Now that we are settled in and everything is unpacked, it's time to finish up my 2014 Project Life album. After briefly losing ALL of my photos last year, I decided it was time to start getting my pictures off my computer and into albums. I printed a few blurb photo books of older photos and then decided to go with a Project Life album moving forward. I like Project Life because it reminds me of the photo albums from my childhood and it also leaves room for telling stories. For me, it's the perfect mix of photo album, scrapbook, and journal. Now that I have a year (almost) under my belt, I'm looking forward to documenting another year!
2015 Project Life Plans:
*links to Amazon , blurb, and Shutterfly are affiliate
Project Life® is a simple way of documenting life created by Becky Higgins. You can learn more about it here.
2015 Project Life Plans:
- Continue with the 12x12 format. The 12x12 albums are big, but I think I'll be able to fit two years into one album. I have the Seafoam binder and I love it!
- Continue with monthly/event spreads. I could never keep up with a weekly approach, and even if I could, my house would probably collapse under the weight of all of the albums I would fill. Using a monthly/events approach, I'm able to document a nice combination of our day to day lives, as well as the big events. It's working for me, so I plan to stick with it.
- Use a variety of pocket pages. Thanks to Michaels 40% off coupons, I was able to stock up on a variety of pocket pages. I primarily use Design A and Design F pages, but I like to mix it up from time to time. I also like the We R Memory Keepers 4x4 Pocket Pages.
- Use inserts. In addition to the large pocket pages, I like to use smaller pages for inserts. These 2x2 coin pages are great for Instagram photos and I keep a variety of small page protectors for wedding invitations, birth announcements, and other fun stuff. I like having a place to keep those things and my Project Life album is a perfect place to store those memories.
- Order my prints. I don't have a photo printer, so I order all of my prints. Since I'm not trying to keep up with weekly documenting, this works for me. I order 99% of my photos from Shutterfly and the other 1% from Persnickety Prints. I've been happy with the quality of both printers and Persnickety Prints is great for square photos and other weird sizes, like 6x8.
- Edit with Picasa. I don't do a lot of editing of my photos, so the free photo editor Picasa works for what I want to do. I also use it to make two photos into a 4x6 collage, and then cut in half to get 3x4 photos. This is cheaper than ordering 3x4 photos.
- More journaling. I tend to be very photo heavy in my spreads, but I don't know if the photos always tell the whole story, so I'm trying to include more journaling. In addition to trying to write directly onto photos more often, I'm also feeling inspired by Brooke's use of journal cards and insert pages.
- Use what I have. I am a lover of paper products and in just one year I think I managed to collect enough journal cards to last me a lifetime. This year I want to use what I have and not add (too much) to my collection. Here's a snapshot of what I have collected:
- Core Kits: I bought a bunch of partial kits on eBay, so I could figure out what I like best. It turns out I use the Sunshine, Seafoam, and Midnight Core Kits the most.
- Specialty Kits: I also got some specialty kits on sale at Jo-Ann's and Michaels. My favorites: Man's World & Seasons Mini Kit.
- Splurges: The Amy Tangerine Plus One Mini Kit and Studio Calico's Penny Arcade Project Life Kit (and I didn't regret either one!).
- Printable Journal Cards: Big City Quiet and Paislee Press consistently knock it out of the park with their simple designs. I also like that they both create a lot of black and white designs, so I can print them at home. My favorites from Big City Quiet: Word Stamp Card Set and Word Stamp No. 3 Card Set. My favorites from Paislee Press: Press Cards No. 30 (Thanksgiving) and Press Cards No. 31 (New Year's).
*links to Amazon , blurb, and Shutterfly are affiliate
Project Life® is a simple way of documenting life created by Becky Higgins. You can learn more about it here.