Tuesday WITL

It was a very chilly day today, so it was kinda boring being inside for most of the day, but we get these days once in a while hey.
We were lucky that the rain stopped to walk to kinder and collect Archie like we usually do. He was happy to see us and had a great morning.
I have started the pages and got the pics in there so far- it is hard to narrow it down and choose, but I am being ruthless, otherwise I will never get it finished!
Here they are so far:

Even if I can just do this much each night, I will be super happy come Sunday. It has opened my eyes to how routine we really are, but it works for us. Sweet Lily has her head on my shoulder and thumb in mouth before we even get up the stairs for her sleeps, how can one not adore that.
Alrighty, bedsville for me. 'Til tomorrow...

Week in the Life

Today I have started a new challenge, a somewhat huge one at that- documenting this week of our life, via photos and journaling and hopefully, bringing it all together in a digital album in the near future.
Ali Edwards is the guru behind this awesome idea- she is simply inpsiring and I am in awe of her talent in digital design, photography and writing.
The concept is very cool but it is a huge task, one that I hope I can keep up with and keep the momentum going.
As you know, I love photos just a little too much, so this project presented a great opportunity for me to practice different techniques and get a little more creative with my shots.
Today, already I can say that the project has been worthwhile- I took the time to play with settings: I changed the white balance to cloudy and tungsten; I took the same shot with different shutter speeds and ISO's that presented me with a range of creative outcomes- some were great and some were horrible! But I felt like the challenge of getting the right exposure in every shot was a little easier today. So after a week of snapping, I can't wait to see what I learn.
I ended up taking 100 photos with my DSLR and 16 with my iPhone. I then selected ones that I thought I would use for the final album and edited these in Photoshop. Once again, I learnt a few more tricks to enhance my shots twofold, so again, this can only be a good thing!
I then selected photos to put onto 2 pages that will make up my Monday spread. These pages or templates are from Ali and are fantastic and all editable to suit my preferences, such as colour and text.
Throughout the day, I took notes on what we did at certain times; funny quotes; what we ate; observations and anything else that was part of our normal everyday routine.
Before I started, I also wanted to include some number facts and decided to tally 3 things today- the number of hugs & kisses we had from dawn to dusk; the number of books we read and how many strawberry punnets we ate! A little quirky but I loved the outcome (Let's just say we are an affectionate, book reading family!) 
I haven't yet documented my notes, so there is still a bit to do for today, but I am stoked with what I achieved today, both in the photo snapping and the after process (which I always struggle with in other projects).
Going digital and using photoshop has definitely simplified things and I am glad I went this way.

Below are the pages and what I have done so far (click on them to enlarge)- there was nothing special about today, but that is exactly what is so good about it- it is celebrating simple things in life that we sometimes take for granted.
I am already looking forward to what tomorrow brings us and hope I keep this enthusiasm going!

Project Life update

With Marcus still away and Archie having a week in Corowa, I managed to get quite a bit done around the house- first priority was book work for Marcus; cooking and then I was free to have a play in the study!
Here's what I've done so far:

The first entry of 3 pages is from our holiday down Blairgowrie- we had a nice relaxing break together, with a few family visitors.

Miss Lily had her first dip in the ocean... love those cute teeny tiny toes! Iadded the text in Photoshop before printing & then added a journal filler card & buttons to dress it up.

I'm loving incorporating iphone pics from various apps, they come out really well. Also love seeing Marcus having a beer & relaxing- I had a drinking buddy for once!

The following spread was from Archie's Birthday- a slight red theme once again!

I added the extra half page with Archie's Q & A's, completed in Photoshop, with some tape ribbon stuck on top.

We then had a family outing just before Marcus left, it was down in Frankston at the Sand sculpting- it was amazing, we may have even liked it more than Archie!

And with that, I am nearly up to date. As you can see, some weeks I have made a lot more effort than others, but it really doesn't matter what one does, so long as the stories get told.

I'm still loving Project Life, who else is in??!!

Archie turns Three...

It is hard to believe that my baby is now 3... it has just gone so fast and been an amazing journey watching him grow from baby to toddler and now to a little Boy, full of life and laughter. We have such wonderful chats now and he interacts with absolutely everyone he passes by... just waiting for a Hello. He is very confident talking to adults and children alike, with a preference being for a play with just a couple of quieter children.
I wonder who he will grow up to be and what he will do... Whatever it may be, I am sure he will charm his way out of trouble and cruise along!
He had a great Birthday on Sunday, riding (or attempting to) his new Lightning McQueen Bike all morning. We then had his cousins and immediate family over for cake and a play which he loved.

I asked him a few questions, thinking he may not be able to answer them completely, but he surprised me once again, reminiscing about a few things such as our holidays and the Titles of his favourite books.
Below is a Q & A page I created and have popped in my Project Life album for a laugh in the future (click to see larger version).

Archie, you are a bundle of smiles and endless energy- us adults could learn a thing or two from you and your approach to living life to the fullest...Love you like I never thought possible xoxoxo

Project Life 2012

Although I haven't quite finished my 2011 Album (still have around 6 weeks to complete), I am ready and raring to go for 2012!
I found my 2011 approach of documenting events as opposed to a weekly/daily basis suited me well. Some weeks are very busy and I have heaps to add, but other weeks are quiet and it may be more than a week before I put anything in the album. I have one album full and will most likely spread it over 2, given that the last 6 weeks were very busy with lots to add.
Here is my title page for 2012:

Becky Higgins is the genious behind Project Life and has produced 2 design ranges this year- I went with the 'Clementine' Orange Album and already, I love it! I had a little play with my stash; used some digital stamps and brushes from Ali Edwards on the photos before printing them and daddah! A nice bright, fresh start to the new year.
Below are more detailed shots of a couple of cards:

I used 3 cards from the range and added on 2012 from the Thickers Alpha range. Orange is my colour this year, from Lily's room to cushions... I'm loving it!

I thought the camera was perfect for me- I am a bit partial to a photo or two! The number 4 represents our family and the brads are from my stash.

I then used the same Thickers alpha range and stamped the cherubs names. I then thought it could be handy to stamp a few journal cards from the kit with their names on them as, let's be honest... the whole album is all about them! So I know have them ready to grab to write down those funny quotes from Archie and Lily's milestones. Only took 5 minutes, but they will add my personal touch to the album.

Once again, my album will be smothered in photos more than anything and that is how I like it. I may add a bit more bling this year, but I am not going to get stressed if I don't... I just really want to get the important bits in and they are the photos with a few notes to boot. I think if I stick to this goal, I may have time to attack baby albums and other numerous projects I dream of doing.
Hopefully, I can post a few pages here and there and encourage more of you to try it... but be warned... it's highly addictive!
'Til next time...

Tags: [tags]Becky Higgins, Ali Edwards[/tags]