Project Life (Very long post)

What??!!?? Let me explain...

I was on deployment in 2010, and we rarely got Internet. We could check our email, but getting access to Amazon, Yahoo, YouTube, etc was few and far between. One night in Sep/Oct, the stars was properly aligned and I was able to get on Amazon. I was doing some Christmas shopping and looking through scrapbook stuff and came upon a scrapbook kit- Project Life. I didn't know a thing about it, but the kit included the album, divided pocket page protectors, and accent and journaling cards. I thought "Hmmmm. This sounds cool!" When it arrived at the house, I asked Jacob to send me a picture of it. And he sent me a picture...of the brown box! Even now that's a running joke with us.  :)

So I got everything put together after Christmas in 2010, still not really sure what it was. And then I got online.....Oh my goodness!!! There was a following of Project Lifers! I was behind the power curve in the scrapbook world!  :) And it ended up being a very neat year long scrapbook project throughout 2011 that documented a pregnancy and ended with Samuel's birth at the end. Very cool.

So this year I'm doing Project Life AGAIN, only more to document Samuel's first year of life. With the kit I'm using, there are 7 4x6 slots, and 8 2x3 slots for journaling cards, ephemera, or whatever you want to include on each 2 page spread. I work on it week by week, starting January 1st and ending December 31st. I've kept up with it so far, and love looking back on Samuel through the months. It's a great way to record our weekly stuff, the scoop on Samuel, and have a place to put all those business cards, labels, and neat stuff you don't want to throw away all in one place.

A better explanation can be found here- Project Life.

All this is to say... I'm going to be sharing some of my Project Life pages here on the blog. Now I won't share every page because some weeks really aren't that exciting. But others, like Valentine's Day, have some neat stuff in them. Just another way to share what's going on in our lives.

(As if I'm not busy enough with work, Samuel, Jacob going back to sea duty this summer, maintaining the house, the blog, scrapbooking regular pages, oh, and breathing!) I know, I'm nuts. But this is VERY easy, and that's why it's so popular.

So here are some pages from 2011... (my first year with Project Life)

2011- The Cherry Edition (http://www.amazon.com/)

Opening page

Various pages- I started taking prenatal vitamins, a card from my Mom, Mom came for a visit

The randomness that is our life- my cellphone, ice cream, cammie covers, Valentine roses

Bin Laden was captured, visit with friends in Quantico, VA

Coworkers, clothing tags, pregnancy photos, laundry with a big belly  :)

Getting bigger and getting ready

Gingerbread House at Harrie Teeter, sewing Samuel's stocking, getting closer!

The week of my due date, Cobalt Project Life stuff arrived, Mom arrived

12/12/11- Samuel made his entrance into our lives...and my album!

Onward to...2012!

This is my Project Life station in the corner of the bonus room. My Epson Portable Printer is within arm's reach. Journal cards are in the white box. The basket holds my corner punch, extra bits to add, and Sharpie markers to journal with.

2012- The Cobalt Edition (I thought it would be perfect for a boy)

Opening page

Our family of 3- and Samuel's feet!

Early January

February

The week of St. Patrick's Day- lots of green! Samuel is 3 months old.

Part of my Easter photos. I added another page protector to the album to hold all the photos.

Early May- 4x6 photos with journal cards in the middle

Memorial Day Weekend- added the extra page protector and trimmed photos and bits 'n pieces to 4x4

The week of June 1st- Samuel has new toys from G'ma, tag from my new coffee mug, Jacob reenlisted (extra page protector added)

This week (June 4-10), Left side- photos, old crows removed from my cammies, tag from Jacob's jeans, journal card with monkey sticker with journaling about Samuel

Right side- Samuel at home and at Gymboree, my craft closet, emblem from work, G'ma Hatfield

I found this really cool transparency INSIDE my new Bare Minerals makeup so I stuck it in a pocket. I didn't want Hello (on the front) to show backwards so I stuck a sticker on the back. I love that it says Thankful and you see Jacob and Samuel through the page.  :) Happy accident.

I start my Project Life week on Monday, and get everything finished up by Sunday. I don't turn the page until that week is done. Having the album out means I remember to update it, write on journal cards, or add stuff to the pockets.

As I continue this year, I will be showing pages. Not every week, but at least once a month. I hope you enjoy looking at a small part of our life!  :)

And if you made it to the end of this post, pat yourself on the back! You deserve it!!!  ;)