Um, I kinda hardly know what to say right now. The support, the kind words, the downright enthusiastic response to our new 2012 editions is truly remarkable. Thank you! I am so proud of our designers and so very grateful for you. I have to share some of our favorite responses. You guys are hilarious. : )
“I’m like peeing my pants excited to see these!”
“Wow. They’re both delicious.”
“Eeeek! I’m drooling already!”
“Well I think I did burst! Thank you Becky!”
“oh oh la….I am in love.”
“OMG!! I have never done Project Life but that COBALT just screams…DO IT NEXT YEAR!!! LOVE IT!!”
“I love the Cobalt kit…and then I scrolled down and saw Clementine! Holy cow batman!! I don’t know which I like better!!! They are beautiful!!”
“Oh, holy heck!!!!! Aaaaggghhh!!!! I love them both!!!”
“i don’t have anything as flashy as a ipad or iphone but HUBBY now has the cobalt dark blue one as his ipad wallpaper – thanks to becky higgins -he has a styly ipad!”
“BEAUTY – FULL!!!!!”
“The Cobalt will definitely be coming to my house!!”
“oh my darlin, oh my darlin, oh my darlin Clementine!!!!!!!!!!”
“I admit I squealed a little when I saw the new editions .. your designers did a FABULOUS job !”
“Oh goodness me I need EVERY last drop of the Clementine collection LOVE LOVE LOOOOOOOVEEE it & can’t wait!”
“I think I just saw my bank balance go to zero! lol Just like the good old days when I was a teenager.”
“{squealing & hand clapping!} Love them BOTH! I have boys and girls and think I may just have to order both and mix & match!”
“Oh my gosh gravy. I love both editions!”
“Becky, did you hear that? That was a huge sigh of love for Clementine.”
“I really appreciate all the hard work you & your husband & design team have been doing to bring these items to us!! I really enjoy your blog & your work!!”
Me again. I especially love that someone remembered that David is 100% behind all of this madness, helping make all of this possible. He is the true behind-the-scenes hero for our little company.
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{ more free stuff }
In addition to the free smartphone (not just for iPhone) and iPad wallpapers/backgrounds, we now have something else that you just might enjoy. Check out our newly-added Free Cards Download! There is set based on the Cobalt Edition and a set based on the Clementine Edition of Project Life. Choose your favorite or download both. Either way, it’s completely free. It’s our gift to you, to say THANKS for your support and enthusiasm about our products.
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{ new catalog }
All the fun product previews and sneak peeks are great, but if you’re organizationally-minded like me, you need to see all these products in one place and clearly identified.
We are working on a facelift and update to the Products section of our website, where you will soon be able to download and keep this catalog PDF for yourself. You will also find more details about when everything is expected to arrive, see detailed images of each product, and learn more about the features of each item.
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{ pre-ordering for international customers }
Customers in the U.S. and Europe will have the opportunity to purchase product as these items become available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk this Fall.
Before I sign out for the day, just a reminder of what we DO have currently in stock at the moment … while you’re waiting for all the NEW stuff coming this Fall: The original binders (different and less expensive than the NEW binders that are coming this Fall) are available in Turquoise and Amber. Packages of Photo Pocket Pages – Design A and Design B – are also available. Our Amazon store is HERE.
You really don’t want to read much of anything right now, do you? I’m pretty sure you just want to SEE the new designs. So I’m going to let the visuals speak for themselves. I am thrilled to share with you the new 2012 designs for Project Life: The Cobalt Edition and the Clementine Edition.
A quick note: We hosted a design contest earlier this year, which is how we found our two beloved guest designers – Kim Gayton (Cobalt) and Lili Niclass (Clementine). Our head designer, Lori Whitlock, helped pull it all together. It was truly a pleasure to work very closely with each of the designers to pull together these new designs. Please be sure to share your appreciation + compliments with these talented artists, for they truly deserve the credit.
Okay, so there’s only one thing that can make a product “unveiling” even MORE fun. Know what that is?Freebies to go along with the new designs! Have you noticed the two new features at the top of my blog sidebar? No? Well take notice. Click on them over on the sidebar. You’ll find the fun … you’ll love the free … and your smartphones may soon have a fun facelift.
We are so not done with this, my friends. More freebies coming soon. More product reveals. More answers to your questions.
I am thrilled to announce something today about our upcoming products. Specifically, our Binders. All Becky Higgins Binders are now going to be manufactured by We R Memory Keepers! As in – the best of the best in binder manufacturing. As in – a bazillion years of experience in the book binding industry, and of course the scrapbooking industry … since it became an industry. They are absolutely a leader in binders and albums. And because they’re making our albums, this means you can expect nothing less than … the very best. I’ve been personally using We R binders for all of our family scrapbooks for nearly 10 years.
We are super stoked, and we know that any of you who are familiar with the We R brand are pretty stoked right now too. What you are seeing are our first four Project Life Binders: The Turquoise Edition and Amber Edition are our two 2011 Project Life editions that most of you are familiar with (we actually made the “Turquoise Binder” spine brown because – trust me – it just looked way better with the design).
The other two binders you see are … (drum roll please) … the two new 2012 editions! Say hello to the Clementine Edition and the Cobalt Edition! This is the first you are seeing of the new designs. Next week is when we plan to share lots, lots more from each of these two new kits (designer components + pieces that come in the Core Kits as well as some of the Project Life Cardstock). Stay tuned for that!
But enough chit-chat. Let’s get to some pictures!
I’d be willing to bet you have some great questions now. I’ll try to address several, and if I missed something … ask away in the Comments. Plus – tell me what you think! I’d love to hear.
Q: So these are different than the Binders that you have still in stock on Amazon?
A: That’s right. They are different and they are better. We do still have some Turquoise Binders and Amber Binders in stock, and they are still for sale. And while these currently-for-sale binders are not as crazy-excellent quality that our new binders will be, they are still good binders.
Q: What is different about the old binders and the new binders?
A: First and foremost, the construction, techniques in manufacturing, and materials used are better. The metal corners are new (yay for protecting the corners!). The metal label holder on the spine is new. The surface is now glossy – which not only looks sharp, but makes it so easy to wipe off little finger prints. The spine is now a color instead of black.
Q: Why would I want to purchase the “old” binders still in stock?
A: You don’t have to, of course. Those who either A) Don’t want to wait for the new binders, or B) Want to pay a few dollars less will be snatching those up very quickly.
Q: How much will they cost?
A: Our current binders (mentioned above) are $12.99 on Amazon for U.S. customers. While we do not know the exact price of the new binders yet, you can expect that they will cost a few-ish dollars more. Simply put, better manufacturing costs more. I do not know what the prices will be for customers outside the U.S. but that will soon be announced.
Q: Where are the binders manufactured?
A: Salt Lake City, Utah. The good ol’ USA!
Q: When can I get my hands on these binders?
A: I wish I could give you a date (and I will as we get closer) … but it’s going to be sometime this Fall – along with all of our other products coming out this Fall. It will likely fall somewhere in the October/November time frame.
Q: Can I pre-order the binders?
A: If you are in the U.S. or Europe, where Becky Higgins products are sold on Amazon – no pre-orders. If you are in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, or pretty much most other countries, yes. Pre-orders will be available on those respective sites very soon. Please watch for that here (NZ/AUS) and here (CANADA and other countries).
Q: I like all my albums to be matching on the bookshelf. I think I’ll miss the black spine you used to have on all your binders.
A: Today’s great news gets even better! We will also be launching our Signature Black Binder and our Signature White Binder. More details and pictures of these items coming soon.
I’m not trying to dramatize anything. I’m not trying to minimize anything. I’m not here to talk about which natural disasters were the most horrific and which ones were less catastrophic.
{ Purpose }
I’m doing this blog post for one main reason: I wanted to provide a place where we could have a discussion and some idea-sharing on documenting stuff that shakes us up a bit. Most of you reading this are documenters of life. Most of you have an interest in documenting real life – all of life. Not just birthday parties and vacations and the first day of school.
{ Context }
Yesterday there was yet another earthquake. This time in Virginia, but several other states felt the trembling. Thankfully there wasn’t a mass amount of damage and disaster. But it still affected many people in some way. So this got me thinking – and probably a lot of you, too – about how we document things like this while they’re fresh in our minds.
{ The Question }
How do we document disaster or things that otherwise shake us up a bit?
{ The Answer }
Of course everyone should do what feels right to them, given the circumstances. Several readers sent me stories and pictures and ideas from their own experiences, including yesterday’s earthquake and other recent natural disasters. This is what I’m sharing today, in hopes that you find some inspiration to continue documenting life … even when life throws you a something that is unsettling or scary or even tragic.
And NO — I’m not saying that you should document every hard part of life. For most people, that hardly seems comfortable or appropriate. But I bet most of us can say that if we could go back and document something “hard” in our lifetime, we would. My hand is up on this for sure.
{ Your feedback + Ideas }
Here we go … Everything else in this post is from your fellow readers.
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{ Take a picture }
Obvious, right? But sometimes when crazy things happen, it’s easy to overlook the simple action of visually documenting what happened (again – IF it feels appropriate). Mary experienced a tragedy when a tornado ripped through her college town and destroyed the sorority house where she had so many memories. To this day, she is so grateful to have saved the blog posts of written thoughts and pictures surrounding the disaster. Mary said, “I don’t think I would have captured all these memories unless this disaster happened, and since I had graduated college less than a year after this happened they were still fresh in my mind.”
Here are a collection of photos taken by Jacque who photographed the surroundings during their evacuation from their cabin in Alpine, Arizona during this Summer’s wildfires.
And this picture was taken just on Saturday by Amanda in Okanogan, Washington – an area prone to wildfire.
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{ Write it Down }
Again – this seems obvious but is often overlooked while the memory is still fresh. Take a minute to write down your personal experience with what has happened. It doesn’t have to be a novel or even a full paragraph. Just jot down what happened, how you experienced it, how you felt, and maybe even what it prompted you to think about. This can be in your journal, on a note card, a napkin, wherever. Many of my readers emailed me excerpts of their own written memories.
Here is what Sherri in Colonia Heights, VA wrote: “Shaken and UnNerved – I just drove back from lunch, opened my door when Cheryl, my best friend called me on my cell. As we were chatting away I noticed my car started to shake, I glanced up and saw my car door moving too. Then the bushes were swaying as if a strong wind was shaking them. I glanced up and saw the utility pool swaying back and forth. My friend heard me say I think we are having an earthquake and then I hung up on her. I then noticed people from the office next door coming out of the building and lastly the only person in my office coming out looking shocked. Thankfully there were no injuries or damages. I kept getting chill bumps all afternoon and later experienced an aftershock that evening. I again sat in shock before realizing that the earth was shaking again. Terra firma no more!”
There wasn’t a tragedy for Sherri (thank goodness), but she experienced the earthquake, and it affected her. Writing these specific memories down while it’s fresh on your mind is very different than what you might write weeks or months later in retrospect.
.
Also – Get your kids to write their feelings, if they’re old enough and willing. I love this email I got from Ellie after she experienced yesterday’s earthquake: “So as a 17yr old this is crazy! I live in Maryland so I definitely felt it. This is a unique experience to our area so I am documenting it for my (future) children so they can know the cool/scary experience of this! I am writing about it in my journal, I took a picture of the TV screen, and will probably write about it on my daily blog documenting my senior year. Just wanted to quickly thank you because without you or Project Life, I probably would just write about it briefly and forget. But I want my kids to know what things I went through, how it spread over the internet so quickly and everything.”
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{ Scrapbook the Events }
Whatever your experience was when something struck, including this in your scrapbooks adds value, meaning, and depth to the story you’re telling and the legacy you’re leaving. Cindy in Brisbane, Australia writes: “When the floods hit Brisbane in January this year, I wanted to document the experience in my Project Life album. Even though we weren’t personally affected, people we knew were. I found an article online that summarised events on the day the floorwaters hit Brisbane and suburbs affected. Our family wanted to see what was happening first hand so we went to a park near the Brisbane River along with many other residents where we could see the floodwaters rising. I also found a few photos online of the flood and included them to record the event for the future – this is living history.”
This other layout is from Shirlee who said: “I documented our journey through Hurricane Ike in 2009. Because some of the most awesome pictures were from satellites, I raided the local news websites for some pictures that I couldn’t capture. I used my actual journal entries to tell the story one the page, basically one from the start and one from the end to tie it all together. This was a fun and informative way to tell the story. Template used was Jessica Sprague.”
And this layout is by Fiona in Christchruch, New Zealand.
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{ The Internet is a Resource }
Remember that you can usually get pretty remarkable photos, outlined details, and an overview of events from the Internet. This page is another one by Fiona in Christchurch, New Zealand who said, “I took a screen shot of the website that we all check to see where the quakes were and how big they are.”
Rachel in Roanoke, Virginia is including this Seismic image from Virginia Tech of yesterday’s quake:
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{ Include top news stories in Project Life }
Megan in Broomfield, Colorado tries to include big news stories in her album about once a month. She says, “I locate a news article with a corresponding photograph then create a new blank 4×6 template in Photoshop and paste the either the photograph or the article using the text tool, making sure I spell-check prior to pasting in the template. Then I make adjustments accordingly, if I want to use either a 4×6 template or the 3×4 journaling card dimensions.”
You’ll notice that Megan tries to strike a balance between not-so-happy news, and happy news.
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{ Document the Process }
Oftentimes with natural disasters occur, there is re-building to happen. Many find that documenting the process of recovery is very therapeutic. Donna in Minot, North Dakota wrote: “I have been using just a simple two-up album from Hobby Lobby to document the flood situation here in Minot. I started it with the Before pictures of my home then the flood water and outside damage, then the inside as I found it on July 19 and then the debris and the clean up process and then the stripped down version of studs and roof. It has been a very difficult time here, but I found documenting and journaling about it has helped me deal with the devastation and the emotions that go with it. The next set of pictures will be of the FEMA trailer that will give me some stability until I begin to rebuild next year.”
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{ Focus on the Positive }
Finoa in Sydney, Australia writes: “When the earthquakes hit Christchurch, New Zealand in 2010 and 2011, we were greatly concerned for friends of ours living in that city. My journaling talked about that and the pictures I included were of happy times we had in that city in previous years.”
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{ Include your Communication }
When scary things happen, it is human nature to reach out to others and make sure that they’re okay. It’s also natural for many of us to communicate with friends, family, colleagues about the events that transpired. Karen in New Zealand wrote, “I am using Project Life and when the devastating earthquake struck Christchurch in February this year I added a section of the newspaper from the following day into my album. I also added an email from my penfriend in England and my reply to her. Before adding the email to my album I attached a photo (from the web) of the quake.”
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{ Photograph your Communication }
Just taking that a step further … When I first heard the news of Virginia’s quake yesterday, of course I was concerned because my family is in that area. After failed attempts to reach any family members with all the phone lines down, my concern verged on being potential freak-out mode until I started hearing reports that it wasn’t really major. Once I reached my family via text and knew they were alright, there was no panic or drama. Just making sure everything was okay. A screenshot would work just fine (on an iPhone, you push the top button and the bottom button at the same time to get a screen capture). But I took a picture of my actual phone and the text conversation with my mom.
Kristin writes: “March 11, I awoke to find that a major earthquake had happened in Japan where my brother lives. While trying to get ahold of my brother, I quickly snapped a pic of cnn.com for my Project Life (possibly as a distraction to the hysteria going thru my mind?). Also photographed was the moment I got ahold of my brother on Skype, such a relief. SO happy to have both of these moments documented for my children to look back on when they are older.”
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{ Document your Contribution }
If you’re in a situation where you’re able to help others who need assistance during a difficult time, take a moment to write about or share how you were able to contribute and reach out. From Julie in Nelson, New Zealand: “When Christchurch suffered its fatal earthquake in February this year, a generous local courier advertised for donations which he would personally deliver to those affected four hours’ drive south. So my daughters and I gathered up all the new and not-so-new girls’ clothes, shoes, toys, and treats we could find in our home and sent our box south, with the attached note written by my Miss 6. We included this in our family Project Life album. Helping others in this small way definitely helped my girls deal with the terrifying pictures and headlines dominating the news here in New Zealand at that time.”
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{ Have a Sense of Humor }
I love this. Ashley wrote: “Luckily, no one was hurt and there was minimal damage in our area, so our office had a little bit of fun with it. Currently, there are 4 of us that are pregnant, so we made these little blurbs and took some pictures!”
Even if you were not deeply affected by a local disaster (or potential disaster), these things still affect us and it’s all part of history. The world’s history, and your own personal history.
I’ll leave you with this from Laurel in Norfolk, Virginia: “The house swayed pretty good for a few seconds. The dogs went bananas, but the kids didn’t seem to mind.”
Clearly they didn’t mind a bit! And one day, they will totally love these pictures of themselves during their first earthquake. : )
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May you each be protected and blessed during difficult, disastrous, and dangerous times. And may you find value and worth in documenting life … no matter what happens. I say it a lot and I’ll say it again: When we take the time to document life, we are more keenly aware of how blessed we really are.
PS – Thank you so much to all those who contributed their experiences, stories, pictures, and tips. You’ve really inspired us today.
Today a 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit Virginia. This was too close to home, if you ask me. My family is near there. And many friends. And many of you. But from what I understand, all is well … mostly. And I am so grateful.
What happened today, of course, was not the huge magnitude as many of the other natural disasters we’ve all become familiar with over recent years. But what happened today certainly brought about some feelings, anxieties, uncertainties, and even fears in many. Even if no one was hurt, even if there was no damage on your street, many of you were affected by today’s earthquake.
Because many of us think a lot about documenting life, and recognize the power and blessings in doing so … I wanted to ask you: How do you document something like this? Where do you record written thoughts about how you’re affected? What do you photograph? How do you document?
I would love to share several ideas — your ideas — about this on my blog ASAP, since it’s still very fresh. If you have a picture or thought to share (whether from today’s earthquake or any past experience in your neck of the woods), please email submissions@beckyhiggins.com. I’ll collect the ideas and share tomorrow.
I first wanted to make sure that you are aware of some exciting news: Project Life and our new scrapbooking products coming in October are now available for pre-order for customers OUTSIDE the U.S.
Canadian customers go HERE. (And be sure to check out Tammy’s blog post today.)
U.S. + European customers: Because our product is fulfilled via Amazon, the inventory has to actually be in stock before sales can happen, so pre-orders are not an option for U.S. and Europe – sorry.
*** If you are considering pre-ordering, I strongly encourage you ACT NOW. Our international distributors/stockists do their very best to determine how much inventory they’re going to need, and that really depends on your pre-orders. If you do not pre-order, and they sell out faster than you get a chance to order … well, let’s just prevent that from being an issue. Go now. Reserve anything and everything you want so you don’t miss out.
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It’s been a while since we’ve done some Q+A action around here. I will often see questions flying around on facebook + twitter + in the comments here on my blog. Obviously I can’t keep track of it all, let alone address every question. So sometimes I just want to check in with you, my readers, and ask … What’s on your mind?
What questions do you have that I might be able to answer? Could be about our products … or not. Could be technology-related, and if it is — I’ll let my techie brother Kevin address those, because he’s truly the expert in that category. Could be something totally random. Whatever it is, we will do our best to answer some of your questions.
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Before I go, THIS JUST IN. I literally just got some pictures from the progress of the production and thought I’d pass along a snapshot of a few of the Core Kits that are being prepared for shrink-wrap at the moment. We’re getting closer + closer folks!
Today I’d like to share with you some random bits of inspiration, fun, ideas, stuff … as we head into the weekend. In no particular order.
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{ #1 – Winners }
We have our winners from yesterday’s giveaway! Ella Publishing will be giving Rebecca Cooper’s new eBook to:
1. Julie in Wellington, New Zealand
2. Mary Lou in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
Ladies, go ahead and email cooper.rr@gmail.com and she’ll hook you up – Congratulations!
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{ #2 – Go Notes }
Kiki Creates has the most adorable new thing – Go Notes. These are little business-card-sized cards with different prompts on it to fill in a little written love for someone special. I’ll be packing these in my kids’ lunches once in a while, for sure. Kiki just debuted her kid sets in time for the beginning of a new school year. They are a perfect little note to stick in a lunch box, a back pack or anywhere else! She sells them for $6 per set as a pdf digital download so you can print as many as you’d like, which also makes them super economical.
Kiki blogged about them here. Head over to her etsy shop if you want to get your hands on this ASAP, or just browse around to see her other cute stuff.
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{ #3 -Wall Art Inspiration }
Every Wednesday photographer Laura Winslow has a series on her blog called Wall Art Wednesdays. A lover of photography + home decor, this has naturally become one of my personal favorite columns on the web. Laura is great at finding wonderful inspiration in various styles, and she shares new ideas each and every Wednesday.
Photo courtesy of Kimberly Lyons. This is an example of what Laura features on Wall Art Wednesdays.
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{ #4 – Inspiration for Cultivating a Good Life }
It’s on my homepage: Cultivate a good life and record it. Most of you know I share a { POTD Idea } almost daily on facebook + twitter. This picture-of-the-day inspiration goes along with the “RECORD IT” part of my slogan. The purpose is to inspire you with ideas on what to photograph and document in your life. Most of the photos are submitted by readers like you. If you’re interested in submitting an idea or two that you think will be widely applicable to others, I invite you to email your { POTD Ideas } to submissions@beckyhiggins.com. I’m especially fond of strong photography skills (hint, hint photographers). : )
The other part of my slogan is “CULTIVATE A GOOD LIFE” and lately, I have fallen into the habit of sharing nearly-daily inspiration for this as well. I hope that by sharing these little snippets, you are uplifted and encouraged and inspired. Sometimes I share thoughts that are just rock-solid in what I believe and what I try to live. Most of the time, I share thoughts that I need to be reminded of, just as much as the next person.
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{ #5 – An online scrapbooking project }
You are invited to a FREE festival packed full of big ideas at Big Picture Classes this month. There are 12 fun-filled days featuring 12 of their talented instructors. Each will be giving you a word of the day, along with a downloadable template so that you can create a mini layout about that day’s word and how you applied it in your life. Sounds like an inspiring project! It just started this week, so it’s not too late to check it out. Even though this has started you can still get all the content and participate in whatever projects you want.
Scroll down to the bottom of the page to register. Remember: It is free and you will not see a charge in your account, but you do have to check out.
If Big Picture Classes is new to you, learn more and become a member for free here.
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{ #6 – Meal planning made simple }
I’ve mentioned e-Mealz a couple times before, but if you haven’t heard of it before, you should! We have personally been using this online meal planning service in our family for quite some time now, and we still love it. With summer coming to a close, school starting and a hundred to-do lists in every direction, you are likely looking for ways to simplify your life. When scrambling to fix dinner at the last minute, people often turn to unhealthy or expensive options. Been there, done that. More than I’d like to admit.
What I love about e-Mealz, is that they provide an everyday solution in the form of simple menu plans and grocery lists, which are published every week. This “mental maid” is an easy-to-use and concise tool for creating delicious, family-friendly dinners while sticking to a weekly budget. Right now your can enter the code SCHOOLTIME to get 10% off your E-Mealz subscription. It’s already cheap, so this is just a bonus!
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{ #7 – Blogger Cookbook }
Speaking of food … The gals over at How Does She? wanted to create a way to support the American Red Cross. They gathered favorite recipes from 50 hand-selected bloggers. I was happy to be invited and delighted to participate in sharing one of my favorite recipes. And I’ll just add … ooooh, the recipes in here look gooood. And, it’s for a terrific cause because 100% of the proceeds to help those in need with all the world disasters and calamities. Learn all about how you can get your hands on this here — it’s available as an eBook, as well as a printed + bound hard copy.
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{ #8 – Where Women Create }
Where Women Create is all about celebrating creative, entrepreneurial women. I love that. And I am honored that they have featured me in their brand-new issue, along with Heather Bailey, Stacy Julian, Susan Branch, Holly Becker, Melody Ross, Kim Stoegbauer, and more. Women that span across many markets, each with their own story and their own niche. And congratulations to Tim Holtz, who is featured in their new column: The Men Who Make It!
If you’d like to pick up a copy for yourself, go here for the short-cut to this latest issue.
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{ #9 – School Lunches }
Yes, there are supposed to be labels in those label holders. But Crew can’t resist sliding them out right now.
I know some of you must already do this, but for me — this is something new this school year in our home. To save time and stress in the mornings, I have everything pre-bagged and ready-to-grab for the kids’ lunches. The only thing I need to do is make their sandwich. They are otherwise 100% responsible for getting their lunch bags, choosing a variety of items from this drawer, and packing their lunch.
We got big containers of things like pretzels, Sun Chips, crackers, etc. and put it all in snack-sized baggies. Plastic spoons are in the drawer as well, next to the applesauce and mandarin oranges. We have a drawer in the refrigerator that has the same concept: Cheese cubes, grapes, and anything else that needs to be refrigerated. All ready-to-pack. There’s my back-to-school tip-of-the-week. : )
First of all, congratulations to our two randomly-selected winners, who will each receive the new JoTotes bag!
1. Mark L. in Ft. Pierce, Florida who said, “This would be for my daughter if I won. She would not only be 100% surprised she got a new bag, but even more surprised by her father’s ability to pick out a fashionable camera bag!”
2. Juliane in Waldshut, Germany who said, “If I’m at the next wedding to make the pictures, I do not want to take my old, little pocket. I would like to take this wonderful bag, having everything perfectly under control. A woman just needs a great bag – and a great camera bag would be the crowning glory!”
Both of you can email jototes@gmail.com and they’ll work out the details with you.
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For today, I’m doing something a little unique. I’m turning the rest of this post over to my friend Rebecca Cooper, who is a guest here on my blog today. She is a very gifted photographer and one of the sweetest people I know, and she has a wealth of inspiration to share. With that, I give you … Rebecca.
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Hi everyone! My name is Rebecca Cooper and I’m so excited to be here with Becky to share some thoughts with you on one of my most favourite topics in the world…and that is photography!
As a professional photographer I take thousands of pictures for beautiful families each year around this time. Capturing “the” photo for their Christmas cards is often on their minds. Recording the changes that occur throughout the year as your family grows can be a lot of fun! But let’s face it, when it comes to getting family photos taken, FUN isn’t always the first word that comes to mind. I’ve been behind the camera enough times with my own family to realize that family photos, while they are treasured keepsakes, don’t come without some effort. Today I’m going to share a few quick tips with you that can help put the fun back in your next family photo session.
At a photo session for our family a few years ago, the above photo was one of my favorites. I sure love that sweet family of mine! While we’re all looking at the camera in this shot and mostly smiling…I have to tell you, that this was only, one of a handful of shots from the hundreds that were taken during the session, where this was the case. There were a few tears, an incident involving a bumble bee, a husband who was done taking photos much sooner than I was and some hilarious, but not quite hang-on-the-wall-worthy, expressions from the kids.
I remember feeling a little frustrated at the time that the kids were making silly faces and things just didn’t seem to be working out quite how I’d envisioned. But when I look back at these pictures now, I couldn’t possibly love them more! They make me smile and they portray our family so well – the outtakes more so than the frameable shots I think! Ha! That goofy grin was trademark Carson at 3 years old, Addie with her tongue sticking out is so typical of her quirky little personality and Emily, the sweetheart, was trying so hard to smile nice for mom – until she that bumble bee showed up, then it was all over.
Read on for a few tips I’ve learned from personal experience and from photographing hundreds of family’s over the years, that can help make your family photo session go just a little bit smoother this year.
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{ 5 simple tips for your next family photo session }
1.Have a plan.Plan the time of your photo session carefully. Make it a time when you won’t be rushed, children will be fed and well rested. Wear comfortable clothing. Pick a location where you can take the majority, if not all of your photos. Have a wishlist of photo ideas and poses you’d like captured ready for your photographer to help them know what style of photos you’re looking for (casual, silly, formal, etc.) Prepare everyone ahead of time so they know how long you’ll be taking photos and any behaviour expectations you may have. You want as many variables working in your favour as possible. Tired, hungry kids, uncomfortable clothing choices and multiple changes in location are all going to cut down on the amount of time everyone is happy and smiling for photos. Have a plan and make it a simple one.
2.Make it a flexible plan. While it’s great to have a plan, setting your expectations too high can often lead to frustration. Make your next family photo session less about getting the perfect shot and more about the moment, each other and the thought of what memories will be triggered by these photos years down the road. This will take a little bit of the pressure off and help everyone to relax and just enjoy the time together as a family. The perfect family photo may not necessarily be the one you envision. Open your mind, relax, have fun with it & the photos will reflect a lovely memory of time spent together. If you are relaxed, your children will be too.
3.Involve the whole family.Ok, that might sound funny, it is family photos afterall, but inviting everyone’s input (especially children’s) as far as clothing choices, poses and other ideas, helps everyone feel like the photo session is a team effort – not just something they’re doing because mo and dad said they had to. Let each family member take a turn arranging the family how they’d like to see them photographed. Watch out, this could get a little silly. When children are given some creative control and allowed to share their input they are so much more cooperative when it comes to taking photos mom and dad or the photographer would like.
4. Be prepared.Bring along some snacks, perhaps some games or other activities to keep younger children occupied while they’re waiting for other family members to have their photos taken. A few more things I also like to have on hand: a brush or comb, hairspray, water or something to drink, wipes, a treat (I am not, will not, never have been above using a little bribery ), an extra change of clothes in case someone gets dirty, a fun prop or two to personalize your session. Being prepared for situations that might arise during your session helps so much. Things go smoother and you can relax a little bit more when you know that if something goes wrong you’ve got some back up tools to help you out.
5. Have Fun.Most importantly make your family photo session a fun event, something to look forward to. Bring silly props – think fake mustaches, funky glasses, balloons or some bubble gum for a bubble blowing contest. Not only do they look cute in photos, props also serve a very useful purpose. They keep little hands busy, fill in time while siblings are being photographed and help to drawing out smiles and genuine interactions. Whatever you can do to ensure that your photo session is an event to anticipated, not dreaded is going to help make it fun and will even help set the stage for next years photos!
Wishing you all the best of luck with those family photos! I hope these quick tips will help make your next family photo session a fun and memorable one.
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For more tips on making photos fun and ideas to take great, natural photos of your kids, be sure to check out Rebecca Cooper’s latest eBook Don’t Say Cheese!
See Rebecca’s latest eZine article for Ella Publishing here, where she shares a few photo game ideas for making photos fun for kids.
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Check out Rebecca’s blog here. You can always count on eye candy, and she is sharing more great photo tips throughout the month of August.
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Go on. Leave your first name, city and state or country and we’ll announce the 2 winners in tomorrow’s post! THANK YOU Rebecca – these are great tips and many of us benefit from the information and reminders!
Check out the latest camera bag from JoTotes. Do you love it??
JoTotes has done it again! This new bag is called the Betsy and they want to give one of these to one of my readers! In fact, you know what we’re going to do? We’re going to choose one U.S. winner and one International winner. So that’s TWO of the Betsy bags that JoTotes is giving away.
Leave your first name, city and state/country, and tell us — why would you love to have this bag? To learn more about JoTotes and see more of their bags (I’ve been a fan for a long time), check out jototes.com.
Chances are, you went on a trip this Summer. Or had a family reunion. Or played close to home with a staycation. Today I’m sharing an idea with you. An idea on how you can quickly and easily create a photo book with your favorite Summer pictures. Don’t mind the horribly un-flattering freeze frame here. Nice.
Happy Monday! Now that I’ve shared sneak peeks of all our new products coming out in October, and I’m making you wait just a little longer to see the new 2012 Project Life designs, this leaves us with a little time in between. So I thought it would be utterly fantastic to dedicate this whole week to sharing a daily dose of FUN STUFF. Personal favorites, cool products, great finds, giveaways, and yes – even a video.
Today I’m highlighting my current Top 5 Faves on Amazon at the moment.
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1. Corner Chomper. I love this tool from We R Memory Keepers. If you are doing Project Life, or any kind of scrapbooking or paper crafting, this is pretty much a must-have. For corners the same size as the Project Life corners, I use the 1/4″ setting on the one with aqua-colored handles.
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2. Mirra chair. We have been using an old chair for years, that makes it too easy for poor posture, especially for me since I cross my legs every time I sit down. David and I finally got a couple of these chairs by Herman Miller for our home office and our posture is instantly better. In fact, every time I try crossing my legs (habit), it’s actually really uncomfortable, so I like that this chair is forcing me to sit properly. My back thanks me.
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3. Nail Clippers. I know – this is so random. But David has been complaining about every cheaply-made pair of nail clippers we’ve ever owned. He found these by Seki Edge (made in Japan) and finally — no more complaining! I have to agree. There is a very noticeable difference in quality.
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4. Lunch Sacks. I know that Back-to-School is back on everyone’s brain, so here’s an adorable lunch sack from SugarBooger that I just love. Claire has the Flutterby design, and there are several to choose from. A fan of the alphabet, I’m particularly fond of the Vintage Alphabet design and kinda sorta wanted to buy it for myself.
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5. Signing Time DVDs. Speaking of education … the Signing Time series of DVDs are absolutely, positively, tried-and-true, a favorite in our family. We have played these DVDs probably more than any other in our collection over the years — dating back to when Porter was a baby (he’s 8 now). And now, Crew (nearly 3) uses and loves sign language too. American Sign Language is near and dear to my heart. I taught myself to sign (from a book) when I was a young teenager and later learned the language more formally, through a series of college courses.
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The whole reason I set up an Amazon “shop” is because of the frequent questions I get about “Where did you get this?” or “What’s your favorite such-and-such?” Since Amazon sells just about anything and everything (including my own product), I can quickly + easily share links to these items. Everything in our Amazon shop is stuff we actually use – tried + true.
If you’re interested in browsing through everything we’ve featured, just click on our Amazon Picks (the link is always on the blog sidebar). You will see “Browse by Category” on the right — Scrapbooking, Organization, Home Office, Kitchen, Home Decor, Beauty, Books, Baby, and Kids. I add items periodically.
The marvelous thing about basic supplies, such as the Photo Pocket Pages and Journaling Cards, is that you can leave them in their most basic, simple form and have absolutely classic, timeless results. Or you can get creative, work your magic, and transform them into whatever you want, for whatever you need! Below are some ideas that will surely get the wheels in your head turning. These ideas are the result of our “Just the Basics” contest that we held this Summer.
NOTE: We have sold out of the Journaling Cards, but more are coming and due to be in stock by October. We currently have some Design A and Design B of our Photo Pocket Pages in stock on Amazon.com.
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ARTIST: Elaine in California
CONCEPT: Create custom title cards and journaling cards to enhance your photos/theme. Elaine cut out little custom shapes, used designs from cardstock she had, and even did some hand-stitching for this particular scrapbook layout.
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ARTIST: Janet in Pennsylvania
CONCEPT: Home Management Binder. Janet uses the Photo Pocket Pages and 3×4 Journaling Cards to organize things such as her pantry/freezer inventory and her birthday/holiday list. She says, “I love being organized and these ‘BH Basics’ work like a charm. The Photo Pocket Pages are great for keeping all my info in one place as well as any notes (love that they are double-sided) and my shopping lists. And of course, no project is complete without some photos of loved ones. I love how these basic products made my Home Binder even more functional and certainly pretty.”
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ARTIST: Tami in Washington
CONCEPT: Spinner Display. Tami created a high school graduation party guest book for her daughter, but with a twist. More on her idea, in her own words: “My daughter wanted a guestbook, but to be honest, I wasn’t thrilled with the idea because it seems they get stowed away never to be looked at again, but them I came up with this idea which I think is a great way to display these memories in her dorm room this Fall.
“I used the Journaling Cards and punched them using a rolodex punch and a template from one of the original spinner cards. I placed them on a table next to the spinner and invited guests to leave their wishes for Hailey. I decorated the spinner using KI Memories patterned papers and a few assorted embellishments. I printed several of her senior photos in wallet size and added them to the spinner, this was a great way for the guests to see all those great photos! I set a camera on the table next to the spinner and asked guests to take their own photos and I’ll be adding those (as well as some additional party and commencement photos) to the spinner as well.”
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ARTIST: Sandy in Florida
CONCEPT: Dig into your stash of cardstock and cut it into 3×4 blocks to place in the 3×4 pockets. Mix these pages into other scrapbooks. This is such a simple form of scrapbooking. And even simpler because you’re not using adhesive!
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ARTIST: Maria in British Columbia
CONCEPT: Favorite Photos Flash Cards. Maria used a tea tin (there are lots of tins and containers around this size), decorated it with patterned paper, and created a home for favorite family shots. She says, “Google’s Picasa now makes it easy to get little photos printed at my local grocery store. After a little click, click, click with my corner rounder, the pictures look great on the 3×4 Journaling Cards.” Maria even used a Journaling Card to label her cute little tin, and utilized the back of each 3×4 card to document the who, what, when, where, why of each photo.
Wow — the enthusiasm. Yay, you guys! We are stoked that you are stoked about what’s coming this Fall. Thank you for your comments on the last post. There were also a few excellent questions so I’m happy to address those.
But first – I think Kristina in Brisbane, Australia wins the award for cutest comment. She wrote, “Thank you Becky. It’s pretty emotional for me about the possibility of capturing amazing memories for my children and future generations without it being daunting, too hard, too fumbly, etc. If I was a bubble, I’d burst.”
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{ your questions }
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Q: It feels like Project Life just got a whole lot more complicated with all the choices! But I’m anxious to see the new designs.
A: Okay, so that wasn’t a question but it’s a legitimate thought that I’m sure a few of you have had, even though we know most of our customers are pleased with the change. I’m happy to explain what led to the change. We used to offer full kits. Everything-in-a-box. Simple, right? Well … not so much. Most everything was A-OK but manufacturing defects are inevitable, period. So in a huge box with lots of contents, if any one piece was wrong, there was a lot of time/work/stress/money spent on replacing little pieces here + there. Now, if there are any problems at all, it’s a simple return/exchange with Amazon (U.S. customers) or with your international distributor, for those of you outside the U.S.
Another reason for breaking apart the kit: We love making scrapbooking affordable. Even though the price for one kit was incredible (and, quite frankly, far less money than you’d ever spend on that much stuff anywhere else), it’s still money. And money can be tight, especially these days. The way we’re moving forward with our products now, folks are able to get only what they feel like they need to get the job done, and skip the fun extras if it’s not the right time to be spending extra money.
Bottom line: There are several reasons why we decided to do this, and what you need to know is that David and I have put a lot of time, thought, and money into this business. We don’t make decisions lightly. Please trust that we are very thoughtful and very intentional about our choices with what and when and how we do things so that you – our customers – have a good experience, while also maintaining that our family life is our #1 priority.
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Q: So are you saying we will have to purchase the page protectors separately? If they are not included in the price of the kit, then will the kit price go down?
A: Yes, that’s what I’m saying. The Core Kit will absolutely cost way less than our full kits have cost in the past. This is one of the advantages of breaking the kit apart. Let’s say you only want the Core Kit and the Big Pack of 60 Photo Pocket Pages, and not necessarily the Scrapbook Dividers, 12×12 Cardstock, or the coordinating binder. No problem! Just get what you want and not what you don’t.
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Q: Has the quality improved with the binders since the last ones?
A: This is a very resounding YES. I will be share more details on this very soon, but trust me on this one. I’m confident that you’re going to be very pleased with our new binders, which includes the reprint of the Turquoise and Amber binders, as well as the new 2012 Project Life styles and our signature “neutral” binders. Information and images on all the binders will come soon, along with the 2012 Project Life product reveals. Remember: All of these items are roughly a month behind the October releases that we’re talking about right now.
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Q: Why buy your page protectors when other companies make the same thing? What is different about yours?
A: First of all, we have had production delays for a reason: We are more picky than ever. Quality control. The search for perfection. You name it, we have been working very hard to make these staples as close to perfect as possible, so that you are happier than happy with our products. So if quality is a big deal to you, that would be a reason.
Secondly, the way we’ve set up our business for U.S. customers is that we sell directly to you by way of Amazon. This is how we’re able to keep our prices down. So if affordable is a big deal to you, that would be a reason.
Thirdly, a few of the basic designs are obviously “what’s out there” already. We know that (refer to the first two points in this response). But we added them to the line-up for a simple reason — it’s nice to have the same quality and affordability across the board. So if consistency and convenience are a big deal to you, that would be a reason.
Most of our designs, however, are unique to our brand and are very much inline with our philosophy of taking the guesswork out of scrapbooking for those who want to simplify the process. Our pockets are 4×6 for the standard photos and 3×4 for the Journaling Cards (and “half-size” photos and memorabilia and whatever else you use the 3×4 pockets for). This is key in helping us to be better about journaling little notes, stories, and anecdotes to go along with our pictures.
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Q: Are the Core Kits that will be available in October for 2011? Or can they be used for any year? I am assuming that when the 2012 kits become available, I would use the core kit that applies for 2012. I am new to Project Life, but I’m SO excited.
A: Simply put, all of our Core Kits have been, and will continue to be, completely applicable to any year and any approach. The designs are not date-specific. You could pick up any kit and get your whole childhood in an album. Or you could use the kit to document a picture-every-day in a calendar year. Or you could go back and get the 90′s into a couple scrapbooks with our products. The whole idea is that you make the products work for your needs. You don’t have to conform to any format. I’m so excited you’re giving it a try!
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Q: Do you ever plan on creating Project Life in 8.5×11? I switched over from 12×12′s years ago because the size is SO much easier for my kids, parents, grandparents etc. to handle.
A: Yes, we have totally considered this. The reason why the 8.5 x 11 format doesn’t work for this system is because, in order to simplify the process for you, that includes leaving all the 4×6 prints just as they are, as opposed to requiring you to crop everything down. It just doesn’t work quite as well. If the 12×12 albums are larger than you’d like (I’m in that camp these days too, so I totally relate) … the Digital Project Life is what you want to look into.
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Q: I know you can’t see into the future, but am wondering if you can comment on if these products will be available over the coming years in similar formats. Should I stock up on school kits for my young children now, or will I be able to purchase these products in 2 and 4 years from now? Again, I know you can’t see into the future, but what’s your best guess?
A: You’re a planner. I get it. I’m a planner too! And while I don’t have that crystal ball we’d all like to have sometimes, this is what I can tell you: Project Life works. Project Life solves problems. We’re setting things up in such an organized and intentional and methodical and user-friendly and solution-based manner, that it’s a no-brainer to keep a good thing going … for as long as you guys think it’s a good thing. We plan on all the BASICS being available year-round and bringing out NEW DESIGNS at least once a year.
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Q: I haven’t seen you mention anything about Digital Project Life. Will there be new designs for that? If so, any timeline of when it will be out?
A: Yes, Digital Project Life lives on, and the new 2012 designs will come by the end of this year. We just have a stronger emphasis on the physical product right now because that’s where the interest is for most of our customers, and because purchasing actual, physical product usually involves more planning of sorts. Particularly for our international customers, as they are able to place pre-orders in advance.
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Q: It would be awesome to have a punch the size of the 3×4 Journaling Cards. My (project) life would be complete if I had a punch I could use to quickly size things perfectly and pop them into the page!
A: It sounds like you’re not alone in your thinking. And I have to tell you, a lot of what we’re bringing is due to the suggestions and requests you’ve thrown our way. We really, truly listen and I hope that’s obvious to our customers by now. So … about the punch … we’ll look into the possibility. How’s that? : )
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Q: Are you going to be creating a school kit?
A: Okay, so I know most of you know this already, but for those of you who missed the memo, I repeat – School- and childhood-specific products are planned to show up early 2012. It’s simply not possible to do everything at once. Trust me – you wouldn’t want me to try that. I’d go completely mental and broke, all at once. : )
In the meantime, I would definitely plan on picking up a few staples that are coming out this Fall. For example, this stuff:
You’ll be able to get a great head-start with at least organizing your pictures. When the school/childhood stuff comes out, that will help you pull it all together beautifully. More on this in the coming weeks. We’ll discuss this in depth.
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I hope this has cleared some things up for those of you with questions. Most of you know I’m very accessible to my readers/customers. I do my best to answer your questions. Please remember that while Project Life is growing and spreading like wildfire (thanks to you guys, for sharing it with your friends!) … we are still a small business, and not even quite two years into this adventure.
Family is most important. Service and community involvement and friends and even sleep are important too. We also care a lot about making sure Becky Higgins LLC provides the very best for you. Trust me when I say, we are happy to continue working hard to do our best. And, as always, we appreciate your enthusiasm and loyalty so very much.
Let’s just get right to it. Ladies and gentlemen … the following items are what we will have available by October 2011. Please read my commentary for details.
Yes, this looks familiar for a reason. It’s the same Turquoise binder we’ve had all year. But we’re running out of these, like everything else that has sold out. So I’m telling you now, this is the time to stock up on this binder if you want. More of these binders will become available, but the new binders are likely going to be a little more expensive than our original binders for several reasons. As soon as we have new images/info/pricing, of course I will share. FYI: The new binders will have a solid color spine that coordinates with the album, as well as a metal bookplate for labeling the binder. Those are the main visual differences.
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No, this is not a mystery box. I’m not keeping the contents secret. I just don’t have the actual Core Kits here to photograph yet, so this graphic will have to do for now. The box is approximately 7″ x 7″ x 4.5″ tall. What’s inside? The Project Life CORE components. Specifically, this includes all the title cards, filler cards, first and last page cards, journaling cards, bi-fold journaling cards, and stickers you would need to complete a full album (and then some!). As a bonus, we even threw in a stack of 3×4 Grid Journaling Cards! The aforementioned “core contents” are still pictured here. NOTE: Only what I’ve listed here, is in the Core Kit.
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Now you can get as much 12×12 cardstock in your favorite Project Life collection(s) as you want! This quality double-sided designer cardstock is meant to be used with other Project Life components if you’d like, or not at all. These are great designs for any scrapbooking, card making, and crafting projects.
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See Turquoise Binder above. Same story. Amber binders still in stock can be found here.
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See Turquoise Edition of the Core Kit above. Same story.
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See Turquoise Cardstock above. Same story.
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This is another item that may be familiar to many of you. These incredibly versatile, incredibly popular little boxes of 100 grid Journaling Cards have sold out and we’re bringing them back. Plain + simple, they’re a staple.
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Remember the Scrapbook Dividers that came in the full Project Life kits? They were designed with numbers and/or months. We know you have more uses for these, so we made them as generic as possible — keeping the design neutral, versatile, and classic. Think about your other scrapbooks. Think about those school and childhood albums you are working on (or will be working on) for your kids. Or any kind of scrapbooking that you do! Oh, the organizational possibilities. And … we’re including sticker labels for the part that sticks out above your page protectors. Those stickers are all about options. We’re giving you months and numbers and school years, that are even applicable to most countries. And … of course blank labels for whatever you want! The material is a sturdy, sandblasted, acid-free plastic that is still thin enough to not add bulk to your album. Leave them classic + simple or embellish the Scrapbook Dividers however you’d like. The sky’s the limit.
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You have been begging for these! Hooray that they’re finally coming! Made of a similar material as the Scrapbook Dividers, these pockets will hold artwork, papers, memorabilia, cards, and any treasures you want. The flap tucks into the front (no bulky snap), and you’ll have a place to label and identify your contents with the pocket and label cards. There is plenty of room inside this 12×12 Big Pocket Page. For planning purposes, you may want to have a Big Envelope Page per year for your child’s scrapbooks.
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You are already familiar with Design A. It’s the classic Project Life design that allows for 4×6 photos and 3×4 Journaling Cards. We anticipate selling out of what’s currently in stock at the moment. So get what you want now, if you don’t want to wait until more come in October!
NOTE: We’ve raised the bar and have improved the quality of all of our new Photo Pocket Pages. You’re going to love them!
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Same story as Design A. We currently have some of Design B in stock on Amazon.com, but we anticipate selling out soon.
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Okay … NOW … Let’s unveil the NEW Photo Pocket Page designs. I’ll preface with this: You likely have a problem called sooo-many-photos-that-I-need-to-do-something-with, right??
Solution: Don’t stress about designing scrapbook pages if that’s not your thing. Just use these Photo Pocket Pages to slip in your photos and even your memorabilia. We have title cards + Journaling Cards to fill in the gaps and help you organize and document it all. Easy-peasy my friends.
Design F is one of my absolute faves. Think wallet-sized school photos, or filling them all with Journaling Cards that have anecdotes and memories written on them. Think receipts and tickets and handwritten notes. And of course 3×4 photos. With a 4×6 title card at the top, of course.
This is our solution for including horizontal and vertical photos and Journaling Cards in one page. The unique size is intentional, as we know many of you enjoy various page protector sizes. There is not a single wasted inch in this design.
We used to include a pack of 54 Photo Pocket Pages in our full Project Life kits. Now we’re throwing in a few extras because we know how much you love the versatile designs for so many projects! There are plenty of these pages to fill an entire album or two (depending on how bulky you get!). These come in a classic white Becky Higgins box that you’ll love for long-term storage of … whatever you want.
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Another Big Pack of Photo Pocket Pages, and this one has a variety of designs. For planning purposes, this is what I strongly recommend you pick up to go along with all the school/childhood products that are coming early 2012. We’re just offering this Big Pack ahead of time so that you can start organizing and working on such things. I’ll be talking more about that in the coming weeks.
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{ a few last notes }
1. Prices. I know you want prices but we don’t have those solidified yet. I will let you know when we know. In general, manufacturing costs have gone up and that is out of our control, but we are doing everything we can to keep the prices low. We love making scrapbooking affordable!
2. Timing. Everything that has been pictured in this blog post is anticipated to arrive to Amazon.com by October. Earlier would be even better, but when we have to depend on others’ schedules, we can’t promise anything. As of now, the timing is on-track and looking good. Thanks for your patience as we’ve sampled and re-sampled and re-sampled again in order to make these products spectacular.
3. Pre-orders. If you’re in the U.S., we can’t do pre-orders because our products are sold + distributed through Amazon and that’s not how they work. When the items arrive at Amazon is when you can order. Amazon is phenomenal at processing + shipping orders in record time. I will give you plenty of heads-up via facebook + twitter + here on my blog.
If you’re outside the U.S., most of you will have pre-ordering available to you beginning as early as this week. Those of you in New Zealand and Australia will want to check here and those of you in Canada and elsewhere should check here.
NOTE: If you are international, please be sure to pre-order what you want so these distributors can order sufficient quantities. If you don’t pre-order, there is no guarantee they will have product available for you. If money is tight right now but you have plans to purchase products in a couple months, it’s worth at least notifying/emailing the distributor with your intentions. This will help with their order quantities. We don’t want anyone feeling frustrated over sold-out products.
4. Products-at-a-Glance. Want to have all of these product pictures together in one place? For your convenience and reference, here is the Product Catalog for the Fall 2011 items. (Just be sure to click on the green Product Catalog to open that PDF.) Feel free to print it, dream up what you’re going to do with the new goodies, and mark it up. Of course we’ll share the updated catalog when we add specifics and images of the November stuff — including the new 2012 Project Life designs, etc.
5. New 2012 Project Life.Yes, I am about to share images of our two new editions soon.These items are due to arrive by November, so we’re getting very close to being able to let the cat out of the bag on all of that.
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I seriously am giddy about what’s coming. These are the tools — this is the system — that is going to help me (and you) get pictures into books. So many of you reading this are already doing Project Life. You get how solution-based and simple and easy it all is. Now you just have more options. Everything we do stays with that same philosophy: Simplify the process of documenting life.
I can hardly believe it, but it’s already back-to-school season. Again. I am seriously loving all the school supply abundance in the retail setting. Always inspiring to me.
I know many of you are familiar with the in-the-classroom project I’ve been doing for my kids’ classes over the past few years. You know … the Personal Yearbooks.
I’m not going to repeat and reiterate everything in this blog post. I just wanted to bring this up – as a reminder to those of you who have considered doing this. And also, I want to be sure that all my new readers, particularly parents & teachers of school-age kiddos, know about this. Because it’s a way cool way to help young students create their own month-by-month documentation of a year in school.
I invite you to check out my Free Stuff page and learn all about it. (It’s a free downloadable PDF.) Why we do it, how we do it, supplies needed, plenty of tips, and all the ideas you need to get started. Share this with your fellow parents, teachers, friends with school-age children … anyone you think might be interested.
If you’re not able to take on the project yourself (perhaps you work full-time outside the home), just bring it up with your child’s teacher and you guys could always try to find a parent volunteer in the classroom. Most parents would be happy to do what they can to make this happen. It really is a treasured keepsake for the kids, and a very simple format.
Any of you who have done this, feel free to leave a comment with your own tips + ideas.
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I am getting a lot of questions about our pending school and child related scrapbooking products. This is a completely separate thing from this in-the-classroom Personal Yearbook project that the kids do. Yes, we are working on very cool, very solution-based products that will help you tackle all that childhood and school STUFF that accumulates with your kids … and even the stuff that you have from your own past.
We anticipate an early 2012 release date for these items. Because many of you are anxious to figure out what to do with all the pictures and papers and memorabilia that pile up – especially with a new school year starting – I will be addressing this topic in the coming weeks. We’ll talk organization and preparation. Can’t wait!
We have some very special friends - the Fuchs ("fewks") family - that are adjusting to a "new normal" with their special-needs daughter who had a terrible accident and is now confined to a wheelchair. You can read all about it HERE
For the benefit of Claire's family - and also for the benefit of many generous sponsors - I opened my blog for advertising for one month only! This is temporary + the ads will run February 1 - 29, 2012. 100% of the ad fees have gone directly to Claire's family.
Because of the nature of this fundraiser and the need to keep the entire process very, very simple - we are not taking any more sponsors at this time. Anyone who wants to reach out to the Fuchs family with a note of encouragement, or a letter in the mail, or even a cash donation, can find that information HERE
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