Can I just tell you how excited I am that you’re so excited? Thank you for your advanced enthusiasm about PROJECT LIFE. Here’s the scoop. We’ve been working so hard on getting everything perfect for you. The product itself, as well as the process in ordering the product.

That said, we are in the final stages of wrapping up several details in order to launch PROJECT LIFE soon. Soon could mean tomorrow. It could mean a couple more days. We want to make sure everything is just perfect. I want to also answer a burning question on many of your minds: Will this PROJECT LIFE concept be available in digital format?

YES. More details to come of course, but you should know that we are working on developing the digital product as well.

Now let’s talk about those holiday cards, shall we? I mentioned that I have a solution for you. This solution will be a free downloadable holiday card. Five designs to choose from in 2 different sizes. You’ll be able to use any photo editing software to drop your digital picture in the card. Here’s a sneak preview:

So when can you get your hands on this freebie? As soon as we launch PROJECT LIFE. What are you obligated to do in order to get the free downloads? Nothing. Just wanted to help you out & alleviate some stress from the holiday season. You will soon be able to check that off your to-do list. That sounds pretty merry to me. : )

So. Some exciting things happening around here. As always, stay tuned.

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Women need women. I am so grateful for the influence of such remarkable women in my life. Older, younger, near and far. I am surrounded by amazing people. This weekend, 10 of us gathered from 5 different states, crashed Karolyn’s house, did some serious bargain shopping, made a bazillion necklaces for our daughters (you’re seeing a fraction of the completed ones), painted, mod-podged, sewed, ate, talked, and decided sleep was unnecessary for the weekend.

I’m exhausted and yet totally rejuvenated. I am ready to be a better wife & mother & homemaker. And … speaking of ready … I’m getting ready to launch PROJECT LIFE. Yes, I’ll be telling you more. Yes, you’ll be seeing the full product. Yes, I’ll have video to tell you about it. Yes, it will be available to purchase. Yes, it will all be right here at beckyhiggins.com.

Stay tuned.

Just returned home from spending a fabulous few days with my honey in New Orleans. This is a city we have never visited before and I’m so glad we went. I find myself STILL thinking about some of the architecture and colors and textures and hand-painted details and old brick that we saw. So cool.

And now … it’s time switch years. Yay for a girlfriends retreat! I’ll still pop in and post some eye candy on Friday. I have a few photos to share.

Switching gears for a minute. Yes, I’ll be coming back to more PROJECT LIFE information and yes, I’ll be answering more of your questions in some upcoming Q&A posts … but many of you have been asking about gift ideas, so I wanted to share this with you.

Every home needs coasters, right? Gotta protect your furniture. Here’s a fun way to make some custom coasters. Go for elegant or fun or colorful or neutral. Customize it however you want. You could even use photos instead of patterned paper. Or use your kids’ art! How fun would that be? These are super easy and — let’s be honest — most of us have a secret desire to mod-podge something.

This is what you need:

pre-cut & beveled wood blocks (I like the 4″ size, which I found at JoAnn for 59 cents each)
patterned paper (you likely already have some on hand)
acrylic paint (craft store)
mod podge (craft store)
foam brush (craft store)
clear spray paint (I picked this up at the home improvement store)
adhesive-back felt (craft store)

How to make them:

1. Do any necessary light sanding on the wood blocks and wipe all debris away with a clean cloth.

2. Paint just the beveled sides (not the top or bottom of the coaster) with acrylic paint.

3. Measure & cut squares of patterned paper to fit the top of each coaster perfectly. Apply an even coat of Mod Podge with a foam brush and adhere patterned paper to the top of coaster.

4. Evenly coat the entire coaster with Mod Podge and allow to dry.

5. Evenly coat the entire coaster with clear spray paint (be sure to do this outside!)

6. Once completely dry, cut squares of the adhesive-back felt and stick to the bottom of each coaster.

What you can’t tell from these pictures is how glossy these are (from that spray paint), which makes them really yummy-looking in person.

I don’t remember when or where I’ve seen this idea, but I don’t take credit for thinking of it. Here’s the thing. This concept of painting and implementing patterned paper and then sealing it with Mod Podge and spray paint is a simple concept. And very applicable to lots of potential projects. When you’re walking down that isle of the craft store, look around at the other pieces. You just may get inspired to do something different.

Feeling crafty? : )

That’s it. That’s what my new product is called.

PROJECT LIFE is the perfect solution for preserving your pictures and anecdotes and stories without all the time & money that traditional scrapbooking requires. PROJECT LIFE is for those who can keep up with taking a picture every day (I personally love this way of recording my family’s life) … and … it’s perfect for those who say that’s just too much. It’s just too hard to keep up with that pace. There is total & complete flexibility with PROJECT LIFE.

That’s why I’m so stoked about this product. I am so excited to share more with you. It’s in production as I write this and we’re just around the corner from making it available for purchase.

Think about people in your life who need a solution like this. Think about your friend who loves the idea of scrapbooking but feels completely overwhelmed in getting started. Think about your sister-in-law who used to be into scrapbooking but the expense and time just became too overwhelming. Think about your neighbor who has thousands of pictures on her computer but none of them are “out” to be enjoyed.

Think about these people and send them a link to my blog. I’m about to add complete PROJECT LIFE information here on my web site.