Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Project Life 2013 Week 1 & Thoughts on Getting Started

A few thoughts before I get started.  

History:
So I did Becky Higgin's first version of Project Life -  Project 365 - back in 2009.  That year was quite the year to pick.  First off I had just had a baby 6 months before.  We also had a 2 year old. And as if that wasn't enough, yep, there's more - my father, Grandfather, and Auntie "M" (the closest thing I had to an aunt) were all battling cancer, I was president of the local Association of Fundraising Professionals Chapter (one of the largest and BEST in the country), I was to start Leadership Houston (a yearlong leadership program) in the fall and I was working full time as a development director for a major university.  Whew!  Just thinking about all of that makes me tired.  

So I did the project as intended - a picture a day for a whole year.  It was magical.  It was hard.  It was freeing.  It was tiring.  I am SO GLAD I did it.  I look back on that simple album - no embellishments - just photos, cards and journaling and it is precious.  I have photos I would have NEVER taken - but Project 365 gave me the license.  I carried my point and shot with me everywhere.  I pulled it out all of the time.  I have hilarious photos.  Everyday photos.  Extremely sad photos.  Ones that I will cherish forever.  Ones that my kids think are crazy.  I was hooked.  then I completely fell off the wagon with the deaths of aunt and father.  But I took my photos.  I was determined.  And I finished it about two years later.  It is a cherished possession.  I have more photos of my daddy and granddaddy than I ever would have just doing the usual special occasions.  Project 365 taught me to look at my life differently, to capture things differently and to see things.  

Needless to say, I took a break in 2010.  I was in full-on mom mode.  We lost Granddaddy that year.  

In 2011, I just wasn't ready.  I finished the 2009 book.  And to this day I love looking at it.  

2012 - the project beckoned to me again.  I was suckered in.  I craved the memories I had from 2009.  I got the, black signature binder, design A page protectorsClementine Core Kit.  I asked for it for Christmas.  I asked my husband to help me.  I went strong through the spring.  The stumbled in the summer.  I have been working at it - inching along - I have the photos, the stuff, the calendar to get it done - AND I WILL.  

Late 2012 - I wanted to do it again, but knew things weren't working the way I was doing it.  Ordering photos and waiting for prints - getting behind - that's not how I am successful.  I searched everywhere for an answer.  One thing kept surfacing - weekly progress -- habits - a rhythm - it all spelled - p-r-i-n-t-e-r.  

I asked for a photo printer for Christmas - yes, mother, a gift with a cord - every southern gal's worst nightmare.  But I wanted it.  He agreed and even researched the right one for what I wanted.  It arrived - it came with Photoshop elements, I found a free app to print directly from my phone - can you hear the choir too?  

I bought the plastics on sale during the Black Friday sale Becky had on Amazon.  I did not buy a core kit - I still had supplies from the year before AND I have a stash, a stash I love.  Every month I get more by way of a subscription to Cocoa Daisy.  I have what I need.
So here is Week 1 of my 2013 Project Life.  Super excited to get started.  


I am using this calendar from A Vegas Girl at Heart on each spread - keeping it simple.  That is important.  Plus those thickers from last year add a lot of bulk.  Grabbed a few sheets of Echo Park's new photo freedom line Today's Story and a sheet from Studio Calico's Darling Dear line.  I'm using my embossing plates from Stampin' Up as a way to add some texture without much bulk.  Keeping is cohesive with some kraft paper on every date/title spot.


Most of the supplies are from the Cocoa Daisy Kits.  Don't tell, but I even cut up full sheets sometimes!  I find it spurs me on to make actual layouts with these scraps - sometimes cutting into a sheet is the hardest part about starting a layout - now I just throw what I have on the page and start.

I also got some washi - FINALLY.  I am hooked.  It's a great addition to this project.  So that's it. I am trying to keep parts of it simple and parts of it pretty and creative.  So far - I'm still in love.

No comments:

Post a Comment