Project 52 Weeks: Page 6 & 7

“The details are not the details. They make the design.”

-Charles Eames

Catching up on a couple of Project 52 Weeks pages...

Page 6 highlights the work I did on my exciting blog redesign, and mirrors my post here.

Journaling reads: A new spin on things. Given that the last time I changed up the design on my blog was almost three years ago, I decided it was time to shake things up again. Blog design and html coding were an effective distraction from a crazy week of real estate upheavals, unknowns, and contract extensions. After several full days of planning, creating, and coding, I'm tickled with the results.

Supplies used: Orange paper, Summer Sky textured cardstock from The Paper Company, Crop-A-Dile, Like This SMASHtape, Sophie-White from American Craft's Remarks collection, tiny brads, date stamp, "Let's Ride" glow-in-the-dark alphabet stickers by Noteworthy, chipboard stickers from BigLots.

Page 7 features my Instagram photos from the "10on10 Challenge."

Journaling reads: disinfecting after a week of being sick * washing all of our linens * one chore leads to another * a bit of freelance work * the Netflix move came yesterday... must finish book * an afternoon snack * daily walk to the mailbox * a no make-up kind of day * treated myself to TexMex * time to watch (read!) the movie with the boys *

Supplies used: strip of photo negatives, a Rook playing card, chipboard sticker from BigLots, barcode from a button card, several small buttons, date stamp.

Project 52 Weeks: Pages 10, 11, and 12

The time for action is now. It's never too late to do something. 
-Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Although it's been a while since I posted about my Project 52 Weeks progress, I promise that I'm not as far behind as you think. Moving, unpacking, and starting a new work routine sure took its toll for awhile, but I'm catching up.

Over the next couple of days, I'll be posting my newest pages.

Week 10: Create

Supplies used: Instagram, staples, mini brads, date stamp, adhesive chipboard shapes from Big Lots, flower and CREATE designs by me, striped paper from American Crafts' Bookshelf collection. 

Journalling reads: Creativity runs deep in my genes. For entertainment or out of necessity, my mom and grandmother inspired me to be a "maker." I'm fortunate to have the opportunity to pursue creative careers, often focusing in the digital world. However, there's just something about markers and paint!

Week 11: DIY Construction Zone [10 on 10]

Supplies used: Instagram, date stamp, DIY and Home Sweet Home designs by me.

Journalling reads: Burger King breakfast * Changing batteries in smoke detector * Taping up the herringbone laundry room wall * Firehouse for lunch * Home ownership = lots of trips to Lowe's * Painting my fun wall * Our toilet's in the middle of the bathroom * It's more fun to watch them work * Overflowing trash can * DIY diva = that's me!

Week 12: Do It.

Supplies used: Yellow vellum, date stamp, DO IT journalling card from SMASHbooks, vintage Orangeade cap, transparent film, pennies roll.

Journalling reads: 1. Paint bathroom stall, 2. Epoxy coat garage floor, 3. Install fan in bedrooms, 4. Paint master bedroom, 5. Move out of apartment.

Project 52 Weeks: Inside the Front Cover

“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.”

-Mary Lou Cook

Here is my first page of Project 52 Weeks, aka the inside cover and the ode to my "one little word" for 2012.

Supplies Used: "Boho Chic Luscious Lace" from We R Memory Keepers, purple patterned paper from an online giveaway, Adhesive tags from Sticko by EK Success, Notepaper from Present Company, Instagram photo, magazine cutout letters from Vogue and Time, quote image by Marius Roosentaal pinned here, date stamp, and page from a vintage dictionary.

My SMASHbook station...

“Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward; they may be beaten, but they may start a winning game.”

-Goethe

• Inspired by Ali Edwards' Project Life album and Elise Blaha Cripe's 2011 album. 
• Motivated by the Mod Black SMASH Folio I received for Christmas.
• Energized by my one little word for 2012: create.

This year I will be tackling a yearlong project: Project 52 Weeks, to document the highlights and everyday moments of 2012. I've set up my SMASHbook station on the top of a bookshelf in our office/cycling room. I hope that by keeping the project out and accessible it will be easy to keep up with the project. I'm also choosing Wednesday and/or Friday evenings to create a page per week.

My SMASHbook philosophy will be a step back towards more traditional scrapbooking... the kind my grandmother, mother, and even I made as kids. At Canton a couple of weeks ago, I dug through the piles of junk to discover random vintage ephemera to add alongside my receipts, clothing tags, cut-outs from magazine, and photos.

I don't know exactly how the final book will turn out. In fact, everyone to whom I've explained the project has asked, "So are there 52 pages in the book?" And, to be honest, I haven't even counted...

Hopefully I'll post a photo of each week's page(s). Look for the first page (the inside cover and introduction to the year) tomorrow!

If you're looking for other SMASHbook inspiration, these are some of the bookmarks I've saved: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Project 52 Weeks: Page 8 & 9

"It's your life--but only if you make it so."
-Eleanor Roosevelt

We've been in a good rhythm for the last couple of weeks, and that goodness is reflected in the SMASHbook pages from the last two weeks.

Week 8. This is the good life!!

Supplies used: Paper from Basic Grey's Urban Prairie collection, vintage dictionary pages, graph paper, white thread, circle punches, date stamp.

Journaling reads:

• Feb 14. We celebrated low-key for V-Day, in hopes that we'd have a bigger celebration later in the week.
• Feb 16. We got word that our house in Buford finally closed. We were so relieved to end this chapter of our lives. We celebrated at Applebee's.
• Feb 17. Callie and I worked all week (remotely!) to write a proposal for a curriculum writer position at A.S.P. We're super stoked, and hope that they choose us for the project!
• Feb 18. I joined Rob as his cheerleader for the 1st bike race of the season. Turns out he needed SAG support as well. Luckily only the bike was hurt!
• Feb 18. We drove up to Charlotte for the afternoon--we browsed bike shops and scouted out IKEA.

Week 9. Currently [Feb 25, 2012].

Supplies used: Random orange/yellow scraps (including a shiny, metallic sheet that I've saved for years), graph paper, date stamp. Fonts: Pacifico and Andale Mono.

Journaling reads: [Inspired by Life.Love.Paper's "Currents" series.]

• time: 12:35 pm
• location: sitting in the car at the Donaldson Center parking lot, waiting on Rob to finish his bike route
• drinking: a 32 oz Coke from Spinx... it took little convincing
• doing: cleaning out Rob's car while I wait
• loathing: the blustery wind that keeps blowing the trash out of the car
• hoping: that Rob's racing confidence comes back
• anticipating: our date night tonight... we're going to see a special screening of a cycling documentary at the BMW Zentrum
• wondering: what we'll do with the rest of our afternoon
• creating: projects in my head for our new house
• loving: REI because they were able to exchange my shoes
• thinking: what a wonderful day this is

Project 52 Weeks: Pages 13, 14, & 15

“Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” 
-Carl Bard 

Week 13: Moving Weekend

Supplies used: Orange Lot No. stickers collected from our many moving boxes, green satin ribbon, lined paper, staples, date stamp.

Journalling reads: The moving trucks came and went, leaving behind a wake of chaos. Boxes and furniture filled every nook and cranny. We have so much stuff! It is going to be a long couple of weeks of unpacking and sorting.

Week 14: 8:30 to 5:30

Supplies used: solid yellow paper, date stamp, thread and sewing machine, my first paystub from work in the pocket, arrow designed by me.

Journalling reads: After going back and forth for months with B2B, they finally offered me a part-time position. I will go into Greenville on Tuesdays and Wednesdays to work in their Art Department as a graphic artist. My job will be to help prepare files for printing. Most projects will be advertising wraps for vehicles, but occasionally there is an environmental graphics job as well. I'm learning so much about Adobe Photoshop!! More than I already knew!!

I didn't think through where to go after walking in the door. No one was at the front desk, and I didn't know where the offices were. -- I spent an hour online with the IT people trying to set up my accounts. -- We went outside to look at a monster truck that the owner wants wrapped. We chatted about design opportunities. -- Nat (my boss) took me on a tour of the office to meet everyone. He explained the "Orders Checklist" which will be one of my responsibilities. -- President of the company came by to announce a new $750,000 project we got from AT&T.

Week 15: Fully, completely, utterly engrossed

Supplies used: Gray papers from my stash, date stamp, text and asterisk designs by me. 

Journalling reads: Easter Sunday. After introducing Thomas and Jonathan to the Draw Something app, we sat around all afternoon, challenging each other to this high tech version of Pictionary. Then the boys turned on a movie while I made our meal plan and blogged.

Project 52 Weeks: Page 4

"Love one another and you will be happy.  It's as simple and as difficult as that."

-Michael Leunig

I've been saving notes on my phone for this one all week.

Journaling reads: Pillow Talk Conversations. Rob and I really needed the three weeks of distance we had over the holidays. We needed it. Our marriage needed it. Through the course of Week One, we gave each other space, and hardly talked at all. Week Two, the dialogue increased, as we shared what was going on with our respective familie. By Week Three, we didn't leave each other alone... we had an ongoing email, instant message, phone conversation. The passion and excitement was back. Many nights this week, we found ourselves in bed really early (like 8:00 pm). Although Rob insisted it was because he was tired, we found ourselves awake, talking in bed for the next hour and a half. Those moments, those conversations are precious. Pillow talk does the body and soul good. [List in pocket pulls out to show all of the random things we talked about.]

Supplies used: Like This SMASH tape, baker's twine, pages from a 1959 issue of Science and Mechanics, page from an old farm ledger, aqua ribbon, date stamp, cardstock price tag, Bluebird from Basic Grey's Urban Prairie Collection

Project 52 Weeks: Pages 16, 17, & 18

"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” 
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Week 16: 10 on 10 [April]

Supplies used: SMASHbooks pocket, grid paper from SMASHbooks packaging, kraft paper, scalloped circle punch, date stamp, Instagram, "ten on ten" graphic designed by me.

Journalling reads: Daily fuel: oatmeal, bacon, and orange juice -- Corners are starting to fall into place -- Stuck in roadwork traffic -- Just another day at the office... Yay I'm at an office!! -- Best part of the day... Drinking my afternoon coke -- All day long... Waiting for files to save -- Picked up bike tools for Rob -- Fresh produce with dinner -- Salsa chicken from the crockpot with rice and roasted corn -- Making progress on organizing the boxes stored in the guest room.


Week 17: The Bunch Brothers

Supplies used: Paper from Basic Grey's Urban Prairie collection, royal blue paper from my stash, date stamp, tags designed by me.

Journalling reads: While the menfolk built a fence, Stephanie and I took the boys to Roper Mountain Science Center. Doesn't our backyard look awesome now?


Week 18: Just me...

Supplies used: filigree rub-ons, letter stickers, fabric flower, solid paper from stash, pages from vintage magazine, circle punch, grid paper cut from a vintage farm calendar, small brads, date stamp.

Journalling reads: I'm learning to balance part-time work with freelance work with housework with leisure time. It's a routine that I'm unaccustomed to as of yet. I feel pulled in so many directions and yet not mastering anything. My to do list is long, my Google Reader is exploding, but maybe this is how life is supposed to be!

Project 52 Weeks: Page 5

"Progress always involves risks.  You can't steal second base and keep your foot on first."

-Frederick B. Wilcox

This past week has the impetus to become a momentous one in my life. But, a couple of more things have to fall into place before the history books will decide.

However, it was not without some hand-wringing, and to be honest, a little bit of freaking out. Last Sunday, while waiting for our house in Georgia to close at some yet-to-be-determined date next week, Rob and I put an offer on a house with no contingency clause. This past weekend we watched the movers pack, load, and drive away with most of our household goods to sit in storage until we move into a house in South Carolina.

Big risks bring big rewards. It could be the next step in our life journey, or heaven forbid, if something falls through, it could be the biggest nightmare ever. Keep your fingers crossed that it's the former.

Journaling reads: Our Buford house has been on the market since August. We've been house-hunting in Spartanburg since October. This week we had to take an uncomfortable risk to move ahead on both fronts. On Sunday we put an offer on a house (without a contingency!), and then we heard that our closing date had been postponed indefinitely. Scared us silly, but we have our fingers crossed!

We moved out and away. We accepted an offer.

Supplies used: carbon copies of South Carolina real estate form, brown packing tape from the movers, Harvest from Basic Grey's Urban Prairie collection, Sophie-White from American Crafts' Remarks collection, tiny brads, fortune cookie fortune from Panda Express, blue index card, date stamp.

Project 52 Weeks: Page 2

"Scrapbooking isn't about scraps of paper and photos.  Scrapbooking is about scraps of life - yours and those special to you."

-Rebecca Sower

The highlight of the first week of the new year was traveling down to Baton Rouge with my mom for Camp-Crop-A-Lot, a weekend scrapbook retreat sponsored by Memory Mania. 

Journaling reads: This weekend Mama and I went down to Baton Rouge to scrap with Ms. Valine and pals at Camp Crop-A-Lot. All day and all night (until 2 am), we scrapped. I worked on a journal of our wedding plans, and I'm almost finished!

Supplies used: Hayloft from Urban Prairie Collection by Basic Grey, labels from an online giveaway, placecard from the event, date stamp, and photos.

Project 52 Weeks: Page 3

"When one has a great deal to put into it a day has a hundred pockets."

-Friedrich Nietzsche

Inspired by Carly's 10 on 10 Challenge over at Simple Things, I decided to document January 10th with 10 instagram photos. I had to be a little bit creative to squeeze all ten in, but it shows a wonderful snapshot of a day in my life.

Journaling reads: Woke up early to drive down to Greenville. Commute wasn't bad at all. | Spent the day at the Hyatt in a Social Media Seminar. Wasn't much new. | Wearing gray striped sweater, gray infinity scarf, new jeans, and a headband. | Went to Jason's Deli for lunch. Ordered beef stew. Yummy! | Best part about eating at Jason's is the soft serve for dessert. | Had two checks to deposit at the ATM: last Sylvan check and one from ENT. | Stopped by library to check out a new library book. Saw friend Shana here. | Rob offered to "cook" dinner for me. He's still excited I'm back home. | We had authentic tamales brought back from Arizona. | After two long days in a row, we were in bed early.

Supplies used: Instagram photos, index cards, date stamp, a leftover chipboard diecut (the inside of a frame used long ago), "Let's Ride" glow-in-the-dark alphabet stickers by Noteworthy.

Project 52 Weeks: Page 1

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day."

-Edith Lovejoy Pierce

The tribute to my not-so-exciting New Year's! I beckon in a new year, a new beginning! 

[Notice I highlighted "Tangerine Tango," the 2012 Pantone Color of the Year.]

Supplies Used: Calendar overlay created by me, iPhone Screenshot, New Year image (recolored) from eighteen25, Instagram photo, index cards, chipboard stickers from Big Lots.