Project life

I recently purchased a Project Life kit, which is an amazing product.  I am not going to really explain what it’s all about, as there are so many sites where you can find that information already out there (try Becky Higgins for starters!).  Just know that it is amazing and I am prepared for it to essentially revolutionize the way that I keep track of my photos and memories!

 

I am starting my official PL album in 2012, but I couldn’t resist playing with it a bit to scrap some of my Christmas photos!  This layout is all about the preparations that come before Christmas – baking, decorating, and generally being jolly!

I used a “G” page protector by Becky Higgins and I cut my own journaling cards and title card from papers I had in my stash.  Corners were all trimmed with a Fiskars corner rounding punch (love the look of the rounded corners!).  I created my little 4x6 collages in Photoshop.  I also managed to get my bear of a printer to print on my title card, and then attached a little ornament I picked up for half off at Target (50 cents!  Flat ornaments make great little cheapie embellishments and the holiday merch is on sale everywhere right now!).

Overall I am happy with my layout, however I might go and redo my journaling cards, or at least one of them – I feel like the layout is a little too bland in the middle and it needs an extra punch of color in there somewhere!

While I was playing, I also created this little journaling tag to include in another Christmas themed layout – a few of my favorite things! I cut out a 3x4 card and rounded the corners, then wrote the text out in PS and printed on my card.  After hunting around in our piles of gifts, I managed to find some logos from some of our favorite gifts and glued them right on!

10/365

Sushi night!  Our first attempt at making our own sushi was actually a success! Pictured is a yummy avocado roll that I made!

8/365

Ok I am all kinds of out of order right now! I just posted day 9, and here is day 8. Confession time: This picture was actually taken on day 7. Apparently I missed a day in there.  Anyway, here’s my little monkey jumping in her bed! 

9/365

Day 9…yes I am on day 21 right now yet only posting day 9…and I can’t for the life of me remember why I took this picture, other than maybe Adison was playing with it at the time…let this be a lesson to me that I need to keep my posting as up-to-date as I am my picture-taking!

7/365

Don’t break the ice! Adison thinks the point of the game is to knock the bear down (who she calls a monkey).  She goes out of her way to knock that poor red bear down, and then throws her arms up in the air and yells “I WIN!”

6/365

So this morning, I went in the kitchen to make Adison something for breakfast.  I come back to the living room to find that she had broken into a bag of lindt dark chocolate truffles.  There is really nothing more to say!

5/365

Day 5 I made some pseudo french bread pizzas.  Some yummy rolls split open, sauce and a bit of garlic powder, all topped with shredded mozzarella. YUM.  I just baked them at around 350 for 15 minutes, then popped them under the broiler for 2 more minutes to brown the cheese up a bit.

Mouthwatering…

4/365

I've been trying to get some fun bokeh going, and so far my photos are just full of fail..I will keep trying though.  This tutorial inspired me, unfortunately my snowflake bokeh looks more like fish skeletons!  If when I get it right, I will be sure to post the result!

For now -

3/365

I just got a sewing machine!  My mom and brother gave it to me for Christmas, and I just opened it up today (this is a lie, today is January 5, but I did open it on 1/3 and that is what day this post is about).  Anyway, it took me an HOUR, yes a full hour, to wind one bobbin and thread the machine!  Now that I know what I am looking at, I am sure it won't take that long ever again (I hope!). 

2/365

Ferguson.  Lately I am obsessed with capturing our Christmas tree lights, I just love the bokeh I get in tree photos!  Adison is a rambunctious toddler and doesn't often sit still long enough for me to press the shutter button, but Ferguson is usually a willing participant for an impromptu photo shoot.  In this picture he was squinting in preparation for the flash to fire.

1/365

As I mentioned in my first post, I am cheating for day 1- this photo was actually taken on day 2.
Hello Kitty quick steppers...I LOVE these things! So does Adison.  Technically they are mine, but I let her play with them too, as long as she treats them nicely.  Ferguson knocked them down the other day, and she was quite upset that 'Ferga broke mommy's hewwo kitties!"

Rules

So here I am, starting a project 365.  I've tried this before, but fell off the wagon practically as quickly as I hopped on.  In order to encourage myself to stick with this project, I have decided that the first rule of Merideth 365 is that I am in charge (I am, after all, Merideth), and therefore I make the rules up as I go.

Technically, a "Project 365" is 365 photos in as many days.  I am challenging myself to get as close to that as possible, while realizing that I am human, and sometimes life gets in the way.  I hope by having very loose 'rules' for myself in this project, that I won't get overwhelmed and call it quits early.

The first broken rule occurred on the very first day - I didn't take a picture!  Oops!  I did take many on day 2, however, so I am substituting an extra day 2 photo for day 1. 

The reasons for starting this project are quite simple:

• Chronicle the events of the coming year by capturing the small details that I would normally overlook.
• Get to know my camera! I have owned it for nearly a year, and I am far from learning even a smidgen of what it can do. 

If anyone happens to run into this little project and is also doing one of their own, please link me so I can keep up with your projects as well :)