A Collection of Thoughts

Simple Project Life

Last year I was so excited to start project life - I did one double page layout in November.

Then I stopped.

I started my December Daily.

Then I stopped.

Then I did six weeks of project life from January - MINUS the journalling - just printed photos and put them in and left notes on what I wanted to say.

I KNOW I have plenty of reasons not to beat myself up on the why I didn't get on and do it. I really didn't feel creative at all during that time.

That being said I did keep up my blog and taking photos on my phone. I documented my whole cancer journey and the story of our lives as we struggled to keep things as normal as we could.

This year is different. I really want to do PL. I love the concept it's like 'old day' scrapbooking. You can't help but be inspired by the creative team. Their pages are really lovely.

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But more than any of that my girls are growing way way way too fast. As much as it bothers me and we truly do not dwell, also flitting through my mind is the unknown of how many more years I'll have to take these photos and tell these stories. Life has a way of throwing me curve balls.

I had a few people nagging at me and my own head saying do it you have everything you need and more. I am realistic enough to know that weeks get busy when I'm back at work and there is still surgery and recovery to come - I also have a marathon to prepare for :)  I still waivered.

I googled and pinned and read blogs and procrastinated.

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 Then I thought it out.

What have I done that has worked? Dec Daily - failed so many times - but this year -  Photos on my phone - to my icloud and digital template.

Done.

Chemo cancer blah - photos on my phone - documented  either on my blog or more recently on facebook, through instagram.

Done.

So there is my magic formula - this is what works for me. Phone photos automatically saved so no mucking around with uploading. I did however want to play with paper and pretty things so digi wasn't the answer.

Who has pages that I love to look at?

I am inspired by Cathy Zielske ( neat simple everyday stories ) I love the colours of Liz Tamanaha ( cute kids! simple great templates ) But I'm more Marcy Penner in the shabby chic style than Cathy and Liz ( can't cut straight so save my life ) with the exception that I hate my handwriting and I dont have one of those amazing cutters to cut out words etc.

 SO I came up with the following process

Iphone pictures saved automatically ( no I'm not ruling out getting out my camera occasionally but mostly it will be phone because I already do that all the time)

Design done digitally - so I can slowly add to it as I do photos

Simple embellishments - shop my stash pop it all in a box and make it work don't go searching for just one more thingy.

Journalling done digitally.

Print it out

If you follow me on instagram or facebook you'll know I'm finished my first week and title page YAY.

I won't gloss -  first double page took me hours but that's because I was mucking around with journalling boxes trying to work out sizes and creating templates and then half way through I changed my mind and started again.

It's hard to get a decent photo of pages when they are in the albums  - I'll need to work on that so for now here is my digital mock up.

 ( you can click for bigger if you'd like to read the journalling )

I printed my title page photos on my little  Canon selphy - best printer so tiny but the main pages I took my photos to Camera House today and had them printed matte for 19c each. My journalling I printed onto white cardstock from officeworks A4 size on my Canon pixma which I have had for years. As you can see I added no embellishments to my main pages as I had plenty just from photos and stories. Title journalling cards are from Cathy Zielske freebies which I just edited to suit a colour I liked.

Now I am all good I have my formula worked out. Bring on next week I say!

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Are you still on the fence - are you thinking you may want to do this but you don't know where to start ?

 Like all projects.

 JUST START - Don't over think it. Do your title page  - print some photos of everyone.

Don't have any you really like ? Do what I did - line them all up (at 9.00pm no light !) no make up no pretty matching clothes and take them one at a time.

Ignore the grumbling.Take your own. Swap them to black and white. Don't forget your furbabies :)

Make sure you put something like 2013  Project Life telling our story or some such somewhere on it.  Done.

 Other things I have had people say to me are that they are doing

• One page a week (instead of two)
• One page a month
• Only using instagram photos
• Just doing it on their blog/facebook
• Setting a time frame - like Sunday night (Cathy Zielske does this - she sets a  certain time each week to work on it
• Setting a certain amount of time and then what's done is done
• Miss a week? Skip it do the next week don't worry about catching up.
• Making this their only creative thing - this is their "hour or two a week me time"

All I can suggest is make it work for you because it's your life your story your memories. I look back at my attempt last year and I'm genuinely really sad that I didn't get it done. I don't want 2013 to be the same.

I'd love to know if you are joining in :)

I am aware that quite a few of my readers these days don't come from my scrapping days so if that is you and you are thinking what the ? 

Here are a few links

• What is project life ?
• Where can I see Cathy Zielske's Project life ?
• Where do I buy the kits everyone talks about from?
• Here is a link to pinterest - just click it you'll get the idea of how it works straight away

 

Related articles

December Daily 16th - 25th

Week in the Life -Sunday

This is my last week in the life post - I have enjoyed it this year especially as I have documented nearly each night. Certainly using the templates makes it easy and Im thrilled I have a full week just like this to add to my Project Life.

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The boys were fascinated to learn that
not only did Ma write a children’s story
she was also in the process of illustrating it.

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We skipped mass today as we waited to see what the weather held and what Lisa’s plans were.  As it turned out Will’s family came down from Brisbane so they spent the morning with them in Surfers. We headed off for brunch at our favourite cafe and then went shopping for some colouring books and activities for the boys.
I managed to revitalise the lovely floral arrangement Richard’s team had sent us last week by replacing the wilting flowers with fresh ones. I am quite chuffed with how it turned out.
This morning Richard taught Sofia how to play triominos.  She took to it quickly and beat him in just three rounds. Mid afternoon she challenged me and won again. Beginner’s luck I say.
I joined Lisa and the boys to visit Ma and Pa for afternoon tea. She has such a small house filled with precious treasures we were a bit wary about how the boys would cope. They were so well behaved except when Chase asked for a ham sandwich - that’s never good in a Jewish household. Or when I went to take photos and he kept turning his back to me. He couldn’t even be enticed with his banana milkshake. Later on though he was all smiles and cuddles when Lisa snapped a shot of him with me. Lisa’s three boys are all so delightful but I keep threatening to keep Chase the littlest. He is so so cute. They all turn on the charm in a way my girls have never done.  Ma fills her days with an amazing number of things. She is currently writing some children’s stories and illustrating them. I am not sure if she plans on ever having them published but she is enjoying the process. Today she shared some of  her illustrations with the boys. They were so fascinated.
After we headed back to our home for dinner. Will was at his work course so it was just the 5 kids, Lisa, Richard and I. We used our extension on our new dining room table for the first time - it worked a treat. The girls would have loved their cousins to stay  all night but tomorrow is school and the boys were tired so the evening ended far too soon. It’s  lovely having them here even though they aren’t staying with us. I so wished they lived here. Lisa wishes we lived there. I’m not sure we will ever live close unfortunately.

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I'm yet to take a photo that I can use on the title page - I think it would be good to do something that includes all four of us ... will have to organise that.

I'll be interested to look back next year on this years one that's for sure :)

Thanks so much for following along.

Digital Credits
Memory Circles Brushes and Stamps – Ali Edwards
Week In The Life Layered Template Set 12x12 Vol. 04 – Ali Edwards

Week in the Life - Saturday

I am still taking photos with just my iphone - not ah uge amount a dozen or so if that but still able to tell the story of each day quite well. I used the kindle photo from the web as I dont have one yet it's just to document my research :)and of course the movie image too.

 

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We tried not to allow the weather to interrupt
our plans for the day too much.

The rain continued with vengeance today hampering our plans. We headed off early to vote in the local council elections. Our plan was to spend the day at Seaworld with Lisa, Will and the kids. After much discussion, everyone went except me. I can’t get ill right now so it wasn’t worth the risk. They had a fun time despite the weather, with the bright spot being that there was no waiting for rides or shows. The park was quite empty unsurprisingly. As expected, Richard and the girls took zero photos. I made vegetable soup for afternoon tea in preparation my three wet and tired lovelies. I took advantage of the quiet and continued with my research into E readers. I have finally decided on a Kindle Touch without the 3G and now I am waiting not too patiently for Richard to get it for me. Lisa and I had planned on a movie so we turned it into a real treat and went to Gold Class at Robina. She had never been before. We arrived early and sat in the lounge with a hot drink and chatted. It was our first chance to catch up alone since they arrived. The movie was soppy and predictable but enjoyable. Afterwards we headed to Max Brenners to indulge with dessert. It was my first Max cappuccino in eight months and I loved every drop.

Digital Credits
Memory Circles Brushes and Stamps – Ali Edwards
Week In The Life Layered Template Set 12x12 Vol. 04 – Ali Edwards

Week in the Life - Friday

I had my camera out much more on Friday - though I have realised that I am yet to actually get in a photo - I will have to fix that tomorrow.

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Our day was filled with a whole heap of ordinary just the way we like it

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Today was filled with lots of ordinary.
Friday is a busy work day for Richard so I try to leave him in peace.  I do a long workout at gym and shower there before heading off on an adventure. Today was Helensvale. Westfield held a fashion show and I received a goodie bag filled with vouchers.  I had a little shopping list of new Pjs for me and a gift I needed to get. I also came away with new Pjs for the girls. I really enjoyed my day and managed to make time for two coffees and some lunch which more than made up for my unhappy yesterday. I came home to a huge box with our new iron arrived courtesy of Nuffnang and Tefal. Richard is reading the manual and will be trying it in the next day or so. The bus runs late on a Friday due to high school inter school sport so Richard spent some time yet again trying to explain to me how Facebook works. I am still none the wiser. I wish there was some download that I could just pop into my brain. I get a mental block when I hear the word Facebook.
The girls were so chuffed with their Pjs and were quick to jump into them once we picked them up from the bus. The rain has been heavy and so we decided it was a perfect DVD  night. I chose Tin Tin but they didn’t want to watch it. 
I wish all our days were filled with such ordinary things.

Digital Credits
Memory Circles Brushes and Stamps – Ali Edwards
Week In The Life Layered Template Set 12x12 Vol. 04 – Ali Edwards

Week in the Life - Thursday

Yesterday was a tough day with Drs appointments - while there were no surprises it was still not what I wanted to hear. It's the sitting waiting and the continual realisation that life as you once knew it is still on hold. Here is my Thursday WITL project.

 
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 Just a little note on Thursday's pictures. When I went to pull this together I realised I only had 6 pictures- the 6 that I have here. I thought oh no that hardly tells what the day was about especially when you look at Ali's blog with her many many beautiful images that she has to choose from. Then I thought oh well I will just write a bit more - but I didn't need to I had the perfect number of pictures and it all came together easily.

Pictures that I should have taken

• We had meatballs for dinner
• Talia dropped a plate and it shattered
• Richard had meetings all day
• I missed lunch while I was waiting at the Drs
• I went to gym and chatted with a lovely new friend
• I wrote some blog entries
• I designed yesterday's Day in the Life pages
• I researched E readers
• There was no need for grocery shopping Richard pulled dinner just from the pantry and fridge
• I finally watched the first part of Titanic
• Sofia started work on her assignment- I have to get her some cardboard
• Tals lost her first soccer game
• Sof lost her first newcomb ball game

But I didn't. So I have gone with the pictures that I do have and written the story that they tell. Its oen of the things that I love about this project each year - It encourages you to grab some shots and tell some stories that you may not normally. Its not about documenting every minute.

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I have spent far too many hours staring out
of these windows waiting for doctors appointments.

Today was no different.

I am in time loop waiting....

View From Hoca, Gold Coast

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 It would be so easy to get lost in my own story this week but running alongside are these two little girls who keep me grounded. They came barreling in after school happy because they were done with homework thanks to the public holiday yesterday and the fact they had worked on it on the bus. They were quick to tell me they had heaps of time to play on the trampoline. Later that evening Sofia was in tears for the umpteenth time this week. It is hard to work out what is going on with her right now. So I asked her to come talk to me and share what the problem was. She didn’t want to. I left her to herself. It was not too long before this note was pushed into my hand as I sat talking to my sister on the phone. I love that she wrote it as an invitation.  A long chat revealed there is nothing too deep about the tears - a lost game for interschool sport, a harsh word from her sister, some friends choosing to play with someone other than her today had left her with a general “feeling of sad”.  (her words)  I shared with her that I have “feeling of sad” days too even when I know I have lots of happy happening. She wasn’t all smiles but there were no more tears at least. I worry about how they are both affected by everything that is going on.  We try to keep things moving along as they would if I wasn’t sick but I guess it is not always going to work.

 

and the rest

Too much of my day was lost in finalising the details for surgery on Monday. I thought that I had seen the end of those circles on the carpet but unfortunately not. My appointment with the surgeon was routine and fast but he sent me back to my hematologist. My frustration grew with every single minute that passed as I sat waiting. My feeling was irrational as I was so lucky they had fitted me in. I didn’t have an appointment. I was ( still am ) struggling with the idea of going back to those twice daily injections of clexanne.  As I sat for an hour waiting to be told what I didn’t want to hear, instead of having a coffee which is what I planned, I silently fumed.  His receptionist finally had mercy on me and sent me away with the promise of phoning through the details. Somehow I need to learn to focus on the good and be grateful for the skill and compassion of my medical team. They are really wonderful. My issue is with needing them at all. A bit like Sofia really, today I had a “feeling of sad” too for no real reason. I need to take my own advice and focus on the  happy I have happening.

 

Week in the Life - Wednesday

 I had such a big day yesterday that after our guests were gone I just curled up and watched  The block - go the boys!  Offspring and The Good Wife. I'm really spoilt for choice with TV at the moment :)

So its only this morning that I have finally sat down to document our lovely day yesterday for my week in the life project.

 

 

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Without doubt our favourite way to spend a day is
with family and friends over for a meal.

Happy Days

 

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Wednesday this week was Anzac Day. Usually I am involved with services for school so it felt unusual not to be. Instead we had a BBQ planned with Lisa and her family all being here on the coast for the week. I love to cook and love it even more if I have the chance to plan an event. I did keep it easy but I am loving having a reasonable level of energy. The kids and the Dads all went off to the park for an hour while the Mums stayed back and finished organising the food.  None of my family is keen on photos - I find it really hard to document these types of days as I am focussed on the meal and keeping everything flowing and it’s only every now and then I think to grab the camera. We loved our new table from Ikea which was so easy for the kids table. It was great for Ryan to have boys to play with. For a change the girls were outnumbered. Lisa and Will’s boys are so adorable I want them to stay forever. If only they lived closer.

Digital Credits
Memory Circles Brushes and Stamps – Ali Edwards
Week In The Life Layered Template Set 12x12 Vol. 04 – Ali Edwards

I'll be back later with that cheesecake recipe - they are the best ever and so simple you will want to add them to your to make list next BBQ I promise.

Week in the Life - Tuesday

Continuing my Week in the Life project- I barely took my camera out today. The highlight of my day was my sister, her boys and her hubby arriving and dropping in for dinner tonight. We were too busy filling one another in on details for me to even remember pictures. Her boys are the sweetest things and I'm looking forward to taking lots of photos with them over the next few days.

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After a long emotional appointment,  we headed here to a favourite haunt
and took time out to enjoy a coffee.

Bliss. Ferry Rd Markets. Bundall

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Sleep proved elusive yet again in the continuation of the rounds to doctors. I have just started using an app called sleep cycle to monitor my sleep patterns. The daily charts and stats prove what I already knew - that I am awake more than I am asleep.  There is no point fighting it so I headed off to the gym at 6.00am. Our meeting with the surgeon through the magic pink door was mentally draining. It seems my medical team can not decide definitively which way to proceed. They had agreed on one course of action which I was beginning to wrap my head around, when I received a call late this afternoon to say they had changed direction. Monday I will head into surgery for the removal of the latest tumour and then begin the anxious wait for results. Life continues to swirl around us and happily my sister and her family arrived this afternoon for a weeks holiday. I took a mad dash to the grocery store for a last minute dinner and in preparation for a family BBQ tomorrow.

Digital Credits
Memory Circles Brushes and Stamps – Ali Edwards
Week In The Life Layered Template Set 12x12 Vol. 04 – Ali Edwards

Week in the Life - Ali Edwards

I realised over the weekend that Ali Edwards has chosen this week for her week in the life project. It's something that I always participate in and is one of my favourite things to do each year.

This week? Far out. Not a great week. I debated putting it off I know lots of people do.  But then I thought - well you know what this is still a week in my life. It is what it is.

Despite the tests and Dr appointments we have scheduled in. On a happier note my sister and her boys are coming to stay :)  We have a public holiday for ANZAC Day thrown in and we are planning a family BBQ. I also figure my tests are going to have some good results and at least I will have answers.

So I'm leaping on in. I'm using my phone to capture pictures. I may use my camera for things that happen here at home but in general it's my phone.

Week In The Life Layered Template Set 12x12 Vol. 04 - Digital Scrapbooking

I'll be sharing digitally here on my blog and then adding the pages to my Project Life album by having them printed at 8 x 8 size at Camera House. I'm using Ali's latest digi template and keeping it simple.

So who else is in ???

Paper and Pirates

Iara has been busy restocking her etsy store  with pretty paper kits

via www.etsy.com

and also designing a new digi Pirate -kit - and while we have no little pirates in our house -  I adore the papers!

via shop.scrapbookgraphics.com

or if you are after cool new journalling cards for your project life

via shop.scrapbookgraphics.com

 or over in her etsy store - I love these printables too

via www.etsy.com

 

 so many good things :)

One Little Word

I have been following along with Ali Edwards One little word project ever since she started it. Each year I choose a word and it plays through my mind throughout the year.

I have always had an attitude that it's about being more aware and about inviting that word into your life. Every year my word finds me.

This year is no different. I am walking the one little word journey again and I am completing Ali's class. It's just one prompt a month and with the February prompt hitting my inbox last night I figured I had better get January done and dusted.

Not that I hadn't been thinking about it. I had.

Alot.

I had written stuff.

I just hadn't committed it to paper.

So while the girls slept in front of the Sound of Music ( big week I love friday nights )  - I worked on my January prompt.

 

My word this year is Colour.

1. Crayon Roll Rainbow, 2. colors and harts in my maid !!, 3. experiment in colour, 4. New inspiration: Classic Chair in Vibrant Colors, 5. The Color of my Love, 6. Umbrella, 7. Strawberries, 8. Bokeh II, 9. christmas light bokeh

It wasn't going to be. It could have easily been so many other things - life believe faith hope strength courage - there is a long list that fits.

Originally I chose Happy and it sat with me for such a long time I thought it was it.

Be happy - find the happy -  look for happy. I like the word happy- I try to stay happy.

But when I went searching for my quote I came across this.

 

Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life;

not so much by what happens to you

as by the way your mind looks at what happens.

Circumstances and situations do colour life

but you have been given the mind to choose

what the colour shall be.

And suddenly happy no longer worked - but colour did.

When I looked at definitions and checked the thesaurus - all the words that I wanted to embrace through this year came pouring through.

Its almost impossible to get a decent photo of the pages while in protectors so I'll put the details here instead.

 Definition

 colour  — n

an attribute of things that results from the light they reflect

• vividness
• authenticity
• individuality

Life is Colour and Warmth and Light and a striving evermore for these

It couldn't be more perfect really.

 From the thesaurus  - colour

• decorate
• tinge
• affect
• embellish
• beautiful
• glow
• luminosity
• light
• spectrum

 

and through the word colour I invite

• happy
• bright
• openness
• truth
• belief
• trust
• positivity
• light

I will be striving for life and colour and warmth.

Are you playing along ? I'd love to see.

Details

• I tried not to get too hung up on the fact that I didn't have the right album or the cardstock I wanted or the right page protectors.
• I bought a fabric folder from office works - its a 8.5 x 11  $7 and a package of white cardstock to run through my printer. I am using some of my PL page protectors cut down - but I really do need to buy a packet from somewhere - any hints???? 
• I  opened up my $2 kmart pens and took a deep breathe about writing - because I much prefer to  type my journalling. Most of this project is hand written - eeek I can do this.
• My photo was taken earlier in January with my phone and I just printed it with my canon selphy and added it to the front.
• I used this cute litle tutorial by Amy Tangerine to make my colour title page :)