Saturday, January 16, 2010

{Project Life}

My 'craft of choice' used to be scrap booking. I spent time making extensive layouts and compiling pages of memories. I would buy scrap booking magazines and comb the aisles looking for the perfect embellishment. It was a great sense of enjoyment for me. But we as a family hit that season of busy-ness in our lives where I just didn't seem to be able to find the physical or mental time to crank out the pages for our scrapbooks like I used to. I enjoyed taking photos so the pictures didn't stop...I just wasn't finding time to scrapbook them. And I didn't want the years to go by without storing and recording all those photos in some way. So about 2 years ago, I noticed Leslie's 'one day at a time' photos on flickr. Every day she had a new photo from her daily life. It was fun to see what she chose to capture each day. This seemed to me to be a great way to 'scrapbook' our life and not get hung up on making major layouts and spending tons of time embellishing pictures. And so last year I embarked on my own Project 365. Every day I chose at least one photo that I had taken on that day (most days I took plenty more to have some choices) and I posted it out on flickr. These pictures were just little bits of our life gathered and collected day by day. It's been amazing how taking pictures each day has stretched me and caused me to find the beauty in the normal, the amazing in the ordinary and the memories in the routine. I've been able to see bits of beauty and art in the grocery store and while waiting in traffic. It's been a journey of enjoying exactly where God has me planted ~an eye opening experience of seeing the blessings in the daily. Recently, Becky Higgins, scrapbook extraordinaire, launched Project Life. Project Life goes along perfectly with my 365 project as it is set up to house a photo a day for an entire year. It also come with cards for jotting down the journaling that goes with each day's photo. If you are already taking a photo a day this is a great album for keeping a 'hard' copy of your photos and if you're not participating in 365...what are you waiting for? It's so eye-opening, you should give it a try. I've already started on 2010...it's going to be a great year. I'm sure I'll grow even more as I walk through this year taking pictures of our life day by day.

22 comments:

Green Acres in the City said...

I really need to get in gear and do some books for my boys.

Stephanie said...

I am a note taker and a photo taker, so I LOVE that album! A friend of mine on flickr also does the photo a day thing, and I was so inspired by her everyday pictures. I would love to do that, but I feel I have so much going on already. Although it would'nt be too hard since I probably already take more then 1 photo a day.

Meg said...

What a great idea. I also lost my scrapbooking momentum--I am years behind! I don't remember the last time I actually ordered prints!

larissa said...

Love seeing all your scrapbooks - all lined up and available for the kiddos to flip through. I have never scrap booked but I used to print all my photos through kodak and file them in albums. Somehow after abigail was born all these photos just got piled up in boxes and nothing was displayed so I stopped ordering prints. we now have printer that i hardly use. But this is a great idea because my kids love flipping through photo albums - and the hand written journaling is so great. Do you print out lots of your photos or just the one a day?

~ The Jolly Bee ~ said...

Lisa -- What a great idea. My husband has always been the picture-taker in our family and he's done a wonderful job through the years of taking care of that recording. Just this past year did I get my camera. I'm not great at photography, but I'm learning. You are so amazingly organized with all you do -- hats off. This sounds like a perfect project to complement your life and what you want to preserve.

Alison said...

Looks like something I would totally love! :-)

The WoodLand School said...

What a great tip this is! I found scrapbooking waaaaay too stressful ... I was always behind and it freaked me out ;-) THIS notebook would be just perfect for me!

Tracy said...

It's funny how our gears have to shift a little, and how we accommodate our creativity in ways to fit our daily life. I used to do a lot of scraping/card-making and album keeping too. I still make cards. But photos are kept on the pc and online mostly--it's just easier! I love your 365 project idea! Photography is such a great art--so much to learn. I'm learning too. My aim is to learn to take better photos this year. Look forward to seeing more of your photography, Lisa! Happy Weekend :o) ((HUGS))

Anonymous said...

Ohhhhh i love scrapbooking!! lol =D but like u i never have the time to do it...plus i'm not good at it. =( haha your stack on scrapbooks in the basement is awesome...i love it lol =D i should take lessons!! LOL jk =D love u Miss Lisa...ur awesome. =D have an AWESOME time scrapbooking this year. =D
Emily

Ann said...

Wow, what a brilliant idea. I take photographs most days, usually of things my students have cooked at school as they keep a folder with every dish they make and the photograph is attached. I hope they keep them and then when they have grandchildren they can look back and show what they cooked in 2010. I also take photographs for myself, but perhaps I shouild be more focused and try 365 photographs.
Thanks for sharing

Anonymous said...

Great pic at the top mom... i wonder who took it! lol jk I love you so much mom.

Maggie #22

Kristyn Knits said...

I love the style of her album this year and can't wait to fill it with memories! I forgot to look at your album from 2009!! So happy to have finished my cherish album...one little step in the right direction.

Hip Mountain Mama said...

This is such a great idea! Thanks for sharing!
Suzy

cathleen said...

Well, Hi, pretty eyes!

Gigi said...

Well, good for you -- you've got gumption! Isn't it interesting how documenting our lives can give us a very different perspective on daily things? Since I'm too paper phobic to do 'real' scrapbooking, having a blog has become my journal as well as a way to connect with some really amazing people (like yourself ;-).
Blessings,
G

Heather said...

I have drawers of photos, and I feel so guilty for not doing anything with them. Thank you for this post, because it is a reminder that there is always a simple way to do things.

gardenmama said...

what a nice idea keeping you mindful of your days. beautiful photos!

~BridgetL~ said...

Oh I love finding others that are doing project life/P365. I wish there was a way to follow your blog. I love the pictures you have taken.

pakosta said...

I have project life waiting in my cart at Amazon right now!
awesome stuff!
tara

Ruth said...

I have boxes and boxes of photos that I want to get into albums this year. I need to buy some nice albums and just start putting them together.

I also need to have about 1000 pictures printed off this computer.

Ruth

amanda said...

I love your album! I need to get my act together and get on with something like this!

Tiffani said...

Found your blog through the mention on Becky HIggins' blog. I read your "about me" and thought, "Ah, a 'kindred spirit.'"
Your way of doing a picture a day on Flickr sounds great. I might give that a try!