Project Life Week of December 11-17, 2011

Hi there. Thank you so much for the nice feedback on yesterday's PIP feature. I think it's going to be a great addition to the blog that I hope you enjoy! Today I have weekly Project Life from December 2011. You can visit Becky's blog to see my pages along with a few projects from the rest of the Creative Team.

This is one of the few weeks from back in December where I actually completed the insert pages. For the rest I have the photos + sticky notes but they're not done. I have a goal for 2012 to complete those insert pages the same week I finish the actual weekly PL spread. I'll steadily go back and complete the inserts for 2011 as I get some spare time. I think it's so hard to go back and play catch up when you really want to be working on what's current.

So here's my two page weekly spread without the inserts. I had a hard time figuring out if my December pages should look more holiday like or just go with the day to day happenings. I started my December Daily and was adding all the holiday stuff to that album....then realized that my December PL weeks looked very un-holiday like. I still have the last 2 weeks of December to catch up on so I know now that I want to add in some of those holiday happenings to my PL pages too.

One of the things that I feel like I'm kind of finding a good groove with is setting the tone for each week now. By this I mean that I feel like my pages are looking more put together, a little more organized and that the 2 pages are balancing out more with the overall color and look. I like to think of each little space as it's own mini scrapbook page.....but yet have the entire 2 page layout look cohesive.
Here's the left page of the spread. It was getting very close to Christmas and I hadn't done hardly any baking and NO shopping yet. I had a big list with lots to do. We were also in the midst of finishing up the re-design of the girls' Lounge + I was sewing on quilts, and moving out old furniture.
We were also heavy into basketball season, taking care of Charlie who looks so tiny in the photos and just living life.

I love that my main, dated 4 x 6 insert really sets the theme for this week....lots to do. I did my week in review on this insert instead of in one of the 3 x 4 slots. The typed portion was done on a Russel + Hazel sticky note from 2Peas.

Just a few snap shots which I outlined with my Bic Markits and added a stamped chipboard accent + Washi tape from the Smash Book line.
Here I've got a photo showing the back of my Blazer packed with Christmas shopping items + a photo of the quilted whiteboard I made for the girls.
I love this photo of Charlie that I captured with his soccer ball. He still loves to play with his ball every day so this will be a fun memory to reflect on down the road. On the right I've got a half of a Diptic photo that shows me at school with Jordan for her Christmas dinner day. Who wouldn't love to see what their school lunch looked like 20 years down the road? I get lots of look and sighs when I take photos like these out in public. I just smile and say *I'm a scrapbooker* and that seems to explain it all.

The photo on the left shows yet another one of Jordan's goofy poses. She's holding her book that she finished just the day before her AR reading goal was due. She was quite the slacker this semester on her reading. I also included a small snippet of a texting session we had where she texted me that she made her goal. I love the text messages because they really capture conversations word for word. On the right the girls are getting their groove on with the Wii and Just Dance 3. I like to fill in these dark blank spots of photos with an embellishment like the stitched on chipboard letters I used...or a sticker or tag, etc.

Here's a 4 x 6 insert using an Instgram photo of some hot sauce that Eric got at the gift exchange for work. He brought a big container of pub snack mix and the cheapest 6 pack of beer he could find. Duct taped it all together and go figure that it was the most stolen gift in the exchange that night. Too funny. I used lots of the small address labels for journaling...just ran the label sheet through my vintage typewriter. If you look at some of my other 4 x 6 slots you'll notice that I used lots of sticker labels there too.
This is another 4 x 6 photo that coincides with the smaller insert of Charlie playing soccer. I love shots like this that capture something up close but then there's stuff in the background too. I can see Charlie and our house with Christmas lights. The big blank spaces allow for the stitched on chipboard letters which I love.
And here's my 12 x 12 spread with the inserts shown. I used a 6 x 12 page protector and an 8.5 x 11 which has some simple school papers from the girls. Here is a great tip and Ali Edwards does this too(along with many of you I'm sure): Any inserts that go in between the 12 x 12 weekly layouts are smaller than 12 x 12. I feel that this helps showcase the main 12 x 12 layout + it tells that the smaller inserts are supporting stories. You always get a glimpse of the 12 x 12 pages from both the left and the right. You can use regular inserts or trim down any 12 x 12 inserts that you choose. Or create a custom size by stitching around a photo or whatever you include in the insert, then trim around it. I just love the look of this.
Here's my 6 x 12 insert which has a separate story on each side. I used papers from the 12 x 12 layouts to keep it all looking uniform. For this page I include my shopping list torn right out of my list pad. It coordinates with the photo in the main 12 x 12 page where I show the mother load of packages in the back of the blazer.
And here's the back side of the 6 x 12 insert. It features a not-so-fun but oh-so-real moment where Eric got a warning ticket for speeding. I love that I was able to use the 2 naughty/nice Elle's Studio cards for journaling, just perfect! I have a 4 x 6 slot in the main 12 x 12 layout that shows Eric's face + the officer's lights. We were just talking about going and seeing the Christmas lights and I joked to Eric that these were not the kind of lights I was talking about, hence the vertical title on the right of the layout. I know this layout will be a fun one to look back on. You don't know how badly I wanted to ask the officer to "say cheeeeese" while poking his head in our window. Note to self: Keep the iPhone handy at all times.

With that I'll sign off for today. I really hope you are enjoying the entire process of Project Life. Find your groove, capture those moments & stories and just roll with it. Your pages will change, will evolve into your own great style where it be very simple or very detailed. You will love to see your PL album fill with days and weeks of memories. I promise!

PIP Day sharing:

For my Project Life in Progress days I'd love to feature inspiring projects. Please feel free to link me to your blog if you update regularly with PL happenings. I love looking at other Project Lifer pages. :)

Shop re-stocks:

I added some sacks and other items to the shop this week. Am looking forward to getting an Elle's Studio assortment of goodies to create some fun PL kits + I've found a great lineup of tags that I'll be offering soon...perfect for adding journaling to all your cards and layouts. I've got a few items left in my Etsy shop also if you're looking for the colored variety of tags.