OBSERVATIONS: I fell a bit off the weekly pace of late, but no worries! It took very little time to assemble three week’s worth of pages.
The best choice I made in this process? Just do a single page for each week.
Another choice I made? Well, this isn’t really a choice, but it’s a plan for 2014. Do you want to know what the plan is? Yes? I mean, it’s kind of secret but I’m going to let you in on it today. And here it is:
S i m p l i f y .
Ahhhh. It feels good just to type it out.
But what does that word mean to me? It means that I am going follow a few guidelines for Project Life in 2014.
1. Do it digitally. I plan to put together a post about getting everything set up for optimal ease and success in the process.
2. Make a digital book at the end of the year. I know many of you do this and I’m ready to do it, too. I’m also very excited because there is a possibility of doing my final book with Artifact Uprising if they start offering larger square sizes. Even if they don’t, I may just make an 8.5 x 8.5 softcover book, even though the type will be a bit small to read. (I’ve tested it out already!)
3. Give myself permission to do single page entries. The facing page mentality will not rule my crafting choices in 2014. Sometimes I just don’t have enough images to fill two pages. Single pages = aw yeah!
4. Use the Day One app with regularity. This app, I tell you… if I just jot down a little every day, then I can quickly recap my week with ease. (I found a very similar app for Android, called Day Journal.)
5. Set up Smart Folders in iPhoto for every week before December 31 rolls around. In this way, if I fall behind in the coming year, the photos will be sorted and waiting for me.
6. Enjoy the process! If I sense even a note of stress about any of it, I will re-evaulate my memory-keeping strategy.
I’m also going to be using a new design for my album that features way more white space, squared edges and narrower “touching” margins.
More on all that in a future post. For now, the past three weeks.
Note: to see any of these larger, just click on one and it will give you a bigger view.
I loved pulling out the Seafoam digital kit on the last page you see. Love that blue card so much.
So that’s my last three weeks, all single pages, all making me very happy right now.
I look to the future with a much more simplified eye. For sure.
SUPPLIES:
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Julie Finch says
I love this soooo much. I have been feeling like somethings got to give, and overwhelmed with life and keeping up. I am MONTHS behind!! but one page per day?? Totally doable! AND switching to digital might be for me! Time to step it up and try! THANKS. you’re awesome. I needed that.
cathy says
Julie, yes! One page per week, heck, one spread per month (I know people who do that too!) I will be fully digital for 2014. Im even making a new template for myself that is more minimal with more white space. I really love this project. I just want it to be as simple as it can be for me!
Dolly says
Simplify…what a concept. If I could get out of my head and quit over analyzing everything about chronicling my life and how it needs to be cover worthy…I might actually get more accomplished (which is my 2013 word by the way).
My name is Dolly and I am a classic over-achiever. There said it.
cathy says
Own it! : )
Trophy Wife says
Cathy, I’m sure you have addressed this before…I’m interested in buying the Archer font but I probably don’t need ALL of them…which ones are your “go to” ones?
Thank you for sharing all of your processes!!! Makes so helpful!!!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!!!
Jacque Garner says
Love these ideas! I ROYALLY failed at PL in 2013 (my first year). Planning to try digital in 2014 and your tips have really inspired me! Thank you!!!
Sue says
I am so excited that you are going digi for 2014. Looking forward to seeing your pages 🙂
Glenda says
I am planning to simplify as well for 2014. I intend to scrapbook with your 8.5×11″ monthly templates that I purchased a few years ago. I love the size and I think digital will be easier on my stress levels. Plus I can use as many pages as I need as some months are more photo heavy. I am hoping to be able to use some pocket inserts to add the bits and pieces I collect during the year. Happy Thanksgiving from Canada!
Annette says
Hooray for simplification, white space and squared edges! Also loving that you are using the same week in review card–I found that one less decision each week is a good thing…and it looks great too. Cheers to you and your Project Life plans!
Lida says
I love your style.
Can you put a link to the smart folders for iPhoto?
Thanks.
jeannebpellerin@yahoo.com says
Cathy, if you were to design a print and cut line of Project Life cards, enough for an entire year, I would be incredibly happy. No pressure, though. It’s only my happiness at stake.
Amy says
Oh, I think you’re going to LOVE the all digital printed book. I’ve never been disciplined enough to do Project Life every week. I have an unfinished 2011 album 🙁 But I have gone back and created yearly albums using the Project Life templates on Shutterfly. Super simple and a good amount of creative flexibility to make it feel like your own. They end up being 80+ pages but so compact, and I can create a yearly album in one weekend. I’m mustering up the courage to plan ahead for 2014 and create templates, etc. of my own so I can design pages every month or so. Or maybe every season. LOL.
BTW, I LOVE adoramapix for printing all digital books. You must try them. Although a yearly album would be big and pretty expensive. I print my December Daily album there every year, but wait for a big sale.
Maria says
please, pretty please, can you come to my house and do my PL? Please?
(I love everything about your pages. The “squarer” corners, the white, your awesome photos.)
(and three cheers for the printed book. I did that for 2012 and I love it.)
Maria says
oh, and I use day one, AND I make weekly folders ahead of time to organize photos. Clearly, this is how the cool people do PL.
Melissa O. says
BTW, I figured out how to filter my digi-scrap supplies out of my PL smart albums!!! 🙂 I selected all the thumbnails for my supplies then added the keyword “scrap” to all of them at once. Then I added a 2nd filter to my smart albums to pull only items WITHOUT the keyword “scrap” in addition to pulling those from a certain date range. Bada Bing! Only PHOTOS remain in my PL smart albums now. 😉
Melissa O. says
Also, this is for everyone, I was watching Becky Higgins’ class on CreativeLIVE this past week & she reminded everyone that Project Life is whatever you make it. It’s not required that you follow the chronological weekly format, though most of us do I think. Because I’m not a heavy picture taker I think I’m going to stick with monthly 2pg spreads, but things like our Disney trip will get their own mini book. Bottom line, don’t feel frustrated if you “get behind” on your weekly spreads. Maybe you just need to attack Project Life from another angle & not necessarily do it chronological or weekly. 😉
cathy says
Thats awesome, Glenda! I do love that size so much!
cathy says
Do you mean how to do them? Here is a link to something I found online. : )
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/essential-smart-albums-iphoto-library/
cathy says
Now whos awesome? YOU! Boom!
Cricket Rawlins says
Simplify has been my word for about 4 months now and I plan on it being my word for 2014! I can’t wait to see your new templates! While I do enjoy the paper Project Life, I always waffle because I so love digi too! Oh, and I started with 2 page weekly spreads and scaled back to one pagers, so much more stress relief for me since I don’t always have a ton of photos!
Debra says
I also really like OhLife to support Project Life, as it sends me a kick up the bum email every day – you just hit reply and type a few notes on what’s happened. You can attach photos too. And it’s free. I like free.
cathy says
My go to one is Archer Medium (and Italic). Its what I use for my journaling and many other things. : )
cathy says
Thats cool, never heard of it! : )
Katie says
I’ve got about 20-30 weeks to catch up on, but I have photos and journallig sorted. I made it too hard for myself this year with doing it hybrid, a different kit each week, a title card, a week in review card, a quote and a music card. way. too. much.
gonna follow your advice, one week spreads are OK for catch up and then to 2014 digitally for me too. it just works.
thanks Cathy.
Dawn says
simple is good. this is the first year I’ve done project life in the weekly format and it just isn’t for me. for 2014 i’m going to give a montly double page layout a whirl. i am also going to try digital. i love your pages and such … i just don’t “get” how to do it. maybe i’ll start with shutterfly to see how that works out?!
Dawn
dmg314
Steph says
I’m REALLY strongly considering going digital for my Project Life 2014, too. the biggest reason is that for 2012 and 2013 I ended up with TWO huge PL albums. They just take up too much space! I was also inspired by Becky’s Creative LIVE class to make albums for my girls with their artwork and schoolwork, so those will be in the traditional PL format. The only reason I was clinging to the pocket pages was to be able to put certificates and kids’ artwork “stuff” into inserts, but if I have another album for those, I don’t need to worry about that as much anymore. I think I might get one of those pocket pages for that stuff if I have any special things. Everything else I can scan. It’s so exciting and freeing to think of going digi! Thanks for the inspiration!
Heather H says
Wow. I suddenly feel a lot freer. I am in various stages of 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 and I just can’t seem to get there. I have the pictures sorted (because you are amazing and told us about smart folders), but for everything except 2010 I don’t even have pictures printed. The idea seems so daunting. Like I’ll never get there. I hadn’t even planned to buy a “kit” for 2014 because I know I have so much various stuff lying around. Now I’m thinking maybe I’ll just give in and do it digitally too. I’ve had a lot more success doing 30 Days of Thankful digitially this year than trying to do it hybrid last year (I got to about Day 8 last year). I need to find/make a template. I can do I page a week. I know I can. And Day One has saved my life. Thank you for that too. I have journal entries for every single day since you told us about it last December. I even paid for it. And for the Mac version. I love how they work back and forth together. Wow. Seriously. I might actually do this thing in 2014.
JoLynn says
I am “catching up” this very day…throughout this gift of a week. I look forward to it. 🙂 Thanks for keeping it real. Just bought the Day One app, too. Excellent idea!
cathy says
Dawn, I will be putting together some video stuff in December that might be helpful! : )
Jody says
Would you consider doing your new style PL 2014 in 8.5 x 11 templates to buy, for those of us that love that size…please 🙂
cathy says
Enjoy the app! You can program it to ask you whats up as many times a day as you like! I do four times a day. I dont always write stuff down. I shoot for at least one thing a day.
Abby P. says
Thanks to you, I didn’t stress when I didn’t have enough photos for 2-page spreads last week. I just went with the “Cathy solution” and did 1 page per week. Stress lifted, PL done, and life recorded. Thanks for that! Re squared edges, can’t wait to see your template – think I’d like to change things up! I’ve seen lots of PL with squared edges and borders – probably have to make the border a contrasting color, but change is good, no? Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and thanks for all the wonderful product, advice, and laughs you’ve supplied in 2013!
Jwebb1962 says
What caught my eye was the old fashion light post. Now those are old memories. We played in a park that had lights very similar to that one. In Atlanta, Georgia…almost 3/4 century ago. So thankful to remember those things!!
cathy says
Yes, I would. I will work on that in the next few weeks. : )
Linda says
I know you used the Seafoam kit this year – what will be your base for next year? I have done digi PL for two years. I use either 2 page per week or one page per week spreads and don’t worry about everything coming out even. I do transfer all the completed pages to my ipad so I can scroll through them and enjoy them as I go. I even manage to find a typo or two that I can correct BEFORE sending it off to be printed. I order an 8.5 hard cover square book and it is perfect for me.
Karen Freeman says
YES, Oh Life is great. It emails you every day with the day and this question.
“It’s Wednesday, Nov 27 – How did your day go?”
But what is really cool is everyday it replies to you it adds “Remember this? 327 days ago you wrote…” and randomly chooses a number of days or 1 year ago today or what ever and includes what you wrote on that day. You can customize what time you want your email and you just hit reply and off goes your info organised by date.If you don’t like the idea of a random memory being sent with your reminder you can turn that off.
You can onto the Oh life website and access your info to by clicking on the past entries link in your email. Check it our here. http://ohlife.com/
I find it great as I’m on the comouter everyday anyway , a couple of minutes to type a list or a few words and done. Cheers Karen
Sue says
I made the decision to go digital for Project Life next year just recently. I have been considering this for some time this year and it was actually watching the Creative LIVE segment about digital that really turned me. I have done Project Life for two years now. Last year was two albums with one page per week. This year I’m squeezing down to one album and doing a monthly basis. I am a digital scrapbooker and have been doing a hybrid approach to Project Life. I have been using the 8.5×11 size albums with the baseball pockets from We R Memory Keepers plus some other odd sized pages. I loved the hands on of the hybrid for a bit but now I’m a little over it. Looking forward to seeing your templates. Still debating the size I’m going to go with next year as I’m not a 12×12 scrapper. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Sherrie R says
I have been doing this since 2011 and love PL and can’t imagine not doing it! But over the years & each beginning of the year I make changes to simplify or make it easier! This year I too made the decision to do the one side of design A page protectors for 2014 there are 8 total slots on one side so I can do the week in review and still have 7 photo to capture the week!! None of this is set in stone if I want to do both side I will and won’t worry or lose sleep over!! One things I have always done is capture a lot of photo I just do that me so I always have enough photo to represent a week! I was so behind on 2013 I just got started printing my photo a week ago and putting them in and I’m not stressed or worried that 2014 is coming because the memories are captured & the notes are all there in my Day One App (thank you Cathy) and also in my comments in LR too so all things are there and ready to put in!! Great project I so love I just adapt and reevaluate as needed!
Jenny says
Of course! I’ve been wanting to go digital for PL (also due to space) but couldn’t get past having to wait till the end of the year to look at the book. Can’t think why I didn’t think of uploading the pages to a tablet. Thanks!
Kristal Jones says
So loving this. Have wanted to do Project Life, but know my limitations on time and that I would just feel like a big fat failure. Your idea seems much more doable to me. I’ve been thinking of just doing a “week in review” type thing on the blog with a photo dump and calling it a day and just printing those by themselves in a blurb book at the end of the year.
THanks for sharing the Day One app. That looks so awesome!
Tina M says
Just last week I decided to do a monthly 2 page layout. I tried to do weekly layouts last year and I didn’t keep up. I am not sure about digital. I do have PSE 11 so I might try it. Is digital really easier?
I did some computer journaling last year. I like how I can fit more journaljng in than if I handwrite it and how neat and clean it looked. I used your “Week in Review” journaling templates last year and loved it. Do you have monthly ones for those who do monthly layouts?
BTW, I just signed up for your Move More, Eat Well Jumpstart class. This is something I need to do for me!
Ann says
I am so excited for this! I want to go digital this year, too. I just can’t figure out what size templates to use, where to print, what kind of book to get. Ahh, I’ll just leave it all up to you, my hero, Cathy Zielske. I will be waiting anxiously for your upcoming posts!
(Another) “Happy Thanksgiving!” from Canada.
🙂
cathy says
They put those in when they redid all the streets a number of years back. Its a very Old St. Paul thing. Love them too.
cathy says
My base will be my own creations, basically. Although I do want to pick a few Digital PL things out. Not quite sure yet. I want to keep it more simplified, so maybe Ill use less digi stuff than before. : )
cathy says
Tina, I find digital easier, only in that it feels quicker. No printing of photos involved, thats part of it. I plan to make a set of brushes and stamps that will include Our Month and My Month and This Month : )
Melanie L. says
Thanks for sharing your plan for 2014. I have a similar plan to just use photos/memories that I want to remember that are not already documented on my blog. Of course I haven’t been able to implement that plan yet, but here’s to hoping for 2014! I’m dabbling with the idea of doing digital in 2014 because it doesn’t have that additional printing aspect–maybe going digital will help me just get this done instead of being on the back burner. Happy Thanksgiving weekend!
Melanie L. says
I forgot that I was going to mention the OhLife website. They email you a reminder to document a little something about your day. I have it set to get that email daily and it’s really helped me document some details even if I don’t have it all down and printed in a book.
Lyn says
Thank you for this blog. I have been looking for an app like Day One and couldn’t find one I liked. I bought it a couple of days ago and I love it! It is easy to use and I am enjoying all the features. Thank you! I am beginning to plan out my 2014 Project Life — I can’t wait to see your new products.
Lyn says
Any hints as to what colors you will be using for your base kit?
cathy says
I know I will use gray. (LOL!) but honestly, Im not sure just yet.