There are only 2 days left in 2013. How did that happen? If you are anything like me you are scratching your head trying to figure out how 365 days could pass by so quickly.
If you are also anything like me you have are still a few (or a lot) weeks behind in your 2013 Project Life album and are wondering how, or if, you will get caught up before the ball falls in NYC.
I have spent a lot of time reflecting on what worked in 2013 and what didn't work and allowed that to help me determine a process for my 2014 album.
In 2013 I loved:
The Collect App: I used this app to help me quickly get the first 6 months of the year documented and into my album. You can see all the videos from this 4-part series here.
Printing my photos at home: Halfway through the year I made the decision to purchase the Canon SELPHY. Sweet goodness! If it wasn't for this small little machine and the ability to print my photos from home I would have definitely thrown in the towel on this project. It may cost a little more, but once I factored in shipping costs of having the photos shipped to me, it is well worth the investment!
The Project Life mini kits: I forced myself not to purchase any of the full kits, even though I was tempted by that dang Midnight kit everytime I stepped foot in Michaels. I knew that it wasn't the choice for me because I like being able to choose from various things and I'm not one to repeat the same design throughout my album. I did not subscribe to any of the Project Life kits and I feel like my album still looks great. I did however purchase two of the mini kits, Cut and Paste and Flea Market. I also spent one night just cutting up scraps into 4x6 and 3x4 and added this in. This was perfect for me and I didn't feel like I had wasted my money.
Using my stash: I made a promise to myself that I was going to work through as much of my stash as I could. I purged quite a bit and sent those boxes off to happy new homes. Anything that had 1-2 things left in the packaging got pulled and used up first. I made a big dent in my supplies which made me feel awesome!
Looking ahead to 2014:
Album size: I am going to switch to 6x8 using this Sn@p leather binder. I won't lie, I'm a little apprehensive. It is going to be a huge switch to go from a large 12x12 spread to a (much) smaller version, but I am challenging myself to embrace the change and go with it. I am also going to use the new Strawberry edition dividers and just cut them down to size. I'm hoping to still be able to fit the whole year into just two albums.
I will continue to use mini kits and my stash: This worked well for me this year and I think it will continue to work well in 2014.
I am going to prepare all my weekly title cards in advance: I will share more about this as I create them but I think that having something that I can quickly pull and insert into the pockets will be key to being successful.
I am going to share my layouts more: I feel like I fell off the wagon quite early in the year with sharing my work. I am hoping that life is going to continue slowing down and that I will have more time to photograph, edit, and blog my posts. I'm not promising this will be a weekly thing but definitely monthly.
I am looking so forward to 2014. With Eleanor getting older and leaving behind the newborn stage, and Adeline becoming more and more independent and so much fun, I know that my albums are going to reflect so much good! That's why I do this project. To reflect our life. As it is. Right now.
What are your plans for documenting 2014?