~ park minibook ~

I'm not sure if it's wise or not but I've begun a new project!  A while back I downloaded Elise Blaha Cripe's BIG mini workshop.  Apparently I am obsessed with her stuff.  I've never created my very own mini book from start to finish -- so we'll see how this goes!  Woot!  Go me!

The idea started with a very early spring!  We are four to six weeks ahead of schedule in the weather department. This is really good news if you are B.  Why?  B. LOVES just about anything outside, but especially PARKS! With such beautiful weather, we have already gone to several different parks on multiple occasions. In fact, when I pick her up from daycare some of the first words I hear from her on a regular basis are, "Let's go to the park!".  When we go to the park, I usually have my camera and always have my iPhone, so pictures are taken, often too many.  Some of them are actually kinda good.  I decided I was going to have to do something with all these photos, and the mini book idea was born!

I revisited the BIG mini PDF that I downloaded from Elise and then watched a few of her Vimeo videos. She makes everything look so easy.  If you haven't checked out her blog, her etsy shop, or her workshops, you should give them a looksy.  I also like that she shows how to deal with mistakes.  She's probably almost 20 years younger than me (at least 15), but I could learn a few things from her in the "don't stress about it, just do it" department!

I've made some decisions (I know, hard to believe)!  I decided on a 6x6 mini book so that I can use 4x6 photos easily in both landscape and portrait form.  I also like the idea of a square mini book because I've become a bit addicted to Instagram, (easily follow me here) and most of my iPhone photos will be square, which works. I've also decided on a color scheme.  Orange (of course), pink (for B.), green (for my one true love), and I will likely throw in a bit of blue now and again.  I'm contemplating a chipboard cover, with funness inspired by this post by Elizabeth Kartchner.

I took a bit of time today to sort through my stash, gather and cut some papers to size, and I began the process of putting the papers together.  I also started looking through my photos and picking out my favorites.  I've even learned a few new things in photoshop, helping me get a few ready to print on the printer that I bought last month, when odd sizes are required.  I've only begun to think about the other photos that will be 4x6 and easily sent out for printing.  Because this is an ongoing project, lasting until the snow flies again, I imagine, it is going to be difficult to keep from making it too fat!  I think it may also be difficult to not get boring (there are only so many things at parks)!  To help with that, I decided (look at me, decisions all around!) that I will also include photos that I take of nature (and other stuff) while we are playing at these beautiful parks.

I have something rolling around in my head that I would love advice on, if someone is actually reading this!  Does anyone else worry about the fact that the mini book isn't really protected?  My traditional scrapbook layouts have plastic page protectors over each page.  But mini books seem so vulnerable!  Thoughts?  What do you do?

~ OLW April 1st Blog Hop ~

Welcome my place!  It's One Little Word April Blog Hop time.  If you stopped here from  Janet's place, you have arrived at your destination (for now).  I hope you enjoy your visit!  There is a complete list of blog hop participants at the end of this post, please take a moment to spread your love!!  

I have no process items to share with you this month like I have in past months.  I'm sorry about that, and I expect to share later in the month.  Today I will just share my stories.  :-)

Ali asked is to connect with our word this month by doing or acting on our word.  I'm lucky, I've been acting since the beginning!  One thing that Ali asked us to do was set a goal to help us with our action.  I had a difficult time deciding (cuz I always have a difficult time deciding) on which goal to really document!  Visit my family more?  Create more?  Work more?  Play more?  How could I ever pick just one???  There are so many things to {balance}!  That's why I my word chose me!  So, I finally just picked one, about mid-month, that I thought would be easy to accomplish.  My goal was to jog more this month than last month!  I thought it would be an easy one because I only started back into jogging recently, and how could I not jog more this month than last?  But guess what?  I failed!  I will say, that I probably could've met my goal, but I also had a lot working against me this month, and many choices to make to maintain {balance}!

A couple of weeks ago, we got a phone call from My One True Love's father.  He didn't have good news.  C's mom had fallen down the stairs, hard, and was in the hospital.  What a whirlwind of a week!  I'm happy to report that after a week in the hospital, and one return visit, she is on the mend!  Get well soon, K!

Have I mentioned that I am feeling quite old lately?  I'm not really that old (41), but I'm feeling it!  Most recently, I believe that I have Planter's Fasciitis!!!  It is difficult to jog with that!  So that is my excuse.  I probably could've done it anyway, and I'm not going to let it keep me down, but I'm using it as my excuse, for now!  :-)  I have purchased some inserts for my shoes, and I'm going to buy new running shoes, specifically helpful for my issue (so I hear), and I will jog again soon!

A few other items have kept me from getting 'er done (the actual pages in my album), but mostly I know that I will complete it within the next week or so.  I'm not worried.  In fact, it's totally OK that I didn't meet my goal or complete the pages.  Why?  Well, because I'm doing the real work.  Those things had to go, temporarily, because the balances had to shift.  In the post that I introduced my word I mentioned that I don't believe {balance} means equal.  This past month I had to shift my focus often to feel sane, keep the main thing the main thing, and maintain a feeling of {balance} in my life.  That's the real work, right?

So, that's all I have for you this month.  I will post within the next couple of weeks with photographs of my OLW documentation.  Stop back if you get a chance!  

Next stop Amanda!

Margie   http://xnomads.typepad.com/blog/one-little-word

Monica   http://scrapinspired.com/

Jill    http://jillconyers.com/

Jenn     www.studiojenn.blogspot.com

Kara     http://iwannabemewhenigrowup.blogspot.com

Cheri    http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com

Catherine  http://myview-catherine.blogspot.com

Nikki    www.inkyart.com.au

Cindy    http://www.cynthiacrysdale.com/

Lisa     http://backtoallen.com/category/one-little-word/

Donna    http://holimess.blogspot.com/

Coley    www.coleybelle.blogspot.com

Naomi    http://poeticaperture.com

Stephanie http://playinghouseinmaryland.blogspot.com

Ruth     http://suburbansahm.blogspot.com

Eydie    www.whatwecreate.net

Janet    http://lifeinsideascrapbookroom.blogspot.com

Orange Gearle    http://orangegearle.blogspot.com  <----- this is me!

Amanda     http://scrappnbee.blogspot.com

Jen      www.jenritchie.com

Melissa S         http://blog.mshanhun.com

Kaylea    www.myscrappylife.com

Missus Wookie    http://www.mrswookieswanderings.blogspot.co.uk/

Cindy    http://seriousplay.typepad.com

Beth    www.thesingularlyordinary.blogspot.com 

Tere     http://terecontodomicorazon.blogspot.com/

Kelly    http://mindingmynest.com

Heidi    http://mommy.heidimdavis.com

~ instagram ~

This week is a week that is always quite out of balance; class late Tuesday, parent-teacher conferences late Wednesday and Thursday.  But my one little word continues to find me.

Taken while reading the "I Quit Sugar" eBook

Thank goodness for iPhones (and I'm LOVING instagram)!  I would've completely messed up my 365 project without it this week!

Next week, spring break!  We aren't going anywhere in particular, which means I get to be home!  My goals:
1.  Complete at least one layout (more would be deeee-lish)
2.  Get some photos printed and organized, ready for layouts
3.  Work on a few household organization projects
4.  Do a little work (but not too much)
5.  Work on my March prompt for OLW
6.  Last but most important, spend some time with B. and C.

Follow me on instagram, I'm orangegearle, dontcha know!

eBook can be found here