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ladybug4233
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 248,678
February 2006
Posts: 2,337
Layouts: 0
Loc: Colorado
 |  Posted: 1/1/2013 12:42:36 PM
I like the idea of PL just not 100% sure so I better be deciding. I like the idea and of course the fun supplies but not sure about the mundane parts of it. Like taking a picture of my coffee or the temperature. Will I really care? I don't mean it snide just thinking it through. I don't want to start and then quit. KWIM? I love reading all of the PL posts and it has given me some insight. I don't know why I agonize over these things. I want to make sure this doesn't make more "work" for me.
Thanks | |
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miss ellen
BucketHead
PeaNut 65,634
January 2003
Posts: 731
Layouts: 93
Loc: California
 | Posted: 1/1/2013 12:43:47 PM
If you don't decide today, at least take some photos. | |
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tiffanyo
BucketHead
PeaNut 556,456
June 2012
Posts: 918
Layouts: 2
| Posted: 1/1/2013 12:55:06 PM
I agree with miss Ellen. Take some photos and make some notes in case!
If you don't end up with enough photos that are meaningful to you, do a spread every two weeks or one per month of "important" pictures, whatever that means to you.
I figure, if I like looking at other peoples' coffee cups (and I love love browsing PL blogs) then I might like to remember mine too. | |
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ladybug4233
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 248,678
February 2006
Posts: 2,337
Layouts: 0
Loc: Colorado
| Posted: 1/1/2013 12:57:53 PM
(and I love love browsing PL blogs)
This gives me a great idea for a new post.
Thanks | |
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caspad
peas&crackers
PeaNut 3,602
April 2000
Posts: 13,655
Layouts: 374
Loc: Massachusetts
 | Posted: 1/1/2013 1:52:23 PM
I like the idea and of course the fun supplies but not sure about the mundane parts of it. Like taking a picture of my coffee or the temperature. Will I really care?
I think you will be glad to have the mundane in your project life along with the exciting "event" type stuff. Think about when you look at older photos. Don't you like looking at the details in the background?
I look through my album from 2009 and I am glad to have mundane shots of rooms in our house (we've rearranged and redecorated a lot since then) and my office (I've had 2 jobs since then) and my commute (now I have a 10 minute commute, then it was 40+ minutes) and some of the restaurants we went to (some have closed, some we don't go to that often anymore).
And that's just off the top of my head! Without Project Life, I wouldn't have printed photos of random stuff OR written little blurbs about what happened in a day/week. | |
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Dancingfish
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 51,456
October 2002
Posts: 14,091
Layouts: 83
Loc: VA
| Posted: 1/1/2013 2:02:20 PM
You seriously never need to take a mundane shot if you don't want to. Heck you could take one picture a month and still have a PL album. I think what I loved most about PL was there was a spot for stuff that previously landed in my junk drawer.
1) cool subway ticket
2) Mass Cards
3) A heartfelt thank you note
4) Newspaper clippings of world events (Royal wedding, earthquakes, elections)
5) Hospital wrist bands
6) programs from events
And then what about all those goofy camera phone shots that you really are never going to do a layout of???? PL has a spot for them.
Go for it... Think of it this way... if you make it one month- THAT IS ONE MONTH OF YOUR LIFE DOCUMENTED!! WAHOO!! | |
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serenitysmom
PeaAddict
PeaNut 193,655
February 2005
Posts: 1,320
Layouts: 40
Loc: Alabama
 | Posted: 1/1/2013 2:12:32 PM
OK, hate to go against the grain, but I HATED IT! It was horrible! I HATED feeling like I HAD to take pictures and I didn't even do the photo a day. then I always felt like I failed because I could never keep up with everything going on... I was so worried about PL that I didn't enjoy anything I was trying to take pictures of...
It totally sucked the fun out of everything.
Some people love it, but it's not for me. Now, that being said... I never would have KNOWN it wasn't for me if I hadn't tried it, so, try it and see. You never know! | |
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Bingcherry
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 198,489
March 2005
Posts: 2,988
Layouts: 5
Loc: Sunny Orlando, FL
| Posted: 1/1/2013 2:29:51 PM
Honestly after failing at PL two years in a row, it finally clicked in 2012. I've got one last week to go and i have to say its one of my favorite albums EVER. You can make it whatever you want.
What i love about it is that it frees me up to go back and scrap all the previous years. No guilt because at least the stories are documented. | |
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Scrapbooking_Grandma
PeaNut
PeaNut 410,684
February 2009
Posts: 54
Layouts: 0
 | Posted: 1/1/2013 2:30:39 PM
I have never done PL. But to me it seems like a big time commitment.
I did a Dec. Daily Book and it's January and I'm not finished with it.
I used the Dec. Daily book as kind of a trial to see if PL would be for me. I found the time I have to commitment is to much. I just don't have enough time for that as well as my regular scrappy projects.
I will consider it again at another time when I get my scrapping caught up. So it's not totally out of the question for a future project. | |
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Lilith Eeckels
Garden Girl
PeaNut 198,152
March 2005
Posts: 822
Layouts: 312
| Posted: 1/1/2013 2:41:22 PM
Love PL but couldn't keep up. I just love making layouts that little bit more. I have decided to do a adapted version of PL. I'll be making one or two 2-pagers a month document what happened. Loved making the two pager for the Everyday/365 theme (check out the DT gallery for inspiration) I decided to go with the 2 pager idea. The most important thing with PL is to find something that suits you. If it doesn't that not a big deal. My kids will cherish all moments I documented even if I didn't do PL like everyone else. Don't feel you need to document everyday. Just have a camera nearby to snap photos. | |
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krista.m
PeaNut
PeaNut 485,761
October 2010
Posts: 51
Layouts: 2
 | Posted: 1/1/2013 2:57:02 PM
I tried PL for about 2 months this summer. To be honest, it totally stressed me out. I was trying to do two full pages for each week and I felt like I was digging for things to take pictures of. Keep in mind, I am in my mid twenties with no kids so life seems pretty mundane sometimes. With that being said, I love the idea of it. I think I got wrapped up in how the popular designers do PL and forgot that I wanted to focus on what works best for me. I'm trying it again this year and using only one page per week and if I miss a week, it's ok. Life goes on. I'm going to focus on keeping it simple. | |
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HoneyBee13
PeaAddict
PeaNut 563,248
August 2012
Posts: 1,124
Layouts: 0
Loc: Florida
| Posted: 1/1/2013 3:14:07 PM
I posted a similar question because I am married but have no children, and the one suggestion that helped me make a decision was "How are you going to know if you dont try", or something like that. So I thought I would give it a whirl this year because I love to write things down, especially lists, now I am just adding pics and putting it in an album. | |
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purpledaisy
Calm
PeaNut 116,261
November 2003
Posts: 25,154
Layouts: 102
 | Posted: 1/1/2013 3:23:53 PM
OK, hate to go against the grain, but I HATED IT! It was horrible! I HATED feeling like I HAD to take pictures and I didn't even do the photo a day. then I always felt like I failed because I could never keep up with everything going on... I was so worried about PL that I didn't enjoy anything I was trying to take pictures of...
It totally sucked the fun out of everything.
This is how I felt. Well, I didn't hate it. But I did feel like it sucked the fun out of scrap booking for me. That is why I'm not going to do it this year. | |
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Marcy Penner
Garden Girl
PeaNut 112,328
October 2003
Posts: 1,160
Layouts: 429
Loc: southern manitoba canada
| Posted: 1/2/2013 12:31:09 PM
Make it yours. If you don't want a picture of random stuff then don't. It's yours. It can be whatever you want it to be.
What about a smaller scale PL... maybe using a Studio Calico Handbook or Snap binder? | |
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Has2005
PeaNut
PeaNut 485,686
October 2010
Posts: 414
Layouts: 0
Loc: Northern California
| Posted: 1/2/2013 12:52:42 PM
I was on the fence for awhile regarding PL. I know the whole point of it is to do what you want/like and it can be as simple as you want it. I guess streamlined. But I just can't put myself through it. The concept of it sounds great but the stress involved (for me) just isn't worth my sanity. There are other ways to document life. | |
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Renaeb77
PeaNut
PeaNut 509,641
May 2011
Posts: 247
Layouts: 1
Loc: Illinois
 | Posted: 1/2/2013 1:27:05 PM
I tried a Dec daily this year as a trial run for PL. I think PL should be a breeze since I don't have to think up 25+ layouts. Just stick pics/journaling cards in the pockets and that's it. I'm using my stash and have planned a little in advance so it won't be completely overwhelming. I think as I look back I will be glad I started this project.
Good luck! | |
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chrispeas
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 252,090
March 2006
Posts: 8,759
Layouts: 8
Loc: Beautiful South Orange County, CA
| Posted: 1/2/2013 1:39:28 PM
It's only day 2 and I am already stressing out. I worry that I won't have any interesting pics to take or that what I take are just because I have to take a picture. I started my PL on the 29th when I had my sister, mom, niece and her boyfriend in town. I have a group pic for that day. I have a picture of an awesome rainbow I took right out side my door before we got hit with a quick storm on the 30th. I have a cute pic of the kids on the 31st. On the first, I took a picture of the pile of holiday decorations waiting to be put away. Not sure what to take today. I really want to try this, but feel that I may fail at it. I can barely keep up with my regular scrapping. | |
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MerryMom937
PeaFixture
PeaNut 472,567
June 2010
Posts: 3,076
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 1/2/2013 1:50:12 PM
I use divided page protectors and the insert cards (I make most of them myself) as more like embellished photo albums of the pictures that I already take. Rather than documenting weeks of my life.
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outsidechic
PeaNut
PeaNut 329,392
July 2007
Posts: 183
Layouts: 23
Loc: San Diego
 | Posted: 1/2/2013 2:20:09 PM
this thread is making me happy. I am on the fence about project life too. I think the idea of it is awesome have all the supplies (well mostly, some divided page protectors, an album holding them yadda yadda) but I am truly scared to attempt it. I've started one digitally in the past and gave up about two months in ... wasn't interesting and really I am a paper sorta gal. I did a december daily last month, and its almost done .. the whole a new spread every day thing got me too, but it's all there. I really think I can do this, it would be cool to look at in years past. I do need to just stand up and work on it for a year. I learned with my DD that although i think I am a plan it out organized kinda girl I fly by the seat of my pants pretty good too and like the adventure in it ... I don't have my kids this week (they're off playing with grandma and grampa) so no pictures to start off with ... although i really should do something to start of this week. | |
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sunnychick
PEAlicious
PeaNut 176,712
November 2004
Posts: 327
Layouts: 5
Loc: Morgantown, KY
| Posted: 1/2/2013 2:37:27 PM
Hi Candie, I hated P365 where i have to take a picture every day! It felt so forced and I really hated that. Then I would end up scrapbooking my favorite pictures so I was repeating myself...hated it.
Next year, I tried P12, where after the month was finished, I put together all the pictures and stories by month. It was ok.
In 2012, I did it like Ali Edwards, P52, in a weekly spread. I did enjoy it for most of the year, but in Nov/Dec I started to hate it. It felt forced.
So now in 2013, I am going to keep taking pictures of things that interest me, not mundane, but things that inspire me and scrapbook them. No specific project, just scrapbook when I feel motivated.
Find what makes you happy and go with it. Don't do something because everyone else is doing it. Enjoy!! | |
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amom23
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 108,542
September 2003
Posts: 6,356
Layouts: 0
Loc: ND
| Posted: 1/2/2013 3:23:46 PM
I can barely keep up with my regular scrapping.
PL is my regular scrapbooking. I incorporate my family photos into my PL album. I use the PL kit to simplify my pages. If I want to be creative or add more pages into a week I do. My life is too busy to try to have more than 1 family album ongoing for any given year. | |
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Momof1sweet-lil-lad
& the Velcro dog
PeaNut 133,429
February 2004
Posts: 9,085
Layouts: 0
Loc: With my Shadow
| Posted: 1/2/2013 11:09:25 PM
The feeling of needing to find something to take pictures of every day will stop. Instead, you will find that you never leave your camera behind, because you never know what you will encounter that you want to take a picture of.
I have a few really amazing pictures that would have been missed had I not been carrying my camera everywhere.
Taking pictures becomes second nature.
In that mode, I always have an over abundance of pictures for the week. Only chosing the best of the bunch.
As for the mundane photos...Take a pic of your coffee cup & journal 'My coffee cup' and you are going to get bored quickly.
Instead, tell the story of how you acquired the coffee cup. Is it your favorite & why. Journal what brand of coffee you buy and what additives you like in and why. Like do you add tons of sugar & creamer and wonder why you drink coffee in the first place. Or, you drink it black for the jolt of caffiene. No masquerading the coffee flavor for you.
Over time, you will discover small stories that are perfect to document in your PL album. Stories that aren't quite special enough for a large page, but are perfect for a one photo plus 3x4 journalling card.
While what kinds of foods your family enjoys now seems mundane, it will bring memories back for your adult children and be an interesting thing to see for your grandchildren. Will some of these foods appear on their family dinner table?
It makes me wish that this kind of documentation was around when my grandmother & mother were newlyweds and young parents. What was my grandmother's favorite pair of shoes? What kind of excitement did she feel over a newly wallpapered room? Did she carry a big purse, little purse or something in between and why? Did she get excited over a new kitchen appliance or cookbook?
What did my mom play with as a small child? Who were her friends? What games did they play? Was she a tomboy or a girlie girl?
This was the generation that went from radio to television. Can you imagine the stories that would create?
It will only take about 4 months until you look back on your album and see the value of the documentation.
Take the front of your home. The seasons bring change. Improvements bring change. Maybe you will move halfway through the year.
Documenting the family hobbies. Again, how amazing is it going to be for the children/grandchildren to revisit g-pa's running races or preparation leading up to hunting season? G-pa is going to change considerably, is he still active in his hobbies or has he moved on to something else?
There are so many subjects and stories to be shared.
Journeying through this type of year long project will bring gratitude to the forefront.
Sure it seems overwhelming to start out with. You have 12 months ahead of you.  And, it's full of the unknown when you've never tried anything like it before.
It doesn't have to be difficult. Take the pictures. Take some notes. See what happens.
Tell your family members what you are doing. You will be amazed at how many times they will grab the camera for a picture or suggest a picture for you.
I was surprised to have my sister offer pictures that she had taken of my son & neice, specifically because she thought I might like to include them in the year's events/happenings. She did the same thing when she had been dogsitting my Pom.
You will never know until you try.  | |
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tinkgumby
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 281,136
October 2006
Posts: 2,262
Layouts: 6
Loc: DFW, TX
 | Posted: 1/2/2013 11:46:26 PM
Momof1-sweet-lil-lad (wow, that's a mouthful. Can I call you Aragorn?  ), thank you for your thoughtful reply! My sister has been wondering the same thing, and I just sent her your reply in its entirety. You're right - I would love to know this kind of thing about my parents or grandparents! | |
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scrappygirlnextdoor
PeaAddict
PeaNut 407,791
January 2009
Posts: 1,237
Layouts: 7
Loc: In my jammies, sipping a cup of coffee.
| Posted: 1/2/2013 11:51:12 PM
My answer is going to be totally ridonkulous, but it's true: I do not enjoy the process but love the results! I truly find it kind of stressful to do some days (esp. filling up all those 3x4 little spaces) but when I look back on the album I've done with PL, I love the way it looks! I was not planning on really doing PL in 2013 and then just tonight my boys were looking through the one I started last year (yes, not complete yet...) and they kept saying how cool it was and how it was their favorite of my scrapbooks! (And 2 of the 3 boys are teenagers -- they don't care much about scrapbooking and don't hand out compliments freely!) SO, tonight was enough to make me realize it's definitely worth doing! When my kids get excited over our photos and memories, that 100% reaffirms why I scrapbook!  | |
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sorfammom
PeaAddict
PeaNut 418,377
April 2009
Posts: 1,138
Layouts: 26
Loc: SE Wisconsin
| Posted: 1/3/2013 12:29:31 AM
I'm really on the fence, too, and have been wavering back and forth for the last month or so. I've decided to go ahead and start taking daily pictures using the daily photo prompts from fatmumslim's blog. My husband and I work nights and we do 12-hour shifts. Every other weekend we work Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The weekend is work, eat and sleep, that's pretty much it. There is little time for being creative or even having anything interesting to take a picture of. The prompts will give me some guidance. I'll see how it goes. I'm not going to try and put anything together in an album right away, I want to make sure I can stick with it for a while before fully committing with and album and supplies. | |
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shirt
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 34,233
March 2002
Posts: 5,056
Layouts: 99
Loc: MN
 | Posted: 1/3/2013 1:25:32 AM
I did PL in 2009 and was not a fan. I got through October. I kind of felt like I was so busy capturing the everyday that other stories got neglected.
This year I did 12 on 12 and that was enough of the every day for me. I'm not doing it again this year.
If I were you, I'd try it and see if you like. You can always quit if you don't. | |
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tortagialla
PeaNut
PeaNut 436,934
September 2009
Posts: 199
Layouts: 152
Loc: Tuscany, Italy
 | Posted: 1/3/2013 2:28:36 AM
I think it all depends on what your goals are... daily is too much for a lot of people... but that's not a requirement for PL. I think you can use the idea of making scrapbooking simple - photos and quick journaling in pockets - but change the frequency and expectation to whatever works in your life.
I do a mix of regular pages and pocketed pages in my album... whatever fits for the particular elements that I want to scrapbook! | |
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michele st
PeaNut
PeaNut 371,154
April 2008
Posts: 129
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 1/3/2013 7:42:03 AM
This my first year, I'm going at it as 1 page a week. If I have 2 great. I have vowed that I will not get stressed over it. I don't scrap many pictures of my self ,but I'm really going to try to in PL. I did a December daily ( not finished yet,and that is ok) and I included more pictures of me with my family. | |
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Claysmama
PeaNut
PeaNut 177
March 1999
Posts: 299
Layouts: 18
Loc: Asheville, North Carolina
 | Posted: 1/3/2013 7:59:41 AM
I'm not a big fan.
Now, I dabbled...I didn't buy official PL product. I picked up divided protectors and used them to document a number of last years events right around the time I had surgery last year. So...it got the job done when I was feeling a sense of urgency.
but what PL doesn't do for me... Stroke my creative outlet.
The way I see it...PL is at its very best if you are the girl that is really happy with efficiency, and you swoon to simply slide the photo into the pocket and add the premade journal card...premo presto you are done!
but so much of what I see is way more complicated than that...yes, you slide in the photo, but all these fillers become miniature works of art...but all the while, you are stuck with whatever format the divided protector gives you, and the pressure to "keep up".
I also don't like the aspect of having to keep up with the orientation of my photos...whether I have enough horizontals or verticals...and then when I turn the protector page, I am locked in again, iykwim.
So, hope that wasn't too brash, I didn't meant too be. I respect that PL is helping people get stuff recorded and people whose personality isn't like mine just love it, which is an awesome feeling to be empowered.
it just doesn't suit me...
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buckIscrapper
PeaNut
PeaNut 360,716
February 2008
Posts: 275
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 1/3/2013 8:19:50 AM
PL does NOT equal taking a picture a day! Sure, it may have started out that way but it has certainly evolved into so much more than that. Do it however YOU want to document YOUR LIFE!! Whether it's daily, weekly or monthly. | |
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arelys1228
PeaFixture
PeaNut 422,247
May 2009
Posts: 3,223
Layouts: 159
Loc: Queens NYC
| Posted: 1/3/2013 9:11:47 AM
its my first year so lets see
im only doing weekly | |
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scrapbookjulie
PeaAddict
PeaNut 172,435
October 2004
Posts: 1,525
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 1/3/2013 9:22:52 AM
I did not enjoy it at all. It seemed like "busy work" scrapbooking. I did, however, keep up with my regular family album the same year, so that's why it felt like an extra project. I like my regular scrapping much better...focusing on main events and holidays. On the positive side, 1. I liked having a place to put photos that I only had ONE of...not enough to create a whole layout. 2. It forced me to journal more. 3. It's probably my daughter's favorite book to look at, so at least it's being appreciated!
That said, my life is apparently very boring/repetitive. I used probably 50 pictures of my cat sleeping in various locations to fill up dead space throughout the year. | |
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nikomoon14
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 106,912
September 2003
Posts: 2,012
Layouts: 37
Loc: Tucson, AZ
| Posted: 1/3/2013 10:20:49 AM
I don't do normal I bought my first cards for my Baby 1rst year. I had lot a photos that I wanted to journal about but not a whole layout each. I did not do it weekly but I'm doing last year not so eventful photos that way. There are a lot if known designers that have a story approach not a date approach. My favorite is karenika.com
She also paints and art journals so don't freak out when you see her website....
She is in the My mind's eye team also. She actually uses MME paper for he PL but I just want you to see the layout as a whole. She does not use date she simply uses what shes done that week or an important story. That's it! | |
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seasonscraps
PeaAddict
PeaNut 113,955
October 2003
Posts: 1,440
Layouts: 17
| Posted: 1/3/2013 10:26:25 AM
I tried 2 or 3 separate times last year and it's just not for me. I don't enjoy scrapping the minutia of day to day life. It felt like work to me and this is supposed to be something enjoyable.
The only good thing that came from PL is that I took so many more pictures last year that I did turn into pages. 2 years ago, I never would have taken a picture of DH & I on a random Saturday night dinner but I did last year. It was at a favorite restaurant and was unfortunately a victim to Super Storm Sandy. I don't know if they will reopen but I have a layout about how much we love the place. | |
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vorders
BucketHead
PeaNut 261,868
May 2006
Posts: 798
Layouts: 34
Loc: NoVa
| Posted: 1/3/2013 11:32:12 AM
I tried it last year - and was in and out of it, but I like what I got done and I am doing it again this year, with lessons learned. That being said, I use it to just document a little of the everyday, everyday.
I try not to get bogged down in minutia I don't care about. For me that means not taking a picture everyday of random stuff. Just because I write about it, doesn't mean I need a picture of it.
Plus, I keep it simple. I use the core kit more, the same page protectors, and more or less that's it. The only embellishing I do is I make a weekly title, I sometimes use different 3x4 cards, and I may stamp on a card or two. But otherwise, I save my creative impulses for scrapbooking and my latest obsession, art journaling.
I think increasingly people (and I mean designers trying to sell us stuff) are going overboard with decorating and embellishing their project life album to the point that it is not really the quick and simple format it was originally designed to be, but that's just me. | |
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Ising
PeaFixture
PeaNut 454,238
January 2010
Posts: 3,765
Layouts: 68
Loc: Central Louisiana
| Posted: 1/3/2013 1:35:35 PM
I have big 3-6 month gaps in my scrapbooks and I really hate that. I like to take pictures and post them to FB, almost daily, so I am trying out weekly PL this year. It seems I take a lot of pictures, but never do anything with them. I am challenging myself to get them into a PL book this year. | |
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