Hello All! Hopefully I have some documenters and scrapbookers out there! When I was pregnant, I really wanted a unique baby album for my little bundle of joy. I looked at DIY after DIY, and came upon Project Life by Becky Higgins. I gotta tell you, this has changed my life! I never really got into the physical products, but I have used the app like it's going out of style. So, I decided I would put together a little beginners guide. 1. First, and foremost, get a secondary source of photo storage. I started out using Dropbox, but soon switched to Google Photos because Dropbox will charge a monthly fee after you store so much. Which is fine, it just didn't fit into our budget. There is also iCloud, iCloud Photo Library, and Air Drop, but I am a little unfamiliar with those. While you should always back up your photos regardless, this will also allow you to pull photos into your app from multiple devices. You will just be choosing Dropbox, Google Photos, etc. to pull them from instead of the Photo Gallery. 2. Speaking of secondary storage, if you would like to work on multiple devices, I would suggest saving your pages as Editable Back Ups. Since the Project Life app does not cross over between devices, anything you've been working on will only be editable on that device. Therefore, sharing it will help you work on it somewhere else and will be a lifesaver if anything should happen to your device and it no longer works. 3. So, what do you do if you have not saved editable back ups and you want to print your pages? (Like yours truly, ugh) Let me give you an example-When I got my new phone, I downloaded the app on that phone and basically had to start all over again because my previous pages were stuck on my old phone. This is where the collage option came in handy. I just saved my pages as 12 x 12 images (do this even if you are printing 8 x 8's for best resolution) and then dropped them into the 12 x 12 collage page. Then you can put them in whatever folder they need to go in and keep them there until you are ready to print. 4. Digital pages will not print front and back. So keep in mind that you will have two printed pages per album sleeve. 5. When doing a two page spread, keep an eye on the "Completed" category of the app. That will show you the most recent pages worked on, so if you pull up those two pages to edit, it will show them as the first and second pages you just completed, therefore, showing them side by side. This will help you to see what they will look like side by side. 6. So a little while ago, the Android version updated with the option to make folders for you pages and then customize each page within the folder (this is awesome by the way!). I kept thinking, "How will I keep track of the pages I've printed?" Well, this is super simple - just click on the "Update Page Info" option and change the Page Name to "Printed". Easy, peasy!
7. Last, but not least, if you are using a layout that doesn't have a certain journal card or filler card for the spot you are trying to fill, just plug it into a collage option, if possible, and save as an image. Then you can use it on your page! If I have any more tips or ideas, I will definitely share them with you! Thanks for reading and scrapbook on! Peace, Anne
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Well, this weekend is my birthday. Seems like after I turned 30, all other birthdays are just kind of ho-hum. This year I will be 34, one of those unassuming birthdays, not 30 and not 35, just 34. So, I thought it would be interesting to quiz myself on the the past year and reflect on what I've accomplished.
1. What is the date & time? January 27, 2017. 6:15pm. 2. What do you want your next vacation to be? I would really love to go to the beach! I've really been wanting to go to Destin, Florida. My second choice would be Yellowstone National Park. 3. What are 3 accomplishments from the past year? First, and foremost, having a baby! Buying a house And establishing a successful breastfeeding relationship (while pumping at work) with L 4. Do you want more children? The juries out! 5. What do you see yourself doing in the next year? Finding a new career path, raising a toddler, focusing on fixing up/decorating our house, and getting married 6. What are some important decisions that you made that you learned from? I learned that parenting is so hard, but I decided to focus on what is best for our family and to keep listening to my gut and reading L's signals when it comes to what he needs and wants. Owning a house with my fiancé has also taught me to let go of my independence (a little) and realize it's ok to rely on someone else and to choose my battles. I'm looking forward to this next year. I feel that I am on a path of realizing a deeper understanding of myself and those around me. I can only go up from here! So, as some of you know, I have been working on a little project called "One LIttle Word" by Ali Edwards. It is a journal/memory book project meant to help you reflect on a word that you would like to explore in the upcoming year. Basically incorporating the word into your life, learning the meaning behind it (for you and for others), and keeping a record of it each month. In my previous post, I unveiled my word - Purpose. So, I have been thinking about my purpose in life, the world, for myself, and others. Imagine my surprise when it made itself apparent to me thorugh social media! Like many moms out there, I am in a moms group on Facebook. I opened my app one morning and the first thing that popped up on my newsfeed was a question posed by one of our lovely members. "What do you focus on teaching your children as their purpose on Earth?" What a heavy question....especially at 6:30 am! But somehow, I managed an answer that I was pretty satisfied with. "My child is too little for this concept, but I plan on teaching the golden rule. Basically, treat others with kindness, walk in their shoes if you can, and become a contributing member of society. Whether that's through working hard at their career/job, volunteering, whatever, I want my child(ren) to be self sufficient and loving." I want L to know that he is loved and to be able to give love. That actually seemed to be a common theme throughout the thread. Of course we want more for our children than we had, but sometimes kids don't need the latest toy or video game, they just need a hug, boundaries, and a safe space. What else do I want for him? The ability to make a nice dinner for his date, to be able to sew a button on a shirt, to do his own laundry, to think critically about the world around him, to question everything and they when he finds the answer, be satisfied. Even the simplest things can make someone proud and if I can teach my son to just simply do the best he can, then for that I will be proud. Hopefully through this process of finding my purpose and my way through life, I can be an example of living a life fully and lovingly. To show my son that sometimes the purpose is to just be happy where you are and enjoy it until your next adventure. So I'll leave you with a favorite quote of mine from one of my favorite Crosby, Stills, and Nash songs: Keep feeding them those dreams and let them dream their own. And don't worry, your doing just fine.
Peace, Anne Hello all! Well, it's been a doozy of a week! Just overwhelming stuff at work, not enough sleep, and a messy house....same ol', same ol'. So, I'm looking forward to getting some projects done this weekend, and hopefully achieving some sort of sense of accomplishment. In order to de-stress and leave the week behind, I found three images that describe perfectly how I would like to approach the weekend. (all images from pinterest) So here goes! I'm choosing joy and seeking out fun! This week is over. What's done is done, no need to dwell on it. And most importantly, I'm keeping a positive eye on the future! What are your plans this weekend?? Don't forget to relax! Peace & Love, Anne Welcome Friday! Hopefully it was a good week for you. I'm off work today for another snow day so, yay! Today I want to elaborate on one of my resolutions. One of the things I really want to accomplish in 2017 is exercising my creativity more. As I have been using Project Life to document my life, I stumbled upon Ali Edwards. She has this great class called One Little Word. Basically you choose a word for the year and then work toward exploring the meaning of the word, incorporating it into your life, and documenting it as you go. Today I want to share my word with you. Purpose. Why? I have had a feeling for a long while now that there is something more. Something I need. Something to give. Just.....something. I think it comes from a place of unfulfilment and I'm on the quest to figure out if it's coming from within or outside myself. I have a feeling it's a little of both, but we shall see. So, as I go through this journey, I have chosen a quote to keep me on track. Of all the quotes I looked through, this one really spoke to me because it is all about using what makes you happy to contribute to the world. So, by really seeking whats inside my heart and mind, I can hopefully find those things that make me happy-in turn directing me towards my purpose. It's almost as if the things that make us happy are the tools to fulfilling purpose......what an interesting concept! I know, it seems like a simple idea, but I believe a lot of people let emotions, objects, stress, and other people (and the way they react to those people), get in the way. Even in just the smallest of ways we can all make a difference.
So, where MY gladness meets the worlds needs? I don't yet..... But remember, we can't take care of others without taking care of ourselves. And finding our gladness. So, tell me, what gives you purpose? Last Friday we had the 1st snow of winter here in Oklahoma. It was not much, but enough for my job to let me stay home on Friday (woohoo) and give us a little bit of cabin fever. So, we three spent lots of time together and it was wonderful. Since I had a little extra time, I started some projects. A chest, a cardboard fort (I'm pretty excited about this one), and painting the babys room. Hopefully I will share a couple of these with you soon! I also just took the time to enjoy our time together. Our little one is laughing a lot right now and it's just so sweet to hear his little (and big!) giggles. I relished in his cuddles, let him play with his food, and watched him dance to any and all music he could hear. It's crazy how someone so little can make such a big imprint on your heart. He as softened my temper, strengthened my patience, and kept me awake at night-and it's the biggest blessing I have ever received. Checking out the snow with daddy. They are predicting more ice this weekend. Here's hoping :)
Happy Day, Anne Today I would like to start something new. Working full time and being a mom, I am usually just exhausted by the time Friday rolls around. So I would like to create a space where you and I can decompress and reflect on the past week. Then we can go into the weekend with clear hearts and minds. Meet me back here every Friday for an quotes, journal prompts, pictures-anything!
Since we are entering a new year, today is all about new beginnings. I know I'm looking back on this week as a pretty good start to 2017. If you journal, these questions are a good jumping off point, if you don't, they are at least something to think about. These questions in particular are from Bounceback Parenting. I will list my answers below as well. 1. What new beginnings are happening in your life right now? 2. How do you deal with the fear of starting something new? 3. Sometimes new beginnings are energizing and exciting-how do you deal with the drop of energy once things aren't so new anymore? 1. Well, for starters, this blog! I am hoping to make this a regular outlet for my thoughts and creativity. Being a creative person, I often feel restless, and I hope this will allow a release for me. I am also starting a family photo album using the Becky Higgins Project 52 album in the Project Life App. I know that doesn't sound like a big deal, but I've never been a regular memory keeper. I just took pictures on my phone and let them sit there. As a kid, I used to sit in my closet and look through an old boot box full of family pictures. I could be there for hours! I loved the smell of the old paper and seeing my parents as they were before I came along. I hope to provide memories for my son that he can look back on and feel the same way. Other things I'm starting - more "me" time. I need to start taking care of myself and feeling like my old self before baby. And a search into my career path-that's about all I know on that subject! 2. This is something that really speaks to me. I'm an introverted person, and while I don't mind change, I'm not one to put myself out there a lot (especially in risky situations and it's harder as I get older). So I have to be really excited about it, first of all. I can recognize when I won't be into something enough to actually make it happen. Because I'm also a believer that if you want something bad enough, you will go for it. And then I am a researcher. I need to know how it works, where it comes from, other peoples experiences with it, etc. I also look for encouragement from my significant other and family and friends - they know me best, so they will be honest with me. And usually if they tell me not to do something, that will be just the push for me to do it, just to prove them wrong! 3. Once again, something I have trouble with. I tend to get bored easily, so I try to just take it day by day and not be so hard on myself if I don't complete a project or even start one! I hope you consider these questions and let go of any troubles from the week. Happy Weekend! Anne Well, I'm back! I took a break for a while...ok, a long while...and so much has happened since I've been gone. I had a beautiful baby boy, got engaged to my wonderful boyfriend, and we bought a house! So, I'm restructuring this blog to reflect on life as a mother, soon-to-be wife and really everything in between. Since I"m kicking off this new phase of my life on the 1st of the year, I thought I would start with some New Years resolutions. I know, I know, it's so cliche, but maybe if I put them out there, I will be held a little more accountable. We'll see! So, without further adieu, here goes nothin'!
Personal LIfe I hope to become a more attentive and loving partner. With a new baby, sometimes it's hard to focus on your relationship. I am looking forward to more date nights and more dedicated time for my fiance. I have been on a mission for quite a while to add some meaning to my life. Whether it's creating more, volunteering more, or just giving more time to my son, I want to feel like I am making a difference in my life and others. I am looking to minimalize the things that I surround myself with. Right now I am working on a capsule wardrobe and trying to let go of all the "extra". More on that later! I will also be sharing with you my family scrapbook, as I continue to use Becky Higgins Project Life app (love it!) to complete her Project 52 album. It will be my personal mission to start decorating and updating our new house (with the help of my fiance of course!). Work Life This year I hope to find some direction career wise. I am an interior designer, but I do not work for myself. I hope to either find a new career, or find a new outlet in the interior design field. This is also tied to a financial goal - I need to contribute more financially to my family/household expenses. I am planning on getting more serious with this blog, so I am considering this in the work category. I hope to accomplish my goal of at least one post every two weeks. I need to focus on my side gig more - Barefoot Books! I think that is all for now! Hopefully we can go through this journey together and have a great year! What are your resolutions?? Anne |
Hello!
I'm Anne! Follow me as I go through life as a new mom and soon-to-be wife. Always looking for a creative outlet, I want to share all my ideas with you here at Life by Design! Archives
February 2018
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