Project Life: finally decided!!

Believe it or not I finally made a decision on year 3 project life albums and our mommy/daughter journal.

Holy Cow its a miracle. 

Project Life year 3 will be in 

6x8 page protectors from Studio Calico

I'm also going to trim Becky Higgins page protectors that I have left over from year 2 album.

and an album that fits. I'm waiting until the 18th to see the new daybooks mentioned by Studio Calico, if not I'm seeing a Kolo album that will work, they are just super pricey. 

Mommy/Daughter Journal year 3 will be in 

Mod Journal from Invite.L 

I'm almost finished with year two albums... hopefully by the end of the week so I can have a fresh start with this years albums and journal. 

I'll update some photos soon!!

Project Life/project planning: desicions

I'm not kidding this is one of the toughest decisions... 

what Project Life edition do I go with for 2013???

lol 

but no really it is.

This will be how your entire 3rd year scrapbook will look like, and as always Becky doesn't make it easy....

She finds the BEST designers out there. So here is the two choices and I'll need help from our readers to decide which to go with-

Seafoam by Elise Cripe

I've been a fan of Elise forever. Let's say its a big crush okay... secretly I stalk her blog so much it comes up as frequent sites and its bookmarked in my top 10 links. 

I love Seafoam's simplicity and graphics. I love nothing more than a nice chevron. I'm kinda afraid that it might be too "boyish" for her album. I always like when there is black as part of the kit because I write everything in black. 

next is 

Olive by Heather Bailey 

now I'm new to Heather Bailey, but Becky didn't slip on the decision to bring her on!! I'm so in love with this color scheme. I feel a true Emma feel to it. Its full of strong graphics and great layout for the journal cards. The only thing that scares me is how "strong" of a kit that it is. I never want the kit to overpower. There isn't black in the kit either, so I'm not sure about what color I would do all my journaling in... I really don't like to do colors simply because I want the journaling to stand out! 

hmmmm told you, tough decisions.

So please help!!!

planning project life

So I finally had the chance to work on pl album today. You slept for 2 hrs. I was actually able to catch up all the house work, and get all the pages planned out. I finished up journaling for this week, I'm only 3 weeks behind!! oh yea.

I keep myself planned out directly in my pl album using a four set of post-its. I usually use the pink ones for dates/date cards, the blue ones for journaling, and the orange ones for photos. Then I take the yellow ones and add notes of the inserts I'll want to use. yeah they are all mixed up in this one because I lost the extras ;) emma..... 

Project Planning: year 3 pl album.... smaller??

I found amazing inspiration today!

a blog from an amazing everyday scrapbooker

Jamaca Makes!

I'm just so in love! thickers, wood paper, big photos, ink on photos, and SIMPLICITY!! I'm in LOVE

so I took on pinning some more of her pages to keep seeing the inspiration. I went through her entire album so far, and its truly inspirational.

here are a few more of my favorites:

I love the white pen on photo. I was wanting to get some Ali Edwards ones, but when I want them to say names etc. this is so the way to go!! 

Vee also takes the same approach. I've notice that my 12x12 same layout spread is beautiful and I love it... but I seem to get behind sometimes.

phewww I love a night of great inspiration!!

Project Life 2013?? will it happen??

Well I'm pretty much planning on it at this time. I absolutely LOVE documenting and creating my pl binders. I know when you get older you'll love to look at everything I've captured. (pretty sure anyway)

Well what got me motivated was when I stopped by Ali Edwards blog and checked out her weekly project life post. She is always motivating and helps you keep up when those weeks don't seem like its worth keeping an album like this. Sometimes it gets seriously overwhelming and you stop and think is this interesting enough? or is it the same stuff every week??? will you actually look through these when you are older?? She shared that Becky Higgins has put up all kinds of new info and product photos for whats to come the rest of this year. I'm always so excited to see everything early because I get started 3 months before everyone else.

her full update is here-
http://www.beckyhiggins.com/blog/2012/07/full-update-on-project-life-products/

so as always I wanted to share my thoughts and what I love. 

So My thoughts so far for 2013 is to keep with my standard 12x12 wrmk lilac albums. the albums are 29.99 and shipping depending on where you go can very between free on amazon with a large purchase or 12.99 on specialty scrap store sites. Thats why I usually save and purchase all my albums, core kits, and page protectors in one big shipment. This year I'll buy as I think stock will go. If a pl core kit becomes available I'll purchase it THAT DAY! no additional thought because it will be gone within days. 

what I want to do different is get a variety pack of the page protectors.

these are 24.99

the one thing I hated the most this year was EVERY page was laid out exactly the same... just inserted with a few more pages like 8x10 and 4x6. BTW watch what 4x6 I used because I'm using ones you have to manually punch to get them to fit. 

I also want to pick up some of the new variety packs I'm seeing revealed. 

and these-

I'm not sure what the going prices of these will be... but I still love them so they will be on my wish list. I feel like the new variety of page protectors will increase the look of my pl albums!!

next choice will be my core kit. My thoughts wont become definite until late July early August when they reveal the new ones. Im considering Colbalt and the 2 new ones as of now. I've already owned Clementine, and turquoise is too boyish for me. Amber and Cherry haven't peeked my interest enough.

She recently went through and spiced up the core kits!! way more versatile. Just what I like to see.

there will be more cards and front and back cards!! makes my day ;)

and this is what she left on:

{ coming november 2012 }Two new Project Life editions, of course! The two designers are already working on the two fantastic new looks, and we’ll reveal who they are later in July or early August.

nice. ^_^ 

cha! what a list

Recently Ive found myself stepping into the world of paper scrapbooking. Ever since I made the decision to do project life in paper form... Ive decided to start buying my products in paper form rather than digital form. It took me some time simply because I've had such an aversion to paper products. I always thought the ease of clicking the undo button was what I loved. It just became easy to me, uninspired, and stale. Something about when you become content you no longer explore the depths of who you really are and how creative you really can be you loose touch. When I feel like that has happened I move on, change, or re-evaluate.

If that sounds familiar, you'll think about it more now.

What I've been wanting to share with all my paper scrapper enthusiasts is all the awesome things Ive been seeing around. Makes me excited to see what is coming.

I've explored many blogs and I've seen some amazing stuff, but this is some of my favorite stuff. Its suits me in my project life adventure and my paper scrapbooking adventure *Im just leaving the airport on that one ;)*

my all time favorite bloggers and scrapbookers is the amazing DEAR LIZZY- Elizabeth Kartchener. She has such an amazing and positive outlook on everything that is close to her. Shes created an amazing line called Neapolitan. its such a fun cotton candy mix of colors and softness. Fits my personality perfectly. I see things both on the project life album and the paper scrapbooking side of things. I see the duality of her products.
 my faves-

I already have the smash stamp, but Im set on this one for a personal issue that I have... the simple first line on the word side of the stamp...

BEST.DAY.EVER.
That is your all time FAVORITE movie Emma!! You literally watch Tangled ALL the time. I just feel like that stamp is a must have in my stash.

Scrapper friends you should do a fun blog hop and see the rest of this amazing collection. I mean come-on she made RUFFLE cardstock 12x12 paper!

next fave-

STUDIO CALICO!

ever since I've found studio calico and their amazing unique approach I've been hooked. For someone like me being such an old die hard digital scrapper studio calico is my best friend. Their monthly kits are a great way to get a coordinated kit already set together for you. Its something that's a usual for digital scrappers.

some of the must haves from them will go both project life and paper scrapper too. Sorry seeing a normality with me... duality ;)
KEEP IT SIMPLE.BUT BEAUTIFUL <3

Im in love with their stamps coming out-

and you HAVE to have some Mr.Huey's and Im sold on this one-

they have tons of other great papers, woodgrain chips, and other mister huey's coming out.

my last faves go to-
CRATE PAPER!

now this is a relatively unfamiliar company for me. They caught my eye while seeing amazing inspirational pages and videos from another fellow blogger-
Rahel Menig of SwissgirlDesigns.

She is the one who has opened me up to paper scrapping the most. She appeals so much because I see her style and how she translates it to cardstock so well. It resembles my style that I thought could only be achieved by me if I did it digitally. I'm a very layered simplistic yet powerful story teller. I never thought myself as a paper scrapper could get the detailing and layering in a simplistic way myself. So I watched some of her videos and became very inspired. Since then I've created a paper layout that I truly love. I know its finally ME, -thanks to my husband. He looked at it and simply said- its amazing... looks like your digital layouts!! So I'll always love her for that. She opened my eyes.

look what she was able to achieve with this layout-

and the hidden places... who knew?

now anyway back to my preview of my faves from Crate Paper.

I love everything about every piece of this collection.

So about the long post... HOPE you love it and love the ladies I've shared with you, and to Emma hope I gave you some insight into who I am and how crazy I am ;)

If you wish to see more sneak peeks check out the CHA winter 2012 sneak peeks.

xo 

dear Emma/ project life: minimalistic approach

so I'm going to do my best to get this post typed within a reasonable time ;)

and this is why-

so at work yesterday I smashed my finger between a metal bar and roughly 150 pounds of metal grid. Grid is what the company I work for uses to attach to temporary stores to hold up fixtures to place merchandise. These things are atleast 8 ft tall and 4 ft wide. We loaded 15 of them on a metal cart since we needed to get them into storage containers so we could move them out. When we began moving it worked... and I was think YAY way more efficient... then the next thing I know they shifted and found my finger. It immediately turned blue and doubled in size. I went to the hospital and they said I fractured my distal phalanx.. up higher its too swollen to know what else I may have done. It looks so bad today!! its scary to unwrap and look lol.

so Emma if you ever follow in moms footsteps and decide to be a business woman like I am, I always want you to know there are sometimes consequences when you choose productivity over second thoughts on safety. You should be efficient and productive... just sometimes safety falters and Im just lucky I didn't injure my employees. 

OK so now I wanted to share with my friends how I approach project life and how you can do it with ease and efficiency no matter where you are in your life. 

So I know sometimes you look for inspiration online.. and it becomes rather overwhelming. I know this happens a lot...

when I look at some pl albums I fall in love with her approach and skill. Yet I can't fall in love with the rooms, amount of product used, and unbelievable amounts of paper cutting, gluing, sewing, stapling, securing, and amounts of products some use. I wish I could, but if I have something out of place, I loose my mind. I simply cannot contain and store those amounts of products... so I take my own approach and found the products I LOVE the most and I will contain them with in my own PROJECT LIFE station.

Maybe this is the main reason why I traditionally find myself being a digital scrapbooker, its all contained within an external hard drive. I don't like opening drawers... I would rather open a window!! ;)

So when I convienced myself that I would do pl this year, and that I would do it with paper scrapbooking I knew I had to stop and think of exactly how I would do it.

First I think that's why I settled so quickly on Becky Higgin's Project Life Kits. 

everything is simple. straight forward. highy organized and ready to go!! I'm sold 

so my first way to organize is to keep the kit directly how it comes from Becky. 

can't beat that right?

Next I knew I had to have me essential things, paper scrappers just have to have somethings that normally a digital scrapbooker would use a click of the mouse for. So I thought about it for a bit... and I came up with this as my project life station.

so below you see what I use to "move" my station. Its a christmas gift.. which I still haven't put my own photos in yet lol

its nice and simple just a coffee table tray with handles. Allows me to work at the table in any room, the living room, the bedroom... ect you get the picture. I think I secretly love it more because as a digital scrapbooker I've always been able to scrapbook ANYWHERE I could put my laptop.

so this little holder here

is actually a tv remote control holder Josh's parents got us for Christmas. Since I don't have but one tv remote... didn't see a use for it at first... as i thought... kinda looks like a pen holder.....  then it kept adding on. It is a great way to hold all your essentials. Honestly I don't ever see that thing filling up with more than that. I fit my corner rounder, stamper, 4 pens, journal cards, 3 smash book cards, 2 washi tapes and 2 stamp pads. 

I really hope sharing helps others who don't feel they have enough room, they don't have enough supplies, or are worried about creative ways to organize. Just look around your house and don't be afraid to sample and REUSE!! 

much love guys and can't wait to see everyone's next week. 

another day down, sick baby, and pl updates...

Oh for the love of..

snot!!

that's literally all i've seen tonight. You are so sick! I feel bad because you are still so young that I really can't give you anything to help you get over it. Luckily you aren't overly grumpy.

I've also added a few new things to my Project Life list.

I picked up a smash book to help me plan, organize, and play with journaling and emperphia. 

then I picked up their date stamp to help me label the journal cards. I LOVE it already

next I ordered my project life kit from Becky Higgins. I went with the Clementine edition. I guess I couldn't pass something up from Lili!! 

and I grabbed some design A page protectors.

and I couldn't pass up getting some Washi Tape from Cutetape.

Thats my start for after the December Daily ends. I've been having so much fun with December Daily I can't believe I'm over half way finished!! I'm completely caught up on all journaling... I just have some decorating things and photos to print off. Not bad for this lady ;)

I hope to take some time tomorrow to go and pick up my pl kit, try and find more smash supplies at Michaels (they were sold out earlier) make some prints, decorate the dd pages, and spend the day with you  <3 

sounds like a perfect thursday

xo Mommy 

Project Life year 2 project planning and concept

So its time to move on from your 1st year baby album and start your second year. I spent so much time deciding and planning your first one and it went nothing how I planned. I sampled so many ways and found I like Ali Edwards concept with my own twist on it. Now its so eclectic that I LOVE it. I still have a few layouts and a couple things to write down, but overall its complete.

So I've spent the last few days gather all my "wishlist" items that I need to gather over the next month. Reason is one of my most important and favorite items wont be released until sometime in November. I'm not letting that hold me back and throw off how I want to do your album. I'll just have to wait for certain elements of it to come in at a later date. Whats okay about that is the way my approach to a new way of scrapbooking. I really can't get full 12x12 layouts done. In the last year I've only made 12.

So here is how I'll be doing the second year album. Mixed in with a couple other fun projects Ali does

Project Life album inspired by Ali Edwards with Project Life products from Becky Higgins

Here is how I like to lay it out. I've actually done part of your first year album like this... and I loved it! So I know its the way I want to go with the second year. I'm noticing now that there is so many little things I've lost, or things I haven't fully written out in a timely manner and now they are so much that I'm unable to write it all down.

I just feel great about the structural concept and the look of ease that comes with this type of scrapbooking. It captures my two favorite things... photos and journaling. 

I also love this basic spread. 

but I can always add more-

I've already began finding a few items from this week, taken some fantastic photos, and jotted a few things down on the blog I can grab and jot down on journaling cards. Its so fun and so easy!

I need to gather my basic supplies still-

I want this album from We r Memory Keepers

this Project Life kit from Becky Higgins

then I need some page inserts

I can't get anything until November tho. All I can get is the album, but I still can't get the inserts to add things yet so I'm just keeping everything organized so I can print it off in a month and add everything to it. It will take me some extra time then, but after that it will flow smoothly enough that I wont mind.

there are a few things I want to grab from Eva that are just extra for fun items.

and these stickers. also some other journal type stickers. Anything to stick to photos to help me date and label them

I want to grab a few things like tags, a black marker, stickers, washi tape, and little buttons and flowers just to add some more visual interest.

I love LoVe LOVE this album!! I'm so excited to get started and I can't wait to get everything put in.

Project Planning: Its about time to start!!

So I pretty much have gathered all I need to start my albums!! Your wonderful Grandmother passed me down some much need supplies to use/borrow/keep!! Combined with all my searching and purchasing... Some small things still to go... I have everything big I need to begin.

I now have

My found and recycled items

basically whats there is:

Supplies:

assortment of Art Supplies

Paper Assortmants

pens

tacky adhesive (probably will change)

found elements

found recycle paper

photos/ultrasound/med cards and art drawings

pens/markers

fabrics/threads/beads and other essentials

Closeup of supplies- i'm being very creative and using many found and unique items

Equipment:

Canon 40D with lens

Toshiba Laptop with multiple PDFs/hybrid/digital downloads... (also your baby Einstein shows)

Xbox controller for music selections

More closeups of supplies and essentials.

My recent purchases:

me and my big ideas cardstock

some pick cardstock (but i'll go darker pink)

3 rings

corner rounder

hole punch (but already got a better one)

ribbon assortment

Emma's mail with her name :)

NOW grandma's hand me downs include some big items and a lot of other essentials

paper cutters/ magnetic mats/ adhesives/ thread/ needles/ sewing machines/ other scrapping equiptment

a crop a dile

 a cricut with 8 cartridges

and assortments that I really honestly still need to look through.

I have a few more little things to buy like some journaling paper assortments, buttons, threads, and any other little things I may see.

Project Planning: So I found a great foundation inspiration!!

So more on my daily project that I will begin in January.

I was checking out Gabi's blog and I came across her December Daily Album!

so like I mentioned earlier I wanted to do an altered album that was 8.5x11, that was bounded by 3 rings... I wasn't quite sure how something that large would look bounded like that...

her's is looking pretty fab so I trust it now!!

** images are on her blog **

well I can't wait to start this project!! I'll be gathering fun recycled and new items over the next few weeks and gather everything together to begin.

Project Life: first post let's begin

Since I'm entirely unable to do a project 365 (take 1 photo everyday) I have an alternative that I'm working on until I hopefully have it all ready by January

I will continue-

 Project Em- Its all the multiple blog posts that I do. This blog and all its multiple randomness.

Project Life- That will be a 12x12 Collective Layout book I'll create over the entire year. It will be bounded and produced by a company such as shutterfly.

then we have my entire alternative to p365... I haven't chose a name yet...

PROJECT ? <--- I have some time to decide lol

anyways it will be a combination of

the 2011 Memory Logbook

Week in The Life of by Ali Edwards

Project Love me by Suzy Q and Ziggle

and it will all be bounded in an Altered Art Journal Album Inspired by 

Eve Johnson!

Her journals rock!!

It will be a combination of Digital/Traditional/Hybrid!!! 

I can't wait to share more with you... things are coming together nicely. I'll keep an update as I go to share with you... I hope to have the majority of things together by January. I will keep collecting items over the year tho.