along then that can be celebrated. I am going to do one of these for us and a movie in the back yard is on the agenda...thanks for sharing and being so inspiring. Regards Kathy A, Brisbane, Australia

    Reply 0 Replies
  20. Nicole says…
    10/01/2012

    Your project totally inspired me to create a "Hello Summer" corkboard in our kitchen where everyone in our family wrote slips of paper about what they'd like to do for the summer - items for vacation, fun things before the kids went back to school, goals we wanted to accomplish. As we finished our items, we put big red check marks on them. It was a great simple visual reminder of what everyone wanted to do - and it spurred us to have a lot more fun!! I plan to do it again next year - thank you for the inspiration!!

    Reply 0 Replies
  21. Stacy says…
    10/01/2012

    Loved this!! Wish I could make time to do more stuff like this. Thanks for the inspiration!!

    Reply 0 Replies
  22. money says…
    10/02/2012

    how do you make your pages so exact and straight?!?!?!?!! i have a guillotine paper cutter and i feel like its not as exact as i thought it would be... need another option!

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. Ali says…
      10/02/2012

      I use a Fiskars trimmer - love it. http://store.scrapbook.com/f-9902.html

  23. Alida says…
    10/02/2012

    I love the reflective quality of this album. How some things didn't happen because you were surprised by better things. Love the humor in that. Awesome journaling and photo's.

    Reply 0 Replies
  24. Christine says…
    10/02/2012

    I love your album. I also made a summer bucket list and did most of the things. I am also doing a Fall bucket list because I enjoyed the summer so much.

    Reply 0 Replies
  25. may says…
    10/02/2012

    love this! love the simplicity of the album. inspires me to create one...

    Reply 0 Replies

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