Still think Project Life has to be a “certain way”? There’s no such thing. Each album will be as unique as the people and families who are using Project Life to document their stories. I think anyone will find inspiration in this email I’m sharing with you today. And it’s perfect timing for those of you in Europe who now have Project Life available to you.
Dear Becky,
I’ve had an a-ha moment: Knowing that I have designated spaces to fill with everydayness has come to mean that I no longer “edit” our lives as far as what I include in the family album. I have crazy handwriting after being forced to be right-handed. I can not spell. I have to filter some pictures to look Instagram-y because they are fuzzy. My printer needs scolding occasionally, and I use a $69 point-and-shoot camera. And that is OK. I would rather have an album to enjoy now instead of waiting until the art fairies make me a well-equipped design genius.
I haven’t been using the full Project Life kit because they were sold out by the time I realized I wanted to do this for life as it happens instead of just for my childhood pics. I’m using your Photo Pocket Pages, Journaling Cards, leftovers from my Amber edition (my childhood album), and stuff from my stash.
The 0/15 spelling test? It’s in the album (bad spelling is a family trait).
The bill from the vet when the cat licked himself into what looked like a bikini wax? It’s in there — complete with the tiny, unflattering cat mug shot the vet prints on the upper left corner of the bill.
A picture of me and my friend after 90 minutes of my first hot yoga class? Yep. She made me promise not to prove it by sending you a copy of us looking like sweaty lumps, but it’s in there.
I have married Steve twice. We won a wedding re-do on a radio station this February because I had chicken pox two weeks before our first wedding.
Tags off the replacement bras I just bought after my helpful spouse threw my old ones in the drier one last time too many? Yep. They fit in the journaling spot just fine.
Movie tickets from the impulsive Mother’s Day movie, even though it was no Oscar winning film? Yup. And I found a piece of print advertisement with the characters on it too.
Our 8-year-old daughter Audrey still needs to journal on the Octopus page.
My cousin posing with a very surprised UPS man after she missed the delivery of our iPad2 and had to stalk the driver to his store at the end of his shift? Yep, it’s there in 4×6 color.
I would have NEVER taken these photos or saved this stuff back when I made whole pages about single events, or even when I did monthly wrap up layouts. They really are pieces of the whole in our messy lives, and I am so thankful that they will now be included. Who isn’t going to love looking at that imperfect stuff later on?
Sincerely,
Heatherle in Portland, Oregon
Heatherle, That is so AWESOME! I love it. It is completely you and your story, your life.
Thank you Becky for encouraging us all!
Wow! Love her take on this! I tried Project Life last year and fell way behind with an unexpected and complicated prognancy. I find I am missing all those details this year…
I might have to give it another try.
This is really cool. I’m not doing every day this year–just monthly, which sometimes takes more than one spread–but this is an inspiration to maybe try it next year.
AWESOME!! Love it!! Our lives aren’t perfect and I wouldn’t want to leave a legacy that indicated it is/was. Some of the funniest, odd, weird, crazy parts of our lives are what make us who we are and having them all in an album is great!! KUDOS!!!
Still giggling about the mental picture of the cat’s bikini wax. TeeHee… funny description!
This is what it’s all about! LOVE it!
I Love this! What a great reminder of all the small things that happen in our lives to makes them so great.
Love her letter – the imagery she wrote was awesome! Her albums must be so much fun and REAL.
I put the good, bad, and ugly in mine too. Project Life = real life.
I totally love this!
Love it. So fresh. So fun. So real. I am inspired.
lol
LOVE it!
Project life is your life and the best memories are those silly awkward heartwarming moments that make your family and your life the incredible unique family that it is
I am sure some day somewhere, someone will look at my PL album and think “why the heck did she add that” but you know what? my kids will remember those crazy funny times and that is all that matters!!!
Awesome post!
Cheers,
Jan
This was the very best advertisement for a product. Can’t wait for the new kits to come out cause this creative girl who is incapable of scrapbooking knows now she can do this. Thank you!!!!
This was exactly how I felt after doing Project 365 the first year it came out and why I have continued doing my family albums this way. I don’t always get something everyday anymore, but I LOVE that little stories that never would have warranted a 2-page spread in a former family album can be showcased in this one.
I think this is how Project Life should be! At least in my book it is
Awesome book and my favorite so far!
Awesome. This has inspired me to finally start.
Me too – this is what it is all about – just tonight my mother and father were looking through mine and kept saying you took a picture of that? But it is a journal of my life and everything goes!! I am loving the POTD so much – thanks Becky!
AMen to that !!! Love that post! I have been saving tons of stuff tucked in between the page protectors for when I sit down and process the “batch”
But the line about new bras was priceless!
I’m still waiting for the art fairies to make me a well-equipped design genius too! Hahaha…love it!!
What a great story and post, thanks for sharing this with us Becky. I agree if it wasn’t for PL so many of my family’s moments wouldn’t be captured. Thanks so much for designing this album and for making it so easy and doable. I am actually making mine a weekly one this year and have added lots page protectors on certain weeks so it really tells the story. I can’t imagine life without my PL now.
…and THAT is real Project Life! LOVE it, thank you for sharing it with us!!
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