PROJECT LIFE: Week 9

After the struggle to get Week 8 done, this week seemed really easy and fun to do (it's one of my favourite spreads so far). No inserts per se, but I did add something to the Month tab divider (three leftover Instagrams set up like a photostrip and stapled onto the transparency), as well as Dan's hospital bracelet from when he had his 'procedure'. Other than that it's mostly just words and photos (one kind of funny thing I did was to include a fries bag from DQ from when we went for Victor's birthday...I included a teeny tiny pic of Victor eating the fries in the corner and journaled on the packaging. Trash to treasure, right? haha) I also did another Instagram collage, but this time with 8 photos instead of 6, which left a strip at the top for some patterned paper, I really like how it came out and will be doing it again. A typed up Week in Review card, some 'everyday' journaling (I love how I was able to journal for two different photos on the same card by using the little arrow stickers that come with the pack), and a few little embellies here and there.

Like I said, it was an easy, fun week!

STILL loving this project...3 months in now!

'Til Week 10,

G.

PROJECT LIFE: Week 8

Week 8 was the first week that I actually struggled with getting done. Not because I didn't have enough (though there were far fewer weekly photos than usual), but just because I wasn't sure how to place it all and just wasn't 'feeling' it. I think part of the reason was because it ended up being a 6 layout (3 page) spread, so much bigger than usual. Anyway, I was determined not to get more than a week behind at a time so I finished it, but like I said, it wasn't easy. I know there will be weeks like that, and it's ok, the important thing is just to keep going and get them done, one way or another.

This was the week we celebrated Victor's birthday party, which is why there are 2 extra inserts. The first one is just a simple 8.5X11 page protector to hold his birthday cards (I put a couple on each side). I originally had them 'loose' in the pocket but didn't like how it looked so I included a plain piece of card stock to put them on, and I like the look much better. I sealed the page protector with a piece of washi-like tape, that way I could open it later on to look at the cards if I wanted to. I also stuck a "Happy birthday" chipboard on the protector (though I could have very well stuck it on the card stock inside the protector too).

The second insert is a full page 12X12 page protector from the PL kit, Design B (I'm using Design A for my main layouts). After doing this week I've decided that I won't include full page protectors again, I'll always trim them down to something smaller, I don't like having an extra same-size protector in the layouts, it messes up the 'flow' if that makes sense. Anyway, I had enough photos to fill all the pockets so I kept it full size this time. I didn't do any 'decorating' to the insert, I just included photos and a tiny bit of journaling (including a journaling strip on top of the page protector on the back...again, something I probably won't do again but was fine in this situation). I like that I'm learning what I like and what I don't as I go with this project, it keeps me trying new things. 

The rest of the layout (the normal weekly stuff) is pretty straight forward, quite a bit of journaling this time around, which is nice. I stapled a balloon next to the Weekly Review label to symbolize that it was a birthday week for us (Violet turned 5 months old this week too). Another large Instagram on a journaling card, which I really like, and I also did a corresponding caption card to go with my Instagram collage this week (really it's just filler, but I ended up liking it and will probably do it again). Instagram is playing a big part in this project, which is kind of cool (it's also kind of an excuse to get an iPhone 4, since the photo quality is much better...I can justify it, right?)

You know the drill, back with Week 9 next...

Yay Project Life!
G.

PROJECT LIFE: Week 7

Week 7, here we go! Another regular week for us with errands, time with family, time at home, work...just LIFE. Not a ton of variety in the photos, but that's ok, the moments that are captured are special to us (and one thing I'm trying to do is to use the photos as jumping off points for journaling that's not necessarily related to the photo, so I'm getting more variety that way.)

I included a receipt from some car repairs this week, as well as a larger Instagram that I particularly loved (Dan and the kids in the bathroom), a journaling card to describe our non-existent Valentine's Day, and instead of doing a weekly review, I included my Tweets as an overlay on a photo (it's kind of hard to read, but that's ok, it was just to try something different).

Did I mention that I still love this project? :)

It's the Project Life show on this blog lately, so expect to see Week 8 and 9 soon!

G.

PROJECT LIFE: Week 6

It might sound weird, but the thing I'm most impressed with about myself when it comes to this project is that I'm letting imperfections/flaws go. If you look up close this album is not perfect at all...things are crooked, the photos don't fit exactly right (trimmed too small, etc), there may be typos or ink smudges, the pictures are dark/light/poorly edited...but you know what, it doesn't really matter. I doubt in 10 years my kids will look back and notice those things, they'll be more interested in seeing that our den was a super bright and gaudy orange, or that they wore weird clothes, or that Daddy had a beard and Mama had long hair, or that we took photos called 'Instagrams' (the Polaroids of our generation I think)...that's what will matter. So I'm trying hard not to stress if things aren't ideal, just getting it done, getting it documented, is what matters the most.

For Week 6 I played around with combining paper/journaling with the photos, like in the triptych on the first page and on the second page where I printed a vertical shot, then did journaling on the other half of the photo. I also did a 'he/she' card on the first page (inspired by who else...Ali!), which I love (I also love how the kids are both smiling in the photos, it really shows how they look alike!) I included a quote about winter, my grocery list since I threw out the receipt by accident, a folded journaling card to tell a longer story, and that's about it! 

The only thing that's really bugging me about this week? I wrote that something happened when really it didn't happen until the following week (the trouble with being a few weeks behind!)

Week 7 and 8 coming up!

PROJECT LIFE: Week 5

Week 5 was a really good week for us. We got a snow day (and Victor really played in it for the first time!), we visited family in Freddy, Violet was weighed, and we had lots of time at home. I experimented with creating collages again (the 3 cell phone shots of Victor in the snow), and got some old scrap goodies from my mom like the K&Co tag/embellies/journaling spots and random epoxy stickers (we're both trying to use up our old stuff, so this is the perfect place to do it!).

One month down, 11 to go :)

Back with Week 6, I'm on a roll now! :)

G.