Week In The Life 2011 | Monday Words + Photos + Observations
NUMBER OF PHOTOS FOR MONDAY | 131
So I wasn't really sleeping when I took this photo. I did just wake-up and I had strategically placed my camera on my bedside table to take some sort of shot first thing. I'm wondering if this is what the kids see when they tip toe (or stomp) into our room in the mornings.
Here's a look at some of my other favorites from Monday:
NOTE: I just updated to Lion yesterday (new Mac operating system) and it's not making friends with my scanner. I'd planned to scan in my Daily Sheets for today but ended up just taking a photo instead. Once I get the scanner running I'll scan them in and share them here.
PROJECT OBSERVATIONS
- Doing with this project with two kids in the summer is a whole different ballgame. I need to get a bit more strategic or I just need to let more things go. I'm also still a bit out of sorts from being gone recently - today was the first day that felt semi-normal in awhile.
- I find that I'm taking less photos than I have in the past. I'm not sure if that's a result of doing this project so many times already and knowing that I can't use them all (I still recommend taking more than you need just so you have choices when it comes to putting the album together). EDITED: I wrote this earlier in the day. When I actually uploaded the photos there were still over 100. It's really less about the number and more about simply capturing pieces of your day.
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VIDEO | Something new for me this year is adding in a bit of video. I took a few random videos on both my camera and my iphone yesterday and I think what I'm going to do is put it all together into one video at the end of the week. Any one else shooting any video along with your still images? I started an iMovie project and I'm adding little snippets as we go throughout the week. - This project is a really great chance to get more photos of yourself (remember what I said yesterday about your story being important). Use your self-timer, get a remote, set your camera on the ground, pass it to a co-worker/friend/kid/spouse/parent etc and ask them to take a few of you too. Experiment - that's how you learn what you like, don't like, etc. I know I've found that the more I shoot the more comfortable I am with my camera and the more apt I am to try something a little different the next time (or rely on an old favorite).
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Don't worry if your first day didn't go according to plan. If you only took a couple of photos - no big deal - start fresh tomorrow. This project is not supposed to be "just another thing on your list" so if it's feeling that way maybe doing it another week is the right choice for you or maybe it's an opportunity to adjust your attitude. This project does take a certain level of commitment and awareness as you go through your day.
Also, if you are feeling like your life is boring consider adjusting your perspective. Think about what you wish you knew about your Mom or other loved one - even if they could tell you about their life at a specific point in time it wouldn't be as detailed or as fresh as you have the opportunity to document your own life right now.
SHARE YOUR DAY ONE
Would love to have you include a link to your DAY ONE of words and photso here. Please link directly to your post vs. your general blog link. Thank you!
TODAY'S POST SPONSORED BY | WORLDWIN PAPERS
Look for the Die Cutting Trio from WorldWin Papers. It includes three NEW! products: 1. Paper Layerz by Megan Elizabeth printed on CutMates diecutable cardstock. Paper Layerz makes die cutting layered images easy and beautiful with nine color-coordinated squares on one sheet. 2. CutMates diecutable cardstock in Light and Dark colored assortment packs. 3. 2nd Edition Cricut A to Z DVD by Megan Elizabeth -- the ultimate "how-to" for using any Cricut die cutter. (The first edition sold 100,000 copies in just 1.5 years.) Visit our Web site to learn more...www.worldwinpapers.com.
thanks for all the encouragement and feelings about day one. that was my day too. took 62 pictures and deleted 10 that were really bad. much different with kids home and all the action they bring to the day. i couldn't always think about what i was feeling and what to remember because it was just a fast forward day. hoping thru the week i can adapt to this and get more thoughts and pictures.
sorry for the lack of proper writing at the moment had bad night of sleep and just can't think straight yet. i enjoyed your photos and have some favorites...
awesome of anna doing painting and awe of her jumping so high skills, love love seeing simon riding his bike, go simon!! love seeing lily in the pictures so happy she is doing better, and how cool that your nanny is in the pictures. she did a great job on capturing their joy and her love for them.
does your nanny scrapbook too or do these projects with you??
Good luck on your day two and wish for both of us and everyone else to have a smooth day.
p.s. was thinking of using video's too but not sure how to work it right and how to download it.
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What a great idea with the movie. If you ever have the opportunity, I'd love to have a tutorial on how to work iMovie. Just when I think I get it, I realize I don't.
Also, when taking photos of yourself. Do you use a tripod? Manual Mode? Zoom out? Etc?
Thanks for sharing!
yes me too!!
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here's the link to my blogpost for Monday
http://scrappingreilly.blogspot.com/2011/07/week-in-life-monday.html
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Seriously, who looks that good in the morning!!?! Can't believe how much Anna's hair has grown, she looks so grown up. Loved your Monday photos and also love the link to other people's photos. Thanks.
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Hi Ali - I think the link for Megan's site is not quite correct, it just took my to a search site.
Perhaps this link will help people find her
http://www.paperlayerz.com/
Hi - thanks for that link. The one I'm using was provided by WorldWin: http://worldwinpapers.com/cutmates.html and includes info about PaperLayerz. Is that the page you went to?
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Wow over 100 photos! I think 10 is heaps for me to take in one day lol!
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LOVE the photo of you in the dishwasher with the puppy dog looking so intently at what you are up to. I have two dogs and they love watching what im up to ...
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The hubs did an awesome job tracking things the kids did throughout the day --- thank you for the worksheets!
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I was all set to do a big thing with WTL this year until craziness ensued; I don't have anything prepared. And yesterday just didn't go at all like I expected either- but I've decided I'll just keep snapping and posting the stuff my blog- and hopefully this next weekend I will be able to get it into an album of some sort. It's more important to *do* it than to worry about what it will look like later!Thank you for the encouragement. :)
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here is my day 1
http://alittlebitofmagic.typepad.com/a-little-bit-of-magic/2011/07/week-in-the-life-day-1.html
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Thank you for sharing your life Ali. Monday was my day 2. I have felt less than inspired this year, but I'm going on, letting this year be what it is. Your posts give me a little boost to look at things from a different angle, take random pics I don't know how I'll use, and be okay with doing something totally different than last year. My one little word is Gratitude, so I'm thinking about adding some reflective journaling this year as I put the book together about what I am grateful for each day. Thanks for all you do!
i hear you friend!! Great to read your post and I felt the same way when i looked at the day in review!! It is harder for me through the summer since we don't have a set routine!!
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Feel like you were talking to me Ali, my life is very ho hum and I didn't get that many photos yesterday.
I am so happy to see pictures of sweet Lily, glad she is looking so good hope she is totally recovered.
Thanks for all the encouragement Ali
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Yesterday I took a short video using my Photo Booth in Mac....hilarious! I too took way to many photos but had time to design some color strips using a pic of the album...I am really enjoying this!!
At last! Someone with real exipetrse gives us the answer. Thanks!
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I love how you included yourself in so many pictures. I forget how essential I am to my family's life.
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Even though I've seen your approach to this project every year you do it, I always look forward to your first day of photos and words. Perfect, as usual. And inspiring too! :) You have some wonderful natural light in your house!
I found a photo on the camera this morning that my husband took of me sleeping. Of course it's kinda dark and a bit blurry, but I think I'll use it anyways. I appreciate that he is trying to capture some moments on camera too - hee hee!
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I didn't take that many pictures either....I don't have any kids, so I just took pics of things I ate and did, which in the end wasn't that much.
I did really take a lot of time to write down all the stuff I did yesterday. Today being at work seems to pose a little more of a challenge, since I didn't take my sheet with me and am taking pics with my phone today.
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I was telling my husband about your scanner problems. He suggested using VueScan. Hope this can help!
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I totally took a video of our Superman prayer at dinner! So fun! I don't know how I'll fit it in, but it was one of my favorite things of the day! I like the idea of doing a video each day and tying them all together at the end! Thanks for the reminder to get more pictures of me in my week!
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Love your Monday shots Ali. The photo of Anna jumping in mid-air is so precious. I actually shot our week in the life last week and was slow to get started. Seems like as the week went on, and I got more and more into capturing our lives, that things really revved up midweek. I felt like I capturing so much more the second half of the week. In fact, the number of photos taken each day increased, as well as my awareness of things around me. I also looked at capturing witl as a challenge to try new things with my camera. Some things turned out and others didn't, and that's ok. This is my first year of doing a full week in the life and am so excited to put it all together. Thank you, thank you.
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Summertime is absolutely different than other times. I work outside the home, while my husband (who is a Ph. D. student) is home all day with the kids. I enlisted their help with this project and after 1 day, I'm so glad I did. It's teaching me to let go of perfection and let others help me with my projects! I saw some amazing photos yesterday! And, my husband, who is quite a good photographer himself, is really getting into it. When we were leaving for dinner, he ran back in the house to grab his camera! Yeah!
that is so awesome melissa. my husband took photos with his iphone while he was at work. i didn't think he would but he came home last night and handed me his phone:)
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Loving this project again this year! Here is my Monday post: http://jenniferhignite.blogspot.com/2011/07/witl-monday.html
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One question Ali, for your shots indoors with low light and a high ISO, do you use any sort of noise reduction software or action on those, or just let them be?
I just let them be - sometimes I'll make them black and white if they are really off color.
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love your idea of video...that is my hubby's area & will have to get him to participate in this with me this week. this is really fun!! great Monday shots :)
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ohmygosh, ali... you look amazing in the morning. could you share some skin care tips? (sorry, i couldn't help myself from asking, i know this is not that kind of blog)
love all your photos, specially the ones of simon and anna at the dinner table. and the ones featuring lily - so happy to see her, too!
and the observations at the end are priceless.
thanks for the inspiration!!!
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Thanks Ali! I had fun with pictures yesterday. Not as good with words. I had to smile when I saw yours. I took a similar pic of my shoes, but my feet were in them. Thanks for sharing.
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