Project Life - My Way

 

For a long time, I was fascinated by the idea of Becky Higgins' scrapbooking system called Project Life. But I wasn't sure about the cost involved. But this winter I decided to take the plunge. 


The "system" includes a binder, divided page protectors and color coordinated cards like the ones shown in the picture above (purchased separately). They come in a box like this (one box per pattern, so you only get one box at a time):

The cards are mostly for journalling - for telling your story.


Most people use the system to document a week per set of pages. That didn't appeal to me. To start using the system, I decided to do a month per layout. I went through my 2011 pictures and set them in pages just to block out the sections. Some months there are hardly any pictures so those only have a single page. Some months had more vacation-y type pictures that could be a page or two on their own which nicely balanced the smaller months.

A couple hours of just sliding pictures into slots, I started feeling reconnected to the creative side of myself. I have a lot more to do - trim pictures to fit in the smaller slots, mat my photos because I have them printed as "true digital" so they aren't 6 inches long, and I have to do the journalling. And I'm looking forward to digging into my creative side again. So far I am thrilled with the system and the ways I can make it work for me.

Twelve

In December, at a moment when I decided I needed something.... different, I saw that Stacy Julian was teaching a new class at Big Picture Classes. I was ready for something new - a new creative challenge. It wasn't cheap, and even though we are in the fourth week and I have yet to make one scrapbook page, it has been completely worthwhile.


I am loving the creative prompts and the system/process we are walking through.

I've been printing my pictures most months on schedule, but they mostly sit in their envelopes like this. But this class pushed me to at least put them in order.

There are 12 areas we are focusing on - like holidays, people, things, rituals, etc. So I have been putting ideas and pictures and other doodads in categories.


The only problem I have run into is the fact that I print pictures once a month, so I take pictures now for new layouts I want to do, but I can't do them until I print the pictures. I finally got smart and made a list by category of pages I can do in February when I have my pictures and what I can do with the pictures I have now. 


Just this bit of sorting I've done the last couple weeks has been refreshing. Maybe this weekend I'll actually get some pages made.


I'll post some more nuggets from the class later - some especially good stuff in class this week that works with my word for the year, "Savor."

January progress

Rather than set a lot of goals for this year, I just set one - to read more books from my "to be read" (TBR) shelves. Yes, shelves, plural.


To that end, I chose one nonfiction, one general fiction, one book for kids and one series from my shelves for each month of the year.


For January, I chose The Writer's Book of Days as my non-fiction. It's a book of writing prompts and writing advice for a year, so while I have not finished it, I am using it regularly, so I am counting that one "done."


My general fiction book for January was Deep Trouble, a book I received from the author ages ago and hadn't gotten around to reading. You can check out my review of it here. That one is also "done." 


I am on book two out of three I was behind on from the Booktown Mystery series. I finished Bookplate Special and have moved on to Chapter and Hearse. I haven't started my book for kids, The Beyonders: A World Without Heroes, yet. So, of the 6 books I picked for January, I have three done. So far so good. There's a little less than a week left in January, so I hope to be doing a lot of reading this weekend.

Stuck

About a month ago I was asked to do the congregational prayer at church for this past Sunday. I always say yes when I am asked but I am starting to question that practice. 


I am comfortable speaking in front of the church, even when I have to do something off the cuff. But the last two times I have done this prayer, the writing of the prayer itself has been the worst chore imaginable. I feel like I always bring the downer prayer. I feel like I have to write this epic work that is going to sound beautiful. Even when I try to write something completely from my heart, it feels wrong. Either I'm trying too hard to impress folks or I'm too narrowly-focused on my own needs and experiences. 


All day Saturday - as I did any other task but writing this prayer - I wondered what I was going to do. I started to think it might be a good plan to just string the words of songs together and hope no one really noticed! When I'm stressed, I can be too sassy for my own good.


Each word, each sentence is dragged out of me. I'm typing this up Saturday night to post Tuesday and I have never felt less prepared. It will be hard to get up tomorrow morning to do this. And I will be relieved when it is finished.

Book Nerds

These arrived for my family this week from Cafe Press. The Camp Half-Blood shirts (from the Percy Jackson series) are sold by the site. The Harry Potter/Weasley shirt is one I made - just for me - with a crown from my favorite font/graphic site, Lettering Delights.

What can I say? We are book nerds!

Being Known

One of the foundational passages for our pastor's sermon Sunday was Psalm 139. The pastor talked about being known by God - "even when we are lost and undone." I was feeling pretty lost and undone this last weekend. My husband woke me up Saturday with the news that Dad's oldest brother had passed away Friday after almost two weeks in the hospital following a fall from a ladder. This on top of a week where a student lost her father suddenly and two students lost their house in a fire. I had such high hopes for 2012, but those hopes have been dashed. 2012 doesn't feel any better than 2011 did. 


I'm supposed to be leading the congregational prayer at our church this Sunday. I'm wondering if I should have said no. I'm not feeling hopeful. I'm not feeling a "Yeah, Jesus," sort of spirit. I'm tired of being the one who keeps leading the downer prayers. 


But I was comforted and encouraged Sunday by this idea that I am known. Jesus called Simon, renamed him Peter, and proclaimed a promising future because he knew what had been planted in Simon's soul from the beginning. He knew the potential there, waiting to bear fruit in time. As I have thought often of having lost those on earth who knew me longest and knew me best, I cling to the idea that God knows me even more fully - who I am and whom I will be - the frustration and discouragement I have felt this week, the hope I was longing for. I choose to trust in the One who can, in time, make me "abound in hope" again. [Romans 15:13]

Switching Gears

Dad was home with me for 5 days with hospice services before he went into a facility. After a rocky transition from the hospital to the house, he had one really good day - he was clear headed and cooperative, had his sense of humor back. We played a couple games of cribbage. He made a list of Legos he wanted to get for my son. We listened to music and sang along.

It was a great day. But I almost missed it. I had read all the materials about how the dying usually rally for a couple days to take care of business before slipping away. But what I saw was a man who was extremely week, but making plans for the next couple months. He wanted a wheelchair for going out on errands. He wanted to renew his driver's license. He wanted to talk about longer term in home care.  All I could think was, "How long will my life be on hold? How long will I need to be here, doing what I know is right, but being away from my family? What will we do when school lets out for the summer? How is this going to work?"

Thankfully I was journalling a lot those days. And I was able to remember and revisit those good moments and deal with my guilt for not truly savoring them, for not recognizing my last chance to really enjoy my father.

I thought "Finish" was going to be the right word for 2012, but I have decided to switch to "SAVOR." I want to be more intentional about moments. I tend to live in the past or the future and lose track of the moment. I don't want to wish my life away like that. I don't want to miss other precious pieces of life because I'm focused on what's next.