Project Life Prompts --June 2013

Good morning blog friends!

I can't believe it's already June!

This year is flying by.

I wish it would slow down-- just a little bit.

I hope you all are doing well.

Are you keeping up with your albums?

Mine are almost caught up.  

Lil E is sleeping for longer stretches now, so I occasionally have a minute to work on my albums!

Or sleep.

It's really a tough call some days.

Here are some thoughts for June:

52 Lists in 52 Weeks

• Things I learned over the weekend
• Things I carry around in my bag
• Ways to be a great wife/girlfriend/significant other
• Friends I an always count on
• Quotes that inspire me
• Things I learned from my Dad

One Little Word
This  month I have decided to use 1 large photo as my project.  I took a photo over the weekend of my living room.  In this photo are: 2 rowdy, filthy puppies, 1 crying infant, 3 loads of laundry spilling out of their baskets, 8-10 large muddy paw prints on the carpet, 1 blaring TV, 1 dumped over basket of dog toys, 3 empty water cups, 2 dirty paper plates, 5 pair of shoes and one really ticked off looking fiance.  I added the words "Remember To Breathe" in the top right corner (the only clear spot on the photo), uploaded it to Persnickety Prints and had it printed at 12x12.  Easy peasy.



Project Life

Monthly Ideas:

• Beautiful In Your Skin Month:  I love the idea of this being a monthly theme.  So many of us (Raising hand-- me too!) are almost never in our photos because we think we are too fat, our hair is a mess, we don't have any make up on, we're wearing messy clothes, whatever.  This is a great opportunity to just record yourself as you are.  Because as you are is perfect right now. Get out the tripod, hand the camera over to someone else, take some "selfies".  Try to look past the things you don't like & focus on the good stuff!  At the very least, it could stand as a record of where you started your road to improvement if that's the way you want to go. 
• Great Outdoors Month:  Here in TX, it gets kinds hard to appreciate the outdoors in the summer, so we try to get lots of outside time in now, while the heat is hot, but not yet blistering.  For this one, take lots of pics of anything you are able to do outside this month: picnics, swimming, hikes, walks in the neighborhood, maybe just sitting on the porch swing with a cool drink & a good book.  
• Yellow:  I have always loved yellow, even though it makes me look ghastly.  Look for anything yellow around you this month.  I think of these kind of themes as a treasure hunt.  I love the challenge of finding my theme in unusual places.
• International Men's Month:  Make a record of all of the men in your life this month: your co-worker, your hubby, your son, your father, your friends, whomever.  You could also use this as an opportunity to really record 1 man in your life.  Get some in-depth info on your son, for example.  His likes & dislikes, his daily routine, his favorite foods, music, movies, his ambitions for his life, etc.
• National Fruit & Veggies Month:  Record all of the fruits & veggies you consume this month.  I don't know about you, but this becomes a challenge for me.  I'm not a big veggie eater.  But I have a young child & I want to do better for him.  I need to eat more than corn & green beans.  Maybe if I'm taking daily photos of it, it will motivate me to expand my horizons.  After all, who wants to look at a month's worth of photos of corn?

 Other Monthly Themes to Consider:

• Audio Book Appreciation Month
• Country Cooking Month
• Effective Communications Month
• Gay & Lesbian Pride Month
• International Surf Music Month
• Dairy Month
• National Bathroom Reading Month
• National Camping Month
• National Candy Month
• national Smile Month
• World Naked Bike Riding Month

Weekly Themes:

•  National Flag Week: Record all of the flags you see in your area.  US Flags, state flags, pride flags, decorative flags, what ever you see
• Universal Father's Week:  Make a photo record of the things that make your Dad (or your kids' Dad) a good one.  
• Duct Tape Days:  Get photos of all the things you do with Duct Tape,  Or all the things you want to do!
• Superman Days:  We are allllll about all of the superhero movies at my house.  Steve has shirts & figurines & onsies for the baby & DVDs & all kinds of stuff.  We have seen them all!  (The newest Superman movie is next!!!) Is someone in your house as obsessed as we are?  Record their obsession.

Other Weekly Themes To Consider:

• International Clothesline Week
• National Business Etiquette Week
• national Sun Safety week
• National Tire Safety Week
• Fish Are Friends, Not Food Week
• Watermelon Seed Spitting Week
• Water Ski Days

Daily Ideas:
1- National Go Barefoot Day: I LOVE being barefoot.  And it's a great excuse to go get a new pedi!
2-Yell  "Fudge" at the Cobras in North America Day:  I have no earthly idea what this means, but it sounded good.  If you know the origins of this one, leave me a comment.  I'm curious.
3- National Leave The Office Early Day: tell your boss it's a holiday & you have to go!
4- Audacity To Hope Day
5-National Running Day: I only run if there is an ax-wielding psycho killer chasing me.  Maybe I'll record that.
6- Drive In Movie Day:  I used to LOVE the drive in when I was young.  I need to find a local one!
7- Donut Day
8- World Ocean Day
9-Race Unity Day
10-Iced Tea Day
11- Crowded Nest Awareness Day
12-Loving Day
13-Family History Day
14-Flag Day
15- Native American citizen Day
OR  Nature Photography Day
16- Father's Day
17-Ride Your Motorcycle To Work Day
18-International Sushi Day
19-World Sauntering Day:  I need to perfect my saunter
20- Dump The Pump Day
21- National Flip Flop Day
22- Stupid Guy Thing Day
23- Pink Flamingo Day
24- Celebration of he Senses Day
25- Color TV Day
26-National Canoe Day
27-Decide to Be Married Day
28-National Handshake Day
29- Self-Portrait day!  
30- Update your garden pic OR Use a journal card to document your new daily schedule now that school is out!


***Reminder!  Time to back up those precious photos!!****

Hope you all have a fantastic month!!!

Project Life Prompts- May 2013

Hello & Happy Spring blog friends!

How are your projects coming?

Mine are actually moving along- amazingly enough.

Our 2013 PL is a little behind, but the photos are there & the notes are taken, I just need to get them into the album. 

Little Man, of course, takes up the majority of my day, but Daddy has recently started giving him a formula bottle just before bed causing Little Man to SLEEP most of the night instead of waking me up to nurse every hour & half or so!

Hear that??

Those are angels singing in praise of one bottle per day.

Since Mama has finally gotten myself a little sleep, I have recently remembered that there are other things in my life besides Little Man to photograph.

Like this guy.

And these two cuties.

How could you resist them?

Little Man is of course, the one I get the most pics of, but I'm pretty sure that's just because he's the only that isn't capable of running away.

Yet.

So, for those of you whose subjects do run away any time they see you with a camera in your hand, here are some thoughts for May.

52 Lists in 52 Weeks

• 10 nice things that other people have done for me lately
• Things I would tell my 17-year old self
• Things I wish I could change about the world
• Songs I totally ROCK at Karoake
• Lessons learned from Mom
• Movies I wish they would make 

One Little Word
This month I'm going to do a collage of photos that represent my word.  I'm thinking I am going to do it by hand, rather than using software, on a 12x12 background and maybe add my word over top with some ghost letters.  I've got  gobs of ghost letters in my stash.  If you don't, you can cut your own with the Cricut out of leftover product packaging.  Or you could use stamps or stencils to add your word.  Or you could leave the word off & just go with the photos.

Project Life 

Monthly Themes:

• Family Wellness Month: Record all of the things that you do to help keep your family healthy.  I see pictures of hand washing, fresh veggies, long walks with the dogs, sunscreen, daily vitamins, etc.  
• National BBQ Month: Get pics every time you put something on the grill this month.  We are frequent grillers in my house.  I love me some burgers off the grill.  And the smell of grilled chicken always reminds of me the frequent Chicken BBQ fundraisers that my Granddad's volunteer  fire department used to host.
• National Bike Month:  Snap away anytime someone in your family hops on their bike, be it motorcycle, bicycle, tricycle, Big Wheel, exercise bike or whatever.  Maybe this theme will motivate me to pedal a little more!
• National Smile Month:  A month's worth of smiles.  What could be better than that?

Other Monthly Themes to Consider:

• National Family Month
• Community Living Month
•  Clean Air Month
• Get Caught Reading Month
• Go Fetch! Food Drive For Homeless Animals Month
• Motorcycle Safety Month
• National Egg Month
• National Asthma/Allergy Month
• National Military Appreciation Month
• National Photo Month
• National Salad Month

Weekly Themes:

• Be Kind to Animals Week:  This would be a nice time to document all of the furry (or feathery, or fin-y) friends in your life. 
• Teacher Appreciation Week:  Get lots of photos of your child and their teachers or your own teachers this week. Anyone you learn from counts!
• Work At Home Moms Week:  Take a page from Ali Edwards' book & document everything you do this week.  I bet your kids would be surprised by how much you do!
• National Backyard Games Week:  What outdoor games does your family play?  How often do they play them?  This is a good time to capture them.
• Mud Madness Week:  It is spring after all and mud abounds.  How do you react? Do you get frustrated & spend you time cleaning up?  Do you go out & play in the puddles? Make mud pies? Go off-roading? Go on a 5K adventure run with friends?

Other Weekly Themes to consider:

• Chose Privacy Week
• Children's Mental Health Week
• Drinking Water Week
• Kids Win Week
• National Family Week
• National Raisin Week
• Food Allergy Awareness Week
• National Transportation Week
• Salute to Moms 35+ Week
• American Craft Beer Week

Daily Ideas:
5/1  Great American Grumpout
       *Also*
       Batman Day (and really, who can be grumpy on Batman Day?!?)
5/2  National Day of Prayer--who are you praying for right now?
5/3  Paranormal Day- time to make a record of any odd things that you've experienced
5/4  NATIONAL SCRAPBOOK DAY!! The official holiday of my people!
5/5  Cinco de Mayo
5/6  No Homework Day--what fun things will your kids do instead?
5/7  Accountant's Day-- who is the accountant in your house?
5/8 No Socks Day-- get a pic of your latest pedi, or of your need for one
5/9 School Nurse Day-- do you know your kids' school nurse?  How often do you see her?
5/10  Child Care Providers Day-- Get photos of the people who care for your little angels when you can't
5/11  Stay Up All Night Day-- well, this one isn't really optional for me, but if you don't have a newborn in the house, what would you be doing if you were up all night?
5/12  Mother's Day -- you & your Mama, or you & your kids 
5/13  Frog Jumping Day
5/14  National Chicken Dance Day
5/15  National Chocolate Chip Day-- It's a good excuse to bake a batch & snap pics of all of your helpers (my Claire Cat looooves her some cookie dough!)  Make sure to include your recipe.
5/16   Get an updated pic of the front of your house.  Are things blooming?
5/17  National Bike to Work Day-- I would love this, but a car seat & 9 bags of baby gear make this one out of my league for now-- maybe I'll document why it won't work!
5/18  I Love Reese's Day-- one of my most favorite holidays.  I could live on Reese's!
5/19-- Visit Your Relatives Day-- reach out to a family member you haven't seen in a while.  Get caught up-- and be sure to get a pic.
5/20 Eliza Dolittle Day-- What would be loverly right now?
5/21  National Wait Staff Day-- do you have a favorite server at your favorite restaurant?  Get a pic of them & document why you like them.
5/22  National Maritime Day-- Get some pics of the boats on the water or your view of the water from your home.
5/23  World Turtle Day-- who is the "turtle" (slow but steady) in your life?
5/24 Brother's Day
       *also*
       International Tiara Day (I NEEEEED a tiara!)
5/25  National Missing Children's Day-- ok, not a fun holiday, but maybe a reminder to hold your little ones a little tighter tonight & talk to them about stranger safety.
5/26  Have you brought out your summer wardrobe yet?  Document your closet change over.
5/27  Memorial Day
5/28  What are you watching right now?  Shows are coming to a season's end-- make notes or screen shots of what you loved this season.
5/29  Lear About Composting Day-- do you compost?  Document how.
5/30  Heat Awareness Safety Day-- how do you protect your family?
5/31  What You Think Upon Grows Day-- what's on your mind or growing in your head lately?

*This is your monthly reminder to back up your photos!!*

I hope you all have a wonderful month!

Project Life Prompts- April 2013

Happy April Fellow PL-ers!!

I hope your albums are coming along!

I'm taking many many many more photos these days, but spending even less time in my studio doing anything with them.  

This guy might have something to do with it. 

Straight to business this month!!

52 Lists in 52 Weeks:

• Things I Love About Spring
• Things I Dream of Doing When My Day Turns Sour
• Things To Do On a Rainy Day
• My Favorite 80s Song List
• Things I Could Eat All Day, Every Day
• Some Things Are Better When They're Tiny

One Little Word:
 This month I have a business that I can't really run, construction that has torn up my driveway & forces me to listen to large machinery breaking up concrete for hours at a time, 2 ticked-off cats, 2 insane seven-month old puppies, hundreds of house guests, a fiance that's never in his life held a baby,  a nursing newborn and an incision that prevents me from being able to put my own socks on.  

I have decided that I need a large, visual reminder of my word if I am to survive.

So this month, I am working on  a 12x12 layout that I will frame and hang in the hall outside my studio with my word on it. Later on, I will add it to my album, but right now I need to see it.  

At this point, I have no idea at all what it will look like, but it really doesn't matter.  It just needs to remind me to Breathe. 




Project Life:

Monthly Ideas:

• National Car Care Month:  Document everything about your car this month.  You can start with the basics-- make, model, mileage, that kind of thing.  But also, get pics of oil changes, car washes, the interior-- is it neat as a pin, or a total mess?  
• National Garden Month:  April is the perfect time to start documenting your garden.  Tilling, weeding, planting, all kinds of fun stuff goes on.  Make sure to get pics of yourself in the process too.  Don't forget all those little details- your dirty gloves, mud on your boots, the big, floppy hat you wear to keep the sun off your face, etc.
• National Humor Month:  Get  photos or screen shots of all the things that make you laugh this month.  My Facebook friends tend to post lots of MeMes that make me laugh, so I'll be saving some of those to use too.
• Couple Appreciation Month:  I see 2 ways to approach this one.  1) Spend the month documenting the other couples that you & SO spend time with.  Who are they?  How do you know them? What sorts of things do you do together as couples?    2) Document all of the things you & your SO do to stay connected as a couple.  Does he make your first cup of coffee for you in the morning?  Do you lay out his shirt & tie in the morning?  Do you text or email each other during the day?  Do you chat on your lunch hour?  
• Yellow:  Look for all things yellow in your environment this month

 Other Monthly Themes to Consider:

• Alcohol Awareness Month
• Autism Awareness Month
• Child Abuse Prevention Month
•  Defeat Diabetes Month
• Grilled Cheese Month
• Global Child Nutrition Month
• Home Improvement Month
• Celebrate Diversity Month
• International Twit Month
• Month of the Young Child
• National Card  & Letter Writing Month
• National Decorating Month

Weekly Themes:

• Explore Your Career Options Week:  Even if you are totally content with your job, it never hurts to think about your options.  What other careers could you go to if you had to?  What would you want to do if you could do anything?  
• Hate Week:  Face it.  We all hate things.  Use this week to get it all off of your chest.  Get pics of stuff that you just flat out don't like.  
• National Volunteer Week:  How do you volunteer your time?  Make sure to get lots of photos & make notes about why you choose to help out the way you do.
• Preservation Week:  What are you preserving?  Memories?  Heirlooms? Fruit?  Document it!
• Sky Awareness Week:  I'm going to take a photo of the sky over our backyard every morning this week at 8am.  I think it will make a neat layout to see how it looks from day to day.  It would be fun to do a night-time version of this too if you have a tripod & camera with a delayed shutter option. 

Other Weekly Themes To Consider:

• Golden Rule Week
• International Pooper-Scooper Week
• Laugh At Work Week
• National Window Safety Week
• National Library Week
• National Animal Control Appreciation Week
• National Park Week
• National Karaoke Week
• Money Smart Week
• National Playground Safety Week
• Safe Kids Week
• National Pie Championships

Daily Ideas:
 Apr 1: Tater Day-- your favorite way to make spuds
Apr 2:National Peanut Butter & Jelly Day-- What is your favorite sandwich?
Apr 3: Find a Rainbow Day-- If there isn't a physical one in the sky above you, find a philosophical rainbow in your day
Apr 4: National Walking-- take a photo while out on your daily walk today, even if it's your feet on the move
Apr 5: National Deep Dish Pizza Day-- Where do you order pizza from?  Why do you pick them over someone else?
Apr 6: International Pillow Fight Day- Do your kids have pillow fights?  Do you & SO fight over the pillows at night?  I listen to the pups fight over theirs all night long, so that's going in the album today!
Apr 7: National Beer Day-- Document your favorite brew! Is it local or something more exotic? Do you make your own? 
Apr 8: No Housework Day-- This is a holiday I can be on board with!  If you took all of the time today that you would normally be doing housework & spent it doing something fun, what would it be? Or maybe, this is a time to document your housekeeping routine.  
Apr 9: National Cherish an Antique Day-- Are you a collector? Or do you just have a family heirloom or 2?  Document what you have, where it came from & why you love it.
Apr10:  National Sibling Day-- Get a photo of you & your sibling(s) today.  If they live far away, you could make notes about how you keep in touch with them (maybe grab a screen-shot of an email or Skype).  
Apr 11:  One Day Without Shoes Day-- Celebrate your sense of touch today.  Where did your feet goes without shoes?  What do you love about being barefoot?  OR do you just hate everything about it? 
Apr 12: Walk On Your Wild Side Day-- How do you demonstrate your wild side?  Fashion?  Hairstyles? Tattoos? 
Apr 13: Scrabble Day-- Do you play Scrabble or Words With Friends?  Document who you play & why.
Apr 14: Dictionary Day-- Pick a word that defines you today & use it as your POTD
Apr 15: Tax Pay Day-- Did you get your taxes filed?  Tuck your receipt into your album.  I think it would be fascinating to read 10 years from now!
Apr 16: National Stress Awareness Day-- What stresses you out &what do you do about it?
Apr 17: Blah! Blah! Blah! Day-- Who do you know that just talks all the time?  Is it you? A friend? Your child?  Get a pic of that person today.
Apr 18: National Wear Your PJs to Work Day-- Make sure to take pics!  How fun!
Apr 19: National Hanging Out Day-- Where do you like to hang out?
Apr 20: Husband Appreciation Day-- Document some things that you do to show your hubby that you appreciate him.
Apr 21: National Chocolate Covered Cashews Day-- Yummy!  I'm  going to make some today in celebration.
Apr 22:  Earth Day-- Do you recycle?  Do you drive a hybrid?  Use solar power?  Document your efforts to help protect our planet.
Apr 23:  Movie Theater Day-- If you can't get to a movie today, you could make a list of the ones you want to see.
Apr 24: Take a photo through the windshield of your car today. (Please don't do this while the car is in motion.)  What sights do you see?
Apr 25: Take Our Sons & Daughters To Work Day-- If you have kids, ask them what they think you do for a living.  The answers might surprise you.
Apr 26: Arbor Day-- Take some pictures of your favorite local tree-filled space today.
Apr 27: Babe Ruth Day-- Baseball Season is in full swing!  Who does your family root for?
Apr 28:  Sense of Smell Day-- Get some photos that represent your favorite scents today. 
Apr 29:  Pin Hole Photography Day-- I thought this would be a fun experiment!  What cool photos can you take today using this technique?
Apr 30: Bugs Bunny Day--  Did you watch Bugs as a kid?  If not, what cartoons did you watch?  Today is a good opportunity to document a piece of your childhood.

**This is your friendly monthly reminder to back up those photos!!!**

I hope you all have a wonderful month!!

Project Life Prompts- March 2013

Good morning crafters!!

2 months down!

How are you doing?

I hope you are continuing on.

I am finally getting it together.

I finished 2012 this month & got started on 2013.

I also got Lil Man's PL album started.

As of today, he is not here yet, but his album is ready to go when he makes his appearance.

And his Daddy is living with my crazy hormones & threats of death, dismemberment & sleeping in the garage until he's old and grey if he doesn't take gobs of pictures at the hospital.

(I'll let you know how that one goes!)

Here are some ideas for March

52 Lists in 52 Weeks:

• Things I Collect
• Books on my "To Read" List
• Things That Make Me Crazy
• Movie Families I Would Be Happy to be Part Of
• Today I Will... 

 One Little Word:
 This month I plan on making a technique-filled, photo-less layout with song lyrics that contain my word.  Choosing a song was super-easy for me.  Lil E is due to be born this month and he has a song that Steve & I think of as "E's Song".  My word is in the title & lyrics.  Not something that I planned at all.  In fact, I hadn't even thought of it until just a couple of days ago when Steve noticed that I had added a new charm with this year's word to my necklace.  He asked me why I chose "Breathe" & after I explained it to him, he mentioned that this is also the name of E's song.  That's when the idea hit me to make this page with the song lyrics.   Think ATC on a larger scale.  Not something I do....ever really, so it should be a fun way to exercise my creativity & think outside the box. 





Project Life:

Monthly Themes:

• National Craft Month:  I think this would be a super-fun monthly theme.  Just photograph anything crafty that you do this month.  For me, this would be motivation to finish up a ton of little projects that I've been wanting to do & haven't gotten around to. 
• Green:  March is a great time to start looking for green!  Spring is on the way, the weather is warming up, things are starting to bloom.  I love spring!
• Three: Look for  triplets in the world around you.  We have 3 cars, 3 baby strollers (for one baby!), and 3 bicycles in our garage.  That's a good start on 3's.  I bet they're everywhere if you start looking!
• International Expect Success Month:  Document everything you do that is a success this month-- and the things that aren't.  Maybe you will find patterns that can help improve your successes.  You never know what you might notice about yourself.
• National Caffeine Awareness Month:  Document ALL of the caffeine that you consume this month.  Is it a lot or just a little bit?  I never even gave caffeine a thought until I became pregnant & I have definitely noticed a change in how I feel now that I only consume just a small amount.  Maybe you will too.

Other monthly themes to consider:

• American Red Cross Month
• Child Life Month
• Music In Our Schools Month
• National Color Therapy Month
• Ethics Awareness month
• National Nutrition Month
• National Women's History Month
• Optimism Month
• Sing With Your Child Month
• Youth Art Month

Weekly Themes:

• Write a Letter of Appreciation Week:  I can think of lots of people (some living, some not) that I could write letters to.  How about you?
• Celebrate Your Name Week:  Notice (and photograph!) all of the places that you see your name. First name, last name, doesn't matter.  Just notice how often it pops up around you. There's a pizza place here in town that has my first name & a collector's shop that currently carries an autographed poster of a football player that shares my last name, so that's where I'll be starting!
• Act Happy Week:  Photograph all of the happy faces you can find.
• American Chocolate Week: Photograph all of the chocolate in your life this week.  With all of the Easter candy floating around right now, it shouldn't be hard to find.  And after 12 weeks of refraining due to Gestational Diabetes, I am SOOOO looking forward to indulging a little! (For the sake of my PL, of course!)
• National Cleaning Week:  Document your weekly cleaning schedule, the products you use, etc.   I love to include basic, daily life things like this in my albums. I love to see this kind of thing from my Mother's & Grandmother's era,   because they are things that change the fastest.  Products change.  Technology changes. The way we live changes.  And I find it fascinating.  Even in my lifetime, how different these basic routines are, so I like to get them in my albums for the sake of posterity.   Maybe when I'm 80 I can show these pictures to my grand kids & tell them what life was like when I was younger.

 Other Weekly Themes to consider:

• National Ghostwriters Week
• National Cheer-leading Week
• Festival of Owls Week
• National Procrastination Week
• National Words Matter Week
• Read an E-Book Week
• Women in Construction Week
• Teen Tech Week
• National School Breakfast Week
• American Crossword Puzzle Week
• Wildlife Week
• Yoyo & Skill Toys Week

Daily Ideas:
Mar 1: World Compliment Day-- who do you know who could use a compliment?
Mar 2: Dress In Blue Day-- self portrait time!
Mar 3: What if Cats & Dogs Had Opposable Thumbs? Day-- what kind of shenanigans do you suppose your furry family members would get up to?
Mar 4: Daughters & Sons Day-- get pics of your little (or not so little) monkeys
Mar 5: Fun Facts About Names Day-- No photo necessary today!  Document the meaning of your name & the names of  your family
Mar 6:  Namesake Day-- write the story of who YOU are named for
Mar 7: Cereal Day-- get a pic of the stock of cereal in your pantry.  What are your family's favs?
Mar 8: International Working Women's Day-- get a picture of what you do for a living
Mar 9: Panic Day-- get pics of your Doomsday Preparations (or lack thereof.  We have 2 gallons of water in the garage and a first aid kit.  If the Zombies come tomorrow, we're screwed.  Maybe we should work on that!)
Mar 10: US Paper Money Day-- Get a photo of how much cash you have on you right now.  No cheating & going to the bank the day before!
Mar 11: World Napping Day-- take a nap.  It's OK. You have my permission.  Make someone else take a pic of you while you do it.
Mar 12: Organize Your Home Office Day-- well, this one's pretty self-explanatory huh?  Make sure to photograph your efforts.
Mar 13:  National Agriculture Day-- Get a photo of the current state of your garden or yard or maybe your plans for planting this year.
Mar 14: Potato Chip Day-- Document your family favorites & the size of your stash
Mar 15:  Companies That Care Day-- Photograph or screen-capture the logos of companies that you buy from or places you shop because you agree with their morals. Make sure to journal WHY you use them.
Mar 16: National Quilting Day-- Get photos of your current project.  If you aren't a quilter, maybe you have a hand-me down or gifted quilt that you can document.
Mar 17:  St. Patrick's Day!-- This one is huge for me.  My family are Irish, and St. Pat's is one of my most favorite holidays!!  And it will be Lil E's first FIRST holiday!  I can't wait to dress him in his little shamrock sleeper!  Get a self-portrait in your green!
-OR-
Mar 17: International Sports Car Racing Day-- document your racing team or favorite race car
Mar 18:  Forgive Mom & Dad Day-- what torture have you inflicted on your kids that you could ask forgiveness for?
Mar 19:  National Chocolate Carmel Day-- Today you must eat chocolate or caramel.  I know it's tough, but try to remember that you're making this sacrifice for the sake of art.
Mar 20: Won't You Be My Neighbor Day-- Document your relationship with your neighbors.
Mar 21: Spring Fairy Fun Day--  Photograph any signs of Spring that you have noticed around you
Mar 22:  International Goof-off Day--  What do you do when you are goofing off?
Mar 23: Near Miss Day-- have you had any "Near Misses" lately that you can document?
Mar 24: Document the contents of your purse today. What bizarre goodies are you lugging around?
Mar 25: National Medal of Honor Day-- Do you know anyone who has one?  Document it. 
Mar 26: Make Up Your Own Holiday Day-- If you could create a holiday, what would it be & why?
Mar 27: Quirky Country Music Song Title Day-- What is the first one that comes to mind?  Make a 4x6 ATC-style card documenting why it amuses you
Mar 28: Weed Appreciation Day-- I don't know about you, but my yard is way more weeds than intentional plantings.  I've decided that as long as they don't have thorns, they can stay.  Otherwise, weeding would be a full time job.  Photograph your own battle with weeds, or why you've decided not to fight this fight.
Mar 29: Texas Loves The Children Day-- Well, my Little Man should definitely be here by the 29th.  We have a cute little T-Shirt that we bought him from the TX State Fair that says "Made In Texas" on the front.  I thought this would be a perfect photo-op  to celebrate this day.  If you don't have a newborn with a cute TX T-shirt, you could use this day to document where your children were born. 
Mar 30: National Day of Unplugging-- I think we could all use this day once in a while- certainly more than once per year!  Photograph the things that your family does when you aren't plugged in.
Mar 31:  Easter Sunday-- Easter is an easy day for photo ops.  Just start snapping away!
OR
Mar 31: National "She's Funny That Way" Day-- photograph some of your personal quirks.

Off we go into another month!

Take tons of pictures, make lots of notes and most of all-- Enjoy it!!

Project Life Prompts- February 2013

Hello PL-ers!!  

How did your first month go?

I have to admit, I'm totally starting the year off badly.  

I have taken tons of pictures (TONS!) but haven't printed a single one yet. 

Baby shower, family visiting, mandatory business training, multiple dr visits thanks to gestational diabetes, baby shopping & setting up his room-- Oh, and 2 adorable ADORABLE roly-poly little 14 week old puppies have just been taking up all my time.

LIFE is getting in the way of my album!

How dare it?!?

Thankfully, I have kept up with my note-taking & have a folder filled with ephemera all ready to go.

My lists are made-- on scratch paper, but they are made!

And my OLW page is started- it just needs to be glued down.

 

Hopefully, my studio & I will get some bonding time soon.

If not, Mama might just lose her marbles.

I wanted to take a minute to answer a question that I've gotten several emails about.

Yes- I print the vast majority of my photos at home.

I have a Canon Selphy CP800 that I use for printing.

I LOVE this thing.

LOVELOVELOVELOVELOVE IT!

It's very easy to use, the print quality if fantastic & because it is a dye-sublimation system, the cartridges never dry out & you always know exactly how many prints you are going to get out of it so there is no wasting ink or paper on half-printed photos. 

It will only print at the 4x6 size (which is fine with me-- I use Photosheet to re-size some pics down to the 2x3 pocket size and for the occasional photo collage.) and the finished photo is very slightly smaller than a true 4x6, but I feel that it is not noticeable since they are all consistently slightly smaller throughout the album.

I don't do many photos that other sizes, but the few that I do use I always order from Persnickety Prints.  

I *heart* them. 

Their prints are gorgeous, come in all kinds of scrapper-friendly sizes, and  their customer service is the best.

(Seriously-- I got a phone call at home from an actual person! when one of my files uploaded weird & printed wonky-- they wanted to make sure it was correct before they sent it to me. Who does that now days??  Nobody but them- which is why they will have a loyal customer in me forever.)

I hope that helps a few of you & answers your questions.

If not, feel free to leave a comment & I will be happy to elaborate if I can. 

On to business!!!!

Here are some ideas for February

52 Lists in 52 Weeks: 

It's LOVE Month-- you could do lists of  

• 10 Things I love about YOU
• 10 Things I love about ME
• 10 Things I love about US
• 10 Things I love about LIFE 
• 10 Things I love about (Dog/Cat/Fish/Rabbit/Pet of your choice)
• 10 Things I love about being SINGLE

I think you get the drift-- it's an easy list month if you're feeling lovey!
If not, you could try

• Band/Musicians I fantasize about being a back-up singer/dancer for
• My Favorite Animated Movies
• Places nearby that I've never visited but really want to see
• The Laminated List (of Hollywood/celebrity crushes) 

One Little Word:

 This month, use up some of those left-over chipboard or alphabet stickers to make a word collage or subway art of synonyms for your word.

Project Life:

Monthly Themes:

• Love, of course: Things you love, people you love, decor you love, things you love to hate.  Love is everywhere this month.  Even if you aren't doing the 52 Lists project, lists are a great way to incorporate love into your album this month.  Forgot to take a pic on Tuesday?  Make a 4x6 list of shows you are loving right now, 10 Things you do around the house that you despise, but do anyway because they make your SO happy, the Top 20 on your playlist, movies you want to see, etc.

• Pink:  Colors are always a fun theme to go with.  Pink is easy to find with all the hearts & whatnot floating around in Feb.  But there are lots of non-Valentiney things to photograph too-- little pink tongues licking suckers, pink sunsets, the hot pink polish on my toes, pink noses coming in from playing in the cold, the CD cover to Legally Blonde:The Musical that I just replaced, etc.  

• Two: Look for things that come in pairs this month.  Any place you see 2 of something will work.  Or maybe even the numeral 2.  We have 2 new puppies and soon will have 2 new babies in the family (Lil E & his cousin Jacob who was born a couple of weeks ago), Steve has 2 brothers, I will be asking 2 long-time friends to be bridesmaids in our wedding this weekend, I just ordered Lil E 2 pack & plays (1 for home & 1 for the daycare), and there are 2 beautiful matching albums in my studio just waiting to be filled with baby pictures!  TWO is everywhere!

Don't be afraid to let your inner "Artsy-Fartsy Creative Type" come out.  Yes, this project is supposed to document your life, but it's supposed to be fun too.  You know know when something out-of-the-box could end up becoming a favorite photo.  

February is also:

• Responsible Pet Owner Month
• Relationship Wellness Month 
• National Mend-A-Broken-Heart Month
• National Hot Breakfast Month
• African-American History Month
• Library Lovers Month
• Bake for Family Fun Month
• American Heart Month

Weekly Themes:

• Children's Authors & illustrators Month: As a preschool teacher, this one speaks to me.  Try setting up the tripod & take a photo of your child's bedtime story every day for a week.  Are they all different books or do they want the same one over & over?  If you don't have kids, this would be a good time to document some of the books from your childhood that hold a special place in your heart.
• International Friendship Week: Document your most important friendships and the things you do to nourish them.  Maybe you could reach out to a friend you haven't talked to in a while as well.
• Random Acts of Kindness Week:  Document some of the little things you do to brighten a stranger's day.   
• National Conference For Education Week: Document every educational activity that goes on in your house this week, from reading the newspaper to practicing a skill or reading a book.  In my house it will be "Hank.  Your name is Hank.  When I say "HANK", I'm talking to you.  Because your name is Hank.  So when you hear me yell "HANK" it's because I want you to come here. Because your name is Hank."  (He's a cutie-patootie, but it is taking forever & a day for him to learn his name!)

 Daily Ideas:
Feb 1- Spunky Old Broads Day: Any that you know- even if it's YOU!
Feb 2- Groundhog's Day: If you're bored documenting predictions, make shadow puppets & take pics.  They're harder than you think!
Feb 3- Wear Red Day
Feb 4- Ice Cream For Breakfast Day: What a fun tradition to start!
Feb 5- Weather Person's Day: Document your local weather
Feb 6-  Walk down to the corner & take a picture of the street you live on. 
Feb 7-Laura Ingles Wilder's Birthday: these were favorite books of mine when I was a kid.  My Gram always read them with me.  It's a good day to photograph my collection of her books.
Feb 8- Laugh & Get Rich Day: What would you do tomorrow if you came into a bunch of money today? Get that fantasy down on paper!  It will be fun to read in a few years.
Feb 9- National Stop Bullying Day:  What do you do or could you do to help?
Feb 10-  Document the contents of your pantry today. 
Feb 11- White Shirt Day: Get a self-portrait in a white shirt
Feb 12- Paul Bunyan's Birthday: How will you celebrate?  Chop down some shrubs?  Wear a plaid shirt? Go for a walk in the woods?
Feb 13- Clean Out Your Computer Day: Back up your files & document your work space!
Feb 14- National Extraterrestrial Culture Day:  Do you believe in life on other planets?  Why or why not?
Feb 15- Susan B. Anthony Day: Document something you do each day that wouldn't have been "allowed" to women 100+ years ago.
Feb 16- National Donor Day:  Are you an organ donor?  (If not, I strongly encourage you to become one!  Organ donation saved the life of someone close to me not long ago & I know from personal experience what an amazing gift it is.)  Why or why not?  Will you become one?
Feb 17- National PTA Founders Day: Document how you are involved in your child's education.
Feb 18- Capernicus' Birthday (1473): Take a photo of the stars from your yard
Feb 19- Chocolate Mint Day: I absolutely HATE mint in every form.  I barely tolerate toothpaste.  Document something you despise that most people love.
Feb 20- Love Your Pet Day:  Get a pic of you & your pet
Feb 21- International Mother Language Day: Document some "personal jokes" between you & your mom or you & your kids
Feb 22-- National Margarita Day:  A day I cannot wait to celebrate!   We really don't drink a whole lot, but man oh man, there's no torture on earth like a pregnancy craving for something you absolutely cannot have.  And I am DYING for one of Lumpy's famous fresh margaritas!  Come on March!!!
Feb 23- National Chili Day:  If you don't want to take a photo, you could include a recipe card instead.
Feb 24- How are you doing with those New Year's Resolutions? 
Feb 25- International Sword Swallower Day:  Document an unusual skill or talent that you have.   I can pop my right shoulder out of joint at will-- I got mad skills, girls.  Mad skills.
Feb 26- National Personal Chef's Day:  Who is the "chef" in your house?
Feb 27- Inconvenience Yourself Day: I hate emptying the dishwasher.  I just hate it.  And, as stupid as it is, I will hand wash a whole sink full of dishes to get out of emptying the dishwasher.  I have no idea why I do this.  How do you inconvenience yourself?  
Feb 28-  What is on the front of your refrigerator?  Is it neat & clean? Do you have a magnet collection? Do you leave lots of notes here?



I would love to say that I will be posting some projects, but baby looms closer & closer, so I can't make any promises.  I do promise that monthly prompts will go up on the first of each month, but that's the best I can do for now.










I would love love love to see the pages you make using some of these prompts.  Leave me a link in the comments section & I will absolutely check them out!









I hope you have a happy February!


 ******This will serve as your friendly monthly reminder to BACK UP YOUR PHOTOS!! Everything else can be replaced, but photos can not.  ******

January 2013 Prompts

Happy January Friends & Fellow Project Lifers!!

The new year is here, with a slew of whole new projects to go with it!

No messing around!  We're jumping right into prompts for the year!


52 Lists in 52 Weeks:

•  Goals for 2013
• Things That 2012 Taught Me
• My Favorite Ways to Stay Warm 
• Books I Could Read Over & Over
• 10 Random Facts About Me
• Right Now I LOVE (this is one that I repeat every 3-4 months)

One Little Word:
My word for this year is "Breathe".  With so much going on this year, it just seemed like the perfect word for me.  I need an occasional reminder to stop & actually enjoy some of the craziness or I'm afraid that I'm going to wake up at age 80 & not know where the time went. 

I plan to create am 8x8 page with the definition of my word & a couple of photos that symbolize it for me, as well as some journaling explaining why I chose it.   I will try to post this LO once it gets done.


Project Life:
Monthly Themes:

• Winter:  Look for signs of winter-- outdoors, in your home (decor, boots by the door, a snow shovel in the garage, salt on the steps), in your closet (warm sweaters, cozy sweatpants, darker colors), in your kitchen (stews & soups, hot cocoa mugs, etc.)  
• Blue:  Look for blue in your environment-- the color blue, some blue emotions, bluesy music selections, how ever you choose to interpret it!
• New: Look for all things new this month-- new goals, new outlook, new attitude, "new toys" (holiday gifts & gadgets), new Word, new routines, new anything.
• Joy Germ Month: Document anything & everything that brings you joy!

Other monthly themes to consider--  These are monthly "holidays" that I thought might give you something to try, something to journal, something to change, something to think about.

January is:

• Be Kind To Food Servers Month
• International Creativity Month
• National Self-Defense Month
• National Soup Month
• National volunteer Blood Donor Month
• National Rising Star Month

Weekly Themes:

• Celebration of Life Week-- The Mayans were wrong!  We LIVED! What can you do this week to celebrate the fact that you are alive in a brand new year?
• New Year's Resolutions Week-- Document your resolutions or goals for the year & what you are doing TODAY to bring them to fruition.
• Women's Self-Empowerment Week-- We all know some amazing women.  How do they do what they do?  Why are they so fantastic?  Maybe this is a good week to find out.
• Intimate Apparel Week-- This one frankly scares the crap out of me, I'm not gonna lie.  (Being 7+ months pregnant, it's a little worse than usual!)  What can I do this week to become friends with my undies?  Maybe it's time to clean out the drawer & chunk all but the pretty ones.  Maybe it's time to do some leg lifts so they look a little nicer on me.  Document how you and your bras & panties can become buds.  If you already are, this is a good chance to document your collection & how it makes you feel.
• National Take Back Your Time Week-- document some things that will help you reclaim a bit of your free time in the new year.  Maybe it's a few activities that you are cutting out, or an invitation that you are refusing or a new route to & from work that gets you home a few minutes earlier.  

Daily Ideas: 
Jan 1: Ellis Island Day- document how your heritage is represented in your life
Jan 2: National Motivation & Inspiration Day-- What are you inspired to do today?  OR What are you lacking inspiration to do?
Jan 3: JRR Tolkien Day - This is a perfect chance to go see the new Hobbit movie!  Make sure you get a pic & save the ticket stub!
Jan 4: Trivia Day-- photograph your family's favorite trivia game or show
Jan 5: George Washington Carver's Birthday- what is your fav Peanut butter brand and/or recipe?  
Jan 6: Get a beginning of the year self-portrait
Jan 7: National I'm Not Going To Take It Anymore Day-- document something that you are getting out of your life (a negetive person, clutter, extra stuff, what ever).  Make sure you journal aobut why.
Jan 8: National Earth's Rotation Day-- I think this is a perfect opportunity do document  A Day In The Life.
Jan 9: First School For Seeing Eye Dogs Established in 1929-- document how your pets help make your life better
Jan  10: National Cut Your Energy Costs Day-- Note what you do to keep costs down
Jan 11: International Thank You Day-- Make a point of saying Thank You to someone (or everyone) in your life- document it.
Jan 12: Take an ink hand-print from every member of your family today.  (This would be fun to repeat yearly to document each member of your household.)
Jan 13: Poetry Break Day-- Instead of a photo, print (or create) a quote from your favorite poem
Jan 14: Dress Up Your Pet Day-- Do you dress up your dog in sweaters or your cat in tutus?  Why or why not?
Jan 15: Martin Luther King, Jr's Birthday-- document a dream you have for the future.  Start your journaling with "I have a dream..."
Jan 16:  Do Nothing Day-- today you have my permission to do absolutely nothing.  Have someone snap a pic of you doing nothing.  
Jan 17: Rid The World of Fad Diets & Gimmicks Day-- document some of the popular diets that you have tried. Have they worked?
Jan 18:  Muhammed Ali's Birthday-- He said "I float like a butterfly & sting like a bee."  Use this opportunity to create a catch-phrase of your own.
Jan 19:  National Popcorn Day-- document how your family likes to eat popcorn.  We are huge popcorn fans in my house, so this will be a big ol' journaling block for me!
Jan 20: Inauguration Day-- Use a screen shot to document Obama's second term.  Did you vote for him?  Why or why not?
Jan 21:  National Hugging Day-- get a hug on film
Jan 22:  Answer Your Cats Questions Day-- What questions do you think your kitty would ask if he/she could?
Jan 23:  John Hancock Day-- Have every member of your family do a signature card for your album.  (Another one that would be fun to repeat yearly)
Jan 24:  Belly Laugh Day-- catch someone mid-laugh
Jan 25:  A Room of One's Own Day-- document your personal space in your home
Jan 26: Mozart's Birthday (tomorrow)-- document your classical music collection
Jan 27:  Fun At Work Day: Get pics of the things you do to make your work day more fun
Jan 28:  Data Privacy Day-- What things are you super careful to protect & why?
Jan 29:  National Puzzle Day-- What kind of puzzles (jigsaw, crossword, trivia?) does your family like to do?
Jan 30:  Bubble Wrap Appreciaition Day-- Make an art journal block or filler piece using bubble wrap.  Make a mess. Be creative.  Have fun with it.  
Jan 31:  Inspire Your Heart With Art Day-- document some of the art you have in your home, where you got it, why you love it, what memories it brings back to you, etc.


I hope that this list gives you some things to try.  I would love love love to see you post a link to your project in the comments section!

Happy snapping!


******This will serve as your friendly monthly reminder to BACK UP YOUR PHOTOS!! Everything else can be replaced, but photos can not.  ******