2013 Project Life 365: Week 8 - Balance

Project Life Week 9 is (almost) done! Hurray! I had a lot of fun this week.

Another week with inserts. This time I had four inserts and I have one more to add (I'll show you next time). Last week I mentioned that every week in Project Life I feel like there are many things that I want to add but I don't manage to. I typically run out of time.

Well, this week, I  stepped it up a bit and added a ton of stuff.

It did take me a lot longer than last week. But that is OK. Some weeks are simple and short. Other weeks are more involved and take a long time. As we Project Lifers know, this project allows that kind of flexibility. It can change from week to week or day to day, right?

I participated in Ali Edwards' Day in the Life project this month. (I wrote about it in this post.) Even though, I wasn't pleased with how many pics I took or the amount of detail I recorded, I'm glad I completed the project.

For me doing that acts as a type of warm-up. I think the annoyance at myself in not doing it in a way that excites me will motivate me to do it right the next time. So, if all works out, I will do it again next month.

Have you done a Day in the Life project this year or do you plan to?

Here is the other side of my Day in the Life insert. My printer was running out of ink so I printed it in black & white but it still ran out - thus it looks as if the toaster oven is on fire and so is my son's breakfast! I just got more ink today and will be reprinting!!

The other insert is journaling from my Oh Life entries. (Oh Life is a free service that sends you an email each day, you respond with your daily entry. It is easy to download your records any time you want!) I printed them up on a 8.5x11 sheet of cardstock, folded it in half and put it in an 8.5x11 page protector that I stitched up using my sewing machine. I trimmed off the extra and will use it for a future insert.

This is the other side of the Oh Life insert. I made the Heart House stamp on the bottom. To see the other stamps I designed, go here and to see how I made them (so easy!), go here. Check out my other Project Life layouts this year if you are interested to see how I've used them each week. I think they've made it in all but one layout in 2013.

Here is yet another birthday insert. This is the third birthday celebration in my album so far this year and it is only early March! I've started a sort of theme - all include a 3x4 "Happy Birthday" card with my banner stamp & my cupcake stamp and the last two birthdays include a decorative label sticker with the birthday person's age and a heart.

I'm liking that consistencey and sub-theme throughout my album.

The other side of the birthday insert includes photos from an event at my son's elementary school.

And then the next insert is from an after school event for my other sons' middle school.

And here is the other side tha includes a ticket and photo of the son that was on the team.

And finally the right side of the layout. Here I am using the baseball stitching stamp again. Yet another sub-theme (baseball) I am finding myself using throught my album (twice so far).

Another one that I used the past two weeks was a movie camera stamp I use any time I have photos of my kids filming movies as they love to do. You'll see that one again in Week 10!

Here is a close-up of my 3x4 Birthday card with banner stamp.

A close up of the Heart House stamps.

And finally a close-up of the birthday age label.

BALANCE

The lesson for me this week, was to remember that life & Project Life is all about balance. Some weeks (sometimes many weeks), my layouts will be simple and quick and I won't have the time to put everything I want into the spread.

What is important for me to remember is that all is not lost! There will come a time when I can get a lot of stuff in my layout! And I can go back and add an insert in past weeks (I did that this week - adding in an insert full of my sons' second grade Valentine's). Who said it all has to be done NOW?!

INSPIRATION & A FREEBIE

That's all for this week, but before I sign off, I wanted to tell you about an adorable free download at Amanda Rose's blog. It's a really cute Week in Review journaling card. And while you are there, check out her Day in the Life for February - I love how she executed it. I hope to channel her dedication, energy & creativity for DAY IN THE LIFE at the end of this month! 

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a great week.

 

To see all of my Project Life layouts of the past few years, go here.

I'm linking up at The Mom Creative for Project Life Tuesday.

Check it out for lots of PL inspiration! Don't know what Project Life is? Go to Becky's blog for more information.

 

And this past Saturday, March 9, my Project Life Week 8 layout was featured here. Please stop by to check it out! Thanks! 

PINTEREST

Do you have a Project Life board on PINTEREST? If so, leave me a link to your board in the comments and I'll follow you. I love finding more friends to share inspriation. If you'd like to check out my Project Life board, go here. And here's a link to my PROJECT LIFE FREEBIES board as well

 

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Comments

[Andrea]

Lots of cute stamps. It's great to see boys in the kitchen. Looks like a fun but busy week. What I wouldn't give to go to the beach right about now.

[Louise]

these pages are wonderful...the key to such a huge project is to enjoy it, I would think. love the little elements you've used.

[Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie]

Thank you so much, Louise!

[Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie]

Thank you. Yes, some of my boys like to cook more than others. I try to get them as independent as possible, since I like to get out of cooking as often as possible! :) I enjoy it, just not everyday.

[Sue]

So awesome!! Love that little house stamp :)

[Cerise]

I just love looking at your layouts each week. They are so well done. My youngest was on my lap looking at your post and saw the picture of the beach...he is now demanding to go. :o) Sounds like a marvelous idea to me.

[eek!]

Great pages! Looks like you had a very full week :)

[Nirupama]

Wow! You are one busy family. I love all the washi tape and stamping. I got a pack of those wood veneers at Michael's too. The quality is great, definitely worth a buy!

[Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie]

I just went back! They werent on sale after all but the price was great anyway and I used my coupon so even better. Other items of the same brand were 50%. Thanks for the inspiration and your comment. Im happy to hear the quality is good.

[Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie]

Thanks! With three kids, that seems to be the norm these days.

[Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie]

You are too nice.Im glad you like them. And tell your son to come to the beach any time. Its lots of fun scare the sea gulls!

[Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie]

Thank you!

[Anita]

I love the Day in a life insert!

[Fiona]

Great pages! I love the baseball shot. Your boys sure are busy and active! How do you blur out faces like that? I just keep rubbing them out, but I think they look kinda freaky ;)

[Charlotte]

wow - I love this spread - so much going on. You've been very busy! :) I absolutely LOVE your homemade stamps! I will have to browse your blog to see how you create them. And I like your idea with the age of the one who has birthday and a heart. Very cute. :) Thanks for the inspiration! :)

[Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie]

Hi Fiona, I use the smudge tool in Photoshop. In fact, I only recently figured out how to do it. Check out this post a few weeks back - scroll to the bottom and it shows a screen shot of the tool. http://xnomads.typepad.com/blog/2013/02/2013-project-life-365-week-5-journaling.html

[Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie]

Thanks!

[Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie]

Thanks, Charlotte! Spring has been very busy. The homemade stamps are a lot of fun and really super easy. Here is the link to my "how-to" http://xnomads.typepad.com/blog/2013/01/how-to-make-your-own-cool-stamps-from-craft-foam-super-fun-super-easy-super-cheap.html%20 Let me know if you make any yourself - I would love to see them!

[Rebekah]

Wonderful pages yet again! And congrats on getting featured!! I'm so behind keeping up with my blog commenting, I'm sorry....mojo is so low lately!!

[Amanda Rose Zampelli]

Thanks a bundle for the 'shout out'! Great spread!