One Little Word 2014- January

So I'm about halfway through the month of January. My word has come into play a few times already. The main reflection I've had was a few nights ago when I had an interview for my new job. I had to do a haircut and I pretty much bombed the interview and I completely fell apart. My confidence dropped and I had a miserable few days of really being concerned as to the new choice I was making. I've never felt at home in a salon and trying to go back to one is very trying on the mind and soul. With such worry and concern I set out to again look for my dream job thinking it would take forever for something that would fit. A couple nights ago Sephora had an opening for a Senior Education Consultant at our local Sephora store and it was like fate!! It's seriously my dream job. I was brave enough not to fall back and stay at my current job out of fear but to keep pushing forward and find my dream job. I haven't hesitated a moment since I seen the opening. I filled out my application that night and the next morning I took my resume to the store in hopes of the hiring manager being in. I walked in confident saying that I would do everything I could to get this job. Luck went my way and the store manager was there to greet me, and we had a mini interview right there in the middle of the store. We talked about the experience I have as an educator in the beauty industry, the fact I've worked for 2 different beauty suppliers, and that I'm a retail store manager. I have some of the perfect skills and background to do the job. So she said that she was new and she's working hard to get to doing interviews and to give her some time, but it's looking very promising that I'll get an interview. So by being brave and not taking a single step backwards no matter how much I wanted too... I might have just landed my dream job, and nailed one of my bold intentions for 2014. 

So here's a quick look at the project in my project life album- 

Intro page- brave 2014

Page protectors- Becky Higgins - design G

Project life kit- we r memory keepers -Capture

Printables- Ali Edwards- One Little Word class printables

Embellishments- Studio Calico - wood veneer 

My intention map page

Printable- Ali Edwards- one little word class printable. 

Journal Entry 1/3

Tonight is one of those night where I'm doing a lot of reflecting. These are the nights that I'll tend to flip flop my emotions so much. I try to stay positive and I try to be brave while I'm reflecting on my word, my life, my choices, my health, and my happiness and where I'm at with these things. I'll tell you I'm not happy with it... I know I want to get there and hopefully I will. 

So in reflecting on my word brave- I feel empowering doing it. It is very inspiring to look at the word and see confident, strong, and heroic. When I read quotes like - refuse to be average; let your heart soar as it will by aw tozer, talking about how I want to be fearless, and I want to be the leading lady in my own story.. Is all amazing, but then I look at things like my health. Before I started writing what was I doing? I was drinking a soda and snacking on some twizzlers. Wtf right?? How are the decisions I just made leading me in the right direction? They're not!! So why do I do it? I don't know. Was I stressed? Was I unhappy?? Was I just bored??? These questions I need to get to the bottom of so I can stop it from happening. It seems to be a habit more than a choice sometimes. Like I literally just do it! Well after I finished reflecting and did some cleaning which is seriously one of the best stress relievers for me... I looked to grab a snack but this time I  thought about it and stopped. I had read tonight about others saying how they can't keep snacking, the others doing 5ks and Zumba, and then looking at the photos of ones who just completely let themselves go. It's really starting to open my eyes. Hopefully as I continue this journey I'll continue to be successful, fearless, and confident. 

(I also still don't have my selfie taken again more on the stressfulness of recent life choices which has lead me to be super unhappy with how my face is breaking out. I'm 27 I shouldnt still have that issue but never the less I do. Heh. Tomorrow I will get up and face the day stronger!)

I will get that selfie!!! That's my goal for tomorrow. Like I said I'm living with bold intentions and strong commitments. 

One Little Word 2014 introduction/planning

Again to continue with my

bold intentions/strong commitments 

Here is my one little word plans

I signed up and will be diving in head first into the one little word workshop offered by Ali Edwards. She has been one of the most inspiring people that I follow. Back in 2010 and the birth of Emma I sent out to really start documenting life. One of the most inspiring blogs I found was aliedwards.com. In 2010 I made my first post on this blog and took that entire year going from being a digital scrapbooker to finding my way through paper scrapping. I tried and had my fails until in the end I ended up with a smash book. I'm currently attempting to go back and put that first year in project life form. I was completely taken in with the process of project life and with continual inspiration through Ali, Becky, Elise, Jamaica and Elsie I have kept 4 years of albums going. The other thing Ali inspired me to do was pick my One Little Word. I don't remember if there was ever one for 2010, but in 2011 I picked Remember, in 2012 I picked inspire, and then 2013 I had picked change. This year when I made the choice of brave it has become the perfect word for me. 

Since I've had the day off its been a perfect day to read through the materials in Ali's workshop. It's been so inspiring and I've done a lot of reflect on my word today. I can feel the word already. 

I've been using the note pad on my phone to record notes as I read the january PDFs and listen to January's video. 

I've printed off my inserts and laid out the plan of January's prompts. The plan is to keep it in my project life album. I do my December daily there and all my other words are represented fully in my other albums. I'm using the vertical page protectors and it's working perfectly. 

I'm not beginning to write out my questions from my note and starting to answer the questions and reflect upon my word. I even keep my word on my wallpaper of my phone and keep a very inspiring quote on my home screen of my phone so I see it every time I'm unlock my phone 

You can download this from Eva Black at evablackdesigns.com

More to come as I continue my journey. 

Project life 2014 introduction/planning pages

So one of my bold intentions/strong commitments for 2014 is to really put this blog out there and get into remembering, inspiring, and making changes to this blog....

Oh yeah those are my past one little words- still significant to my journey even years later. 

One thing I want to share is the process of project life that I take. I know there are so many people out there looking for inspiration and some that even have come to me personally asking how I do it. So tonight while working on my project life I thought... What a perfect time to start sharing since it's the beginning of the year! I personally start my albums back in October since I go by Emma's birthdays not yearly... Still the new year always seems to be a second pivotal change in my albums. 

Okay so if don't go about doing weekly. That seems to put too much restriction on myself. What if I have one week where I'm like screw this week it sucked... Then I don't feel inspired, I don't want to remember it... So do I end up making that week? NO! So I only create a slight dividing 4x6 card that says- Hello January, Hello February etc... Also last year I did Hello Autumn, Hello winter too. 

When I feel inspired to do project life I pull out my 12x12 lilac we r memory keepers 3 ring binder, my core kit sunshine edition (which now contains capture by we r memory keepers and some studio calico leftover cards), my iPhone (which I'm pretty much 100% even tho I have a canon rebel camera), my canon selphy printer, and my pens/embellishments/thickers etc that I'll talk more about later. It's only extra stuff that's not needed. I also use my filofax, Instagram, Facebook, and this blog as references to what I want to record. I also use post it's as a way to pre plan my layout. Now I don't always do this either, but I do find I enjoy my pages more when I have that extra planning completed. Probably just because I can't pass up an opportunity to make a list and plan stuff out. 

So once I've gathered everything I find different ways to keep my toddler involved to a point. Sometimes she doesn't care and will play toys or watch her shows.. And sometimes the best time to do it is when she's asleep. Tonight I gave her my extra pens and some cardstock and asked her to make me a pretty picture. Sometimes I'll give her a card and ask her to write/draw something. They always make a great add in to the pages. 

Once I have her happy I'll put some music on in the background. I'm always so relaxed and calm when I'm listening to good music. My playlist always includes bands like artic monkeys, muse, broken bells, arcade fire, black keys, John Mayer, the avett brothers, and imagine dragons.

I always keep page protectors in my album ready to go, but I don't pre place my 4x6 or 3x4 cards. I know some lay out the entire album... That just would never work for me. So I do this-

Those are technically the backs of the cards in the spread before the one I'm working. Most cards you buy any more I double sided, but I don't use the backs I use a new card. So there is technically 2 cards per slot. So I mostly use design A page protectors which have 4- 4x6 slots and 4-3x4 slots. Now I see how confusing this page looks, but the other side is going to be a fun cover page into that I'm still working on so it looks like it's all 3x4... But I just used two 3x4 cards in a 4x6 slot. It's so flexible you can seriously do WHATEVER you want!!

Here is the planning page on the next side. I'm using a different type of page protector that fit my one little word printable inserts perfectly. 

That's all for tonight, the next time I continue to work on this spead I'll take photos and show you how I journal, print photos, and insert everything into the album! 

One Little Word 2014- Brave

My one little word for 2014 is brave.

 I already feel the power behind this word. I'll be asking myself what does it mean to me, how will I empower myself, and what extraordinary challenges will I accept with the strength and bravery that I'll show? 

Last year my word change was so true to how 2013 turned out. I began the beginning of the year unknowing of what lay ahead and what changes would become by the end.. I'll tell you I don't regret any of the changes that were made. The first one and biggest life event was when we purchased our new home in January. We then followed through with making all kinds of improvements to our home, life, and careers. You hit some huge milestones like turning 3, starting preschool, and potty training. 

What will being brave this year mean to me? What brave things will I accomplish?? I'm looking forward to the woman I'll be in the end and the strength and courage I'll obtain from taking new risks and achieving the goals I set out.

Ill head into 2014 with bold intentions and strong commitments. 

It will be an amazing journey and here I officially welcome you 2014!

I'll be joining the very inspiring and amazing Ali Edwards as she makes the same journey and inspires us all through her 2014 One Little Word workshop. 

Currently 11/10

Today and yesterday really marked a major mind shift for me. I decided I wasn't happy with the decision the leave my industry and that working as a retail store manager wasn't keeping me fulfilled anymore, so it's officially I'm going back to being a hairstylist. I've spoke with my friend who manages a sport clips salon and she will be bringing me on the next opening she has. I feel like a weight has be lifted and I have that career purpose again. I'll also be using my degree which helps.. Don't even get me started on that one. So 2013 one little word was change, I have to say I truly embraced that word and lived by it.

On a fun note I've been diving into December daily, Christmas Shopping, birthday shopping, and we've had a mommy+daughter date. 

Here are some recent photo love

Mommy+Me Journal + January Update

So we are off to a great start so far. The only thing that I haven't been doing is keeping this blog more up to date like I had hoped I would. 

I have done more on the re-design end of things so that's a plus I suppose. I did what took me the longest 

editing each post to the correct label for better organization.

that's one thing off the list of things I hoped to do in January. I've set out to change things and organization was one of those things to work on. 

I picked up a new mommy+me Journal so I'm pretty excited with this one. It was a simple random find and a must do to my strange obsession with notebooks. Though this one in its simplicity has captured exactly what I needed from it. Memories.

first entry dates December 28th 2012 and so far I've kept it going until today... and I'm halfway through it already. It contains:

Journal Entries

To Do Lists

December Project Life Notes

Project Life 2012

Layout Designs 

3x4 card designs

Emma's Doodles

One Little Word 

Project Ideas

Yearly Goals

January Goals

In the Moment.. Moments 

Blog Organization

Blog Design

Baby Edition Project Life

Muse/Family Trip Planning

Emma's Developments

 Shape Practicing

Emma+Mommy Conversations

and all that in a 2 week breakdown. Something about having a little notebook and pen in my hand gets so much work completed.

One Little Word- Revisited- Inspired

every year I keep up with my one little word.
for 2012 it was inspired.
and I believe I was.

my One Little Word 2013- Change

for the third year I will do one little word. I've picked had my word come to me. it wasn't something I thought consciously about it just sorta happened. I was journaling in our mommy+me journal and I was summing up 2012 & preparing for 2013 it became quickly apparent the theme of my writing and what I wanted fron 2013-

change

1.  become or make different: to become different, or make something or somebody different
2. substitute or replace something: to exchange, substitute, or replace something
3. pass from one state to another: to pass or make something pass from one state or stage to another

One Little Word 2012: inspired

Its another year.

Time for the re-evaluation of who,what,where, and when.

It usually always happens at the turn of the year simply because you are usually...

INSPIRED.

[in-spahy^uhrd]

adjective

1.

aroused, animated, or imbued with the spirit to dosomething, by or as if by supernatural or divine influence: aninspired poet.

2.

resulting from such inspiration: an inspired poem; an inspiredplan.

That is actually my One Little Word. One Little Word that I set for myself at the beginning of the year. Its a word I try to keep in my mind when I feel I get side tracked or lost.

I'll be inspired to actually live a healthy life. The last 3 months I've lost 25+ pounds. I've worked somewhat hard at it, so I know if I work hard at it I'll move past the rest.

I'll be inspired to actually complete some pins on pintrest. There are so many new things and amazing things I've been inspired by, I just haven't move through the rest of the inspiration to actually complete it.

I'll be inspired to actually enjoy the little things in life. I'll stop worrying that something isn't right or something isn't perfect... and just enjoy.

I'll be inspired to actually complete something on my bucket list. I want to do many things in my life time that creates a peaceful and zen life. I would really like to do one thing if only one thing that I've set up on my bucket list. 

Journal entry- 1/13/11, photo a day, and to my readers

To my readers-

So like any type of daily journalistic blog... you don't always have the nicest posts. Since I'm here recording for the purpose of Emma, then I don't feel like I edit out and make everything seem... all Hunky Dorry, as Emma's great grandma would call it ;) The last few days many things have happened that is really personal and hard for us. Its things that I want Emma to know, so she knows that no matter how bad or low things get, you know you will always get over it. If you do everything you can do, you will preserver. 

- REMEMBER... this is real life blogging here ;) -

journal entry-

So like I said baby, we haven't had the best of luck the last few days. Its hard, but daddy has lost his job :( Since Daddy works as an Assistant Manager of a company called Blockbuster *which honestly will not be around when you are old enough to read this.

So since Mommy is a stay at home mom and I only work a couple days at Sally Beauty Supply, We are both out looking for new jobs. I know it will be hard for a little while, but in times like these you'll come out stronger than before.

Also last night around 12 you had really bad clammy sweats so Mommy had to call the nursing hotline. You slipped and bumped your head so they wanted to check you out. I knew you were okay I just called the nurse to check on it... and they have to tell you to come in. So around midnight we drove up after a terrible snow storm and sat in the er while the examined and made sure your head was okay. It was and you are completely healthy and fine. 

Honestly since its 1 am I just wanted to journal a bit about what has happened and show you the latest photos... I'll be on later to talk more.

On a sweeter side I'm helping the community of digital scrappers lose weight. I'll be taking on the challenge as well. My job is to gather up sponsors and keep the organization of people and sponsors.

and another really cool thing is... I won the

Keepin' It Real w/ Laura Banasik 

I won with this layout-

she said some super sweet words!! it made my day. In return shes making me a super cute blinkie to share with all the ladies doing the Skinny Jeans Challenge

I love that Susan spun the challenge to work for her. She writes about being a new parent and all of the things that she would like to do with her daughter. Things that she thinks of when they cuddle quietly together. That really touched me!

by Laura-

1-11-11

1-12-11

its Emma's first band from a hospital visit, and her and daddy looking super sweet!! 

we will begin a new year. (bucket list/goals)

with the start of the new year, its a start of a new focus for myself.

I'm focusing on one word this next year and I'll be reminding myself often and reflecting on it as much as I can, and that word is

Remember

You will be turning 3 months soon, I'm finally settling into the new lifestyle of motherhood, and daddy has picked up fatherhood perfectly! In that I'm able to step back for a second and see where 2010 really took me, and exactly where I want 2011 to take me. The problem I have is I often forget... I lay my goals aside, my aspirations away, my photographing and recordkeeping on the back burner, I forget to exercise, I wont keep up with taking care of myself, and lay my thoughts aside for everyday life. I also forget how absolutely lucky I am.... when I get to stressed to remember. That isn't okay, and thats what I want to teach you and pass down to you baby... I want you to be a strong and confident woman.

So I would like to list my "bucket list" and goals for 2011! I wont say I'll successfully finished, but I will focus on them every second of my life.

goals-

Spend the most time possible with you

spend every second I can with Daddy

Reflect on my One Word for 2011- Remember

Complete one month of the 30 day shred by Jillian Michaels

complete atleast 3 months of project 333- 3 months of 33 fashion wardrobe

create one altered journal album

keep up with posting, journaling, photographing, and documenting your first year of life

do as many of the project love me challenge prompts so you learn more about me

bucketlist-

take you to the zoo

take you to the pool

teach you to sit up

teach you to say your first word

learn to prepare some new dinners

read a new book
lose my extra baby weight
do a baby and mommy class
plan a super awesome 1st birthday
make your first birthday cake
print a album

( I'll probably add more later )

One Little Word

One Little word 2011 inspired by Ali Edwards

my word

Remember

re·mem·ber

 

[ri-mem-ber]

–verb (used with object)

1.

to recall to the mind by an act or effort of memory; think ofagain: I'll try to remember the exact date.

2.

to retain in the memory; keep in mind; remain aware of:Remember your appointment with the dentist.

3.

to have (something) come into the mind again: I justremembered that it's your birthday today.

4.

to bear (a person) in mind as deserving a gift, reward, or fee:The company always remembers us at Christmas.

5.

to give a tip, donation, or gift to: to remember the needy.

6.

to mention (a person) to another as sending kindly greetings:Remember me to your family.

7.

(of an appliance, computer, etc.) to perform (a programmedactivity) at a later time or according to a preset schedule:The coffeepot remembers to start the coffee at 7 a.m.every day.

8.

Archaic . to remind.

–verb (used without object)

9.

to possess or exercise the faculty of memory.

10.

to have recollection (sometimes fol. by of ): The old manremembers of his youth.

I'll be focusing on the thoughts and ideas that run through my everyday life. I'll want to be able to look back on these times in my life with great happiness and reward. I would like to recall all the fabulous time when I get older. I want to make sure I don't dwell on the past, but look back on the past with great pleasure. I'll go back in the future and recall all memories and keep and record them for both my daughter and me. I'll also focus on remembering the everyday today life. I'll work on centering myself and spending absolutely all time with my loved ones. I want to make sure I don't forget about myself and make sure I recall all things I set forth and try my best to keep with my goals in 2011.

a note from Ali-

Some years I’ve had to look harder or listen longer or simply choose one that fit with what was on my mind and heart at that moment. There’s no right or wrong. The main thing to remember is that this is your word. It’s not for your child, parent, partner, spouse, sister, etc.

And what do you do with this one little word?

You live with it. You invite it into you life. You let it speak to you. You might even follow where it leads. There are so many possibilities.

check out all her post on her blog and her past years here-

aliedwards.com