Project Life 2014 | week 17

5 February 2015

Ameliawrites-PL2014-week17

Lo and behold, it’s a Project Life post!

Trust me, I haven’t fallen off the Project Life bandwagon. I’ve just been a little bit slow in putting them together.

I actually have all my photos until September 2014 printed out. Now I just need to sort through photos for the remaining months of 2014 and pick cards for the spreads. Easy, right?

I just need to carve out time to get down to it, womp. And I will soon.

Excuses aside, I finally found time to finish and photograph this spread and I’m glad it’s finally done and in the books. Now moving on to the thirty other spreads I need to do…

Week of: April 21 to 27, 2014

What happened this week: It was a relatively fun/busy week since we got USS passes, went out for dinner, and visited the Tulip Festival.

Because I had quite a few photos from the Tulip Festival, I made an insert to include all the extra photos and memorabilia. This is how the spread looks like with the insert flipped.

For the insert, I trimmed off the last section of a Project Life Design D page protector. I actually like the vertical 4×6 pockets, which don’t happen very often.

Left side (without the insert)

Right side (without the insert)

Other details from the insert:

I pulled some enamel dots, Amy Tangerine Remarks stickers, Dear Lizzy Project Life cards, and Pebbles journaling cards from my stash to help the insert come together and look a little more cohesive.

Techniques used: I used my Instax camera a fair amount this week, so I included all of those polaroid photos.

Thoughts: This week ended up being a nice mix of pastel and bolder colors, which surprisingly worked. And since this week seems like such a long time ago, I’m glad I got all the activities documented.

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Project Life is a memory-keeping system created by Becky Higgins. I’m embarking on this year-long project to document all my memories in 2014. You can see my other Project Life posts here.

All the Memories | 15 memories to document in 2015

2 February 2015

Sometimes, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and busyness of life and forget about the little moments that make up the big moments.

Since this year is all about intentional memory keeping and not letting the moments slip by, I put together a list of 15 (big and small) memories to get you started on your memory keeping.

Look out for these moments and document them in any way you choose!

15 memories to document in 2015:

1. A new experience

2. A new restaurant that you visited

3. The first concert of 2015 that you attended

4. One new food that you tried

5. A new favorite recipe

6. One new country/city/town that you visited

7. One new friendship that you formed

8. Your most-used mode of transportation in 2015

9. Your favorite song (the one that is always on replay)

10. Your favorite drink

11. A funny story/epic memory

12. A new routine

13. One new book that you read and enjoyed

14. One thing you regret doing/not doing

15. One goal you set and achieved for yourself

What other memories do you plan to document this year? Let me know in the comments!

Missed the other posts in this series? You can catch up on them here:

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All the Memories is a blog series talking about all things memory keeping – from memory keeping ideas to answering your questions. This is the year to get those memories documented!

All the Memories | 12 ways to document your memories

26 January 2015

So you’ve decided to start memory keeping (YAY for you!), because it’s obviously a good idea to document your 2015 memories, right?

But what method should you use?

Like I mentioned in my last post, there are seriously so many options for how to document your memories.

These days, I like using Project Life (or pocket scrapbooking) as my chosen documentation method. But more on that in another post on another day.

That said, since I like having options (most of the time anyway), I put together a (non-exhaustive) list of ways that anyone can use to document those precious memories.

And all you have to do is to pick your favorite way and try it!

12 ways to document your memories

1. Mini books/albums

If all other paper projects seem too daunting, just start small with minis first. (I’ve got lots of inspiration here.)

2. Photo books

Photo books are few and far between for me, but for those that I’ve made, I really do love. I also love seeing Ronnie’s beautiful photo/story books.

3. Pocket scrapbooking/Project Life

I’ve mentioned this already, but I couldn’t not include it in the list right? (Full post another day.)

4. Photo collages

This one is so easy and convenient to do, you can literally do it at your fingertips on your smartphone. Just download a photo collage app (like this) and viola! You can do weekly or monthly collages and print them out at the end of the year. Or just whenever you want, really.

5. Picture frames

Since so many things are digital nowadays, I always appreciate looking at a nicely framed photo and holding it in my hands.

6. Daily/weekly/monthly journaling

Try a consistent journaling project for a neat compilation of thoughts and memories at the end of the year. Or do what Elise is doing and just keep a journal, period.

7. Blogging

I still remember the days of angsty teenage posts and blogs. But those days aside, blogging is actually like keeping an online journal, which is a really good way to document with words and photos.

8. Videos

A picture may paint a thousand words, but some videos are just beyond words. Since Youtube and vlogging is kind of a thing right now, you could totally hop on that bandwagon. Just saying.

9. Digital/hybrid projects

If paper isn’t really your thing, try going digital or doing a mix of both. (Paislee Press and One Little Bird are some of my favorite shops.)

10. Scrapbook layouts

This is how I started scrapbooking (again, that’s another story for another day). But layouts are perfect for combining anyone’s love for words, memories, and paper into one project.

11. Social Media

Since I use relatively limited social media nowadays, this isn’t my preferred memory keeping method. But if it works for you, then I say go for it! Better memories documented than none at all.

12. Photo albums

Sometimes, you just need to go back and be old-school by printing photos and slipping them into regular albums. No need to do anything else fancy. Just good old albums. (Remember to go acid- and lignin-free if you want to really preserve your photos though!)

As I always say, there isn’t a right or wrong way to document, just the right way for you.

Let me know which way you’re using to document your 2015 memories, or more memory keeping methods that you have to add to this list!

Missed the other posts in this series? You can catch up on them here:

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All the Memories is a blog series talking about all things memory keeping – from memory keeping ideas to answering your questions. This is the year to get those memories documented!

All the Memories | 5 ways to start memory keeping

19 January 2015

Last week, I shared my reasons for why you should be a memory keeper. With those reasons in mind, the next question you might ask is, How do I to get started?

If you do a quick search for “scrapbooking” or “memory keeping” on Google or Pinterest, it’s easy to soon get lost in all the many possibilities and options available to memory keepers nowadays.

To help you sort through the options, I’ve put together a quick list of my go-to strategies for how you can get started in memory keeping.

So enough talk, it’s time to get started!

Are you ready?

5 ways to start on your 2015 memory keeping:

#1: Take photos.

A lot of my memories are often captured in photos, which become the basis for my memory keeping. If you’re not sure where or how to start, just taking photos of the big and small moments of every day is a good place to begin.

#2: Write down memories.

Even when you don’t have pictures, capturing memories in words is a great way of memory keeping. So just write stuff down.

#3: Choose one way to document those memories.

Since there are so options available, just decide on one memory keeping method and experiment with that. Will you go digital? Or use the ever-popular pocket page scrapbooking? Or are you inclined to mini albums and layouts? Start with one way and figure out if it works for you.

#4: Remember to keep things simple.

Like point #3, while the options are plenty, choose to keep things simple and don’t let yourself get overwhelmed. Start small and expand your options later, if you need/want to.

#5: Have fun!

The memory keeping process shouldn’t be stressful. So pick a method that you enjoy. Once one way starts becoming too stressful, stop and choose another memory keeping method instead.

With these five reasons, just pick one way first and start the memory keeping! Like many things, there is no “right” way of starting, just the way that works for you.

Let me know in the comments what other tips you have for memory keeping!

P.S. This post and this post also have some great tips on beginning memory keeping.

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All the Memories is a blog series talking about all things memory keeping – from memory keeping ideas to answering your questions. This is the year to get those memories documented!

All the Memories | 5 reasons why you should be a memory keeper

12 January 2015

We didn’t realize we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun.

That’s how 2015 started for me – making memories with my favorite people without even realizing it.

And now that we’re back to the routine of life, I look back fondly on those memories and feel immensely grateful for all the memories we made, and how those memories will soon be documented in my albums for us to look back on.

And that’s what makes me love being a memory keeper: Recording the moments and stories that would otherwise be lost and forgotten.

I anticipate making many more memories in 2015, and I don’t want them to just disappear with time.

That’s why I’m choosing to be intentional about memory keeping in 2015. And so should you.

5 reasons why you should be a memory keeper:

#1: Memory keeping helps us to remember what we would otherwise forget.

We all have a tendency to forget, which is the very reason why we should document. Since we’re only a couple of weeks into the New Year, now is the perfect time to start documenting 2015 before the year slips by. With memory keeping, you don’t have to look back at 2015 and wonder where the year went because you will have it all documented.

#2: Memory keeping teaches us to embrace life.

Because life is full of ups and downs, good and bad things, memory keeping has taught me to embrace even the not-so-good moments of life and give them a place in my albums, if needed.

#3: Memory keeping gives life new perspective.

Instead of seeing the every day as routine and boring, memory keeping lets me look at the every day with new eyes and gives me a greater appreciation of today. This is especially true since life changes and I anticipate my every day routine being different even just a couple of years from now. With memory keeping, I learn to be thankful for all that happens and what gets documented.

#4: Memory keeping lets me tell my story.

I love hearing a good story and I love that memory keeping lets me tell mine.

#5: Memory keeping lets me express myself.

Whether through photos or writing, memory keeping lets me express myself creatively, which is one of the many reasons why I choose to be a memory keeper.

And there you have it! Five reasons why you should be a memory keeper.

Now is the perfect time to be thinking about how you will document this year’s memories. If you’re still on the fence about memory keeping this year, don’t hesitate and jump in now!

After all, there is truth in what Karen Lamb said:

“A year from now, you will wish you had started today.”

Don’t wait for one year from now. Start today.

P.S. I also liked this post on memory-keeping.

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All the Memories is a blog series talking about all things memory keeping – from memory keeping ideas to answering your questions. This is the year to get those memories documented!

Project Life 2014 | week 15

2 December 2014

As promised, I’m sharing more of the Project Life spreads that I managed to finish over the last weekend.

Oh, these weeks seem like such a long, long time ago. And rightly so, because they happened in April earlier this year and we’re already in December.

Anyhow, I skipped week 14 because I have almost no photos for that week and I’m still trying to figure out how I am going to fill up the 12×12 spreads.

Week of: 7 to 13 April

What happened this week: A new blog layout, dinners with friends, and some happy mail.

Left-hand side

This pocket is also a flip card, which I used to add more food photos underneath.

Right-hand side

The yellow tag is a printable from Studio Calico, and the stamps are from Heidi Swapp and Kelly Purkey.

Definitely can’t get enough of those gold stickers from MAMBI!

Techniques: Nothing particularly new, besides using cards from Dear Lizzy’s Daydreamer kit, which tied everything together nicely. Plus, I loved including the printable from Olya in this week’s spread.

Thoughts: I especially loved the color scheme this week – colorful, bright, and happy. It was a good week.

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Project Life is a memory-keeping system created by Becky Higgins. I’m embarking on this year-long project to document all my memories in 2014. You can see my other Project Life posts here.