On the project to-do list...

"There is not enough time to do all the nothing we want to do."
-Bill Watterson

I've got a big project in the works (hope to share more towards the end of next week...). But in the couple of weeks before that kicks off full force, I'm hoping to scratch a few projects off of my never-ending to-do list.

A couple of projects that I've dreamed about for years, bought the supplies for, dedicated a good amount of brainpower to, but have yet to accomplish...

And, maybe if I post the list for all to see... maybe, just maybe I'll actually get to them.

1. Modern house numbers :: I've bought the numbers and always have some stain stored away. Need to pick up the paint sticks and get to it! [Idea and image from 4 Men 1 Lady]
2. Gallery wall in the foyer :: I've got a stack of frames sitting in the dining room. I just need to get over the fear of putting holes in the wall. I can always figure out what goes in the frames later. [Image from The Design Files Daily]
3. Project Life photo book :: I kept up with my digital Project Life spreads of my 30th year until April. In the last couple of weeks I've been trying to work my way backward to fill in the gaps. I really want to get this done and printed well before my next birthday. [More Project Life posts]
4. Date with the Genius Bar :: With plans to start grad school this fall, I want to make sure that my laptop is in full working order before I begin. Hopefully the Mac geniuses can help me update my software, set up a back-up process, and generally optimize my system. [Make an appointment with the Genius Bar]

Project Life... in good times and in bad

“The darker the night, the brighter the stars,

The deeper the grief, the closer is God!”
-Fyodor Dostoyevsky

We have had more than our fair share of both joys and heartaches during the last two months... and I struggled with how to document this roller coaster ride in my Project Life scrapbook. My desire to stay authentic and to really embrace real life won out.

As much I wish to erase these sorrows, these stories are now a part of my story. Years from now I will want to remember who I am and where I've come from... the good, the bad, and the downright heart-breaking.

After I learned that we had lost our baby (I thought I was eight weeks along), it was tricky to go back and journal about the happy weeks before. But it was therapeutic to write these stories and to build these pages. Recording these memories both validated the joy that we felt during the early weeks knowing we were pregnant and also became part of the legacy which our baby leaves behind.

Life sucks sometimes. I hate that. I hope that these pages reflect both the elation and the pain. As much I wish we could just skip forward a few months, these pages remind me what a crazy ride this thing called life really is...

October 7-October 13, 2013. We're pregnant! Fall for Greenville festival.

October 13-October 21, 2013. Rob's annual beach ride. Weekend in Charleston.

October 22-27, 2013. White Coat ceremony.

October 28-November 3, 2013. Halloween.

November 4-10, 2013. VCOM Olympics. We learned that we had lost the baby.

November 11-24, 2013. Two weeks in one spread. Football game. Momentum gets us through.

What about you? Have you experienced a heartbreak that was made a little bit more bearable by embracing the memories through journalling or scrapbooking?

Project Life... August through September

"I believe every human has a finite number of heartbeats. I don't intend to waste any of mine."
-Neil Armstrong

The momentum continues... I'm still cranking away with my digital Project Life scrapbook for the year... I had a few busy weekends where I got behind, but knock on something... I think I'm now caught up to last week. It seems like in the last couple of weeks I have really found my rhythm.

Life continues offline, even when I'm not posting here regularly. These are the stories of our life over the last few months...

Week 7: July 30-August 4, 2013. Back to school. Mike and Amy come for the weekend.

August 5-August 11, 2013. A week of firsts. Marie's birthday party.

August 12-August 18, 2013. A morning in my life. Friday date night.

August 19-25, 2013. Softball continues. Sunday at St. James.

August 25-September 1, 2013. Mama's in town!!

September 2-September 8, 2013. Christmas in July Crafternoon.

September 9-September 15, 2013. Rob's beach ride scouting trip. Fall Festival at church.

September 16-September 22, 2013. New iPhones. Working from home. Singin' in the Rain.

September 23-September 29, 2013. Meal plan. Happy Fall!

September 30-October 6, 2013. New car. Lesa's birthday. Tibetan monks. International Festival. Our 6th wedding anniversary.

Project Life... still going

“The world is but a canvas to the imagination.” 
-Henry David Thoreau

I'm still at this Project Life thing, and have even caught back up... pretty much. I've been working a little bit each evening after work and exercise (and softball games). I'm hoping to get into a bit quicker routine, but I'm enjoying the act of creating.

I work with my Photoshop pages open, jumping back and forth between Illustrator for typographic and iconic illustrations. I've got my Evernote document close at hand with my notes that I've made throughout the week, as well as Pinterest in the background in case I need a spark of inspiration.

Few events throughout the weeks stick out as especially memory-worthy... such is the life of a married couple with full-time jobs and a pretty consistent evening routine. But, in truth, these are the moments I want to remember, the ones that slip my mind so easily... heck, I can hardly remember what I did yesterday, much less a year from now.

Week 4: July 8-14, 2013. The week of getting stuff done... Project Life, Crafternoon plans, practicing for softball.

Week 5: July 15-21, 2013. Another rainy summer week.

Week 6: July 22-28, 2013. A crazy week preparing for back to school.

How neat it will be to flip through a year's worth of these everyday memories!!

Project Life... I've bitten the bullet...

"The album we've made is much more than a book. It's worth even more than the time that it took."
-Kimberly Rinehart

I have always said I was going to start Project Life when I found out I was pregnant, but last weekend on a whim, I decided “why wait?” This will be the perfect way to reflect upon my 30th year and to record our everyday life... before we leave our twenties and before we have little busy-bodies under foot.

Project Life digital title page: "Staying fine @ 29"

I love the idea of the physical Project Life album as a place to collect the paraphernalia of everyday life (ooo, pockets!!),  but I'm not so into the scraps and the mess (and the expense!). My plan is to go all digital, with the hopes of printing a 8"x10" Blurb book at the end of the year. I've created some templates in Photoshop and am often browsing my ever-growing collection of digital embellishments. Although I'm not afraid to tweak the files or just create my own illustrations and wordart when I can't find exactly what I want. My design style tends to be minimalistic with bold graphics (although sometimes I have to remind myself of this when I start to add too much stuff on the pages).

I've backed up a few weeks to start the project with my birthday week. Now all I can think about is how to make this new project fit my life and my style…  Each night this past week, I've worked for a few hours trying to get caught up. And, I'm getting close!

I'm hoping I can keep this momentum (and that I'll get quicker at putting the pages together!!) I've started an Evernote document to keep track of memories, quotes, and photos in real-time. I also marked the occasion by starting a new Pinterest board to collect inspiring design elements.

Week 1: June 15-21, 2013. It's birthday week!

Week 2: June 22-June 30, 2013. Our adventurous trip to Utah.

Week 3: July 1-July 7, 2013. A rainy and wet Fourth of July week.

I'm excited... can you tell?!?!?