Week In The Life™ 2015 | Sunday Words & Photos
I want to begin today with a giant thank you to everyone that has participated, supported and followed along this week.
My plan is to begin printing photos today or tomorrow (just to give myself a bit of a break) and bringing it all together into my album over this next week. The current idea I have in my head is to use type directly on my photos before printing in Photoshop in the same manner that I did last year because I really, really liked how that turned out. That said, once I start working on it today I might go an entirely different route.
Please remember as you start the process of putting your own album together that there is not a right or wrong way to do it. Many people will put their album together without any typed journaling and there will be lots of wonderful examples shared both in the message board of the WITL community, in the WITL Facebook group, Instagram (#weekinthelife), and other places around the web.
Again, thank you. I hope this process of collecting photos and words was meaningful to you.
Here's a look at our Sunday:
Today began with Anna waking up in the sleeper couch I have in my bedroom. The chest is a family piece, currently holding my record player. Ikea frames are waiting for photos. In the hallway an empty shelf I took out of Anna's room is waiting to get moved in to the garage.
Today included Simon waking up way too early again, me telling him he couldn't have screen time (since he woke up and immediately started watching it) and then him going back to sleep in his own bed.
Today I used a blow dryer on my hair for the first time all week. Most often during the summer I just let it air dry.
Today Anna and I ventured out to Costco first thing to gather up supplies for our late-afternoon party with friends.
Toady we also stopped at the grocery store for additional supplies.
Today I noticed that these flowers in front of my house were blooming again for the second time this summer. What a gift.
Today Sam tried to escape a million and one times. He will eventually be an indoor/outdoor cat like George (he was in his previous homes as well) but I want him to have a little more indoor time to get used to us and that this is his new home first.
Today the sprinklers came on in the morning and I started to clean up the back patio for the party.
We don't have a lot of parties here, but it's so great to get together with friends. It's been a priority for me the last few years to make these kinds of things (or just getting together with friends outside of any of our houses) more of a priority. I love the community, the shared history, the laughter of the kids, etc.
Today Simon emptied the dishwasher while I made the marinade for the flank steak.
Today I picked up two new tables at Costco to make the seating area that much longer. I also sprayed the cob webs from the side of the house.
Today I filled the cooler full of beer and San Pellegrino.
Today I bought some flowers to have on the table in the backyard.
Today I found these three in my backyard. One random Sweat Pea, one small white Dahlia, and one sprig of Queen Anne's Lace - all either volunteers or growing up through cracks in the ground.
This made me think of my parents again - my Mom always seems to have one or more little vases of flowers she's brought in from the yard. He little collections are always so great and often fragrant and just such a reminder of how much beauty exists in the world.
Today I used two white flat sheets to create a table cloth to cover my tables before friends showed up.
Today friends showed up.
Today Katie's husband Peter ended up in charge of the grill.
Today I loved seeing my friends inhabiting this space. I loved hearing the kids laugh and run and chase and dance.
Today we shared a meal with each other - all contributing something to the table.
Today I ate in my backyard with friends.
Today we laughed as Simon made his famous face for Katie as she took this photo. He can't do it without laughing now.
Today the yard was full of kids.
Tonight we reminisced, listened to music (thanks John), watched our kids put on a dance show, made plans for future get togethers, and said thank you.
Tonight we left the dishes for tomorrow.
31 MORE THINGS | BEGINS SEPTEMBER 1
Enrollment is now open for 31 More Things. This workshop includes a collection of 31 new prompts, presented over the course of 31 days, that invite you to tell stories about your life via a single word as a jumping off point. Emphasis in this class is on simply practicing your storytelling skills using some of my favorite techniques and getting over your fears of putting words on the page. Some of the single-word prompts include: home, passion, color, cook, paper, mess, etc. Full details here - class begins September 1.
SHARE A LINK TO YOUR BLOG
I'd love to have you share a link to your SUNDAY words and photos below. Please link directly to your post vs. a general blog link. In addition you're invited to come over to the free Week In The Life™ Community Gallery & Message Board.
I just love your post today. It makes me wanna have a party. It makes me want to buy tables and put them together in the yard and invite friends over. It makes me wanna take more pictures of my life. This week has been a lot of work but a wonderful experience overall! The hardest part was blogging it!! I truly appreciate the time you've taken to share your words and photos. XOXO!
Do it Tracie!
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This week was so much fun, but i did struggle taking so many pictures. I notice that I don't take pictures of the everyday things just events. I'm glad I participated in the WITL it was fun. I am going to take this week to print my pictures and put them in the album along with my stories of each day.
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Thank you SO much, Ali for continuing to inspire me and remind me of the importance of documenting life and telling our stories. This was the first year that I did WITL and while I didn't take AS many photos as I wish I did, the important thing is that I captured photos that I might have otherwise taken and THOSE are gifts to me. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You have always been my MOST favorite life documenter and I'm just so grateful that you share your gifts with us. XO!
Yes! You are welcome.
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This project is such an inspiration, thank you!
I love my photos and my current habit of picking up my phone to snap something from our day on most days, but most important to me this week was to pick up my dSLR and capture our days through that lens as well. Thanks for creating such a great reason to do it!
Me too - that's a really big part for me.
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My Sunday also included lots of shopping and a get-together at the end of the day with my family. I love Summer Sunday evenings.
I'm so glad that the intensive picture taking part is over and now I get to enjoy the hundreds of pictures I took! Putting the album together will be the hard part for me because I have too much to choose from. Thank you, Ali, for this project and for the encouragement and inspiration I needed to keep going.--Desiree
You can do it Desiree - focus on the stories.
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I'm sooooo glad I did this again! Thanks for a great week Ali! I love taking our everyday in! I know it's not about the products, but I have to say I love the kit. I worked on my album some this week, and I love it! Still have photos to print (some), and lots of words to get down. But it feels great to see it coming together. And I can't wait to finish it, and put my other WITL albums out to go through and compare. Soooo much changes over time. So fun to see how different every one & thing is!
So glad you are happy with the kit too!
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Thank you so much for this project, and the way you share so openly and authentically. It encourages me to really notice things in my own daily life, and dig deeper to find the stories that are waiting to be discovered. Thank you once again.
You are welcome - thank you for being here.
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Ali, I haven't commented all week -- was waiting until now. I have truly enjoyed this week and looked forward to your post each day. I did not participate this year and now regret that decision. It would have been a week with a little more excitement than usual - my granddaughter's first soccer game, our visit to my son's new condo 800 miles away and so many new restaurants in his new city and so many fun things to do there, but there's always another week.
You have inspired me in so many ways and I continue to be inspired by you, your honesty, your realness (if that's a word) and your photography. I appreciate you and, again, have really really enjoyed seeing your world through your eyes and lens, as it helps to open mine -- to see things around me as they are, from the good to the not-so-good! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Please continue to share your stories with us.
Thank you so much for being a part of the community :).
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Ali your photography is breathtaking. Light and line definitely show up in every photo. I took your 'Through the Lens' class and it has made me so much more aware of 'why' photos look so great. I'm actually planning to go back through the class this Fall...it's packed with goodness :-) I did WITL along with all of you and enjoyed being intentional about paying attention to my days. Thanks, Sharon
Awesome - thank you!
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Ali, thank you so much for this project, and all the inspiration you give to be authentic and record our REAL lives. When I get caught up in wanting things perfect and pretty I always think of how awesome it would be to have an album like this (even in its simplest form) from my Grandma, or anyone from years past. Your inspiration will provide a treasure for generations to come. Thank you.
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