Project Life :: Digital

Confession :: I am not done with my 2011 Project Life binder, really if I'm completely honest I'm not even close, which makes me sad and a little bit frustrated with myself. I just can't seem to get it together enough to have my pictures printed out ahead of time so that I can actually complete a page when I do have a free second to work on it. I am halfway through August. Yea! me - only 4.5 more months to go. The last time I got out all the supplies was a few weeks ago, I did a few months worth and finished two vacations (A LOT OF PICTURES). It was great to get that much done; however, all my papers stayed on the kitchen table all week. Yes, that's right -- my family was forced to sit at the bar to eat meals b/c the kitchen table was consumed w/ Project Life.

So today I had a few hours during Kinsey's nap, and while the house is definitely not picked up and there are dishes in the sink and laundry to be done, inventory to be priced, valentines to be made, and a whole slew of other things --- I decided to do some Project Life b/c I really think it's such a special thing. I know I will love looking back at it when I'm 100 sitting in my rocking chair. So before I hauled everything out and set up on my kitchen table again, I got on the computer to google digital scrapbooking. I didn't find much at first - a bunch of old school scrapbookie looking junk (definitely not my style). But then I did a search for project life digital --- UMMM YES PLEASE!

There are definitely pros and cons to the digital project life.

1 - I already purchased my 2012 PL Kit, extra papers & journaling cards, 3 pks of the special sleeves, and the binder to put it all in :( -- not sure if I can return any of this.

2 - Digital means I won't be able to add in things like ticket stubs, kids coloring, etc. Unless I still print out individually (not bound) and then place in the plastic sleeves. Still contemplating this.

3 - My handwriting stinks -- so digital is definitely the way to go in that regard.

So after deciding to do the first week of January and play with the digital PL files -- I think I'm hooked. I just think that for me personally I will get more documented if I can do it on my computer.

So here's the first week of January --- which took CONSIDERABLY longer than doing the paper version of Project Life -- hoping that I can cut some of that time down...but I'm not sure. It took me close to 2 hours to do these two pages....I think I was averaging about 20 minutes on the paper Project Life...

I think I like the paper version better for "looks" but for practicality and me actually getting it done I think that vote goes to digital. So what do you think? Should I keep doing the paper version and take 2 years to finish one year ;) b/c I only pull the stuff out once every other month? or should I do the digital version and invest an hour every week and keep up to date with it?

Project Life

So my friend Becky has been doing Project Life for quite some time -- and I've been secretly jealous of her ability to find the time to get it done each week and document the lives of her 'littles' {as she calls them} so well.

For months - I dreamt of finding the time to do Project Life...and for months I would go on with my week and not think about it until she posted her weekly layouts to her blog....which would again draw out the feeling referenced above.

She swore it was easy -- and didn't take much time -- I thought, "uh huh, yeah right -- look at your book it is AMAZING" -- but after months of seeing her capture the most precious times in her 'littles' lives in a book that she will have when she's in her rocker and old and gray....I finally took the plunge -- ordered the inserts on Amaz*n and uploaded my pics for printing.

And then the inserts came. And then the pics came. And then I bought a binder at H*bby L*bby. And they all sat in a stack on my dresser. For months -- while life got the best of me. Then I ordered more pictures because weeks had gone by and if I was going to do this I needed all my pics. So they came -- and joined the stack on the dresser. And then Eric mentioned that if I wasn't going to actually start Project Life that maybe I should stop ordering the pictures....which made me angry -- b/c in my head I was going to start -- any day now. But in reality he was right, it was dumb to just keep ordering the pics to put in a stack on the dresser. So I made a promise to myself to put Project Life as one of the top 5 things I wanted to get done this week. Because really this is important to me -- I want to document the lives of my own 'littles' and I want to be able to look back on it years from now and remember all the joy we had in our house. So I started last night....and as Becky said -- easy peasy! and I love it and am so addicted to it. It really does not take much time and the finished product looks great!

So Project Life is supposed to be a weekly account of the happenings in your life. But since I'm starting Jan 2011 -- I decided to just do a monthly account until I get caught up to the current. So last night I finished January, February, and March (I plan to go back and do a sep. page for our trips to Costa Ric* and Disn*y) and then will do April, May, June, and July and Colorado trip -- and then start with the weekly stuff going forward.

Here is my kitchen table -- pulled out all the scrapbook paper I could find. Man -- do I have a lot sitting around this house! Good thing -- makes layouts super easy!

January 2011 layout

January 2011 : pg.1

January 2011 : pg.2 -- minus donuts w/ dad pic that I forgot to get printed! need to do that!

February 2011 Layout

February 2011 : pg.1

February 2011 : pg.2

March 2011 Layout

March 2011 : pg.1

March 2011 : pg.2

So many of you have sent me messages on fb asking how to start and saying that you can't imagine doing this. Seriously -- it does not take that much time. And if you know me well -- you know that I really don't have that much 'free' time -- so I must be telling the truth when I say it doesn't take that much time!! Do it. It is super easy - seriously! I plan to do April and May tonight....and before you know it I'll be caught up on the year and it will feel SOOOO good to know that I have pics and events documented somewhere aside from sitting on my memory card or in some obscure folder on my mac.

So how to begin {copied DIRECTLY word-for-word from my friend Becky -- b/c why waste time re-writing what she already wrote so well}

or, as nike puts it, just do it! just start where you are. this week.

don't even approach it as something to get caught up on. just take it day by day and go with it.

i've found that keeping my actual book downstairs on our dining room table helps me to just slip things in from the week. a receipt, a special card, a news article, a piece of artwork, etc. etc.

and then when i finally get around to printing my pictures on tuesday or wednesday {from wolf camera for 5 cents each}, i can take it upstairs and whip out a week in 30 minutes {or less!}

here's your supply list if you're getting started:

+ a 12 x 12 three-ring binder scrapbook {these go on sale at hobby lobby & joann. or you can use a coupon.}

+ 2 sets of these 12 x 12 photo insert pages. {i WOULD recommend getting these ones specifically, as they have the four inserts for 'journaling' or whatever}.

+ 1 box of these journaling cards.

+ 1 4 x 6 matte stack of your choice {available at hobby lobby, michael's, joann, target....} these make it super easy to matte your pictures if you get the smaller kind like i do - OR fill in a photo slot with some journaling OR cut out a smaller journaling card from this... and so on.

***if you don't already have a paper cutter, i'd recommend getting one. i have this cheapo one that i got from target. i'm pretty sure you could find one at joann or hobby lobby on sale... or with a coupon.

***i also just recently added a corner rounder to my stash. they're $9 or so, but you can get them on sale also. {can you tell i like sales??}

so.... what are you waiting for???? get it done! i know you want to!

and here's a BIG PS - all of joann's scrapbook stuff is 40% off. i think they have a really good selection too.... so there. now you have NO REASON to not get started!!!!

Jen posting again :: Ok so that's it -- and I really really really hope she doesn't mind me posting one of her layouts -- b/c she is way more talented than I am...just to give you some inspiration...

Let me know if you have questions...or just google 'Project Life' and you'll see lots of other layouts. But really -- get a binder, print some pics from this week, order the inserts, and the journaling cards, get a corner rounder, and some 4x6 scrapbook paper --- and your first layout will be done in about 15 minutes and you'll be soooo proud of yourself!

TIP ALERT :: oh and if you order 3.5 x 5" pics your life will be all that much easier! b/c you won't have to cut down your pics for the 4 'big' slots on your page :) just round those corners and stick 'em in!

Ashley's Graduation!!

My sweet little Ashley graduated for Pre-K. The kids had a great little program for graduation and then got to walk across the stage. So adorable! We're so proud of you Miss Ashley!

End of Season :: Go LION QUEENS!

End of season party for the Lion Queens!

Pics in the BlueBonnets

I having been saving these pics b/c I didn't want my mom to see them before Mother's Day. She had been asking {TELLING} me that I need to take the girls pics in the bluebonnets for months....so one day I took the girls up to a field by our house and snapped some photos and kept it a secret until Mother's Day - printed out some and framed them for gifts :)

Ashley kept picking the flowers -- and Kinsey kept trying to steal them and eat them....

We woke up, ate breakfast, loaded up the car, drove to the field, changed the girls into their "bluebonnet outfits" sat them up -- stepped back ready to take the best pictures ever --- and this is what I got --- a crying Kinsey {Kinsey NEVER EVER EVER cries} after about 30 minutes of nothing but my sweet baby crying -- we packed it up, changed the girls clothes, got back in the car, drove home for a nap.


But I was still determined to get the "perfect" kids in the bluebonnets shot - so after lunch we loaded back up the car drove back up there got out, got dressed, sat up for the picture -- and WAHHHHHHHHHH! not again! so out of character for my sweet smiley baby! I managed to get a few shots of her smiling and these are ones I will cherish forever!

Sweet Sweet Mother's Day!

Mommy & Kinsey Claire on Mother's Day

Mommy & Ashley on Mother's Day

With the girls at Ashley's school Mother's Day Tea. Ashley's class hosted a beautiful tea party for all the mommies. Such a sweet time spent with Miss Ashley!

I wanna see a gorilla...

Eric was home last Monday so we could take Kinsey to her dr's appointment and after we got the great news from that appointment we decided to do something fun --- so where else do you go on a nice Spring day?? THE ZOO!

Ashley was soooooo excited when we picked her up and told her where we were going. We definitely had a fun family day with the monkeys, lions, giraffes, & elephants; however I think Ashley's favorite part may have been the snake house....or maybe the bronze statues --- she took a picture next to EACH one we saw ;)

The zoo has a new section -- there is a restaurant that has one entire wall of glass and guess who Ashley found --- a LION! She stayed by the glass the entire time we fed Kinsey and enjoyed a snack ourselves. She thought this was the coolest thing ever.

Daddy and his girls in their safari jeep

Ashley got to fee the giraffes. She is a brave girl :) That long tongue kinda creeps me out :)

Sleeping? or Deep in thought? HMM....

Kinsey liked the giant turtles.

Ashley and her friend Mr. Penguin

Eggstravaganza

Our church hosted a HUGE Easter Egg Hunt. The girls had a blast!

On your mark, get set, ready GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kinsey Claire even founds some eggs :)