Last week I gathered photos and stories to participate in the annual memory keeping extravaganza known as Ali Edwards’ Week in the Life™. The last time I did this project—and the only time—was back in 2010.
I had a lot of fun with it for the first four days or so, then I got a little lazy. It happens.
I decided to create 6 x 8 digital pages using Ali’s set and her word art, combined with a few sets of mine. (This one and this one.)
I’m going to print my pages at Persnickety Prints, then pop them into a Simple Stories album. Neat and tidy.
Today I’m sharing the first few days of the album. As I finish the rest, I’ll post them, too!
I went with a black and white color theme, especially for the first pages of each day’s section. I enlarged Ali’s dates and screened them back for a simple graphic effect.
I used Ali’s word art from her set and popped it into my own templates.
I used this template set to create my own journal cards and then cut apart Ali’s dates to use as well. This created a simple repetition from the first page from each day.
Note: I know it’s Barnett. I left it as is because all I could recall was it sounded like Barten, which made me think of Barton Fink. Which makes me giggle.
Aaaand repeat!
Teen-aged boys LOVE Week in the Life!
I used the Archer font for my journaling and shot 75% of the images using my iPhone 6.
I also wore my new Costco sweat shirt thingie for at least three days. In fact, I have it on as I type. Side note: it is the SOFTEST thing ever.
I worked on each set of pages within a day of the day in question. I knew that if I didn’t jot down some notes, I’d forget stuff. I could have taken notes, but I was too lazy. So I just typed up from memory before it was gone.
I try to be as truthful as I can on projects like this. What’s really going on in my life, that sort of thing. Right now, there’s a lot revolving around finances and big life changes. And so it goes.
More pages coming as I finish ’em.
You can still join in and do this project! Maybe the official time frame has passed, but weeks keep coming, right? Learn more today on Ali’s blog!
NOTE: See my Part Two of this project here.
SUPPLIES:
Ali Edwards Week in the Life 6 x 8 No. 02
Six by Eights Layered Templates No. 04
Six by Eights Layered Templates No. 05
Holly Corbett says
This looks great! Wonderful job! But, when you said things may change for your at home work life – that scares me! What would I do without CZ Design throughout my scrapbooks???
heidig says
I love this project and the way you documented. Always great inspiration from your blog. Thanks Cathy!
Jacquie says
I absolutely love your approach to WITL! I was totally lame in taking photos, especially of myself, but like you said “it is what it is.” I think you will be very pleased with yourself in years to come that you jumped onto the WITL bandwagon.
Shanon Gibson says
I love your take on this project. So simple and streamlined. I took the photos, lost steam on the weekend but I still have enough to make it work. I’m not against running through the house and snapping a few extra photos of things this week to beef up the weekend. My kids rooms are always messy so I’m sure they look the same as they did Saturday morning. Now, I need to sort through the photos and print them out.
Jenny B. says
Cathy, this is awesome. You are awesome. Your whole family is awesome. 🙂 I know having random moms on the internet comment on Cole’s appearance is probably not #1 on his list of favorite things, but man… he is looking SO grown up! And he looks so much like Dan. Also, I don’t want to think about Goofy Land crashing down inside my boy’s brain. Ugh. Time. I may have missed it, but have you shared Aidan’s plan? I didn’t know she was going away to school again. I bet she’s an awesome nanny. Looking forward to seeing the next WITL installment!
Yolanda says
Photos + stories + type. So often that is all I want to do, but I get so distracted by how coolawesomebeautiful other people’s pages look, that I start to doubt my own instinct. Thanks for the reminder (once again) that beauty is in having the story told.
And Cole’s face on the Tuesday cover: priceless.
Laurie says
What a wonderful way to record the small moments in life. And the big ones. You’ll be so happy you have these someday. Beautiful job.
Barbara says
I love your style on all of your projects. This one is so amazing! Also love your blog posts & look forward to reading them. 🙂
Lee says
I am always in awe of how you manage to make memory projects so manageable and real. I’ve elected to move my WITL to next month as last week was NOT typical – we went to see Brené Brown in Nashville (which brought a lot of reflection on our trip to Minneapolis to see Maya Angelou – and you!) AND it seems car shopping is in the air as Claire just got her first new set of wheels (not just new to her, but new new). Thank you, as always, for your inspiration and making everything so accessible! xoL
Cathy Zielske says
I saw your pics! So fun. 🙂
Michelle t says
Thanks for sharing. Yeah, teenage boys aren’t really up for this sort of thing. I’m lucky, my boys are fairly tolerant of me, I give plenty of advance warning. (You know, I’ll start mentioning it a few days before. ) One’s a little easier than the other, of course. Anyway, great stuff. Michelle t
Marina says
Your pictures and words always bring a smile to my face. I just love how your voice always shines through in both mediums. =)
Judi says
Cathy, your clean and simple lines are so refreshing and fun to look at. What a great take on this project. I particularly enjoyed reading your page on “observations” and “gratitude” etc. and that you made your own topic , if needed. I pretty much just ignored those pages, but I may have to re-think that . Love your honest, no BS comments. You are awesome.
AbbyP says
**deep sigh**… I wish I had filled those sheets out more completely – I LOVE how you are typing them up. Maybe I’ll just try to remember what I was grateful for those days – definitely don’t remember over-hearing much — 19- and 23-year-old boys are suspiciously quiet when I’m within ear-shot! Awesome pages – true to your motto of keeping the crap out of scrapbooking. Love it.
S Hurst says
Love your brutal honesty and willingness to acknowledge your fears and insecurities.
Cathy Zielske says
🙂 I figure, it’s part of life.
Sue Treiber says
I bought the same Costco blanket for my daughter to take to college. She has barely taken it off in the last 5 days.
Cathy Zielske says
They make the BEST blankets.
Shawn says
Love, Love, Love, your black & white opening pages!
I had not thought about doing this project until seeing those pages.
Juanita says
Hi Cathy,
I love your templates. I already have one and am thinking about getting the other one. I really like the way the photos have a frame around them! My question is how do you get Ali’s word art on them? Do you have a tutorial you can point me to?
Cathy Zielske says
Hi Juanita!
I don’t have a tutorial on that per se. I just drag Ali’s word art layer into the doc I am working on. 🙂 Does that help?
Juanita says
Thanks Cathy, I’ll give its try.
Jeanne W says
I love everything about these pages, especially the recap page. And your honesty! You rock!