Project Life My Way

Seems like lots of scrapbookers have been doing a Project Life Book. I've seen layouts on so many blogs, and they look great!

But I know me.  I'd get way behind. And I don't like playing catch up from the past. I'd give up. And it is a great idea, but maybe a lot more time consuming than I want to put into it. Its is a HUGE committment. A lot of the blogs I've read have said that much.  Some people have even gone over to monthly Project Life pages rather than weekly pages. Art, at least for me,  is suppose to be fun, not something that weighs you down. That is one lesson I've learned. I know many of you like that committment, and I give you kudos for sticking with it.

Anyhow, all my babbling on is simply to say, I want to keep a book that relates the same info as Project Life, but isn't quite such a trecherous journey for me.

So here's what I did, thanks to my daughter who had the idea, which I then tweaked and and found it very easy to keep up.

I made a photo book.  I used Shutterfly.

This is some peaks into my winter book.

Took me just about 3 months to complete.

I did a page or 2 as I went along each week starting in January.

I am a big one for taking photos anyhow. I LOVE taking photos. But this forces me to look more and see more things. Little things that make up the day to day.  Things I would never take a photo of before I started this project.

Even if I was scrapbooking, I'd miss these photos.
And having an iPhone makes it really easy.
(Even though I still use my SLR Nikon for lots of the photos too!)

Example-this muddy road photo taken at the end of my driveway really tells a story- to me.  Maybe not to you, but this book is for me, for my family. It is our story.

I  play with lots of layouts. Discover what I like.
I've realized that

I like simple pages that look more like a magazine page.

Odd, when I scrap off-line I love drips and dribbles and scribbles and a big colorful creative messes with all kinds of media.

But then I only use one, maybe 2, photos per scrapbook page and it is really about the background art-to enhance the photo.
A big drawback I've discovered to this method
is that you can't really add ticket stubs or receits or other things you pick up along the way.
I do photograph them on occasion if it helps the story.
Or
I suppose to could leave blank spaces and put them into the book once I get it printed later on.
Now this is turning into that big project that I didn't want in the first place.
Shut off the brain Erika.

I've been doing photo books of my travels for a few years now.

I love them.

It gets the photos off the computer and out where people actually look at them.

And I've done a couple of year in review books the last few years too.
It is great to look back and see where the year brought you.
That's what I wanted here,
a year in review,
but not having to go back in January and find the photos.
Use photos more in the now.
Capture more little things-
like how fast the snow is melting or what we had for a special dinner one night.
And then get a finished off professional looking book when I'm done.
But I am guessing you know all this.

I've done this book with a month by month inner title page.

I can't help a little bit of anal organization.

Just in my nature.

And I've tried to keep lots of variety so the book isn't too boring to look at.
I love how I can not only add photos of events, but using my phone I can capture text messages or pull something off the internet just by photographing my screen.
And I can add a few little pieces of embellishments if a page needs them.

That's my take on project life.

I'm working on my spring book now.
Will show you some glimpses when that one is finished.
Stop back soon.