Everyday Epiphanies

Project Life | The Process & Week 10 & 11

Before starting this project I thought I could just "wing it".  You know grab a few photos, print them, and throw some scraps and journaling in there and call it good. But, that's not the kind of person I am, I guess.

I am such a planner. I wish I could be the "wing-it" kind of person.. but I find myself meticulously, (drawing out to detail) on how my page will look. (proof below).

I even printed out all the different page protectors that I have, so I can plan my layouts even better so I'm not constantly looking at all the packs I have.

Theres a printed out calendar I keep next to my planning calendar to refer to what week I'm on and jot down little notes of the day.

On my computer, I have a 2012 folder.
Inside this folder I have all the weeks thus far.
The highlighted folders mean they are completed.

 

In these folder are all the photos I took that day.

 

There are days I take quite a bit of photos.
BTW, I've been using my iPhone for most, if not ALL the photos. *I really need to bring out the other cameras!
But even with this many photos, not all will make the cut, even after they have been printed in a collage.

Another thing I always do (since week 7) is pick out a few pieces of matching patterns for the particular week. I cut them into 4x6's (1 sheet will give me 6 of them) which is enough to complete the week). So having a color scheme or an idea of it, makes creating the page quickly.

After a few weeks of jotting down notes, sketching my layouts, I thought I would start "winging it" but I think this works for me, I like the slight organization (even though my desk looks like a bomb went off) and I find that I'm even quicker in getting my layouts done when I fully pay attention to what I'm doing.

 

*****

WEEK NINE.

This week I decided to do one page.. there was not a lot going on, or photos either.. so one page was perfect.

 

WEEK TEN.

I started Week 10 with a 6x12 page protector, with 3 4x6 openings (6 total) because I knew I had a lot more photos to share that week.

 

Back of the 6x12 (blurry, sorry, but too tired to take another photo).
I use collages when I know I have quite a bit of good photos I want to share about that week..
In a 4x6 template, you could use your crop tool at 2x2 and get 6 photos on there.

 

And here is the rest of Week 10.

 

I've used some of Marcy Penners printables for journaling HERE:  *She has a shop, but it looks like she's on vacation right now, so the shop is closed? Not sure.
I also use a lot of Paislee Press templates: HERE
She types a lot of her journaling.. believe me I would like to that.. but I'm really trying to embrace my handwriting.. cause it does take time to type some of the journaling especially when you are well equipped with journaling cards from the kit with Project Life.

 

So... so far so good.
I'm glad to sort of be caught up. But it is process that is constantly changing..

 

Light Chasers.

Last week, on the 8th of March.. we had a light show in our backyard! 
I kept hearing the Northern LIghts were out and everyone on my FB feed was going out at 11pm in search of them..
We've been here long enough that everytime we've heard that the aurora borealis were dancing in the night sky, we did head out in search of them.. only to not find any or just a faint green light, I often wondered if it indeed was the Northern Lights..

So on this night, I headed out in just my sweatpants and a jacket (dumb) and I almost left my big camera home, thinkiing we weren't gonna find any.. Luckily, hubby said "Where's the Camera?"

We were stunned to see them the minute we got out of our driveway!
BUT BUT BUT.. this dumbass photographer forgot her tripod!! ARRGHH!

BUt I got.. some.. blurry, but I got some..
And that above photo (with my son) was featured over and over again on our local news, it made their Facebook Fanpage and the news for several nights :) He's pretty stoked about being "famous".  LOL

If you've ever tried to shoot the Northern Lights.. or just in the dark.. It is hard as heck!! With nothing for the camera to focus on, it makes it next to impossible to shoot anythiing.. But man, look at them behind me... just dancing the night away.

This shot, I layed on my back and looked up.. as the kids were yelling.. "Look up!!"

 

And here's my son.. texting like crazy.. while the lights were dancing behind him :)

I marveled at the sight of these lights shining in the sky.. It was absolultely breath taking...
What an experience :)

 

 

Spring Forward, Trail Running, & Running Buddies...

Even though we are knee head deep in snow, the extra hour of daylight makes a big difference. You almost see the light at the end (you know the one where all the snow melts and we are basking in the sun on our lawn chairs with the grill going and the kids playing jump rope at 9pm).. Soon, I can see it :)

Lately, I've been in this "rut" where you know big changes are coming and I'm like sitting on my ass waiitng for it to come and take over.. basically, put my life on hold till I know for sure what's gonna happen. And I realize, that is not how I want to spend my days.. If change does come and we have to leave our AK home, I want to know I made the most of my days here.. So I moped around for a week. But I think I'm coming around..

I never imagined myself as an outdoorsy person.. well, don't quote me on that one.. I'm not like a full on "Sportsman Warehouse" chick.. But I never thought I'd find joy in the great outdoors.. (It partly has to do with not having a big city life, you really just get accostomed to your surroundings--adapt).  But I love our daily outings with Kai. There are days, I'm not sure who is having more fun, me or the dog. And then I've discovered (last year) the joy of trail-running. It's not a run I'd do on my own, I'm too much of a "fraidy-cat" to try and fend off wild life on my own.. so when the oppurtunity comes when I can run outdoors with a friend, I will take it. So today, the first day of Springing Forward,  I laced up my running shoes and headed to the "unknown" with  my good running friend, Rebecca :)

We had this narrow path to run on with deep snow on either side, we were surrounded by the sound of vast trees echoing with the wind and "little remains" of wilid life aka moose poop all along the trail.. and of course on our start of our run, we come across a family of moose just hanging out.. we quickly passed them but on our way back, they were right on the trail..  After flying down hill, we realized, we needed to go back "up hill" and find another route back to our car... Ah the joys of running in the wild life.. But the view.. It's all worth it at the end, when your legs are burning and your quads are killing you :)

 

People come into your life for a reason, don't they?
Rebecca introduced me to a whole new world when she took me on my first trail run last year at the Kincaid Park for my first ever, Tuesday Night Runs.. To this day, whenever I find myself down in the dumps.. I always smile at my first experience of a trail run, in one of the hardest courses (hilly) Kincaid Park.. I just remember climbing up and down my first hills with her, splashing through mud, feeling that brisk 45 degree evening, and looking ahead at the colors of fall.. It was beauty and pain at it's finest.  I could barely walk the next day, but every time I went up and down those stairs, I smiled.. thinking of those golden/orange leaves that burned bright against the sunset. 

Fast forward, we are taking runs through snow, chilly temps, and did I say through snow :)  Granted, the beginning of winter was hard on us, it got to those single digits quick and dipped well below 0 for the longest time (look at me talking like it's over).. so our winter trail runs were seldom and few..

But today.. was one of those days, that I will close my eyes and smile...
What a great day to kick off our Springing Forward..
Here's to more Outdoor Runs :)

Project Life | Week 06 - 08

Just some catching up, which I totally needed.
Forget sleep this weekend, that's what my Rockstar is for :)

 

WEEK 06.

 

WEEK 07.

 

WEEK 08.

I used an 8.5 x 11 insert to throw in a large photo of her dance group and on the back, photo strips of her dances.

I finally got my Page Protectors from Becky Higgins, Style A & D.. they have been out for the longest time and I when I heard they were in a few weeks ago, I jumped on that and bought a pack!  I'm so glad I waited for it to complete the week.. I love the little pockets!!!

 

I'm still REALLY enjoying this project and so GLAD I decided to jump on that bandwagon. I'm realizing that most if not, all my photos are from my iPhone. But the print quality is not bad at all, as long as I'm not blowing it up to an 8x10 I should be fine. The iPhone is convenient and printing at home has never been easier. There really is no excuse for not having a single photo for the week :)

 

 

 

Finding My Way + Project Life Week 4 & 5

Sometimes the only way to find my way back, is to go through the motions.
When I got back from Hawaii, I literally dug my own hole and stayed in it..
It was so hard for me to get out and enjoy the things I once loved, I could not find the motivation to excercise again, or even cook dinners!  But instead of trying to do it all in one day.. I took baby steps.

I got out and met up with friends, enjoyed lunches and long dog walks.. to just.. exhale.

Saturday we all just bummed around and watched movies..
I enjoyed watching Ryan Gosling, I mean the movie Drive.. quite honestly, the movie was not my fave, but Ryan kept me entertained.  I actually really enjoyed, Real Steel with the family. I thought I was just gonna head downstairs and scrap but found myself really enjoying the movie.

Sunday was my long run. 6 miles was on my training log. I really had to psych myself up for this one, considering I just started running a few days ago and could barely make 2 miles! A few days ago it was hard to believe I actually could run more than 3. But, I lietrally sat down and envisioned how far I wanted to go, telling myself that I've done this many times and that I can do this. Who knew a little pep talk could carry you a long way.

I did it.. and I had to stop and take a photo of my favorite path to remember this moment.

It really is mind over matter. Sure every muscle in my body hurt like hell, my lungs hurt, and my legs were on fire.. but it didn't compare to that feeling of finishing what you set out to do. And as I turned into our street, 6 miles didn't feel so out of reach.. I envision myself rockin' the next 2 half marathons.

-----

 I used some down time (in between the kids, housework, cooking..etc) to catch up on Project Life. A lot of it is mostly photos, but I will insert more journaling.. once I sit and type out my notes from my visit back home.

Project Life Week 4 & 5

Okay... Okay...

Maybe I'm still daydreaming of being back in Hawaii.. It is quite the transition, I mean we had a freakin' blizzard the very next day I returned. Of course, I'm gonna be a bit dramatic and dwell in my own misery. BUT, it's warmer out, I dug the ice out of my driveway and broke a few icicles along the way.. AND there is more light out. So, I dug myself out of my hole today (sort of) and made the most out of my day (after 11am, that is). 

There's been a lot on my mind.. and I spent most of my weekend organizing my photos and thoughts on paper (to get ready to place in my Project Life Album)  and I thought I'd share one page of a notebook filled with my thoughts during my visit home.

*****

I flew in on a late Sunday night.. it was a long flight and I was just glad to stretch my legs.. a lot of my thoughts didn't process till a few days into our visit back home. One thing I did find odd, was how I felt that Monday evening, in a place that I called home, nearly 17 years ago...

Disconnected.

There’s something odd about being some place so familiar yet I feel so out of place. I feel almost disconnected from the very sidewalk that used to lead me home day after day, the place that I came to, to feel safe, a place where I dreamt what life would be like outside of these walls, a place I once called home.

 I enter the apartment complex, Bishop Gardens and my childhood surrounds me. I can still see my dad along with my grandparents sitting outside as I walked home from school. The staircase near my home is where I often took my new cordless phone to get some privacy. There’s the square concrete behind my apartment where the playground once stood. That odd scent of rubbing alcohol and Lysol because my mom was a bit of a germa-phobe.  The cabinet that held anything from an old clock that my mom got as award after several years working at the Sheraton, the untouched Encyclopedias, the glass jar that held everything from bobby pins, coins and whatever could fit in there.  And there, the photos some in frames, while some just propped up against the shelf, proof that I grew up here.  Yet, I felt like a stranger in this place.

 I feel disconnected. As if this was a place I visited from time to time, in my dreams.

 I get it now, I understand why I feel this way with every visit I make back home. I “disconnect” myself from the memories, from what my heart yearns for simply because it hurts so much. And for some odd reason, the only vivid memory I’ve had from home after I left nearly 17 years ago was the day I left to move to California. As the car drove off to the airport, I turned around to see my dad, with his knees on the parking lot, crying out for me. And since then, it was like I detached myself from this place, that I was so eager to leave.

 Today, nearly 17 years later, I return with a different outlook, one that I didn’t want to face. My mother is dying. Sure everyone is eventually going to die, but most people don’t know what will claim their life. For her, cancer will take her life, sooner than I want it too. As I said goodnight to my mother, after my first full day there, spending most of the day at the hospital, visiting doctors, overwhelmed with information I have never felt so lost and out of place.  I completely shutdown and disconnect myself, once again.. because it hurts that bad.

 

Day one was indeed one of the toughest, but as the days went on, it was almost like I stepped into my brother's shoes for the day, for the week.. it was then, that I understood how much he has given up so that my parents are well taken care of, and the heavy burden he carries every single day.

*****

I spent the better part of my weekend placing my photos in order of how I wanted to print them.. I had every intention of working on them during the Superbowl.. but, that sofa (not the game, although it was a good game) sucked me in.. and I literally could not move.. LOL

 

Project Life | Week 03

The *above page is one of my favorites.. especialy that squared collage.. so simple, yet perfect. The page protector is from We R Memory Keepers:

And that large space is sized at 8x6.
And since there are days where I take more than one photo.. it's perfect! 

 

Latest Loves for this project: you can get HERE

I'm "dying" for these from my friend Tina..

 

So, even after a bittersweet trip to Hawaii and a slight break from planning my layout for the week.. I'm still loving this project. There are so many products out there that make this so simple.

However, I still plan most of my layouts..

*Hope everyone is enjoying putting their Project Life together :) 

iPhone Photo Phun.

I tell you.. one of the most powerful tool I possess is my iPhone.
The ability to capture most anything instantaneously.. is, for me a kind of gratification I can't describe. I've always been a "picture-person" always wanting to capture the moment.
You give a girl a camera, she will take photos of anything and everything..
These photos illustrate my life in ways I can't otherwise describe. It's always meant a lot to me to "snap" a  photo of my life..

I thought by now I'd given up on Project Life.. I may have slowed down on the excess amount of photos.. but I have not given up. If anything, it forces me to get creative on capturing life with as little photos as possible. Much like our Facebook status'.. we try to say what's on our mind, with as little words as possible.

But I could sit here and try to explain my drive up to my hubby's work.. the dense fog, the frozen trees, the tinge of grey everywhere, and that desolate feeling you get when you get up there, cause it's smack in the middle of nothing.. I'm not sure if you'd picture this:

Then there's my morning chaos.. a sink full of the dishes, that the kids tossed while heading out the door.
Simple photo.. but glad I caught it because it is something I want to remember.. a time when the house was.. busy.

Again.. with the technology these days, you really have no excuse for not taking a photo :)

 

*****

Breakfast with my girls.

Oh gosh.. I love these girls.
I'm still heartbroken that her family has decided to take on some new adventures and leave Alaska (before I do).
I am in complete denial.. and I refuse to go to her house to see how much she's painted or worst to see boxes packed. Nope, I will not have it.

 

Downtown Photo.. probably one of my faves today.
From the fog, to the pedestrian crossing, the cropped building, and the car passing by.
That's downtown Anchorage in a nutshell today.

 

I went to drop hubby some lunch.. I just had to capture him in "stealth-ninja-mode"

 

And as bitter cold as it was, well below zero... we played outside. He doesn't mind it until his paws start bothering him. We warm up a bit and head back out again.. This is enough to make for a good afternoon nap.

Which I have to say, I've been taking with him quite a bit this week.
I blame the extremely cold weather.. I mean all you wanna do is snuggle under the sheets.

Currents.

Brrr..
It's been pretty cold on this side of the world.. In our 7+ years here, I don't remember it being this cold day in and day out.. The temps say something but with some wind it is a lot colder. I remember reading the temps one morning, it said -17 degrees but with windchill feels like -30 !!!

But that sun is out.. shining bright and as cold as it is.. I still try to venture out there with Kai. I just look like a ninja in a snowsuit out there :) Kai still loves being outside.. of course he would, he's a dog :) But the other day I lost one of his booties in the deep snow!!! NO!!! So I spent the better half of my day digging through where I thought he stood.. but it was to deep. So now he's one booty short :(

 

I love Tina's weekly current updates. These are great for memory keeping and to put in your Project Life as well :) I plan to do this weekly or even more.. just little tidbits of my day :)

 

time: 11:54 pm
location: home
weather: very, very, cold.. I think it barely made it above 0.
eating: just finished some chips & salsa
drinking: water
loving: netfilx, watching my the first season of Criminal Minds & enjoying scrapbooking again.. currently working on Project Life 2012 and 2010 :)
wondering: how my boys & hubby will do while I'm gone, it's the "mom" in me.
enjoying: the photos from our maternity shoot today, I really do love maternity sessions.
accomplishing: a whole lot of cooking :)

The Long Weekend.

Sunday Jan 15, 2012

When life gives you lemons, you get Freckled Lemonade.

My kids enjoy Red Robin.. me? Not so much, but I do like their Freckled Lemonade.

It's been so cold out.. we're talking well below zero..
So working out, outdoors has been a no go.
But I hit the gym (sometimes) I'm still trying to get used to the treadmill. But I do love this Nike Training App that gets me going and working up a sweat.  Izzy loves working out with me and I'm amazed that little thang can hold a plank pretty well :)

 

Monday Jan 16, 2012
Need I say more?
Even though I am freezing my butt off, I'm quite fascinated by it all.. hence all the snapshots I take of the weather.

Got the girls some lunch...
They've started scrapbooking their photos in their little albums so they wanted to take photos together so I could print them :)

 

Driving around while Izzy is dance.. I caught a glimpse of the sunset and clear skies at a stoplight.. I really liked the way the silhouette turned out.. I'm always trying to find inspiration and fun photos :)