project life. yes. you. can!

since starting to share project life with you, i've had many emails on how to start. 

and comments on how overwhelming it looks.

ummm... it's not! i promise. 

but i get where you're coming from. i started there too. that's why i didn't even start until march. 

and then my first set of pictures printed really dark & it looked UGLY. so i stopped for a while again....

but now.... i cannot tell you how much i love it.

it's easy. 

really. no. lie.

you can make it more complicated if you want. on weeks that you have more energy and inspiration.

here, {above} i had a ton of pics from katie's bachelorette party that i wanted to show. so i cropped them all and stuck them in a baseball card holder {that i already had from my coupon binder}. i cropped some scrapbook paper for the back. 

this week was when we had our impromptu 'photo shoot' in our back yard. so i wanted to include a lot of pictures of that. so i put that in a sleeve & sewed down the side. using my regular sewing machine. 

on the back, i put a few conversations i had with brady that week. 

that's why i love this format. i can include a lot or a little journaling. {or none at all!}

i get to keep artwork in a format where i will actually flip through it, instead of in a box that i need to get out to look through.

the best part is that brady loves it. he loves flipping through it and saying "member i made that last week?" etc. etc. we point out our friends and talk about what we were doing. 

and, really..... he can't mess it up. unless everything falls out {which would be hard to do} it's pretty stable. {except for gooey finger prints that get here & there from peanut butter, chocolate or popsicles....}

so.... if you're on the fence...

get off it!

or, as nike puts it, just do it! just start where you are. this week. 

don't even approach it as something to get caught up on. just take it day by day and go with it. 

i've found that keeping my actual book downstairs on our dining room table helps me to just slip things in from the week. a receipt, a special card, a news article, a piece of artwork, etc. etc. 

and then when i finally get around to printing my pictures on tuesday or wednesday {from wolf camera for 5 cents each}, i can take it upstairs and whip out a week in 30 minutes {or less!}

here's your supply list if you're getting started:

+ a 12 x 12 three-ring binder scrapbook {these go on sale at hobby lobby & joann. or you can use a coupon.}

+ 2 sets of these 12 x 12 photo insert pages. {i WOULD recommend getting these ones specifically, as they have the four inserts for 'journaling' or whatever}.

+ 1 box of these journaling cards.

+ 1 4 x 6 matte stack of your choice {available at hobby lobby, michael's, joann, target....} these make it super easy to matte your pictures if you get the smaller kind like i do - OR fill in a photo slot with some journaling OR cut out a smaller journaling card from this... and so on.

***if you don't already have a paper cutter, i'd recommend getting one. i have this cheapo one that i got from target. i'm pretty sure you could find one at joann or hobby lobby on sale... or with a coupon.

***i also just recently added a corner rounder to my stash. they're $9 or so, but you can get them on sale also. {can you tell i like sales??}

so.... what are you waiting for???? get it done! i know you want to!

and here's a BIG PS - all of joann's scrapbook stuff is 40% off. i think they have a really good selection too.... so there. now you have NO REASON to not get started!!!!