Everyday Epiphanies

2013 Project Life | Week 03 & Week 04

So my Week 03 & 04 kind of intertwined with being in the Big Island. So I decided to go ahead and do them in one batch. I was eager to put it together, I'm still excited as ever about this project and I can't wait to add my photos in there.

Week 03.

 

Part of Week 03 was leaving for our trip to the Big Island.
For this part, I decided to only add a few photos, the ones I took from my iPhone. Izzy will be creating her own scrapbook album with the photos she took. They have a special digital photographer badge for completing this assignment.

Since I knew I had a little more photos than usual, I used (2) 6x12 inserts that had (3) 4x6 inserts for the extra photos.

The final days there flowed into the start of Week 4.

And upon returning and trying to get better, I didn't have a lot of photos or moments to share. Other than sitting on the sofa, recuperating. And on Saturday we celebrated my nieces' 10th birthday. Other than that, it was a pretty relaxed week(end).

Right now (Sunday night 10:15pm) it's been raining really hard with a flash flood watch for Oahu. We had a huge BBQ (as we always do on Sundays) with my in laws. I am so stuffed right now, I'm ready to pass out... I look forward to a new week, hoping to be a little more productive and hopefully I can kick this cold. (bleh).

2013 Week 03 | Well, Half of it.

Week Three, was a little hectic.
AAt the end, I struggled to get over the flu (still am) all the meanwhile, hopping on that plane for Hilo. But the beginning part of the week was somewhat organized :)

Hubby was driving to the mall the last week (Izzy and I are headed to the Big Island for a few days with her Girl Scouts Troop) and I look over the dash board to see just a beautiful blue sky and perfect puffs of clouds. And I think, "It is so beautiful, just an ordinary day, nothing special, but absolutely beautiful!"

I like the idea of writing the "Week" on the photo. I'll just have to find the "one".. Hopefully I can keep this up and remember that this is an easy approach to journaling.

******

Tuesday January 15.
He detoured through traffic just so I could catch the sunset.

I'm still amazed at what you can capture with your iPhone. Looking at this picture I can already hear the gentle waves hitting ashore. Such solitude and tranquility found here.

 

Love.
(Okay so I love taking photos of my feet in all that white space).

 

A little "us-self-portrait" at the beach.

 

I'm still on my runner's high from my first 6 mile run that was a very invigorating run that left me wanting more and renewed my spirit and love for running. Although I haven't ran since then because I've been sick, but I'm excited to lace up my shoes as soon as I can gather up the energy to do so.

Along with the routine running, hubby and I have been hitting the gym as well.

*****

For now I'm still recovering and enjoying some Pho

 

 

2013 Week 02 | Layout & Recap

So I'm scrapbooking faster than I can blog. That's a good sign, I guess. But it lacks journaling. I get it, I'm on fire, so excited, but I need to slow it down and remember the stories of the photos. 

2013 PROJECT LIFE WEEK 02

 

*****
Some highlights of last week:

Watching Izzy and her friends "ride" home from school. She now rides her bike to and from school, with the occasional scooter ride in between.

Last week, hubby got home a little early and I we both "scooter" rode our way to meet Izzy at school. I'm on the handy dandy electric scooter.."It's Electric" yes that song was stuck in my head the entire ride. Have you ever ridden one? These suckers are fast!!!

Playing out with the family, even the boys came outside to till the sun went down to ride around the block, play fetch with Kai, and just hang outside.

 

I titled this one on my layout, "Hello Monday". Cause no matter how crazy the day is.. he always puts a smile on my face.

 

On one of my runs in the morning, I looked out into the harbor to see this ship coming in and happened to bring out my phone as a plane flew over. Perfect timing.

 

I looked in my rear view mirror to see these two sitting patiently while we wait for the boys to finish school. I get a chuckle every time I see this, cause he loves his sissy so much!

 

On an evening drive to a photo shoot, I look out the passenger window and "snap" capture a beautiful silhouette against this golden sunset.

 

Hubby picked me up from the shoot in the Porsche with the top down, driving through the streets of Waikiki.

And a little self portrait.. I documented on PL that I'm finally feeling good about my workouts. They have become consistent and almost a part of my routine. There are a few days I have to fight with myself to get going. But for the most part, I'm finally enjoying the "pain".  I always say when it comes to the point where you "crave" the pain, the sweat" and the pain (I know, I said that twice, because getting back, hurts...) then you've definetly over that slump.

2013 PROJECT LIFE...

Never.. have I been more excited to get this "party" starated...
This year I did my cover page much like Cathy Z's Titlte Page.. she was ever so kind to share it with us mortals as a free download.

Last year I kept my first page blank, because it is just one page... but the idea was to gather some of my best memories in photos for the first page.. But it is still blank. This year, I don't want to see "blank" and I want to print photos right away!!!

My title page contains, some of the first photos of the new year.

The top right is my favorite from the collage of photos, the look on my kid's faces is priceless and it's so them right now. I absolutely love the bracelet from my sister in law, the words hit home for me. And I also added my word for the year, "Renew".. more on this soon.

 

2013 PL WEEK 01.

I love that collage of photos on the left page at the top, it is SO my kids.. if you look closely you'll catch a "middle finger" being thrown up :)  Gotta love his 17 year old angst.

*****

As of late, Project Life has just become a part of my weekned. I no longer stress to try and get a few pages done.. cause once I got to peddling, it was a part of the norm for me.. kind like taking the dog for a walk or making dinner.. It's become a routine.

Now back to Week 2. BRB :)

Geez.. one of my "thought" resolutions was to blog/write more... So far, not so good. And to be honest, I think about it, a lot... I even have my laptop propped open at bed side, staring at a blank page.  In my defense, remember how I said when I get into something I go all "gung-ho" ? Yeah, that running thing, I've been all over it like white on rice. And quite honestly it's leaving me eating dinner at 5:30pm and ready for bed by 9pm. So long late nights, this body is responding to sleep! 

So with all the hype about Project Life 2013, I've been so excited. It's like the I'm ready to go full force.. and I have yet to complete Week One. 

I've got some pretty awesome people doing Project Life this year and we chat back and forth via Instagram.. we really need to develop a Project Life support system, so we can send one another alerts via iPhone much like our alarms and it will say "Hey you working on Week Two?"

Now 2012 was my first year doing Project Life... and the verdict?  I am so HOOKED and I put way more stress on myself than need be. Sure time flies, but there is no rule that you can't go back. So the big question is "Am I done?" A big whopping "NO".. but almost. As you know, 2012 was a bit rough for me, I flew back home to Hawaii several times, leaving the entire April - June a little on the blank side. For me, it's an emotional journey to go back and rewrite and relive those months. So there is a few weeks where it will require me to print out some funeral photos and right now, I'm not quite prepared. I think I will have to mingle the new, 2013 and go back in between, to find a balance of some sort.

ORGANIZE:
(BTW, I'm listening to Keith Sweat on Pandora at the moment as I type... Oh boy, throw back Friday).

So last year, I organized it by printing calendars off my iCal on my computer. That works, but the spaces to write info was to little (square boxes). So I bought myself a Binder and I found tabs numbered from 1-50. I figure I could live without the extra 2 weeks, and print out something else.

Inside of it, I printed out weekly calendars.. with tons of writing space! (Got it from HERE)

I also printed out the various Pocket Photo Pages I have so I know (minus the constant digging) what I have available to me.

And I find it easier for me, cause it's all visual to me.. to map out the layout I picked and write down which photos goes where, where the journaling goes, right to an embellishment..

On the photo organizing part.
When I plug  my iPhone in (Most of my photos are from my iPhone) it goes straight to my iPhoto.
I download it, but then I drag them to my
--- 2013 PROJECT LIFE folder
------ (subfolder) WEEK 01 , 02, 03 etc.

Now in my notes I will write according to Photo (So Monday would have Scooter Riding with Izzy) So I know where it goes. You can always arrange your folder by date photos were added and it will know which photos were uploaded first to last :)

I really meant to take photo of these "rough drafts" and then show you the final product, but I toss the scratch paper when I'm done :)

PROJECT LIFE 2012 WEEK 48:

 

PROJECT LIFE 2012 WEEK 49:

Back tracking a little bit.. but I actually found it challenging to do Project Life and the December Daily together. I may have to try Cathy Z's approach on her December Daily, she and Ali Edwards did a ONE photo in 4x6 albums... and leave the rest to the Project Life. But yes, for the month of December I was kind of stumped on how to separate the two.

And last but not least who ever said an artist has a tidy workspace.. pretty much lied... 

Flying By...

With the kids back to school last Thursday, it didn't feel like a real "Monday" till this past Monday. And when you put that pedal to the medal, I seem to be flying by the seat of my pants. The thing with New Year's Resolutions (which you can make any time of the year) the hype of trying to stick to your oath makes me all "gung-ho" and I tend to become this over achiever, but that flame seems (like in the past) last only for a few months, if that. But of course, with each new year, I always say THIS will be THE year. To my defense, I've got good intentions.

I've spent a few days focusing all my energy on trying to get back to my run regime. Again, my compulsive-obsessive tendency have got me printing a training schedule, logging each and every calorie intake, and pushing myself to keep going and staying afloat. All along, trying to realize the difference between realistic goals and impractical (at the moment) ambitions. The thing with falling off the bandwagon is that when I fall, I literally plummet to the ground. Getting back up is 10 times harder than the actual physical pain. So realistically, I want to train my body to get back to where she was, but I know that means I won't be running a half marathon anytime soon. But for some reason, this conclusion has got me all frustrated knowing I was once there. 

*****

Now that 2012 has come to a close, I am wrapping up my 2012 Project Life and VERY EXCITED to start 2013 Project Life. This year, Project Life has become huge!  There are so many designers, so many new products, just so many... stuff!

My favorite so far is this Midnight Edition:

The Seafoam Edition:

And tons of new pocket pages!

I have people ask me all the time, "can you really get through a year?" And before Project Life, I'd say "No" even though I worked at a Scrapbook Store and did layouts for my job. But this, I swear, is one of the simplest ways to document your life. Combined with an iPhone, I am able to capture our day to day life effortlessly.  I do have to say, that by the month of June, I realized that I get more done if I plan ahead, using calendar to write the weekly happenings, to organize my photos according to week, and to diagram which Photo Pocket Page I will use for the double page spread. Once I found my rhythm, I was scrapping by the week. So I spend less time feeling like it's a chore and more time living life.

 

Happy New Year! (2 Days later...)

Happy New Year! One of the first photos of 20-Thirteen

First day of 2013 was spent with these guys! I just get a kick out of this pic that I took while we drove to the mall so the kids could spend their Christmas Money.

Backtracking to the final days leading up to our new year...
Kicked of the weekend with a fun photoshoot!  I LOVE this new place called Baby Makapu'u. Just off to the side of the road, a pier, the beach, some rocks, all elements for a great shoot.

So next to couples, maternity, and family shoots.. I just love these group of friends shoots!!!  The magic of their youth, vitality, personalizes are just waiting to be captured! These girls were all shy till I started chit-chatting with them... and soon enough they were all giggles. Makes for the perfect shoot.

My fab-hubby always there to hang out and carry my stuff.. Love him!

 

You must.. get the "jump" shot.. and not to mention sand all over me! But so well worth it!


This was probably one of the coolest "Hey I got that shot, while shooting out a window of a moving car..." shot. The composition of the tree filling the top half, the way the blue sky faded to white, right down to the paddle resting on the tree!  I still can't believe I got that while shooting random things outside the window on our way to the beach for a Girl Scouts Event on Saturday.

Whole Foods.
Something about leaving that place a little more broke, but feeling a lot more healthy :)

 

She got a hold of my iPhone.
This is what happens when you give your phone to your 5 year old niece who loves to use you as a human jungle gym and your lap as her permanent seat. Love this wild one :)

New Year's Eve at Mama & Papa's.
Every year since we started dating, Papa's Street, is blazing with fire works. Well all of Kalihi usually is, but this year they just passed a new fire works law that prohibits the sell of fire works except for fire crackers. In the past years, when we've been in Hawaii for New Years, you'd need ear plugs and a face mask or you'll be up in smoke and partially deaf. New Years is usually a "big" thing on this island. The roads would light up to the point where you could not see the city becasue of all the smoke.

But this year, it was quieter. The new law didn't stop some houligans (including Papa) from lighting up a few and the neighbors lighting up the sky. But it wasn't the same. We rang in the new year with a few drinks in hand, thanks to my brother in law who loved filling my cup with Pinnacle and Orange Soda, aka big people creamsicle.

Kai wasn't sure what to make of all the noise.. his was afraid, with his ears down, and tail tucked in.. he scurried to our side the entire time. Poor guy.. I bet he was dying to get back home to his nice and quiet bed.

New Years Day.
It's been our tradition to fry up these wings with "Da Bomb" Sauce on New Year's Eve.. in the past we'd usually hang at home cause we weren't brave enough to head out in the sub zero temps of AK.  But since we were at my in laws, I didn't get to fry them up. But my son insisted we have wings, claiming it's not the same... So I gave in, drove to the nearest Safeway (with only a 5 packs to spare, I grabbed the rest of them) and came home to surprise him.  He cracked me up when he said, "Oh man, shopping for shoes, Taco Bell for lunch, and now Chicken Wings! It's the best day ever mom!"

While I fried up the wings, the guys wrapped up some lumpia and my sister made empanadas while dancing to Ice Cube, Snoop Dog, and all things 90's.



Good times with family and good food.

*****
New Years is always a time to reflect and feel hopeful of the new year ahead. I've been all kinds of excited, (pinning like crazy) but unable to execute any of my plans just yet. (Today was the kids last day of Winter Break). But I made my first step into making sure I get back into the healthy lifestyle wagon, by signing up for a race next month, The Great Aloha Run. Believe me, it took me a while to hit that "send" button. It's my first race in Hawaii and in a long time and it's over 8 miles!  Not an easy feat, but it does give me that push I need.

I've got more "goals" ahead.. But for now, getting the kids to school bright and early tomorrow is my first.