a little bit of me.

{THE BIG Project Life POST: My Process, Q&A's, and 2013}

Let me start by saying that Project Life is without a doubt one of the BEST things that I've done for both myself (and my family), EVER.

:)

Seeing my husband and boys look at what we've done throughout the year - from the trips we've taken to the everyday moments of our usually chaotic life at home - and then talk about it while they *remember* it though the photos, is priceless.

For those of you that are new to PL, or unfamiliar - you can read more about the concept on Becky Higgins blog here.   

For me, it's also a way to keep up with sorting and processing my everyday photos of my family, and maintaining the memories of the little things that I don't want to forget >> and it's ultimately an easy place to record it all, in a meaningful way, to look back on later.

You can see all of my 2012 PROJECT LIFE Posts HERE.

****************

And now for the fun stuff first - what I'm doing and using in 2013.  I AM SO EXCITED TO DOCUMENT 2013 WITH ANOTHER PROJECT LIFE ALBUM!!!!

My cover page of the first album is done and ready to go!

I used a Design F page protector and filled it with bits of the January Studio Calico project life kit along with favorite photos of the fam... (my sister Kimmie took the family shot of us and also the shot of Eric and I!)

...a little "potty people" family cut with my silhouette.  The "potty people" are cuts from the Silhouete store - I just resized them and arranged and welded them together to form our "family".  :)  The "love" bubble is a die cut that I hoarded from a past Studio Calico kit.

...& a title card I made myself in photoshop.

* My favorite weekly "spread" of page protectors - One Design A page protector and One Design F page protector. I've found this combo works REALLY well for my photography style, as I seem to shoot a lot of portrait oriented shots, and the Design F page protector lets me get MORE of those in!  That said I still have a large stash of other styles, and I'm sure you'll see a bit of those mixed in throughout the year.

* Design H insert - My favorite insert for when I have too many shots in a week and don't want to leave anything out!  Leave it whole, or if you need less "extra" that week, simply cut off the top or bottom 4x6 pocket.

* 3x4 grid cards - I use these alot.  They are my main card for weekly journaling in my spread (My "This Week" Card) and they're also great for capturing little artwork masterpieces from my boys - ready to be tucked into a 3x4 protector pocket as part of the "week"!

* My new favorite Studio Calico Date Roller Stamp. 

* Two We R Memory Keepers Aqua Albums - Also avail at Target.

* Ali's brushes for Photoshop.  I love 'em.  :)

* Nisa's Calendar Card - Her version this year is available in both a Monday and Sunday start.  I'm going with Monday!

* A Martha Stewart Journal that I grabbed earlier in the year at Staples I think.  THIS IS SO IMPORTANT for recording the little things that my boys say, or what we do in a week - I use this bc life gets busy and it may be 3 weeks or 3 months before I go back to journal a week.  This keeps it all there and organized for me.  I usually use about 2-3 pages per "Week" - label the top of the page with "PL WEEK # and the date" and then try to jot a few things down about each of us.

* And a few other things that I think are super-handy for Project Life: an anywhere stapler (I love the smaller size staple in my album and it's ease of reach).  Staz On ink.  6x6 paper pads (perfect scale and dimesion for easily trimming to fit 4x6 and 3x4 pocket) - I keep the ones that I've accumulated from Studio Calico card kits in my bin of supplies.  Washi Tape - I have a bag of what I've accumulated in my 'project life bin' - it's perfect for adding a touch of color to a grid card or photo!

****************

And now on to how I go about attacking Project Life each week - what works for me, and some of the Q's (with answers!) that I frequently get asked via email and comments (at the end of the post).  Here we GO!

Over the past year, I've realized that my own PL "style" is pretty simple.  For me it's REALLY about the photos and stories.  My album is mainly  photos, digital brushes/stamps, 3x4 grid cards, and the occasional piece of ephemera.

I started out with a PL core kit in 2012 - and I would definitely recommend purchasing one to anyone just starting out, and I'm sure I'll end up picking one up when the new ones become available in 2013.  :)

#1 - PHOTO ORGANIZATION - when i upload my photos to my mac - i upload them to a file folder labeled with the date - then i have a whole month's worth of folders in a main folder labeled ie "DECEMBER 2012".  For me, this is the easiest way to both find photos later on (I usually have a good idea of when it was taken) and also to pull for Project Life weekly spreads.

#2 - SIZING/STAMPING PHOTOS - I try to sit down to size and "stamp" photos (ie put the digi brush 'stamps' or text on in photoshop) at least one night each week.  It can take me anywhere from an hr to 3 hrs depending on how much proofing I still need to do, how many photos I'm including, and how much "stamping/text" I add.

When I size my 3x4's I crop them at 3x4 inches @300dpi and then add them to a blank 4x6 @300dpi document in photoshop.  I add stamps/brushes/text, flatten it all, and then save it as "WEEK 1-1" or "WEEK 1-2" etc as I proceed through what's needed for my spread.  They are also all saved into their own folder for that week - I have a BIG "PROJECT LIFE 2013" folder that then holds "WEEK 1", "WEEK 2", etc.  It keeps it all nice and neat and orderly so that I can easily upload to have them printed.

#3 - DECIDING WHAT TO USE WHERE - There are always a few shots that stand out right away, so I start with those, and then work on to other photos that support "stories" or memories that I want to tell.  As I'm resizing I also open up a 12x12 @300dpi BLANK DOC in photoshop and copy and paste each 4x6 and 3x4 into it >>> ARRANGING where I'd like it as if it was the style page protector that I'm using.

THIS makes it easier for me to visualize and see where a splash of color is needed, or where my weekly journaling or calendar card will fit in best, etc.  I instagrammed a shot of my process as I worked on our Christmas spread, earlier in the week.  Here's that...

 

#4 - PRINTING PHOTOS - I have everything printed at Costco, matte finish, 4x6 prints (as I've arranged my 3x4's two-up on a 4x6 base for cutting up later).

#5 - PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER - My FAVORITE part!!!  I love bringing home a week or two from Costco and looking at it all on my scrap counter.  I trim it up and then arrange it - looking to the 12x12's I've assembled in the process as guidance - and sometimes switching it up a bit.  I create my title card with papers and silhouette cuts, add a few little extras like cuts or stamps or stitching to some of the photos, and then print out my "This Week" journaling card.

For 2013 I've organized all my "essential" supplies into a canvas box (from target). 

Within are smaller canvas bins (housing 6x6 paper pads, studio calico PL kits, grid cards, etc) that can be easily taken out to use and then quickly put away. There's also a bowl of leftover past SC kit stamps that translate well to PL and my date stamper - that sits out on my scrap counter regularly.

For me Project Life is better when kept simpler, so this is all I really use along with one studio calico "pizza box" full of favorite patterned papers and cardstock left over from past kits.

****************

Q: What fonts do you use when you add text to your photos:

A: Favorites are 'Chunk 5', 'Bebas Neue', & 'Wisdom Script'.  'Pompadour' for numbers.  On my 'THIS WEEK' journaling cards I use 'Blackout' and 'TS Florida'.

*

Q: What is the handwriting on your photos/cards:

A: I use A LOT of Ali's photoshop brushes on my photos, and to create my own 3x4 cards (in photoshop) - because I ADORE her handwriting.  ;)  And I like the consistency of it throughout my album.  You can buy her brushes at Designer Digitals.

*

Q: Where do you print your photos:

A: Costco, always.  And I opt for "Matte" paper.  I don't print anything at home.

*

Q: How do you create the Calendar Card you use weekly?

A: It's a digital brush by Nisa Fiin (available for purchase HERE) that I stamp/brush on a 3x4 @300dpi "document" in photoshop each week with a different background color (to coordinate with that week).  I then create a second "layer" and use a small heart brush to stamp over the dates from that week.  I then reduce the opacity in the "Layers" panel in photoshop to about 50% so it looks like the dates are highlighted (and still visible beneath).  Nisa's calendar cards this year COME WITH various highlighter shapes - SO cool!  :))

*

Q: Where can I get the heart brush/cut you use frequently on your photos and spreads?

A: It's actually part of my Photography biz watermark - so it's not something that's for sale anywhere, sorry!

*

Q: How many albums did you use for 2012?

A: Two - I'm a very "flat" Project Life'r.  :)

*

Q: I love the way your printed journaling-on-grid-cards looks.  How do you do that?

A: I have a "template" that I created for myself in word.  Its set up to be about 2.5 inches wide (to allow for a margin on either side of the text with the 3-inch wide card).  I type out my text and print it on a regular sheet of paper.  Then I take my 3x4 grid card and arrange it over the text on the sheet of paper (it helps to flip the paper over so that you can see the text from behind through the regular printer paper when arranging your card).  I lightly tape (scotch tape) the top of the grid card to the printer paper and then send the printer paper back through my printer, so that the text is now printed on the 3x4 grid card.

*

Q: How do you print your photos at 3x4?

A: I print two 3x4 pics, 2 up on a 4x6 (at costco).  I set it all up in photoshop.  Start with a 4x6 @300dpi blank doc.  Crop your first pic to 3x4 @300dpi, select all, copy then paste onto new blank 4x6 doc and move it over to one side.  Do the same with the second pic, moving it over against the other side.  "Layer - Flatten Image" then save, and it will be ready to print as a 4x6. 

*

THE END!  I hope this helps some of you who want to start a PROJECT LIFE album this year - you can make it as little or as much as you want, and one thing I know is that you will NOT regret doing it.

:))

{Project LIFE: Week 49 & 50}

Here we go - Project Life weeks 49 & 50.  These may be the two last full weeks that I show here on the blog.  Prepping a big PL post for later in the week that covers my whole process and I think I might show a few shots of other favorite weeks (that were never blogged)... 

I'm just glad that I've made it THROUGH my first year attempting Project Life with a *mostly* complete album, and honestly LOTS of memories preserved that otherwise would have been lost or never recorded.  :)

This was week 49:

The start of December and holiday prep and also night one and two of Hanukkah (which got the entire right side of the week's spread)...

I saw Evan draw a Christmas tree for something or the other and LOVED his little 5 year old version of it, so I had him draw one on a 3x4 grid card to include here >> instant custom artwork card.  :)

I used a Design H insert this week - the front (above) details our Christmas book advent.

...and the back of the Design H insert is really just an extension of the right side of the spread, making it possible to include more Hannukah pics!  The kraft bag (that I stamped "open me" on from last month's Studio Calico kit stamp) holds hand-written/drawn Hanukkah gift tags from the boys!

 

>>> And this was Week 50 (one of my most favorites yet):

A week FULL of Christmas fun - class parties, school programs, santa brunch, gingerbread house making, and luminaria.

It's busy (just like the week was) but I love it.  I used my favorite new SC date stamper on the pic I took from above of Evan's santa letter writing. 

Couldn't resist sneaking in a Starbucks coffee sleeve.  I am going to MISS the holiday drinks.  :((

I used a 5x7 Vertical Insert for some favorite shots from the week, and then a Design H insert with the top 4x6 trimmed off for shots from Ev's class party, and extra Hanukkah nights on the back (below).

The right side of the week was LOTS of Santa.  He was SUCH a great santa, too.  ;)

:)

Products Used on Weeks 49 & 50:

InLinkz.com

{Project LIFE: Week 47 & 48}

Weeks 47 & 48 will rank as two of my very favorite in 2012's album, no doubt.  ;)  Here they are...

...Week 47 was Thanksgiving - and there's a LOT of thursday (turkey day) here, plus some pics of crafts (easy way to include them in your album and week!), and some headshots of the boys that I took that week with the intent of making them a focal point in the STYLE E 6x6 page protector on the right. 

>> I'm learning as I go - this year has been all about figuring out what works for me in my PL album and what doesn't - and I'm trying to let go of the feeling that EVERY single pic that I love from an event has to be included - that is what ends up eating my PL time, when really less is sometimes more.  :)

...The week before Thanksgiving, I traced Ev's hand onto a 6x6 scrap of kraft cardstock, and showed him how to turn it into a turkey and then had him color it - all with the intent of including it in this week's spread.

There's a small insert this week - a Design H insert trimmed down (just cut the top 4x6 slot right off!) - with a few more details...

...and some silly pics on the back.  :)

WEEK 48 >> The week following Thanksgiving.  I had the backside of the STYLE E 6x6 page protector to fill, so I took a bunch of pics while we were decorating our main tree that week, and then chose my faves to enlarge to 6x6 for the slots.

...The new SC date stamper is ALREADY an all-time fave of mine (used below) and a definite must-have if you are starting an album in 2013.

...Noah also turned 2.5 this week - so I included a 5x7 insert and then added his 2.5 quirks and details directly to my 5x7 print in photoshop.

...Back of the insert starts our little trip to Disney for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.  There's also a Design H insert which is really just an extension of the right side of the week, so that I can include lots from Disney (but still not even close to everything i shot!).

...lots of pics, text added to most shots, and a 3x4 grid card for my journaling.  And i think THAT sums up my project life style.  :)

..Disney Trips intimidate me photo wise in PL - so I'm pretty excited that this week was completed in a timely way.  :)

...and that was Week 47 & 48.

I'm still working on catch up.  Have through week 50 DONE as of tonight, but there are a few weeks I need to go back and fill in.  I love that I'm able to share even a bit of it here on the blog.

**And also - some thoughts on 2013.  I will most definitely be project-lifing again in 2013.  I've purchased albums and have started filling my title page with cards and pics.  I'm going to make sure that I share it here on the blog before the new year, and also try to answer the Qs that I get via email/comments on a regular basis.  So that'll be up soon!

:)

Products Used on Weeks 47 & 48:

InLinkz.com

{Project Life: Week 42}

Blogging time is few and far between right now... But I promised myself that I would take some time to catch-up with my Project Life >> and I'm so glad I stuck to that.

This was week 42...

AGAIN >> one Design A page protector and one Design F page protector - totally my favorite combo.  :)

This was the week we took our little "fall get-a-way" so I devoted the entire right side of the week's spread to trip pics, and also included a Design H insert.

I LOVE looking at this one big collage-style page - it pretty much sums up our trip.

This KI smile washi is getting a permanent spot on my workspace counter.  ;)  LOVE.  The stamp is a sneak peek at this month's Studio Calico kit (one of the addons!).

After I had finished up the week, I realized that I still had the Biltmore ticket and a Blue Ridge map that I wanted to include - so I put them into an 8.5x11 vertical protector and zipped a stitch up the side, then trimmed it down with scissors.

:)

Products Used on Week 42:

InLinkz.com

{Project Life: Week 41}

How about a little Project Life today?!

Here we go with what was Week 41:

The start of October and lots of fall fun.  :)

...

I'm finding that what REALLY WORKS for me in my PL spreads is one Design A page protector and one Design F page protector.  The combo let's me include lots of little portrait oriented snaps (which is more my style) and journaling bits (like my "i hold choo" card) > while still getting in a few larger 4x6 photos.

And in an effort to minimize decision-making and also streamline my album style, I've gone to just using the 3x4 grid cards as the base for my journaling.  I like the look of printed type on them, and it's easy to add a little something on - like the heart sticker and a stamp (from last month's studio calico kit).

happy weekend everyone!  

hoping to catch up on even more PL myself this weekend ;)

Products used on Week 41:

InLinkz.com

{Project Life: Week 37}

Yep, I'm still PL'ing.  ;)

((Even though you don't see much of it on the blog...))

I LOVE that I took this on this year - have not regretted it for a second, and only wish that I had more time to devote.  I think that I need to figure out a dedicated weekly "schedule" of sorts in 2013 to stay on track.  

*That* >> and I also know that there are a few things that I'll do differently just to cut down on the time involvement, in order to stay on track better.

My album this year is up to date for the most part with photos, but there are weeks that still need the journaling typed out (from my journal of little tidbits and notes, that I keep espesh for PL), OR a title card for the week, or a little somethin-somethin added in.  And so those get left to be finished, but then there are other weeks that are simpler for whatever reason, and D-O-N-E.  :)

LIKE WEEK 37:

...a little bit of this, a little bit of that.  Some school art work, a trip to the museum, and the start of fall soccer.

...and LEGOS everywhere.  :)  (Plus our excitement over a new collection of minifigs debuting)

...Noah likes to "talk" to Siri on my iPhone, and I took a screenshot one day that week to document his chatter with her.  :)

...I happened to have two nice shots of the boys this week, taken while we were in the gardens of the museum we were at - and decided to use them to record their current "loves".

And that was week 37.

:)

Products used on Week 37:

InLinkz.com

{So it's September...}

...and I'm kicking it off with a post over halfway into the month on the 17th.  ha!  ;)

>>Honestly, I've just been adjusting to our back to school schedule, and also contending with a week + of sickies at our house - where Evan missed five days of school, even Eric stayed home from work sick, and we all pretty much spent a week on the couch together watching the Toy Story trilogy on a repeat loop.  :P

We are all better - HOORAY!!!

...and this is what my "right now" looks like... >>> I'm...

LOVING: Pumpkin Spice Fraps from Starbucks.  With an extra shot of espresso, please.  AND WHIP.  :)

HEARING: at least one new word from Noah, daily.  And it's usually something repeated that Evan or I had just said.  :)  Oh, and lots of "bwess you's" (after sneezes), which is def my fave right now.  :)

READING: THIS on my beloved Kindle (and LOVING it!) -- it's the sequel to Love Unscripted, which was SO good - I first read it at the beginning of the summer, then re-read it again (which I hardly ever do) last week before starting the sequel.

EXCITED ABOUT: An upcoming disney trip with the boys & my nieces in a few weeks.  After Noah's summer of "Mickey Love" and his obsession with anything Mickey, it should be QUITE entertaining to hear him shout "MICK-EEEEEEEEE!" repeatedly throughout the park.  ;)

LAUGHING ABOUT: How Noah has decided that saying "APP-PUHL PIE!" (read: 'apple pie') is hilarious.  I think he picked it up when Eric ordered me one in the McD drive-thru last week?!  Now it's all we've heard, ALL.DAY.LONG, for the past 4 or 5 days.

WATCHING: The series finale of Weeds (last night).  BEST.FINALE.EVER.  love love LOVED it.  Sad the series is over, but I think it was time...??

THINKING: that it's going to be so nice when our weather finally COOLS here - I love the beach during our late "fall"/winter and am jealous of all the "fall-inspired" photos that keep popping up in my instagram feed from friends...  SEND me a little Fall, please!

& PROOFING: lots of snaps from recent weeks in an effort to catch up on Project Life(!)...  Here's few shots of what my Week 35 looked like...

...

...The new PL Design H 6x12 protectors are so perfect for weekly inserts - I cut mine down here:

:)

{Project LIFE: Week 16 & 17}

Nevermind that we're going into week #29 -- but i have week #16 & 17 to share today.  At least that's something.  ;)

Especially considering the fact that my last blog post was a scheduled post while I was away visiting my parents with the boys, and I have majorly neglected the blog since getting back.  ((We've just been enjoying summer too much I think!))

Going to try to catch up on lots this week - and I'll have Studio Calico CHA projects to share here at the end of the week!  :)

SO this was week 16:

...I jotted down a cute little convo that I had with Ev (in my PL journal - essential to my success with this album!), and then copied it onto this home-made journaling card - just used a quote bubble brush (that I made myself) at a reduced opacity and then added the text.

...Week 16 was alot of this and that, a snap of the shakeshack buzzer that was taken by eric while in miami and texted to me in a (succesful) attempt to make me jealous, & my i think my favorite from the week was the "tree" evan brought home from preschool.

...

...and i think it was right around this time that "we" started getting really REALLY obsessed with Ninjago legos.  (Noah loves 'em too.)  & so I snagged one of ev's cards and added it into the week... along with a lottery ticket (we really don't buy lotto tix, I think eric's parents bought it for us while they were visiting?!  regardless thought it would be fun to look back on years from now.)

 

And this was Week 17:

...We celebrated Earth Day with friends by planting seeds, made crazy playdoh guys, & finally got the rug + tables that we had ordered for our family room.

...I love that there are lots of camera phone snaps mixed into my week - makes it easier to capture everything that I want to!

...Evan tasted his first fortune cookie this week, and I saved the fortune and stitched it to the photo (bottom right).

:)

Products Used on Weeks 16 & 17:

InLinkz.com

{Project LIFE: Week 14 & 15}

Doubling up in an effort to post more :)

Week 14 first... (the chevron kraft that i used in my title block here is an instant classic for me!)

...Week 14 was a busy one for us - Easter + Passover + a visit from Gramma & PaPa + a daytrip to Savannah.  (Sadly we also lost Eric's own Grandma this week - I'm still working on retrieving pics of her from my crashed PC to add a collage insert to this week...)

...We had egg dyeing, and practice egg hunts, and spring break.  :)

(I kind of love the 'hold it out and shoot' style pic at the top right above - taken right after Easter brunch...)

The right side of the week's spread has more from the week of spring break activities, a little bit of Passover, and also a few shots from our daytrip to Savannah.

The week's first insert is simply the Happy Easter card that my sister's cutie dog sent us.  :)  BECAUSE.I.LOVE.IT!

And then I have a trimmed down Design A protector as the second insert of the week.  It houses Easter basket details and pics on the front & Egghunt shots on the back.

I used a snippet from the kraft somewhere paper (the "georgia") to highlight my savannah pics, and also a stamp from the brand new Adventure Project Life set.

And then we had Week 15 >>> which i think may have been my first Project Life week minus an insert...!  hooray for that :)

...Week 15 involved a trip to South Fla for the funeral, and once back lots of the ordinary stuff we love like t-ball and soccer(!) - it also was the week that Evan and I got to create a little "canvas masterpiece" one-on-one with his art teacher.  The story on the "make art" card is all about that.

Lots of camera phone pics this week, and i love that.

...I also loved using the Design D Protector for the first time as a whole page base.

That "Good Stuff" stamp will be getting alot of use in my album, no doubt.  ;)

And that was Week 14 & 15.

:)

Products Used on Weeks 14 & 15:

InLinkz.com

{Project LIFE: Week 13}

I spent some quality time on Mother's Day catching up on crafty projects - Project Life included.  :)

I have Week 13 to share today...

Week 13 was the week before Evan's spring break, with lots of easter prep and activities... :)

Eric was out of town for biz - so I included his boarding pass stub & also a screen shot of him chatting with Evan on facetime on my iPhone...

We took Noah to see his very first movie - The Lorax - I found the image online and used it as a 4x6 for the week's spread, stitching a ticket stub to the edge.

Insert #1 is just a cut down Design D - trimmed to just the 4x6 portrait oriented - with a pic of Ev in his Easter parade hat on the front, and a little collage from his school festivities on the back...

Insert #2 is trimmed down Design A - I added text to these pics (from a beach night over the weekend) in lieu of extra journaling or a journaling card.  I'm finding as I go that sometimes it's just easier for me to add what I'm thinking about the pic as I process it and prepare it for printing (I print everything at Costco) >> and really, I can use all the timesavers that I can manage.  ;)

I had a blank 4x6 slot on the backside of the insert and took advantage by adding in a little scrappy card with lots of "favorites" right now.

And that was Week 13!

:)

Products Used on Week 13:

InLinkz.com