While I'm Waiting For My Camera Charger
I accidentally left my camera charger and extra battery at my sister's house in Charlotte which is delaying my Project Life post for this week. The battery in my camera is completely dead and the charger is on it's way across the country.
I'm forging ahead with documenting this week and getting the stuff from the last week into the album.
One idea I wanted to share with you - and what I'm doing in my book for this week - is an "all stuff" week without photos. So far I've added the things you see in my iPhone photo above: beer packaging cut to size, part of an Amazon receipt, part of a box of tea, and a post-office tracking ticket. I'm thinking I'll add some journaling - not sure just yet.
Anybody want to play along this week or next?
And here's a question I got from a reader this past week about Project Life and my other albums:
Q from ANJA | How do you decide which layouts come into the Project Life album and which ones will make it to the other albums? Or do you put all your layouts into PL while you're doing this project? And are you doing layouts also for your other albums while PL? If so which ones?
AE | When I first started Project Life earlier this year I thought that I might just put any additional layouts into the album along with the divided page protectors. So far this year I've done six layouts. One or two have gone into my Project Life book and the others are in a 2011 12x12 album.
So far for 2009 and 2010 I have just one 12x12 album per year (these include layouts about Simon, Anna, and our family). I have separate albums for myself, for Chris, and for stories from my childhood (some layouts that I did in 2009 and 2010 went into those albums). I say "so far" for 2009 and 2010 because there are still stories I'd like to tell. You can read more about my adventures in album organization in that project category archive here.
One of the goals I have for myself is to not get too caught up in all the logistics. It can get crazy overwhelming if you try to have it all figured out before starting. I try to go with what seems to make the most sense at the time and focus more on getting the stories told (also known as just doing something other than over-thinking it all). It's often those logistics that become a stumbling block to getting any stories told.
As for choosing which stories go into Project Life vs. my 2011 album, again, I'm really flexible. I'm trying to keep Project Life simple and doable. When I've got a longer story to tell there have been weeks when I've included that in Project Life (Week Four is a good example) and other times that I've decided to make a "regular" layout like this one. My perspective is that they are all part of my overall body of memory keeping work.
If Project Life feels good to you - do it! If making traditional or digital layouts feel good - make those! If they both feel good then by all means do a combo of both. Maybe you want to add in minibooks and digital books and home decor and, and, and, and... There's so many memory keeping options for getting your stories told in a meaningful, creative, fun way.
I'm just loving how your Project Life is coming together. I'm finding myself more and more tempted. The organization of all the tidbits is calling me!
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Thanks for sharing your progress on Project Life, it really spurs me on!
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I fell off the wagon for a week but refused to allow myself to feel guilty about it!
I stopped to think that the "pictures" of my life are all around me, they aren't just the ones I take with my camera.
I am a total magazine junkie so my entire layout that week was made up of the covers of magazines I had around. It will speak a lot about my life to someone looking at it 20 years from now.
I'd love to see how that looks Marnie. Any chance of a link??? ;-)
Splendid idea!!!
love that idea - I've got enough magazine layouts around here to do that too :)
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I really love Project Life! It is such a fun project and a really great document. But I wasn't expecting how much it really is a SOLUTION to the problem of wanting to do something with all the special little stuff that floats into the house much too quickly for me to create something with them. I am not a super-fast scrapper, and I haven't really figured out to make the readiness to scrap happen more often. (I'm working on it because I love it!) Project Life has really helped me prevent my own feelings of frustration in my desire to tell more of my family's stories...which means I get more done, and happily!
Love following along with yours...hmmm...no photos. Maybe I'll try that next week...thanks for sharing it!
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I love your answer! Love that the point is to get the stories told. Love the flexibility. And love the ideas and examples provided. Thank you!
I'm still trying to make Project Life work for me. I think part of the hold up is the lack of photo printer at home. So, I work on it in batches. While I like the premise, I think I'll enjoy the practice so much more when I figure out the best way to use it for me. I'll get there, I'm sure. Always love to see the different ways you make it work for you. :>
Hope your battery charger arrives safe, sound, and soon!
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i'm not doing project life, but i love the idea of "stuff" only. that will be very cool to look back on in a few years!
mmmm. spring reign. i need to pick some of that up!
They have it in 6-packs now too :)
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Ali - Thank you for being so practical and sensible and not hung up on potential obstacles. I love that about you! Scapbookers really need to hear that once in a while. I have too much stuff and never lack for project ideas, but it's often your reminders to just go make something and stop dithering that get me started. Of course, finishing, that's totally different. ;) Thanks for the frequent kicks in the pants.
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Hey Ali! I am loving PL...I have been keeping my book on my grandma's antique desk in my DR (yes, I took a pix of it) and tucking (OK stuffing) bits and pieces in as I walk by during the course of my day...when I have the time, I sit down, sort, stamp, write, get my girls to write etc...looking forward to my scrapbooking night this friday with my MoM (mom of multiples) friends to spend 3.5 solid hours working on this yay!! Love peeking at what everyone is doing and getting ideas...I could probably do several layouts each week with the amount of paper floating around here...good thing we recycle!! Hope your charger finds it's way home safe and sound! Have a great week!
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Hi Ali, just wanted to share a page I just finished up a couple of days ago filled with stuff from our lives. Although I'm not doing PL weekly or daily, I am trying to capture a bit here and there, and love the way this all stuff page turned out. I've been wanting to do this since I took your yesterday and today workshop. Just used a regular WeR 6-4x6 page protector. http://www.flickr.com/photos/susanleggett/5576157750/ How cool will it be many years from now for our children, or even grandchildren to look at this "vintage stuff", to see how much bread cost, or how much we paid for gas. To have a cereal box top, or their own handwriting as a child. I'm planning to incorporate this idea maybe a couple times a year right into my regular scrapbook album. Love this idea.
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Ali. I am loving PL. This year I decided to try it again But went with your idea to leave it out where I and everyone else in the family could see it and flip through it. Well on Monday, my hubby started flipping through it -just what I wanted. Soon my 18yo son joined him. They started reminiscing over some of the memories the photos conjured up. Can you believe they actually thanked me for doing this? My son said "mom is becoming the record keeper of our family". Music to my ears.
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I just caught up on my Project life and I enjoyed it. I have used a few iphone photos too, they are not the greatest but sometimes its all I have with me and its about the story not the quality of the picture. You inspired me to just make it easy, keep it out, make notes and put things in as we go. I love it that way! It works well. I often make a note for the week then work from that. Ive also made it part of the weekly lO as sometimes all those details don't feature. It has been fun. I have also been using them to jot down those stories that I'd like to make into a full scrap LO, it is a great system that seems to be woking for me.
Thanks for posting regularly, you keep me inspired to keep up! And after not scrapping much at all for a year I feel good. And a lot less pressure, the little stories are told in here and I don't feel overwhelmed with all the pages I need to do!
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Ninkasi... yummmm!
(Love the album too ;))
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I'm beginning my family's Project Life tomorrow and have been greatly inspired by seeing your ideas and how your album is coming together ~ Thank you!
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LOL - I play along EVERY week! I am a huge ephemera collector and am always trying to find fun/innovative things - and ways to include those things - into my PL album. If I don't/can't keep the actual thing, I take a photo of it.
Great improvisation!! :)
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I like the idea of a week of just stuff. It's getting to be a fun challenge for me to find "stuff" to put into our album. I will do that too either this week or next and make it all about the "stuff" in our lives right now. Thank you so much for still posting this every week and giving us good ideas to use. I can't wait to see your page from last week.
p.s. I liked the comment someone left about using magazine articles/ front covers and such that would be great for me since I'm a magazine junkie.
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LOVE the idea of a just stuff page! I've fallen off the wagon the last week with taking photos because I've been too busy enjoying life to grab the camera :-) & I have loads of STUFF! all my PL photos are from my iPhone camera, my husband took our family camera away & I've found that even though they are "perfect" quality they really capture the moments because my iPhone is always with me (especially with husband away).
I've also added in some "regular" layouts & they have rounded out my homemade PL nicely. My fav page is my "conversation" cards Q&A in baseball card protectors. Inspired by Ali!
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Love the idea of a spread of stuff. I got that nasty stomach bug and have been down and out since Sunday. I just got my project life kit in March and feel like I'm ALREADY set back a week. Thanks for the post it gave me the permission to be human ; ) with my scrapbooking.
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I'm approaching my PL pages as a Time Capsule of my/our life in 2011. That's the refrain I keep saying to the kids as they see me collecting stuff from the newspaper or snapping photos. It has become an answer to my collection of the bits & pieces I save - like the stuff you have stuck. I love seeing yours & others pages that include the stuff. Agree re: comment of the pictures of our lifes can come from places other than our cameras.
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I have some weeks that are dominated by the tidbits and not necessarily photos. I jumped in at the end of January and have been taking a relaxed approach to it. I don't necessarily have something every day and I don't categorize each week exactly, I just put stuff in as I get the chance or feel compelled. I'm already doing more per month than last year and it's SO nice to have an immediate spot to stick those theater tickets, tags, receipts, etc. versus throwing them in the office until I have time to do it (translate: never gets done).
To anyone that's contemplating this.......DO IT! It truly is whatever you want it to be.
Here's another thought: I started this year with a photo-a-day iPhoto project - which turned into more of a monthly photos project as I was forgetting some days! I am now taking those monthly photos and making a page to insert in the book.....even if I just add it in as a contact sheet page. That's for all those times I don't have my "real" camera.... :)
Love to see what everyone else is doing and think I may need to get the Instax - it just seems perfect for this as well.
Thanks!
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PL is already getting "lumpy" and "full" in just 3 months. It may become a 2 or 3 volume set (?). I used an 8.5x11 divided page protector and put stuff in the 18 pockets for the month of Feb. I plan to do that with March also.I love having a photo each day. I really work at getting one. I'm very visual and browsing through a week at a time reminds me how amazing my life is in all the ordinariness....
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My PL album is mostly photos . . . even in the 3x4 pockets in the middle. Sometimes I put a photo "series" in the 3x4 slots. I add in an additional Layout when special events come along, like plays or special weekends, etc when one or two photos are not enough. So far I'm keeping up, but I'm also keeping my album open and out on my table. Yes . . . family come by and take a look . . . every week! Works wonderfully!
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I LOVE how you moved forward even though you were/are missing a major part of your process!! You see this would be a block I would have a hard time getting past. Thanks for encouraging me to keep going even though things have changed up for you!
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You know, I was just thinking about this this morning because I don't think I have picked up my camera in like a week. I may have to jump on the no photo bandwagon! Of course, I have some serious life changing circumstances happening in our house, so I'm not sure what that will mean to my project life...I guess we'll see.
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I am in for a recent week. I was trying to figure out what I wanted in there since I took almost no photos that week. Thanks for the idea.
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I have a question - I remember reading a few years ago about how you only stuck to 4 or 6 different cardstock colors. I want to do this, but can't find that post. Plus I was wondering if you still do this and if you also only buy digital elements in that color scheme.
Thanks!
PS - I find your PL so inspiring even though I haven't taken the plunge yet.
Hi Alissa - yes - now I'm pretty much just using white or cream. When I first went down to five it was white, cream, kraft, red and black. I have digital cardstocks that are different colors but I still mainly choose white, cream or beige.
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