It's official: I'm still in love with Project Life.
Why? Well, namely because I want a record of daily life and this seems to be by far the easiest way to do just that.
I'm planning more scrapbook pages in 2014. I am. Really. But I've been trying to knock one out for the past week, and yet sitting down to do Project Life? It's done in 30 minutes and I move on with my life.
I'm just sayin'.
Here are my pages for Week Two.
Ahhh. White space. If you listen, you can almost hear the pages breathing.
This weekend, Aidan was in her room putting some make up on and I grabbed my DSLR to shoot some portraits of her in her space. How I wish there were portraits of me at 17 in my room. Honestly. I love this idea so much. Shoot people in their rooms.
Plus, I love that girl. It's crazy. She's not going to live here next year. As happy as I am for her blazingly bright future, I don't know what it will be like to not see her everyday. I've been experiencing some real sadness when I connect to this. Big deep mama breath. I'm working through it.
I included an awesome shot Dan took on his phone (upper right, antique store). I want to include shots from the whole family, not just my own perspective. Note to self: take a shot of Dan. It appears he doesn't live with us in 2014 and I'm pretty sure he's still here.
I'm still giving myself permission to do single pages if that's what's called for.
It's all about the do-ability factor. My favorite card this week is a simple list card (part of my Right Now card set):
Just a simple list of verbs and who is doing what. Only trouble is, Cole and me? We have the same initials. I figure we'll know who did what. I'm pretty sure he's the one playing Xbox. But you never can be too sure.
To learn more about how I prepared for my all-digital venture into Project Life for 2014, click here.
And that's all I wrote for Week Two, 2014.
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Project Life™ is a system created by Becky Higgins. To learn more about this approach to saving your memories, click here.
RitaQ says
Thanks for sharing.:) Bam. Finished wk 2 as well – keeping it super simple… one 8.5×11 pg / per wk so far. Actually waiting for this wk to be over so I can go play.
Had to laugh at your layout comment. Have been trying do a paper layout ALL friggin’ wk about my granddaughter’s 1st day of preschool. I’ve been pushing paper around for days. And I hate it! OK, maybe hate is too strong a word BUT since my WORD this yr is ACTION… I’m going to finally admit that I really don’t like paper scrapping & let go of all my paper crap. Purge baby purge. Ahhhh….
Cathy A. says
Cathy..I can so relate to what you are feeling with your daughter. My son is a high school senior this year as well and I feel it all…the excitement, the sadness, the deep breathing and the tears that creep up on me unexpectedly like yesterday when he texted me from homeroom asking how I wanted his name to appear on his diploma! Thanks for sharing your journey.
kris says
I love these list type cards — just noticed them. A great way to journal with some creative prompts. I hope you will continue to make and sell more. This will be a nice addition to my 2014 PL pages.
Sherry G says
Make Cole’s ID CoZ.
cathy says
Yep. Its exciting, but its a real unknown for the parents, too. What will life be like when they dont live with us every day?
cathy says
Kris, I also have another List set:http://www.designerdigitals.com/digital-scrapbooking/supplies/product_info.php/products_id/15636
Macy says
Just wondering if you meant “participle” or “particle”, instead of “this particple list”….
Love all your posts, layout, and clean style!
Lida says
Yes, love white space.
Are you set up for 12×12 or 8×8 for digital pl?
My baby girl is a junior now, so I have a year and a half before my girl leaves home. Pretty melancholy about it like you. Aidan is a great teen.
heidig says
Your “Right Now” cards? Using one per month and making a little mini book for 2014. That’s all I can commit to on the PL front. New glasses? Love them!
RitaQ says
Oh Macy… clever catch. Wondering what Cathy will do for those of us who purchased the set? Haven’t used them yet. Don’t know how to fix it myself. Perhaps Cathy can provide a tutorial?
Thanks
cathy says
Oh SNAP! TYPO!
Susan says
Done with my Week 2 PL too – heavy use of Cathy Z (your) products too which I’m pretty pleased about because it’s right in line with my ‘keep it simple’ style for this years PL.
cathy says
I will replace your cards. Getting them back to the Designer Digitals store now! Hold tight and Ill let you know what to do.
cathy says
12 x 12 : )
Steph says
DITTO! I thought PL was easy LAST year, it’s even easier going digi this year! Thanks, Cathy!!
Cheryl :) says
Oh Cathy. Thank you so much for sharing these things with us. Sometimes I look @ my stash of embellishments and think “What the crap? Where do I start?” My One Little Word for the new year is “Release”…and gonna let that spill over into my scrapbooking! Make it simple. Make it lovely. I love the look you’ve shared with us that will stand the test of time.
Cindy says
Cathy MMEW is agreeing with you…you look great! Love your bright cheery yellow zip up! Congrats on getting back into the pool. That’s the one thing I love to do just for meditating while I swim laps for an hour, but have been putting off going because I a. don’t have a suit and b. don’t want to see myself in the mirror when I have to shop for one and then wear it from the locker room to the pool. Alas, I am finding it hard to get motivated to move forward on that one! On the whole children being out of the house thing…my hubs and I are newly empty nesters and there is a period of sadness and having to find a new normal but that has now transitioned into when the family comes to visit, you look forward to seeing them but also seeing them go! Kind of nice just the two of us to do what we want when we want again!
Karen says
My unsolicited suggestion – make Cole CZ2 (2 annotated as a subscript). Just a thought. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your blog! I have been following you for years!
cathy says
Karen, that is BRILLIANT! Oh man. Love it.
Natalie says
Hi Cathy! Your website was one of the primary reasons for why I am going exclusively digital. I have a quick question, I know you haven’t decided how you are going to print your layouts yet (bound book v. individual pages in sleeves), but for those that require double pages, how would you make that happen if it were in a bound book? Do they print double sided? Sorry if this is a very basic question but 2014 will be my first year and I want to get it right! I’m also digging your wider margin templates!
cathy says
Cindy, I hear you. I had my old suit, so there was no need to try it on. Still, i never swam at this weight before. So, an adjustment. Its all good. Thanks for your insight on the empty nest. I really value other perspectives. : )
Jenny B. says
I have no idea how you do PL in only 30 minutes! It takes me 30 minutes just to decide which photos to use, and maybe edit a couple of them. Sigh… Oh, well… I still love it! 🙂 I appreciate the reminder to take pictures of my boys in their room. I usually think to do it when they’re outside (good light) or eating (sitting still). 🙂
Chris-Ellyn says
I can relate to what you said about Dan being missing from the album so far; I had the same thought about my husband as I put together the first couple of weeks of 2014. Doh!
cathy says
yes, they would print just like a book you would read, double sided. : )
Danielle says
Okay, I know this is probably not the best place to post this, but I didn’t know where else! I am a very frequent stalk…er…visitor of your blog and have fallen off the scrapbooking wagon many times. Or is that jumped on? Not sure. But I was browsing Etsy instead of using my free time while my son sleeps in a productive way, and I came across this featured store post…and…well, if you don’t see it right away(check out the picture of the husband and wife team), then nevermind. But it made me think maybe you were having a bit of fun with the people of Etsy and I just had to share… https://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2014/featured-shop-cinnamon-cocoon/?ref=fp_featured
Anyway, carry on!
cathy says
Ha! too funny!
JenRay says
My kids have the same initials, so we added numbers. It started because my husband is actually a III’d, so he has often gone by F3. His best friends started using C1 and C2 for our kids.
I am still working on my week 2. First year going all digital, and hoping it will also mean the first year of completion. So happy with your templates (although I am using last year’s design.)
SarahJane says
I was reading the initial abbreviations, wondering to myself “Wait, how is she going to differentiate between herself and Cole?” and then, you read my mind, stating that you were well aware of that in your next breathe. I did like the comment from someone above, suggesting that Cole be CoZ. It’s kind of catchy for a teen, don’t you think? 😉 LOVE YOUR BLOG! LOVE PL!!!
Sue Alg says
Cathy, I’ve just started my third year of PL and truly think it is the best thing that ever happened to scrapbooking…besides digital. I, too, am able to complete my pages in 30 minutes. I do at least one 12×12, but more often I have 2 pages and quite often insert pockets.
What I truly love about PL is when I and/or my family members look back at the 2 previous years they are truly in love with the small, everyday “stuff”. As a grandmother with no kids living at home you would think I wouldn’t have a lot of things recorded for just my hubby and I but I do. And, of course, there are many events with my kids and grandkids I get to include.
I also enjoy looking at yours and other pages for new and fresh ideas to use on my own. Thanks
Melanie Routhier says
Love that you’re taking pics of your kids in their rooms. I have one of me @ 17 (I’m now 38) in my room and man that photo cracks me up. My clothes, my hair, the posters on my wall, the box full of nail polish and cassette tapes. Priceless!
cathy says
Yep, thats awesome. : )
cathy says
Yes, Cole will have a new abbreviation!
Sally Kemp says
Hi Cathy, I just wanted to share with you that when my son left for college – 9 hours from home – I was pretty weepy for the first month or so. Now, three years into it, I find myself weepy when he’s home for too long 🙂
As an aside, my husband’s way of dealing with being an empty-nester was to tell all of his friends that we implemented “Naked Wednesdays” at our house. Which was funny, but not true. Hey, whatever helps, right?
Laura says
“it appears he doesn’t live with us anymore” – huge fan of project life but I love reading your posts partly just because your sense of humour never fails to make me laugh.
Anne says
Half an hour? It really takes you just half an hour to put a layout together?
cathy says
I love that, Sally. Although Naked Weekdays may have to wait as Cole is still in 8th grade. LOL! But i fully anticipate an adjustment with a lot of tears on my part.
cathy says
: ) Why thank you, Laura!
cathy says
Anne, many days it does. But… next Monday, I am going to time it from beginning to end, just to back up the process. Heck, maybe Ill do a time lapse screen grab of the process. That could be fun, huh?
Janie says
Cathy – I have played with both hybrid and digital scrapbooking for many years but never got too serious about documenting daily life. My attempts to create a Daily December album failed miserably as I’d start all gung-ho but never get past December 2 or 3. This year I saw your posts and products, and made it a priority. I used the hybrid approach and the Simple Stories 6×8 album and page protectors you had recommended. I finished it and LOVE THIS ALBUM!
Now, I’ve decided I want to try my hand at Project Life. Rather than documenting weekly, I’ll use a monthly format as I believe I’ll have more success if I start there. I read that you are going all-digital for 2014, and I love your new design. While I enjoy creating digitally, I think I’d prefer the hybrid approach. It was fun to be a little hands-on, and I love the instant gratification of designing, printing and placing my photos and journal cards into the page protectors and album.
So (finally), here is my question: While I realize I won’t have the white space included on your new templates, is there any reason I can’t use your products – and your pages as inspiration – to create my own pocket pages? For example, will your new journal cards, etc. be of the 6×4 and 3×4 sizes to fit the 12×12 pocket sheet protectors?
Hope my question isn’t too elementary. I’m very excited and want to get a good start on this project. Thanks always for your humor and the amazing tutorials. I tune in to your blog every day and learn so much. In fact, I installed Dropbox today after reading one of your posts – hallelujah! Now I can get my photos off my iPhone at a reasonable size for printing – thanks again!
cathy says
Janie, all my journal cards are designed in 3 x 4 and 6 x 4 so yes! They will work with traditional pockets. I just size my elements down to fit into my templates. : ) Sounds like you are on a roll!
Christina says
Cathy I love the new design BUT I do miss being able to read your journaling better. Everything is a little small. I love the colours and styles and you’re the reason I’m still scrapping!! Maybe show the templates a little bigger!! Thanks Cathy!!
cathy says
Christina, have you tried clicking on an image to enlarge it and see it in another window?
I guess I used to do zoomed in journal cards. I could start doing that again. Thanks for the feedback.
Anne says
O please do! I just timed myself: it takes me an hour and five minutes. And I do single pages…!
I already learned a lot of shortcuts watching your videos, but apparently I can still learn a lesson or two. 🙂
Dette Ramos says
I love doing Project Life but when I read your post, I realized, how can anybody do it in 30 minutes?! I need to rethink the way I do my PL!
cathy says
I think Im going to time it this time, so I can either prove it or disprove it. I guess I dont put too much stress into the process, so I do it quickly. : )
Rosamia@usa.net says
Hi there Cathy,
I purchased your Life Basics Minimal 12×12 layered templates. I was just wondering if the spots for the larger photos are suppose to be 4×6 or if they are smaller than that. The same for the smaller spaces that look like they should be 3×4 (are these smaller than that too?). I’ve been sizing my photos for 3×4 and 4×6, but when I plop them into their spaces they are too large. I resize them to fit the space, but was just wondering… I sometimes want to do hybrid layouts for my digital project life, if that makes sense, and it would be easier to print out 4×6 photos. Am I clear as mud?
Belinda says
Hi Cathy
Quick question do you print your pages out 12 by 12 and put them in an album or do you print a book at the end of the year?
diane says
Cathy…what size do you use for your font? Is it possible to get the bold for free too? Thanks xx
cathy says
They are not 4×6 and 3 x 4, but they are proportionately smaller. Its hard reduce sizes perfectly to match, but there are very close to the original ratio.
The 6 x 4 slot equals 4.443 x 2.927. The 3 x 4 slot equals 2.18 x 2.927.
cathy says
Last year I had prints made at Persnickety Prints and shipped to me in 12 x 12. This year, I plan to make a digital book at the end of the year, but Im not sure where just yet.
cathy says
You only get Bariol Regular and Regular Italic for free. But the rest of the package has thin, light and bold and you can pay as little as 3 Euro for it, Which is about $4 us. You can get the whole extra package for 6 Euro, about 9 US. I use size 10 on the large journal card and sometimes go down to 9 on the smaller ones.
diane says
thanks cathy