Project Life Check In

[rach3975]

So, how are you doing with your PL album or other yearly project? Are you still working on it? Loving it or vowing never again? Caught up or behind?

This is my first year doing PL, and I'm so far behind! My last 100% finished week was 19, though I've also got the photos and journaling in place (the most time consuming part for me) for weeks 20-23.

I still love the project; it forces me to stay on top of my photo organizing and prevents me from having more photos and stories in my to-be-scrapped folder than I'll ever get to. But no matter how I approach PL, I can't find a way to make it fast. I just have too many photos and stories I want to include each week, and narrowing it down takes forever. I love those rare weeks when I realize I only took 5 photos! I'm definitely going to finish out the year, but I'm torn about next year. If I can finish 2013 close to the end of the year I'd like to continue, but I don't want to start 2014 months behind.

[tanyiadeskins]

I am on week 28 of PL. I have found that PL is an amazing project and concept... it just isnt for me. I do not know why I find it so different from P52 and P365 which I did last year but I am really struggling. After I scrap those pics and journal in to a PL style LO its like they have all been done and scrapped and there is no reason for any other scrapping. I also find I take less pics...go figure. It has taken the joy out of "normal"scrapping for me. I am really gonna try and see if some I can catch up because I really hate to have wasted the first 28 weeks worth of layouts ya know, but I am seriously struggling at this point.

[NeverendingJen]

I am on week 31, and will get caught up in the next week or so. I was on vacation and then this week was focused on documenting for WITL and fell a bit behind, but I'm not too concerned. I'm going to change things a bit for next year simply because life is going to be different.
This is my second year of PL and I still love it, but find myself being more adventurous this year and tryingt hings at different times.

[MamaBee]

As usual, I'm soooo behind... I think I've scrapped up to week 12? Which is an improvement over last year where I got week one done. I struggle where I should really finish 2011 - have 8 weeks left... and then should really finish a week in the life and dec daily from last year so that when get good deals on albums, it's there. But I still continue to take photos daily... I haven't scrapped much at all this summer - mojo has been on va-ca... oh speaking of vacation - I need to scrap our Seattle trip before Thanksgiving - family is going to want to know all about the trip and see a photo of BIL's new girlfriend... *sigh* so much to scrap, so little time to do it... haha.

[MommaTrish]

I'm about 10 weeks behind, but then I usually take a few days to knock out several weeks at a time. I really should at least start laying out my photos, but generally I just mass work on it over a weekend.

[MommaTrish]

Oh and today I'm hoping to knock out weeks 25-30 so hopefully by this time tomorrow I'll only be 5 weeks behind.

[Tracyfish]

In 4 years of this I have never been this behind. Life has just gotten in the way and I've kinda lost my desire to do it. I'm good through Week 33 and have the rest of the notes and pics sitting in a folder ready to be done. Maybe this week I'll get my mojo back for it.

[Traci Reed]

I'm all caught up! I even finished last week last night! LOL

[heathergw]

I'm caught up

[abm234]

I'm caught up and loving it. I really feel like my kids will prefer the Project Album to our traditional album.

[rach3975]

I'm kinda glad to hear there are other people in the same boat as me, weeks behind but still plugging along. And I'm impressed with those of you who have been keeping up! I love the LOs you've been posting.

Originally Posted by tanyiadeskins

After I scrap those pics and journal in to a PL style LO its like they have all been done and scrapped and there is no reason for any other scrapping. It has taken the joy out of "normal"scrapping for me

I had that problem for a while, too. Other than a few big events, I have very few "regular" LOs for the first 4 months of 2013. For months 5 and 6 (which is as far as I've gotten) I've been better about earmarking some photos and stories for regular LOs, but I'm still struggling with how to balance it. I'm also finding that because of PL I'm much better at documenting the cute quotes and everyday life, but I'm not doing enough of the "what DS is like right now" LOs that end up being my favorites later on.

Originally Posted by abm234

I'm caught up and loving it. I really feel like my kids will prefer the Project Album to our traditional album.

What my kids like most about my PL album is looking back at things that are still fresh in their minds. Before PL there were some things I scrapped immediately but plenty of others that took years to make it into my albums. By then sometimes they don't even remember it ever happening.

[littlekiwi]

I am soo behind - only up to week 10. Hope to catch up after uni finishes in mid November

[ricslady]

I started with week 26 this year. I've kept up to date so far. Being disabled and at home alone a big part of the time makes it hard to have something to scrap some weeks. Next year I might do a month in review rather than a week.

[Tracyfish]

Ok, it was driving me crazy. I'm caught up now.

[rach3975]

Originally Posted by Tracyfish

Ok, it was driving me crazy. I'm caught up now.

LOL, congrats! Now that the boys are back in school I really need to start pushing to get caught up, too.

[eranslow]

I have thru week 27 in my album but only journaled up to week 20 (I think?) today and yesterday I worked on editing photos and have up to week 31 edited. I need to just sit down and get the journaling done for those weeks. And worry about any embellishing later. Still really love the process - just need to make a dedicated time every week to work on it.

[DawnMarch]

I'm on week 29. This was the first year I went all digital and that has been great although I do tend to fiddle with it a lot more since digital seems to have so many more options. I just had the first half of the year printed in a Shutterfly book and I LOVE it! I am trying to get back in the swing of it but I was sidetracked by vacation and a bunch of work we had done on our house.

[sarahbhb]

I have many many many weeks to do (both from 2012 and 2013). I've made a promise to myself that I'm going to start setting aside time on Saturday morning (DH and DD usually sleep in so this is the perfect time for me) to work on PL. I've decided it's gotten to the point that I need to schedule time to make sure I at least get some time to work on it each week.

[Tracyfish]

The key to my catching up was SIMPLIFY! LOL!

[DawnMarch]

Originally Posted by Tracyfish

The key to my catching up was SIMPLIFY! LOL!

Yes, this is what I've done in the past too. It works but it's hard to force yourself to simplify!

[Nettio]

I'm so behind I'm really not sure what I'm going to do. I really love the album, and I especially love doing it hybrid/paper for all the memorabilia but ugh, printing photos is such a pain. That's pretty much the point where my entire system falls apart.

[MamaBee]

Originally Posted by sarahbhb

I have many many many weeks to do (both from 2012 and 2013). I've made a promise to myself that I'm going to start setting aside time on Saturday morning (DH and DD usually sleep in so this is the perfect time for me) to work on PL. I've decided it's gotten to the point that I need to schedule time to make sure I at least get some time to work on it each week.

DH and I were just talking about this... how need to schedule time and just do it! Him for work he needs to catch up on and me for scrapping... the key is feeling motivated when that time comes - haha... that has been my problem lately, my mojo is on extended leave and didn't leave a forwarding address!

[MommaTrish]

John is really good and once a month or so and will take a Saturday to just sit and work on several weeks at a time. I use the method Traci blogged about for her Disney book. I lay out all my pictures, then my papers, then elements, then journal.

[misfitinmn]

I am about to go pick up the pictures from Week 35 today, and work on that this afternoon - hopefully finishing this weekend. My original system was edit Sunday night, order Monday morning and scrap on Monday (since I'm off work) but that fell off-track a bit in the summer. I try to, at the very least, order my pictures on a weekly basis and at least stick them in the album.

[mummytothree]

Originally Posted by rach3975

So, how are you doing with your PL album or other yearly project? Are you still working on it? Loving it or vowing never again? Caught up or behind?

This is my first year and I am still loving it so much!!! I'm all caught up and my binder is filling up so nicely, it just makes me giddy!!! In fact it's pretty much replaced all other scrapping for me!!! I still do some "traditional" digi pages but those are mostly old photos as I'm trying to check up and get my back log of 15 years worth of photos scrapped, printed and in my kids books!!

I'm also still taking my self portraits weekly and posting them and I am loving that too and I can see myself continuing that through the years too!!

Right now I'm preparing for my December Daily, gathering supplies and making plans!!! I can not wait to start it!!!

[mummytothree]

Originally Posted by Tracyfish

In 4 years of this I have never been this behind. Life has just gotten in the way and I've kinda lost my desire to do it. I'm good through Week 33 and have the rest of the notes and pics sitting in a folder ready to be done. Maybe this week I'll get my mojo back for it.

I felt so lonely in the August threat!!! I'm so glad you are caught up!!!!

[DawnMarch]

Here is my Shutterfly book from the first half of 2013. I love it so much it's motivated me to get caught up.

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/w...8AcM2TZizcNGgA

[Tracyfish]

Originally Posted by mummytothree

I felt so lonely in the August threat!!! I'm so glad you are caught up!!!!

Sorry I've actually also decided that I'm just keeping them for me (which helps greatly in the speed at which I do them), so I'm not posting them anymore.

[heathergw]

the holiday totally threw me off... since Costco was closed on Monday, and that's usually when I go... so, now I'm editing photos from last week and this week and getting them ready to print for this Monday

[rach3975]

Originally Posted by DawnMarch

It works but it's hard to force yourself to simplify!

Exactly my feeling about simplifying, LOL! I used to be a simple scrapper, but now it's hard to scrap that way.

Originally Posted by Nettio

I'm so behind I'm really not sure what I'm going to do. I really love the album, and I especially love doing it hybrid/paper for all the memorabilia but ugh, printing photos is such a pain. That's pretty much the point where my entire system falls apart.

I've finally thrown in the towel on doing it in pockets. My last 3 LOs have been digital 12x12s, and yesterday I ordered some of the Becky Higgins envelope pages to hold the memorabilia I want to save from the second half of the year. Having the mix of pockets and 12x12s drives me a little crazy, but I'll get over it.

Originally Posted by mummytothree

This is my first year and I am still loving it so much!!! I'm all caught up and my binder is filling up so nicely, it just makes me giddy!!!

That's great!

Originally Posted by Tracyfish

Sorry I've actually also decided that I'm just keeping them for me (which helps greatly in the speed at which I do them), so I'm not posting them anymore.

I've stopped posting most of mine, too. Between keeping track of credits and feeling like I have to work harder on something that I'm going to put in the gallery, my 2013 album was going to take me 2 years. Now I'm only posting the occasional PL page that I do for a CT or a challenge.

Originally Posted by DawnMarch

Here is my Shutterfly book from the first half of 2013.]

It's wonderful! I love how many different photo arrangements you've used. I started the year using physical pocket pages in 2 designs (Becky Higgins A and D), and I'm still using those styles (from one of Traci's template sets) because all the other choices overwhelm me, LOL.

[kim21673]

I'm still working on it! I just finished Week 31!!! I plan on going til the end!!!

[nun69]

I plan on catching up, I think I have through week 20 with pictures and jounaling.....I will catch up, but I just finished my 2012 AWIYL so I coud start this week without feeling too guilty I will probably finihs my DD from last year the same way...push to finish it before Dec 1st this year