getting crafty: organizing project life

 

I love working on Project Life because it is so easy to do and allows me to make scrapbooks in a way that is enjoyable and creative. The ease of organizing the scrapbooks is part of the appeal but organizing the actual supplies can become a little overwhelming as you dig deeper and deeper into Project Life. Today I am going to share some great inspiration for organizing your Project Life and scrapbooking supplies. 

In the future, I want something like this Raskog cart set up that Campfire Chic created. I love that you can see all the supplies. One thing that keeps me from working every week on my scrapbook is that I don't have the supplies really visible. They are so tucked away that it makes it hard to get inspired to do the work. Something like this would really help me keep up with it every week. 

I found this set up on pinterest and love how accessible every thing is! It really lets you see all the cards and supplies! 

Kristin uses a fun containers to help her organize her Project Life supplies. 

Right now, I use a simple set of small plastic drawers but it's not enough and it is hidden away. This system easily gets messy and that's another thing that can get in the way of inspiration. While I am not exactly ready to re-organize my supplies, I love searching pinterest for more ideas and you can find some of my inspiration on my Project Life pinterest board.


Follow Kat's board Project Life on Pinterest.

What system do you use to organize your supplies?
xoxo,
kat

what i love about scrapbooking with haley tucker

I am excited to introduce a new series here on the blog where I interview passionate people about something they love. It could be a hobby, job, place, activity, or just about anything as long as it is something they really love.

So today I would like to introduce you to Haley Tucker and her love of scrapbooking. Haley is a wife, cat mom, Disney expert, and nanny who also writes a really lovely blog. Today, I asked her to talk about her love of scrapbooking.

What is your earliest memory of scrapbooking? 
My earliest memory of scrapbooking was when I was probably 7 or 8 years old. My mom has been a scrapbooker since I can really remember, and I always loved looking through her albums. I started scrapbooking around the age of 13, but stopped as I got into high school (because it's "not cool", ha!). After I got married last September, my mom introduced me to Project Life, which I have been doing ever since!

What is the one thing you love the most about scrapbooking?

What I love about scrapbooking is the versatility of it. Your pages can be as simple or as complex as you want! What I love about doing Project Life is that I am able to capture the every day moments of my life. As boring and mundane as my days may seem, its fun to think that 10, 15 years down the road, I can show these albums to my future kiddos and be able to tell them what my every day life was like before they were here. It's an exciting thought!

What is one thing you love least about scrapbooking?

What I love least is how expensive scrapbooking can get! It's a total money suck. There are certain brands that I am totally obsessed with and every time they put out a new line of products, I always feel the need buy it immediately. So that's the downside! One thing that keeps me in check is subscribing to the Studio Calico boxes. The Project Life subscription boxes are around $20 a month, and knowing that every month I'm going to get a box of brand new scrapbook supplies keeps me from making too many trips to our local scrapbook store! :)

When did you know you had fallen in love with scrapbooking? 

I really fell in love with scrapbooking when I started doing Project Life. It's just so simple and easy! I did my entire wedding photo album in the Project Life style - that's what really made me want continue this hobby.

What keeps you going back to scrapbooking? 

This sounds really silly, but Pinterest keeps me going back to scrapbooking. Whenever I am feeling burnt out on it, all I have to do is scroll through Pinterest and I nearly immediately want to pull out all of my scrapbooking stuff and get to work!

What advice do you have to a novice? 

I still consider myself quite the scrapbooking novice, considering I've only been doing it for a year. A lot of people tell me that they don't want to get into scrapbooking because it seems intimidating...  But one thing I've learned about it is that there is no right or wrong way to do it - making mistakes is nearly impossible in scrapbooking! That's what I love so much about it. You have the complete freedom to do whatever you like with your pages, and that, to me, is what being creative is all about.

For more about Haley, you can find her on twitter and instagram.

getting crafty: project life update

*Indicates an affiliate link. 

I wanted to share some of the layouts I have done recently using the Project Life format and Project Life supplies*. I have noticed that a lot of these layouts get more personal than I would like to share on the blog so you wont always share every page. I am still really new to memory keeping and scrapbooking and so far I still enjoy how easy and straightforward Project Life is. 

For my pictures I have been using the Canon SELPHY Photo Printer* to print my photos as I work on the layouts. I actually find that this is saving me time and money. I ended up purchasing this printer after reading reviews and talking to Kristin of ruKristin about it during the My Details Class. You can also see a post she wrote about her experience using the Selphy here and she also gives a great how to guide on how to use it.

Memory keeping is quickly becoming a favorite activity, and now that I am all caught up with my weekly layouts it should be easier to set a little bit of time each week aside to work on the lasts weeks layout. It's becoming a way for me to keep a physical copy of all the photos I take, even when a lot of these photos are from my Instagram or from here on the blog, having a physical collection of them and reflecting on these pictures later is a really enjoyable experience.

Do you do Project Life or memory keeping? What do you love about it?

xoxo,
kat

getting crafty: my details ecourse

I am taking the My Details eCourse and it's been a great way to start exploring memory keeping. I always wanted to be a scrapbook kind of person. I love looking at scrapbooks and the layouts and designs but I never know what to document or where to start. I had recently won the Project Life Lessons from the Lemon and Raspberry blog and when I saw that My Details started before those lessons (and both are forever classes that can be done at your own pace if needed) I knew that it would be a good way to help me start exploring Project Life products (Available Here*) and memory keeping.

So far this class has been fantastic. It is go at your own pace but new prompts are posted daily and the two teachers (Megan and Kristin) do an excellent job of providing examples of how they explored the prompts that are varied and take many different approaches. They each share multiple ways to approach the prompt, give suggestions on how to explore writing about yourself, and are very clear on what products and resources they are using to create their memory pages. 

This was my first time trying to do any kind of memory keeping AND it was my first time using Project Life products. I have followed a lot of blogs (see below for some of my favorites) that use Project Life and I wanted to try it myself because it seemed like an approach to memory keeping that was more my style - not just putting photos in an album and not having to get elaborate with layering designs onto a 12x12 piece of paper. 

With the first few prompts, I kind of just wanted to see how it worked. What is really great about this class is the interactive aspect through the private Facebook group. I posted my first couple of prompts there and immediately received encouragement. I also got to view how others attempted the same prompts and it inspired me to try different things and new approaches (I have learned what washi tape is and I am a fan.) There is also the hashtag for the group which let's me explore what others are doing as well. It's a positive and supportive group and just by seeing what others are doing and being able to have discussions through Facebook I am learning a lot more than I thought I would with an eCourse. I had done courses before (long ago) and didn't feel that I got anything useful from them but Megan and Kristin have done an amazing job creating not only excellent content in this class, but an interactive aspect that really makes the class worth taking. 

You can still sign up for the class this week. I love it and it's great for all skill levels. It's easy to see that there are expert memory keepers and beginners (just like me) in the class and that is part of what makes it so great. 

So, how did I decide I wanted to start diving into memory keeping? Here are just a few of the many blogs that inspired me...

Campfire Chic 

Lemon and Raspberry 

Elise Blaha

The Nerd Nest

ruKristin Papercrafts

On all of these I linked to their main sites but most of them have a Project Life section or a simple search of their site will lead you to their amazing work. 

xoxo,

kat

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things i love: 4.11.14

My number one thing I love this week is the Mission Inn in Riverside, pictured above. I helped host a bachelorette party there last weekend and it was gorgeous! I hope to go back soon and I might share more pictures of it later on but for now, look at how beautiful it is!!! 

Muir Monday over at SoCal Hiker really got me this week. I was in the middle of spending way too many hours in front of my computer and it got me outside and enjoying the sunshine in no time. 

I know I devoted a whole post to it, but are you watching The Pete Holmes Show yet? Here is a hilarious (NSFW due to language) clip to help encourage you to watch it. 

This list of mini-albums on RuKristin are really great inspiration for paper crafts.

Shutting off the excuse machine from Adventure Journal is just the thing I needed to read this week. 

I am really excited to start Project Life Lessons next week. There is still time to sign up and we can be classmates. I am brand new to Project Life so I am really excited to get started! 

Also, I got some Project Life supplies and I am in love with them! I got this Project Life Album* and a Becky Higgins Core Kit* similar to this one.

I love this post from The Polka Dot Chair on what she wishes she knew before started to sew. It's really important to remember that you aren't always going to be perfect and mistakes are how we learn.

I got the boy Seinfeld: The Complete Series* for his birthday. I love this show so much.

Yes and Yes tweeted a link to this list of free online writing courses and it led me down a rabbit hole of all the MIT open courses I want to take. Summer break is two months away, I am already plotting.

These posts are turning more and more into big lists of things I love. I hope you enjoy these links and send me your favorites from the past week as well! I am always looking for new things to read and new things to try.

What do you love this week?

xoxo,
kat


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update: my details class and project life lessons

Happy Saturday! I just wanted to take a little time and show you some of the layouts I have worked on this week for both of the memory keeping classes I am taking. I have really enjoyed exploring Project Life Products* by taking the My Details eCourse. It gave me a chance to not only explore using this style of memory keeping but also gave me tons of great information on the endless ways you can go about documenting your life. 

While I am sad to see this course end, I am grateful it is a 'forever' class. I am glad I will be able to continue to access this course and the information in it while I continue to spend the next year exploring ways to document my life. 

Project Life Lessons from Big Picture Class is also amazing. It's really helping me rethink how I approach taking pictures, organizing my journaling, and putting it all together. The instructors (Elise, Megan, and Annette)  are all amazing and the resources see to be endless. The assignments and handouts in this class alone make it worth it but it also has a great interactive aspect through message boards and student galleries.

xoxo,
kat

project life and memory keeping giveaway and de-stash sale!

If you've been reading you know I am relatively new to Project Life but as I work more and more on it, I am learning more of what I like about it and how I want my layouts to look. I've noticed that I like a lot more variety than a core kit allows so I have decided to de-stash one of my core kits and I thought I might make it more fun by adding a few extra elements.

(Scroll down to enter the giveaway for this kit!) 

I have four kits in total. Each kit has 10 4X6 cards and 30 3X4 cards. You wont get more than 2 cards with the same design in each kit and some of the kits include cards from the American Crafts Jade, Travel, and Home kits! You get a role of Scotch Brand Washi Tape, four self-inking stamps from Recollections, and a set of trim. What you see pictured in the sets above is what you get PLUS a few surprises in each kit.

Kit #1 is a giveaway!!! You can see the stamps, washi tape, and trim in the picture that come with this kit and peak at the cards as well. Scroll down to enter.

Kits #2, #3, and #4 are for sale to anyone in the United States and Canada.

KIT #2 SOLD Kit #3 and #4 are still available.

I am selling each kit for just $15 and that INCLUDES shipping! Send me an e-mail here with which kit number you would like and I will contact you about payment via paypal.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


xoxo,
kat

rambling: 28 before 29

(Photo Credit: Chris Byars) 

On Wednesday, I turn 28 years old. I have a hard time believing it because I still feel like I am in the strange balancing act between being young and adulthood and 28 seems much more adult than I tend to see myself. I've always really enjoyed all those birthday lists where people state what they want to accomplish before their next birthday and this year I decided to give it a try. Here are my 28 goals before I turn 29.

Crafty Things (1-8)

• Sew A Dress (maybe this one) 
• Complete my first Project Life Album 
• Make a yoga matt bag
• Participate in a Craft Fair or Craft Show  
• Crochet a bag and line it
• Take an Art Class
• Complete Project Life Lessons
• Complete My Details 

Adventure Things (9-17)

The SoCal Six Pack of Peaks (I mentioned it a little bit here) is the main focus here.

• Summit Mt. Wilson
• Summit Cucamonga Peak 
• Summit Mt. Baldy
• Summit San Bernardino Peak 
• Summit Mt. San Jacinto 
• Summit Mt. San Gorgonio 
• Go to Yosemite (I've never been!!!) 
• Rock Climb in Joshua Tree National Park 
• Go see the Redwood Forest (I've been but I need to go again.) 

Fitness Goals (18-20)

• Send a 5.10 a/b at the Rock Climbing Gym (Kam, this is the same as your goal. I stole it.) 
• Move up a level at my yoga studio
• Attend (at least) 2 classes a week 

(I have a lot of reading planned for the next year.)

All the rest (21-28)

• Read (at least) 40 books 
• Complete one MIT Open Course 
• Write three short stories
• Start making music again
• Learn to braid my own hair (I know how, it just never looks good. I want it to look good.) 
• Join a book club (and actually go to it.) 
• Volunteer 
• Sing in public

I look at this list and feel very intimidated but also really excited. I am finally done with school and while I am still unsure if I will have a full time position or if I will continue subbing for another year, I know either way I can accomplish all of these.

What goals are you working on right now?

xoxo,
kat

things i love: prAna monarch pant, #ParkChat, and more

These pants survived 16 miles of hiking over two days, a couple hours in an ATV with extremely high winds, and while they were covered in sand (as is everything in the desert), I was able to wear them to dinner at Pappy and Harriet's and not look (or smell) like I'd been hiking the desert all day. The prAna Women's Monarch Convertible Pant* are my new go to for multi-day outdoor adventures. They convert easily to capris, kept me protected in the wind, and kept me cool in the sun. They have tons of useful pockets and they somehow managed to not smell at all. They are also flattering, which is hard to find with hiking pants for women. Also pictured here is my Leon Tank from fabletics. One of my all time favorites for moisture wicking performance tanks.

I participated in my first ever twitter chat this week and it was awesome. #ParkChat was a chat about the National Parks which was hosted by @Flow397 and @59NationalParks was awesome and I can't wait to participate next week. Wednesday night at 9PM EST on Twitter, just look for #ParkChat and join in the discussion!

My current favorite blog series is from Habitual Homebody, I am obsessed with the Crafting Through History posts she has been posting! They are amazing.

I just found out I won Project Life Lessons from Amy at Lemon and Raspberry! I am so excited. I always see amazing Project Life posts on my favorite blogs and have wanted to do it but did not know where to begin. This is perfect!

Look at these adorable crochet patterns from Me! MaDonna!

I can't wait to try this free skirt pattern from See Kate Sew.

There is a new chocolate place just a 30 minute drive from me that California Through My Lens reviewed. Must resist temptation!

What are you loving this week?

xoxo,
kat


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around here 5.19.14

*Indicates an affiliate link. 

This week I took my first online sewing class through Craftsy.* It was a huge success and I am really excited to share the details with you later this next week. 

I really love using the Currently cards from ruKristin Papercrafts to quickly and easily document the here and now. They are awesome to Project Life too. 

The heat wave is helping my tomatoes along. We have to surround them with chicken wire even in the planter boxes because my dog can jump in them and sometimes mistakes them for toys when we aren't home.

This mess is what my desk typically looks like when I am in the middle of working on my Project Life layouts. 

I, yet again, went to the library without a plan and came home with too many books. Now that I am on summer schedule I have a lot more time on my hands and that means a lot more reading.

It's been a quiet week with the monster of a heat wave that hit I spent more time inside than I usually like but I managed to get a lot of smaller projects done because of it.

xoxo,
kat

things i love: 4.18.14

My birthday was this week and I spent the day hiking a new set of trails. There was so much going on this week that it was nice to get away into the wilderness for a while and explore the outdoors. 

How to build your own scrapbook kit from Punk Project was a must read for me this week. 

I love this "If We Were Having Coffee" post from My Life as a Teacup! 

Another great post on learning to love sewing from Lazy Saturdays.

My dad got me a Nutri Bullet* and I absolutely love it. I love starting my day with smoothies, it's a great way to get more fruits and veggies into the day but my blender was old and clunky and had a hard time handling anything other than raw berries and bananas with lots of liquids to help. The Nutri Bullet is able to handle so much more, it's easier to clean, it's extremely convenient (you can turn the cup you blend it into a handled cup with a to go lid), and it came with great recipe books! All the hype seems to be true. 

3 Tips For Working While On The Road over at Campfire Chic.

I am inspired to try making a maxi dress because of this post from Adventures in Dressmaking. 

I am absolutely loving the My Details Class and will share more tomorrow! I am starting Project Life Lessons tonight as well and cannot wait to share these projects. 

I got new boots for my birthday as well and I LOVE THEM! These are the Keen Women's Targhee II Mid Waterproof Hiking Boot*. They are lightweight, proved to be waterproof on the trail this week, have just the right amount of support, and are super comfortable. When boot and shoe shopping everyone is different and you really have to go with what works for you but the quality on these is hard to beat. I can't wait to take them out on the trail again on Sunday. (Also, I love my new #hikerchat sticker from Teton Sports!) 

What are you loving this week?

xoxo,

kat

guest post over at campfire chic

Today you will find me over at Campfire Chic talking about tips for your first spin class. Even if you are already a spin class pro I would love it if you would check it out and maybe add your own tips to the comments!

Kam of Campfire Chic and I have been reading each others blogs for years now. I love her blog because it shows how to balance a creative and adventurous life with a 9 to 5. She has awesome posts on project life, adventures, and the National Parks, just to name a few.

If you landed here because you saw my post over at Campfire Chic - Welcome! A little bit about me, I am an educator who just finished grad school and decided to start blogging again. Right now I blog about adventures, crafting, fitness, and so much more. You can learn a little more about me here. Please feel free to explore the blog, maybe leave me a comment, use those pretty buttons on the side to find me on social media, or send me an e-mail!

xoxo,
kat