:: hello january ::

hello new year.

hello clean slate.

hello one little word.

hello new projects.
hello new goals.

hello 2014.

bring. it. on.

:: project life organization for 2014 ::

I'm back with a look at how I'm organizing for Project Life  2014. Have you heard of Traci Reed? She is pretty awesome!  I found an totally rad calendar/planner that she designed to help her organize for project life (for more information, click the photo to the right and keep reading)! I downloaded her work and quickly set out to make a planner that works for me.  It took a little editing in photoshop (since my weeks are going Wed-Tues.), but it wasn't too long before I was off and running!

I decided to make three planners this year, but I started with just one -- just in case this doesn't end up working for me!  I made this very similar to how I have made some journals in the past; chip board, card stock/patterned paper, and the cinch, that magical cinch.  Best recent tool purchase. Below are a few photos of my planner (with a bit of supportive text)!

I chose to have my weeks go from Wednesday to Tuesday this year (since the first is on Wednesday). My thinking is that I will have several days to complete the week (and photograph my LOs) before my goal of posting on Sunday. Yep, I set a goal to post all my PL layouts this year. I'm hoping this will give myself some accountability to complete!  We'll see how that works (I hope it works better than New Year resolutions that involve tread mills).  

I hope this journal and goal setting thing works for me.  As I mentioned in my last post, I am totally OK with missing weeks throughout 2013. But wouldn't it be magic if I could complete 2014? I think so. I will continue to use the momento app that I talked about in this post to help me out! It is a must have!

I'll be back soon with a post that includes my title page for PL 2014 (and maybe another DD update)! Hope you all had a Magical & Merry Christmas!


UPDATE 5.12.14 -- I've now used this notebook for four months -- check out this update. 

:: project life reflection and moving forward ::

Wow!  I have so much to say about Project Life, but I'll try to be succinct:

I LOVE this PROJECT.

That pretty much says it all.  Here are a couple of recent weekly spreads (from Thanksgiving week and the first week of December).

For both of these I mostly used Studio Calico Project Life Kits (Nov. & Dec.).  Of course, I added a few things from my stash. I am loving the SC PL kits, and I will continue my subscription in 2014!

So how did I do in 2013? 

OK. I missed several weeks. I learned a lot about myself along the way, and I documented more than I have ever done before. So overall, even with the missed weeks, I am happy I tackled the project, and there is no way I can see my life without it.

Will I go back and finish 2013? 

Maybe. Like I said, I documented more in 2013 than I've ever documented, and I am totally happy with that. I want to move forward into 2014 with a clean slate (that's part of what the new year is about, right?), and not worry about 2013. However, if I find myself with extra time on my hands, or I'm motivated to go back, I will.  My focus is going to be moving forward, though.

What will I do the same in 2014? 

I am going to continue to work with the Studio Calico Project Life Kits. They are awesome. I started the year last year with a core kit -- Seafoam -- which I also love.  It is quite likely that there will be cards from that kit included in 2014. I will also continue with the 12x12, weekly, two page spread (with inserts when needed & as time allows). I used several different page protectors in 2013, but I mostly used the BH "A" style, and will likely continue using those. I will also stick with the orange WRMK 12x12 binders (they have already arrived on my doorstep)!

What will I change for 2014? 

I will likely not buy another core kit. It's not that I don't like them, it's more that I like the Studio Calico kits better, and I probably only like them better because I get bored with just one core kit. With the SC PL kits I feel like I can still have cohesion, at least over a week, maybe even over a month, but I also have a lot of variety. I do like the BH mini kits. I have a couple, and I imagine I will incorporate them into my PL next year (and I might buy more).  :-)  The only other thing that is quite tempting to me is the HSN exclusive "Just Add Color" kit!  I am loving the little 2x2 squares in that kit. I have resisted purchasing that kit (so far)!

Over the next couple of days I hope to share how I've started organizing for next year's PL, and how/when I plan to share my work on this blog next year. Here's a little sneaky sneak of my title page in progress:

Thanks for reading!