Oh, that Stacy Julian.
She’s a real charmer, isn’t she? I’ve known her nearly 15 years, so I know she is kind and amazing and smart and funny and capable of doing just about anything … and a charmer. In fact, she totally charmed her way into convincing me that it is time – it is about darn time – that I teach an online class.
Me? Teach an online class!? What would I teach? I mean – I have steered so far from doing anything technique-driven, really. I have simplified the creative part of my life in a big, big way. I have channeled my efforts in helping others to simplify, too. What kind of class content would I have?
She convinced me – in the charming Stacy way – that my life is content. She explained that going about what I do with regards to organization, home management, projects, documenting life, living life … this is content for an online class. And you know what? I get what she means now. I see her vision.
Line upon line, my vision for an online class has developed. I am committed. I am excited. I am not ready yet (because I still have time to continue developing content). But I am inspired and the wheels are spinning. In other words, I am pleased to announce that I am teaching my very first online class! And I’m doing it at Big Picture Classes.
This is the 5th year for BPC to do the 4Experts series. I am honored to be one of the 4 featured experts in 2012, along side with Stacy Julian herself, Heidi Swapp, and Nic Howard. You can read about each of our 4 very unique classes, and watch a video on each of those classes at Big Picture Classes right now. The announcement was made TODAY, so this is all very hot off the press.
My class is called Project REAL Life. My class will run in Q4 – October-November-December 2012. Registration opens August 9, 2012.
Because the class runs in the last quarter of 2012, I still have time to develop the class. I’m brainstorming like mad to come up with 12 weeks of content that you will find interesting and inspiring. Do you know what this means? I’m asking YOU what YOU would like to see. You know my tagline – Cultivate good life and record it. That is the core focus of this online class … real-life application on ways that we can cultivate a good life … and of course inspiration for recording it all.
So tell me – If you were taking my online class … what would you like to see? I’m a good listener, you know. ; )
Oh, and I have a giveaway related to all this fun coming on MONDAY. Tune in.
well me personally….i want to hear about how people take their pics…the stories behind them. how the shot layouts, items in the home, people….how they manage to put themselves in the shot!!!
how to decide what size to have the pic….to them put on a layout…or display them in the house….. then all of this translated to WHAT to put PL…..miss some, more of others??? story and photos or story as photos!!!
cool news….well done you!!!! hope there are some videos on there…cos i love the ones you do…like the flower arranging etc
I’d love a list of ideas for the daily pictures.
I would love to learn howto put together a project life album with only two senior citizens in the picture,
Life is not all that interesting some times but it is what it is
Madeline, I had that problem for my first while with Project Life, it’s easy when we have the grandkids or on a holiday, vacations are obviously a no-brainer…but the other 300+ days a year are, as you say, is what it is. The potd prompts are helpful, but you can only photograph a pile of laundry so many times…really.
Project Life has done exactly what it name indicates, my hubby and I have engaged in Life, at first it was just looking for something to put into my empty picture pages, then it transformed to a destination. I scan the internet looking for something for hubby and I to do. Preferably free, or at least low in cost. I have discovered that we enjoy getting out and participating in life again.
We have learned that city/town festivals are most times free on Friday’s (the first day) if you get there before 3. We have learned to watch groupon to go do things that we have always thought were out of our dollar range. We have learned walking around a park in the city we live in, that we have never been to before, can spark lots of conversations. (We do live in a huge metro area) We even took one Friday and rode the rail downtown, just because we never had before, had lunch and rode it home.
Hubby is even paying attention, when we get ready to walk out the door and the camera is on the counter (instead of my purse) he knows to pick it up.
It may take us 3 years to fill a single year of Project Life, but that’s okay because it is what it is.
Good Luck, throw away the rules and have fun.
~Jill
While I’m far from being an empty nester (kids are 17, 11, and 3) , I think this could help…as I have often thought about this myself. Ask yourself, “if this was Grandma’s Project Life book, what would I have wished she had included in it? ” If you don’t have a photo, cut a 4×6 piece of the 12×12 that came with it (or plain paper, does not matter) and write for that day. Write stories about your life. Write about historical things. Take pictures around the town you live in (things change quickly. I have lived in my house for 15 years and oh, how I wish I had taken pictures of things around here when I first moved in). Include a favorite recipe. Tell about the day your child was born, or how you met your husband or how you felt as a young mother. Those are the things I wished I had asked MY grandmothers. If you don’t have journaling, just write a quote. Or find a quote, pick a fun font, and print it on the card (go into Word, create a document with custom size 4 x 3, and print away). Or print the font on a 4×6 and use the journal card to tell why you like the quote…That’s be beauty of this…I does not have to be TODAY’s happening…you are documenting LIFE. Include all of it. The grandkids may not care now….but I guarantee, there will come a day that it will be priceless for them.
Hope this helps!
How true is that!! Awesome idea. I’d say incorporate some of those older pictures with those thoughts, Favorite recipes, vacation spots. Those are all very heartwarming to grandchildren later on in their lives! I hate looking back at pictures my grandparents took and not knowing the story. I absolutely LOVE my grandmothers hand written recipes she had given me. It’s all part of documenting your life! I’m going to remember that when I’m working on mine!! Because even though I have a very busy house with a 15, 13, and 10 year old…I still struggle some days on what to photograph. Because like you said you can only take a photo of the laundry pile, the dishes pile, the carpool lane so many times, but yet that is what FILLS my life these days!!
I’m with Madeline. My life “is what it is”, too. Empty nesters, grandbabies in and out, occasional family get-togethers, church functions or a night out here and there. But our day to day life is pretty routine and “same old same old”. So although I love the idea of Project Life, I’d need a vision of how to make it work for 2 soon to be senior citizens!
Madeline,
I love that the comments are supposed to be for Becky, but that so many people responded to your comment! I am fairly new to Project Life & Becky’s blog and love that her readers relate so to each other!
I love Jill’s response! Sometime we need to remember that we still have plenty of life left in us!
I have a thought too, since I am also an empty nester. My mom had lots of STUFF when she passed. We knew the story behind a lot of it, but not all. i have a lot of stuff too – I grew up in a military family and got to live the world over. My kids have told me – leave us something to let us know what was important to you, and what isn’t so much. So I have taken pictures of my mom’s favorite candy (coconot bon bons) and some of my favorite from a kid or that is now available in the US that was only available overseas when I grew up and am putting those pics in my PL and telling the story of them. Take pictures of items around your house that have meaning to you and tell their story. When the kids inherit them, the items will mean even more.
Awesome, I love Big Picture Scrapbooking Classes. Had some great ones there. I’d like to see something done with your prompts of “Cultivating a good life means…” I really enjoy those and many people relate to them. Good luck and have fun!!
I would like tips and tricks of your organization skills. You have young kids, a job that is demanding, you are active in your church and you never give up! P.S. Do you have a cleaning lady?
This is awesome! I am interested in how you keep memories overall, especially with kids. How much have you integrated into Project Life and what is separate? How can you involve kids (and other family members) into memory keeping? As you cultivate a good life, how do you *try* to keep things in balance (family, work, home, health, etc.)?
It may be too much work but if you’re doing videos, itd be awesome if there’s a way I can watch it with subtitles since I’m hearing impaired.
I’d love to learn how you organize what you’ve cultivated! I’ve seen so many classes on organizing your stash, but none on organizing information and projects – I know this is right up your alley.
I’m an alumnus of Stacy Julian’s Library of Memories, so my photos and memorabilia are organized, but going back to your theme – once you’ve cultivated the good life, and come up with a bazillion ideas, what do you do with them all? At any given time, I have 7-8 projects ongoing, I’m crazy about all of them but am completely overwhelmed and lack focus. Which is completely UNlike me in all other areas of my life! So what do YOU do when you have school albums, and the December Daily, and Project Life, and a trip from last summer, plus all those daily “life moment” layouts that have stories that need to be told (and you’re chomping at the bit, wanting to tell them all at once)? How do you pull back, evaluate what needs to be done first, and how to organize it all (especially when MORE things get added to the pile daily)?
I am so excited!! Cannot wait to see what you come up with, no matter what it is I know it will be beautiful & fun.
I’m interested in how you take your pictures. You take pictures from such great angles and that makes the picture great. What goes through your mind when you see that shot?
I can’t wait!!! I will definetly be taking your class!!!!!
I would love to see how you organize your memorbilia and memories until you’re ready to sit down and scrap them. Do you right things in a notebook or on your phone…I’m talking about those everyday moments like something silly one of your kids said in the car. I also know technology is a big part of your life. I’d like to see how you use that technology not only in scrapping but also in other aspects in your life. How do you use apps, FB, online calenders, etc. to make your life easier. Looking forward to see what you come up with!
Organization of course. Organizing processed and digital photos, organizing supplies, simply put, everyday life.
First of all – congratulations. I took a card class from you at CKU University and still remember seeing your mom and how talented you were.
Since it’s an ongoing class, I think it would be fun to have a weekly focus of pictures of “life” we can take. For example – stacks/collections of things like a picture of the fridge, the inside of your purse, a bookshelf, your makeup bag, the pantry, DVD collections. The fact that labels and “favorites” change over time is important. I was thinking about how Lucky Charms changed since I was a kid?!?!
On a minor note – although you’ve posted ideas for creating and printing the Project Life cards, I’d love to see ideas for trying to print using the cards you already offer.
I am right up there with Stacy and Stephanie S. How are you organizing all of “life” until it gets where you plan on giving it a home. Right now I have 17 years of memorabilia in various tubs and drawers. My son graduates this year and I have intended to put it all together in an album or 2 but the task seems so daunting that I just pass over it and deal with current “life”. I would like to do better with my other 3 children. -The last just started Kindergarten so I still have hope. LOL
I would love to see how you keep all of your bits and pieces of “life” together before going into your PL book and how you keep up with your kids and their school stuff ie what/how decide what to keep etc. Would also love to have some ideas on including kiddos in memory keeping as they get older.
This sounds like 12 days of Christmas times ONE MILLION! So excited to see what you come up with Becky! I’m sure it will be wonderful and signature YOU, which is what we all love!
Would love to see how you conquer your to do list, making time and prioritizing for every important thing in your life.
So stinkin’ excited!!
I would like to see a day in your “real life”. . . I feel like I get nothing accomplished, and you seem to get it all done, timely, neatly, and impressively. Share please!
So glad Stacy finally talked you into teaching at BPC!!
I think a piece of advice would be if you are going to incorporate any holiday stuff into your class you take photos and notes now while Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas is happening and you are in the zone. It would be harder to think Christmas in January when you are done with it.
I think people should sometimes show the not so perfect things that happen. You have that in one of your videos, where the vase is broken. People read other peoples blogs which are all postive (not that I want to read a bunch of whining and complaining) but they think that these people must do it all. Have perfectly polished sparkling clean house all the time. Perfect well behaved kids. Never wearing pj’s all day and serving grilled cheese for supper. That kind of ‘do it all’. I’d love for you to encourage others to capture their ‘real’ life, not the perfect/happy parts only. Also letting go of expectations to scrapbook/save/document it all. Be happy with what you can do. Just a few thoughts.
Wow. I’m so excited. DH just sighed.
I’m a processes person so I’d love to see you sit down, print your photos off, arrange your elements to go into your project life or watch you select photos from your phone to print or watch you actually organise your kids’ lunches. Anything that is showing me the process you go through. The thoughts behind why you make the decisions you do and you actually doing it.
I was so happy to see you are one of the masters. I’m SO taking your class.
I’m going to agree with what some others have said – organization. I’m positive you’ll include what inspires you, so that’s covered. Any organization tips you have would be fabulous.
I can’t wait to take your class. I’d love to learn about your home life – how you organize, how you run a business and be a mom and be a wife and still make time to document your life, and more about how you decorate your home (I am nosy and always looking for more ideas).
As a granddaughter of two 80+ grandparents, I can tell you what I would want documented, if it’s At all helpful. I would love to know about what your daily life is like. What do you eat all day, what are your routines, where do you go shopping, what do you talk about with each other and fit about and leave unsaid because you’ve been married for so long you already know what the other is thinking? What does your closet look like (howdo you dress?) what car do you drive, show me your house, street and neighborhood. Also, for some journaling ideas, reminisce about when each of your kids and grandiose were little, tell how you met each other, what your first house was like, what your first car was and how much it cost. These are all things I wish my living grandparents would document, and wish my deceased grandparents had left behind.
Which means we should all be documenting these everyday life things for our future grandchildren also!!!
This was supposed to be in reply to e question above about what a senior citizen should include in project life…not sure what I did wrong though!
Just to clarify: these are things I thought would be useful for the grandma who commented above – I’m not suggesting you, Becky, tell us what you eat for breakfast everyday as parrot the class!!
Becky, how great that you’re one of the four experts – a most deserved honour! I love BPC, can’t wait for your class!
I have three kids and parents in their later 70′s and early 80′s. They do not take many photographs so I made them a notebook so they could record things about their lives for both me and my children. If you don’t have anything current go back in time and document bits and pieces of your life. I am 45 and the other day my dad told me something about himself that I never knew! It was amazing to think that I was still learning something about my OWN father. Record anything, record your thoughts about your favorite season-it is all valuable!
Oops! My original message was in response to the very cool grandparents doing Project Life!
I agree with everyone – congratulations first of all…what an honor!!!
I wouldl like the organization skills; the potd ideas; lists of pictures to always take; etc etc…..I really agree with the comment about “how” you take your pictures….the various angles, lighting etc etc….you take the best pictures – when I try to do the same thing they seem so “flat”…..again congratulations…can’t wait to hear more!!!!
I’ve seen some of your holiday cards, birthday invitations, holiday decor. Would love if you shared how you do it all.
I’d love a section specifically on digital organization. And if I can be selfish for a second, specifically iPhoto and Mac organization. How do you arrange your iPhoto events, do you use key words (I would think there could be a big convergence there with Stacy’s LoM class), do you merge the events which are only the PL POTD, when you need to export out of iPhoto so you can print how you organize that, how you store the crazy amount of digital photos we all have, how you determine what to delete, have you switched to Aperture, etc?
I’m loving PL and feeling “caught up” on telling our story (even though I’m ignoring the big gap in documentation from 2005 to 2009
) but I am feeling overwhelmed with the digital side of things…it just keeps growing and growing and growing. Would LOVE some specific strategies on how to deal with this.
Cannot wait to sign up for your class!!
I would love to know how you take the wonderful photos you do. Lighting, exposure, the best angle to take the photo etc. I would also love to know how you print the different sized photos you do for your scrapbooks.
Since you will be teaching Oct-Dec 2012, I would like to know how you prepare for the holidays, what you decide to do and not do for the events that come up during the holidays.
Traditions you have (or that we have) and how they play a role in your life each year during the seasons. And Holiday storage. You decorated for Fall how do you store it all? At my house it doesnt seem like much but when you add up xmas, easter, autumn and a few other holidays in-between my garage is seeming full. Living in the desert not eager to put it in my attic
Also do you change your photos throughout the seasons in certain parts of your house or all areas?
Oh one mor e thing, I would love to get your take on going paperless. I remember seeing it in a blog post once and you mentioned a scanner. I am overwhelmed with paper!
hi becky, FANTASTIC cant wait for the class.I have heaps of tubs photos and memorabilia and dont know where to start.I try to start seems to hard.Have lots of page protectors yours and we r memory keeper ones and pl. The organisation part needs help, do you have any tips on getting started.Thanks
Oh how exciting! I would love to see home decor projects, but I’m sure it will be fabby whatever you are teaching!
Exciting news – Congratulations Becky! I love BPC, and you are a wonderful addition. I can’t wait to see what your class shapes up to be. Whatever you do, it will be inspiring.
Congrats on this new adventure, will be so fun to have you as one of the AWESOME 4!! So glad to see you got lured into BPS finally, I just took my first classes there this year and LOVE LOVE it.
I think anything you shared with us would be so helpful and great. Some ideas to explore more though are:
Sharing what your process was this holiday season while it’s fresh right now. How do you get ready, do you shop for Christmas this early or are you a last minute shopper. How about the planning of decorations, do you decorate yourself or let the kids help. What do you do not to get stressed and if you are what do you do to unstress yourself. What traditions do you have from your childhood that you do now and what new ones do you maybe start.
Would love to see more about your decorating and your thoughts are on how/why/what you choose to bring into your house and how you organize it all. Do you think of where something will go when you buy a new item or do you buy because you just have to have it and then make it work into your decorating.
The daily things of your life. How do you get so much done, do you have a tight schedule everyday to make sure it gets done. Do you prep your kids the night before for school or do you do everything in the morning. How much does David get involved in all this. What is the daily routine for the kids. Anything on how you make your daily life function would be great.
What do you plan on doing once Crew is in pre-school next year. You will finally have a few hours to yourself, how do you plan on using that time.
More thoughts and the process of how you put together PL every week. Do you have a special spot for what you want to include, how do you decide. Do you work a little on it everyday or set a certain time every week to work on it.
Those are just some ideas you already share with us but just want to see more of them. Your videos are always fun so would LOVE LOVE to see more videos.
Thanks Becky for asking us what we’d like to see and thanks for always sharing with us. Have fun !!
I need any encouragement to get memories and photos documented and recorded. Prompts in that regard would be great such as, “find a photo of such and such and write such and such about it.” Very excited for all four of these new classes, can’t wait!
Congratulations Becky! Like many others, I would really appreciate your tips on staying organized, both for your scrapbooking and project life, as well as daily life responsibilities. How do you keep up with Project Life; what’s your process or tips so the weeks don’t start getting ahead of you?
I am a new iMac user, so I would also love to know how you go about organizing your photos in iPhoto; do you set up face recognition; special albums etc.
I know that you will do an awesome job with this class, and I will be looking forward to signing up for it. Thanks for Project Life too.
Becky, I think you’re a fantastic person because you are like a total package (that sounded dumb, I know)! But you have so many facets of your life, and how you keep it all together is beyond me. I would love to hear about organizational tips. Actually, if you would ever want to be a professional organizer, I would say you’d be great at it!
I am single, no kids (unfortunately), am dealing on and off with cancer, but feel a strong need to document who I am and all about what I think for that time when I will no longer be able to voice those things.
Thanks!!
I would love to see and hear how do you meal plan when you’re not suing the online meal planner, what are you disciplining/child rearing beliefs?, how do you manage three kids, the house your career and your husband? Not necessary the nitty gritty personal details but the philosophy with tips for day-to day practise
Becky!
First of all a HUGE hug and CONGRATULATIONS!
I know that whatever you come up with will be fantastic. I will be there *with bells and whistles*
It would be great to have some photo ideas – like photo of the day or weekly photo ideas. I think journal prompts (maybe weekly) that could be inspirational. Then maybe include a way to combine the weekly photos and journaling into a scrapbook page or pages. I definitely think including the fall / winter holiday themes would be great – especially how you do simple but authentic things / events during the holidays to keep it meaningful with your family.
I’d like more on journaling the everyday. I always love to hear how others organize themselves and their lives. Would love to focus on getting more enjoyment and serenity from life. Just a few thoughts.
Love the discussion at the top of the comments regarding adults with grown children/empty nesters.
Poses 101
Self portraits, mirror shots, baby shots, birthday shots, etc etc!
And for the senior citiizens… how about a page for each of the last 50 years, instead of a page a day?? I want to know how my grandma and grandpa met, what their wedding was like, what daily life on the farm was like, how they got through the depression, what my mom and aunts and uncles were like as little kids… whatever memories she has! You might only have a piecture or two per year anyhow… so a lot of journaling would be extra special.
CONGRATULATIONS BECKY!! This is very exciting news! Congrats on everything! i can’t think of any suggestions right now, but it looks like everyone else has some great ones!
i will think of some over the next couple days, and get back to you!!
Megan
I am interested in learning how to put some momentos in my project like kit. While there is room for pictures, I do like to keep some ticket stubs or other small items that would make a great addition to the pictures and story. I know I can do a pocket page, but I would like something that I can see easily and not have to dig through a pocket.
Jennifer
NYC
I would like to see ways of quickly scrapbooking even if you didn’t have PL. Any tips and tricks you have are always a good thing. Ways of organizing items to be scrapbooked is good too. nlundeen at catt dot com
Oh my so much to suggest….all the above is wonderful ideas. I would love too how to take better pics, angles, lighting…and what do you do with ALL those pictures, I just take to many..how do you organize them if they are not going into project life, or a regular scrapbook. Is it necessary to have them on your computer AND a cd or hard drive.
And would absolutely love the house decor, decorating for holidays and so on. I simply love to decorate a house…even the everyday stuff would be great. I know you will come up with some “good” stuff.
I would love lots of ideas on organizing the “stuff” of life, especially for kids. What do you do with all the stuff kids bring into the house. Where/how do you store it all? Please don’t just say, “scan the artwork”. Tell/show us how to scan the artwork. Or better yet, other ways to keep the stuff besides scanning (I don’t like to scan, too time consuming). I need/want details. Lots and lots of details, please.
The baby stuff. What do you do with the baby stuff? What do you keep/toss? What should I be saving? How do I save it?
I love lists. I’d love a list of photos to take that document my life. And not the usual shots but the ones that are unique and interesting (shot from the floor, etc.). I’d love a list on things to document (kind of a pots list of what we eat, shoes we own, music we like right now, etc.). I’d love a list of questions to ask my kids throughout their lives so we can look back at the various answers. List of journal prompts of things I need to document to record me and my life (not just the kids).
I’m so excited about this class! I know that whatever you come up with will be wonderful and will help simplify my memory keeping for my family.
I almost screamed when I saw your name on the email BPC sent me. I thought, “She never does things like this!”
I have to chime in and say yes I’d love to hear your organization strategies about photos and picture taking. Since this will be during the holidays have enjoyed seeing your videos you do that talk about decorating! I also like seeing all your recipes and hearing all the tech advice/info.
So excited.
O-R-G-A-N-I-Z-A-T-I-O-N!!! Any part of it…home, family, memories, etc. etc.!!! Because I have to have my house at least a little bit in order to feel like I can sit down and work on my memory books!
Wow! I just watched your video and I cannot wait.
I will add my vote to hearing about your organization strategies. Especially if you have any for those on an incredibly tight budget. You seem to do so much and do it so well, I would love to know some of your secrets.
Thank you for being willing to teach an online class. You will be awesome!
I think this is an idea that was meant to be. I am really looking forward to your class. I met some of the most noted names in scrapbooking and you really bring photos to light with the story. Anyone can take a picture and put it in a scrapbook with pretty paper and embelishments. However, you show people how to authenticate those memories and bring their story to life. The unique way you simplify the process brings the whole element of recording memories in to tangible little bits of sunshine to be enjoyed for years to come. I also love the videos and especially the flower arranging for the holidays. I know that this class may be a huge task with your other project in the works not to mention having a family, you will be inspiring people all over the world. Thank you very much for your insight, creativity and willingness to share your talent. Please include some videos for this class and maybe decorate the outside of the page protectors.
wow exciting… i was reading the the headline to hubby and he was like – oh you’ll have to do that! (nice) Only sad that it’ s a year away.
I would no doubt enjoy any ideas/ tips from you but would apprieciate ideas about parenting your 3 children while working as well and how you stay up beat, how you include the children in tidying/ house choices/ memory keeping. How do you organise kids toys/ art work/ the extra photos that are not used in PL, do you still do any ‘traditional’ scrapping?
thanks for taking the time to do this for all of us ( fans)
thanks, julie
Hi Becky,
sounds great! Allthough I,m a tech-drama I would like to try an online class and i would really like it to be about organizing life and every aspect to it! (home, kids, work, memorabilia of any kind…)
Good luck with the process, i’m looking forward to the outcome!
pam
I’m in! Like many others, ORGANIZATION is what I would love to see you focus on. Photos, memories, home, work, right down to the the car and laundry room! hahaha
From what I’ve see on your blog you’ve got a handle on this! Show us MORE!
Can’t wait!
Becky – I am so excited I had to stand up and do my happy dance! As proud and in agreement as I was with you choosing to make family your primary focus over the last few years, honestly, I thought I had missed my opportunity to to take a creative class from you. So excited and so looking forward to next Fall! Any content that you would diliver I know would be fabulous but since you are teaching right smack in the holiday season think of the things you could do – holiday related. Also, cultivating a good life to me – means family. Not sure how you would do this, but an idea of family relationships. From my computer screen I’ve always admired your connection with David (keeping your marriage priority) and your love for your children – all this while tending to the many projects and to dos of your everyday life. Just a few ideas : ) I cannot wait to see what you come up with!!!!!
Becky – that is wonderful! I know that you will reach even more people with your vision! I’d love to see, to reiterate many above me, ORGANIZATION, HOME DECOR, even itty-bitty details regarding organization, photography, project life of course! Can’t wait to see what you come up with!!
This is very exciting. I am so glad to hear that you’ll be teaching over at Big Picture Classes. I’ve taken several classes there. I really enjoy when digital layout templates are included as part of the class (regardless of whether the focus of the class is on scrapbooking – e.g., the Wellness Journey course I took was focused on Wellness, but it was fun to build a Wellness Scrapbook and to get introduced to some digital scrapbooking concepts along the way – the album I created was very hybrid in nature). So, tt would be great if you could include a double-page digitial template layout for each week, perhaps based on some of your favourite Sketches from years-gone-by, or maybe you could start a Project Life series loosely-based on a photo-a-day concept – with a title (maybe the class theme of the week – but that could be ‘repurposed’ to be part of a Project Life weekly layout (e.g., title would become week such as 1-7 October 2011)) plus room for 7 photos and 7 journalling blocks. That would be a terrific way for you to experiment with digital templates (and hopefully creating a line of digital templates based on your sketches; you could then add those templates into the digital version of Project Life). I’m sure that those wanting to build a traditional or hybrid paper-based scrapbook during the course of the workshop would love working from just the sketches. Enjoy the development of the workshop. I’m really looking forward to it and will certainly participate, regardless of whether or not digital templates are included.
When it comes to organizing old pictures, what have you done? Have you scanned them and stored them digitally? What about your negatives? Have you scanned those into an electronic copy? I have massive amounts of pictures that I know I will never get to (but I think I will go back and do Project Life each year for the more recent years). I took Stacy’s Library of Memories and it was amazing, but I still feel like I need to save them electronically somehow too.
I am so excited to take your class Becky! I never went to a CKU so I am looking forward to learning from you online! Good luck with the planning…it will be so great!
I think Stacy Julian has picked the perfect person for this class. Congratulations!
I really don’t want to sound like a broken record, but organization, organization, organization. Oh, did I say organization?
How do you organize your family history, your pre-digital pictures, scanning your old negatives, your household finances (what I mean is papers/filing things…monthly bill statements, tax things, bank statements, etc.), your family life vs work, how do you plan for your vacations (lists???), how do you manage your digital photos (back them up? If so, on what?), just about anything that comes with having a normal life. What do you do when you go on a major vacation and do you do special scrapbook pages for each of your children? I know for a lot of these, what works for one household, doesn’t work for others, but I am always looking for ideas. Thank you so much for the opportunity for us readers to share suggestions to questions that we would love to have answered.
I have to jump on board with the organization bandwagon……and balance…you seem to find a certain balance between your family, your goals/dreams, your home, etc, etc….and while it is your class, i also like the technology info from your brother.
OK, I just have to chime in… I realize I am in the minority… NOT ORGANIZATION! ANY THING BUT ORGANIZATION!!! I used to take classes at Big Picture back when it was Big Picture SCRAPBOOKING! I was so disappointed when the took the scrapbooking out of the Big Picture. I think a class on… umm… scrapbooking would be great! Maybe holiday related scrapbooking projects. There are a million books on the subject of organization! It’s been done to death!
Thanks for letting us state our opinions.
Jessie
This sounds fantastic Becky!
As a Mum with three children (8, 5 & 2 years old) I would love to know how you manage your time so you can make time for your business. I am attempting to be a work at home mum and finding (like everyone else with young children) that I spend most of my time doing laundry, feeding the family, tidying the kitchen from one meal to the next, picking up toys, driving children to ballet, violin, swimming, art classes after school, going to playgroup etc. When I do have a spare moment to myself (daytime naptime and at night) I am exhausted. How do you keep your energy levels up so that you keep mentally focused on your business activities.
I would also love a day/week in your life. When do you do most of your business work – at night, when your youngest is having a daytime sleep, or sporadically during the day between other mummy activities or on the weekend when your husband is at home? Does your husband help much around the home and how have you split up the tasks? What sort of chores do your children do and how do you encourage them to do them!? Do you have any other tips for freeing up time so that you can focus on your business (like get a nanny/housekeeper!!)?
Ideas on how to make some of the everyday activities we have to do as Mums more time efficient would be great. Also tips for getting kids out the door in the morning on time and getting them into bed on time.
Tips for hosting kids birthday parties at home (and staying sane) would be great too!!! And while I’m here – thanks for developing Project Life. Gen x
Great Idea! I would like to hear something about organizating life with 3 kids and being a working woman. I want to get back to work and it fears me what will come and how to manage all.
Becky, I love your Project Life concept and wish I had developed something similar 42 years ago when I was a new mom. I am not certain how Project Real Life would apply to a grandmother. I shall have to keep an eye on this over the next year to see how it is developing.
what a great idea. I love your project life and the way it captures our everyday. How about some ideas for days (or a week) you don’t have a picture because you forgot to take some or life simply kept you tied up?…or special events and how to add them.
YES, YES, YES… organisation pfffffffffffffftttt!
Over it! 
That’s exciting! Maybe I’ll have to get my digital project life complete. I only bought it last year and don’t know where I put it on my computer:)
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I have been reading all the other suggestions and I too need help with organizing my LIFE !!! I shouldn’t be on the computer now but am allowing myself 5 minutes to check your blog, then back to my chores.
I have not started Project Life yet because my “scrap room” is a disaster and that has to be my headquarters. I have a hard time parting with anything sentimental, even if I take a photo of it. I have bins of my parents cards to each other, to us kids. I have my childhood drawings, my MOTHER’s childhood drawings. (SHE was an artist in my opinion, though she never thought that of herself.) I even have my grandmother’s mementos. They left this world too soon, so I have three homes worth of “stuff”…too much to sort, it’s overwhelming…..to do it alone is daunting and I need HELP !! Then I have my 5 year old’s pre-school and kindergarten items….you know how THAT goes !!!
I know whatever you decide to incorporate into your class will be great. I intend to participate and can’t WAIT !!!
You should check into Aby Garvey’s Simplify 101 classes if you are in need of a total organizational makeover, Linnea. Aby offers classes for getting your paperwork under control and for organizing many other areas of your life. She’s even written a book on how to be an organized scrapbooker.
One of my big wishes would be for you to try to address how to scrap for multiple kids. Do you duplicate (or in my case, take 5 copies) of the same great family photo and remake the page over and over for your 5 kids? What about the family history photos from back in the days when you and your dh were dating or newly married and didn’t have kids? Do you put those into each child’s scrapbook, or make a separate album for yourself and let the kids kill each other over it when you’re gone? After I made that first family Christmas scrapbook years ago, I was in such a quandary over how to handle the whole thing that I ended up making random pages of the kids’ current lives and never going back to complete their baby scrapbooks. My kids are older now and starting to move out of the house, and I still haven’t made them each books of their early days, school days, etc. HELP!
I decided that I am making scrapbooks for my family – hubby, three kids and me.
One set.
BUT
I will photograph 12 x 12 and scan smaller pages. Then I will have four digital books printed, one copy for each kid and one for us. I believe the digital books will outlast the paper pages, plus the bound books look great on a bookshelf, and nothing falls out!
That’s my solution.
I’M SO THERE!!!!!
I was excited to watch Stacy’s little TWELVE video and thrilled to see you doing a PL segment.
I actually am not sure about the two middle courses. I’m considering them. But FOR SURE I’m going to sign up for Stacy’s and your’s.
I have NO CLUE what to expect or what I need or want to gleam from your knowledge. WHAT I DO KNOW is that a daily dose of your creativity and inspiration may be the motivation I need to KEEP GOING!!!!!! As simple as it seems, PL is STILL a challenge to do day-to-day. I look forward to watching how you, your process and your life unfolds right before our eyes!!!!!
AWESOME!
“SKETCHES” for Project Life; please, pretty please! = )
This sounds great! I would love to hear more about family traditions; starting them, honouring them and involving the children in them. I really want to cultivate a true ‘family brand’ with my children, including some traditions specific to us.
Thank you.
I love the “SKETCHES” idea!! I love how Ali Edwards has done her project life and would love more ideas on how to incorporate more “stuff” beyond pictures into my albums.
Thanks!!
Would love to hear about how you organize your day, stay current on PL, and keep the family going. But, I’m sure that anything you have for us will be inspirational and can’t wait to hear what you have for us!
Yay Becky! So so excited about this! I will ditto the organization but also the following:
DIY Home Decor projects: I would love to see you do videos of how you hang photos in your house and I’m curious how often you switch out pictures and start new displays! I truly believe we do need to be surrounded by what we love and what makes us happy and smile. What are your decor secrets? Loved your posts on flower arrangements & other decor posts!
Time Management: how do you keep it all straight? Paper lists, iCal or any other apps? (I tihnk you posted on this). I know you must be an extremely busy working mother and wife. How do you handle and manage it all? What is a “typical” week for you?
Scrapbooking: when do you do it, how often & do you do both digital and traditional scrapbooking? Have you let go of expectations to get it all done? Do you keep individual albums for your children still and a family album or are you all PL now? The memorabilia and art work is also an area I’d love for you to explain.
Family traditions: I know you do the yearly birthday handprints. Anything else? Birthday letters? Other holiday or family traditions. I love hearing about what other people and families do.
Thank you Becky! I am so looking forward to this class. You are so giving and inspiring. Thank you for all you do! You do an UNBELIEVABLE job!
Thank you for being such an inspiration throughout the years…love to scrapbook…so excited about all the new adventures in scrapbooking that you bring our way!
[...] was October of 2011 that I announced I would be teaching my very first online class in the 4th quarter of 2012. Someone please tell me – [...]