I wasn’t planning on doing it.
Someone emailed me last week asking if I was going to participate in Ali Edwards’ Week in the Life™ this year and I was all, “No, I have too much work to even see straight.” That and I figured how many shots of me unshowered and in my pajamas do I really need in any given scrapbook.
And then I remembered.
I’ve only done this project once, back in 2010. (See the album results here)
I remember liking the process well enough, but over the past four years, I just never got geared up to do it again.
So at the last minute, I decided, “What the hell!” and committed to this project for the week. I pulled out my 2010 album this morning and it was like looking into a time capsule of a very different time in my life. I felt moments of joy and moments of sadness. I felt pride for the people my children are becoming, but a mourning for the kids that they used to be. I felt grateful for the things that have changed as well as the things that remained the same. Honestly, I was surprised by the emotion that hit me right in the feels.
So I’m in for 2015. I’m taking a metric ton of photos (mostly with my phone). I got Ali’s 6 x 6 template set and will also add a few of my own into the mix. I will take notes all week long using Ali’s Daily Sheets and then I’ll compile everything digitally when it’s all over. The final step will be to send all pages out to print, then combine them all into a Simple Stories album I’ve had in my office for a while.
Will it be repetitive? Yes.
Will it be fun? I think so.
Will it be something that throws the switch on my emotions years from now? Absolutely.
Here’s to a Week in the Life. Thanks, Ali, for the inspiration.
Lynn says
Yes, yes and YES! You’ve put my exact feeling so very well. I love this project but often don’t REALLY commit to it until I revisit how the prior, partially completed in come cases, attempts make me FEEL. Looking forward to seeing your posts and progress this week.
Patti L says
Love your approach! Glad to see you joining in.
Barb says
I totally understand the mixed emotions thing… I get that way EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I look at my regular albums. I am playing along with Heidi Swapp’s #hsCaptureLife prompts on Instagram, and I suspect that will serve as a time capsule in a similar fashion. A snapshot of the month of August… some days have some really soul-baring journalling already, even though the prompts didn’t necessarily call for it. I think I will just send the whole thing straight to print as a mini book when the month is over. Even if mine are the only set of eyes to lay sight to that book, it will all be worthwhile.
Mireille says
I decided to jump on board at the last minute as well! Have done this project once before back in 2008. And since I just finished my Abridged Version I gave myself permission to take on a new project 😉 Look forward to see your pictures and pages. You always inspire me!
Luly Gonzalez says
I just decided as well. I have the same problem, except its how many pictures at work can I get.. but nonetheless I want to capture my life now before my kids get any older, and my life less rich with the chaos of being needed. Thanks Cathy for this affirmation that I made the right decision!
Jenny B. says
I’m glad you’re doing it! I am feeling bad today because I’m not doing it. I’ve done it for the past five years (five? I think.). Anyway, I just couldn’t get myself psyched up enough to do it. Tomorrow is the first day of school and my father-in-law is having open heart surgery 3 hours away. I feel overwhelmed! Ugh. I tried to tell myself this morning that I would only regret not doing, and never regret doing it, but I still wasn’t feeling it. Maybe I will try to do it next week. Anyway, have fun with it! 🙂
Jenny B. says
So… I changed my mind. I’m in too. Maybe Monday just won’t be as detailed as the rest of the week. 😉
StephJ says
I will live vicariously through you this year, Cathy! I have done it three times, and really enjoyed it, plua I LOVE looking back at my albums. But the timing doesn’t work for me this year. I’m leaving on a trip on Friday which I will be scrapbooking when I come back, PLUS still trying to keep up with Project Life, and I just feel like it will be way too much to keep up with, so not this time. Ali said that she will probably be doing it again in the spring, so I think that I will jump on board then. I’m trying not to feel guilty about missing it, but in a few weeks if I really feel like I want to do it, I will just pick up my camera and do it by myself!
Keianna says
Boy those kids look young. So much has changed. I have done the project 3 times bf, but feel too behind on other things to take it on. I think my PL is stuck in April :-/
Laurie says
Think how glad you’ll be years from now (decades?) that you did it.
Maureen says
I said the same thing. I’m in!
Christina says
Oh finally I was getting worried that you wouldn’t join us!! BTW typo ali’s albums are 6×8 not 6×6.
Kim says
My first year and I’ve set alarms on my phone to remind me to take pictures at least every 2 hours. Not sure how that’s going to work when school starts Thursday and I’m a teacher, but I’m going to try to keep up with it. Super excited!
Christine K. says
So glad to hear that you are playing along. The last time I did this was 2011. Things are really different now in my universe since 2011.
Katie Jones says
I have never done this one before, but I am stoked to be taking part this year! So cool that you will also be doing it, two of my favourite girls documenting their lives along at the same time as me 🙂
I’m thinking this will be mega fun to look back at in a few years when my little boy isn’t 3 any more and doesn’t come in at 6.30 for snuggle time! (He’s not supposed to now, but he refused to go back in his own bed this morning!) It will remind me when he’s a teenager that he did get out of bed early once upon a time… 😉
Have a great week, and I hope you can share some of it with us xxx
P.S. You’re in my WITL documentation now – I took a pic of your post and of me reading it, thought that would be fun to add into my album!
Maureen says
I debated about doing it or not then decided to go ahead and do it. And now I am kind of regretting making the commitment to do it (I prepped my book already to make it easier to put together this coming Sunday). I spent the majority of my time at work, in front of a computer and Work is work – it all looks the same from where I sit. The only thing different in my day to day routine is what the marketing piece on my screen is. I started ours on Sunday and it seemed to focus a lot on our pup Daisy, as did my pictures from yesterday evening. So maybe this years will be Daisy’s week in the life instead. Trying not to throw in the towel on it but very much doubt if I will do it again after this year… at least not for several years in between anyway.
Tracy says
I give you guys credit; I thought about joining for about 5 seconds. Then I remembered that this particular August is crazy busy, and I just couldn’t get myself to jump in to something else. I look forward to seeing what everyone else does.
Laura G. says
I’m saving my creative energy for December Daily…yep, already thinking about the papers I want to use…do I want to purchase new …Pink Paislee has some really cute new stuff called Yuletide…or do I want to go through my stash and pre make an album?
Kathy says
This is my 6th year and it’s one of my favourite projects. It is full on but so worth it in the end. Glad you got your old WITL to look through. Regards Kathy A, Brisbane, Australia