Friday Favorites no. 082 | Links from the week

Happy Friday!

Now that I have a full-time day job, I especially love weekends. And this weekend is no different.

So while the weekends don’t always seem to last as long as they should, I’m doing a happy dance and soaking it in anyway.

Have a super rad weekend, xx.

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Life is often full and busy. But I like to take time to enjoy some of my favorite things. So Friday Favorites is a weekly series where I share my favorite(s) for the week. Check out my other Friday Favorites here.

Scrapbook Evolution

What has become of traditional scrapbooking? Discussing facets of scrapbook evolution

Remember when I used to scrap traditional 12×12 scrapbook layouts?

As I was organizing and looking through my blog archives one day, I started reminiscing about all the traditional scrapbooking layouts I used to make before Project Life came into the picture and I sorta “gave up” on traditional scrapbooking. Back in 2012, I even had a whole project going where I made one project a week!

But I daresay it’s been a whole three years since I last made a traditional 12×12 scrapbook page. And truth be told, I actually don’t really miss traditional scrapbook layouts very much at all. I love watching scrapbookers and their creative processes for creating bigger 12×12 pages – it’s still inspiring!

I’ve since discovered that the fun of scrapbooking for me is being able to document my memories whilst being creative. Since I felt as if I would never get “caught up” with documenting through traditional layouts, pocket scrapbooking has been the perfect solution for me.

Once in awhile, I miss making bigger pages. But for the most part, I’m thoroughly embracing pocket page scrapbooking and how it is working for my life right now. And when I need a “large-scale” project, mini albums give me the right fix when I feel I need to work on something bigger.

Through the years, scrapbooking has evolved, but it’s taken on so much more than just scrapbooking in the traditional sense – which has been incredible to watch. Some trends have come and gone, and others have become a permanent part of the industry. Recently, the planner worlds and scrapbook worlds have overlapped and I love seeing the expansion of creativity since these two industries collided, and options are no longer limited to a 12×12 sheet of paper.

So while I no longer scrap 12×12 pages for this season, they will always hold a special place in my heart. I will forever appreciate how they started me on memory keeping and playing with paper, gave me a love for creativity and experimenting with techniques, and combined my love for documenting with paper.

Here’s to many more years of documenting and memory keeping, no matter what shape or form.

How has scrapbooking evolved for you?

What you need to know about documenting your year

What you need to know about documenting your year

Have you decided on how you are documenting your year? If you’re anything like me, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the incredible number of available options, especially when you’re trying to make a decision (I laid out twelve options here).

With SO many documenting options nowadays, what it really comes down to is just making this whole memory keeping thing work for you.

Before I shared my 2016 memory keeping plans on the blog last week, I actually ran through various options in my head before settling on pocket scrapbooking because it’s what works for me now. But really, there are plentiful options to choose from.

So how are you going to decide on your best option? Here are five things to consider (in no particular order):

  1. Cost

    What is your memory keeping budget? Is it something you are able to spend money on this year? How much do you want to spend on memory keeping supplies? The cost of documenting can be as little as a notebook from your stationery store, or as much as a fancy scrapbook album with all the extra frills – you get to choose.

  2. Supplies

    What supplies will you use? How readily available are these supplies in your area? Would you have to spend an exorbitant amount on shipping? Do you have supplies that you want to use up? Or are you starting from scratch?

    You don’t need a ton of supplies to start documenting, so choose a method/system that fits the supplies you have or are willing to get.

  3. Lifestyle

    What roles do you have? Are you a homemaker? A student? A working adult? Consider your lifestyle and schedule, and choose a documenting option that is realistic, but also inspires, excites, and sparks your creativity.

  4. Storage space

    Since I live in an apartment, storage is something I constantly need to consider, whether it’s space for my supplies or for completed albums. If you don’t need to consider space, then maybe the sky’s your limit! Otherwise, you may consider going smaller or documenting sans albums.

  5. End goal.

    As Stephen Covey says, “Begin with the end in mind.” What do you want to achieve with your scrapbooking? How much detail do you want to document? Having clear goals will eliminate certain options and clarify others.

It’s never too late to start documenting your year – I’m remembering to not let those precious memories slip by me!

Leave a question or comment, and let me know what your considerations are when decide on how to document your year.

Friday Favorites no. 081 | Links from the week

Weekly favorites by Amelia Writes

Woohoooo for the (almost) weekend and another round up of my favorites this week.

The beginning of this week seemed to crawl by, but now I can hardly believe that it’s already Friday!

I don’t have anything too exciting planned for this weekend aside from a couple of meet-ups, but that’s just the way I like it.

What are you looking forward to this weekend? xx.

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Life is often full and busy. But I like to take time to enjoy some of my favorite things. So Friday Favorites is a weekly series where I share my favorite(s) for the week. Check out my other Friday Favorites here.

2016 Memory Keeping Plans

Ideas for memory keeping in 2016

Can you believe we’re already more than halfway through January?

It’s easy to let the days slip by, and before you know it, we’ve circled the sun yet another time and stand at the beginning of another brand-new year.

Before that happens again, I knew I wanted to capture the memories and moments of 2016 and document them somehow (in addition to the work-in-progress albums from 2014 and 2015). But I also truly wanted to make this year the one where I hold a complete album at the end of 2016.

I loved reading about different plans that fellow bloggers had for documenting 2016  – from notebooks, to photobooks and stories, to sticking to good ol’ Project Life whether in 6×12, 9×12 or 12×12 size.

After contemplating various ideas, I eventually came up with my memory-keeping plan for 2016.

Here we go!

  1. Stick with 12×12 and Design A page protectors.

    Originally, I contemplated downsizing my Project Life album for 2016. But since I am hoping to use up my stash instead of getting new supplies, I decided to stick with the 12×12 size, of which I have plenty of supplies for.

  2. Document weekly with one page a week (for a start).

    I contemplated going monthly, but I truly enjoy the structure that weekly documenting gives me. So I’m sticking with weekly 12×12 spreads and using one side per page instead.  This removes the stress of having to complete two whole 12×12 spreads and reduces bulk (I have limited real estate to store my albums!). Since I started working this year, I anticipate my everyday not being super exciting, so I think one 12×12 spread per week will be good enough. If I need to, I’ll include inserts for times that need it.

  3. Go with the flow.

    This is a big part of my plan since I don’t have anything mind-blowing or innovative in my 2016 plan.

  4. Consistently document and prepare photos for printing.

Most of my memory keeping plan this year is similar to what I did last year, which I shared in much more detail here.

This is just the plan so far, because honestly, I’m not sure if I have enough oomph or excitement to keep up with this project. But since I want to have some sort of structure, coupled with flexibility, in my memory-keeping, I’m sticking with Project Life in the hopes of helping me to actually get it done..

I’m totally open to switching things up along the way this year if I need to, especially if I eventually come up with something better as the year progresses. And with the Project Life app for Android finally being released next month, my memory keeping method may be completely revolutionized this year, you never know.

But for now, I’m ready to document 2016.

How are you approaching memory-keeping in 2016?

P.S. Unsure where to even start documenting your year? Check out my All the Memories series and other memory keeping posts here.

Friday Favorites no. 080 | Links from the week

Amelia Writes | Weekly Friday Favorites

Ahh, Fridays! I have a new-found excitement for Fridays and I am constantly reminded to enjoy weekends to the fullest.

Hope you guys have a super rad one xx.

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Life is often full and busy. But I like to take time to enjoy some of my favorite things. So Friday Favorites is a weekly series where I share my favorite(s) for the week. Check out my other Friday Favorites here.

Living with purpose – 5 things you need to know about setting goals

5 ways to achieve your goals in 2016

With the turn of the New Year, I’ve read and loved plenty of posts about setting goals and making plans that stick throughout the year. While I am a big believer in goal-setting (I shared my own in this blog post last week), I’m also anticipating that 2016 will be a season of transition and change in my life.

So while setting goals to help me stay on track, I’m also keeping the flip side of goal-setting in mind, and having an open mind to whatever may come; the world is my oyster and I am remembering to be open to the possibilities and opportunities that 2016 will bring.

Here’s what I’m remembering as I measure out my goals and work through them this year:

  1. Be realistic.

    Set goals that are challenging, yet achievable. Don’t set yourself up for failure.

  2. Don’t be afraid to fail.

    This year, I might “fail” at achieving my goals. But regardless of what happens, I want to look back on the year and know that I tried my best and worked hard to achieve my goals, even if I don’t end up fully achieving them. As I’ve been told, don’t be afraid to fail; be afraid to not try.

  3. Be flexible.

    Life is bound to change, and when it does and the goals you made earlier are no longer relevant to your life, don’t be afraid to adjust your goals to suit whatever you are going through at that time.

  4. Know your priorities.

    I have so many things I want to do and achieve. But in line with being realistic, I’ve sorted through and prioritized my list of goals to achieve what matters most.

  5. Enjoy the ride.

    There is a sense of accomplishment in achieving goals. But it isn’t just about the end result of achieving goals as much as it is about the journey, the process, and how I learn and grow from it all.

How are you doing with your 2016 goals, twelve days into the new year? Let me know in the comments!

Here’s to 2016 being the best year yet. I’ve got a good feeling about this.

Friday Favorites no. 079 | links from the week

Weekly favorites | Amelia Writes

We made it to the end of the first full week of 2016 – woohoo! Complete with a roundup of my weekly favorites.  What a week it’s been but I’m so glad it’s the weekend and I’m excited for all that the rest of January has in store.

Have a wonderful weekend xx.

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Life is often full and busy. But I like to take time to enjoy some of my favorite things. So Friday Favorites is a weekly series where I share my favorite(s) for the week. Check out my other Friday Favorites here.

Living with purpose | Looking ahead to my 2016 goals

Living with purpose - Amelia's 2016 goals

Like I promised on Monday, I am back to share my 2016 goals with you today!

For a long time, I stopped making resolutions for a new year. Instead, I started setting goals and having intentions as I embrace my love for the new year, with its hope of beginnings and fresh starts.

With that, I was eager to set goals for 2016.

This year, I used the Live Your Legend Goal Setting Workbook to help me see the big picture and determine my goals for 2016. I loved the specific steps and thought-provoking questions listed.

I’m also hoping to use the Weekly Planning Workbook at the end of each week to help me evaluate my week and review my progress towards my goals.

But back to goals, here are my goals for six areas of my life this year:

Area: Goals:
Knowledge / Continued learning Listen to 2 podcasts each week.

Read 1 new book each month.

Improve my Thai.
Creating & Documenting Use Project Life to document 2016 in one album. (More details on my plan for this soon!)

Finish half-done projects.

Complete purchased online classes.
Health & Fitness Work out at least 3 times a week.

Run my personal best at a half-marathon.
Social Media & Blogging Write and publish 2 high-quality content blog posts each week.

Send monthly newsletters to my email subscribers.

Instagram daily
Spiritual Walk Have daily Quiet Time.

Serve in one area at church.
Daily Habits Early wake up

Journal

Some of these goals overlap into other categories since I tried to limit myself to 1 to 3 goals for each area. But for the most part, I think these goals settle nicely into their respective areas.

After I worked through my goals in detail, I’m pleased, excited and just a little nervous to see how well I achieve my goals this year! And I totally appreciate you for following along with me.

What are your goals for 2016? How are you putting them into action?

The Magic of Beginnings

onelittlebird-thrive-byameliang2

“And suddenly you know… It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.”

– Meister Eckhart

Woohoo, welcome to 2016!

I’ve been gone from this blog (and really, just social media in general) for way too long but the new year is the perfect opportunity to begin again and I’m glad to finally be back!

During the last quarter of 2015, I started student teaching and soon realized that I couldn’t do it all. So I hit the pause button on some things (like social media), in order to thrive and keep up with other things (like real life). The focus shift to real, unedited life explains my absence from any sort of social media.

Looking back now, 2015 was a big year for me personally and professionally. I got this blog on an official “dot com”, graduated from school, created and documented many memories, formed new friendships and deepened others, tried new things, learned new lessons, and gained fresh experiences, amidst other exciting adventures.

Looking forward, I’m excited for what 2016 has in store, including big blog goals, more documenting and creating, and another year on the One Little Bird Creative Team.

I’ve missed writing, creating and community but I’m excited to face 2016 with big dreams, grand plans and achievable goals.

Stay tuned to read more about my 2016 goals later this week!

Happy sparkle-filled New Year, friends.