My Project Life 2012

Tonight I sorted my binder & page protectors for Project Life 2012. For the past 2 years I have done Document 2010 & 2011, recording every month. I enjoy looking back at the albums but found creating the pages quite a chore if I didn't keep up to date or make full enough notes in my diary. Felt like trying something different next year so this is what I have come up with. I ordered 3 packs of these 8x12 page protectors & 3 packs of these divided ones with six 4x4 pockets. Quite excited about these ones as they'll be perfect for Instagram photos. I won't put photos in each of the six pockets though, I'll vary them with mini layouts & journaling cards. Each week will have one 8x12 focus page and six 4x4 cards for the other days. I also got one of these kraft lever arch files from Paperchase but I think I may have to search for a foolscap file as the page protectors are slightly larger than the binder. At least I am all ready to start on Sunday though.

Day 29 - Still to do

Lots still to do before I go home tomorrow for Christmas. Lists everywhere of stuff I need to do. Those actually committed to paper stand a chance of being remembered, the 'mentally noted' ones will be lucky if I even remember to try & recall what is on those lists! Note to future self:(found this here).

Quick post of my Smash! book tonight as I really need to be getting on with other things. Today's pages are my best friends,dream career,Christmas preparations& me with bright and cheerful stamping.

Day 28 - Just 4 more sleeps!!!!

I'm getting excited, can you tell? Today has been on of reflection & getting in touch with my family to make arrangements for when we will see them on Friday. It was most likely prompted by this page I created in my Smash! book. We all had a great day at the summer fete so I'm hoping the Christmas party is the same. Although, as it will be indoors I'm a bit worried if we'll all fit - our extended family is HUGE!

Today's other pages include festival fireworks& decorating my flat. Love that tape hinges allow for hidden journaling.

Day 27 - Clear out for Christmas

After finishing my gift wrapping this morning I decided to tidy the flat. I have a huge utility room which is great for storage, but is equally great for shoving things when I can't decide what else to do with them. As a result it has become messy in the past 4 months & full of things I don't really need. Plus, as I ordered most gifts online this year and they all arrived in hugely oversized boxes I had them to dispose of too. Feel so much better now the place is clear & empty of clutter.

Really enjoying working on my Smash! album. Today's pages include

cake baking,Me & my Dadand my flat.

Loving the home decor pages the most. This one is about the decorative elements, still got one to do about all the painting & DIY.

Day 26 - Christmas Wrapping

Bought the last of my Christmas shopping today. Don't normally leave it this late but haven't been able to get out to the stores I wanted to before now. The 19th is always my day to wrap gifts & I've made a start but still got some to finish off tomorrow morning. Got more gifts for my parents than I intended but I've got some stuff I think they'll really like, including this CD. They had the original in their record collection & apparently it was the best double album EVER! They don't know a CD version exists, can't wait to see their reaction when they open it. I always get more excited about giving gifts than receiving them, it makes me happy to see them happy.

Shopping & wrapping have taken up most of my day, like making the parcels look pretty! Did get some time this morning to work on a page in my Smash! book though. This is our annual summer barbecue in August.

Day 25 - Wishing I Could Slow Time

Just one week to go now, this next week is the most exciting, I wish I could make it last longer. In a week's time Chistmas Day will almost be over for another year. While there are still lots of other festive things to look forward to, and indeed I look forward to each season throughout the year, there is always something about Christmas night that makes me feel sad. The only remedy is playing games with my family & reading annuals, both Christmas Day traditions we all enjoy.

Today I was out this morning on a fairly unsuccessful shopping trip. Hoping to have more luck tomorrow afternoon. This afternoon & evening I continued to work on my Smash 2011 journal. Been doing a lot of stamping in coloured inks, thankfully I'm not super worried about it being perfect as I managed to drop an inked stamp in the wrong place - twice!

Also because I'm not being overly precious about it I am using up so supplies that I'm not so keen on. However, once I have made the pages I am really pleased with them. These pages are films I've seen & stuff I've listened to (still to add in journaling),a haircut & my favourite puzzles (completely unrelated subjects but they both went well with the purple background) and mini albums I made in April.

Day 24 - Annual Shopping Tradition

Ever since I can remember we have always had a Christmas shopping trip to Stirling, and almost every time it has snowed! Luckily it didn't snow today but it was cold. We were all in good spirits & even got a mention on the local radio. We parked in our usual place & visited all our favourite shops. Saw lots to add to my own wish list (never should have walked into Fat Face!) but still a few things I would still like to get for my parents so I'll need to try to get out at some point before Friday. Looking forward to Friday as we are going to visit all our extended family who live 90 minutes drive away. My Gran has Alzheimer's and stays in a care home. She is very happy there and we all feel better knowing she is safe and being well cared for. It is the Christmas party on Friday & lots of my aunts, uncles & cousins will be there too so it will be lovely to all get together and spend time with my Gran. After that we are going out for dinner with my Dad's family. His side of the family is much smaller, just 8 of us in total compared to 55!

Day 23 - Favourites of 2011

This is probably my favourite layout of 2011, I love stitching, stamping & adding little details. Today I have been working on a Smash! journal which I am using to record all my highlights of 2011. The first page is all about moving into my flat & planning the furnishings for it.Got exited when I came across this little sticker from my lunch the day we went to Ikea, forgot I'd saved it!Tomorrow I'm going out to hopefully get the last of my Christmas shopping. Fingers crossed the snow holds off!

Day 22 - Quiet day to catch up

Had a day to myself with the radio to keep me company so I made the most of the time and caught up with 4 days of my Christmas journal. More mini Instagram photos on these pages. That's me caught up as far as I have photos & I would like to include photos on the next pages so will probably wait until my Christmas order to work on them.

That frees me up to work on other projects now. I made 4 calendars to include with Christmas gifts this evening. The 2 purse calendars in the felt pouches are for my aunties & are the perfect size for their handbags. The desk calendars are for my parents as they like to personalise their office space & loved the calendars I made for them last year.

Day 21 - Radio Times

Love having my digital radio, only got it last week but it is so much easier to tune into different stations & means I can listen to digital services like Radio 4 Extra. My favourite is the 4 o'clock show but the comedy hours are great too.December 14th is always my day to settle down with the festive edition of the Radio Times & highlight all the shows & movies I'd like to see. I probably end up viewing less than a third of them but I still enjoy marking them off. This year I am actually more excited about the radio listings. On the schedule next week are lots of festive shows & some mysteries I love including Paul Temple, Poirot & another Agatha Christie story. Perfect background listening while I'm crafting.

Today I caught up with 3 days in my Christmas journal. I ordered these mini Instagram pictures from Photobox by making up a collage of 6 photos in Picasa. The little 2x2" squares are a perfect size for these Pink Paislee page protectors.

The patterned washi tape I used as a little flag at the bottom of the first side & down the centre of the second side is actually one I made myself. I just applied some patterned tissue paper to double sided tape & trimmed it from the sheet. It's very easy to apply to projects with no horrible adhesive marks & the tissue keeps its transparency, taking the colour of the background cardstock.

Day 20 - Music

I love Christmas movies & cartoons too, not just for the stories but the music too. Put Father Christmas on today as it has a couple of songs that take me right back to childhood (it always used to be on tv early Christmas morning while we were opening gifts). Today's journaling topic in my album is music so I'm going to try to print a screenshot of my current iTunes Christmas playlist. It always has the same songs on it but my favourites change every year. At the moment I'm loving this one.

Caught up on a few more days in my Christmas journal today from my Dad's Birthday weekend.

Day 19 - Memories

Today there were lots of features on the radio reminded me of Christmasses past (my journaling topic for my album today). I still love this time of year but it was even more magical when I was younger. My Birthday gift from my parents was a portable DVD player which is great for listening to DVDs in my room while I'm working on uni or craft projects. I never actually watch anything, just listen, that's why I enjoy audiobooks & the radio so much.

The library is great for audiobooks & they even have DVDs too. Another blast from the past today was this DVD set I borrowed, Maid Marian & her Merry Men. I loved it when I was younger but it failed to meet up to my expectations today. I guess some things are best left in the past, children's comedy being one of them!

Day 18 - Decorations

Yesterday the lights & tree went up at my parents' house. It's the third year we've had these sweet reindeer in our garden but the Santa in his sleigh is a new addition. Don't think we'll be adding any more, less is more when it comes to lights. Next time I'm home I'll take photos when it gets dark.

The tree went up too. My parents like the simplicity of a fibre optic tree but I miss all the traditional trimmings & decorations that hold special memories. No space in my flat for a big tree but one day I'll get one. Quite like this, it looks much prettier in store than the online photos show.

Day 17 - A Very Happy Birthday

Had a great day today. Woke up to a white blanket of snow but luckily that didn't spoil our plans. We met my Auntie in town for lunch, went round some shops & stopped at starbucks before hitting the shops again! We finished the day enjoing a nice chinese meal together before my Auntie caught the train home again.

A wonderful way to begin the next year in my life which I plan to record in this pretty pink Smash! journal.